Introduction This is a series called The Nyazian Scrolls Saga. It is basically a Harry Potteresque adventure series starring Angel's son, Connor, and his friends, Pandora Halliwell and Ron Weasley. This is not a cross- over with Harry Potter, the use of Ron's name will be explained within the fic. The series will be set up much like the Harry Potter books with each story taking place in the next year with the characters one year older. The first story is called "A Charmed Friendship." I don't know how long each story will be or how many I will write - that will probably depend upon creative inspiration and the response to the series. And before anyone yells at me: Yes, this is Willow/Angel, it just might take a while to get there, but Willow is definitely in the story and there will be a friendship/romance storyline for them. I hope that you enjoy the series. *********************************************************************** Title: The Nyazian Scrolls Saga: A Charmed Friendship Author: T. C. Rating: PG-13; same as show Pairing: Connor/Pandora/Ron friendship; Willow/Angel friendship Summary: The danger to Angel's son is starting to die down and he goes to school where he meets two interesting friends. Disclaimer: The characters of BTVS and Angel belong to Joss Whedon, 20th Century Fox, the WB, and UPN. The characters of Charmed belong to Constance M. Burge, Spelling Television Inc., and the WB. The character of Ron Weasley belongs to J.K. Rowling. Pandora Halliwell is mine. Spoilers: Season 3 of Angel, definitely up to "Dad." Season 7 of BTVS may be referred to up to "Wrecked." Season 4 of Charmed. Author's Note: Since most of this is basically my universe, I've let my new title of 'God' go to my head and I've made a few changes. First of all, this is not a Harry Potter crossover - I've just character-napped Ron Weasley. I think that he's a great friend and just what Connor would need. Because this story really has nothing to do with the Potter-verse, Ron will be different from the books, I've basically taken the name and some of the attitude. Secondly, the Halliwells now live in Los Angeles, not in San Francisco. This just makes things easier for me. Part One The janitor's closet was dark and had a faint, musty lemon smell, but it was the best place to eavesdrop on conversations taking place in Uncle Wesley's office. Connor held his breath as the voices rose in volume. He hadn't wanted to start an argument, but his Mom was one of the few people who could change his Dad's mind. "Angel, you're being stubborn!" Cordelia's voice rang loud and clear even in the closet. "Connor deserves to have a semblance of a normal life. He can't be hidden away forever." "Cordelia." Angel glanced meaningfully at the janitor's closet just outside the office's door. He could hear his son's heartbeat, but even if he couldn?t, he would have known he was there. It was his favorite hiding place - had been for the past ten years. "His life is still in danger." "There hasn't been an attempt to kidnap or kill Connor in over a year." Cordelia jumped up on Wesley's desk to sit beside Angel as he leaned against it. "Wesley and the assorted demon tutors that Lorne has sent us are fine, but they bore him. Xander, Anya, and their kids don't visit very often and besides, Brenden and Michelle are younger than Connor. He needs kids his own age to play with. We can't be his whole world." "I know. It's just that...." "You'll worry," Cordelia finished Angel's statement. She put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "So will I. So will Wesley and Gunn and Fred and even Spike. We all love him, but we can't protect him by sheltering him. If he's going to deal with...the prophecies...he needs to learn some things on his own." "I know." Angel ran a hand through his hair. He knew Cordelia was right. Connor needed to learn how to look after himself. This was the hardest thing he had ever done. "Fine. He can go to school." "I knew you would see sense eventually." Cordelia leaned over and kissed Angel's cheek. "And by 'sense' you mean 'your way'?" Angel teased. "Of course. You'll see, Angel, it will be okay. Saint Jude's Academy is a great school and it's not too far away. There's even sewer access for emergencies - not that there will be any - and, here's the best thing, who is going to look for the miracle offspring of two vampires in a Catholic school?" Cordelia jumped off the desk. She smiled a wide, encouraging grin, one she knew Angel couldn't resist. He had already consented, but she wanted him to feel good about his decision - it would cut down on the brooding time. "You've been doing your research." Angel smiled back at the woman his son called 'Mom.' Cordelia was his best friend. His confident. His unrequited love. Angel had accepted it years ago that Cordelia refused to allow her feelings for him move beyond a deep and abiding friendship. Even after raising a son together and the Powers rewarding him with a permanent soul, still Cordelia had insisted that they remain friends. She was looking for something - something he obviously couldn't provide - and Angel didn't want to lose her, so he accepted it. "Actually, it was Connor who did the research. He really wants this." Cordelia didn't know what else to say. She loved Connor and Angel so much, she couldn't stand to see either of them unhappy. Because of that, she had almost given in to Angel's flirting and started a relationship with him. Almost. It was only the fact that she knew she wasn't what Angel needed that stopped her. If they had done something stupid like get romantically involved, it would only have hurt Connor once it stopped working. Angel wasn't what she needed either. "Son," Angel called out and waited for the door to the janitor's closet to slowly swing open. Connor's dark