Date: Tue, 07 Aug 2007 10:05:17 -0400
From: J
Subject: Doctor Who, Jesse, and Jeremy 74

The Old House stands as light begins to shine from the horizon. The driving
rain has stopped, making the leaves of the bushes and trees around it, wet,
ready to be warmed by the rising summer sun. The sounds of birds have just
begun...their chirping replacing that of the summer grasshoppers and other
insects that survived the night storm...

"My name is Jesse McCartney. Dawn arrives over Collinsport, over
Collinwood, mansion of the strange family on the hill, and over the Old
House, where an even stranger cousin of the family lives, strange events
have taken place. The new month, July has ushered in with a driving storm,
which has now, gladly dissipated. But storms can take on many forms and the
feeling I have as I sat with my lover Jeremy in the Old House Drawing Room
was that the coming storm, usually brought on around our other lover, the
time lost Doctor, would be much stronger, and much deadlier than the one
from last night..."

Jeremy sat, cross-legged in Barnabus's chair. Jesse hovered over him. "I
said I'm fine. How many times are you gonna ask?"

"A hundred if I have to," Jesse said, "As many times as there are Doctor's
lives..."

"Speaking of which, I can safely say, Barnabus is not the Doctor..."

"I know. He's a vampire, Jeremy. A vampire!"

"Keep your voice down," Jeremy said, "Julia and Willie are taking care of
him."

"I don't know," Jesse said, "How can you trust them?"

"David seems to," Jeremy countered.

"Yeah and they have been lying to him, Jer. Lying. He wasn't in Bangor or
Bankcock for that matter. He was right here, being a...a vampire!"

"Shhh," Jeremy said.  "It's not his fault. Someone or something else has
put a curse on him. A disease of some kind..."

"Still. If the Doctor were here, he'd destroy him. You know what the Tardis
Files said about vampires..."

"Yeah, sure, there are many different kinds of them, just like there are
many different kinds of werewolves, too..."

"Speaking of that, any sign of Quentin's portrait?"

"No, but I think Julia and Willie want to find it as badly as Quentin
does..."

Jesse sat on the arm of the chair, next to Jeremy. Jeremy put his hand
around Jesse's back, "Really. I'm okay. He didn't hurt me. And I can tell
he's not a bad person..."

Jesse sarcastically nodded, "Naw, he just tried to take a bite outta ya."
He touched Jeremy's neck again. "Lemme see that again..."

Jeremy sighed and showed him his neck. "See, nothing, not even a scar..."

"I was sure I saw...oh and yeah, I saw him bite you through the yes of a
ghostly German Shepard..."

"Fitzie," Jeremy gasped, "That was my dog as a kid..."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Before I left you, I prayed that God would send a guardian to look over
you."

"A dog? You prayed that God would send a dog to watch over me as I slept?"
Jesse sounded offended.

"Yeah. I mean you were so frightened of the studio, TV crew ghosts or
whatever they are that's haunting Collinwood...that I just couldn't leave
you alone..."

"And you just couldn't wait to go over to speak to Barnabus until we could
both have gone...why didn't you just wake me up and I would have went with
you?"

"I don't know. Maybe...maybe Barnabus was putting some kind of a hypnotic
trance on me to do that. I mean do I do things that are that foolish,
usually?"

Jesse stared.

"No, right?"

Jesse stared.

"Well, okay," Jeremy said, "Thing is I'm fine now, thanks to that little
girl..."

"Little girl? What little girl?"  Julia came up from the cellar steps.

"I'm Jesse," Jesse stood up.

Julia nodded, "How do you do, I'm Dr. Julia Hoffman. Jeremy, what girl did
you see?"

"The same one you did."

"Yes..."  Julia recalled as she came back from the cellar the first time to
check on Jeremy, clean and bandage his neck, she had just entered the
Josette bedroom when she saw a figure standing over the prone
boy. "Sarah...? Sarah, my God, is that you, Sarah?"

The ghostly girl turned to her, pale. She did not look happy as she stared
at Julia. "Hello. Dr. Hoffman..."

"Sarah. After all this time. After all that's happened...you...you've come
back."

"Dr. Hoffman, there are forces at work here that none of you know
about. None of you. I'm not permitted to say more. It won't let me. Even
now, I and others, including Miss Josette of this room, are working to
stop. But it will take all of us working together. Do you understand,
Dr. Hoffman?"

"Sarah, we're...we're friends. Aren't we? You don't have to call me
Dr. Hoffman."

Sarah looked at her but her attention and mind were drawn to something
else. She looked up as if listening to something or someone else.  "I have
to go. Goodbye."

Jeremy drew Julia back to the present moment. "Doctor?"  Julia slightly
walked away, moved a bit away from them. She thinking of how Barnabus
murdered her colleague, a man Sarah liked, one Dr. Dave Woodard. Would he
come back as well. To haunt her? She could recall his haunting voice from
the time Barnabus himself had used it to haunt her. Barnabus could be cruel
when he was the vampire... she looked around to the window...

