The Nyazian Scrolls Saga: A Charmed Friendship

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Part Six

Something was wrong with Connor.  Pandora knew it the moment he walked into the classroom that morning - it didn't take a psychic vision.  He shuffled in a slumped in his chair, eyes staring stormily at his desktop.  Pandora twisted in her seat to face him.  "Connor, what's wrong?"  She hoped that his parents hadn't changed their minds about him going to school and have friends.

"My aunt is dead," Connor whispered.  It was weird to suddenly miss someone he had never known personally.  All he knew about his Aunt Willow came from the stories his mother and father and sometimes his Uncle Xander told.

"I'm so sorry, Connor."  Pandora reached out and squeezed Connor's hand.

"I, uh, didn't really know her.  She was missing and my parents just found out that she died a long time ago.  They're really upset." Connor swallowed hard.  Pandora's hand covered his and her fingers curled into his palm.  It felt nice and comforting.

"Hey, no PDA's allowed, Halliwell," Amanda Vespy hissed from beside them.  Neither Pandora nor Connor had noticed when she had arrived, but she was glaring at them now.

Pandora blushed a deep red and snatched her hand away.  She turned to face front to stare at the board.  Connor wanted to say something to her, but he didn't know what to say or how to say it.  He also wanted to hurt Amanda Vespy.  Connor clenched his fists and took a few deep breaths.  His father had taught him how to control the rage that sometimes bubbled up inside of him.  It wasn't exactly the yellow-eyed fury his father displayed upon occasion, but it still needed to be controlled.

"What's going on?"  Ron slipped into his seat across from Connor.  He noted the smug look on Vespy's face and Pandora's distress and correctly surmised that the stuck-up snot had been bothering their friend again.  And Connor was pissed.  "You know, Vespy, the next time you go to one of those fancy spas you're always bragging about, ask for an attitude adjustment.  Yours is ugly."

Amanda snorted and her eyes narrowed on Ron.  "Like I care about your opinion, Weasley.  You're as much a freak as she is."  She tossed her hair over her shoulder and faced forward as Ms. Foster walked into the room.

"Good morning, children."  As Ms. Foster passed by Connor's desk, she paused.  "Are you feeling alright, Connor?"

"I'm fine, Ms. Foster."  Connor frowned as the teacher passed.  He didn't really see a reason for her concern - he had calmed down while Ron and Amanda traded insults - Pandora looked more upset than he did. The only way Ms. Foster could have known that he was upset was by listening when he told Pandora about his Aunt Willow.  But if she had overheard, she would have interfered when Amanda had insulted Pandora. That's what teachers did.  Connor looked up at Ms. Foster as she smiled sweetly at the class.  Something wasn't right.

"Now it's very important that your parents get these notices."  Connor tuned back into Ms. Foster's voice.  She was holding up an orange piece of paper.  The rest were being handed around and when they go to him, Connor took one and passed the rest back.  A parent/teacher night and it was actually at night so his father could go.  Connor hated to think what Ms. Foster and his parents would discuss, but at least it would be a distraction for his parents.

*****

Even though P3 was closed for renovations, it was still a busy place. Piper directed a few workers who were 'updating' her club with virtual video screens installed on the floors, walls, and ceiling.  With these screens she could transform her club into anything or anyplace she desired.  For re-opening night Piper desired an ancient Grecian theme. It would be fun.

"Hey, watch it!" Piper snapped as one of the screens slipped a bit in the worker's hand.  She was totally prepared to freeze him if it was necessary.  "Those things weren't gifts from the Gods."  Piper gave them a dark look and then turned her attention to her second problem. Phoebe sat at the bar staring at her laptop.  Piper approached her cautiously and eased onto the stool beside her.  "How's it going?"

"Fine."  Phoebe attempted a smile, but it fell short of her usual lighthearted grin.

"Really." Piper peered around her sister to see the screen.  "So you just don't know what to tell Hopeless Romantic about her tendency to fall for men she's knows are married?"

"Oh, no, I know what to tell her."  Phoebe studied her fingers - specifically focusing on the ringless left one.  "I just don't really care right now."

"You and Cole still aren't talking."  Piper leaned over and hugged her sister.  "Oh, Honey, why don't you take the advice you give most of your loyal readers - talk to him.  Tell him what's bothering you. We all know what's bothering him."

"I won't marry him."  Phoebe sighed and moved out of her sister's comforting embrace.  "I can't talk to him, Piper."

"Then talk to me.  Why won't you marry Cole?  And don't say it's because you're not the marrying kind.  It's been so long even Paige is the marrying kind."  Piper smiled when Phoebe laughed a bit.  But her younger sister didn't answer her question.  "Do you still love him?"

"I love him, so much that I can't let him go.  But I can't marry him either.  Every time I think about Cole and marriage, I have this image of him being evil and me being evil and...."

"Your children being evil,"  Piper finished for her.  She reached over and rubbed Phoebe's shoulder.  "Honey, those are just fears.  It doesn't mean it will happen if you marry Cole."

"I know, but I just can't take that chance."

"Children are a wonderful chance to take."

Phoebe groaned.  "Of course you would say that, Piper, Pan is a great kid.  She has great parents - a father who is a whitelighter and a mother who wouldn't know how to be tempted by evil."

"Excuse me?"  Piper waved her hand in the air.  " Hello, Wendigo and Fury remember?  Don't put me up on a goody-two shoes pedestal as an excuse."

"Those times you were possessed or infected by evil.  We both know that I have the most passive power because I was evil in my past lives."

"You're not evil in this one."  Piper hugged her sister again.  Life was so much more complicated when you had to deal with demons and evil.  She dreaded the day that Pandora was old enough for romantic entanglements.  At least she was making friends and one part of her life could be normal.  "You have to tell Cole all of this, Phoebe, or you might lose him."

"Then he'll think I don't trust him."  Phoebe straightened, wiping a few tears from her eyes.  "And he would be right.  I don't trust Cole. I don't trust myself.  How can I marry him when that's how I feel?  If I tell him that, Piper, I will lose him."

"Oh, Honey."  The front door slammed and Paige clattered down the stairs toward them before Piper could say anything else to comfort their sister.  "Hi, Paige, what brings you here?"

"Lunch."  Paige bit her lip.  She fiddled with her purse strap as she reluctantly met Phoebe's gaze.  "And to tell you that Cole's in jail."

*****

It had bugged Connor all morning.  Why would Ms. Foster eavesdrop on her students - him in particular?  Connor had been raised to listen to his instincts and so he had observed Ms. Foster closely all morning. She hadn't done anything else to raise his suspicions, but they still stuck with him.  Something wasn't right about her.

"Do either of you sense something 'wrong' about Ms. Foster?"  Conner ventured the question to his two best friends.  They were down in the basement for the lunch hour and he figured this was a good a place as any to bring the subject up.

"What do you mean?"  Ron scratched his head.  "Do you think she's a demon?"

"I don't know about a demon exactly.  She just acts weird.  Like this morning when she asked if I was okay when it was obviously Dory who was upset.  And I think she was listening when I told you about my Aunt Willow."