head emerged, hope lighting his bright blue eyes. He looked a lot like his father, except for his eyes, those were Darla's. "Do you really want to do this?" At Connor's enthusiastic nod, Angel grinned. "Then I guess your Mom is going to have to take you shopping for school supplies." "And clothes." "There's a school uniform, Mom," Connor informed Cordelia with more than just a little relief. "I need to get at least two of them. And I need notebooks and pens and a ruler....I have the list upstairs in my bedroom. Can we go right now, Mom? Can we?" Without bothering to wait for his mother's nod, Connor tore upstairs, still excitedly listing off the things he would need to buy. "We better watch it, or we'll have another Willow on our hands." As soon as she realized what she said, the amused smile faded from Cordelia's lips. No one had seen Willow in eleven years, not since around the time Connor had been born, and the Sunnydale group was decidedly silent about the events surrounding the redhead's disappearance. Angel was especially bitter about the silence, he took it as guilt and blamed them for Willow running away. That and Connor's birth had been the death knell for Buffy and Angel's eternal soulmates angst. They barely spoke anymore and when they did, they ended up arguing about Willow and Connor. "That wouldn't be so bad." Angel sighed. Whenever Willow entered his thoughts, he sent up a silent prayer for her safety and he did so again. He had given up looking for her a year after she had left. Occasionally, a letter would arrive telling them she was safe and she never forgot to send cards at Christmas or on birthdays. She also seemed to know what was happening with them, because Connor was included. Angel had tried to find her by tracing the envelopes, but they were enchanted - the post office had no record of ever sending them so there was no return address. "She remembered Connor's birthday again. She sent a package early because they were busy with moving preparations." "They? So, she's not alone. Did she let anything else slip?" "No. I wish I could write her back. Then I could let her know that we don't care about whatever happened in Sunnydale and that she doesn't need our forgiveness." "And you could ask what the hell she did that was so horrible she had to leave and Buffy refuses to speak her name. I miss her." Cordelia scowled. It was a sad day in Willow Rosenberg's life when her former nemesis uttered those words and really meant them while her so-called best friends went on with their lives like Willow had never existed. When they visited, Cordelia tried to browbeat Xander into telling her what happened, but the last time he had actually started to cry and she had stopped. "I do too. I'm going to call Buffy again and maybe Xander. It's been awhile, maybe they'll finally tell me something." Angel may have given up trying to find Willow, but he hadn't stopped trying to find out what the hell happened that had made her disappear from their lives. "I got the list. Mommy, let's go." Connor dashed excitedly downstairs. He hadn't called Cordelia 'Mommy' in months, preferring to address her with a more mature 'Mom' now since he was about to turn eleven soon. "Okay." Cordelia grabbed her jacket and purse. She held out her hand for the keys to the convertible, which Angel handed over without protest. She pecked his cheek. "We'll be back in a couple of hours. Try Xander first. He still doesn't like you, but if he thinks you might be able to find Willow, he might tell you what happened." "I'm not going to look for Willow, she doesn't want to be found and, as long as she's safe, I have to respect that." "Just don't tell Xander that and he might spill. Bye, Angel." Cordelia took Connor's hand and they headed for the front door. "Bye, Cordy. Don't let her talk you into Armani pencils, Connor." "Armani doesn't make pencils." Cordelia tossed back a withering glance. Angel grinned. "If he did, you would buy them." ***** It was too soon. She was just a baby - her baby - and there was no telling what would happen if she were out on her own. She wasn't ready. Piper Halliwell turned to look at her eleven year old daughter sitting in the passenger seat of the SUV. Pandora's hazel eyes were wide with excitement as she watched the other children exiting buses or their parents' vehicles and heading into the school. Piper tapped the steering wheel and hastily swung the car into a newly opened space. Who was she kidding? Pandora was more than ready to go to a regular school. She was the one who wasn't ready. "Okay, Sweetheart, here we are." Piper gave her daughter a toothy smile. She couldn't resist reaching out to stroke her long, wavy black hair. It was so much like Pru and Paige's. "Are you scared?" "No." Pandora shook her head. "School is fun, Mom. Thanks for letting me go and for convincing the Elders that it was a good idea." "That was your father." A familiar blue and white light filled the backseat and formed into the man just mentioned. "Leo! Do you really think you should be doing that here? We don't want to call attention to Pan." "The windows are tinted and everyone is concerned about getting their kids into the school so they can get to work on time. I'm sure no one noticed. I couldn't miss my daughter's first day of school." Leo leaned forward and planted a kiss on his wife. Then he turned to his daughter and smiled. "Have fun and be careful. If there's any trouble, Pan, all you have to do is call and I'll orb in if you need me." "Dad, the Source isn't going to send demons into a Catholic school to kidnap me. You and Mom worry too much." "We love you, sweetie." Piper hugged Pandora. She wasn't as confident as her daughter that the Source wouldn't look for her here. Of course, she had been fighting evil for fifteen years