Still not BETA'd. Can someone be My BETA? PLEASE? Well anyway sorry for not updating earlier, school and their stupid homework assignments! R&R I live for reviews! Now on to the story! ...


It was two days later when Angel entered the hotel at dusk. He was bruised and battered with a slight limp but those who had encountered his wrath were much worse off. Cordelia was the first to see him stumble inside.

"Angel! It's been two days! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I just cleared out a few vampire nests. How's Grey?"

"The entire nests?" the seer asked incredulously.

"Yes, Cordelia. Now how's Grey?"

"She's fine."

"What?" The last time Angel had seen his pseudo-daughter she was nothing more than a bloody, bruised, and broken pile. How could she be fine?

"She has a tiny few scratches but she seems to be okay."

"But-, I-I saw her..." the vampire wondered aloud.

"I know. I could have sworn that her arm had been broken. But she's either got super healing powers that she doesn't want to talk to us about, or, maybe after several years of hanging around the injure inured I can't tell when some one's arm is broken. I'm guessing it's the first."

"Well speak of the angel!" a refreshed and happy girl said as she bounced down the stairs.

"Grey ..." the awestruck and amazed vampire stared at the once more whole and happy girl.

"Oh, stop gaping. It wasn't even that bad. Anyway we'll have to chat later. Wes, Cordy and me-"

"'Wes, Cordy and I' is the proper phrasing Grey." Wesley corrected as he entered the lobby.

"Wes, Cordy and me are going shopping to get some stuff to make my room feel a little bit more homey." Turning to her two companions, "Come on guys, shopping waits for no man or woman!"

"I knew there was a reason I liked that girl," Cordelia commented as the trio left the building. Angel was still wearing a dumbfounded expression when Gunn entered, cleaning an ax.

"I'm guessing you've seen Grey." he spoke breaking Angel out of his trance.

"But how could she have healed so quickly?"

"Well it would be impossible that is of course if your human."

"What are you saying?"

"Look I'm not sayin' that the girl is evil or anything like that. All I'm saying is that there's more to here than she's lettin' on. She has been runnin' with vamps for a few years. Maybe she picked up something to keep her safe."

"Why wouldn't she tell us?"

"Maybe she can't trust us." Pause. "The only thing I can think to do is to let it go. The girl is obviously too stubborn to ask us for help."

"That'snot an option. We have to do something."

"Well there's always Caritas."

"What do you mean?"

"What's a matter with you man, you get too many hits to the head? Listen, Grey goes and sings a few notes, Green Guy tells us about the mojo, we go home happy. Where's the problem Angel?"

"The problem is she won't go for it." he explained matter-of-fact-ly.

"Twenty bucks says she will."

"You're on."

Pulling out his phone, Gunn dialed a number. "Hello? ... Yo Cordy, put Grey on the phone. ... Just do it. ... Hey Grey? ... Yea, this is Gunn, I was wondering, do you want to go to a demon bar to sing some karaoke and get your aura read by some green guy after you get back here? ... Of course you can pick the song. ... Okay six is cool ... Alright talk to you later, bye."

Taking out his wallet Angel begrudgingly handed Gunn twenty dollars. "Gloat and that comes out of your paycheck."

"No gloating here man," he smirked as he walked away.


After a Santrahash demon finished butchering 'My Funny Valentine', Grey was up. Pulling the microphone from the stand, she signaled with the nod of her head that she was ready. She had picked her favorite song and had decided she was going to have fun with this. As the music began, she saw the supportive smiles of Gunn and Angel. Happy they were were here for this, she opened her mouth and screamed:

Crawling in my skin!

These wounds will not heal!

Fear is how I fall!

Confusing what is real! ...

As she went from chorus to verse she sang in a sweet, soft voice when combined with the harsh music made a beautiful and eerie sound.

There's some thing inside me that pulls beneath the surface-

Consuming, confusing.

This lack of self control I fear is never ending-

It's haunting, how I can't seem,

To find myself again, My walls are closing in.

-Without a sense of confidence I'm convinced there's just too much pressure to take-

I felt this way before, so insecure!

Giving herself completely over to the music, she closed her eyes and yelled:

Crawling in my skin!

These wounds will not heal!

Fear is how I fall!

Confusing what is real! ..