"Who?"  Ron's eyes widened in shock.

Connor gave him a strange look.  "Ms. Foster.  I think she was listening when I told Dory about my parents finding out that my Aunt Willow is dead, but she didn't do anything when Amanda started in on us."

"Well, I have noticed that she watches you sometimes, but she's a teacher - she watches everyone."  Pandora felt her cheeks go a bit pink.  She hoped Connor didn't think she watched him too.  "And now that I think about it, she never touches me.  I get my premonitions from physical contact, only someone who knows that I'm a witch would avoid touching me."

"And if she knows you're a witch then she probably knows about me and my parents."  Connor ran his hand through his hair making it stand up in tufts.  "Damn, my parents are going to pull me out of school so fast when I tell them."

"Why don't I tell my Aunt Phoebe your suspicions first.  She gets premonitions too and if she comes to parent/teacher night, then Ms. Foster will have to shake her hand when they're introduced."

"Okay, that sounds like a good idea.  Then I don't have to tell my parents until I'm sure.  What do you think, Ron?"

Ron had heard his friends talking, but hadn't really listened.  He was a smart boy - something he had inherited from his mother - and he had realized who Connor's parents were - his Mom had told him enough stories about them.  The only reason he hadn't said anything to Connor about their parents' mutual past was because he thought Connor knew nothing about his 'Aunt Willow.'  Now Ron had a dilemma - should he tell his best friend that his Aunt Willow was alive and well or should he stay silent and let them grieve for nothing.  He knew that his mother eventually planned on telling her friends she was back and he really didn't want to lie to his first real friends.

"Ron, are you okay?"  Pandora touched Ron's shoulder.  He was quiet, which was unusual for him.

"Yeah, I...uh..." Ron took a deep breath and looked directly at Connor.  "Your Aunt Willow isn't dead.  She's my Mom."

"What?"  Connor's face darkened.  "This better not be a joke."

"It's not.  My Mom used to tell me stories about her childhood in Sunnydale and how she and her friends used to slay vampires and demons back in highschool - you know the Harvest, Graduation, Glory.  Her best friend was Xander, Buffy was the Slayer, your Dad the vampire with a soul, and you Mom the cheerleader.  If something ever happened to her and my Dad, I was supposed to go to The Hyperion for help.  I would have said something before, but I didn't think that you knew about her."

"Aunt Willow isn't dead."

"No.  She was planning on telling your Mom and Dad she was back, but she keeps putting it off.  She's afraid they'll hate her."

"But they don't.  They were looking for her os they could ask her to come back home.  Uncle Xander isn't doing too well, the guilt's getting to him."

"Then we have to get them together," Pandora insisted.  "I'll call my Mom and tell her we decided to go to Ron's house after school instead. Then, Ron, you can call your Mom and ask her if she can pick us up and Connor can pretend that he needs something from home and she'll drive us there to pick it up."

"And then what?"  Ron wasn't sure about ambushing his mother with her friends.

"Well, then we let whatever happens happen.  Hopefully, Ron's Mom will see that Connor's parents don't hate her and she'll tell them she's still alive."

"Okay, but if she doesn't say anything, we can't tell.  It has to be her decision."  Ron waited for Pandora and Connor to nod their agreement to his condition before giving his okay for the plan.  He hoped his mother would thank him for this one day.

*****

Angel was worried about Cordelia.  She was sitting at her desk, but she wasn't reading a magazine or surfing the 'net or anything else to pass the time.  She was picking listlessly at imaginary lint on her navy blue pants.  He walked over and leaned against her desk.  "Hey."

"They'll be here soon."  Cordelia glanced at the door.  "What am I supposed to say to Xander?  You know your best friend - the one who disappeared but managed to send letters, cards, and presents for your children - well, she's really been dead for the past ten years.  Those things, that hope, that you thought came from her were really courtesy of your friendly neighborhood Dispero demon."

"There isn't a good way to tell him, Cordy.  He's going to hurt."

"He'll want to die."  Cordelia rubbed her temples with the heels of her hands.  She didn't want to do this.  She so didn't want to do this.  The front door opened and the old Sunnydale gang - minus one - was reunited.  She didn't have a choice.

"Dawn had an exam today so she stayed in Sunnydale.  She's looking after Brenden and Michelle," Buffy announced.  Giles still lived in England so there was just Buffy, Xander, Anya, and Spike standing in their lobby.  Spike settled his duster down around his shoulders, but didn't say anything - not even a smirk in Angel's direction.  There were no cheery greetings or hugs hello.  "You have news about Willow."

"Yes, we do.  Let's go sit down in the parlor."  Angel led the way into the room they had converted into a t.v./living room.  He waited for everyone to get comfortable.  Buffy and Spike took seats across the sitting area from each other.  Xander and Anya settled on the couch.  Anya sat close to her husband and clutched his arm.  Angel perched on the arm of Cordelia's chair.  "We found a really good lead and tracked Willow to a Dispero demon in Milwaukee.  Dispero demons help people to find new lives.  She had set Willow up with an identity in New York - Alexandria Potter."

The name brought a smile to Xander's face.  "Willow loved the Harry Potter books."

"Willow changed her identity again to Marina Allen.  We checked her driver's licence photo and it's her."

"Then you've found her?"  Buffy frowned at Angel and Cordelia.  "Is she still associating with demons and using black magic?  Is that what all this 'serious meeting' is all about?"

"Marina Allen - Willow - died in a car accident in 2003."  Cordelia ignored Buffy and focused on Xander.  He was shaking his head. Cordelia knew where he would go next.  "The letters and presents were sent by the Dispero demon using paper enchanted with Willow's essence."

"No, Willow isn't dead."  Xander still shook his head.  "You're wrong."

"Xander."  Buffy moved to Xander's other side and hugged him as Anya cried on his other shoulder.  "We all loved Willow...."

"Not enough or she wouldn't have left."  Xander shook off Buffy and Anya and stood up.  He paced around the room.  "I never should have turned my back on her.  She's not dead.  She's not dead."

It was too much.  Cordelia stood up and stopped Xander.  She gripped his arms.  "Xander, I'm sorry.  I wish she was alive."

"She's not dead, Cordy," Xander interrupted.  Tears glistened in his eyes, but an unwavering conviction blazed through the watery haze.  "I would know.  If Willow had died to 2003, I would have felt it and I would know she was dead.  I would know."

"Xander...."

"Hello?"  a female voice called from the lobby.  A petite blonde woman appeared hesitantly in the doorway.  "I'm Aria MacDonald.  The children wanted...."  Her pleasant smile faltered as she looked around the room.  She swallowed hard.  "I'm sorry, I've interrupted."  She started to back out of the room.

"It's okay."  Angel stepped forward.  He had never seen this woman before, but she seemed familiar.  She smelled familiar, but he couldn't place why.

"Willow."  Xander pulled away from Cordelia.  He quickly crossed over to the woman and hugged her tightly.  "Willow, I knew you weren't dead.  I knew it.  I love you."