Dave's face was there, pale, his eyes black. Accusing. "Julia..."  he
echoed. "Juuuuliaaaaa...."  He pointed in at her, his hand moving through
the window itself, without damaging it.

"Doctor Hoffman, are you alright?"

"Yes, yes. Just that little girl..."  Julia moved toward the doors some
more, her back to the two boy lovers.

"I saw her, too, last night," Jesse said, "She told me she would make sure
you were alright," Jesse said as he looked at Jeremy and then quickly,
while Julia's back was to them, planted a quick kiss on his thick, hot
lips.

Julia saw Dave vanish. She spent the last ten years or more, battling the
supernatural, monsters, ghosts, and the like. She was not about to react to
even this personal attack on her spirit to move her from her duty to her
husband. "Boys. I know you are David's friends...I know you would want to
help us fix this..."

Jesse faced her now. "If you mean will we keep silent about this..."

"He...he's safe now. He can't harm anyone. And with the blood supply here,
he'll be fed and not hungry."

Jesse nodded, "Still, I don't know. You had him SAFE before and look at
what he did. Drawing Jeremy here even from his coffin. Controlling your
handyman..."

"Willie," Willie said "Willie Loomis," as he emerged from the cellar
door. He shut it and slammed the slide latch into place. He hung a cross
over the window that was on the cellar door.

"Hello," Jesse said, "Jesse. Friend of David's. And Jeremy here, you know
Jeremy. The one that Barnabus almost turned into a ..."

"It's okay," Jeremy stood. He had on the clothes he wore to the
place. Willie had even found the sandals he had lost and in the rain,
almost during the worst of the storm, brought them back to the youth. "I'm
okay...we won't tell anyone. We'll find out who's doing this to us and
why..."

"Thank you," Julia said, smiled a grim smile, and then turned to garner
Jesse's allegiance, "Both..."

"Uhm, Jeremy, how do we know he's not controlling you now? To agree with
him?"

"I guess...I guess, we don't."  Jeremy stuttered. "I'm not sure. I mean I
feel myself..."

"I'd know," Julia said and moved to Jeremy, "May I?"  She looked into his
eyes and took a hand to peel back the upper and lower lids on each
eye. "He's not. He's himself..."

"Mister Barnabus, he's...he...he's real sorry."  Willie stammered.

"Really? How nice for him," Jesse frowned, sarcastic again.

"He won't do it again," Julia stated firmly. As Jesse shook his head
against this, Julia added, "I'd stake him myself before I let him out to
hurt anyone else..."

"Why don't I believe that for a second," Jesse spewed.

"We'll go straighten up Josette's room and leave," Jeremy said.

"So soon?"  Julia said, wringing her hands, "I thought...well, I thought we
could talk. Pool our resources. Find out what we know."

"You mean what WE know," Jesse frowned.

"Jesse," Jeremy shook his head at him. "Let's listen."

"I'll start with what I know. I had a cure for Barnabus's affliction. For
some reason, it is not working. Someone is causing it not to work, is what
I think."

"We were almost drowned by something...unnatural while at the pool..."
Jesse put in.  "And David...was there and told us that he saw the caretaker
Ben's son there."

"I've seen them," Julia shuddered. "There's something not quite right about
that family."

"Tell me about it," Jeremy said, "We've both been to their cottage and
they...they don't seem right in the head."

Julia added, "Also, we know that someone has stolen Quentin's portrait..."

"When we were there we didn't see it. Why is that painting so important to
him and to you for that matter?"  Jesse asked, moving closer to her.

"Why it..."  Julia turned away, "It has value to him..."

"Value?"  Jesse asked, "Is it what makes him stay young for such a very
long time?"

Jeremy came around to her side, "We...we saw a picture of him at the Pool
House...it was from a long time ago. Possibly the 1800s..."

"I see," Julia nodded, "We have to get it back. If you find it or know who
took it or find out who took it..."

"We'll get it back," Jesse said, "But first tell us how he came to be that
way..."

Julia explained about Count Petofi, "In 1897, a very evil man, a man who
had immense supernatural power, forced a painter named Charles Delaware
Tate to paint a portrait of Quentin. Tate's paintings had themselves, some
power. In Quentin's case, the power to make him immortal. Petofi wanted to
possess Quentin's body for himself to escape gypsy punishment for his many
crimes."

"We'll try to help you," Jeremy said, "If we find it...we'll bring it
straight here."

"Very well," Julia said. "Please, tell no one about what happened here."

"We'll think about..."

"We won't," Jeremy stressed.

"Now, I suggest you rest some more before the full on set of morning,"
Julia suggested.

"I am a bit tired," Jeremy said, "And it is a bit early to be heading
back..."

"We'll stay for a bit longer."  Jesse nodded, "Both of us..."

"Both?"  Julia asked.

"There's no way I'm leaving my..."  Jesse hesitated to call Jeremy his
lover thanks to this being 1976. "...my friend alone in this house with a
vampire in the basement, sorry. Besides, how's he supposed to rest if he's
gong to be constantly looking over his shoulder from bed for a ghost or a
vampire...?"