It was as if no one else was there as she shifted back to the soft, sweet voice singing:

Discomfort has endlessly has pulled it's self upon me-

Distracting, reacting.

Against my will I stand beside my own reflection-

It's haunting, how I can't seem,

To find myself again, My walls are closing in.

-Without a sense of confidence I'm convinced there's just too much pressure to take-

I felt this way before, so insecure!

Crawling in my skin!

These wounds will not heal!

Fear is how I fall!

Confusing what is real!

There's some thing inside that pulls beneath the surface- Consuming

Confusing what is real!

This lack of self control I fear is never ending- Controlling

Confusing what is real!

As she stepped from the stage, the stunned audience suddenly burst into thunderous applause. She bowed graciously before walking over to Angel and Gunn's table. Angel was the first to speak.

"That was... Grey, wow."

"I'm guessing that was a compliment?" she laughed

"You voice is beautiful," Gunn added "but that was so... depressing, and angry, and loud, and angry, and-"

"Don't forget angry," Angel added

"So are the joys of LinkinPark," she laughed. "My throat is sore from all that screaming. I'ma go get a drink. You guys want anything?

"Beer" Gunn said.

"O positive" Angel replied seamlessly. When the others stared at his request he simply asked "What? It's donated."

"Be back in a minute." Grey replied. As she walked away a sharply dressed green demon came to the table.

"Hey Charles, looking good as ever. And Angelcakes—you look like hell. Have we been eating our veggies?"

"Thanks Lorne," He answered dryly. "It's just GreyI worry." Angel admitted.

"Aww, don't worry Papa Bear. It's all gonna work out fine. I promise."

"Good news then?" Gunn asked hopefully.

"Well good... after it gets really, really bad. Missy there is hurting- a lot. And that's just from her song selection. But I'm sure that you've noticed that's not all that's going on with her. Grey here is mojo central. Yup, a bonafide Conduit."

"A condu-who?" Gunn asked

"I thought they all died out..." Angel said more to himself than anyone.

"So did I until right this moment," Lorne said answering Angel's question and not Gunn's. "You know this means she is one of the most powerful beings in this dimension don't you?"

"What's a Conduit?" Gunn asked, his patience waning.

As if finally noticing him Angel answered absently, "The Conduits come from an ancient tribe of humans. According to legends they were the first to communicate with the Powers one-on-one. Because of their obedience and loyalty the Powers gave them the ability to use the most powerful of magics. But fearing that they might use this for evil, the Powers designed it so that they could never horde this power but it might only flow through them, hence the name Conduit. But they were all supposedly destroyed in city of Pompeii."

"Guess we were misinformed." Lorne added. "But are problems are bigger than that Pumpkin. Grey isn't letting go of the power. It's building up inside of her slow and steady. She's closed it off and doesn't even know about."

"What happens if she doesn't let it go?" Gun questioned.

"I don't know exactly how to explain this," Lorne began, "Have you ever seen volcano erupt?" Pause. "But like all things dealing with a teenager, her magic is tied to her emotions. If you get her to take down some of her emotional walls and open up all of your problems are solved."

"Easier said than done," Gunn scoffed, "what happened to all that good news we were hearin' about?"

"Well if you can help her control her mojo, if she doesn't pop first that is, and if our favorite Vampire here makes a few right decisions, then things will start to look a whole lot better." Lorne explained.

"That's a damn lot of ifs," Gunn said thoroughly discouraged.

"Just the messenger," Lorne replied.

As they sat at the table feeling disheartened, Angel once again felt the familiar burden of duty rest upon his shoulders. He knew he had to do something for this girl he was speedily coming attached to. Just as he was about to brood over the problem at hand Grey returned to the table with the drinks.

"One beer, one white Russian, for me of course, and one freely donated tall glass of O positive," Grey said while placing each glass in front of it's owner. Finally noticing the sharply dressed green visitor, Grey said, "Oh, Hi, you must be Lorne."

"And you must be an angel with a voice as sweet as yours, well at least when you weren't screaming that is."

"I'll take that as a compliment," she laughed. "So what did you read?"

"Well actually,-"

"Nothing too much," Angel interrupted. "It's getting late. We should get back to the hotel." Angel finished the rest of his drink and walked towards the exit leaving all three of his friends baffled at his behavior.


Coming soon- Spike and Willow! Grey's Past! I actually update quicker! (Hopefully anyway )