Mary rubbed her eyes, tilting her head against the back of the couch. She'd tried to focus on her homework but the words kept shifting on the pages. Nothing seemed to be staying in focus this morning. Sure, the craziness of everyone waking up and getting ready for school had yanked her from deep sleep, disorienting her for a while, but that should have passed some time ago. Instead, her vision blurred and her eyes ached whenever she opened them.

"Here," Warren said, placing a cool damp cloth over her eyes. She sighed as the aching eased a bit. "I'll get you some tea."

"You want to make me feel worse?" She could hear his smirk as he left the room. "No tea, Warren. I mean it."

"The tea is good for you," he called from the kitchen.

"Could you at least put something in it so it tastes better?"

"If I do, it won't work right." He lifted the cloth off her eyes and pressed the hot mug into her hands. Mary glared at it. Warren sat next to her on the couch, setting a plate of Suzy's homemade cookies on the coffee table. He held one of them up, turning to face her. "You finish the tea and you get a cookie."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Really? That's your plan?"

"It is if it works."

Mary looked at the cookie and then down at the mug. Her face twisted for a moment but she chugged the whole thing in a few swallows. She cringed at the taste and snatched the cookie from Warren's hand, finishing it in two bites. "No offense," she said, brushing the crumbs off the blanket covering her lap, "but your remedy-"

"Tastes awful. I know. You've said that." Warren rested the back of his hand against her forehead. "Your fever is down. That's good."

Mary nodded and rubbed her eyes as they began to ache again. "Do you have that cloth?"

"Tilt your head back." She did as Warren asked and smiled as he settled the cloth over her eyes. "Do they still hurt?"

"A little." She turned her head towards him slightly. "Thanks for helping this morning. I can usually get the twins out the door pretty quickly. Just not today."

"I didn't mind. It was an experience."

Mary chuckled slightly. "It's significantly easier when it's just the twins and not the entire group." They let a comfortable silence fall between them for a while. After a bit, Mary sat up, reaching for the cloth. "Warren, thank you for- oh, my god!" She'd taken off the cloth and turned to her friend, only to find him sitting naked on the couch. "What the hell!"

"What?" Warren's brow furrowed in confusion as Mary turned her head away.

"What do you mean 'what'? You're sitting naked on my couch! Why? How did you even get undressed without making a noise?"

"Mary, I'm not naked."

"You are so very much naked."

Warren shifted closer. Mary leaned a little bit away from his advancement. "Mary, look at me." She turned her head away even more. Warren placed a hand on her knee. "Look at me."

Slowly, she looked back at him and blinked. "What happened to your clothes?" Warren was dressed once more. She reached out, her fingertips running over the fabric. It was very much real. "What just happened?" Had she been hallucinating? She knew she was sick but not that sick.

"What did you see? Exactly?"

Mary licked her dry lips. "You were sitting there but completely naked. I mean…" She stopped and swallowed hard, forcing herself to keep her attention on his face. Just the memory of his sculpted chest and abs was enough make her face turn red. "Was I just seeing things? Is that possible with an illness like this? Maybe we should call your mom?"

Warren stared, studying her closely. A few tense moments passed. Finally, he said, "I think it's a new power."

"So seeing people naked is a power? Great."

Warren looked around and nodded towards the TV. "Tell me what you see."

Mary blinked at him but looked anyway. "It looks like any kind of TV. A screen, a frame…" Her mouth fell open as the screen wavered and fell away to show the wires and inner workings. "No. Way. I can see the inside. How-"

"Your powers are creating force fields. I think your powers have mutated so you can bend the light around objects to see through them."

Mary looked back at Warren, her eyes widening. "How did you come to that conclusion?"

He shrugged. "I wanted to be a doctor once." He tilted his head slightly. "That might be why your eyes are hurting. They're getting used to the new power."

"Well, I wish it would give some sort of warning. Not that you're not ripped and super hot, but I did not need the shock of seeing you naked." Mary stopped and a flush rose up her neck and over her face. "No. What I mean is- uh, you know, that it was- um- Oh, boy." Warren smirked as she tried to backtrack. She dropped her head into her hands and groaned. "Could you forget I said that?"

"Hey," he said, squeezing her shoulder. "People say weird stuff when they're sick."

Mary looked between her fingers at him and smiled. "Thank you." She dropped her hands and sat up straighter. "So, I can see through things, huh? I guess that could be useful. Once I get the hang of it, of course."

