A/N- A *massive* thanks to those ppl that r reviewing. Please keep it up. It doesn't take that long...
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"What do you mean `What Damien guy'?" I ask and turn to Angel. "You're with him all day and you didn't tell him?" He doesn't reply. I sigh in frustration and turn back to Wesley. "This big bad magickal guy tried to kill me last night...*and* he was the one that sent those vamps after me...I mean, Nicola, the other night...and *before* you ask, Nicola is my twin energy in this reality..."
"Oh." Wesley replies.
"Damn, girl!" Gunn cuts in. "You're in this reality for less than 48 hours and already been attacked *twice*...That's a new world record or somethin' for a human..."
I smile. "Thanks...I think. But I don't know whether I *am* completely human in this dimension `cos all my cuts and bruises have healed...and that's not normal...unless I was a slayer or vampire or demon or whatever." I look back at Angel. "Even you said that they were bad...but they were gone this morning. And...I'm a stronger fighter in this reality too...I was kickin' Dr Evil's butt last night like you'd never imagine...and he was using Magick..."
"Interesting..." Wesley mutters, then walks into his office. He comes back out carrying a huge (and very dusty) book. He flips through the pages and finds the section he's looking for. "Ah hah!"
"What? What's `Ah Hah!'?" I ask, rushing over, alongside Fred and Angel, to read over Wesley's shoulder.
"I can't believe this didn't occur to me before...I must have read this book a hundred times over..." He says.
"It doesn't look like its been touched in years." I mumble.
Gunn chuckles, but Wes apparently didn't hear me...or he chose not to. "It says here that an inter-dimensional visitor, such as yourself, when brought via a `freak' supernatural occurrence...like you were... can be affected by that magickal energy, causing them to become slightly supernatural themselves, although the effects were supposed to wear off after a couple of hours. However, it seems that because your entire being was switched with your duplicate's, instead of just your mind or soul, so then the bond between the two of you was strengthened and a higher strength and force of magkical energy was used to transport you...Therefore, the magickal energy that you were affected by was also even stronger...causing it to remain permanent." He looks up at me, his eyes gleaming in interest and curiosity. "Which means that you might very well have some sort of powers or supernatural abilities...probably also enhancing your already strong human ones as well."
"So...I'm *not* human anymore?"
"Not completely..." He responds cautiously. I think he's expecting my reaction to be really unhappy and angry and...well...you get the picture.
Instead, a massive grin spreads across my face and settles there. "That. Is. So. Cool."
"I know that you're probably very upset about...I beg your pardon?"
"I said it was cool. As in really good. I mean, I'm a good guy with Magickal powers *and* I can kick bad guy butt better than anyone else...Its like I'm a slayer, but even better..." I look around at everyone else. "Don't you agree?"
"She makes a good point." Lorne points out, walking through the Hyperion's front doors. I missed him this morning `cos he's apparently a late sleeper and Cordelia and I left pretty early, and he's been overseeing the reconstruction and renovation of Caritas all day.
"And you didn't tell us she wasn't completely human *because*...?" Cordelia asks. "Not that we wouldn't have treated her the same or anything... `cos we're aren't all human either... but the heads up would have been nice."
"I didn't pick up on it." He shrugs. "Musta' taken a while for all her energies to settle inside her..."
"Hello? *She's* right here, you know..." I interrupt, waving my hand in front of the two of them, regaining everyone's attention. "Thankyou," I say. "So...now that all my energies and stuff are settled, would you be able to see more about me...or even Nicola, `cos if our energies are tied, then you might be able to link to her or something... Maybe just assure me that she's with my mum...getting in trouble for staying out so late or something...?"
"Back up Angelcakes...hey...how sweet's that? I got 2 Angelcakes...or Angelpies...or-"
"Lorne." Angel cuts in, sounding frustrated.
"Oh...right...where was I?" The green demon responds. "Ah, yes...look, sweety...I'm not a medium or anything...I can't connect with energies on the other side or stuff like that...and I can't always see things happening like Cordy can...I'm just a soul reader with the ability to catch a glimpse of the future every now and then."
