Alex gulped as he looked up at the dark house. "You think anyone's home?"

Wil cocked his head, listening. "Yeah, I can hear two people inside." He glanced at Alex, who was now staring at him in surprise. "What?"

"You can *hear* them?"

"Um, yeah." Wil shrugged bashfully, scuffing his feet.

Alex grinned. "Cool." The grin slipped as he once more turned back to the house.

"We can still leave."

"No. I'm not backing out now." He shuddered briefly. "It's just -- this place makes me feel really uncomfortable."

"Want me to go knock? I can check things out, you can stay off to the side and watch."

Alex wavered, then nodded gratefully. "Thanks," he whispered, giving Wil's hand a last squeeze before letting it go and walking over to the corner of the house.

Wil straightened, marching up the steps and rapping loudly on the door. He waited, pasting on a smile when the door creaked open.

"Yeah?" A frizzy haired, exhausted looking woman peered out at him.

"Hi, I'm a friend of Alexander's, and I--"

"He don't live here no more."

"Um, yeah, I know, I was just--"

"Who's at the door, woman!?" The shout echoed through the house, then the woman was shoved aside, a scruffy man taking her place. "What do you want?"

Wil forced himself not to cringe under the derisive glare. "Yeah, I'm a friend of Alexander's, I was wondering--"

"Look, how many times I gotta go through this?" He took a menacing step forward, poking a finger into Wil's chest. "That useless bastard doesn't live here! And good riddance. He was the most worthless excuse for a child it was my misfortune to produce. So stop fucking annoying us about him!"

The door slammed shut, leaving Wil standing in shock. He looked over at Alex, biting his lip when he saw how the brunette was hugging himself, tears shining in his eyes. Wil growled, then raised a fist and banged on the door again.

"What!?" came the snarl when it was wrenched open again.

"Forgot somethin', mate." Wil drew his fist back, then let fly, clipping the man solidly under the chin and sending him crashing back to land unconscious on the floor inside the house. Wil glared at the still form, then wheeled around and hurried over to Alex. He pulled the human close, gently stroking him until his agitated quivering stopped.

"He...he...they..." Alex stared at the still-open door, eyes wide with betrayal.

"Forget 'em, pet. Again. They ain't worth it." He pressed several kisses to Alex's face, licking at the wetness seeping from the dark eyes.

Alex clung to Wil, breath still hiccuping softly. Finally, he calmed, sighing when Wil pulled away slightly.

Wil brushed a hand down Alex's cheek. "C'mon, luv. Let's go home.

Alex stepped inside the apartment, immediately feeling a profound sense of relief. They stopped in the middle of the living room, staring through the open doorway to the bedroom at the hideously colored pile of clothing.

Wil cleared his throat. "Think we could do a spot of shopping?"

Alex wrinkled his nose. "Definitely. And then maybe a ritual burning afterwards." With a shudder, he crept over to the bedroom, gingerly closing the door. "What about money, though? I don't remember seeing much in either of our wallets." He tried not to lick his lips when Wil got that cute little wrinkle between his eyebrows as he thought. //Oooh, wanna nibble that. lick, and suck, and...// He cut that off, not wanting to embarrass himself, and assumed an expression of nonchalance.

"You know, I think..." Wil walked over to the table where the phone was located, sifting through the drawer. "Yes!" He turned, flourishing what was obviously a checkbook. He tossed it to Alex, who caught it easily.

"Hey, cool. Hope I kept it balanced." He flipped it open, checking the balance. "Woah." He sat abruptly in a chair, gaping.

Wil leaned over his shoulder to get a better look. "Wow, you're rich!"

"Well, not rich, but certainly not ad off. A few thousand dollars might not last long, but we'll be ok for a little while. And we can afford a minor shopping spree, which is definitely of the good."

"W-we? But...it's your money," Wil stated quietly.

Alex frowned, turning and pulling Wil over the back of the chair so the vampire toppled into his lap. "*Ours*. We're in this as a team, got it? We share."

Wil laid his head on Alex's chest, listening to the steady 'thump, thump' of his heartbeat. "Got it." Then he lifted his eyes, opening them wide and adding a pout. "Shopping? Clothes?"

"Yeah, yeah. Up." They clambered to their feet and back out into the hallway, where they paused. "Um, where to?"

Wil shrugged helplessly. "I dunno. Ask Mellie."

Alex hesitated, then smiled in agreement. They moved down to her apartment, and Alex knocked lightly.

The door opened, and cheerful eyes twinkled up at them. "Well, hello boys! Fancy you stopping by for a visit. Did you get a chance to eat some of that pie I dropped off yesterday?"