For a split second everyone just watched in stunned silence. Cordelia's heart broke.  Poor Xander.  He was crazy with denial and grief.  "Um, Xander, this is Aria MacDonald, not Willow."  Cordelia approached them slowly.  She touched Xander's shoulder.  "Willow is dead."

"No," the word escaped Willow's lips before she realized she had spoken.  They were all here and they thought she was dead.  Xander was holding her so tightly.  He had recognized her despite the glamor. She hugged him back.  No matter what had happened, she couldn't let her friends believe she was dead.  Willow gently extracted herself from Xander's embrace and smiled at him.  "I love you too, Xander, and you're right - I'm not dead.  My true face shall you see.  This is my will, so mote it be."
 

Part Seven

The adults had gotten quiet.  Too quiet.  Connor, Ron, and Pandora crowded as close to the doorway to the parlor as they could without being seen.  They had heard the sharp gasps after Willow had spoken her spell, but nothing after that.  "I'm calling, Dad," Ron whispered. He pushed away from the wall and dug into his pocket for his phone. It was for in case of emergencies only, but Ron decided this was an emergency.  He had a nagging feeling that his Mom was going to need his Dad's support.

"Do you think we should go in there?"  Connor whispered to Pandora while Ron made his call.  Even with his enhanced hearing he couldn't hear anything - which meant nothing was being said.  He was getting a bit worried.

"Not yet," Pandora whispered back.  "We'll stay here and if they start arguing or something like that then we'll go in.  I think they're all just surprised.  They did think she was dead."

"My Dad's on his way."  Ron rejoined them.  "Have they said anything yet?"  Pandora and Connor shook their heads and the three of them settled in to wait.

*****

This was not how Willow pictured making her reappearance in her friends' lives.  She definitely hadn't wanted to confront them all at once, she had hoped for more of a one-on-one situation.  And this wasn't exactly the reaction she had expected either.  She had expected yelling, recriminations, and disappointed disgust.  Not silence.  Of course, she hadn't expected them to think she was dead.  Willow smiled shakily at Xander and was immediately enveloped in his arms again. She felt his tears wet on her neck and started to cry herself.  Xander still loved her.

It was unbelievable.  It was incredible.  Xander had been right, Willow wasn't dead.  Angel grinned, his eye catching Cordelia's.  She glowed with happiness as well.  It was amazing and wonderful.  Willow was back.

"Who are you?"  Buffy's accusing voice cut through the air of celebration.

"Buffy."  Willow released Xander.  She wiped at her tears and composed herself.  "It's me, Willow."

"Really?  You introduced yourself as Aria MacDonald not even five minutes ago.  So, who are you?"  Buffy moved with Slayer speed, grabbing Willow's wrist and yanking her away from Xander.  "Or should I ask what are you?  What kind of magic trick is this?"

"Buffy!"  Angel's hand covered hers.  This was Willow, he recognized her scent now, but he understood Buffy's suspicions.  He wouldn't let her hurt Willow though.  "Let Willow go."

"You can't believe that this is really Willow?  Honestly, Angel, you're the one who found the proof that she's dead!  First she was one person and now she's another and we're just supposed to take her word that she's really Willow.  Am I the only one who really lives in our world?"  Buffy's grasp on Willow's wrist tightened and she winced, a gasp of pain hissing from her lips.

"Hey!"  Ron yelled.  He ran into the room and pushed his way between Buffy and Willow.  "Let her go.  You leave my Mom alone."  He glared at Buffy and Angel.  Buffy dropped Willow's wrist and Angel let go of Buffy.

"It's okay, Ron, Buffy was just surprised to see me."  Willow rubbed her wrist.  She petted her son's hair.  "This is my son, Ron.  Ron these are my friends - the ones I told you about - Xander, Anya, Buffy, and Spike.  You already know Cordelia and Angel."

"Yes, he was here the other day with Connor."  Angel smiled.  Willow was Ron's mother and it made perfect sense.  Now that he saw them together, he didn't know why he hadn't seen it before.  The boy was so much like her.  Angel chose to ignore the fact that Lindsey MacDonald was apparently the boy's father - now wasn't the time.  He noticed Connor and Pandora hovering in the doorway, guilty looks on their faces.  "Weren't you three supposed to be at the Halliwell's today after school?"

"I think the children had their own plan for today."  Willow smiled back at Angel.  He seemed to be okay with everything.  He wasn't visibly angry, but then he didn't know the whole story yet.  "You brought me here on purpose, didn't you, Ron?"

"Connor and his parents thought you were dead."  Ron hung his head. "I knew you wouldn't want them to think that so...we thought you should come here and see them."

"Now that is one smart kid you got there, Little Buddy."  Xander shook hands with Ron and couldn't resist messing his hair.  "I know you just met me, but I demand to be called Uncle Xander.  Your Mom and I go way back."

"I know, you stole her Barbie."  Ron grinned at Xander - his Uncle Xander.  He couldn't believe that he was actually meeting the people from his mother's stories.

"Willow." Anya moved to Willow's side.  "I'm happy you're back.  We missed you a lot."  She impulsively hugged the girl who meant so much to her husband.  Tears prickled at her eyes.

"I'm sorry I missed your wedding."  Willow hugged Anya back.  She was a bit stunned by the affection in her hug, Anya's usual reaction to her and Xander's relationship had always been jealousy.  "Are Brenden and Michelle here too?"

Anya wiped at her tears and brightened at the mention of her children. "No, but I have pictures.  She immediately dug into her purse.

This was the way it was supposed to be.  Angel exchanged a smile with a tearful Cordelia.  Willow was back with her friends where she belonged.  He watched as she exclaimed over the pictures of Xander and Anya's kids.  He couldn't help but wonder what she had been doing all these years, who she had run from, and how Lindsey fit into the picture.  Angel had a lot of questions, but he realized now was not the time to ask them.  Willow would explain everything when she was ready and until then he would just have to wait.

"You'll have to come back to Sunnydale and visit,"  Anya gushed excitedly.  She missed the sudden wary look in Willow's eyes, but Buffy didn't.

"Willow can't come back to Sunnydale, can you?"  Buffy's eyes narrowed in suspicion.  "The Hellmouth too much of a temptation?  You obviously haven't given up using magic."

"Magic is a part of being a witch, why would Mrs. MacDonald have to give it up?  It's a part of who she is."  Pandora frowned as she tried to find an answer to her own question.  She slowly became aware that she had caught the adults' attention and she blushed furiously and ducked her head.  "Sorry, I...read that in a book.  A book about magic."

"Pandora's read a lot of books about magic.  She's really interested in those kind of things," Connor covered quickly for his friend.  He knew that his parents wouldn't hurt her just because she was a witch and he doubted that they would see her as a threat, but he wasn't so sure about her parents.  From some of the things Pandora had told them about the demons the Source had sent after her, Connor gathered that her parents wouldn't exactly trust a vampire - soul or not - or his child.  He didn't want to lose his friend.

