"Lullaby" by Ben is Glory

Pairings: S/B(sort of), W/T, and X/A

Summary: A singer comes to town, but turns out to have special demon fighting skills

Timeline: Season 5, after Forever

Thanks to: yordan for all the help and Anna P. for letting me use our song.

Dedicated to: Yordan

Disclaimer: 20th Century Fox and Mutant Enemy own all the characters, settings, blah blah blah.
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Chap 2

Singer

The Bronze, dimly lit and hazy as always, was surprisingly less than crowded.

"She isn't very well known," offered Tara.

"That's okay, more room for us," responded Willow, spreading her arms luxuriously.

"I could really use a drink," Xander interjected. "Alcoholic, that is. Anyone want to join me?"

"Oooh, ME!" Anya hastily replied.

"Count me in.." Willow added.

"I guess I will too," Tara supplied.

"Buffy?" Xander questioned.

"None for me, thanks." Buffy wasn't sure why she had turned it down. It would have been nice to drown sorrows in foamy intoxication. Maybe it was the thought of Dawn sitting with Giles. Or maybe it was that she didn't want a hangover on top of everything else. Oh well, she could always get some later if she changed her mind.

"Right then," Xander headed off toward the bar.

The rest of the Scoobies took a seat around one of the tables near the stage.

"Wow. A good table without murdering to get it. Amazing," Willow had said what the rest were thinking.

Tara smiled. "Lucky us. Or lucky me. Carmen Candide is one of my favorite singers ever. She is not really the run of the mill; there is something enchanting about her. Her voice is really pure and-"

"Coming through!" Xander interrupted. "Oh look, the roadies are done setting up. It's show time."

Sure enough, the band walked on stage and settled in. Then came Carmen. She looked unbelievably ordinary. Her hair was long, straight, and mouse brown. She was a little on the short side, but not remarkably so. Her body was fairly average, no supermodel, but not by any means ugly. The clothes she was wearing did nothing to disabuse the effect. Her jeans were baggy, but not huge. More along the lines of carpenter pants. The T-shirt was tight enough for fashion, but still comfortable. It was pale yellow with a bright red oriental dragon on it, wings spread. The air she held about her was passive, not weak, but the kind of person that would give in without too much argument on almost all matters. The word that came to mind when people saw her was "plain" or maybe "unmemorable."

"That's her symbol. The dragon, that is," informed Tara.

"Really? Awful snakey," remarked Anya.

Then, the singer approached the microphone. As the band started up, Carmen's back straightened. The tension drained from her, and at the same time she seemed to gain all the confidence in the world. The expression she wore was no where near defiant, but all meekness had vanished from her face. But that was nothing.

This confident person opened her mouth, and all that remained of ordinary was gone. A light came into her eyes, a glow that shown and sparkled. It seemed like the sun itself had graced the dingy club through this girl's eyes. The dull brown hair was no longer brown. It was auburn, it was bronze, it was chocolate, it was mahogany, it was a waterfall of beauty cascading down Carmen's back. The girl that stood on stage was no longer a girl, she was an angel who had broken through her disguise. But that was nothing.

Her voice was far more than angelic. The notes rang out like bells across water. Like light across the sand. The sound that poured out of the performer seemed to come not from her, but from somewhere unimaginable (heaven maybe?) through her.

There were golden flowers growing

there were waterfalls of lace

and the moon was out in daytime

when I first saw your face.

"Damn!" breathed Willow, Tara, Xander, and Anya all at once. Buffy certainly agreed with the sentiment.

"I knew she was good, but I've never seen her live before," Tara explained.

"Must be one of those need-people-watching singers," answered Willow.

"Oh My GOD! I know what she must be!" Anya exclaimed. "Oh she's a...oh what are they called? There's a word for it."

"Singers?" Willow suggested.

"Well, of course. She's one of those women that when they open their mouths, this unbelievable sound comes out. Like la-la-la."

"Singer," Willow tried again.

"No, when the singing happens, other stuff is supposed to happen too. Like massive sleeping or sudden urges for playing leap frog. Only they're not supposed to be around anymore, and the old ones were all Latin or something."

"Well, Anya maybe that's true," Xander said. "However, it's far more likely that you have had a little too much foamy goodness a little too fast." He held up Anya's glass, now empty. "Enough for you, sunshine."

"Well, she might have a point," Buffy interjected. "She might be some kind of weird singing demon."

"What? Like a siren? Those singers that lured men to their deaths?" Willow questioned.

"No she's not a siren!" Anya protested "And I am not drunk. I know what she is I just can't think of the word for it."

"Well, if she was a siren," Willow informed "the men in the room would be flocking to her. That is obviously not the case. And besides, if she was some kind of demon, there would be some kind of mass chaos going on. AND," Willow said before Buffy could say anything "it is our night off. She's not doing any apparent harm, so lets just enjoy it."

So the Scoobies sat back and watched Carmen Candide sing her soul out to the half-empty Bronze.