Alex nodded vigorously. "We wondered where it came from -- didn't think I'd made it! It was delicious."

"Oh, good. So...what can I do for you lovelies?"

Wil spoke up. "We need to do a bit of shopping, pick out some new clothes and whatnot. Any suggestions where would be good?"

Mellie tapped a finger against her chin. "Now that you mention it, I need a few things myself, and there's one of those 24-hour Wal-Marts not too far away. If you give me a couple of minutes to get myself together, I can give you a ride over."

"Sure, if it's not too much trouble or anything."

"Pish." Mellie waved her hand. "You boys just hold on, I'll be back in a jiff."

The door closed again, and Wil and Alex leaned back against the wall to wait.

*****
Part 11:

Mellie shooed the boys down the stairs, following sedately behind. Out in the parking garage, she led them toward a sporty looking car, unlocking the doors. "Well?"

Alex and Wil stared at the vehicle in semi-shock. It had been pretty much assumed that the middle-aged, practical lady would be driving something, well, *practical*. They had *not* expected...this. It was...shiny. And red. And sporty enough to make any girl...or guy...positively swoon.

Chuckling softly, Mellie winked. "Not what you expected from little ol' me, hmm? Well, a girl's got to have a hobby. Come on, get in already."

Alex grinned, running a hand along the sleek lines of the car. He glanced over at Wil. "You want the front?"

Wil shook his head. "Back seat."

Frowning, Alex leaned over to peer in the back. "Not much room."

"I know." Wil looked Alex up and down, then licked his lips. "There's somethin' to be said for close quarters."

Alex stared at him wide-eyed, then blushed. Clearing his throat, he shrugged at Mellie, then scrambled into the back seat. Wil followed, squeezing in beside him.

Mellie just rolled her eyes and got in the driver's seat. She fastened her seat belt and started the engine, adjusting her rearview mirror so she could see the two behind her. "Now, don't you boys do anything that will ruin my interior, hear?" Then, flooring the gas pedal, she squealed out of the garage.

Wil was thoroughly enjoying Mellie's driving, especially when a sharp turn pressed him up against Alex. The other man didn't seem quite so happy, though. In fact, he looked a bit...green. //Uh-oh. Think this calls for a distraction.// Wil shifted even closer, turning Alex's face to him. "You ok?"

Alex swallowed, wincing as the car sped by a pedestrian, only inches away. "Um...yeah." His eyes locked onto pale blue ones that glittered in the scant light. He could feel a hand snaking down his back, pulling him sideways.

Wil tugged Alex closer, then nuzzled his heck, licking softly. With his lips, he could feel the human's pulse jump, and started sucking.

Alex let his head drop back against the seat, baring his neck for further exploration. The blonde took him up on the offer, and laid a path of damp kisses along the exposed flesh. After what seemed an eternity, Alex felt the barest whisper of touch against his lips, and opened his mouth eagerly. A slick tongue darted inside, and he reached up, hands locking into silky hair as he dragged the vampire into his lap.

The two continued to kiss and touch frantically, and amazingly enough, managed to keep their hands above waist level. Of course, when Wil wiggled just *so* in Alex's lap...

A loud coughing finally broke through their haze, and they noticed vaguely that the car was no longer moving. Wil twisted around, coming face-to-face with an amused Mellie.

"Glad you had fun on the drive over. Hate to break it short, but we should get inside and start shopping. It may take awhile."

"Oh," Wil whispered, then looked back at Alex. He gave the flushed man a quick peck on the lips, pried his hands off warm skin, and crawled out of the back seat through the now-open door.

Alex frowned, quickly following after. He hesitated, then reached for Wil's hand as they all began walking toward the entrance.

Once inside, Mellie grabbed a cart. "I'm going to head over to the pharmacy section, then get some groceries. You boys get a cart a head for the men's clothing, I'll meet you there in a little bit." With that, she walked off briskly.

Alex let go of Wil's hand so he could get a shopping cart. The two walked slowly, staring around the store. Wil pointed to the left. "Looks like clothes are over there, pet."

Alex nodded and pushed the cart down the aisle. They looked around at the assortment of clothes, deciding where to start. "Shoes and socks?" Alex asked.

Wil agreed, and dropped a few packs of plain white socks into the cart. In the shoe section, they each picked out a pair of serviceable sneakers, and Wil even managed to talk Alex into getting himself some black boots that were similar to his own. Then it was over to the underwear section, where they halted.

"I've got enough boxers of my own, but you look like you might be smaller, and mine probably aren't that comfortable. You should probably get some."

Wil shrugged agreeably. "Don't know what size I need, though."

"Oh." Alex thought a moment, then asked, "Well, what size were the ones you were wearing when we first changed last night?"

