Let It Happen

As the blue light faded from your vision, you felt a hand brush against your own. When your vision fully cleared, you immediately felt that something was off. You were sitting down, for starters. And completely naked. And in a tree house? What was going on?

"Pete?" Tori asked from your left. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm..." You muttered. Tori was naked too, for some reason. And sitting right beside you on the wooden planks that made up the floor of the tree house. "What's going on?"

"I'm in the middle of channeling you right now. In the real world." Tori answered. "This is just a last step that happens sometimes."

"So this is normal?"

"Yep." Tori said before taking a deep breath. "It makes a special place between me and whoever or whatever I'm channeling sometimes. Maybe it's just to help our minds and everything ease in together, I don't know." She explained before her face went red. "For example, when I channel Andrea to become Anri, it's us on the bed, cuddling."

"So this is the tree house then..." You muttered. "Or something like it?"

"It's close enough. It's a more fantastical version of it. Like this one is bigger and not falling apart." Tori said as she looked around at the room. "We couldn't even stand up in the real one when we were kids, remember? And that wall was sheet metal, wasn't it?"

"Yeah..." You mumbled, remembering all the dumb fun you and Tori had when you were kids. Always hanging out in it, crying whenever rain leaked in and ruined anything you left up there. That time when Tori asked you to do "what her mom and dad did" and you shared a stupid childish kiss. Completely different from what Tori claimed what had happened. You didn't even really understand what a kiss was back then.

"Hey, uh..." Tori muttered as her hand gripped yours. "Is there anything you need to tell me? Before we become one and our minds get all mixed up. Anything at all?"

"Like what?" You asked, gripping Tori's hand back.

"Secrets. Apologies for any lies... I don't really know." Tori muttered. "Stuff that you don't want me to find out about, but that I'm going to in a few minutes."

"I can't really think of anything." You said with a shrug. "Sorry ahead of time if there is something that I'm just not thinking of."

"That's good." Tori said before gulping. "I need to tell you something though. Not even Andrea knows."

"I thought-"

"If you really try, you can hide some stuff during a channeling. It's easier to hide if you're really emotional about it, like being angry just thinking about it." Tori said as her grip tightened on your hand even more. "But I... I need to tell you."

"Is it serious?" You asked quietly as you reciprocated her grip.

"It's... I'm late." Tori said under her breath. "I don't have to spell it out, right?"

"We used protection though, it-"

"It might just be late." Tori muttered. "But... I might be." Tori said as her other hand rubbed her stomach. "Sorry if I snapped earlier about Nessa, I'm just stressed because of it."

"Tori..."

"You know, what if in twenty years, it goes through what Nessa did?" Tori asked as she leaned her head on your shoulder. "I'm so scared..."

"That won't happen. I promise." You said as your vision suddenly faded...

---

Were you crying? Why was there a wetness traveling down your cheeks? And you were giving yourself a hug? What were you supposed to even be doing? That's right. Tori channeled Peter. And you were the result. The two parts of you were so close, there were no "walls" between them, they mixed together to become someone new. You.

"I'm... Peri." You whispered as you wiped away a tear from your cheek. Deep inside of you, you just knew that was your name. There was no doubt, no struggle for your identity. You were Peri. Nothing else, and no one could change that.

"He really thought that, huh?" A voice asked as two arms draped over you. It was Andrea. And you knew exactly what she meant. Peter genuinely thought Tori was perfect the way she was. So you were Tori, at least physically. Peter didn't want to change a thing about her. That thought made your heart flutter. "What's your name?" Andrea asked quietly. "You're like Anri, right?"

"I'm Peri." You whispered.

"That's a good name." Andrea whispered before loudly exhaling. "You gonna be okay if I let go of you?"

"Could you... could you not stop yet?" You asked pitifully. Peter loved Andrea, of course. And Tori was... Tori had some conflicted feelings. Jealousy swirled together with friendship, camaraderie, rivalry, and a hint of infatuation. After all, Andrea was so kind and accepting of Tori's situation, not minding one bit about Tori's curse. If anything, Andrea thought it was convenient, being able to be with Peter without hurting Tori. All of those feelings, both Peter's and Tori's, mixed together, multiplying into one greater feeling. You loved Andrea with all your heart, truly and completely. And Andrea probably knew that you felt that way about her from her time as Anri, her feelings towards like that being comparable.

"I can do that, Peri." Andrea said with a kiss to your neck. "Can you tell me why Tori is so stressed though? She hides why, but I can still feel her stress and worry when we become Anri. Is she okay? I'm worried that-"

"She's fine now." You whispered, letting Andrea hold you tighter from behind. "They talked about it."

"You don't have to hide anything from me. Both parts of you." Andrea whispered. "I'll be there for anything and everything. Okay?"

"I know, Drea." You whispered as Andrea snaked her head around yours to put her lips onto yours...

---

"It's weird when you're like that." Elle muttered the second the TV show went to commercial. "You know what I mean?"

"I'm still half-Peter like this." You said with a smile. "Do you not like Tori?"