Buffy shifted uncomfortably, as if just realizing that confronting her friend wasn't the best idea while children were present.  It really wasn't the best idea at all.  She didn't want to confront Willow.  She didn't want to see Willow.  Buffy had been more than relieved when Willow had left town because she had been afraid that she would end up having to fight her best friend and kill her...or worse, not kill her. Buffy didn't know if she could kill Willow if she was evil even to save Dawn.  That was what had scared her all those years ago.  Dawn was her sister, yes, because as the Key she needed to be protected and so those memories were given to her, but Willow was her best friend and those memories were real.  It had been a load off her mind and heart when she didn't have to make that choice.  "Books don't always give you all the information.  Magic can be dangerous in the wrong hands.  Some people shouldn't use it ever."

"And some people shouldn't make assumptions about things they know nothing about," an angry Lindsey MacDonald strode into the room.  He put a protective hand on Willow's shoulder and glared at the other adults in the room.  His harsh gaze settled on Angel and the vampire met his stare, his eyes narrowing with a hint of yellow flashing in their murky brown depths.  The tension in the room shot up to an even higher degree.

"Mac, it's okay."  Willow cast a worried glance at Angel before turning to reassure her husband.  She offered him a brave smile.  "I'm okay.  Really."

"So, Will, who's your new friend?"  Xander eyed Lindsey with best-friendly reserve.  The guy was in his good books for defending Willow, but Angel and Cordelia's less than pleasant reaction put his character in doubt.

"Oh, I'm sorry."  Willow put her hand on Lindsey's arm and faced her friends.  "Xander, Anya, Buffy...Spike, this is Lindsey MacDonald - my husband.  Lindsey, these are my friends from Sunnydale that I've told you about.  You already know Angel and Cordelia."

"Yes."  Lindsey's gaze again flickered toward Angel and Cordelia before deciding it would be better to focus on Xander.  He held out his hand.  "It's nice to finally meet you, Xander.  Willow's told me a lot of stories about her childhood and you were in every one of them." He smiled pleasantly at Anya as well, but didn't extend any such pleasantries toward the others in the room.

"Your husband?"  Buffy cut in before Xander could reply.  She raised a skeptical eyebrow.  "Is that why you haven't asked about Tara and where she is?  You do remember Tara, right?"

This was more what Willow had expected - to be verbally attacked. Although she hadn't expected her relationship with Lindsey to be questioned.  It had happened so slowly and she had needed him so much that it hadn't seemed strange when their 'marriage' had become real. Except for the fact that they had moved around the country like fugitives, they seemed like a normal family and it hadn't occurred to Willow that her friends would have reservations about her husband.  It wasn't like she had been exclusively gay her whole life.  "Yes, I remember Tara."  Willow sighed.  "And Oz."  Buffy was going to jump on every one of the inconsistencies in her life and she could already feel the pressure of a headache.  She felt Lindsey squeeze her shoulders and it helped relieve the tension inside her.

"Say, Red, why don't you have hubby dearest take the little nippers our for some ice cream?  I would do it, but I have sun issues and I must admit I'm a might curious to hear of your shenanigans," Spike spoke for the first time.  He smirked at Willow.

"No!" Lindsey and Ron objected immediately.  They both moved even closer to Willow in a concerted effort to protect her.

"I think Spike's suggestion is a good one."  Willow moved her family back a bit and lowered her voice.  "I'm fine.  It'll just be easier to explain things to them if I don't have to worry about you guys."  She glanced at her son and then at Lindsey.  Willow had been fairly honest with Ron concerning his father and how he had been conceived.  She had figured that Rack would catch up with them eventually and would delight in telling her son all the sordid details.  She just didn't want Ron exposed to the reaction of her friends to this news.  She didn't want him to ever hear someone even suggest that he was evil. She tried to convey her concern to Lindsey with her eyes and thankfully he seemed to catch on because he nodded slightly.  "I can handle this.  They're my friends."

It took a great deal of effort for Angel to repress the snarl that twitched at his lips.  It was one thing to realize that Willow was Lindsey MacDonald's wife in theory.  It was quite another to be confronted with it by having him paw at her like he owned her and glaring at her friends like she needed protection from them - from him.  Lindsey's hands wandered from Willow's shoulders to her waist. Angel wanted to rip Willow away from Evil Lawyer Boy and shove him out of his home.  And there was no way Connor was going anywhere with him. Angel wasn't even sure he was going to let Willow and Ron leave with him.

"Fred loves ice cream," Cordelia's falsely cheerful voice cut in. "Connor, why don't you go find Fred and Gunn and they can take you kids and Lindsey out for some ice cream while we talk."

"That's a great idea, Cordelia."  Willow smiled gratefully and reached up to give Lindsey a quick kiss.  Cordelia just smiled wider.  A weird pang twinged her heart.  She would never admit it, but back in the day, she had entertained a small fantasy concerning one evil Wolfram and Hart lawyer.  In it Lindsey MacDonald chose the side of good and he did it because of her.  She would have to let it go now though because he had chosen the side of good - because of Willow.

"Okay." Lindsey smiled at Willow.  "Your mother is right, Ron.  We have to let her do this herself, although I could have used a little warning."

"So could I.  We have our son to thank for that.  How did you figure this out, Ron?"

"I don't know, Mom.  First I had to eliminate all the vampires with a soul named Angel who lived in Los Angeles and well, the rest was pretty easy."  Ron ducked as his Dad took a mock swipe at him and they each gave Willow one last hug before following Connor and Pandora out of the room.

"I don't how, but he gets that from you."  Willow grinned fondly at Xander.

"The Xan-man's humor genes know no bonds." Xander shrugged.  "It's just one of those wonders of the world we all appreciate."

"So, Willow, why don't you sit down," Cordelia offered.  She glanced at Angel.  She had heard his soft growling the whole time Lindsey and Willow had been doing the family scene and he seemed calmer now.  At least the growling had stopped.

"Thanks."  Willow took a seat.  She chose one closer to the door and slightly apart from the others who had resumed their previous seats. She wasn't unaware of the significance of her choice.  She didn't feel like one of the Scooby Gang and she wasn't anymore.  "I didn't ask about Tara because I ran into her when we lived in Dallas a few years ago.  She recognized the magic of the glamor and I revealed myself.  I told her everything I'm about to tell you - I owed her that much - and I asked her not to say anything to any of you.  She was the one who encouraged me to come back - her and Mac...Lindsey.  Where do you want me to start?"

"Why was your Marina Allen identity declared dead in that car accident?"  Angel asked.

At the same time, Cordelia asked, "How did you meet Lindsey?"

"Actually, that's the same story.  Since you know about Marina Allen, you must know that I was Alexandria Potter in New York."

"A friend of ours - Lorne - knows the Dispero demon who gave you that identity," Angel explained.

Willow nodded.  "I left New York and assumed the Marina Allen identity.  I met Lindsey and his wife - Aria - in a small town in West Virginia.  She worked as a nurse for the doctor.  Lindsey worked at the garage.  They offered me a place to stay.  A few months after Ron was born, Aria got an early morning emergency call from the doctor. She grabbed the wrong purse off the counter and she was in a car accident."  Willow paused as she remembered that day and the tidal wave of guilt that went with it.  It was because of Aria MacDonald that she and Ron had been relatively safe.  "The body was burned beyond recognition, but the purse had been thrown from the car.  It had my ID.  Lindsey knew about my past - we had run into a vampire when I was pregnant and confessed to each other about how we each knew of their existence - he convinced me that it would be best if I became Aria.  If Rack was able to track me as far as the Marina Allen identity, he would think I was dead.  Lindsey and I - as Aria MacDonald - officially adopted Ron and we left town shortly after. We've been moving around ever since just in case Rack still wants Ron."

