Dubba dubba dubba duh...Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own it. Still don't have Simon either, but oh the ways I could make him happy. But that's another fic.

I dedicate this new chapter to my buddy MizSlick who joined me in the rapture that was conversing with Simon online and was as geek as me when it came to printing the board pages to look at later and remember our joy. PeggLegg's united!!!

It was during the walk to the developing room and the time it took to open the door that Lon Barry started to shake as if in a seizure. It was like ice and fire were at war in his veins, each trying to grasp hold of every nerve, latching onto his heart with iron fingers. He tried to cry out to Deb, but his throat constricted as if he were being strangled. His vision was starting to go fuzzy...he couldn't breathe. He felt the darkness closing in on him, a shadow creeping through his conscious brain. His last thought as he fell behind his desk was he'd never get that corner office.

When Deb got the photos in her hand to look at them she dropped them on the ground with a shriek. "Oh my God..what is this??" She breathed and picking them up again. Images of the walking dead, in what looked like prison cells filled the 8x10 glossies. She flipped through them, her eyes widening with each one. Their eyes...God almighty. She'd never seen one up close before, and these were in your face pictures. Where the hell had he gotten these?? Where were all these things?

It looked like there were three or four in a cell, packed in tightly. In one picture she saw a vaguely familiar figure in the background, it was watching TV. "Jesus Lon, where did you go last night?" Deb walked down the hallway back to the office. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. It was disturbing, she'd had no idea places like this were in existence. It was...ghoulish.

Deb realized that she, and quite a few others, were being kept in the dark about what was going down with the zombies...she also realized Lon had a gold mine in just the photos alone. Oh yes, this was the big one. She had a bit more respect for him now. Deb smiled as she stopped outside the door to his office. He may be a prick, but he knew what grabbed people.

She opened the door and looked around the gloom filled room. She didn't see him. "Lon?" She called out. Where the hell did he go? He didn't look like he could make it too far without a wheelchair when she left him. Deb stepped into the room and placed the photos on the desk. She then noticed the loafer sticking out from under the chair.

"Lon?!" She moved around to stand beside the computer chair and found him laying there motionless. "Holy shit...Lon wake up." Deb got down beside him and started shaking him. He was cold to the touch, and he didn't look like he was breathing. She placed her fingers against his neck...there was nothing...wait; there was just the slightest bump against her fingers.

"Ambulance." She said to herself and moved to grab the phone.

While she leaning over to call the number, Lon's eyes fluttered open slowly. The milky white orbs looked around and saw the warm bare leg in front of him. The scent of live meat filled his nostrils, hot and rich...and close. With a sound somewhere between a moan and a growl he grasped her calf in his freezing hands and sank his teeth into the muscle.

Deb screamed, dropping the phone and looking down to see Lon had woke up and was trying to chew through her leg. She kicked him hard, causing a bloody piece of flesh to tear away from her calf but knocking him away. "What the hell are you doing!!?" She limped away quickly. "You fucking lunatic...god...screw this! You'll be hearing from a lawyer you piece of shit! I quit!"

Deb didn't look back; she grabbed her bag and slammed the door shut on the pale figure trying to stand up, blood dripping from its chin.

She got in the elevator and slammed the button, while trying to figure out a way to wrap up her leg. "Damn...what a perv!" She said aloud, pulling out a thin scarf from the bottom of her purse and tying it around the bite. "Ow..." She didn't know what pissed her off more, the fact that today she'd have to fork out for a cab twice or the pain.

As Deb limped into a cab, across town Shaun and Emily were in the middle of Hawk the Slayer and having a blast. They were, surprisingly, the only people in the theater. And thanks to the overabundance of beer the two had drunk, the action of talking to the screen became a necessity. "This music is the total shit!" Emily started boogying down in her chair as Shaun did his all around best dance moves as well as his inebriated state would allow. "Gotta love that beat..." He replied as Hawk and the one armed guy went through the badly decorated set that was supposed to be a haunted forest.

