"Why did you leave?" The blond women demanded, "You had her right in your hands!"

"I was about to take her," Crystal answered, "But I felt stronger magick coming that way. I did not want to risk getting harmed over a child."

"Fool," The blond women said, "she is not a mere child!"

"Why do you need her so much?" Crystal asked, watching her master pace. If it was up to her, Crystal would have killed her master. But she had something she needed. She held the key that she needed to get home to her world. Her master had promised, that once the child was in her grasp, she would use the key to open the portal so she could return home and lead her army of evil toward another dimension.

"She needs to be destroyed, right now, right here, in her state," The blond snapped, "She could ruin everything I have worked for! The stupid brat... I should have killed her when I had the chance... when she fell from that cloud in the sky...."

Crystal frowned.

Her master, *was* crazy....

"If I may ask, master, what *is* she?" Crystal asked.

She whriled on her, "She is the ultimate power... the key to getting you home, deary," Her master sneered.

Crystal's eyes widened.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Xander watched from the corner of the room. The mansion was busied with people.

Cordelia and Gunn were talking softly with one another, and he had little doubt that they were talking about the girl.

Tara and Willow were gazing at the child on the couch. As if they were looking at a prized experiement. Wesley and Giles were chatting away in large technical terms he still didn't understand.

Anya was at Giles' home, watching over Dawn.

And Deadboy... well, he was just standing there. Pensive, while staring at the girl.

"Do we know who she is?" Oz asked, coming into the room after getting rid of all the broken glass, and Wesley and Gunn had put a large canvas to cover the rooftop.

"No," Giles said, rubbing the space between his eyes.

"She looks familiar," Willow started, watching the little girl sleep.

"Does she?" Wesley started, "Maybe you know her from some where."

"Maybe." Willow said, even as Tara put her arm around her shoulders.

"All I know is that she's some kind of freak," Cordy said.

"And we're not?" Xander asked, looking at the seer, werewolf, vampire, watcher's, and witches.

"Okay, but she lit up the room! Like a freakin' lava lamp! I thought she was gonna explode." Cordy went on.

"So, we found this girl, but there's the issue of her being something that is not entirely normal. And a strange women is after her, for a purpose we have yet to know," Wesley said.

"Yep." Xander sighed.

"Is she human?" Gunn asked.

"She's human," Angel said.

No one asked how he knew.

Giles suggested that they all should get some sleep, and come back around lunch time. They all reluctantly agreed and started to move, every one busy with their own agenda and thoughts when she woke up.

"Who are you?" The little girl spoke up.

Willow watched the girl rub her big green eyes, and glance at everyone in the room. Willow could do nothing but answer her, "I'm Willow. This is Tara, that's Giles, and Wesley. That's Cordelia and Gunn and Xander. That's Oz... and over there is Angel."

The girl's brows furrowed, "You have funny names."

Willow smiled, for the first time in weeks, "Well, what's your name, then?"

The girl shifted in her spot, looking down, then back at the red headed girl, "Piggy calls me Anne. He likes that name, so I like it, too."

"Anne." Willow said, "Do you know where you are?"

Anne frowned, "I'm on a couch."

"No, silly, do you know where you are? What town?" Willow asked. She was surpised that everyone went mute. It must have been because of the girl.

"Sunnydale." She mumbled, giving her pig a hug.

"That's right." Willow said, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Anne said, climbing off the couch, "Uh, I'm hungry. Can I have something to eat now?"

"Oh, of course," Willow said, "Do you think you could run into the kitchen and get something?" She asked Tara. She nodded and went, but that strange feeling she felt ever since she saw that girl only dimmed a moment.

"Anne, do you know what happened with that women?" Giles asked, "From what I heard, she was quite peculiar."

Anne giggled, it bounced off the walls, "You're a funny old man! You talk just like that other old man!"

Giles frowned while Xander laughed.

"What other man?" Willow asked.

"He had white hair!" Anne gushed, "And kept talking like him. And--and he was sleeping in the cemetery! I saw him, and I told him he was a clown. He had black boots and a big ouchie on his eyebrow."

"Spike," Oz suggested.

"Spike?" Anne started, "Is that his name?" She giggled, "That's a funny name!"

"What do we do with her?" Cordy asked, in a voice that almost said she was tired of this girl.

Anne turned with the pig in her arms, "You're that mean old lady who made me cry!"

"Old?!" Cordelia exclaimed, "Excuse me, I am not old!"

