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Nikki's eyes snapped open when the music stopped after a booming roll of thunder that had been cloud enough to rattle windows. There was a brilliant flash of lightning, causing the lights to flicker before they went out, drowning the room in heavy shadows.

There was enough natural lighting to see by, and the bolts of lightning lit up the room in flashes as the teacher's aid pushed herself off the door, her feet carrying her to the piano to see why who ever was playing stopped.

Rounding the screen, Nic's brows tilted inwards in confusion, seeing now one at the piano, although a music book still sat open. Stepping closer until she stood right in front of the well cared for grand, she picked up the song book, her lips tilting upwards in amusement to see it was one of the world of warcraft books. Looking around the room she wondered where its owner had gone to.... Perhaps they had been scared off by the thunder? There was after all a side exit out of the room that was closer to the piano then the doors she herself came through.

With a shrug, she closed the book, setting it down where she found it as she sat on the piano bench. She was sure whoever it belonged to would realize they forgot it... in the mean time however....

Nic brush her fingers over the ivory keys with all the tenderness of a lover. When she was younger, she hated playing, it had been something her parents wanted her to do... It had been Charlotte who finally made her love the piano the way her parents wanted her to. The music major of course, had been the only one the writer had ever truly enjoyed playing for.

Shifting to get comfortable, unknowing that Ciel was hidden under the piano, Nikki recalled how she would play the piano for Charlotte during storms sometimes, and even though the blonde was still upset and shaken from earlier, her fingers began stroking the keys, the notes one of the songs she would play during thunderstorms.

As she did, the room would brighten and darken with the storm outside, the softness of the piece of music, a contrast to the rolling thunder.

With her eyes closed as she played, Nikki could almost imagine she wast in the practice room at school, and instead, was at home in their apartment, and any minuet now despite her playing; the loud thunder would have Char wrapping her arms around her as she play-- the beginnings of her name and a loud bang on the underside of the piano had her fingers stilling.

Out of habit, her fingers still on the keys, and her mind still clinging to the memories, she scolded the cause of the sound, her voice teasing and soft.

"Your as ungraceful as always love."

The words, which started out teasing and affectionate trailed off sadly, as it once more hit her that there was no Charlotte to tease for being a klutzy geek.

Shaking the remaining memories from her head, Nic bent over, looking under the piano for the source of the noise she had heard. Spotting Ciel the spark of anger from earlier flared... and then sputtered out when she noticed how the starlet was holding her head, no doubt having banged it on the underside of the piano.

Outside a bolt of lightning lit flashed, lighting up the room, and for a moment the form of Ciel shifted, and instead it was Charlotte laying there under the piano clenching her head in pain. - The shift caused Nic to draw in a sharp breath, and before she could stop herself her lips open and she exhaled.

"Charlotte.....?"

It came out as a question, laced with confusion and concern and heartbreak as the English major tired making sense of it all.

Nikki froze in her bent position, breath hitching, stilling in her throat. No one, no one called her Nikki expect for Charlotte. She was Nicole to her parents, and Nic to everyone else. Nikki was the name eight year old Charlotte called her in a fit of anger after the tomboy had put a frog in the other girl's hair at summer camp.

The whining tone and the intimate way the redhead woman spoke was also achingly familiar to the blonde woman. Biting her lip in a characteristic gesture of uncertainty, Nic slid off the piano bench, and onto her hands and knees, slender fingers gently pulling away the younger girl's hands from her head, to lightly prob and trace the healing slice on the back of her head.

Brows tilted inward in confusion, blue eyes looked down at Ciel/Char, the cocktail of emotions she felt clear in her gaze even with the deeper shadows there under the piano.

"Char?" The nickname came easy, her own voice soft, pleading, the choking sound of tears caught in her throat making her normally alto pitched voice higher.

Fingers absently began stroking the redhead's neck, kneading the muscles the way she used to do to Charlotte when her girlfriend would have a headache.

The force of the impact had Nikki's back hitting the floor with a grunt, one hand still holding the back of Ciel's neck. Blinking her eyes in surprise, the blonde looked down at the mop of red hair against her chest, fingers returning to their absent minded task, this time, lightly tracing the scar, gentle in her touch.

