Connor opened his eyes groggily, Cordy was shaking him awake.
"Get up Connor, It's 7:30."
Connor groaned, and got up.
"Get in late last night?"
"You knew?"
Connor was sleepily suprised.
"Fred told me this morning."
"Please don't tell Dad."
"I won't, I know he wants to keep you apart."
Cordy left, and Connor got dressed, jeans and black t-shirt.
Connor went next door to wake up Melody. Melody was already up, sitting with Selena in her lap, talking softly to her, and rubbing her large belly.
Connor knocked softly on the doorframe.
"Come in."
Connor stepped in.
"What were you saying?"
Melody shrugged. "Nothing."
Connor shifted his weight. "Are you hungry?"
Melody shrugged again and reached into the bigger carrier, and pulled out the half-empty cat food bag, and the dish. She took a handful of cat food and put it in the dish for Selena to eat, and put it on the floor next to the small carrier. "Ok, I could eat something."
Melody followed Connor down the stairs, to be greeted by Angel.
"Have fun last night?"
Connor heard Melody mutter obscenities under her breath behind him. "You followed us."
It wasn't a question, it was a statement.
"Well, I was worried about you, following a strange girl, she picked up on you almost immediately, you have to learn to be more careful."
Melody's face betrayed no anger at being called this, but Connor could feel her muscles coiling behind him, like a cobra ready to strike. Angel must've picked up on this too, because he was quick to correct himself.
"Well, Melody's not that strange, and she must have good hearing."
Melody's muscles only loosened a little, still implying he had said something wrong. Angel picked up on this too, but didn't know what to say. Angel turned to address Melody.
"You take a hit well, I want to see what else you can do."
Melody glared. "That doesn't seem like a compliment."
In other words, no. Connor thought, suprised at her strength.
"I just want to see how good of a fighter you are." Angel shrugged. Melody stepped around Connor, so she could directly talk to Angel.
"I could kick his ass." Melody motioned to Gunn. Gunn stepped forward.
"Oh, yeah? I'd like to see about that."
Angel glanced over. "Ok, let's solve this the civil way."
Melody crossed her arms and leaned back slightly.
"I watched her stake 2 vampires last night." Connor spoke up.
Melody shrugged and there was a silence.
Gunn was still glaring at Melody, Connor was watching Gunn, Angel was curiously wondering if Melody was all human, Cordelia was shifting her weight uncomfterbly, and Fred was watching Melody, hoping she didn't actually try to kick Gunn's ass.
Cordelia was the first to speak.
"Okay, I'm leaving." She said, throwing her hands up.
Fred quietly followed her into the office, glad to escape.
Melody shook her head. "Look, Angel. I will show you how I fight."
She motioned to Gunn. Angel nodded.
"Get something to eat, and meet me here."
Melody followed Connor into the kitchen. Connor took the box of cereal out of the cupboard. They ate quickly, and went out to the lobby to meet Angel.
"First, what's your history?"
"I've taken Karate, and I used to be the top county gymnast. I fight on the street sometimes."
Connor smirked.
"Melody, try to take Connor down." Melody just stood there, her posture relaxed.
Quickly, she swept her foot under him, and he went down on his back. Melody was right there at his throat, straddling him, and pinning him to the ground.
Angel's eyebrows went up in suprise, as did Connor's. Connor blushed, and Melody slid off.
"I think he meant in hand-to-hand combat." Connor muttered.
Melody faked innocence. She helped Connor to his feet, and took a few steps back.
"Okay, now try to take him down."
Melody advanced on Connor, starting with a right feint. Connor picked up on this, and blocked her hit. Melody blocked two of his hits, and got a good couple herself. She blocked a kick, and threw a punch at Connor. Connor took advantage of this, and flipped her onto the floor, straddling her, and pinning her. Melody smiled.
"It's all about balance." Connor got off her, and she jumped up.
"You lasted longer than Gunn can, are you sure you're completely human?"
Melody straightened her blue shirt. "I never said I was completely human."
Angel's eyes betrayed his knowing this. "You're a demon then?"
Melody looked at him like he was crazy. "No."
Connor was speechless, he had kissed a part demon, and liked it. Melody was watching his reaction, with a look of curiosity. Connor shrugged it off, trying to be cool about it.
"Fred, Cordy."
Cordelia, Fred, Gunn and Lorne came out of the office.
"She's part demon."
Melody rolled her eyes.
"I can still take you."
There was a hint of challenge in Gunn's voice.
"I don't know, yet."
Melody made a statement that he couldn't believe.
"I took him down."
She motioned to Connor. Gunn backed down. "Okay, maybe I don't want to try to battle with you."