and tended to see it everywhere. She had also lost way too many people she loved for her not to be worried. "Remember, no using your powers, even if you drop your pencil, and your Aunt Paige will be here to pick you up right after school." "Okay. Bye, Mom. Bye, Dad." After a quick hug and a kiss to both of her parents, Pandora hopped out of the car. She gave them both a wave before joining the throng of uniformed students entering the school. "Tell me she'll be okay, Leo." "She'll be fine and I can always orb in if she's not." Leo squeezed Piper's shoulder. "The Elders couldn't teach her everything she needs to know, she needs practical experience." "She needs friends." Piper waited until Pandora entered the school before she put the car in gear and headed home. That was the only reason why she had agreed to let Pandora out of her sight and away from the Charmed Ones and the Elders' protection - her daughter was lonely. This would be good for Pandora. She would be fine. ***** Ron Weasley was nervous and excited. He always felt this way his first day at a new school. He swiped at the bright red hair that fell into his eyes and pressed his freckled face closer to the window to get a better look at some of the other students. They were all wearing the same navy blue uniform jacket with white shirts and navy ties underneath with the boys in matching navy pants and the girls in navy plaid skirts. Ron had no idea why his mother insisted on sending him to a Catholic school since they weren't Catholic. Actually that probably was why she had sent him here, it was the last place He would look for him. "I'm sure you'll make new friends at this school too." Mac, his stepfather, tried to reassure him. He ran a hand through his wavy brown hair. "I'm sorry we had to leave New Orleans, but your mother was getting a bad feeling and you know what her bad feelings mean." "It's okay, Dad. I know why we have to move all the time." Ron's green eyes clouded. "Is Mom okay?" "She's fine. We're just a little too close to home for her and she has to deal with some memories." Mac ruffled Ron's hair. "Have a good day, son, and I'll pick you up after school." "Bye, Dad." Ron got out of the car. He slung his knapsack over his shoulder. The first day was always tough, but he always got through it. ***** Throughout his young life, Connor had been prepared for many things. His mother and father had taught him how to fight and defend himself - not that they had let him even come close to using his skills on anything other than the punching bag in the basement. His Uncle Wesley and Aunt Fred had quizzed him endlessly on the vulnerabilities of vampires and assorted demons - not that he was ever allowed to use his knowledge. The only vampires he had ever met were his Dad and Uncle Spike and the only demons were Uncle Lorne and the benign tutors he had sent to teach him his schoolwork. Now, for the first time, Connor was going to face something and the irony was that he hadn't been prepared for it at all. He stood in the doorway of the classroom and shifted uncomfortably. The other kids had all found seats and had congregated into groups to talk about their summer vacations. They had all obviously gone to school together the previous years. "Hey, if you're auditioning to be the door, you're failing miserably," a voice from behind Connor cracked. He turned around to see a boy his age with a mop of bright red hair and a pale freckled face. "Sorry." Connor stepped aside and allowed the boy to join him on the fringes of the classroom. "It's okay." The boy shook his head. "This is the worst part, finding some place to sit without disturbing or offending the social circles. I'm Ron Weasley, by the way, my family just moved to Los Angeles." "Connor Chase. This is my first day too." "Excellent! It's easier when there's more than one newbie. You just move here too?" Ron cocked his head to the side and readjusted his knapsack. He scanned the room for empty seats. He could already tell that he liked this Connor guy - kind of the strong, silent type - and it helped that he wasn't the only one without friends in this class. "No, I've lived in L. A. all my life. I had tutors." "Excuse me," a girl's voice interrupted their male bonding. "Class is about to start and you shouldn't be standing around like this. I'm Pandora Halliwell and I've been home-schooled until now as well." Pandora took a deep breath. There was no reason to be nervous. They were just boys and it's not like she was going to be friends with them. "There are three seats over there that aren't taken." Connor exchanged a glance with Ron before shrugging and following the girl with the take-charge attitude. He didn't quite know what to make of her, she kind of reminded him of his mother - she was always telling his dad and uncles what to do too. "I'm Connor Chase and this is Ron Weasley." Pandora nodded as she sat down in the seat in the front row. She looked like she was going to hold out her hand, but seemed to change her mind and ran it through her long black hair instead. Connor sat in the seat behind her and Ron took the one across from him to his left. "Good morning, class." The entrance of the teacher forestalled any more conversation between the three new classmates. The teacher was a young blonde woman who wore a long black skirt and a pink sweater. Connor was slightly surprised because he had thought his teachers would be nuns and she didn't seem to be a nun. "I'm Ms. Lana Foster and I'll be replacing Sister Frances this year since she has retired. I see we have three other new people today....Connor Chase, Ron Weasley, and Pandora Halliwell." Ms. Foster looked up as she read their names and they each nodded in turn. A soft snigger to his right drew Connor's attention. He looked over at the pretty