Original A/N: FanFiction keeps calling me back! I can blame all the awesome HoA FanFic authors out there =] This is for you.

I reeeeaaalllyyy love this show, so this was bound to happen, but I don't own House of Anubis. Or Ancient Aliens.

Updated A/N: I'm calling it destiny that I decided to revamp my writing on the 7th anniversary of starting this story. Writing is still my greatest love, and I'm glad I get to share it with all the Sibunas out there!

Dedications: The Lilac Bear (Apologies to anyone I missed. I blame my wonky email. To readers old and new, thanks for checkin' this out!

(Unmarked author's notes are original)

Nina plays Mick/Fabian plays Mara/Patricia plays Jerome/Amber plays Fabian Mick plays Patricia/Mara plays Alfie/Jerome plays Amber/Alfie plays Nina

I don't own House of Anubis.

Started: 5/25/11 revised: 5/25/18

"We only just got back this term and Mr. Winkler's forcing a project on us." Patricia scoffed.

Joy brushed it off. "I think it's a cool idea." As she said this, she held the door to the drama classroom open. Until the rest of her housemates walked in.

"Would that be because you came up with it?" Jason -who was waiting for the eight of them there at the end of classes so he could explain the project- asked his student, as he went to fetch two small ceramic bowls off his desk.

Before Joy could answer, Jerome groaned in disgust.

"Joy!" Patricia shouted angrily at her best friend.

At first, she could only shrug. She put her housemates on a guilt trip, saying: "No one missed me!" Referring to what went on the previous year. The truth was, no one forgot her, especially not Patricia.

So, reluctantly, they all agreed to the idea. Whatever it was.

"Alright." Jason said, in full-on teacher mode. Not that he ever wasn't in that mode, he just related to his students well. "To test your acting skills, Joy will act as a scorekeeper while the rest of you… try on someone else's shoes." He left his explanation at that and passed the gray bowl in Nina's direction. He told her: "Ladies first."

The American eyed the four folded slips of paper and picked the one on top. She unfolded it, a bit uneasy. "Mick."

After she read the name off, Jerome laughed, mumbling a barely audible: "So sad…" Jason nodded, though not in agreement with him. "That should be interesting." Most of the others laughed then too, but Mick didn't comment.

Fabian shifted uncomfortably. For some reason, he felt worried. If Nina was going to be acting like Mick, she'd have to study him. That was awkward, to say the least, and left Fabian somewhat jealous.

Nina passed the bowl to her roommate. Amber tossed the pieces of paper as if they were salad, and Jerome scowled at her unnecessary action. "Fabian." When she finally announced this, she sounded proud.

He could only wonder why, but all eyes were on Mara, who picked next. "Alfie." She said the boy's name in a voice as weird as he was. He took offense to this, but couldn't speak his mind.

He was drowned out by a whining groan, coming from Patricia. She eyed Jason, almost evilly. "You mean I get stuck playing the slimeball?" Her comment backfired, making a satisfied Jerome smirk. She scoffed in disgust while Jason handed Mick the other bowl, which was electric blue.

When he unfolded the paper he chose, he said nothing. He only glanced at Patricia. "Good luck." She made no attempt to hide her sarcasm.

He countered it with cockiness. "I won't need it." He passed his roommate the bowl.

Fabian sighed before taking his pick. "Mara." As he told everyone this, he felt relieved. He thought it wouldn't be much of a stretch.

Alfie picked next, looking excited. His face broke into a smile when he saw who he'd be playing, but he kept quiet, not even making eye contact with anyone.

"Well?" Jerome urged.

Alfie laughed, and answered: "I'm American."

Nina raised her eyebrows. "You don't sound it."

He gave her a look. "You don't sound like Mick."

She slipped right into a British accent as she asked: "Gimme a break, yeah?" While most of her housemates just cracked up, Mick was so pleasantly surprised he actually clapped for her.

"Brava." Jason agreed under laughs. "Brava." Then, the laughter ended, when Jerome came to a realization.

"Oh, crud!" By his tone, he was beyond annoyed. "I'm AMBER?!"

In reaction, her face turned red from laughing. "You'll never pull that off. Consider your project flunked."

"Well, if that's the case," Jason began, "you can too."

Amber blinked, oblivious. "Why?" Jason looked at Joy, telling her she could take that one.

"I'll be taking notes on everyone's performance the whole time, and in the end, we'll take our scores and average them out for one grade."

"What?" Patricia practically screamed.

"That's not fair!" Mara agreed.

Of course, Jerome chimed in then. "Yeah. Mick's a terrible actor. Mick's a terrible everything." He added this without hesitation.

"Oh, who asked you, Slimeball?"

Jerome looked at Mick crossly. "That acting-like-someone-else thing is only funny when Nina does it."

"Speaking of this… acting-like-someone-else thing, how long is it gonna go on for?" Fabian asked anyone who would listen, having to talk over his housemates' arguments.

"Two weeks." Joy replied.

"Two weeks?" Alfie echoed as if she'd spoken in some alien language. "This is gonna be torture."

"It's torture already." Jerome corrected.

Feeling annoyed, Jason spoke up. "Here's an idea, how about you try?" That shut them up quickly, and the only sounds he heard after that were hushed mumbles as the group left the room, dragging their feet.

"I don't want to be Amber." Jerome said at supper.

"You sound like her the way you're whining." Fabian pointed out.

"Mara wouldn't say that to me." Jerome replied.

Fabian looked to Joy. "Aren't we technically off the clock?"

