After Xander left her hospital room and Cordelia sat thinking for a while, she made a decision and pushed the call button. She needed answers and Xander had them. After browbeating the doctors into letting her go home she called Lupe, her family's housekeeper and had her come pick her up. Once home she got cleaned up and debated on what to wear. Clothes were a kind of armor for her. They helped project the image it had been impressed on her that she was suppose to uphold. Finally she was ready and she headed over to the school, she was sure that's where she'd find them, since that's pretty much where they always were and sure enough, there they where. She paused outside the door and heard Xander explain his adventure to Willow as he'd explained it to her earlier and their sort of argument. 'We Hate Cordelia Club? She really hates me? Was I that bad? Xander called me tactless and bitchy. Maybe I was being both by calling attention to her atrocious clothing choices.' She peeked through the window on the door and caught sight of them. 'Woah, Xander in just sweatpants and sweaty. Okay, I see were the mutual attraction thing could come from. Hello, salty goodness.' She waited until Xander had done some kind of Jedi mind trick, yes she knew what that was, she'd seen Star Wars, but she would never admit it out loud and then pushed her way into the library. It was her turn for answers from the Dweeb.

Once Xander finished placing blocks in Willow's mind, he turned back to Cordelia. "This may be quite a bit different for you, Cordy. Alexander's scan showed your counterpart had an ability too and he wasn't sure if it had been dormant and activated by the Vorlons who altered her or if they'd introduced it. Just like Giles isn't sure if I had a dormant ability that went active last night or it's something the god powering the spell allowed me to have. If you do have any ability, then this may end up being more, because you'll read me too, not just see what I show you. You may see things, private things, maybe even painful things. I just want you to know that so you can be prepared."

"I appreciate the warning, but it's not going to stop me, show me." She held out her hand and Xander took it and immediately images flowed into her mind.

Janitor's closets, groping and making out and other Xander wanting to go on dates and not hide, her being scared that others would see them. His eyes, pained and then blank when she angrily berated him for wanting to be seen in public with her. 'He just wants up the social ladder.' Other her told herself, ignoring the pain in his eyes. A Cordette seeing them come out of the closet and immediately spreading the gossip. Valentine's day and being insulted by her friends for dating other Xander. Other Xander giving other her a beautiful necklace, that probably cost more than he could afford and other Xander's stumbling speech.

"A-and maybe that's all we have here. Tawdry teen lust. But maybe not. Maybe something in you sees something special inside me. (Cordelia looks down, then back up) And vice versa. I mean, I think I do. See something. So -." Breaking up with him because of her friends attitude and oh gods the pain in his eyes. The love spell, revenge. No guy had ever tried to do something like to her. But then no guy had ever been hurt by her breaking up with him. Nor had she ever been hurt by a guy breaking up with her, angry yes, hurt no. Publicly choosing Xander and seeing his reaction out of the corner of her eye, shock, awe. His promise that they'd fight in front of her friends and thinking 'that's sweet.' A year of laughter, oh hello salty goodness again, Xander in a speedo going undercover on the swim team. Jealous because he chose to guard Buffy while she was sick and than realizing Buffy was vulnerable and he wasn't choosing Buffy over her. Snap shots over the year. His eyes when they looked at her, happy, lit from within. Yes, there was lust, but he looked at her, not her tits far more. And he looked happy when he did. 'I made him happy, he never asked me for money or bragged about dating me and fought to get me back. I made him happy. Why? He said he thought he saw something in me, what did he see?' Now other Xander's perspective, torn between her and Buffy and leaning more towards her as time went on. Worrying about her safety and looking into her eyes, seeking something and finding it. Love, happiness, acceptance.

A scene from the Babylon 5 show as Talia Winters explains what love making is for telepaths. 'A mixing of souls, it's the only time the voices are silent.'

With a start Cordelia realized what Xander wanted from her, what his counterpart had had. She silenced the voices.

"You're worthless!" Tony Harris

"You'll never amount to anything!" Principle Snyder.

"Loser!" Bullies.

Empty echo where the voice of the brother of his heart had once been. 'Xander saved me three times! He pulled vampire Jesse off me! He staked his best friend to save me and never asked for a damn thing! Never even occured to him!'

'She gave him love, acceptance and peace, Cordy.' Xander's voice whispered in her mind. 'She was the only person who saw him and accepted him. And he was the only one who saw her and accepted her. They made each other better versions of each other, by loving and accepting each other. Is there any chance we could do that too?'

The telepathic contact withdrew and Cordelia looked up into his eyes and saw hope and realized she wanted to see more. She wanted to see love and acceptance.

"I'm willing to try. But we're going to have to do something about your wardrobe. Your counterpart looked really good in that dark suit. So will you."