"How do you know Willow's husband, Angel?"  Buffy narrowed her eyes in his direction.  There was something off about this man Willow was shacked up with.

"He used to live in L.A.  We had business."  Angel wasn't protecting Lindsey.  He was protecting Willow.  The last thing she needed was to answer for his sins.

"So, if your husband isn't Ron's father, then who is?" Xander asked with a worried frown.  He didn't like to think about his little buddy alone in New York and turning to some strange guy for love.

That was the question Willow dreaded answering.  She wasn't going to bow her head in shame, she wasn't proud of what she had done, but she was proud of her son.  She was going to look her friends in the eye when she told them, she just needed to pick the right one.  It hurt too much to look at Xander, she would end up crying.  Buffy was too hostile and wouldn't understand at all.  Anya and Spike cared about the answer only in relation to what it would do to their loved ones and it would be a cop out to focus on one of them.  Cordelia was too remote, Willow had only spoken to her a handful of times since highschool.  Finally, Willow's gaze met Angel's.  He would understand. Because of his soul and demon and Connor.  "Rack."  She heard the gasp's of her friends but didn't take her eyes off Angel.  His expression hadn't changed.  He looked worried and compassionate.  "The last time I saw him - when I left Dawn in the waiting room - I traded my body for the magic he gave me.  I thought it was just sex that he wanted, but it wasn't.  When he came back, he isolated me from you guys.  You were all so mad and disappointed and scared that you wouldn't listen to me.  After a couple of weeks he felt that I was alienated enough to go along with his plan.  He informed me that it wasn't just magic withdrawal that was making me sick.  I was pregnant."  The room was silent as Willow paused to breathe.  She couldn't risk looking at anyone but Angel.

"What did he want to do with the baby?"  Angel's voice was quiet, but a deadly rage laced the calm.

"Offer him as a sacrifice to his Master.  He said that he could give me unimaginable power - so much that I would be able to open the Hellmouth or seal it forever.  He didn't really care what I did with my power once he had his.  I agreed to meet him that night to perform the ritual, but I left instead.  I couldn't let him kill my baby." Willow hugged her abdomen, subconsciously shielding the life had already given birth to.  "I took a bus to Milwaukee where I met up with Tanya - the Dispero demon."

There was few minutes of silence while her friends digested what Willow had told them.  She didn't say anything, waiting for one of them to ask a question or tell her to leave.  "Why didn't you come to L.A.?  I would have protected you and your baby."  Angel clenched his fists.

"I think you had enough to deal with at that time, Angel.  Connor's life was in enough danger without adding Rack to it."

"I still would have protected you," Angel insisted.  "Didn't you trust me?"

"Trust you?" Xander suddenly exploded, a little bit of the old rivalry and jealous hatred for Angel showing up again.  "What about me?  I know I'm no vampire with or without a soul or slayer with super-strength or some amped up magic man, but I would have kept you and Ron safe.  Rack would have gotten to you over my dead body."

"I know.  That's why I had to leave."  Willow smiled sadly at Xander. He was angry with her, but that was okay.  She could deal with anger. It was disappointment and disgust that she would have trouble with. "But it wasn't the only reason.  I couldn't do it.  I couldn't sit around and discuss my baby's potential evilness and whether or not we should destroy him.  I couldn't do it."

"Of course you couldn't."  Cordelia nodded in sympathy.  She remembered how difficult the round-the-table discussions and seemingly endless research sessions were before Connor was born.  The big looming question being whether they should kill Darla and her baby before it was born or not.  She glanced at Angel and knew from the grimace on his face that he was remembering too.

"So, you took the chance that your baby could evil and ran."  Buffy didn't know what to think or feel.  She was mad.  And sad.  And disgusted with herself and Willow.  And relieved that her friend was alive.  And confused by everything.  And terrified.  Being mad was the easiest to feel and express.  "You risked bringing something into this world that would kill us all?"

"If Ron had been anything other than a heathy baby, I would have handled it before it became a problem."  Willow stiffened.  The rest of them seemed to be taking things well, but that could be because of the shock of her reappearance.  What the hell was Buffy's problem? "As the Key, Dawn is a potential threat to this world and you haven't destroyed her."

"I knew it!  I knew the minute I saw you that you were after the Key's power."  Buffy jumped up.  "Why else would you suddenly reappear after all these years?  I won't let you hurt Dawn."

Buffy's advance was thwarted by Spike.  He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back.  "Red's not going to hurt Dawn.  She was just making a point."

"Great!  You're on her side too."  Buffy whirled around.  "Fine, Willow's not evil.  She's still my sweet innocent best friend and not some evil warlock's whore.  But tell me this, if she's not evil where did she get the money to disappear?  Buffy whipped back to face Willow.  She was desperate.  She was not wrong to kick Willow out of her house.  She had been unpredictable and out of control.  Her actions proved it - the Willow she had known would not sell herself for magic.  She had just been protecting her sister.  She was the Slayer and it was her job to protect the Key.  She was the Big Sister and it was her duty to make sure that Dawn was safe.  "Tell us, Willow, how did you get the money to pay this Dispero demon?  I know that your parents cut you off completely after you told them about Tara.  A new identity can't come cheap.  Or did you work out another trade deal, like the one you did with Rack?"

"Buffy."  Xander's eyes widened in shock.  He heard Angel growl and Cordelia murmur something in a soothing tone.

Willow paled.  "I can't do this anymore.  I have to go.  I have to leave.  Mac...."  She stumbled to her feet, unable to control her trembling limbs.  "Mac...."

A strong hand gripped her elbow and steadied her.  She looked up at Angel.  "You're not going to leave Los Angeles, are you?  Because I really want you to stay."

Willow shook her head.  "Ron likes it here.  I just...I have to go home.  I'm sorry, Angel.  Xander.  I'll call you guys tomorrow."

"Why?  Truth too much for you, Willow?"  Buffy wished she could shut the hell up.  She wasn't sure where these words were coming from now. Watching Willow tremble in Angel's arms made her realize that her accusations were bordering on the insane, but she couldn't stop them. For some reason she couldn't let go of this horrible anger toward her best friend.  "Answer my question."

"What does it matter, Buffy?  Trust me, I won't be setting foot in Sunnydale, so you never have to see me again."  Willow pulled herself out of Angel's grasp.  "I really will call you guys tomorrow.  Right now I'm going home to husband and my son.  Good-bye, Buffy."  She stalked out of the room and they heard the front door slam behind her.

"I gave her the money."  Spike released Buffy and stepped back.  "Red came to me and told me about the jam she was in so I coughed up the cash.  Are you ready to go home now?"

Buffy nodded numbly.  Where had it all gone wrong?  What had happened that would make Willow trust Spike more than she did her and Xander?