"But, there's a chance, right?" I plead. "A `You never know until you try' kinda thing. I mean, this kinda situation has never happened before, has it? So how do you know if its not possible until you try?"
He smiles. "Stubborn one aren't you? You must be really serious about this...I mean, to be willing to sing again. I know how much you hate that...Well; I guess I'm okay to give it a try."
"Wait...I have to sing again? Can't I just hum a few bars of `Mary Had A Little Lamb' or something?"
"It doesn't really work that way..." He starts.
"But on an epis...I mean, you've read a person from them just humming a tune or whatever before..." I object.
"But that's usually just to read their mind and recall their most recent memories. The real stuff is in the singing." He argues. "Look, if you don't want to sing, we'll give it a miss and-"
I cut him short. "Fine, I'll sing..."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
`Okay...deep breath. You've done this before.' I try to tell myself. Why did everyone have to listen anyway? Can't I just tell them what Lorne says afterwards or something? This is soo embarrassing. I swear I'm never gonna sing again for as long as I live.
"When you're ready Sweetcheeks." Lorne says.
Okay, okay...Well, here goes nothing... "Before I start, are you guys *sure* you wanna listen? I mean, you can always come back in *after* and then find out what's going on. You don't need to be put through this torture..."
"Angel...man its weird calling a chick that...don't worry about it. Your singin' aint that bad...honest." Gunn assures me.
"That's sweet, but I know the truth. This is your last chance guys..." I look around at all of them. Angel is cradling Connor and everyone else has their eyes plastered on me. Angel looks up and focuses on me as well. Great. It's not like I'm being pressured here or anything... "Okay...but don't blame me for your headaches after...you chose to sit there..."
The music starts. Why did I choose this song anyway? I mean, other than the fact that I know the lyrics and all...it has no relevance or anything. Sure, I can get the notes to sound relatively normal...maybe even a bit better than tolerable. But I find `Not Pretty Enough' by Kasey Chambers to be a very depressing song. (Especially after breakup upon breakup.)And I don't know why I chose it.
Oh, well...its too late to change my decision now. Lets just pray that I never have to sing again because Lorne will be overrun with helpful information. I take a deep breath. Here goes...
"Am I not pretty enough?
Is my heart too broken?
Do I cry too much?
Am I too outspoken?
Don't I make you laugh?
Should I try it harder?
Why do you see right through me?
I live,
I breathe,
I let it rain on me,
I sleep,
I wake,
I try hard not to break.
I crave,
I love,
I've waited long enough,
I try as hard as I can.
Am I not pretty enough?
Is my heart too broken?
Do I cry too much?
Am I too outspoken?
Don't I make you laugh?
Should I try it harder?
Why do you see right through me?
I laugh,
I feel,
I make believe it's real.
I fall,
I freeze,
I pray down on my knees.
I hope,
I stand,
I take it like a man,
I try as hard as I can.
Am I not pretty enough?
Is my heart too broken?
Do I cry too much?
Am I too outspoken?
Don't I make you laugh?
Should I try it harder?
Why do you see right through me?
Why do you see, why do you see, why do you see right through me?
Why do you see, why do you see, why do you see right through me?
Why do you see, why do you see, why do you see right through me?
Why do you see, why do you see, why do you see right through me?"
The music fades out and I look at Lorne expectantly. "Well?"
"Where to begin..." He responds. "Well... I couldn't do the whole connecting with your twin thing...but *you've* got an interesting story...very angsty...you should really vent all those feelings and-"
"I mean...Is there anything useful about why I'm here and why this Damien guy is trying to kill me?" I state, cutting his little spiel short. "And, for the record, I do not need to vent *any* feelings."
"Then why did you choose such a depressing song?" The demon asks pointedly, arching his eyebrows. "Hmmm?"
"Because I happen to like said song."
He's totally unconvinced. "Uh-huh...sure...I'll believe you. Don't trust the person that actually read your soul and mind like a book or anything...what could he know?"