Melody nodded, he face expressionless. Gunn raised his hands in surrender.
Lorne raised an eyebrow.
"Sure she can fight, but what we really need is someone who can reserch."
Melody looked up, interested. "Well, it really depends on what is being researched, I'm more of a Mythology/Demon/Spell/Artifacts/ Magickal Creature girl."
Angel nodded at Fred with a pleased expression on his face.
"Then follow us, we are in need of help."
Melody shrugged and followed Lorne and Cordelia into the office, where she was handed a book.
"What am I looking for?" She opened the book.
"A magickal necklace. Gold with a black stone, it looks exactly like an Onyx stone, but it's from an altrenate dimension, I'm not sure which one. We need to find out where to find it, what dimension it came from, and what powers it has."
Melody started to flip through the book. After a half an hour, Melody hadn't found anything in the book.
"There's nothing in this one, it's not so old."
She motioned to a few dusty volumes on the desk. Cordy handed her a newer one, and Melody started all over again.
"Look, here." Cordelia spoke suddenly.
Melody and Lorne looked over her shoulders.
"Comes from Lyrin. Posesses the ability to teleport it's wearer to any time/dimension, enhances magickal abilities. It actually is Onyx from there, but in this dimension the true magickal qualities are stronger."
Melody frowned. "Why were we looking for this in the first place?"
"A vampire gang is allied with a bunch of Kralth demons, a rare occurance."
Melody looked at Cordy, knowing what she was going to say next.
"And now all you need is to find out where it is."
Cordelia was suprised.
"Yeah. Oh, look here. It says it's a family heirloom, passed onto the lastborn female of her generation. Last seen, it was on a black Ligthor demon, mostly human in appearance, but with the black skin and slightly different facial features, they have the ability to change their skin tone, and facial features to look like humans, if one was mated with a human, the result would be...A strong human looking female, with the ability to change her appearance to blend in with her peers, but only the skin color, not the face."
Melody threw something down on the table, it was the onyx necklace. Lorne and Cordelia were entranced.
"Where did you get that?" Cordelia was curious.
"It's in my blood."
Cordy and Lorne gave her quiet sympathy.
"I heard your story."
Angel stood in the doorway, with Connor behind him.
"You could hardly call that a story." She commented dryly.
"So the necklace has to be given freely to be used?"
Melody sat back. "I never said that."
"Get up Connor, It's 7:30."
Connor groaned, and got up.
"Get in late last night?"
"You knew?"
Connor was sleepily suprised.
"Fred told me this morning."
"Please don't tell Dad."
"I won't, I know he wants to keep you apart."
Cordy left, and Connor got dressed, jeans and black t-shirt.
Connor went next door to wake up Melody. Melody was already up, sitting with Selena in her lap, talking softly to her, and rubbing her large belly.
Connor knocked softly on the doorframe.
"Come in."
Connor stepped in.
"What were you saying?"
Melody shrugged. "Nothing."
Connor shifted his weight. "Are you hungry?"
Melody shrugged again and reached into the bigger carrier, and pulled out the half-empty cat food bag, and the dish. She took a handful of cat food and put it in the dish for Selena to eat, and put it on the floor next to the small carrier. "Ok, I could eat something."
Melody followed Connor down the stairs, to be greeted by Angel.
"Have fun last night?"
Connor heard Melody mutter obscenities under her breath behind him. "You followed us."
It wasn't a question, it was a statement.
"Well, I was worried about you, following a strange girl, she picked up on you almost immediately, you have to learn to be more careful."
Melody's face betrayed no anger at being called this, but Connor could feel her muscles coiling behind him, like a cobra ready to strike. Angel must've picked up on this too, because he was quick to correct himself.
"Well, Melody's not that strange, and she must have good hearing."
Melody's muscles only loosened a little, still implying he had said something wrong. Angel picked up on this too, but didn't know what to say. Angel turned to address Melody.
"You take a hit well, I want to see what else you can do."
Melody glared. "That doesn't seem like a compliment."
In other words, no. Connor thought, suprised at her strength.
"I just want to see how good of a fighter you are." Angel shrugged. Melody stepped around Connor, so she could directly talk to Angel.
"I could kick his ass." Melody motioned to Gunn. Gunn stepped forward.
"Oh, yeah? I'd like to see about that."
Angel glanced over. "Ok, let's solve this the civil way."
Melody crossed her arms and leaned back slightly.
"I watched her stake 2 vampires last night." Connor spoke up.
Melody shrugged and there was a silence.