"No!" Elle whined as her cheeks turned bright red to match her hair. "It's just embarrassing..." She whispered.

"Oh, you mean..." You whispered before leaning right next to Elle's ear. "...All the names Peter calls you in bed? The Tori part of me won't tell." You quietly teased, making Elle go rigid. "No one else'll know. Princess."

"I really hate you sometimes, Peter." Elle hissed under her breath.

"Sure you do." You whispered before giving Elle a peck on the cheek. "You're cute when you're-"

"Don't do this shit when you look and sound like Tori!" Elle shouted suddenly. "I'm not into women!"

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks." You teased, earning a glare from Elle in response. "I'll stop, okay? I can't help it, the Peter half of me likes messing with you!"

"Of course it does..." Elle muttered. "Just... just messing with me?"

"What exactly are you asking here, Elle?"

"Can the Peter half of you shut up for a second?" Elle asked with a quivering bottom lip. "Does... Peter like me? Not just for sex, but for-" Elle asked until you stopped her with a wet, full-on kiss, making her eyes bulge out. "I TOLD-"

"That's Peter's answer." You whispered as you brushed some hair behind Elle's ear. "Actions are louder than words, you know."

"The... the show's back." Nessa muttered beside you. "It has been for a while..."

"Let's uh... yeah." Elle muttered with some rapid blinks. As you got back into normal seating position on the couch, Elle wrapped her fingers around yours, holding your hand tight as her mouth quivered again. Eventually, after a few quiet minutes, she let out a massive breath and turned to face you. "Tonight?"

"As Peter or Peri?" You asked, seeing Elle gulp.

"I don't... uh, the s-show." Elle stammered as she squeezed your hand tighter and turned back to the TV.

"Peri?" Nessa asked from the other side of you. "You're weird like that..."

"It's probably because Peter and Tori are both a bit weird, right?" You asked with a cheesy smile.

"Something like that..." Nessa muttered. You could tell she was a bit flustered, but you couldn't exactly help her with that. You were basically her older sister, after all. And that'd be all kinds of messed up. "Oh, thanks Kelly."

"No problem!" Kelly chirped as she stood up straight with that massive smile. She had delivered some fresh popcorn to Nessa and probably wanted something else to do.

"Could I get some water?" Elle croaked. "With ice?"

"Sure thing!" Kelly chirped before wandering towards the kitchen. A few moments later, she had returned with a tall glass for Elle and that smile again. "Anything else?"

"Could you make sure Andrea has a towel and clean clothes out by the shower?" You asked. "She usually forgets and has to run across the hall."

"Any special clothes? Or underwear?" Kelly asked with a flirty wink.

"Uh... t-top drawer. There's this pink set. Frilly." You muttered. "Can you-"

"I sure can!" Kelly chirped before heading upstairs.

Getting some looks from Elle and Nessa, you felt your face get hot. And then an idea hit you. Almost certainly from the part of you that was made up from Tori. With a gulp, you focused on ending the channeling. And as a warm feeling spread out from your heart to the rest of your body, you felt yourself fade away...

Later That Afternoon

"A bit early for drinking, isn't it?" The bartender asked as he filled another glass with whiskey. "Lady troubles?"

"Something like that." You grumbled. The girls were out shopping for lingerie, swimsuits, clothes, stuff like that. And with your card. Because "it's for you, isn't it?" according to Tori. Being Peri was dangerous. Your mind and hers combined came up with some expensive ideas. At the very least, they let you withdraw some cash from an ATM before ditching you for the mall.

"Wanna talk about it?" The bartender asked. "Having your heart broken isn't-"

"It's nothing like that." You sighed as you whipped out your phone and opened your banking app. Silently, you turned the screen to him. To show the flurry of purchases all within the last few minutes.

"The whiskey's on the house." The bartender muttered.

"Any chance of that for me?" A voice asked as a body filled the stool beside you. "Crazy women, right?" He asked you with a smile.

"You don't even know the half of it." You sighed back. "Peter."

"Logan." The man said with an outstretched hand. "Haven't seen you around, you-

"Lolo!" A voice chirped right before a pair of heels clacked over by the bar's entrance. "You said you were going out for lunch, and... phew. No women hiding in the restroom?" She asked, getting a head shake from the bartender in response.

"Sorry." Logan whispered to you before turning around with a massive smile. "This is Peter, and I know him from... college. We're just having a drink!"

"Really?" The woman asked with a tilt of her head. She was honestly gorgeous. An hourglass figure, bright green eyes... Logan was a lucky guy. "I'm Chloe, Lolo's... Logan's girlfriend. His only girlfriend." Logan cleared his throat loudly and repeatedly, as if Chloe had just spilled the beans about something. "Oh uh... you knew him back then?"

"Yeah!" Logan shouted as he lightly bumped his elbow against you. "He was in... Peter, what was your major again?"

"Architecture, remember?" You said, playing along. "I always bailed Logan out during those beer pong games! I'd have to carry him out sometimes!"

