Holidays are Hell

It was all so unfair, she thought miserably. Up until this morning her life and everything about her had been boringly sane and normal… well, except for her brother and Claire and Beth. Now, because of one idiot mad scientist, everything was topsy turvy and any hope of romance with the one guy she'd really liked in a long time was screwed.

"You changed from yourself to this in like a heartbeat." Nick tossed the clothes he'd collected onto the nearest box and began to walk around her, surveying her from every angle. "The only thing that didn't change is the cape."

Reminded of the cape and knowing she couldn't wear it out of the store for fear of tipping off John to who she was, Jill slid it off and draped it over the clothes on the box.

"Noelle was wearing that cape," he said suddenly.

Jill stiffened and watched unhappily as he put things together in his head.

"Then you were wearing it," he went on slowly. "Then you turned into someone else wearing the cape."

Jill let her breath out on a resigned sigh. She'd always known he was intelligent. It was one of the things she'd liked best about him. She shouldn't be surprised he'd put things together so quickly.

"You're like a… What do they call them? Shape-shifter?"

Despite watching him figure it out right in front of her, she still felt a bit shocked when he said the words. She supposed she'd imagined that he'd need her to give him the explanation for what exactly she now was capable of doing.

"Don't look so surprised. I watched Star Trek growing up," he murmured, continuing to examine her, then added, "I didn't think shape-shifters were real though."

"Neither did I," Jill muttered under her breath. She really hadn't thought such things were possible, not even when Kyle had explained their work to her. She hadn't believed right up until Claire had got zapped and turned into Brad Cruise.

"Does it hurt? To change like that?"

"No," she said warily.

He didn't look like he believed her, but merely asked, "Can you do it again?"

When her expression became surprised, he said apologetically, "I know it's rude to ask. At least, I think it is, but even though I saw it once, it's hard to believe…"

Jill felt her tension return when he suddenly went silent, a frown claiming his mouth. She had a feeling he'd just thought of something, and it was obviously something that didn't please him. She realized why when he said, "I told you—When you were Noelle, I told you—"

"I'm sorry," Jill said at once. "I mean I'm not sorry you told me. I'm glad you like me. I like you too, but I'm sorry I let you tell me…" She paused and sighed, then finished unhappily, "Of course, now that you know this you might not be interested anymore and I'll understand if that's so, but—"

A noise from the front of the store made her pause. They both peered to the closed door between the two sections of the store, then Nick hurried to it, cracked it open, and peered out. Jill was just moving to join him by the door when he closed it again and turned to hurry back to her.

"The cop must be gone. That guy who's following you is trying to pick the lock. We have to go." Nick grabbed her hand as he moved past, drawing her to the back door. Jill allowed him to drag her out of the store, but reached up to grab a long winter coat off the rack by the door as she went. She wasn't cold and appeared to be wearing winter gear, but Nick wasn't. He was now wearing only jeans and a t-shirt. He'd need the coat.

She waited patiently as he locked the door, then handed him the coat and said, "I have to get to my brother."

"Why is this guy after you?" Nick asked as he shrugged into the long coat. "Is it because of what you can do? Does he know you're a shape-shifter?"

"Oh, he knows all right. He's who turned me into one," she said dryly, turning to lead the way up the alley only to find her hand caught as he whirled her back around.

Nick's expression was shocked. "What?"

Jill was silent for a moment, arguing within herself as to whether she should explain everything or not. This wasn't just her secret. Her brother, his wife who happened to be Jill's best friend, as well their daughter, would be affected by this.

On the other hand, Nick was risking himself to help her, and the cat was already out of the bag, so to speak. It only seemed fair to explain. But they had to keep moving. If John got the door unlocked and got inside the store, it wouldn't take him long to realize that they'd slipped out the back and then he'd be out here after them.

Taking Nick's hand, Jill turned and started up the alley. She paused only long enough to send out a silent apology to her brother, then quickly explained about her brother and Claire's courtship, the experiment they'd been working on and then everything that had happened that morning.