Gunn was still glaring at Melody, Connor was watching Gunn, Angel was curiously wondering if Melody was all human, Cordelia was shifting her weight uncomfterbly, and Fred was watching Melody, hoping she didn't actually try to kick Gunn's ass.
Cordelia was the first to speak.
"Okay, I'm leaving." She said, throwing her hands up.
Fred quietly followed her into the office, glad to escape.
Melody shook her head. "Look, Angel. I will show you how I fight."
She motioned to Gunn. Angel nodded.
"Get something to eat, and meet me here."
Melody followed Connor into the kitchen. Connor took the box of cereal out of the cupboard. They ate quickly, and went out to the lobby to meet Angel.
"First, what's your history?"
"I've taken Karate, and I used to be the top county gymnast. I fight on the street sometimes."
Connor smirked.
"Melody, try to take Connor down." Melody just stood there, her posture relaxed.
Quickly, she swept her foot under him, and he went down on his back. Melody was right there at his throat, straddling him, and pinning him to the ground.
Angel's eyebrows went up in suprise, as did Connor's. Connor blushed, and Melody slid off.
"I think he meant in hand-to-hand combat." Connor muttered.
Melody faked innocence. She helped Connor to his feet, and took a few steps back.
"Okay, now try to take him down."
Melody advanced on Connor, starting with a right feint. Connor picked up on this, and blocked her hit. Melody blocked two of his hits, and got a good couple herself. She blocked a kick, and threw a punch at Connor. Connor took advantage of this, and flipped her onto the floor, straddling her, and pinning her. Melody smiled.
"It's all about balance." Connor got off her, and she jumped up.
"You lasted longer than Gunn can, are you sure you're completely human?"
Melody straightened her blue shirt. "I never said I was completely human."
Angel's eyes betrayed his knowing this. "You're a demon then?"
Melody looked at him like he was crazy. "No."
Connor was speechless, he had kissed a part demon, and liked it. Melody was watching his reaction, with a look of curiosity. Connor shrugged it off, trying to be cool about it.
"Fred, Cordy."
Cordelia, Fred, Gunn and Lorne came out of the office.
"She's part demon."
Melody rolled her eyes.
"I can still take you."
There was a hint of challenge in Gunn's voice.
"I don't know, yet."
Melody made a statement that he couldn't believe.
"I took him down."
She motioned to Connor. Gunn backed down. "Okay, maybe I don't want to try to battle with you."
Melody nodded, he face expressionless. Gunn raised his hands in surrender.
Lorne raised an eyebrow.
"Sure she can fight, but what we really need is someone who can reserch."
Melody looked up, interested. "Well, it really depends on what is being researched, I'm more of a Mythology/Demon/Spell/Artifacts/ Magickal Creature girl."
Angel nodded at Fred with a pleased expression on his face.
"Then follow us, we are in need of help."
Melody shrugged and followed Lorne and Cordelia into the office, where she was handed a book.
"What am I looking for?" She opened the book.
"A magickal necklace. Gold with a black stone, it looks exactly like an Onyx stone, but it's from an altrenate dimension, I'm not sure which one. We need to find out where to find it, what dimension it came from, and what powers it has."
Melody started to flip through the book. After a half an hour, Melody hadn't found anything in the book.
"There's nothing in this one, it's not so old."
She motioned to a few dusty volumes on the desk. Cordy handed her a newer one, and Melody started all over again.
"Look, here." Cordelia spoke suddenly.
Melody and Lorne looked over her shoulders.
"Comes from Lyrin. Posesses the ability to teleport it's wearer to any time/dimension, enhances magickal abilities. It actually is Onyx from there, but in this dimension the true magickal qualities are stronger."
Melody frowned. "Why were we looking for this in the first place?"
"A vampire gang is allied with a bunch of Kralth demons, a rare occurance."
Melody looked at Cordy, knowing what she was going to say next.
"And now all you need is to find out where it is."
Cordelia was suprised.
"Yeah. Oh, look here. It says it's a family heirloom, passed onto the lastborn female of her generation. Last seen, it was on a black Ligthor demon, mostly human in appearance, but with the black skin and slightly different facial features, they have the ability to change their skin tone, and facial features to look like humans, if one was mated with a human, the result would be...A strong human looking female, with the ability to change her appearance to blend in with her peers, but only the skin color, not the face."
Melody threw something down on the table, it was the onyx necklace. Lorne and Cordelia were entranced.
"Where did you get that?" Cordelia was curious.
"It's in my blood."
Cordy and Lorne gave her quiet sympathy.
"I heard your story."
Angel stood in the doorway, with Connor behind him.
"You could hardly call that a story." She commented dryly.
"So the necklace has to be given freely to be used?"
Melody sat back. "I never said that."