"Could have fooled me," Anne quipped, "What, with all the make up you wear, I couldn't tell if you were trying to look like an old lady or not!"

Cordy huffed, "What does a brat like you know?"

"More than you," Anne said, "Which isn't so tough to do."

"Why you little--wait! What the hell am I doing? I'm arguing with a five year old!"

"Six!" Anne corrected.

Angel shook his head and moved towards the girl. He was surprised that she didn't back away, or cower in fear. Most children did that around him. "Anne, this is important. I need you to listen to me, alright?"

Anne nodded.

"I need you to tell me, as much about yourself as you can." Angel said, hoping she would understand, "I need to know where you came from."

Anne sniffed, "I came from a cloud."

"A cloud?" Cordelia said, incredously.

"Yes," Anne said, "A cloud. I remember falling from it with piggy. And--and--and there was this lady. She had blond hair and she looked mean. She had that werid lady chase after me, but I ran away."

"Go on," Angel incouraged.

"I'm six. And I've been looking for my mommy. I don't know where she is, but I know she's in Sunnydale and that she can tell me who I am. I--I don't know. All I can remember is mommy, and my piggy. And, and I like ice cream. And peanut butter and--and I'm hungry now. Can I

eat?"

"Of course," Angel said, picking her up into his arms and bringing her into the kitchen.

Part 6

Anne munched away at the peanut butter and raspberry jelly that blond women, Tara, had made for her. It was really yummy. She couldn't help but stuff her mouth full, then look at her, the redhead, and Angel who were watching her eat.

She tried swallowing it, but most of it stuck to the roof of her mouth. So she spoke, with her mouth full, "Can I have some milk?" Which came out a muffled, "An ave som mill?"

Willow smiled, understanding babbling from her own experience as a child, "Sure." She moved to the refrigerator, took out the milk, and poured her a glass. "There you go."

Anne smiled, "Thanks." And drank down the milk. She wiped her mouth and yawned, "That was yummy. Can we play now?"

Angel frowned, "Play...?"

"Yeah!" Anne shouted, getting to her feet with her pig, "I haven't played with people before!"

Tara frowned at the way Anne phrased her words, but shrugged it off as Willow laughed. She couldn't remember Willow being so giddy, after all that had happened with Buffy.

"Sure!" Willow said, "Y'know what? I bet you'd like to play with Xander! He's barrels of fun!"

Anne frowned, "What does that mean?"

Willow giggled, "He's fun to play with."

"Oh..." Anne said as they walked back into the living room. Those two old men who looked alike had gone. So was that witch lady, and that dark skinned man. And that guy who she liked, who reminded her of a puppy for some reason. Maybe it was because he was the smallest among the adults.

"Xander." Willow said softly, approaching him on the couch. He turned to her, dropping his Mad TV magazine. "Anne here would like to play. I'd figure you could..."

"Take the little squirt for a spin on the Xander-go-round?" Xander asked, then looked at Anne, and smiled, "Sure. Why not?"

Anne grinned sweetly, the tiny horns of mischief growing on her head.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

~Wine your body. Wriggle your belly. Dip and go down in a the new style. Wine and go up, Wine and go down.~

Xander was searching for Anne all over the mansion, and when he sat, he shrieked, then stood up again to see his old trick balloon that made sounds.

~Bubble and a Rock ca the new style around. You fe line it up, You fe wine it up. Do the Boomshackalak till the dance hall full up.~

He glanced around to see Anne giggling behind the couch.

~The Boomshackalak it a the brand new style. Wicked say it wicked Jah Jah no say it wild. Raggamuffin style fe the discipline child. Dip and go down ca it well versatile. You fe move fe your waist, move fe your back.~

Tara and Willow were reading when they saw Anne run across the garden. Xander chasing close by.

~Wine and go down do the shack-a-lak-a-lak. Get in a the groove ca you are the top notch. Bubble and a wine gal right pon the spot.~

They shrugged and started reading again, turning the page.

~The gal pon the left she truly design. Watch how she bubble and watch how she wine. Back, she front, she a move she waist line.~

Xander yawned, taking a drink of his soda, when it touched his tongue, he shouted, running around the mansion like a maniac. Inside the fireplace, Anne giggled, shoving the bottle of hot sauce away as she ran off.

~Tell a boy say that the gal say she mine. Mine she mine ca we rock it in a time. Everybody join in when she give you the sign. Wine your body. Wriggle your belly. Dip and go down in a the new style. Wine and go up, Wine and go down. ~

Willow and Tara looked up from their reading again, to Anne running in the opposite direction, Xander on her heels.