"Y-Yeah!" Logan said with a **** chuckle. "Frat parties and everything, you know?"

"Of... Of course I know about those!" Chloe said as her top lip trembled. "I'll be waiting outside, Lolo! Don't make me carry you back to work!"

The moment Chloe left the bar, Logan and the bartender let out a massive sigh. Turning back to the bar, Logan rubbed his forehead and slowly turned to look at you. "I love her, but she's a bit possessive. Sorry for dragging you into it."

"No problem." You muttered with a shrug. "She your wife?"

"N-Not yet." Logan stuttered. "She won't exactly let me out of her sight to look at rings."

"That's why he comes here." The bartender said with a sigh as he took out a number of pictures from behind the bar. "He wants it to be a surprise, so I do the legwork and research on his behalf."

"Usually she doesn't come in to check up on me." Logan said as he stared at the pictures of the various rings. "But I usually don't come into the deadest bar in Spiral City during the afternoon, so..."

"I don't need customers with how much you pay me..." The bartender muttered. "The rings there on the left look plain, although King Enterprises promises they're more than meets the eye. You'll have to contact her personally if you want to know more, however."

Hearing a chirp from your phone, you quickly checked your messages. An image from Elle. You didn't open it. Just in case. With a sigh, you finished your whiskey and stood up, stretching as another message came in. A video this time. Also from Elle.

"Is it important?" Logan asked. "I can give you a lift if it's an emergency."

"No, no... it's probably a naked picture." You said honestly. "Or almost naked, at least."

"What if it isn't though?" Logan asked. "And you're in an empty bar at like, 2 PM with two other guys. Go ahead and look."

"F-Fine..." You muttered. Opening up Elle's messages, you felt a tent form in your jeans. Where did she even find that schoolgirl outfit? It fit too well, honestly... and the video...

"C'mon! Strike a pose!" Tori shouted from behind the camera. Elle was wearing lingerie with opening slits on both nipples as well as down below, leaving nothing to the imagination. Easy access, you thought. "Elle!" Tori shouted again, making Elle jump.

"He likes this stuff?" Elle asked as she awkwardly tried to be sexy, failing at just about every pose. "You're sure?"

"I was in his head, he'll like it!" Tori said as Elle blew a kiss towards the camera. "I'm sending it! Ooooh, and this picture!"

"Tori don-" Elle began as the video cut off abruptly.

"Maybe turn the volume down a bit next time?" Logan muttered. "She was in your head? You wouldn't happen to work at Hideki or something, would you? I haven't seen you before though..."

"No, no... it's just like a uh... phrase." You lied. You couldn't mention channelers, just in case you became a proxy and made some domino effect, beginning with Logan and the bartender.

"Yabusa then. Or King. Or... not Shaw, right?" Logan asked. "Or were you test subjects, not employees? I'll talk to people if that's the-"

"I've never worked for any of those." You said with a gulp. "And we're not test subjects or anything. I swear it's not-"

"Listen man." Logan said as he stood up. "I work at Hideki. Chloe does too. I can... I can help get you compensation or something if they caused it. Or an attempt to fix whatever's wrong with you."

"You..." You muttered as a thought occurred. "Do you think Hideki has any cure for magic stuff? Like curses and stuff. I can't go into more detail, but..." You began as Logan raised an eyebrow.

"Stop by Hideki Labs anytime. Ask for R&D Floor 5, Dr. Zoe Hildebrand, Dr. Chloe Walker, or Logan Bower. Tell them you know about Project Inside Out too, and you'll get clearance. We'll figure something out, whatever your magic deal is." Logan offered as you started walking towards the exit...

---

"Peter?"

"Huh? What?" You asked, snapping back to attention. Andrea had stopped the car at a gas station and was giving you a look. "Sorry, I was daydreaming."

"Okay... do you need something? Soda? Bottle of water?" Andrea asked. "You're not mad, right?"

"No, just... thinking about stuff." You answered. "You all got stuff you wanted, right?"

"Yeah. Even some stuff for Kelly, seeing as how she loaned me her body." Nessa said from the backseat. "You do anything fun?"

"Just had a few drinks..." You muttered. "Met an interesting couple too." You said as Logan's last words to you echoed in your head again. You knew from your time as Peri that Tori was looking for a cure, but... maybe she wouldn't be happy that you even talked about her and Nessa's curse with someone, especially one who worked at Hideki. Even if it was brief and you avoided talking about it in depth to avoid spreading the curse. You were thinking pretty hard about, scrunching your brow together as you debated telling them about your encounter with Logan.

"You're making a dumb face." Tori said from her spot between Nessa and Elle in the backseat. "What are you thinking about?"

"N-Not tonight?!" Elle shouted, her face bright red. "Why'd you even send that stuff..."

"Maybe a little bit now... but, no. I'm just thinking about whatever." You muttered. "Let's just-"

"You can tell us whatever's on your mind, Peter." Andrea said as she placed her hand on your knee. "It doesn't matter how dumb or perverted you think it is."