A/N: This is one of those 'what if' chapters...like, 'what will they do to me if I write this?' I am following the movie *really* loosely here, people, but I'm still following it. I had a variety of ideas about which route to take this story, starting with this chapter. I debated going the really angsty route, or the completely silly route...and eventually I decided on the silly/angsty route with a smidgen of both. Also, despite what you may derive from this chapter, this is still a 100% Xelloss/Filia story. Oh, and I love reincarnation fics, in case you couldn't tell. Bring on the reviews! Thanks for all the lovely comments thus far! You all rock the house.

Restless Spirit Chapter 8 - New Discoveries

One week later:

"I'm not sure that I can do this…" Filia moaned. "I feel that I'm going to faint right here."

Jacob looked up and gave her a sympathetic look as he patted her arm. "Aw, don' worry Miss Filia, I'm sure ye'll do jes fine."

Filia smiled at his attempt to alleviate her fears, but in truth she was petrified beyond repair. She was in London, having taken a train that morning with boxes of jars and vases that were now loaded on a cart. Her two servants and Val had come with her, Val looking impatient and anxious to be elsewhere. Now she was standing across the street from a small store that read 'Gordon's Fine Weaponry and Antiquities'. By all means, she should be marching inside and at least asking if they would sell her pottery, but she could not bring herself to move one foot.

"Come on, Mum," Val whined. "The train will leave without us at this rate."

"You hush up now," she scolded, frowning at him. "Just…give me a moment."

Val rolled his eyes and glared reproachfully at the boxes with all of his mother's pottery. He, George, and Jacob had had to carry them from home, load them on the train, and then locate a small cart for them to pull around while in London. He hoped that she wasn't going to make them carry all those boxes all the way home. He would refuse, even though it wouldn't do any good.

Filia took a deep breath and tried to gather her thoughts. She wondered if that infernal ghost was around somewhere, waiting to torture her. Not that she really wanted to see him. She was still furious over the incident with Mr. Calloway, even though it had not turned out as bad as she'd expected. Mr. Calloway had not sent the lawyer with the bill collectors, but he had sent another eviction notice. She could ignore the eviction notice easier than a lawyer. But even still, it could have been worse. She was not going to let the ghost forget that.

Nor was she going to forget the new questions that had come to her mind after that incident. Such as whether or not her parasol should have been able to connect with obviously solid skin, much less leave a rather nasty red mark in its wake. It was a question that brought many other disturbing questions with it, and she would rather not think about them. Even if she had little choice.

She shook her head to clear her mind, and took another deep breath. "All right," she announced. "I'm going inside. Watch the merchandise, make sure no one steals them."

All three nodded mutely. She smiled. "Well…here I go." She remained where she stood. "I'm going, really I am." Not a movement. "Can't we go home?"

"I'm for that," Val said. "But I'm leaving these here."

She glared at him. "You are not!"

"Then just go inside!" he whined. "Please?"

"Oh fine!" she replied. "Wait here." Adjusting the parcel under her arm, she walked as slowly as possible across the street. Unfortunately for her, the street was not very wide, and within a minute she was standing at the door. It was a very large door, she thought. It looked much too heavy for her to push in. Perhaps she should try another store…

At that moment, an elderly gentleman brushed past her. "Excuse me, ma'am," he said politely, and pushed open the door with the greatest of ease. She sighed, and followed him in.

The store was dark and quiet, and somewhat cluttered, she noticed, wrinkling her nose in disdain. She saw several pieces of pottery lying around, though they looked old and worn…which would be why it was an antiquities store. This realization did not get her hopes up. She also saw many swords, knives, and rifles stacked up against or hanging on the walls. She swallowed nervously.

"Can I help you?" a soft male voice called out to her. She turned to find the clerk watching her. He was a somewhat short man, with light wavy brown hair and spectacles. He looked intelligent, a little impatient, and more than a little imposing.

"Oh, yes," she said, feeling silly. "I have just started this pottery business, you see, and I was hoping that you could sell some of my work for me."

"No."

She blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I don't sell pottery," he replied. "Didn't you see the sign?"