girl with her blonde hair done up in barrettes. Her cold blue eyes were fixed on Pandora. "I hope you didn't bring a box to school with you. Your parents must be heathens, Halliwell, to give you such a ridiculous name." Pandora's spine stiffened, but she didn't turn around to acknowledge the comment. "I like it," Connor immediately defended her. "It's unusual." The blonde girl turned to him, a smile warming her eyes. "Connor Chase, right? I'm Amanda Vespy. Just a little friendly advice, you might want to think about your fondness for the unusual, it's not accepted here." "Really?" Ron's eyes bugged out and his mouth contorted into strange shapes as he put on a blatantly false display of surprise. "You mean the whole everyone-wears-the-same-thing was an attempt to make us all alike? And here I thought this school would be the right bloody place for freedom of expression!" "Children," Ms. Foster interrupted with a pointed look before Amanda could respond to Ron's sarcasm. "You can get to know each other better later, right now let's focus on the lesson." In response to the teacher's order, Connor turned to face the front. Pandora sat with her head bent over her books, writing furiously even thought the teacher wasn't really saying anything that needed to be written down. It was like she needed to keep her hands busy so that they wouldn't be doing something else. ***** When Connor arrived back at the Hyperion with Uncle Gunn after school, his Mom and Dad were waiting for him. So was a glass of milk and a plate of chocolate chip cookies. Sometimes in their efforts to give him a 'normal' life, his parents got a little dorky and cliched. "So, Connor, how was your first day of school? Are your teachers nice? Do you like your classes?" Cordelia gave him a big hug and a kiss. She would never admit it to Angel, but she had been worried sick all day. "It was fine, Mom. Ms. Foster is really nice and the classes are okay, I guess." Connor bit into a cookie. "Did you make some new friends?" Angel asked his question much more calmly than Cordelia had asked hers. She hadn't fooled him, she had paced and fidgeted all day. He had actually been surprised when he hadn't joined her in her worry. Now he knew why. His son needed this experience and had felt he was ready for it. Angel trusted Connor's judgement. A swig of cold milk washed down the cookie as Connor considered his Dad's question. He thought about Ron. He like him. Ron was funny and easy to get along with. Pandora was a bit harder to figure out. She was bossy and outspoken, yet she hadn't defended herself against Amanda's taunts. "I think so, Dad." ~~~Part Two~~~ Part Two The next day, Ron was waiting for Connor in front of the school. He had told his mother and father about his new friend, he had even mentioned Pandora, and it had seemed to make his mother feel better. She had smiled. Moving always made her feel guilty, because it made her feel like she couldn't give him a proper home. She had lived her whole life in the same town and had grown up with her friends. "Hey, Connor, ready for another day?" Ron greeted the other boy with a grin. "Ready to face the commander in chief of the Conventionality Police, otherwise known as Amanda Vespy?" "I'm not particularly looking forward to that." Connor looked around. "Have you seen Pandora?" "Nope, but I'm sure she'll be in class." Ron elbowed Connor. "Took a liking to her did you?" "No," Connor immediately protested as his face heated up. His mother had said almost the same thing the night before when he had told them about Pandora Halliwell. The last thing he needed was for people to think he liked a girl. "She was just acting weird yesterday, don't you think?" Ron shrugged. "She's a girl," he said as if that was the only explanation needed. They entered the classroom to find Pandora already sitting at her desk reading a book. "Hey, Pandora," Connor greeted her as he sat down behind her. He ignored Ron's pantomimed calf eyes and desperate clutching of his heart. "You're here early this morning." "My Mom and Aunts had some...business to take care of this morning so Dad brought me early before he went to...work." Pandora neglected to add that the reason why they arrived so early was because they had orbed into the alley behind the school. Her Mom, Aunt Phoebe, and Aunt Paige had to go vanquish a demon. She hoped they were alright. "Good morning, class." Ms. Foster breezed in and cast a smile in the general direction of the class. Pandora dutifully faced forward, pushing any worry she had for her family to the back of her mind. ***** "Phoebe, watch out!" Piper cast her hands in her sister's direction. The small blue demon with the glowing green eyes behind Phoebe exploded into blue ash and swirling green smoke. "Was that the last one?" Phoebe coughed. She looked around the parking garage, but only saw parked cars. "I think so." Paige stood up from behind the convertible she had ducked under for cover when one of the demons had flown at her. She had orbed it into oblivion before it had hit her. "What the hell were they? I thought we were tracking a Wilcate demon?" "We were." Piper dusted herself off. "I think those were the welcoming committee." "Well, I feel welcome." Paige joined her sisters. "How come this isn't getting easier? We're the Charmed Ones, we kick ass - we've proven we kick ass - why aren't they cowering and running from us?" "Because evil isn't easily intimidated." Phoebe bit her lip and tucked a stray strand of light brown hair that had escaped her braid behind her ear. She cast a wary glance at her older sister. "Maybe these demons were a distraction. The Source has sent a Wilcate after Pan before." "It can't enter the school. Wilcates can't stand on sacred ground and Saint Jude's is built on sacred ground, that's