Lori looked over at Merton sideways when they were finally alone in the Lair.

"Where's Hillary?" she asked him.

"Gone. I accidentally sung her the wrong song." he smirked ruefully.

"What did you sing, Mert?"

"You know Jimmy Buffet's 'Love Song From a Different Point of View'?"

"Merton!" Lori laughed, eyes widening in surprise. "You actually asked her to get drunk and sc---"

"I couldn't help it, it was the bad, bad song demon." he defended.

Lori laughed.

"So, you really wanted her, huh?"

"Well... it was alot physical." he admitted. "I mean, Hillary and I have history, but most of our history involves hating each-other, and that could never work for more than a fling..." he sighed.

"Couldn't it?"

Merton shrugged.

Lori looked around the room as more music was starting again...

"I learned the truth at seventeen, that love was meant for handsome teens. And, high school jocks with clear skinned smiles who married young and then retired. The valentines I never knew. The Friday night charades of youth. Were spent on one more suave. At seventeen I learned the truth."

Lori cupped his face in her hands.

"Dance with me, I want to be your partner. Can't you see the music is just starting? Night is falling, and I am calling. Dance with me. Fantasy could never be so giving. I feel free, I hope that you are willing. Pick your feet up, and kick your feet up. Dance with me."

Merton and Lori started waltzing slowly.

"And those of us with ravaged faces, lacking in the social graces. Desperately remained at home, inventing lovers on the phone. Who called to say 'come dance with me', and murmured vague obscenities. It isn't all it seems. At seventeen."

"God, he has such a beautiful voice..." Lori thought.

"Her hands feel so soft..." Merton thought, closing his eyes and moving closer.

"Let it lift you off the ground. Starry eyes, and love is all around. I can take you where you want to go. Dance with me, I want to be your partner
Can't you see the music is just starting? Night is falling, and I am calling
Dance with me."

Lori knotted her fingers in Merton's soft, jet-black hair.

"Mmmm... this feels nice... don't think about the fact she might sucker-punch you in the testacles once the song is over..." he thought, slipping his hands under her shirt and rubbing her warm back gently.

"A brown-eyed girl in hand me downs, whose name I never could pronounce, said, 'pity please the ones who serve; they only get what they deserve'. The rich relationed hometown queen, married into what she needs. A guarantee of company. And haven for the elderly."

Merton by now was singing into her shoulder.

"Let me lift you off the ground. Starry eyes, and love is all around. I can take you where you want to go. Fantasy could never be so giving. I feel free, I hope that you are willing. To take my heart, take my hand. And dance with me."

"Remember those who win the game, lose the love they sought to gain
Indebentures of quality, and dubious integrity. Their small town eyes will gape at you in dull surprise when payment due exceeds accounts received, at seventeen. To those of us who know the pain, of valentines that never came. And those whose names were never called when choosing sides for basketball."

This was just *such* an appropriate song for Merton--- he was able to hide a world of hurt behind those soulful dark eyes, some of it she was even responsible for... But, what she hadn't realized until recently, was that the *reason* was because she'd been bucking her feelings so hard for him...

"Dance with me, I want to be your partner. Can't you see the music is just starting? Night is falling, and I am calling."

"It was long ago and far away, the world was younger than today. And dreams were all they gave for free, to ugly duckling boys like me."

Lori cupped his face, wanting to kiss it all away, make him understand she was here now...

"Dance with me."

"We all play the game and when we dare to cheat ourselves at solitaire.
Inventing lovers on the phone. Repenting other lives unknown."

"Dance with me."

"That call and say, come dance with me. and, murmur vague obscenities. At gothic boys like me. At seventeen..."

"Dance with me..."

Lori and Merton leant forward to kiss gently...

~*~

Vince wrinkled his nose slightly.

"Why is little buddy wanting that blonde bitch?" he frowned. "She beats him up and is mean and wanted to kiss wolf-boy..."

He gave the large ball a spin and saw Tommy and Becky making out in his bedroom. He spun it again and saw another couple making out, but this couple disturbed him beyond measure.

"Vince did not give t gift to little buddy so that the entire town could get the hornies..." he growled, clenching his fists. "Vince was supposed to get victims so that Vince could come back to real world and be seen by *everyone*!" he growled, his eyes starting to glow and shooting plasma bolts around.

"Vince used to be such a sweet, sweet thing, 'til they got a hold of him. Vince opened magical doors for little buddy, Vince hung barbies in a tree. Vince got no friends 'cause they listen to wolfboy. They can't be seen with him, and he's gettin' real shot down. And, he's feeling mean. No more Mister Nice Guy. No more Mister Clean. No more Mister Nice Guy. They say he's sick, he's obscene."

Vince shot a plasma bolt through a mirror, smirking with caustic satisfaction as it shattered violently.