Julia paraded herself in front of the boys as they made their way to the
great staircase. "Just one more thing. What made you come here in the first
place?"

"I wanted to talk to David's cousin. Jesse and I are looking for a friend
of ours and we think he may have crossed paths with some people from
Collinwood."

"Oh? What makes you think that?"  She raised her chin in that manner that
Willie had seen so often when she knew she was winning some subtle point.

"He...he's been seen by David," Jeremy lied. "From what he described to
us. He...might have amnesia, too."

"Oh, that's too bad," Julia said, "If anyone turns up that might fit his
description..."

They told her what the Doctor looked like and gave his name as Dr. John
Smith. "Original," Julia said.

The two went up the steps. Jeremy whispered, "I hate lying..."

"Shh, shhh," Jesse whispered and looked behind his shoulder as they
ascended the steps.  "You did a good job. Sometimes lying is a part of the
job of traveling with the Doctor," Jesse patted Jeremy's back, "You done
good as Archie Bunker would say..."

"Still, I hate it..."

Julia moved over to Willie, "This was a fiasco but at least...he's safe
now. Now we have to figure out what to do about Quentin..."  Julia noticed
Willie's extra added agitation. Willie was playing with the ring on his
finger and staring at her, then looking down. "What?"

"Speaking of Quentin...you deliberately forgot to mention the portrait also
keeping him from turning into the wolf man..."

"There's no reason for them to know that...there's not a full moon coming
for...whaaa?"

"July 11th..."  Willie stated emphatically. At Julia's stare and wry smile,
Willie added, "What? As soon as I knew Quentin's portrait was missing, I
checked and told Barnabus. But Julia, that..."  he gently touched her arms
with his hands, "That's not that far off..."

"We have 11 days," Julia added, swallowing to keep herself calm. "We have
to make sure Barnabus does not get out and find that painting!"

In the bedroom, Jesse pulled the covers up to Jeremy's chin. "Thanks
mom. You didn't confront her about...about the picture turning into a were
wolf."

"I should have. If we're going to help each other and work together to
solve who's doing this to us all and why...then we have to be completely
honest with each other, even though I wasn't about the Doctor...I mean it
would just complicate things..."

"As if they're not complicated enough already. I mean we're no closer to
finding the Doctor than when we arrived," Jesse said and sat in a chair
near the bed.

"I know. Barnie old boy is not him. I wouldn't even consider Willie."

"What about the Doctor downstairs?"

"Dr. Hoffman?"  Jeremy pufted out. "I don't know. I doubt it."

"Why not? I mean she...she's what about, how old would you say?"

Jeremy turned on his side to face Jesse, "I don't know. I guess she was
born in maybe 1920 or 1922 thereabouts..."

"Well, that's what we've been saying. If the Doctor landed in 1922 and
regenerated into a baby...no, that's not right. Maybe he just landed in
1930 and became a doctor..."

"Yeah," Jeremy propped himself up on one elbow, "I've been thinking about
the Doctor's a woman theory. I don't think it will fly."

"Oh, why not? We know he was in the past."

"That was before he met us. Before he opened up sexually in a majorly gay
way..."

Jesse crossed his legs and then uncrossed them, feeling most uncool about
the crossing. "So?"

"So, if he became a woman, he'd really be ...well, not attractive to us."

"Yeah," Jesse nodded, "I see your point..."  he leaned forward, "However,
if his mind is rejecting his gayness..."

"You think it might?"

"Don't all our minds? In a way?"  Jesse asked.

"I don't know."  Jeremy frowned and laid on his back again. "I guess I see
YOUR point, too. If the Doctor was in such a state and WE KNOW he was...he
might have been rejecting relationships and especially gay ones...maybe..."

Jesse shut his eyes and leaned back again, "I really, really hope not. I
don't think I could stand it..."

"He might also think maybe we'd like ...I can't even say it at this
point..."

"Girls?"  Jesse opened his eyes.  He shuddered. "Naw...I can't play that
game anymore so if he is...a...a..girl..."

"We're gonna love him no matter," Jeremy pointed at Jesse, looking right at
him.

"Yeah, of course, I'm not gonna leave him...just...just that..."

"You won't have sex with him?"

"I don't' think I'd want to."

"Not sure I would either."

Jesse shrugged, "Well, we're just gonna have to cross that time bridge when
we teleport to it."

"And now that we know Quentin's secrets as well as Barnabus, we know it
can't be Quentin who's the Doctor..."

Jesse shrugged, "Unless he's doubly cursed, being time lost. David did say
he just turned up in 1968 or 69 out of the blue and with some alias name,
Grant Douglas or something...him being stuck here in this time or having
lived through time to the present day...not much of a clue for us in
establishing that he is or isn't the Doctor..."  Jesse put his hand to his
chin.

"Is it...is it..."

"What?"

"Getting to you, you know being stuck in one place, one time?"

Jesse shrugged, "Not really. It's anything but boring here. The houses, the
mysteries...what about you?"