"Oh, yeah...sarcasm works...not." I pause and head back onto track. "So...what about the guy that's trying to kill me?"
"Oh...well...didn't get too much on that. Sorry. But your last breakup really left you-"
"Urgh!" I throw my hands into the air for dramatic emphasis. "I sang for nothing!"
"Well...not entirely for nothing...you, uh, got Connor to sleep." Angel offers.
I slump into the seat beside him and offer him a weak smile. "Thanks...at least he wasn't screaming like I thought he'd be."
"Your singing really isn't that bad." Cordelia insists.
Fred backs her up with a hearty, "I actually think it's nice..."
I manage a laugh. "You are soo sweet, but I really do know the truth. But thanks for trying anyhow."
"You're welcome." Cordelia grins.
After a few minutes Angel stands up. "Well..." He starts, looking down at me. "If we're not gonna get any information sitting around here...Are you still up for contact and underworldly beings hustling?"
I smirk and get up as well. "You read my mind."
"Great. Well, I'll put Connor in his crib and then we'll go." He tells me, walking towards the nursery. He adds, "I'll meet you at my car."
"Can do." I reply. Everyone else is looking at me like I'm some sort of nutcase. I look around at them "What?"
"You *want* to go and fight demons with Angel? Are you *insane*?" Cordelia enquires, looking completely bewildered.
"I survived shopping with you, didn't I?" I counter. She knows I'm joking....... I *hope* she knows that I'm joking...
"Very funny. Ha Ha Ha." She says, her voice dripping with mock sarcasm.
I laugh and wave them all goodbye as I head towards the front doors of the Hyperion. I wonder what kind of powers/enhanced abilities I possess. Maybe Angel will let me practice on a few resistant contacts...
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A/N(2)- And this is the *last* time I'll use a song in this fic. I just had to get that last bit out `cos, well... I don't have a reason... I'm the damn author, so do I *really* need one? ^_^ Anyhow...she will never sing to them again... I promise. (It really would be too much of a torture...) ^_^ Also...you gotta REVIEW now...ta.
************************************
"What do you mean `What Damien guy'?" I ask and turn to Angel. "You're with him all day and you didn't tell him?" He doesn't reply. I sigh in frustration and turn back to Wesley. "This big bad magickal guy tried to kill me last night...*and* he was the one that sent those vamps after me...I mean, Nicola, the other night...and *before* you ask, Nicola is my twin energy in this reality..."
"Oh." Wesley replies.
"Damn, girl!" Gunn cuts in. "You're in this reality for less than 48 hours and already been attacked *twice*...That's a new world record or somethin' for a human..."
I smile. "Thanks...I think. But I don't know whether I *am* completely human in this dimension `cos all my cuts and bruises have healed...and that's not normal...unless I was a slayer or vampire or demon or whatever." I look back at Angel. "Even you said that they were bad...but they were gone this morning. And...I'm a stronger fighter in this reality too...I was kickin' Dr Evil's butt last night like you'd never imagine...and he was using Magick..."
"Interesting..." Wesley mutters, then walks into his office. He comes back out carrying a huge (and very dusty) book. He flips through the pages and finds the section he's looking for. "Ah hah!"
"What? What's `Ah Hah!'?" I ask, rushing over, alongside Fred and Angel, to read over Wesley's shoulder.
"I can't believe this didn't occur to me before...I must have read this book a hundred times over..." He says.
"It doesn't look like its been touched in years." I mumble.
Gunn chuckles, but Wes apparently didn't hear me...or he chose not to. "It says here that an inter-dimensional visitor, such as yourself, when brought via a `freak' supernatural occurrence...like you were... can be affected by that magickal energy, causing them to become slightly supernatural themselves, although the effects were supposed to wear off after a couple of hours. However, it seems that because your entire being was switched with your duplicate's, instead of just your mind or soul, so then the bond between the two of you was strengthened and a higher strength and force of magkical energy was used to transport you...Therefore, the magickal energy that you were affected by was also even stronger...causing it to remain permanent." He looks up at me, his eyes gleaming in interest and curiosity. "Which means that you might very well have some sort of powers or supernatural abilities...probably also enhancing your already strong human ones as well."