"Yes, and it says 'antiquities'. I see several pieces of pottery in your store."

"Indeed. And they are antiques, just as the sign implies."

She felt her heart sink, and her face turn bright red. "Please, won't you look at it? Perhaps it could pass for an antique…one that's been well taken care of?"

He shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't sell it. Not that kind of material. My business is weapons and antiques. Make me a sword or a rifle and we're in business."

She glared at him, and for a moment considered very seriously throwing her jar at him. "You would not want me to bring a sword or a rifle in here," she growled. "This store might be lacking a clerk. Good day!"

With that, she stormed out…and ran right into a man walking in. She cried out, lost her balance, and dropped her jar. A pair of strong hands kept both it and herself from falling to the ground, catching both with almost lightning reflexes. Shaking from embarrassment, and disheveled from her nerves, she brushed herself off and gained enough composure to look up at the nice gentleman who was so kind to help her after she'd run into him. In the next second, she forgot how to speak.

Standing before her with the most charming smile she'd ever seen was a man that was almost as beautiful as herself…in a more masculine way, of course. He resembled a Greek god, with chiseled features and golden, almost white hair. His deep blue eyes glittered, and his smile never wavered as he handed her jar back to her.

"That's a nice jar," he said. "Looks expensive."

It took her a moment to realize that she was supposed to answer him. "Thank you," she said. "I made it."

"Did you, now? It's very good work. You should sell it."

She sighed. "I know..."

He blinked, then asked, "Say, what's the matter? You stormed out of there in a terrible hurry."

She blushed, and shook her head. "Oh, it's that man in there. He wouldn't sell my pottery because it's not 'antique'."

"Oh? That's too bad," he said genuinely. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment, then his eyes lit up. "Say, I'm the owner of this store. What if I sell it for you?"

Filia stared at him, confused. "You're the owner of this store?"

He nodded.

"But, that man in there said –"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about him. He has his bad days. Just like everyone, right?"

"Right." She chewed her bottom lip hesitantly. "Are you really going to sell my pottery for me?"

"Of course! I'm always here to help nice ladies in distress."

Filia willed herself to think of the task at hand. "I truly appreciate it," she said, and pointed to the cart where Val, Jacob, and George were waiting. "There is the rest of my pottery. Shall I have them bring all of it?"

"Sure thing," he replied. "Just bring it in and we'll see that at least some of them get sold."

Extreme relief washed over her in a torrent, and in turn she felt tears sting her eyes. "I don't know how to thank you, Mr…?

"Oh, just call me Gordy. Everyone does."

Filia nodded, then motioned for her servants and Val to bring her packages. It took them several minutes to unload them all and bring them inside, while Filia worked out the prices for each of her items. In the meantime, the store clerk stood back and watched with an annoyed expression on his face. Filia merely smiled at him sweetly.

"There you are, Miss," Gordy announced as soon as the last piece of pottery was lined up against the wall. "I'll be sure and sell these for you this week. I'll wire you this Friday to let you know if you need to bring more."

Filia was beyond ecstatic. "Thank you ever so much," she gushed, and shook his hand. She couldn't help but notice how strong he was…and once again had to force herself to think professionally. "It was a pleasure."

"The pleasure is all mine," he replied, and bowed courteously. "Have a safe trip home."

"Thank you."

She didn't stop smiling all the way to the train, and there was a far-away dreamy look in her eyes, causing George and Jacob to stare at her, confused. They weren't quite sure what to think of it. She was acting strangely. Val paid her no attention; she was his mother. She always acted strangely.

After settling into their cabin on the train, the boys left to go exploring, leaving Filia by herself. She yawned and grimaced as she rubbed the backs of her legs. She was definitely feeling the effects of her long day, but she was pleased, nonetheless. It was a very satisfying day. And she had been pleasantly surprised by the hospitality of that wonderful store owner.