"No. You're here," Jeremy smiled a big winning smile. Jesse leaned forward
and kissed him on the mouth quickly and then thought better of the quick
part. He planted another on the thick winning lips of Jeremy and left it
there. Jeremy responded well and their faces moved around each other's,
cheek to cheek, mouth to mouth, tongue to tongue. They parted and Jesse
smiled.

"You really should get some sleep."

"You try, too."

"Are you nuts? In this house of horrors?"

"Sarah, the little girl and the bride, Josette. They didn't seem to be
horrors to me."

"No. No, I suppose not."  Jesse smiled. He sat back, "Now, try to catch
some shut eye, hottie."

"Okay."  Jeremy shut his eyes and sank his head into the pillow, turning to
the other side.

Brilliant summer sunshine came into the window. Despite that, he was able
to shut his eyes. He wondered if that was because he was becoming a vampire
but dismissed that thought immediately.  They would leave at noon after
Jeremy found some sleep. Before they left, Jeremy told Julia about what he
knew about the painting changing into a werewolf. Julia admitted that the
painting also kept Quentin from changing.

"Speaking of Quentin, where is he? Shouldn't he be helping us look for it?"
Jesse asked.

"Yes, he is," Julia informed them, "He's on his way to Little Windward
Island, following a lead."

"How far is that?"

"About 50 miles," Willie put in.

Also before they left the Old House, Jesse called David and told him more
about the painting. David, shocked, understood all the secrets Quentin,
Julia, Willie, and Barnabus had kept but now he knew it all. He vowed to go
find the painting. On the phone in Collinwood, David was overheard by
Owen. Owen had been coming into the foyer area as David told Jesse, "I will
find the painting if it's THAT important to him. Bye, see ya, Jesse."
David closed his eyes.  In his mind, he saw the portrait in surroundings
that looked familiar to him. "The cottage..."

"How is everything? All right?"  Owen asked him. Owen wore a green tie with
light green shirt and green sports jacket. He also had one dark black
pants.

David wanted to hug him tightly but refrained. Servants were still around,
cleaning up after the big party.  "Oh, yeah," David said, "I guess. If you
mean about the guests, they all seem happy...which is atypical for this
place..."

"Good," Owen declared, "I'm just here to see if I can get anyone anything."

"No one complained," David stated. "It's 11 and almost every guest is
up...but..."

"But what?"

"Usually Mr. Rolf is up and about, gardening or checking out the
gutters. And after that storm last night..."

"Yeah, that was really something, wasn't it?"

"Yes, that it was," David said and moved toward the doors.  He turned to
Owen before leaving, "Hey, Owen, I have to go find out where Ben is. Do
you...do you want to come with me?"

"You're really going to see if that painting is there, aren't you?"

"It's really suspicious that he isn't around, and the painting is gone,
too."

"David, it's just a painting."

If you only knew how true that wasn't, David thought. "Yeah but it...it has
a special, uhm, what do you call it, sentimental value to my cousin. And
he's pretty broken up about it..."

"Where is your cousin now?"

"Looking for it at a house that used to belong to a...this person that used
to have the portrait...on Little Windward Island. I guess it'll take him
about an hour to drive there, a few more hours to look around the house, if
he can get in and if I know him, he can, and an hour or so to drive
back. So I think I'll go to the Cottage myself to look for it...and Ben
Rolf..."

"I know Ben's not checking the gutters could affect our guests I the long
run...but, I...I have some other business to attend to at the Inn..."

David looked forlorn. "Okay...I guess I'll see you later..."

Owen shook his head, sad. "Okay..."  He really wanted to go with David. He
walked out the doors with him, "Be careful, okay?"

"Oh, I've been to that cottage a hundred times," David smiled, "I'll be
fine."

Owen moved to his humble car. Owen hesitated before putting the key in the
ignition. As he started it and left for the driveway out and the subsequent
300 foot road beyond the exit gate, David began the walk to the cottage
area. He looked for Ben, his wife Marion, and his son Dee aka David
Rolf. He saw no one. Hooded figures darted in and out of the smaller
buildings around the area.  Eyes were watching David. Many eyes, even in
this sunlit summer morning...menace...



Even though the stillness of summer filled the morning, one wave after
another washed against the rocks not far from Collinwood, which was 100
feet above the base of the cliff, and the Old House. Four waves washed over
the rocks and on the last one, the horizon showed itself to anyone watching
from the cliffs...anyone wearing a hood, a robe of red...and there were
several...the wavy summer heat drizzle effected the very air, unable to
wash away the dark shadows that filled it...and even added to the
strangeness of the dark shadows that even filled a hot summer, brightly lit
morning...



"Ben? Dee? Mrs. Rolf?"  David called out as he opened the cottage door and
went inside.  He remembered twice before his mother being in this
cottage. He wondered how many times that evil being she was...the
Phoenix...came to reclaim her first born in order to burn him up alive and
have herself reborn anew.  It seemed a paradox to him that she could. Her
ghost came to do it or was it just her built in survival instinct that made
other Laura Collins return somehow? He wasn't sure. The thought of her
blond head chilled him. So many moments with her in this room. Since the
last time, he avoided coming here as much as possible, but now Quentin
needed him. "Are you here?"