"So...I'm *not* human anymore?"
"Not completely..." He responds cautiously. I think he's expecting my reaction to be really unhappy and angry and...well...you get the picture.
Instead, a massive grin spreads across my face and settles there. "That. Is. So. Cool."
"I know that you're probably very upset about...I beg your pardon?"
"I said it was cool. As in really good. I mean, I'm a good guy with Magickal powers *and* I can kick bad guy butt better than anyone else...Its like I'm a slayer, but even better..." I look around at everyone else. "Don't you agree?"
"She makes a good point." Lorne points out, walking through the Hyperion's front doors. I missed him this morning `cos he's apparently a late sleeper and Cordelia and I left pretty early, and he's been overseeing the reconstruction and renovation of Caritas all day.
"And you didn't tell us she wasn't completely human *because*...?" Cordelia asks. "Not that we wouldn't have treated her the same or anything... `cos we're aren't all human either... but the heads up would have been nice."
"I didn't pick up on it." He shrugs. "Musta' taken a while for all her energies to settle inside her..."
"Hello? *She's* right here, you know..." I interrupt, waving my hand in front of the two of them, regaining everyone's attention. "Thankyou," I say. "So...now that all my energies and stuff are settled, would you be able to see more about me...or even Nicola, `cos if our energies are tied, then you might be able to link to her or something... Maybe just assure me that she's with my mum...getting in trouble for staying out so late or something...?"
"Back up Angelcakes...hey...how sweet's that? I got 2 Angelcakes...or Angelpies...or-"
"Lorne." Angel cuts in, sounding frustrated.
"Oh...right...where was I?" The green demon responds. "Ah, yes...look, sweety...I'm not a medium or anything...I can't connect with energies on the other side or stuff like that...and I can't always see things happening like Cordy can...I'm just a soul reader with the ability to catch a glimpse of the future every now and then."
"But, there's a chance, right?" I plead. "A `You never know until you try' kinda thing. I mean, this kinda situation has never happened before, has it? So how do you know if its not possible until you try?"
He smiles. "Stubborn one aren't you? You must be really serious about this...I mean, to be willing to sing again. I know how much you hate that...Well; I guess I'm okay to give it a try."
"Wait...I have to sing again? Can't I just hum a few bars of `Mary Had A Little Lamb' or something?"
"It doesn't really work that way..." He starts.
"But on an epis...I mean, you've read a person from them just humming a tune or whatever before..." I object.
"But that's usually just to read their mind and recall their most recent memories. The real stuff is in the singing." He argues. "Look, if you don't want to sing, we'll give it a miss and-"
I cut him short. "Fine, I'll sing..."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
`Okay...deep breath. You've done this before.' I try to tell myself. Why did everyone have to listen anyway? Can't I just tell them what Lorne says afterwards or something? This is soo embarrassing. I swear I'm never gonna sing again for as long as I live.
"When you're ready Sweetcheeks." Lorne says.
Okay, okay...Well, here goes nothing... "Before I start, are you guys *sure* you wanna listen? I mean, you can always come back in *after* and then find out what's going on. You don't need to be put through this torture..."
"Angel...man its weird calling a chick that...don't worry about it. Your singin' aint that bad...honest." Gunn assures me.
"That's sweet, but I know the truth. This is your last chance guys..." I look around at all of them. Angel is cradling Connor and everyone else has their eyes plastered on me. Angel looks up and focuses on me as well. Great. It's not like I'm being pressured here or anything... "Okay...but don't blame me for your headaches after...you chose to sit there..."
The music starts. Why did I choose this song anyway? I mean, other than the fact that I know the lyrics and all...it has no relevance or anything. Sure, I can get the notes to sound relatively normal...maybe even a bit better than tolerable. But I find `Not Pretty Enough' by Kasey Chambers to be a very depressing song. (Especially after breakup upon breakup.)And I don't know why I chose it.
