Okay, last chapter, people! Hope you like the ending...I couldn't leave my little Tala all sad now could I? Hope you enjoy it!


"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for calling you names, and I'm sorry for thinking bad things about you." With a pounding heart, Lee watched the door. The pressure released from it and there was the sound of someone falling forwards. He opened it slowly, preparing himself for the worst. However, what he found was not what he expected.

Tala was backed up against the wall, quivering. Mariah was standing beside him, trying to reassure him, but he was too frightened for her words to have any effect. He whimpered as Bryan came into the bathroom alongside Lee and Mariah. "P-Please! I d-didn't mean to! B-Bryan I'm sorry! I-I'm sorry!" He choked. Lee came closer and he turned, shoulders shaking. "I d-didn't mean to..."

"Tala, it's okay. No-one's going to hurt you." Tala clutched at the wall, pointed nails sliding through it, sending rivulets of dust to the floor. "Tala, no-one's going to hurt you." Repeated Lee, touching his shoulder gently. "Come here, love."

"L-love? L-love me? No-one can!" Suddenly Lee understood why Tala never allowed himself to have relationships- he didn't think he could control himself...didn't think anyone could love him...

He folded his arms around Tala from behind, stroking his hips reassuringly. "It's okay Tala. It's okay. I love you, and I'm here, and I won't let anyone hurt you. It's okay."

"L-Lee...I..."

"Shh, Tala. It's okay. Come on, come here..." Tala felt himself being lifted and held against a warm chest. He felt suddenly reassured. Gentle hands freed his nails from the walls and yet more hands stroked his hair, calming him down. He was still shaking, from exertion and terror. "I'm sorry..." He whispered. "I'm sorry..."

"Shh." Lee put him down on the bed and sat beside him, picking up the nail scissors and starting to cut his nails for him, shearing them off neatly. Tala felt his breathing get slower, calmer, more settled. He was okay. Everything was okay. He gave a strangled yelp as his teeth began to shrink, pulling in tightly.

Lee put down the nail scissors for a second and kissed him gently. Tala leaned against him, desperate to be touched. Lee stroked his arm and then broke away, going back to Tala's nails. "I was scared..."

"It's okay."

"Where are Bryan and Mariah?"

"They left just a second ago. They've gone to tell everyone what happened, I think." Tala froze.

"N-no! They can't!" Lee finished cutting the nails of one hand and moved on to the other.

"Tala, people have to understand what happened. Or they'll be horrible to you, and I know that isn't what you want..."

Tala sat frowning as Lee cut the nails of his other hand. "I'm disgusting..."

"No you're not."

"I am! I -am- a freak! A horrible freak! Mariah was right!"

"You're a freak, perhaps, but you're not horrible."

"Then why are you sitting so far away from me?"

Lee sighed. "Because Mariah's set me off. I'm in heat now too. And I don't want to...do anything to you. So I won't get too close, just in case."

"Let me help you."

"What?"

"You've helped me. Let me help you. I'm good with sex, Lee, you know I am." He came closer and touched Lee's thigh gently. Lee looked up at him, and their eyes met in a blaze of demonic animal passion. Tala pressed harder and Lee gasped. "Tala...I'm not...it'll be rough...I won't be able to-"

"Control isn't the issue. I know it's easy to lose control." Tala came closer and wrapped himself around Lee, rocking their hips together. Lee let out a low moan and kissed Tala fiercely. Tala kissed back just as hard, grabbing Lee's hair tie and ripping out, curling his fingers in Lee's hair viciously and forcing his head back. "Tala..." Lee's voice was a hoarse growling bark and it sent shivers up Tala's spine. He ground himself closer, moaning as Lee started to remove his clothes.


"So if he comes back down tonight, don't stare, don't whisper, and don't say anything about it!" Finished Bryan, hands on his hips. Kai and Rei stood at his left and right, looking menacing. The assembled crowd surged and muttered, then split, drifting away. Mariah hugged Bryan and he hugged her back, smiling down at her. He looked up and saw Rei and Kai standing there, eyebrows raised. 'Go away' He mouthed. Rei shook his head and grabbed Kai, then changed his mind and shoved Mariah out of the way, putting Bryan's arms round himself and pretending to swoon. Bryan simply let go and he dropped, landing in Kai's arms as Kai stooped. Rei laughed and stood up, posing and humming along to the song that was playing in the background. Kai smirked. It seemed appropriate- 'Gimme gimme gimme a man after midnight'...

"Rei, stop teasing!" Whined Mariah.

"But it's funny!"

"Mm, will you still think it's funny when I tell Kai what you said about him the other day?"

"Mariah-"

"What did he say about Kai the other day?" Asked Bryan, interested.

"He said he was totally hot and he said..." Mariah spluttered with laughter. "He said Kai has a tight arse!"

Rei blushed furiously, and Kai pretended to look concerned. "Rei? Is my arse tight? Maybe we'd better go check..." As they walked away Rei turned and stuck out his tongue. Mariah stuck hers out in return, then turned back to Bryan.

"Bryan...I'm sorry I was so mean about Tala..."

"It's okay. Everything got sorted out in the end." Bryan shuddered. "I'm just glad I was first..."

"First?"

"Yeah. When we left the abbey, I couldn't feel anything but anger and hate...so I had to have therapy- they'd messed with my mind. But one after your mind is your body- they messed with Tala's DNA, and you can't get over -that- with therapy..."

"Oh. But...he has Lee now. Lee'll be kind to him..."


"OW! Sweet -Jesus- that -hurts-!" Yelped Tala as Lee dug his nails into Tala's shoulders.
Elsewhere, Kai insisted on having Rei check his backside for 'tightness'. Rei sighed and slapped Kai's buttocks. Kai smirked and turned. "Spanking? I never knew you were so kinky..."

"I could always borrow Max's handcuffs..."

"Mm. You could be onto a good thing there..." He looked over at the clock. "Rei..."

"Yeah?"

"You know when you were humming earlier?"

"Yeah..."

"It's after midnight. Do you still want a man?"

fin


I used the 'man after midnight' line in one of the fics I abandoned because it was awful, but I loved the line so I decided to use it here! R&R please!