"Wait wait!" Emily grabbed his arm, causing him to lose his rhythm.

"Hey!" He pouted.

"Noooo....look there's that weird muppet thing!" She pointed to the screen. And sure enough there was a fake spider of some kind that looked like a really awful muppet, briefly on the screen.

Shaun couldn't help it...he started laughing so hard his sides hurt.

"Now it gets rough! Hit it Hawkwind!" Emily snapped her fingers and the music did in fact get faster and rougher...if that was the right word. At this Shaun actually fell out of his chair.

When the movie was over they both were sore from the laughter and falling over that trying to recreate the fight scenes had caused. The ticket guy watched them with wide eyes as they walked out of the theater. Debating on whether letting them ever back in again.

It was now close to six o'clock. Emily knew she should be getting back to Deb's. She felt bad that she was staying at her place for free but actually hadn't spent much time with her for the past two days.

Shaun walked her back to the apartment, the night air helping clear their heads. "I have a new appreciation for Jack Palance's comedic skill." He commented.

"Yeah, and just think this was before City Slickers." She replied, "Or Cops and Robbersons."

He shuddered. "Please never mention that last one again."

"Sorry..." She squeezed his hand. "There have been no other Chevy Chase films since Fletch."

"That's right, and never forget it." He replied.

The two of them stopped in front of the concrete stoop of Deb's building. She turned to face him, keeping hold of his hand. "Well, this is it." She gave him a smile, "I had a really great time and you know, bonus Bruce Campbell stuff."

Shaun rolled his eyes at that, and then smiled. "Yeah well...taking on the undead does have its sex appeal I suppose."

"Amen." She said and with a gleam in her eye wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss that made his knees nearly give out.

When she pulled away he kept hold of her, touching his forehead to hers. "You have to stop doing that." He said softly.

"Why?" She asked, wondering if she was being too affectionate. That was one of the things David would complain about, that she was "too touchy feely in public."

He felt a pinch in his heart as he said the words. "Because I'm not going to be able to let you leave."

Emily stilled for a moment, and then moved her head to his shoulder, hugging him tightly. "You had to bring that up." She said, her voice muffled against his shirt.

Shaun closed his eyes and buried his face in her neck. "Sorry, just not looking forward to it." His voice was very soft and she felt as if someone had just punched her in the stomach.

She'd not let herself think about the fact she'd be leaving in less than a week, either unconsciously or not she didn't know, but she'd blocked it. Right this second though, Emily had the urge to tear up the return ticket and say screw it to her job and stay where she was. Only knowing him two days and Shaun had somehow super glued her heart back together and made her laugh and enjoy herself more than she ever had with David. It was fast and it was a bit overwhelming, but at the same time it was right.

Em pulled away and looked up at him with eyes that were close to tears. She wouldn't cry, not yet. "We vow right here not to talk about any of that crap for the next few days okay?"

Taking a deep breath, he nodded. "Alright, no depressing talk."

"Good boy." She glanced up and saw that the light was on in Deb's bedroom and that she could see her shadow moving around. "I need to go, Deb's back."

Shaun looked up, following her gaze. "Alright then, oh here..." He fiddled around in his pockets till he came up with a piece of paper. "You have a pen?"

She nodded and rummaged in her back pack and handed it to him. He quickly scribbled something down and handed it to her. "There's my mobile number...call me tomorrow and let me know when you are free for eating."

Emily looked up at that. "What??"

"Dinner! Eating dinner..." He actually turned two shades of red. "You are a dirty little thing aren't you?"

She laughed. "I'm innocent as snow...you're the one blushing."

"I shall take the tattered remains of my purity and bid you good night." He said with fake haughtiness. Shaun gave her another brief kiss and watched as she went inside, turning to give him a quick wave and then shutting the door behind her.

Sighing, he glanced up at the window and saw Deb staring out at him and standing very still. Biting his lip he lifted his hand slightly in greeting and started walking home, a feeling of unease creeping along his spine. The night suddenly felt much much colder.