why Leo and I chose it. Pan's safe." Piper headed back to the car, her jaw set, but she couldn't stop the quaver in her voice. "Of course she is." Paige frowned at Phoebe as they followed their older sister. She then pasted on a bright smile. "So, did Pan say anything about her first day of school? She was kind of quiet when I picked her up yesterday." "I think it's different than what she expected. She likes her teacher and the schoolwork though." "She is her mother's daughter." Phoebe smiled. "Yeah." Piper grimaced. "I wish she were more like you and Prue and not so shy. She needs friends, not ridicule from her peers." "She'll meet friends, she's just being picky. That's a good thing, because being picky means you end up with really good friends." Paige glanced at her watch. "I've got to go or I'll be late for a meeting at the courthouse. Do you need me to pick Pan up again after school?" "No, Cole said he would do it," Phoebe answered for Piper. She and the eldest Halliwell walked to the black SUV recklessly parked in the middle of the lane while Paige headed to her blue sports car. "Have you seen him around the courthouse? He hasn't really said anything about his new job as a child advocate." "I'll see him at the meeting. I think he likes it." Paige got into her car. "See you later." "Or sooner if any more demons show up." Piper waved as Paige drove off. She turned to Phoebe as they got into the car. "What's going on between you and Cole?" "Nothing. We haven't really talked and I don't see very much of him lately - not since I turned down his last proposal. He's disconnecting from me, Piper. He's still depressed and angry. You would think that he had gotten used to being human by now, it's been eleven years." "I think his moods have more to do with his girlfriend rejecting his proposals of marriage for the last eleven years. He seems to have accepted his humanity just fine. He did refuse the Source's offer to give him back his demon powers." "That's because he had to kill Pan to get them back and he adores her." "He probably would like a few children of his own." Piper glanced at Phoebe, but looked away before asking her question. It had been on her mind for a few years now. At first, the idea of Phoebe being involved with a demon who had tried to kill them was unsettling, but Cole had proven that he was no longer a murdering minion for the Source. "Just out of curiosity, why did you turn him down this time?" "I don't know." Phoebe sighed and leaned her forehead against the passenger side window. She frowned at her reflection as Piper drove out of the parking garage and headed toward their club, P3. ***** The day was half over. The day was half over. Pandora repeated that mantra to herself over and over. Why had she ever wanted to go to school? The Elders could have taught her everything she would ever need to know and probably more than that if she asked, but they couldn't have given her friends. She had wanted to meet other children her own age and have fun like Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige had when they had gone to school. But that wasn't going to happen. For some reason, Amanda Vespy had taken it upon herself to make Pandora an outcast. She didn't know what she had done wrong, she had tried to be as normal as possible. She hadn't used her powers at all - not even by accident- although she had been sorely tempted. "Watch it, Heathen," Amanda turned and hissed when Pandora bumped into her in the lunch line. "I guess your parents didn't bother to teach you manners." For a second, a variety of hexes and curses she had read in the Book of Shadows flitted through Pandora's mind. Using any one of them would have been satisfying. And wrong. Pandora sighed. She looked down at the banana and apple she had set on her tray. It would have to be enough, she had a sudden desire to be alone. She wasn't that hungry anyway. Pandora walked out of the line and headed out into the courtyard. As she passed through the glass door leading outside, a small dark haired girl brushed past her on her way inside. A sudden flash of light and pain froze Pandora. A jumble of images assaulted her brain. The small girl cowering in a corner. The dusty bricks of a basement wall. Glowing blood red talons reaching toward a bent dark head. Pandora gasped and stumbled outside, not noticing when her tray slipped from her grasp and crashed to the ground. "Honestly, I don't know how she was accepted into this school. My parents were told Saint Jude's was a very prestigious, but if they had known that they let in graceless heathens....well, they would have sent me to school in Paris instead." Amanda flipped her hair over her shoulder. The girls around her tittered on cue. From behind them, Connor frowned. He had seen everything and it worried him. "Did you see what happened to Pandora?" he asked Ron to make sure he wasn't overreacting about something that might be normal behavior for adolescents. "Yeah, Amanda said something mean to Pandora and she left. Then that girl walked by her and she freaked." Ron added two dishes of green Jell-O to his tray. It joined the Twinkies and the baloney sandwich. "She's a strange one." Maybe to some, but to Connor, Pandora's behavior was all to familiar. The way she had went rigid and then twitched, losing all control of her muscles had reminded him of when his mother had a vision. "I'm going to go check on her." Connor set his tray down and headed toward the courtyard. "Guess I am too." Ron shrugged. He looked down at his tray for a moment, appraising each of the items sitting on it. Finally, he snatched up the Twinkies and the sandwich before following Connor out. They found Pandora sitting under a tree, her knees drawn up to her chest and her head in her hands. Connor crouched down beside