Gordy…the name kept rolling around in her mind, leaving her to wonder why in the world she found him so attractive. After all, she wasn't interested in a relationship, was she? He also wasn't her type. Not in the least. Besides, his hair was as long and blonde as her own. They'd look like twins…

"Practically drooling all over yourself, Filia, dear," an obnoxious voice whispered in her ear. She jumped and nearly screamed before she realized who it was. She glared at that impish, smiling face and turned away.

"I am not drooling, thank you very much," she replied shortly. "And I don't want to see you."

He pouted, sticking out his lower lip. "Why not?"

"Because you do nothing but cause me grief whenever you're around!" she cried. "For once can't you act civilized? Like a gentleman?"

"Where's the fun in that? Come, Filia, do you honestly think that you would be interested in a man who is sickeningly polite? 'Yes, sir.' 'No, ma'am.' 'Here, let me help you with your packages.' Please. You would get bored with that in a heartbeat."

"And what makes you think I'm interested in a man who tries to trip me every time I go down the stairs? Who throws my clothes outside for the entire world to see…including my underclothes? Who insists on torturing me in various mental ways that defy any physical harm you could do?"

He laughed. "At least there's never a dull moment."

She snorted, but couldn't think of anything to reply to that. Instead, she continued gazing out the window at the passing buildings that seemed to blur by. In a way, she felt that her life was going as fast as the train…passing everything by, and she was missing so much. She just wanted to slow down. She wanted to enjoy herself…get out, meet people. She wanted someone to be with her when she grew old. She didn't want to die alone…

"What are you thinking about?" he asked, suddenly. She turned to find him staring at her, his eyes almost soft.

"I'm thinking that I could use some more dull moments," she replied.

He frowned. "Oh? What do you mean by that?"

She shrugged. "I don't really know." She hesitated. "I just feel like my life is going too fast. I feel like I've been working my life away lately, and everything else is just standing still."

"Ah, I see…" he said, and fell silent.

She sighed after a few moments, then decided to ask the question that had been bothering her. "By the way…Mr. Ghost…I wasn't aware that ghosts had solid skin.. Do you want to explain why I could hit you last week, or am I just going crazy?"

He coughed. "I don't think I can explain that. Besides, that red mark faded more quickly than normal. You just didn't stay around long enough to see it."

"Really?" She did not look convinced.

"Yes, really. I'm telling the truth!"

"I don't believe you."

He sighed. "Look, I know what you're probably thinking. That you've been living all this time with someone who claims to be dead but isn't really. Well, if that is what you're thinking then…you're right."

"WHAT??!!!"

Sensing an impending disaster, he waved his hands frantically and stood to his feet. "No no no, listen to me before going off on a rampage, my dear. I'm not dead…but I'm not alive, either. It's rather difficult to explain, which is why I preferred pretending to be dead. I have all the supernatural abilities of a ghost, plus I don't exactly have functioning lungs and a heartbeat, but I still have the body of a person. I heal fast, I don't get sick, and I don't eat, drink, or sleep. I…I used to be something else."

Filia stared at him. "Something else?"

"Like I said, it's hard to explain."

"We have plenty of time before we reach home."

He shook his head. "It's a long and complicated story. One that you don't want to hear."

"Oh but I do. I do not appreciate being deceived."

"I deceived everyone," he pointed out. "It was easier that way."

She sighed and rubbed her temple wearily. "I am just so confused now. It was hard enough to believe in the existence of ghosts, and now you're telling me that someone can be dead and alive at the same time. What are you going to tell me next, that you're a vampire?"

"Not a vampire," he said. "I was never human."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Of course, there had to be a catch to it. Do you know what? You're right, I don't want to hear it. I want to take a nap before we get home." With that, she leaned her head against the wall and tried to make herself as comfortable as possible despite the loud, rickety shaking of the train. Even so, she was asleep in minutes, snoring softly.

He stayed in the cabin and watched her sleep, wishing he could also close his eyes and be at peace with the world for even a few moments. But it was impossible. He could never be at peace, especially while she was there. Even if he could sleep, he would still see her in his dreams.

He had literally condemned himself to a worse torment than Hell could possibly be. And he was certain that the worst was yet to come.

Looks like Xelly's going to have some competition! Things are going to get interesting so stay tuned!