The door opened unbeknownst to David. "No, but I am..."

"You came?"  David's face brightened.

"Of course. I'm sorry..."  Owen came over to him and put his hand in
David's. Then he kissed him on the cheek and blushed. He looked at the
fireplace, "Gosh, it's hot in here," Owen said.

"Yeah," David said, "I guess I just didn't notice. I just got hotter seeing
you here."

Owen blushed. "I am pretty busy but not if something means this much to
you. Man, hot is not the word for..."  he tried to move his collar away
from his neck as he sweated. "Is that thing on?"  He looked at the
fireplace.

"I...I don't think so," David said.  "We'd better see if the other are
here."  They both called out to the family again and again.

When no answer was forthcoming, the pair began to rummage through the
drawers near the small kitchen area. Finding no painting, Owen moved to the
other side of the room where there was a closet he searched through. He put
his hands on his hips as he found plenty of work tools, two old tennis
rackets and household appliances that could fit in there. But still no
painting.  David moved to the smaller drawers on the counters. He found
nothing. He was beginning to think his vision was ill-founded or meant
something else, when he decided to go into the other rooms. "Mr. Rolf? Ben?
You in there?"  With the racket he made in his search, he figured no one
was in the house, but he called out just to make sure. His ears started
ringing. Crinkling. He thought he heard a crinkling. Something familiar.
He shrugged it off as just the summer heat. The sound seemed to have
stopped. He moved to the bedrooms.  There was a huge walk in closet. He
went inside.  Finding nothing out in the main room and glancing up the
fireplace just in case someone had shoved it up there, Owen followed David
in just as David came out of the bedroom walk in closet with the painting
in his hands. It was, thankfully covered. David didn't want Owen realizing
just how totally beyond Addams Family creepy his family really is. A sheet
of white cloth wrapped over it.

"That it?"

"Yeah," David gasped, tired, hot, and bothered.

"Let's have a look at it," Owen began to reach for the cloth.

David moved the painting further from Owen's reach, "Not now. Let's just
get out of here, okay?"

Owen frowned and then smiled. "I didn't do you much good..."  The crinkling
sound rose louder. It was a definite sound.

"Nonsense, brought me good luck, you did," David smiled as he heaved the
portrait into the main room where...

Ben Rolf, his large imposing body was standing before them. His face the
look of anger. His brow pressed together. Wrinkled forehead. Mouth in a
derisive frown. But it was his eyes that disturbed both young men. They
were red and wide. And they didn't seem to blink. Without a beat missed,
Ben reached the painting, grabbed both sides of it and put it against the
fireplace.

David barely had time to utter, "What?"

"The..."  Owen began.

"Hell?"  David finished.

"Get out of here! You'll ruin it all! Just leave!!!"

David laughed a nervous laugh, "Ben. Mr. Rolf, in case you've forgotten. My
family and really, I, now own Collinwood and the grounds...as well as this
Cottage. I'll have you know..."

Ben moved at him, getting even closer. Owen made some fists but kept them
down by his sides. He thought Ben was going to throttle David as he moved
so close to him and when Ben spoke, his hot breath came onto David's
face. And his sweat flung off his upper lip. David moved back. Ben yelled,
"It's a surprise! It's supposed to be a surprise!!!!"

"From who?"  David snapped, "A surprise from who?!"

"Someone! It's gong to be restored as a gift for Mr. Collins," Ben
snapped. "Now, get out of here before you ruin it all."  Ben moved to the
fireplace and picked up a black iron poker to stroke a fire...one which did
not exist. He opened the screen, which Owen had opened just minutes ago,
and stoked an invisible fire. The sounds of the fire were clearly visible
but none existed. Ben gripped the poker firmly and held it at his side as
he returned to David.

"Ben," David said.

"What do you want now?"  Ben moved at David.

"David, let's go," Owen urged and made it sound like the warning he wanted
it to be.

"Okay, Ben," David forced himself to fake a smile. "We won't spoil the
surprise. We'll keep it quiet, just like you asked. We won't tell
anyone..."

Ben staggered and wanted to lift the poker. In his head, he heard the
woman's voice. "YOU will NOT harm the boy!!!! Do not dare to raise YOUR
hand against HIM! He is mine!!! Mine!!!"  The sound of the fire increased,
reached a crescendo, and then died slowly...

Ben pressed his lips together and threw the poker back onto the fireplace's
brick mantle step. "Please don't!!!"

"We...we won't..."  David studied Ben's movements.

"C'mon," Owen pulled David's arm and lead him to the door, past Ben Rolf,
who was sweating so much now that his entire brown work shirt was soaked.

Ben whirled around and watched Owen lead David outside and then the taller,
leaner boy shut the door. Ben stared madly at them, even though he couldn't
see them any longer. He raced to the window to watch them from the
curtains' part. David turned on Owen, "Why'd you do that? He has the
painting."