her. Tentatively, he touched her shoulder. "Are you okay, Pandora?" "Yeah, you don't have some weird medical condition that involves seizures, do you?" Ron unwrapped a Twinkie and bit into it. He threw the wrapper onto the grass. "You shouldn't litter." Pandora raised her head. Tears stained her cheeks and she scrubbed at them with the heel of her hand. "And no, I don't have a medical condition." "Wow, you're even bossy when you're upset. What's got you so hacked off? It's not Amanda, is it? Because she's just a stuck up snob. They have them in every school." Ron bent and picked up the wrapper. He stuffed it in his pocket. "You wouldn't understand." Pandora stood up. Her face and eyes were red from crying, there wasn't much she could do about that, but she smoothed a hand over her hair to make it more presentable. "We might." Connor rose as well. "It might help if you talk to your friends." Friends. What would Pandora tell her friends? That Amanda Vespy was right? That she was weird. That she was a witch. That her mother and aunts were witches, but not just any witches, they were the Charmed Ones. That her father was a white-lighter, a guardian angel for good witches and her uncle was an ex-demon. That would go over real well. Connor and Ron would think she was nuts. They would tell everyone she was crazy and then there would be no chance at all for her to fit in. "I can't be friends with boys!" Pandora snapped instead of pouring out all of her secrets. The tears started running down her cheeks again. "That would just make me weirder." She ran off toward a side door to the school. Hopefully everyone would still be in the lunchroom and she could hide out in a girl's bathroom in peace. "There you have it, she doesn't want to be our friend." Ron shook his head. The crying figure of Pandora disappeared into the school. "That just goes to show you - you never leave green Jell-O for a girl. It's not worth it." "We can't let her go like that." Connor started following Pandora's shaky route back to the school. "She's upset." "And she's just going to go cry in the bathroom!" Ron watched Connor for a bit before throwing up his hands and running up to join him. "I guess we're her friends whether she likes it or not." ***** The dusky gloom of the hotel lobby where the offices of Angel Investigations was based was suffused with the golden light that filtered through the dark curtains or blinds covering the windows. Wesley and Cordelia sat at Wesley's desk going through old case files and updating their demon database while Angel and Gunn went through the weapons closet to make sure everything was battle ready. Fred was at the library, doing research on her doctoral thesis on the place of parallel universes in the space/time continuum. "Cordy's calmer today," Gunn commented. He ran his finger carefully along the blade of a broadsword to test its sharpness. "Has she decided the creepy-crawlies aren't going to attack Conner in the middle of math class?" "I think she was reassured when Connor talked about meeting some of the other children yesterday." Angel glanced over at Cordelia. She was typing something into the computer as Wesley read from a file. It was a bit early for them to be updating the database - they had just done it a couple of weeks ago - but Wesley had suggested it to keep Cordelia busy. Gunn leaned forward. "He tell you about the girl...Pandora Halliwell?" Gunn's teeth flashed as he grinned. Angel chuckled. "Yes. Cordelia was particularly pleased to hear about her. Although Connor was quick to tell her she wasn't his girlfriend." "I don't know, Angel-man, you might want to sit him down for a birds and bees talk." Gunn laughed at the shock and horror that crossed his friend's face. "He's only eleven." Angel swallowed hard. "It was hard enough trying to explain the circumstances of his birth, especially since we still don't have any idea how the hell that happened." Angel's dazed rambling was interrupted by the front door opening. Whoever it was, it was someone who knew Angel, because the door was opened carefully - so as to not throw a lot of light into the room. "Hello," Angel called out in greeting and stood up. "Hi, Angel." Anya Harris closed the door. She was alone, which was strange because Anya had never set foot in the Hyperion without Xander and their children. "You have to stop calling Xander about Willow. It's going to kill him." Everyone stared at Anya after she made her pronouncement. Her lip trembled and she was on the verge of tears. Angel immediately crossed over to her and guided her into one of the lobby chairs. "I haven't spoken to Xander about Willow in almost a month. She sent an early birthday present to Connor and I was thinking about her. I need to know what happened." Anya offered Angel a tremulous smile. "She never forgets Brenden and Michelle's birthdays either, although sometimes I wish she would. It hurts Xander that she's gone and he doesn't understand how she can know so much about our lives and yet she won't let us know anything about hers. Buffy thinks she's still using black magic." Angel sat down across from Anya. Gunn, Cordelia, and Wesley also found seats near them. Gunn didn't really know Willow, he had just met her that one time when she came to tell them that Buffy was dead, but he knew how her disappearance had torn up Angel and Cordelia. Even Wesley had been upset and he had also once confessed that he hadn't known the young witch that well. "Are you finally going to tell us what happened?" Cordelia asked. "Yes." Anya stared down at her clasped hands. "Xander and I would have told you ages ago, but Buffy didn't want you to know. Xander's loyal to Buffy - she's his only friend left - and I'm loyal to Xander, but it's been eleven years. We can't keep living like this. Xander can't