Though confusion was still evident, the act was as comforting to the English major as it had been...-was?- to Charlotte, and the pouncing and resulting position was simply further evidence that some how her girlfriend was in the body of a air headed skinny bimbo. - Undoubtedly, the situation would sink in, and among the many question that Nikki would have, would be the realization that the starlet who's body Char was in... had previously been with a man....ew....-

For now though, Nikki simply wrapped her other arm around Ciel's waste, curling her body inwards slightly so she could cradle the woman pressed against her chest, wondering if she could really dare hope, if it was possible, if it was true, that some how the young redheaded woman in her arms was actually the geeky music loving klutz she had known since summer camp.

Keeping her arm around Ciel's waist, her other hand slid from its position, lifting to brush the bright red strands of hair from green eyes that Nikki met with her own, searching the depth for.... evidence of her girlfriend.

The silence after Charlotte had spoken stretched for a long time, Nikki's eyes searching, and her breath even and slow before finally she exhaled with a laugh, the chuckle throaty.

"It is crazy... actually, crazy is a gross understatement of the unbelievability of this situation."

The words spilled from her in a rush of breath, broken by her soft laughter. She wasnt amused per-say, by the whole idea....was extremely absurd. Actually....Nikki grinned.

"Its like a bad plot line to a videogame or a sci-fi novel!"

Despite the fact her amusement and words could have been taken as a sign that the blonde didnt believe, the way her arm tighten around Ciel's tiny waist, pulling the redhead tight against her as Nikki buried her face in the thick strands of hair in a intimate gesture, said other wise, said that the masculine woman did believe.

After Charlotte finished explaining, Nikki fell silent, listening to the rumble of thunder that was starting to grow distant, as she processed what she was just told. The whole idea that someone's brain could be transplanted into another's body in such a manner was frightening. Not simply because science had gotten so far with out anyone realizing it, or even because of the morality of it. But more the case that it calls into question what makes a person.. who they are...

Groaning at the headache that continuing that thought further would cause, Nic instead pressed a light kiss to Char/Ciel's temple, forcing humor into her next words.

"Well... you did always say you wanted to be taller...... although....you could stand to gain a few pounds... your all skin and bones and lacking squishy and cushiony bits."

The English major gave a fake pout. She had really loved her girlfriend's curves, Ciel, however, as a fashion model was lacking in that department., the starlet also had no a**. Miles of legs, and no a**, it was a crying shame.

Light hearted thoughts and semi perverted jokes aside, Nikki did have a serious question. Swallowing thickly against the lump in her throat, the blonde woman sat up, arms still wrapped around the redhead's waist as she regarded Charlotte with a serious expression.

"Where does this leave us Char? As you said, legally, your Ceil, starlet and I'm... well.. I'm just a english major."

Nic huffed, blowing the hair that had fallen in front of her eyes because of Charlotte's actions, off to one side. The mention of old fashion courting, made her pout, this time for reals.

"Can't we just have a major row that leads to hot, passionate, sweaty sex like how we originally did it?"

Her words were spoken in a husky tone, recalling how intense their first time was together after that fateful fight. The blonde leaned forward, brushing her lips against Ciel's cheek, before her brain caught up with the word 'tabloids', making her wince at the idea.

"Gossip rags are what those are. Sensualist rumors dressed up as proper writing and journalism by two-bit vultures who make a quick buck by butting into someone's private life. A sham, a farce, a insult against professional writers and journalist everywhere.." Her every word oozed her disdained for tabloids, and the so called writing in the colorful cheap paper pages, her lips curling back in a sneer.

But then, when the arm that was around Ciel's waist shifted, and Nikki's hand slid downwards, coming to rest on the redhead's a**, the blonde gave a smirk. "Some of the stuff in those rags is so farfetched its amusing..... I can see the headlines now... 'Starlet and fashion princess Ciel is hot for older blonde teacher's aid... more on page six' "

The words were mocking, clearly the English major did not take tabloids seriously. Sighing, Nikki regarded Charlotte carefully, nervously biting her bottom lip before finally making up her mind. "If courting... and tabloids are something I have to deal with.... then I will. I love you too much not to Charlotte."