"David, anyone could see there's something wrong with him," Owen stated,
calmly. "Let's get Quentin and have him and maybe Dr. Hoffman come get the
portrait...he can take it and Dr. Hoffman can examine him..."

"I guess...if he lets her. I just wish I didn't leave it there now..."

"We had to. Unless you're prepared to have a fight with that guy, poker in
his hand and all that," Owen said. "I grew up in Collinsport, just like you
did but there's a difference, you grew up in Collinwood...I know how mad
this place can make people. I know what evil can be done, sometimes by good
people, and how much greater it can grow if you try to fight it
unprepared...the Collins family always tried to do that and usually
lost..."

"I guess, I guess you're right," David nodded, "He's watching us."

"I know, I can feel his staring at us," Owen said as he lead David to the
car, "Get in.."  Owen went to the other side of the car, which was further
from the Cottage than the side David was getting in on. David stared at
Ben, who met his gaze full on. Owen avoided looking at the window. "He's
insane...and we have to do something."  Owen told David this as they sat
down in the front seat. "But not just us alone..."

"I'll get Julia and the Sheriff to get someone over here to get him the
help he needs but first, I've got to let Quentin know about the portrait so
he can get it...before Ben does anything to it."

As Owen drove down the driveway toward the one that went to Collinwood, he
asked, "Why is this portrait so important? Shouldn't we just get the
Sheriff now?"

"No," David snapped. "If you know anything about us, the Collins family, my
family, you know there are things we must take care of before bringing in
the sheriff..."

"I'm not sure I understand..."  Owen said. He looked at the house coming
up. The large gloomy mansion above the cliffs. It seemed alive to him as it
filled his windscreen.

David put his hand on Owen's leg and squeezed lightly. "Owen, you know I
like you, right?"

Owen looked down at his leg and David's hand on it. He stopped the
car. "David..."

"Right?"

"Yes," Owen said. "but what...I mean I like you, too."

"Some time I'll tell you all about this, about us, but please, just do it
my way this time?"

"kay....but you're...scaring me..."

"I..."  David leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

Owen didn't back off but moved closer and kissed David on the mouth. "I...I
can't believe I just did that..."

"I'm glad you did..."

"What if your aunt is looking out the window....or Carolyn..."

"Carolyn will be glad..."  David laughed. "Owen, there comes a time..."

"No, David, no. No one will ever know about me."

David looked at him, moved away and just stared out the window. "I...I
understand..."  he was pouting as he said it. He crossed his arms as Owen
began the car moving again, toward the front of Collinwood...

When David opened the door, Owen said, "I'll see you at the fireworks
display?"

David held the door open, "The show? That's two and a half days away..."

"I know. I'm busy. You know that. I'm sorry. I ...let me know if you want
me to do anything about this guy, Rolf..."

David resisted the urge to snap. He talked but when his words left his
mouth, he pressed his own lips together in anger, "Okay. Thanks for coming
to help look for it. I ...I'll take care of it myself..."  He slammed the
door and ran to the doors, flung them open and ran inside, slamming them
shut as well. Owen watched and shook his head, upset. He drove away,
shaking his head and unsure as to what to do.

"Jesse? Jeremy?"  David asked. He looked around. He ran into the back of
the drawing room and looked out at the square in what is essentially the
backyard of Collinwood.  There, he saw Mr. Caine teaching Jeremy some more
lessons about grace, style, beauty, and self defense. He frustrated. He had
to enlist some help in getting the painting. "Shit."  He ran up the steps
to the bedrooms and raced to his own room. The doors in between their rooms
were open and looked into the room Jesse and Jeremy was staying in. Jesse
was sound asleep in bed, snoring,. "Shit again," David whispered. "I need
you both..."

A ghostly voice, one of a studio announcer, said, "And now later, the party
is over."

"Oh shut up and go haunt someplace else!" David snapped. It didn't wake
Jesse up but he covered his mouth anyway. He knew the boys had a tough
night last night and he didn't really want to disturb Jesse's rest.

"We'll be right back..."

David sighed. He vowed to find some way to make his powers greater so that
he could exorcise the ghosts of Collinwood once and for all. "So tired. So
tired and hot..."  David moved back to his bed and laid his back down, his
head down onto his pillow. "So....so tired..."

As soon as he turned onto his side, he began to fall asleep and soon he was
asleep. A kaleidoscope of magnificent purple and white lights hit his
mind's eye or where it was that dreams illuminated onto. He had seen this
effect before. It turned and whirled and the colors changed from blue to
red to yellow to white again, purple and mauve and lavender and pink. His
eyelids grew heavy. "David," a familiar female voice called. "David...I
wouldn't let anything happen to you...."

"No, no. You wouldn't."

"I love you."

"You need me."

"But they...they would. Look at them, David, look at them...really look at
them. Each one of them. How have they helped you?"

"Cassandra is that you? Are you the witch?"