keep living with this, if I tell you, you have to promise to stop calling him about Willow." "We won't call unless we find her," Cordelia offered the promise Anya had asked for and an additional one that she knew Angel wasn't committed to. "What did Buffy do to make Willow leave?" Angel asked quietly, partly to divert attention from Cordelia's rash promise and partly because he really wanted to know. He had always known that the reason for their silence was guilt and since Buffy was the most adamant that Willow's disappearance from their lives not be talked about, she had to be the one feeling the most guilty. "Well, as you know, Willow had some trouble with magic use - she was addicted to it - which isn't uncommon to untrained witches. After Tara left her, she found a way to turn Amy from a rat back into her human form. Amy introduced her to this dark warlock, Rack, who dealt in powerful black-market spells and he fed her addiction...." "And Willow put Dawn's life in danger," Cordelia interrupted. "We know this part. Why did Willow leave?" "Willow went cold turkey - no magic. She was doing okay and Xander was so relieved. He had been so worried about her. About a month later, Rack turned up again. He just walked right into the Magic Box. He told us that Willow was still coming to him - that she had never stopped - and we believed him. Buffy was livid. She kicked Willow out of her house and, well, no one exactly volunteered to give her a place to stay. She stayed at that crappy hotel for a few weeks and tried to convince us that Rack was lying, but we wouldn't listen to her. Then she just left. We didn't mean for her to leave town and disappear - it was supposed to be tough love. Xander broke down, he realized that Willow was telling us the truth. She had been fine that last month, a little shaky, but not wrecked like she had been when she was going to Rack. Buffy refuses to believe it though, she insists that Willow is dangerous and that we're better off with her gone. It's tearing Xander apart." "Maybe if Willow knew that, she would come back." Cordelia reached over and squeezed Anya's hand. She threw a pointed look in Angel's direction. "And then she could show Buffy that she's wrong and that she isn't evil." "Okay, fine. We'll look for her again." Angel looked at Wesley. "At least we have a bit more to go on. Why don't you see what you can find on this Rack guy, Wesley? I'll got to Lorne's and ask if he's heard of him or if he knows where we can find him." Angel stood up. Willow might not want to be found, but she would want to know if her friends were suffering because of her disappearance. And Angel couldn't bare the thought of Willow being out there thinking that she didn't deserve to be with her friends because she thought she was evil. ***** There was a bathroom here somewhere, Pandora was sure of it. She wandered further down the corridor, wiping at her eyes furiously. She couldn't go back to class looking like this, she would never hear the end of it. She reached a corner. Down one end of the hall, she could hear voices, so she turned and walked down the other. As she turned the corner, she noticed the small girl who had brushed past her earlier disappear through a door. Out of curiosity, and because she didn't want to go back where the voices were, Pandora walked over to the door. She pushed it open to reveal a set of stairs that led down to the basement. The basement. The images from Pandora's vision rushed back at her, but without the blinding pain this time. The girl was in trouble. Pandora took the steps two at a time, hoping she wasn't too late. basement was dark athat nd cluttered with old desks, crates full of books, and other things the school and church didn't use anymore. A thick layer of dust had settled on top of the objects, but the floor was pristine. Pandora heard a muffled sound and followed it. "Hello," she called out. She walked around a tower of crates. The girl was huddled in the corner with her back to Pandora. It was just like in her vision. "Are you okay?" The girl hurriedly stuffed something into a desk beside the wall and whirled around. "A little privacy would have been nice," she snapped and glared at Pandora. "What are you doing lurking around the basement? Or were you following me? Amanda is right, you are a freak." The girl stalked past Pandora and up the stairs. "Great. Just perfect," Pandora muttered to herself. "Now I'll be known as the basement lurking freak. Damn vision." Pandora frowned. She had seen the girl being attacked by a demon - or something with talons. Maybe it was just Amanda. Or maybe it wasn't going to happen until later when the girl came back for whatever it was she had hidden. Pandora stepped forward and bent down to look in the desk. A few cd's and a discman were stored in there. Rod Zombie and Marilyn Manson along with a few others that were probably prohibited in a good Catholic school girl's home. She would most likely come back for them later and that's when.... A swishing, squelching sound behind her made the hairs on the back of Pandora's neck rise and her skin prickle. A lock of her hair fell over her eyes. As she pushed it back behind her ear, it hit her. She had seen the talons reaching toward the bent head of a dark haired girl. Her head was bent. She had dark hair. It was with more than a little trepidation that Pandora turned and looked up. "Witchhh," the Silear Nathair, or Cellar Serpent, lisped with its forked tongue. It was big, it would have been over seven feet tall if it had stood up on legs instead of slithering around. Its long snake-like body had a thick hide covered in a thin layer of clear ooze instead of scales and its upper body was reared up like a cobra's. Two skinny arms with five spindly fingers that ended in sharp talons