Wil looked away, embarrassed. "Wzntwrny" he mumbled unintelligibly.

"Um, 'scuse me?"

Scuffling his feet, Wil repeated himself in a barely audible whisper. "I wasn't wearing any."

Alex felt his brain blank as the image of Wil walking around commando while wearing skin-tight jeans flashed in front of him. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself, scolding his unruly imagination. //Although, if I'd known then, I'd have tried for a better look.// Giving himself a mental slap, he managed a nonchalant grin. "No biggie. You probably wear almost the same size as me." He scanned the rack of boxers, choosing a pair and handing them to Wil. "Here, try these."

Wil took them and headed for the dressing rooms. A few minutes later, he emerged, handing them back to Alex with a nod.

"Good. Now, pick out a few more pairs, and we can get down to the *real* shopping." He helped Wil sort through the different styles, hissing softly when his fingers slid over something soft and smooth. Pulling them out, he saw that he'd come upon the selection of silk boxers. The ones he was currently holding were a deep red color, and happened to be Wil's size. Grinning, he pawed through the rest, finding a jet-black pair, also in Wil's size, and a couple of deep blue and a black pair in his size. Spoils in hand, he turned and dumped them into the cart.

"Oooh, nice!"

Alex jerked his head up to see Mellie smiling wickedly as she inspected the contents of their cart. He blushed.

"Oh, don't be bashful, now. Where'd Wil get himself to?" She glanced around, beaming when she spotted the blonde. She waved the vampire over, taking the items in his hands and tossing them into their cart. "Come on, let's get to the good stuff!" She hustled them over to the stacks of jeans, eyeing them both critically before sniffing in satisfaction. In seconds, she'd extracted two pairs of jeans, both a faded black, and thrust them at the bemused men. "Shoo! Go try them on already!"

They obediently took the jeans and headed into separate dressing rooms, leaving Mellie to guard the carts.

Mellie folded her arms, waiting impatiently. After what she deemed an adequate amount of time, she called out, "Aren't you two ready yet?" She grinned at the muffled responses of 'Bloody hell!' and 'They're too small!' and responded forcefully, "Nonsense. Now get out here and let me see!"

Slowly, they stepped out of their respective rooms, halting as they caught sight of one another.

"Turn."

Numbly, they complied, then resumed gaping at each other's snugly clad forms, not even noticing Mellie's apreciative whistle. As one, they said, "You're getting those."

Mellie clapped her hands delightedly. "Of course you are. I *am* a mother, I'm an expert at picking out clothes. You two stay here, I'll get some more."

And so it went. Alex and Wil were shuffled in and out of the changing rooms, trying on everything that Mellie brought them. And she was good. She picked out styles and colors that looked stunning on them, occasionally throwing in something that fit so perfectly, they almost drooled at the sight of silk-clad chests, or curved butts encased in denim.

Hours later, they finally called a halt, changing back to their original clothes and sitting, exhausted, on the floor. Neither could believe the stack of clothes spilling from their cart, and groaned at the thought of lugging it all back up to their apartment.

Mellie chuckled, knowing what they were thinking. "Oh, come one! You two are young and strong...it should be a breeze!" She pulled them, groaning, to their feet.

Checkout took a while, and Alex was grateful that they'd managed not to wipe out his bank account. There was a sizeable dent in it, though. Still, when he thought of his closet with its soon-to-be- displaced wardrobe, he figured it was worth it.

Out in the parking lot, Wil stared dubiously at the small vehicle.

Mellie nudged him. "Have faith, dearie." Opening the trunk, she managed to arrange most of their purchases in the seemingly tiny space. The rest were loaded into the front passenger seat. Alex and Wil climbed into the back seat once again, where they simply lay tiredly in each other's arms, dozing lightly.

Smiling indulgently, Mellie drove carefully home, actually obeying all the traffic laws. Back at the apartment complex, she turned toward the back, melting at the almost innocent picture the two men made. Light and dark, snuggled close together. Reluctantly, she reached back to shake them awake.

She loaded them down with their many bags, then herded them upstairs. Snagging Alex's key from his pocket, she unlocked their apartment, escorting them inside. She held back a giggle when the bags cascaded to the floor, and the two men blinked sleepily. Mellie managed to keep them from collapsing as well, guiding them into their bedroom and seating them on the bed.

Feeling very much like a mother all over again, she tugged off their shoes and socks, then tucked them in. With a kiss to their foreheads, she turned off the light and backed out of the room. A last glance showed them back in each other's embrace, sleeping deeply.

Still grinning widely, Mellie carefully skirted the mess in the living room and let herself out.

*****