Warren chuckled and picked up the dishes. "Anything from the kitchen?"

She shook her head. Her gaze fell on the textbooks and she sighed. There was no way she'd be able to study with her eyes tricking her. She leaned over and flipped the books shut, stacking her homework off to the side. Warren was almost done with his work. She'd watched him for a while, impressed with how fast he'd managed to get through it all. He was smarter than what a lot of people gave him credit for.

Warren came back with two cups of hot tea. Mary frowned at the offered mug. "It's just regular tea."

She took the mug and set it on the table. The corner of his lips twitched at her caution. He leaned back against the couch cushions and took a slow leisurely sip of his own tea, purposefully keeping his gaze locked with hers. After a moment, he lowered the mug with a smile. Her eyes slid to her own mug. Even Warren couldn't hide a cringe from the awful tea. This must not be it, then.

She reached for the mug. Her hand knocked the side, spilling a bit of the hot liquid onto the back of her hand. She drew back sharply, hissing and pressing her hand to her chest.

"Are you okay?" Warren asked, taking her hand and looking it over.

Mary blinked, staring at her skin in surprise. "That hurt."

"It was hot but not much got on you. I could get some ice if you want."

"It hurt." She looked up at Warren. "It hurt." His brows furrowed in confusion. "I felt pain. I couldn't do that before."

Warren looked at her hand for a long moment and then back up to her. "You gain a new power but lose a different one. It could be that, when you were changed back from a baby, your powers changed. That's why you got sick and why your powers changed."

Mary sighed. "Great. I liked that power." She took her hand from his, pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her chin on them. "So," she said, looking at her companion. "You want to be a doctor."

"I did."

"What changed?"

"I found I didn't like being around sick people."

A snort escaped her and she covered her mouth as she continued to laugh. "Really?"

Warren smiled. "No. I liked reading about medicine but wasn't too thrilled with actually practicing it."

"So what are you planning on doing after you graduate?"

He shifted in his seat, pushing his hair out of his face. His eyes didn't meet hers as he mumbled something. Mary leaned in closer, raising an eyebrow at him. He sighed and spoke a little bit louder. "Acting."

"Stage, TV, or movies?"

Warren stared at her. Clearly, no one had taken his choice seriously. Maybe no one had ever bothered to ask him. "Um…I was thinking about movies."

"Any kind of specialty? Musicals, drama, comedy?" She smiled slightly. "Rom-coms?"

He chuckled and relaxed into his seat. "Musicals. But I could do well in dramas. I'm pretty sure I could land any villainous role."

"Do you want to play the villain?"

"I don't mind in movies or plays. It's acting. I just don't like being seen as a villain in real life."

Mary watched the hurt and pain pass through his eyes. She could understand his reasoning. An actor was supposed to play a character. It didn't reflect the real person. But parentage followed a kid for the rest of their life. She and Warren would be living down their parents for the rest of their lives. She shook those thoughts away and leaned closer. "What's your dream role?"

Warren grinned. "Athos from The Three Musketeers."

"I love that story. Can I see you act him?"

He flushed slightly and reached for his mug. "You should probably get some sleep."

"Oh, please, Warren. I'm sick. This would make me feel better."

"It would not."

"It might. I want to see your work." She crossed her legs under her. "You'll have to get used to it if you really want to act."

Warren was quiet for a moment. She could practically see his mind turning. This was new to him; encouraging friends with whom he could relax around and be himself. He'd said as much multiple times. She was glad he considered her close enough to confide more about himself. If she hadn't of had her friends in France or the twins, Mary suspected that she may very well have become as closed off as Warren had been before they'd become friends.

The pyro leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees. He loosely linked his fingers together. "To love. Let me tell you a story about love, D'Artagnan. I knew a young man once, a Count, who feared he would never fall in love. One day, he met a woman. This woman was more than beautiful. She was intoxicating, mysterious, everything he'd ever dreamed of. He felt his heart would burst if he couldn't have her. The poor idiot married her." Warren shook his head as if someone had spoken. "Shut up and listen to me. They were riding through the forest one day. She was thrown from her horse and knocked unconscious. When he rushed to her side, he noticed a mark on her body…something he'd never seen before, something she'd managed to keep hidden all this time. The brand of the fleur-de-lis, the mark given to those who are to be executed for murder. The Count was crushed. The woman he loved, his bride, had betrayed him. She'd lied to him. When she came to, she swore that she'd been falsely accused of these crimes, but he didn't believe her; he rejected her for her lies and for her past. Then he banished her from his province. When the guards came to take her away to be executed, she…she was still professing her undying love. Soon after, the Count realized how much she had meant to him, but it was too late. His betrayal was far greater than hers could ever have been. He gave up his title, his land, everything he believed in, never to be seen or heard from again, all because of love." Warren reached for his mug of tea and took a large swallow as if to drown his sorrows. Mary stared. It was like he was a different person. He was no longer Warren, the emo pyro slowly coming to trust his new friends. This was Athos, a man who had suffered the betrayal of the love of his life and couldn't even stand to look at himself anymore. He was so real.

Warren finished and turned to her. "W-what do you think?"

She continued to stare, completely floored. "You're amazing."

"You're just saying that."

"I don't think I've loved the character more. It was like Athos was really here." Warren blushed as he saw the seriousness in her eyes. "You should try out for the school's play."

He shook his head. "I don't think so-"

"But I think so. I think you'd be great and it's something you actually want to do, right? So do it." Mary placed her hand over his. "I'm behind you 100 percent."

Warren turned his hand over so he held hers. His warmth felt nice against her skin. "I got lucky with a friend like you." His dark eyes met hers and she felt her whole body grow warm. Why did he have to look at her like that? It made her heart skip in her chest and her stomach flutter. Did he know how he affected her?

She squeezed his hand and shifted on the couch, pushing her reactions out of the way. "What's the school's play?"

"Beauty and the Beast."

"Are you going to try for the Beast or the Prince?"

"They'll never give me the Beast role. That'll go to some popular kid. Maybe Will."

Mary laughed. "Will is an awful actor. He can't even properly lie. He doesn't like acting, anyway. At best, he'd probably be the Prince at the end of the play after the Beast transforms."

"Still-"

"Well, you're popular now, you know. You definitely have the female student body's attention." And didn't she just hate that. "By your logic, you'll have a pretty good shot of getting the Beast role. If you can sing, of course. It is a musical."

"I can sing."

"Good. Let me hear 'Be our guest'. They'll probably want you to audition with that. Oh, come on," she added when she saw Warren start to look unsure, "think of this as a chance to practice."

After a moment's pause, Warren stood. She missed the warmth of his hand around hers but she smiled and watched as he slowly grew more confident in his performance. He had a wonderful voice. Along with his good looks, dazzling smile, and his actions at the Homecoming dance, it was no surprise the rest of the girls at school had started noticing him.

For the next hour, Warren went through his audition pieces while Mary watched and gave him feedback. The more they worked, the more Warren relaxed and started to enjoy himself. She liked seeing him this way. He was lighter and happier. He smiled easier.

Mary laughed at Warren's outlandish Cogsworth impersonation when the front door opened. The twins appeared first, followed by the gang. Warren stopped as everyone settled around the coffee table like they had yesterday.

"What's up, my main Lamb?" Zach asked, extending his fist.

Mary bumped hers against his and wrapped her arms around Suzy as she climbed into her lap. "Not much. I have a new power, I can now feel pain, and Warren's going to try out for the school play."

There were mixed reactions to the news.

"You have a new power?" That was Randy, Suzy, and Zach.

"You can feel pain?" That was Will, Layla, and Ethan.

"Warren's going to try for the musical?" That was Magenta. She gave the pyro a curious raised eyebrow, which he decided not to notice.

"I can see through things but now I can feel pain. I'm not really looking forward to getting used to that. And I've been helping Warren with his audition piece." Mary noticed Warren start to close up again and gave him an encouraging smile. "He's very good and I'm excited to see him perform on stage."

"Wasn't your dad in Oklahoma?" Will asked.

Warren nodded. "He…met my mom that way. She was part of the stage crew."

"What's the play this year?" Randy asked.

"Beauty and the Beast."

"Mary should try for the part of Belle!" Suzy piped up, turning to her sister energetically.

"Except she can't sing really well," Randy said. Mary turned to her brother and he shrugged. "I've heard you in the shower."

"No one sounds good in the shower."

"I think it's about half and half on that," Will said.

Suzy nodded. "Mary would be great for the role."

"If Mary was interested," Mary said. "My talent lies behind a camera lens. I'll take pictures and support Warren, but I'm not going to act." She looked up at Warren. "When are auditions?"

"Friday after school."

"So you have two more days to get ready. Great. Plenty of time to practice."

"But how about some food first?" Zach asked.

"Are you always thinking of your stomach?" Will asked.

"I'm a growing boy."

Mary rolled her eyes as the others tried to decide what they wanted for dinner. "Shouldn't you guys go home? Your parents haven't seen you in a while."

"They know we're here," Layla said. "They understand that we're trying to cheer up a sick friend."

"Plus we're helping you look after the twins," Zach said with a smile.

"More like we're looking after him," Suzy said.

"Oh, little Lamb! I'm hurt. Truly." He pressed a hand to his chest as he turned to Magenta. "Did you hear what she said?"

"Yeah. She's not wrong."

Zach plopped back onto the floor, his arms spread out wide. "First little Lamb and now my girlfriend. What's a man to do?"

"Wait, girlfriend?" Mary perked up. "You two are dating?"

Magenta blushed and Zach popped back up with a grin. "Yup. Official for two days."

Layla grinned. "That's great! Now we can double date!"

Mary laughed as her hippie friend tightly hugged her emo friend. Just like she and Warren had predicted at the dance, their friends would pair off. The only ones left were Ethan, her, and Warren. She looked to the pyro and found he'd retaken his set on the couch. Randy was telling him about a new trick he was trying to do with his fire powers. Warren was listening to everything the little boy said, nodding and adding to the conversation when needed. She had no idea if she and Warren could be good together-she'd like to think that they would- but she wasn't willing to risk their friendship over it. They'd only just gotten close. It was best not to stir anything up. Warren looked up and met her gaze, giving one of his dazzling smiles. She returned it easily. Yes, they were good for now.

Will stretched, cracking his shoulders and back. "So," he asked. "Dinner. Anyone have ideas?"

"I'm game for anything," Will said. Zach nodded in agreement.

"Pizza!" Randy cheered.

"We had pizza last night," Suzy said. "We should have Italian."

"What about Chinese?" Ethan asked.

"Sandwiches?" Layla suggested.

"What about burgers?" Mary asked. "I could really go for a burger."

"Second on that," Warren said.

Will stood and grabbed his wallet. "I'll go grab us some."

"Take the boys with you. You'll need the extra hands for all the meals," Layla said.

"We should probably drop off our library books, too," Randy said. "I'll get them." He jumped off the couch and hurried upstairs.

Mary chuckled. "It seems you're on an outing, then."

Warren rolled his eyes and stood. "What do you want for a drink?"

"A Coke if they have any, but a Sprite if not."

He nodded and, when Randy hurried back down with the bag of books, took the little boy's hand. Suzy quickly grabbed Warren's other hand. "We'll be back."

Magenta and Layla turned to Mary with terrifyingly close scrutinization once the boys had left. "So," Layla said with a knowing smile. "You and Warren seem to be getting very chummy."

"I bet he's just so attentive, looking after you when you're sick," Magenta added.

Mary blushed. "We're just friends." The girls looked as if they didn't believe her. "Really. We're not ready to move into anything past that just yet. And I don't even know if he'd like me that way. It's best if we just stay as friends for now and see where this goes."

Both girls stared at her. "Wow," Magenta said. "You've really thought about this a lot."

Mary shrugged. "I've had time and, with him being here, it's not easy to keep a straight thought sometimes. But it's the logical choice. I don't want to mess something up that has done the twins and me a world of good. Warren means too much to me."

Layla smiled softly. "I'm one to believe that you should follow your heart, but that's sound thinking. I can't really argue with it. Not when I know you as I do. Though I can't say much on Warren's part; we've only just become friends."

"Yeah," Magenta said. "The Warren we saw yesterday and today is totally different to the one he was before Homecoming. It's weird."

"But nice, too," Mary said with a slight smile.

Layla leaned back on her hands as she watched her friend. "You really like him." Mary nodded. Layla sighed and pushed herself to her feet. "Well, the boys won't be back for a while, so how about a quick make over? I promise you'll feel a lot better. We might even get a reaction out of Warren." She winked and grabbed Mary's hands, pulling her to her feet. Magenta grinned as she followed the girls to the upstairs bathroom.