"Technically," Joy couldn't help but mock: "we're never off the clock." Amber let out a disapproving "Aww", while Joy went on explaining. "The more you act like the person you're supposed to, the higher your score. Of course, after lights out you get a break. You don't have to try to dream like your... character."

"Good." Jerome said. "A wardrobe full of high heeled shoes? Nightmare." He shuddered, making Amber glare and Alfie chuckle.

Fabian turned his attention to Nina and her plate, which was heaping. He swallowed a laugh, since -if Nina was in character- that was the norm. The second she finished eating, she stood up.

"Goin' for a run." Nina announced, in her 'Mick voice'. Trudy smiled at how well she was able to stay in character. The others just found it bizarre. Before she left, Nina went near where Fabian was sitting and planted a small kiss right on his lips. Something still perfectly in character being that he was Mara.

Joy swallowed a pang of jealousy. There was no reason for her to be jealous of 'Mick' and 'Mara'. Patricia, however, sure looked like she was.

It was a haunting discovery for Jerome. She knows. If Alfie could see that so easily though, why wouldn't she be able to? Jerome didn't want to think about that anymore, and shut off his thoughts. Feeling more like Amber by the second.

Nina left, leaving Fabian to sit there breathless and blushing shyly. She might have been playing a role, but the affect her 'act' had on him was still the same. Thank you, probability.

When Nina got back from her run -which lasted a lot less time than she anticipated- the first thing she did after taking a shower was break character.

"I've gotta hand it to him. I don't know how Mick does it. I was all sweaty, and I'm exhausted."

Amber cringed. "You must be dizzy too if you think I wanted to know that!" She said this as she grabbed a guitar, the one she stole from Fabian's room.

Good instinct told Nina to head for the hills. Amber's playing sounded like a catfight underwater. Slipping back into that British accent of hers, Nina said: "Is it supposed to make your ears bleed?"

"I'm working on it." Amber answered calmly, as Alfie walked into the girls' room.

Nina had an apple in her hand -that seemed to almost magically appear- when he did. Amber gave him a warm smile, and Nina wasn't sure if it was part of the act or not.

She took a few bites of her apple just before Alfie spoke. "By any chance, are you writing a song for me?"

Something was even more off about the way Amber played in that moment, and Nina's apple fell right out of her hand thanks to shock. Flustered, Amber stammered. "Well, if it isn't my American girlfriend."

Nina laughed, not able to help herself, breaking character once again. "You're accent is so… spot on."

Amber crossed her arms, breaking character as well. "Yeah, and it's a complete abuse of power!"

That definitely sounded like something Fabian would say, because it had the two others confused. "What?" Alfie asked while Nina picked up her apple. She wondered if Mick would've eaten it off the floor.

Amber told Alfie: "Stop trying to seduce me with your American accent."

"He's not." Nina defended, giggling about Amber's use of the word 'seduce'. "He's acting like me." Sighing, Nina spoke under her breath. "That is something I would say." She'd been wishing Fabian would play her a song for a long time.

Joy, who'd been standing outside the room with her MP3 player recording, had heard enough of the conversation. She walked down the hall to stand outside Patricia and Mara's room, and listen in on theirs.

Mara was just coming in. "Where've you been?" Patricia asked, sounding as if she didn't much care. In answer, Mara took what she bought out of the shopping bag, and Patricia found herself looking at an Ancient Aliens box set. "Marathon?" Mara begged eagerly. Patricia raised her eyebrows in amusement.

"Sure, why not?" Mara frantically popped the first DVD in the player and sat down next to her best friend.

"And you know what the best part about this is?"

Patricia laughed harshly, and asked: "Watching you squirm at the creepy parts?"

Mara shot her a glare. "No." A smile formed on her face when she finished her thought: "While we watch we can plan our next big prank."

Patricia smiled slyly. She loved the crafty side of Mara. She didn't have to do much acting when she said: Alfie, I have never been more proud of you."

After lights out, Fabian and Nina were happy to be back to their old selves, hanging out in the attic.

Being romantic as Mick and Mara turned out to be just not the same. They both felt there was always a fight brewing.

"You know what I like about this project?" He locked eyes with her as she slipped her hand into his.

"What?"

"It's not as difficult as it seems. You and I are still a couple," Nina began, smiling. "Amber and I and Jerome and Alfie still get to be best friends-"

I hope you're right." Fabian interrupted.

Nina paused, puzzled. "What do you mean?" She asked this slowly.

"If anyone starts taking this too seriously, it could put strain on some relationships. Maybe even end them." Fabian said, trying to look at the situation logically. The way Mara would.

Anger crept into Nina's tone, and at first she barely noticed. "It's just acting."

"Not if we let it get to our heads."

"I'm not gonna let it get to my head." Nina argued.

"I didn't say you would."

"But I'm the only one taking this seriously."

"How am I not?" Fabian asked Nina, letting go of her hand.

"What've you done that's anything like what Mara would do? Did you make up a training schedule for me?" She was partially teasing, but he stood up, finding himself close to yelling.

He sounded more like Mick rather than Mara when he did. "You don't need one, you're not Mick!"

Nina realized how they both were acting, and spoke her mind: "This is ridiculous." She laughed at herself, and he laughed along with her as he looked at her lovingly again.

"How are we gonna survive these two weeks?"

Nina returned the look, standing up and taking both of his hands that time.

"The same way we made it through the mystery, Fabian: one step at a time…"

Original A/N: Thanks for reading! So happy to upload, and I'd be extra happy to get some reviews. If you guys have any ideas for how they should act like each other, or anything else about the story, let me know. Thanks again! =]