"David, never mind that. In your heart, you know who I am. You shall find
it. It's ingrained in you. But look at your boyfriends."

"Not my boyfriends..."

"See them for what they really are..."

David looked over his bed, turned onto his back. He stared up but could not
move. His arms would not go up to defend himself. He couldn't rise to fight
off his attackers. Someone was quickly opening his shirt to reveal his bare
flesh...his bare stomach and chest now exposed to the world. He was
sweating all over his body, despite the chills he felt up and down from his
toes to his neck...

Jeremy had two large steak knives, stood at the foot of the bed and crossed
the knives together. His mouth drooled. "Where to make first blood?"

Jesse was on the right side of the bed. He put a finger on David's lower
boy belly, "Right here, me thinks."  He had Quentin's sword and revealed it
from the side of the bed in his other hand. He placed the point in David's
round virgin navel. "No, no, right here. Then like a frog, right up there."
He drew a line with the sword out of David's navel, rubbing on it, and up
David's belly to his chest. "Like a frog. You've seen the Doctor do
dissections, do it that way."

"Yeah, it'll be fun. David, glad you're good for something."  Jeremy smiled
and David could see that the blond now had two huge vampire fangs.

"NOOOO!"  David yelled. He turned to the side that didn't have Jesse on
it. There was Owen's face, Owen leaning down. "Owen? Owen, help me! Don't
let them kill me! Don't let them!"

Owen smiled, "David, it won't be a waste."

"Owen, Owen. What are you talking about? They...they're going to kill
me. And I trusted them so! Owen, don't let them!"

"David, we are going to use you."

"Use me?"

"We've been using you all along. To make our gayness seem like it's
right. The more people that are gay, the stronger our conviction that being
gay is right..."

"I ...you mean I'm not gay?"

"You are if we say you are. If we make it come out of you, come out in
you. Then we convince you you are gay, so we look okay."

"Owen! Stop it! You don't believe that!"

"Besides, it shall not be wasted. Your body. We going to eat it."

"What!????NOOOOOOO! NOOOOOO! Aunt Elizabeth! Cassandra! Mother!"

David turned and saw Jeremy ready to bite him in the neck on the side Jesse
was on. Jesse had changed spots with him. Jesse was now a slobbering,
drooling werewolf and with Quentin's sword aimed at his heart. David heard
the fire sounds again, crinkling and rising. He was able to jerk himself up
and he rolled into Owen who was laughing uncontrollably like a drag queen,
like a fem, like a faggot. "Owen stop it!"  As David stood, Owen put two
hands on his chest, cupping his nipples, sucking them from his palms. "What
the hell! Stop it!!!"  David grabbed both wrists and forcibly pulled. The
pain he felt when he finally removed Owen's hands was intense. He looked at
Owen's hands. In each palm were two open holes almost like mouths, lined
with razor sharp teeth. Covered his blood.  David looked at his nipples and
saw them bleeding. Owen laughed again and again and again, like some female
witch. David turned and saw the werewolf sniffing blood in the air. The
Jesse werewolf. David crouched down and faked a move past the werewolf.  He
turned to look back and saw fire rise up before the werewolf. "OH MY GOD!"
David ran out the door and ran smack into Dee Rolf. "Run, there's a vampire
and a werewolf and..."

Dee smiled, his arms behind his back, "David. It's all in the family."

"Dee, what do you mean? What do you mean?"  David asked, his fear rising
again to uncontrollable nervousness.  "What do you mean, kid?"

"I mean...this..."  Dee took both hands out from behind his back and in
them he had two dildos, both of them with tremendous points on the end,
sticking out the dickhole. "I'm one of you, one of them. We're all in this
together."

"NOOOOOOO! Leave me alone!!!!"  David cried and backed away. He backed to
the end of the hallway and this hallway went no where. He was trapped. He
looked up and saw Dee coming at him, the points pointed at his
balls. Behind the kid, came the Jesse werewolf, moving like a wolf, soon
bypassing the kid and coming at him, sword pointed at his navel
again. David looked down and saw the point dig into his ball and socket
belly button. It pressed and bit in. "OWWWWW! NOOOO!"  He couldn't help it
but the excitement, the pain, it all built to give him a raging hard on,
which removed itself up his pants, over his belt buckle and raged out onto
his bare stomach. The wetness slithered across his belly.

"No, David, not that!"  The female enchantress stressed at him. "NOOOO,
that mustn't happen!"

Jeremy dived fangs into David's neck. Jesse stabbed him in the belly
button. Dee stabbed his balls, emptying them of cum that was rising. David
cam anyway, cumming up his own stomach, the cum parting at the metal sword
in his belly button, the sword was turning his ball and socket into a
deeper innie. David threw his head up in pain and agony ...and strangely
enough, to him, in ecstasy. He gasped and masturbated and yelled. The
seemingly invisible bubble that covered his dickhole burst forth and the
wave of cum that released itself gave him immense pleasure and pain,
burning through the fold of dickhead and splashing all over his belly, his
chest, and the far reaching boy spew, slapped him on the chin, split there
and went up the sides of his rosy red cheeks. He jerked off the wall and
the cum flew up again and over his head, over his freckled shoulder and
some hit the wall. Dee, Jeremy, Jesse and Owen behind them, all
laughed. David screamed and gasped and then his eyes went glazed over. He
began to shut them as the sword plunged and he could feel it launch through
his belly button back wall and graze his spine as he wiggled to get free!
In his mind's eye he could see fireworks going off.