Oh, well...its too late to change my decision now. Lets just pray that I never have to sing again because Lorne will be overrun with helpful information. I take a deep breath. Here goes...
"Am I not pretty enough?
Is my heart too broken?
Do I cry too much?
Am I too outspoken?
Don't I make you laugh?
Should I try it harder?
Why do you see right through me?
I live,
I breathe,
I let it rain on me,
I sleep,
I wake,
I try hard not to break.
I crave,
I love,
I've waited long enough,
I try as hard as I can.
Am I not pretty enough?
Is my heart too broken?
Do I cry too much?
Am I too outspoken?
Don't I make you laugh?
Should I try it harder?
Why do you see right through me?
I laugh,
I feel,
I make believe it's real.
I fall,
I freeze,
I pray down on my knees.
I hope,
I stand,
I take it like a man,
I try as hard as I can.
Am I not pretty enough?
Is my heart too broken?
Do I cry too much?
Am I too outspoken?
Don't I make you laugh?
Should I try it harder?
Why do you see right through me?
Why do you see, why do you see, why do you see right through me?
Why do you see, why do you see, why do you see right through me?
Why do you see, why do you see, why do you see right through me?
Why do you see, why do you see, why do you see right through me?"
The music fades out and I look at Lorne expectantly. "Well?"
"Where to begin..." He responds. "Well... I couldn't do the whole connecting with your twin thing...but *you've* got an interesting story...very angsty...you should really vent all those feelings and-"
"I mean...Is there anything useful about why I'm here and why this Damien guy is trying to kill me?" I state, cutting his little spiel short. "And, for the record, I do not need to vent *any* feelings."
"Then why did you choose such a depressing song?" The demon asks pointedly, arching his eyebrows. "Hmmm?"
"Because I happen to like said song."
He's totally unconvinced. "Uh-huh...sure...I'll believe you. Don't trust the person that actually read your soul and mind like a book or anything...what could he know?"
"Oh, yeah...sarcasm works...not." I pause and head back onto track. "So...what about the guy that's trying to kill me?"
"Oh...well...didn't get too much on that. Sorry. But your last breakup really left you-"
"Urgh!" I throw my hands into the air for dramatic emphasis. "I sang for nothing!"
"Well...not entirely for nothing...you, uh, got Connor to sleep." Angel offers.
I slump into the seat beside him and offer him a weak smile. "Thanks...at least he wasn't screaming like I thought he'd be."
"Your singing really isn't that bad." Cordelia insists.
Fred backs her up with a hearty, "I actually think it's nice..."
I manage a laugh. "You are soo sweet, but I really do know the truth. But thanks for trying anyhow."
"You're welcome." Cordelia grins.
After a few minutes Angel stands up. "Well..." He starts, looking down at me. "If we're not gonna get any information sitting around here...Are you still up for contact and underworldly beings hustling?"
I smirk and get up as well. "You read my mind."
"Great. Well, I'll put Connor in his crib and then we'll go." He tells me, walking towards the nursery. He adds, "I'll meet you at my car."
"Can do." I reply. Everyone else is looking at me like I'm some sort of nutcase. I look around at them "What?"
"You *want* to go and fight demons with Angel? Are you *insane*?" Cordelia enquires, looking completely bewildered.
"I survived shopping with you, didn't I?" I counter. She knows I'm joking....... I *hope* she knows that I'm joking...
"Very funny. Ha Ha Ha." She says, her voice dripping with mock sarcasm.
I laugh and wave them all goodbye as I head towards the front doors of the Hyperion. I wonder what kind of powers/enhanced abilities I possess. Maybe Angel will let me practice on a few resistant contacts...
*********************************
A/N(2)- And this is the *last* time I'll use a song in this fic. I just had to get that last bit out `cos, well... I don't have a reason... I'm the damn author, so do I *really* need one? ^_^ Anyhow...she will never sing to them again... I promise. (It really would be too much of a torture...) ^_^ Also...you gotta REVIEW now...ta.