~Bubble and a Rock ca the new style around. You fe line it up, You fe wine it up. Do the Boomshackalak till the dance hall full up.~

They shrugged and turned to the next page.

~The English gal a do the BOOMSHACKALAK. The American gal a do the BOOMSHACKALAK. The Indian posse do the BOOMSHACKALAK. The Yardy gal a

do the BOOMSHACKALAK. The Japanese gal a do the BOOMSHACKALAK. And the German gal a do the BOOMSHACKALAK.~

Xander was panting when he entered the kitchen. Angel lifted a brow as he watched Xander take a sit, after rinsing his mouth out with millions of gallons of water. He caught his breath and sighed, standing. He took a step forward, then promptly fell down onto the ground. Angel frowned, looking at Xander's shoelaces that were now tied together.

~Wine your body. Wriggle your belly. Dip and go down in a the new style. Wine and go up, Wine and go down. ~

Anne popped her head from under the kitchen table, and giggled, before literally running over Xander's back and out of the kitchen.

~Bubble and a Rock ca the new style around. You fe line it up, You fe wine it up. Do the Boomshackalak till the dance hall full up.~

Angel chuckled.

~Put yours hands in a the air like you just don't care. Raggamuffin deh bout so you better be aware. The north and the south everybody everywhere. Flex out shock out ca the vibe in a the air. Bubble and a wine ca the gal a draw near. Everybody sing out when the dj say.~

Willow and Tara looked up, yet again, this time seeing Xander run across the garden, with little Anne chasing him with a large bat.

"Where did she get that?" Tara asked.

Willow shrugged.

~Wine your body. Wriggle your belly. Dip and go down in a the new style. Wine and go up, Wine and go down. Bubble and a Rock ca the new style around. You fe line it up, You fe wine it up. Do the Boomshackalak till the dance hall full.~

Part 7

Xander looked like a mad man as he entered the mansion. His clothes were disheveled and his hair was a mess. He looked as if a demon had just attacked him.

Willow frowned, "Xander... are you..."

He held up a hand, and quieted her as he walked out of the mansion, and into the entranceway. Willow frowned, even more, "Xander, what are you--"

Almost as if on cue, a bucket of water fell upon his head, drenching him in cold water. He did nothing. Not even take off the bucket that lay on his head.

Willow gasped, "Xander are you all right?"

Anne giggled as she came out of the kitchen, holding Angel's hand.

"It's not even sun set, and I'm already a wreck," Xander said.

"But you look funny!" Anne said happily.

Xander took the bucket off and gazed at Anne. Anne frowned, and held on tightly to Angel's hand as Xander stalked toward her. She bit her lower lip.

< Uh-oh! > Anne thought, < now I'm gonna get it! >

But, he surprised her by breaking out into a smile and taking her into his wet arms, "Kid, you're a natural! I was just like you at this age! Only... my tricks never worked as well... but, you did great."

Anne smiled, "Thanks Xan! I do my best! Look at me! You got me all messy!"

"Don't worry," Tara spoke up, "Anya and Cordelia went to get you some new clothes."

Xander frowned, "Wait... wait, my fiancée and my ex-girlfriend... shopping? Why doesn't that sound good?"

Willow shrugged, "Why don't we get you cleaned up?" She offered her hand, "Anya and Cordelia will be here any minute so you can change."

"Okay." Anne said, following Willow and looking back at Angel. She smiled, before skipping off to the bathroom.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Is she ready yet?" Cordy huffed as she held the blue skirt and white blouse that Anne was going to wear for the funeral.

"Almost." Willow said, just before a shriek came out of the room. "You're not suppose to be in here Xan! You're a guy!"

Willow watched as Xander was chased out by some soap and a bottle of shampoo. He ran toward the two women and sighed, "Almost."

"Whatever."

"I'm gonna go change," Xander said, leaving.

"Willow!" Anne shouted, "I'm done!"

"See?" Willow said, taking the clothes from Cordelia. She went into the bathroom and pulled the tiny girl out. Quickly, she dried her off while speaking, "You get to meet three great people, do you know that Anne? You get to meet Anya, Xander's fiancée."

"Fi..fi.. fin-cy?" Anne stuttered.

"*Fiancée*" Willow corrected, "That means he's gonna marry her one day."

"Oh..." Anne said.

"And you get to meet Dawn," Willow went on, dressing the girl, "She's a nice person. She's very sweet."

"What about the other person?" Anne asked.

Willow sighed, looking down.

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