Friday Night, 518/520

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe hadn't left the suite all day, and Anders had stayed with her most of it. Last night at Caritas had been a hard thing to deal with.

Of course, what Jack had said had both confused and upset her to the point where she was afraid to leave her rooms right now in case she hurt someone.

She had never realized that someone might think that being an empath meant she would mess with someone's mind.

She had done lots of thinking about being an empath over the last two years since she had gotten her powers and last night had just brought all of the old worries and doubts about becoming evil and using her powers to her.


[[OOC: For the occupants]]

Comments

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Anders was still feeling a little subdued when he came back to the room after his talk with Stark, and as soon as he got in he went straight over to Phoebe and wrapped his arms around her.

[demonbelthazor]

Somehow Bel had managed to be oblivious to Phoebe's distress all day. He was a man, after all.

But finally he realized something was wrong and settled down beside her, opposite Anders. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" he said.

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe couldn't look at either of them, so she stared at the floor.

"I don't want to be an empath anymore."

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Anders rested his chin on her shoulder and shot a helpless look at Bel. "It's still bothering you, huh?"

[demonbelthazor]

Cole gave Phoebe a confused look. "Why not?" he said. "It's your gift."

[sensethevisions]

She still wouldn't look up.

"He thought I was going to go messing around in his head... and even if I could I wouldn't do that..."

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"You'd never do that, I know," Anders tried to reassure Phoebe as he stroked her hair. "Hell, my best friend has empathic abilities, and so does my girlfriend . . . and I trust both of you with anything, even after . . . after some stuff."

He didn't think now was a good time to mention the possessions again.

[demonbelthazor]

"What? Who said that?" Cole said. He glanced sideways at Anders, feeling an irrational surge of jealousy that he seemed to know about this already when he didn't.

[sensethevisions]

"Last night... at Caritas." She looked up at Cole. "But I have done bad stuff... not that I wanted to... but she did."

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"That wasn't you," Anders said firmly. "Not any more than it was Bridge who did all those things to people. You wouldn't ever do that sort of thing, no matter what he said. He's . . . something seems off about him, now."

[demonbelthazor]

"Who was it?" Bel growled. "I'll kick his ass for making you upset."

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe reached out and took Cole's hand. "No... no fighting. I don't want you in trouble. I need you here."

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Anders just hugged Phoebe a little more tightly, though a brief mutinous flash of his eyes seemed to say that in between how upset Phoebe was, and how upset Isabel had been last night, he wouldn't mind going with Bel and helping with that ass-kicking.

[demonbelthazor]

"Only get in trouble if I get caught," Bel grumbled. He hated seeing Phoebe upset.

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe was still holding onto Cole's hand. "I know it's dumb to be so upset about what he said... but Jack used to be so nice and then when I expressed concern..." She shook her head. "He went cold and hard."

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Anders kissed the top of her head, frowning slightly. They'd talked about this earlier today, but it still didn't make a whole lot of sense to him. Though mostly, he was more confused than anything -- torn between being angry and being worried that someone who had been so close to two of his closest friends had changed so much, from what little he'd seen.

"It's okay, baby," he murmured. It didn't seem like enough to say, and he'd said it so many times already today, but he couldn't think of anything more comforting.

[demonbelthazor]

"Your empathy is a gift, love," Cole said, moving so that her head was on his shoulder. "You use it to help people, not hurt them."

[sensethevisions]

"I thought that it was something that could only be used to help. It's not like I target people to read their emotions... it just happens. But then Jack told me that he didn't like people messing in his head and for me to stay the hell out..." She shook her head. "He and I were never close friends, but everytime I talked to him, he was always nice and friendly. But last night..."

Phoebe was happy to lay her head on Cole's shoulder.

"I would never mess with someone's mind..." Her voice trailed off as she realized, she had. She had willingly messed with Cole's mind with that spell.

"Oh gods," she said softly, tears slipping down her cheeks.

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"Phoebe?" asked Anders shakily. "What's wrong?"

He hadn't connected this with their mistake with the spell yet.

[demonbelthazor]

"Phoebe, your empathy just tells you when there's trouble, it doesn't let you manipulate other's emotions," Cole assured her, not making the connection either.

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe whimpered, pulling away from both of them. "The spell..." Phoebe moaned. "I did do that..."

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Anders flinched as he understood. "No. That was my idea. You wouldn't have gone along with it if I hadn't brought it up," he said.

[demonbelthazor]

"That was just once, and we know it was wrong and we've moved on," Bel said.