"David, it will our crowning achievement. Yours and mine! We will be as
one!"

"NOOOOOOOOO! I won't!!!!!!"  David screamed as the sword ripped out his
back and stuck into the wallpaper behind him. "NOOOOOOO!

"DAVID!"  Quentin came running into David's room. "David, wake up! Wake
up!"

David popped up, in bed, in his clothes. He felt wet and sticky at his
crotch. The entire wet stain filled his pants. "Whatttt?!!!"

Quentin sat on the side of the bed, "David, it's me. Quentin. Are you all
right? David, are you awake?"

David cried and Quentin hugged him. "Quentin!"  They stayed that way for a
few minutes.

"It's all right," Quentin smiled and let go of him, "It's just a dream. It
was just a dream, David, you had a bad dream."

"A dream?"  David rubbed his eyes.  He felt like a baby crying.

"What was it about? No, never you mind that," Quentin said, "Maybe, best to
forget it."

David calmed down a bit more, but he had to tell Quentin
something. Something he may have forgotten thanks to the dream, "No, it had
a vampire in it and a wolf man."

"A wolf man?"

David sighed and huffed, "Quentin, I know. I know what's going on around
here. Finally. I know about you and...and Barnabus..."

"Listen, David, it's complicated," Quentin stared at him, then stood, and
turned to the door, his back to David.


David jumped out of bed, ignoring the cum that dripped and spread as he did
so, he felt the cum drip down his leg and it felt good.  "Quentin, it's all
right, really it is. I don't care what you've done in the past. I know it's
not your fault, nor Barnabus's either. I know most of it was because of
this Angelique witch and the gypsy curse..."

"David, there's so much to it than that," Quentin said, "I didn't know you
knew so much."

"I knew bits and pieces even though the others didn't think I did."

"Carolyn and your aunt know bits and pieces but even less than you do..."

"Quentin, the main thing is...I found the portrait..."

Quentin grabbed David up, strong hands gripping David's sturdy shoulders.
Even so, it hurt him. "Ow, Quentin..."

"Where, David, where," Quentin let him go.

"Ben has it. Ben Rolf..."  David said and Quentin reacted in horror.

"I had asked him about it...."

As Quentin ran out, David called, "At the Cottage...in the bedroom
closet..."

Jesse and Jeremy came into the room. David backed away. "David, what's
going on?"  Jesse asked. "What's Quentin up to now?"

"Owen was here," Jeremy stated, "The three of us came into your room to
check on you. You fell asleep and we were all worried..."

David looked at his windows. It was night. "How...how long was I out for?"

"Hours," Jesse moved to him but David backed away.

David saw the night. He looked up at the night and saw a full moon.
"That...that's impossible...it's not supposed to be a full moon until..."

"What?"  Jeremy moved behind him and looked up at it also. "But it
is...Quentin..."

"Open this door!"  When the door didn't open, Quentin pushed it in and ran
into the Cottage living room area. "Ben! I want to speak to you! Where..."
he saw Ben laying on the bricks in front of the fireplace. Ben was
sweating. He was shaking. "Ben!?"  Quentin ran over to him and saw Ben was
in a type of coma. The eyes were staring straight up. "Ben!?"  Quentin
turned and saw the painting in the fireplace. The fire rose up! Quentin
yelled, "NOOOO!"  He grabbed a poker and fished the portrait out. He threw
the poker down and moved to grab the painting. But the heat made him draw
back in pain. "Damn it!"  Between him and the painting, a fire rose up, an
strange reddish, yellowish fire. "What the hell!"  A female laugh started.
"Who are you? Is it you Angelique? Is it you?!!! I thought you've changed!!
Why can't you leave us alone?!!!"  The fire spread across the round throw
rug. Quentin coughed and ran outside the open door. He coughed. "No!"  He
looked up. He saw the moon. Full. Pain gripped his body. "This can't be...
this can't be happening!"  His body twisted. He ripped at his shirt, threw
his jacket off. He unbuckled his belt, undid his pants. Soon, he saw the
hair forming on his arms, having torn his sleeves upward.  He held up his
hand and saw not only hair on the back of his knuckles but all the way down
his arm. And his nails grew into the claws of a wolf. "NOOOOOOOO!"  His
scream turned into one of a full blooded werewolf. His nose turned wet and
grew tanned. Rose out. He felt his teeth with his claws. They, too, had
grown. His eyes widened. His jaw changed.  Hair sprouted all over his head
and kept on growing. He was the wolf man again! He growled with anger and
ferocity. His mouth drooled. He sniffed the air for blood!



TBC...