fidgeted excitedly in front of it. It's head was disturbingly humanoid in shape with big blue eyes and flapping dog-like ears. It's small mouth was lined with flat grinding teeth that it used to pulverize the bones of its victims. Cellar Serpents also fed psychically on strong emotion - its favorite being Faith and Love - so it usually dwelled in the basements of churches, temples, and other places of worship. "Witchhh." It reached out to Pandora. Pandora did the only thing she always did in a moment of panic. She dissolved into dancing points of blue light as she orbed out of the creature's reach. "Whoa, did you see that?" Ron's eyes were wide as Pandora dissipated into glowing light. "Yeah," Connor answered. "And that too." He nodded at the serpent as it turned toward their voices. "Witchhh gone." The Cellar Serpent whipped around, surprisingly fast despite its size. It's eerily human eyes flicked over Connor before resting on Ron. "Annothhher one." It slithered closer. From behind it, the blue lights reformed and Pandora appeared in the same spot she had left. Ron stumbled back in astonishment at Pandora's sudden reappearance at the same time the serpent reached out at him. The talons grazed his cheek, drawing blood. Pandora screamed, distracting the serpent and it wheeled around to confront her. Connor took the opportunity to pick up a large crate full of textbooks and he heaved it at the creature. The crate hit the back of the creature's head and broke open, burying it top portion in wood and books. The tail flailed in every direction, knocking Connor and Ron to the floor. It then swung up and crashed back down onto the floor. Both the boys rolled away in different directions, but as Ron rolled, he changed. When he stopped, in Ron's school uniform was a red roan puppy around six months old. The puppy gave a spirited bark and a brave little growl before wiggling out of the oversized shoes and pants. It attacked the thrashing tail of the serpent, biting down on it and hanging on. The tail flipped furiously above them even with the Ron/puppy attached to it, so Connor hurled himself on it as well. As they wrestled with the bottom half, the top part of the serpent broke through the books and wooden debris of the crate and made a grab for Pandora. "No!" She squeezed her eyes shut and gestured in its direction with her hands the way she had seen her mother do about a million times when fighting a demon. The ensuing silence punctuated only by quiet panting convinced Pandora that she hadn't blown any one up so she opened her eyes. Connor sat on the floor breathing hard. The Cellar Serpent was frozen in a 'U' shape, its head and tail in the air. "Where's Ron?" Pandora looked around. Connor pointed to a stack of crates. "I'm fine." Ron walked from behind the crates, tucking his shirt into his pants. "What's that?" "Silear Nathair or Cellar Serpent. It's a carnivorous snake-like demon that dwells in church basements and other places of worship because it feeds psychically off the faith of the congregation as well as...the congregation." The three eyed each other uncertainly. "It's not going to stay frozen forever." Set up against the wall a few feet from Connor was an old heavy pewter cross. He picked it up and walked over to the serpent. With one swing, he smashed its head open and it flopped to the floor. Again, the three regarded each other with suspicion. "You shouldn't have been able to do that, that cross is too heavy for an eleven year old boy to pick up and swing around. You also picked up and threw that huge crate filled with books." Pandora pointed her finger at Connor. Connor immediately pointed at Ron. "He turned into a dog." "She dissolved into little blue lights and froze the snake-thing." Ron pointed at Pandora. The three of them stood like that for a few moments. "So, who's going to go first?" The accusing fingers dropped. Connor's gaze went from Pandora to Ron. One of them did have to go first. "I'm the miracle offspring of two vampires. My vampire mother dusted herself so I could be born and ever since then assorted demon cults and all around evil guys have been trying to either convert me or kill me. My father is a vampire cursed with his soul by gypsies and he's a warrior for the Powers That Be. My Mom is his Seer. Along with my aunt and uncles, they fight evil and protect me." "My mother is a witch. She and my Aunts are the Charmed Ones, they fight evil with the Power of Three. My father is their white-lighter, a guardian angel for good witches. Mom named me after her older sister who died fighting demons and her mother - Pandora Patricia Prudence Halliwell - and by doing that she inadvertently gave me the Power of Three too, all of it, I don't share it with anyone else, and because of that the Source has been trying to kill me since the day I was born." "My mother's a witch too. She, my Dad, and I have been on run ever since I was born. We're hiding from my biological father. He wants to sacrifice me to his Dark Lords in exchange for stronger magical power." A short silence followed as they each digested the others' confessions. "Let me get this straight. Our parents are weird. Our lives are in mortal danger. And we've got to get rid of this Cellar Serpent before it starts stinking up the place." Ron grinned. "Well, someone's gotta say it and it might as well be me. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Extremely odd, but beautiful." Pandora and Connor both returned Ron's grin and they all laughed. Ron was right. How could they not be friends? Once you've hacked up and buried the body of a Silear Nathair, more commonly known as the Cellar Serpent, you really had no choice because that's what friendships are built on.

Go to... home one

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws