ZELINIA: Wait remind me… Who's Conner again? That's Angel's kid right? Dawn will NOT be getting any love action in my story. I wish I could be a better person and rise above my petty dislike of her but no… I just can't. lol!
Scorpian: Yay you still like… always a bonus!
Allen Pitt: This one now is the singing one. The troll hammer was an interesting point that could be very handy later on! I like it!
Philyra: I almost made you cry? You have no idea what kind of complement that is! I have a big smile now. As to Tuscany pairing I could tell you… but I'm just not going to spoil it for you!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything sept Tuscany. Obviously Joss ultimately owns everything.
AN: I'm not musically in the slightest so I've borrowed songs. Artists will be credited in the bottom AN and if I forget… please remind me and I'll do it next chapter! And for convenience songs will be in script form and only songs Tuscany features in or songs I love will appear!
ONCE MORE WITH FEELIN part 1Tuscany was dreaming. She had to be. She was singing for Gods sake. She never sang. Not in the shower. Not never. And her watcher was alive. Alive and there and so was the council. Well she assumed it was the council. She kinda just felt it. But it was a dream after all because Tuscany was pretty certain she wouldn't be belting out a rap slash rock tune to the council! But here she was singing.
Tuscany: Special
You think you're special
You do
I can see it in your eyes
I can see it when you laugh at me
Look down on me
You walk around on me
Just one more fight
About your leadership
And I will straight up
Leave your shit
Cause I've had enough of this
And now I'm pissed
Yeah
This time I'm 'a let it all come out
This time I'm 'a stand up and shout
I'm 'a do things my way
It's my way
My way, or the highway
Just one more fight
About a lot of things
And I will give up everything
To be on my own again
Free again
Yeah
This time I'm 'a let it all come out
This time I'm 'a stand up and shout
I'm 'a do things my way
It's my way
My way, or the highway
Some day you'll see things my way
Cause you never know
Where, you never know
Where you're gonna go
Just one more fight
And I'll be history
Yes I will straight up
Leave your shit
And you'll be the one who's left
Missing me
Yeah
This time I'm 'a let it all come out
This time I'm 'a stand up and shout
I'm 'a do things my way
It's my way
My way, or the highway
Some day you'll see things my way
Cause you never know
Where, you never know
Where you're gonna go
And they were staring at her stunned and her watcher… He was going to kill her!
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Tuscany hadn't recovered fully from her strange dream as she sat in the magic Box. Everyone else was there, chatting normal but she was sitting here. Reflecting! She was snapped out of her daydream as Buffy entered.
"Good morning, Buffy," Giles greeted her as she walked inside. Buffy surveyed the scene only half paying attention. Xander was hunched over donuts and Anya was walking busily around the shop. Tuscany was sitting next to Xander her knees tucked up and her chin resting on them. She appeared lost in thought as well. Must be a Summers thing, Buffy thought.
"Oh hey, Did Dawn get off to school all right?" Willow asked.
"What? Oh yeah… I think so," Buffy was distracted. She was thinking about her dream from last night. It was strange to have a musical dream but what she'd been singing about had been so true. Summing up how she'd felt.
"Respect the cruller. And tame the donut," Xander was miming.
"That's still funny sweetie," Anya said absent-mindedly.
"You find it funny, don't you Tuscany?" Xander demanded of Tuscany.
"Do you want an honest answer?" Tuscany was startled out of her mind warp.
"From the look on your face I'd say no," Xander began to sulk, "My whole world is falling out from beneath me."
Tuscany gave him a sympathetic grin as Giles sat down and claimed a donut for himself.
"So, uh, no research? Nothing going on? Monsters or what not?"
Everyone shook their heads and Tuscany considered one of the donuts. Just as she picked one up Buffy spoke again.
Unsure how to broach the subject Buffy simply said, "Good! Good. Uh, so, did anybody ... uh ... last night, you know, did anybody, um ... burst into song?
Tuscany dropped her donut.
"Merciful Zeus," A stunned Xander managed.
What followed was a garble of sound. Every one talking over every one else.
"We thought it was just us!" Willow was excited
"Well, I sang but I had my guitar at the hotel..." Giles removed his glasses
"And I was back in Australia," Tuscany mused.
"It was bizarre. We were talking and then it was like…" Tara directed towards Buffy.
"Like you were in a musical," Buffy replied.
"Yeah," Tara agreed. Every one else kept talking.
"That would explain the huge backing orchestra I couldn't see and the synchronized dancing from the room service chaps," Giles was now cleaning his glasses.
"We did a whole duet about dish washing," Willow continued enthused.
"And my watcher was still alive and the council and bad language," Tuscany recounted.
" And we were arguing and, and then everything rhymed and there were harmonies and the dance with coconuts," Anya got in on the act.
"There was an entire verse about the cous-cous," Willow asked looking towards Tara for support.
"It was very disturbing," Xander concluded
"What did you sing about?" Giles asked when everyone paused for breath.
"I don't remember. But I-it seemed perfectly normal," Buffy avoided telling the truth. Tuscany was giving a strange look as if she knew Buffy was lying. Buffy averted her eyes back to Giles.
"But disturbing. And not the natural order of things, and do you think it'll happen again?" Xander was looking from left to right with furtive glances.
"I don't know. We should look into this," Giles looked at the books on the bookcase.
"With the books," Willow agreed following Giles' gaze.
"Do we have any books on this?" Tara was skeptical.
"What? You don't keep the 'idiots guide to every one's bursting into song spontaneously in there dreams…. What do we do? Manual' for situations of this sort," Tuscany joked.
Well, we just gotta break it down. Look at the factors before it happens again. Because I for one…" Xander was interrupted as Giles leant forward.
Giles: I got a theory
That's it's a demon. A dancing demon neh something isn't right there
Willow: I got a theory, some kid is dreaming and we're all stuck inside this wacky Broadway nightmare
Xander: I got a theory we should work this out.
Xander/Anya/Tara/willow: It's getting eerie what's this cheery singing all about.
Xander: It could be witches. Some evil witches.
Tuscany: Which is ridiculous, cause witches they were persecuted. Wicca good and love the earth…
Xander: And women power. And I'll be over here.
Anya: I got a theory it could be bunnies
Silence
Tara: I got a theo..
Fire works exploded and there was suddenly smoke in the room with flashing lights.
Anya: Bunnies just cute like everybody supposes. They've got them hoppy legs and twitchy little noses. And what's with all the carrots? What do they need such good eyesight for anyway? Bunnies, bunnies it must be bunnies
Anya looked extremely embarrassed.
Anya: Or maybe midgets?
Willow: I've got a theory we should work this fast.
Willow/Giles: Cause it clearly could get serious before it's past
Buffy: I got a theory. It doesn't matter.
All eyes turned to Buffy. Giles walked away and Tuscany eyed her big sister.
Buffy: What can't we face if we're together? What's in this place that we can't weather. Apocalypse? We've all been there. The same old tricks why should we care?
Group minus Tuscany and Giles: What can't we do if we get in it. We'll work it through within a minute.
All: We have to try. We'll pay the price. It's do or die
Buffy: Hey I've died twice.
All: What can't we face if we're together Giles: What can't we face? All: What's in this place that we can't weather Giles: if we're together All: There is nothing we can't face.
Anya: Except for Bunnies.
"Now that was disturbing," Xander looked freaked.
"I thought it was neat," Willow grinned sitting down.
Tuscany shook her head, "uh uh. I'm at your place Xander."
"So what is it? What's causing it?" Buffy looked from one face to another.
"I thought it didn't matter," Giles said quickly giving Buffy a meaningful look.
Buffy appeared caught of guard but she quickly recovered, "Well, I'm not exactly quaking in my stylish yet affordable boots, but there's definitely something unnatural going on here. And that doesn't usually lead to hugs and puppies."
"Well, is it just us? I mean, is it only happening to us? Cause that would probably mean a spell or…" Anya paused as Buffy walked to the door and flung it open.
Buffy returned looking slightly disturbed, "It's not just us!"
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"Oh my god. You will never believe what happened at school today," Dawn ran in the door.
"Everybody started singing and dancing," Buffy didn't bother looking up from her book. Dawn was disappointed.
"I gave birth to a pterodactyl!"
"Oh my god… did it sing," Anya was startled.
"You can't half tell she was a demon for two thousand years," Tuscany said under her breath.
"Was that your Australian attempt at sarcasm?" Anya asked.
"No," Tuscany replied sarcastically.
"Ok," Anya was obliviously satisfied.
"So you guys too, huh?" Dawn dropped her bag and moved further into the room.
"So what'd you guys sing about," Xander asked.
"Math," Dawn sighed.
"Did you sing about bunnies?" Tuscany asked slyly.
"No," Dawn looked confused.
"We win!" Tuscany turned back to her book. She was bored. They hadn't come across a damn thing and no body was talking. Tuscany had even welcomed the appearance of the frequently moody teenager.
"That's right," Tara burst out spontaneously, "the volume. The text."
"What text?" Giles dragged his eyes away from his own to look at the two witches who were suspiciously cuddly.
"The volume-y text. You know? The, the something report," Willow mumbled the last part and Tuscany raised an eyebrow at the witches.
"The what now?" Xander asked puzzled not catching on as quickly as the young slayer.
"Oh, there's just a few volumes back at the house that deal with mystical chants, bacchanals," Tara covered.
Tuscany rolled her eyes and caught a movement in the corner of her eye. Dawn was leaning against the counter eyeing something off. Tuscany narrowed her eyes and kept her gaze focused on her.
"It might be relevant," Tara suggested. So would the TV guide I picked up this morning, Tuscany thought to herself but who was she to spoil the witches naughty fun. She kept watching Dawn.
"Yeah, we could try…" Willow drew to a haltering stop. Lost for words.
"Well, I'm a hair's breadth from investigating bunnies at the moment, so I'm open to anything," Giles was tired and over researching with no results.
Everyone's attention but Tuscany's attention was drawn to the witches. Dawn shoved the necklace in her pocket, her eyes darting nervously back and forth. Tuscany quickly faced the two witches like everyone else not letting Dawn know she had seen her. She wasn't Dawn's keeper and she certainly wasn't her big sister.
"Great, we'll, uh, go check it out and uh, we'll give you a call," Willow stood swiftly before anyone could change their mind.
"Yeah, this could blow the whole thing wide open," Tara agreed and the pair practically bolted out the door. Xander watched the pair leave as if only just figuring out that they had all be tricked. Tuscany and Buffy glanced each other and shared the humour of Xander's obliviousness. Dawn caught the look and felt a flash of anger. Buffy was already accepting this girl. The Reason their parents divorced. How could she do this?
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"I bet they're not even working," Xander accused.
"Tuscany snorted, "You think?"
"Who now?" Buffy, completely disinterested in study, looked up.
"Willow and Tara. You see the way they were with each other? The get-a-roominess to them? I bet they're…" Xander paused. Buffy and Tuscany tilted their heads towards Dawn, "Singing. They're probably singing right now."
"I'm sure Willow and Tara are making every effort," Giles still lived in the land of denial.
"Oh, yeah," Xander mocked.
"Xander," Buffy warned.
"Buffy, it's okay. I do know about this stuff. Besides, it's all kinda romantic," Dawn smiled wistfully.
"Not it's not," Buffy and Xander said in unison.
"Come on! Songs, dancing around. What's gonna be wrong with that?"
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Across town a man tap-danced. He was terrified. He couldn't stop. He could feel the heat. Rising. Rising. Rising! Burning. Smoke leapt away from his body and swirled around his feet as he moved faster and faster. Couldn't stop. Rising, burning, hotter! The fire was spreading. Up his legs into the pit of his belly to curl like a dragon. It began to claw its way higher. The man was petrified now. If he could just rest the fire would go away. If he could just stop! But he couldn't and the heat was rising… rising… rising. Up his neck, surging into his arms. His feat pounded the ground in time to the last beats of his heart. The heat reached his brain and heart at the same time. He burst into flame… the heat … all consuming… rising no more.
A figure lingered in the shadows, "Now that's entertaining!"
AN: Now that song you don't recognise is from Limp biscuit (that's not how you spell it but you know who I'm talking about) songs called My way! Once more with feeling is obviously going to be many parts! I don't wanna leave much out! Anywho here is the first installment. Hope you like my changes and it doesn't impede on the original genius of the episode.
MD666