Part Eight

The police station was hectic cacophony of people who were desperate and scared and frustrated.  Luckily, the Halliwell sisters were well used to this atmosphere.  Piper watched as Phoebe frantically tried to catch the attention of someone who could help them.  Unfortunately their detective friend Darryl was on vacation and wouldn't be able to help them with Cole's situation.  "Excuse me!"  Phoebe waved at a desk sergeant carrying files to a filing cabinet.  "Hi, I was wondering if you could help me find my boyfriend.  He was arrested."  Phoebe caught the disdainful look the middle-aged woman sent her way and shook her head.  "He's not a lowlife or anything.  He's a lawyer.  He's just been under a lot of stress lately and he...uh, Paige, what did he do?"

"Sucker punched a judge."

"He what?"  Phoebe's eyes widened as she turned to face her sister. "Oh, God.  I won't be able to bail him out today, will I?"

"I doubt it."  The desk sergeant shoved the files in the cabinet.  She looked vaguely sympathetic as she turned to Phoebe.  "I'll go look into it though.  What's the name?"

"Cole Turner.  Thank you."

"If it's any consolation, the guy deserved it."  Paige ran a hand through her hair as she looked around the station.  She had been here before - for both her social worker and Charmed One duties - so she wasn't nervous.  She did feel bad for her sister though.  "The judge wouldn't listen to any of our evidence and was going to place the kid Cole was representing back with his abusive mother.  Apparently she's the daughter of a friend of the judge's.  If Cole hadn't belted him, I might have."

"Then you would have been the one we couldn't bail out of jail and wouldn't the demons have loved that," Piper drawled.  She gave her youngest sister a stern look to make her disapproval of such an action clear - even though she secretly agreed with it.  She led the way over to the helpful desk sergeant who was just hanging up a phone.  "How long is Cole going to be in jail?"

"Right now Mr. Turner is being held on a contempt charge, the judge hasn't filed for assault yet - which is good news.  If your boyfriend apologizes tomorrow then he can leave."

"Can I see him?"  Phoebe asked anxiously.

"Not until tomorrow morning before the hearing.  It's at ten."

"Thank you."  Phoebe turned around.  There was nothing she could do for Cole now, but they would have a lot to discuss the next morning. She couldn't believe he would do something so stupid.  She couldn't believe that she had driven him to this extreme just because she didn't want to make a decision on whether or not they should get married.  It looked like she couldn't waffle anymore.  Cole would get his answer in the morning.  Too bad she didn't know what it would be yet.

"Let's go home, honey."  Piper's comforting embrace closed around Phoebe's shoulders as she guided her sister out of the police station. "Cole will be fine."

"Yeah," Paige cut in.  She hugged Phoebe's other side.  "He used to spend time in the Underworld with demons...jail should be a walk in the park."

*****

No one said anything.  Spike's announcement hung in the air.  Most of them were shocked - Spike was hardly known for philanthropy - but Angel wasn't.  Much as Drusilla's childe annoyed him, Angel knew that Spike was a sucker for a damsel in distress.  It had been his habit to 'save'fair maidens from Angelus' fangs, but only so he could savor a kill purloined from Dru's precious Daddy.  This was different.  Angel couldn't figure out what had been in it for Spike when he had helped Willow.  He would have had nothing to gain and probably would have lost Buffy's trust.  It didn't make sense.

Despite her agreement that they should head back home, Buffy had made no move to leave.  Willow had gone to Spike for help.  Out of all of them, she had trusted Spike.  Things really had been bad between them and they obviously still were.  Buffy had always thought that they would eventually work things out - her repressed anger about being pulled out of Heaven and ambivalence toward her friends - just like they had worked things out that time she had run away after sending Angel to Hell.  Then Willow had disappeared and Buffy had squelched all her feelings about her best friend.  "Why did you help her?"

"Because I felt like it."  Spike grimaced petulantly.  He hated explaining himself, especially when he had no idea what the reason behind his actions was.  Or he knew, but didn't like the reason.  He had actually felt sorry for the little redhead and her unborn kid.  It had also felt good to put one over on a big bad in town - showed he shouldn't messed with chip or not.  "Are we going back to Sunnyhell or not?  I'm sick of looking at Peaches' furrowed brow."

"Nice seeing you too."  Angel glared at Spike's scowl.  "Look, Buffy, I don't think you should leave things with Willow like this.  I know you don't really feel that way about her and you didn't mean some of the things you said."

"Thanks, Angel, but I need some time to think and figure how I do feel and what I do want to say."  Buffy reached out and touched Angel's arm.  She wiped at the tears that had fallen down her cheek with her other hand.  "You'll look after her, right Angel?  Make sure she's safe from Rack and won't disappear again?"

"Of course."  Angel pulled Buffy into a comforting hug.  Willow would safe, but it wasn't Rack he was worried about.  In his mind Angel saw Lindsey MacDonald as the biggest threat to his friend's safety. Wolfram and Hart's former golden boy had insinuated himself into Willow's life impeccably.  She trusted him with her son and her love so much that she had returned to the place she had ran from.  Angel knew that Willow had wanted to make a stable life for Ron, but he wasn't too sure about Lindsey's motives for moving back to Los Angeles.

"Dad!  Mom!"  Connor yelled and they could hear the front door banging closed.  "Hey, Dad, Ron's Mom met us at the ice cream place so Uncle Gunn took Dory home."  He appeared in the doorway and immediately stopped talking when he noticed his Dad hugging Buffy.  "I thought it would okay to come back."

Angel had felt Buffy stiffen in his arms at the sound of Connor's voice.  He released her and smiled at his son.  "It's fine.  How was school?  Aside from the plot to reunite your parents with their old friend?"

"They gave us these."  Connor handed Angel the orange flyer.  He gave Buffy a wary glance.  He had always been aware of her distaste for him and knew that it had something to do with his vampire mother because she was a slayer and all, but it still made him uncomfortable.  "It's a parent/teacher night."

"Oh, I've been waiting for this."  Cordelia snatched the paper from Angel's hand.  "We get to meet your teachers and the other parents... look, Angel, it's after sunset so you don't even have to use the sewers."  She hugged Connor.  "Honey, I'm so proud of you."

"Mom, you haven't even talked to my teachers yet."

"I know, but I know I'll be proud.  At least it's next week so we have a few days to prepare.  I have to go shopping for a new outfit and get my hair done.  Angel, we'll have to get something decent for you too. We don't want to embarrass our son."

"You mean you don't want me to embarrass you." Angel took the flyer back from Cordelia so that he could read it.  He felt a swell of pride.  He was actually going to his son's parent/teacher night.  It was incredible.

During Cordelia's rattling speech and Angel and Connor's comments, both Buffy and Xander blanched.  Neither of them were entirely comfortable with the family Angel and Cordelia had formed with Connor even though they had all moved on from their intense first loves. Xander cleared his throat.  "We should go."  He stood up and helped Anya to her feet.  "Thanks for finding Willow and for looking out for her."

"You're welcome."  Angel shook hands with Xander.  "We, uh, have a lot of rooms here if you ever want to stay over when you come to visit Willow."

"Thanks, man.  Bye, Cordy."

"Bye, Xander."  Cordy smiled.  She waited until the Sunnydale group had said their good-byes and had left before she squealed and hugged Angel and Connor to her.  "This is great!  Willow is back and you and her son are friends.  Oh, I should call her and maybe we can go shopping together."

Angel and Connor exchanged a grin as Cordelia waltzed out of the room. It was obvious that she didn't share Angel's reservations about Lindsey.  That bothered Angel.  He had hoped that he could make watching Lindsey an Angel Investigations case - like looking for Willow had been - but it looked like it would have to be more personal.

*****

When the Halliwell sisters returned home from the police station it was to find a rusted out truck parked in front of their house and Gunn and Pandora sitting on the front steps playing Jacks.  They were quite involved in the game, not immediately noticing that they had spectators.  "Hi, honey.  I take it that your father isn't home." Piper finally drew their attention from the game.  Gunn caught the little rubber ball after its first bounce and stood up.

"Hi, Mom."  Pandora smiled at her mother and aunts.  She was well aware of the rule about not inviting strangers into the house and had been glad when Gunn hadn't said anything when she had sat down on the front step.  "No one was home so Gunn stayed with me and taught me how to play this new game.  It's called 'Jacks' and it's fun."

"That's nice.  It's actually an old game, your Aunt Prue taught me how to play when I was a little girl."  Piper smiled and held out her hand to the younger man.  She had heard of Gunn from her daughter and Paige.  "It's nice to meet you.  I'm Piper Halliwell, Pan's mother. This is my sister, Phoebe, and you've already met Paige."

Gunn shook Piper's hand.  "Nice to meet you too.  I'm Charles Gunn, Connor's uncle."  He looked over her shoulder at Paige.  Damn, but she was one fine woman.

"Thank you for staying with Pan."  Piper and Phoebe exchanged an amused glance.  "Pan, why don't we go inside and start dinner."  She unlocked the front door and ushered her daughter through it.

"It's nice to put a face to the, uh, rather lengthy description." Phoebe breezed by Gunn, throwing a smirk over her shoulder at Paige.

Paige glared at her sister's back for a moment, but it turned into a smile as soon as the front door closed.  He was as hot as she remembered - even without the axe.  "So, you do have a first name."

"Yeah, but I prefer Gunn."  Gunn grinned.  He had to hand it to Connor, his little girl friend had some good genes going for her.  She was going to be a knockout when she grew up judging from her mother and aunts.

"I'm still Paige."  Paige stepped up beside Gunn.  She leaned against the side of the door and casually crossed her arms under her chest. It was great that both her sisters were taken, because now she had could have this guy all to herself.  "So, Gunn, what exactly do you do?"

"I'm an investigator for Angel Investigations. We investigate...stuff."  Now that was lame.  Gunn groaned to himself. He was spending way too much time with Angel and Wesley.  He was losing his smoothness with the ladies.  "And we help people.  So, what do you do?"

"I help people too.  I'm a social worker."  Paige leaned forward.  "My sister, Piper, owns a club, P3.  Maybe you would like to stop in sometime.  We're usually around there late at night on the weekends."

"Sure.  I work nights, but I'll make sure to check it out."  Gunn glanced at his watched and cursed Wesley's love for weekly 'team meetings.'  "I should probably go now.  We have a business meeting."

"Okay.  I'll see you around then."  Paige sighed as he headed back to his truck.  She should have just asked him out instead of playing it cool with the vague invite to the club.  She hissed in pain as her foot stepped on something sharp.  The Jacks.  She bent down and scooped them into the maroon velvet pouch beside them.  She ran to catch up with Gunn.  "Hey, wait, you forgot your Jacks."

"Thanks."  Gunn reached out the driver's side window and took the pouch from Paige.  "They were my sister's."

"Then you don't want to lose them.  I borrowed a pair of Phoebe's boots once and lost them and I never hear the end of it."  Paige smiled brightly.  Gunn didn't return it.

"I have to go.  See ya."  He distractedly put the truck in gear and drove off.

"Bye."  Paige waved a bit and then turned back to the house.  What had she said that had upset him so much?  She closed the front door behind her, still racking her brains for something offensive or insensitive that she could have said.  She stopped when she notice Pandora sitting on the stairs.  "Hey, Pan, is something wrong?"

Pandora sighed.  She dreaded telling her aunts, because she knew they would insist on telling her mother and father, but she needed their help.  It had worked out for Connor and Ron when their parents had discovered that their child's friend was of supernatural origin.  And the more she thought about it, the more Ms. Foster's behavior bothered her.  She didn't want Connor to be in danger just because she was afraid of telling her family about her friends and their families' abilities.  "Mom is making dinner.  I have to talk to you and Aunt Phoebe."

"Okay."  Paige frowned.  This sounded serious.  She followed Pandora upstairs to Phoebe's room.

"Aunt Phoebe."  Pandora knocked on her aunt's bedroom door.  "I need to talk to you."

"Okay, honey, come in."  Phoebe was sitting at her desk.  She turned and raised an eyebrow at Paige who shrugged in response.  Paige sat down at the window seat while Pandora settled herself on the bed after firmly closing the door.

Now that she had her aunts alone, Pandora didn't know ho to start - at least not in a way that wouldn't alarm them.  There really wasn't any way to tell the story that wouldn't upset or worry them, so she opted to say it fast.  "Connor's Dad is a vampire.  A good vampire with a soul - he was cursed by Gypsies.  He helps people.  His birth mother was a vampire too - only not so good because she didn't have a soul, but she did sacrifice herself to give birth to Connor so she wasn't so bad.  His mother - Ms. Chase who raised him - is part demon because she gets these visions that direct her and Connor's Dad to the people who need help.  She used to be human, but the visions would have killed her so she became part demon so she could help Connor's Dad earn his redemption.  Connor isn't a vampire, but he is superstrong and he can hear and see things better than an average person." Pandora took a deep breath, but quickly went on before her aunts could say anything.  "Ron's Mom is a witch - like us - and his biological father is an evil warlock.  They're on the run from him because he wanted to sacrifice Ron when he was just a baby to gain more power. Ron's Stepdad used to work for an evil law firm called Wolfram and Hart, but he's good now too because he didn't like being evil and he loves Ron's Mom, but I don't think Connor's Dad entirely believes that - he knew Ron's Stepdad when he worked for Wolfram and Hart.  Connor's Mom and Dad also know Ron's Mom from when they all lived in Sunnydale years and years ago when Ron's Mom and Connor's Mom were teenagers. Sunnydale sits on top of a Hellmouth and they were all friends with the Slayer.  They all thought that Ron's Mom was dead because she had run away before Ron was born and was hiding from Ron's biological father - the evil warlock - but now they know she's alive."  Another deep breath.  "And for years demons, vampires, and Wolfram and Hart have been trying to kidnap or kill Connor and we think that our teacher is evil.  She might want to hurt Connor, but she never touches me so I can't get a vision.  We want you to shake her hand at the parent/teacher night, Aunt Phoebe, so you can get a vision.  I really like school and I don't want to leave especially because Connor and Ron are my best friends."

There was a few minutes of silence as Phoebe and Paige digested the font of information their niece had imparted.  "Wow, when you say you have to talk, you really do spill, mutchkin."  Paige shook her head. A sudden thought occurred to her.  "Does Gunn know about Connor's Dad."

"Yeah, he fights vampires and demons with him.  Connor said that a long time ago, his Uncle Gunn's sister was made into a vampire and he had to stake her."  Pandora threw a worried glance at her Aunt Phoebe. She was really quiet.

It made sense now.  Gunn had obviously been thinking about his sister and of course, she had to say something dumb.  Paige could have smacked herself, but hopefully he would accept her apology.  She looked at Phoebe.  She hadn't said anything yet.

"We have to tell Piper and Leo."  Phoebe moved to sit beside Pandora. "It's a good plan to have me scope out your teacher, but your Mom and Dad need to know about any possible danger that you could be in.  Aunt Paige and I will check out the Book of Shadows to see if it has any information about vampires with souls so we can reassure them about Connor's parents."

"Maybe it knows a little something about this Wolfram and Hart law firm too.  I think I remember the name from around the court room." Paige sat down on Pandora's other side.  She gave her niece a reassuring hug.  "It'll be okay, Pan.  Don't get me wrong, Piper's initial blow up is going to be legendary, but I'm sure she'll calm down and see reason.  Eventually."

Paige and Phoebe exchanged doubtful looks over Pandora's head. Neither of them held out much hope for the niece's return to school. They knew that their sister was incredibly protective of her daughter and it would be a miracle if Pan was ever let out of the house again.

*****

The air in Lilah's office crackled with dark demon energy.  She shifted uncomfortably in her expensive leather chair.  As the head of Special Projects, she had the abhorrent task of actually speaking to one or all of the Senior Partners.  Lucky for her today it was just one - the energy was only a fraction of what it would have been if this was a conference call.  Lilah leaned in a bit closer to the speaker phone and forced her voice to be cheerful and confident. "Everything is set.  Angel has received the parent/teacher notice and as proud parents I'm sure that he and his Seer won't miss it.  The teacher golem will keep them busy while a team is dispatched to The Hyperion to retrieve the boy.  By this time next week Wolfram and Hart will have acquired the most coveted prize in all demon circles."

"Not if the Seer gets a vision."  The guttural, hissing voice didn't exactly issue from the speaker.  Its sibilant tones emanated from the disturbing presence in the office and seemed to whisper up Lilah's spine and invade her mind.

"Th..that's been taken care of."  Lilah shivered involuntarily, but collected herself quickly.  "We've hired another psychic hacker who has placed a psychic block on Ms. Chase.  He's allowing some of her visions to filter through - so none of them will get suspicious - but she won't receive anything that has to do with Connor."  Lilah allowed herself a smirk of satisfaction.  She was good at her job.  "What about the girl?  I'm sure the Source would be forever in our debt if we handed him the future of the Charmed Ones."

"Are you prepared to take the girl?  She is powerful for one so young."  The doubt expressed by the Senior Partner rankled Lilah.  It also set off a nervous alarm bell so she said nothing in response. Instead she waited for further instruction.  "We are more interested in Lindsey MacDonald.  Have you made any progress?"

"Lindsey made it very clear that he wants nothing to do with Wolfram and Hart.  He threatened to give Angel the last scroll if I ever made a move in his or his family's direction."  Lilah swallowed her bitter jealousy toward her former rival, but couldn't help asking, "Why would you want a convictionless traitor like Lindsey MacDonald back at the firm?"

"Because, Ms. Morgan, where you have failed in the past, Lindsey MacDonald would have succeeded.  Get him back."  The demon energy dissipated and the phone emitted a dull dial tone until Lilah shut it off with an angry jab of her finger.  How the hell was she going to convince Lindsey to come back to Wolfram and Hart.  He had threatened to kill her.  Why would she even try when the Senior Partners obviously planned on handing him her job.  Lilah chuckled hollowly. She was doing all the work and all Lindsey had to do was walk through the front doors and he would get all the credit.

Unless of course this operation went smoothly.  Once she had Angel's brat securely locked away in one of the sub-levels, it might change the Senior Partners' minds.  Although it would probably help even more if she had the recommendation of the Source of All Evil.  Which she would surely get by giving him the Charmed little witch herself. Lilah smiled.  Yes, she would be prepared to take the girl that night too and then Lindsey wouldn't stand a chance of being the golden boy again.

*****

It wasn't stalking.  Angel was merely following a good friend to protect her from a danger she refused to recognize.  That's all it was - concern for Willow and her son's safety.  Buffy had asked him to keep them safe and that was what he was doing.  And that's exactly what he would tell Willow and Cordelia if they ever found out what he was up to.  It was obvious that Lindsey wasn't responsible enough for the job.  They were walking through the park.  At night.

"Mom, Dad, race you home!" Ron yelled and took off ahead of his parents.

"Ron, come back."  Willow went to sprint after her son, but Lindsey caught her around the waist and whirled her into his arms.

"Relax, Willow, he's fine."  Lindsey smiled and pulled Willow closer. "We can see the house from here and he has his own key.  We're not running anymore."  As if to make his point.  Ron opened the front door of the house and disappeared inside.  The interior lights blazed through the windows.

"I know.  That's why I'm worried."  Willow sighed and cuddled closer. "Rack can find us at any time and Wolfram and Hart could come after you.  I don't know what I would do if I lost you, Mac."

"You're not going to lose me."  Lindsey pressed a kiss to Willow's temple and tilted her chin up so he could look into her eyes.  "I warned Lilah that if she hurt you or Ron I would give Angel the last scroll.  She can't risk that, it would destroy Wolfram and Hart."

"What about you?"  Concern reflected clearly in Willow's features.

"I'm not going to leave you, Willow, I promise.  I love you."  Lindsey leaned down and kissed her.

It was too much.  Angel melted further into the shadows and made his way to Willow's house to check on Ron.  Angle just couldn't believe that Lindsey's feelings were sincere.  If they were, then why wasn't he handing over this 'last scroll' that Lilah was so afraid of?  With it, it sounded like Angel could get rid of Wolfram and Hart once and for all.  If Lindsey really had Willow's best interest at heart, that's what he would want.  No, Lindsey couldn't be trusted - had flipped back to Wolfram and Hart's side too many times for Angel to leave Willow and Ron's safety in his hands.

Part Nine

It was a beautiful California day - too beautiful to waste by sitting inside and moping.  Ron was in school and Lindsey was meeting with his agent.  Willow hadn't enjoyed a California day in years so she decided to go for a walk.  She walked through the park that was close to their house and watched the younger children play under the eagle eyes of their mothers and babysitters.  It was nice to finally have a permanent home and friends.  She and Cordelia had gone shopping a few times and she and Ron had stopped by the Hyperion to visit with her, Angel, and Connor without Lindsey.  She had spoken to Xander on the phone every night since their impromptu reunion and he and Anya would be bringing their kids to L. A. for a visit the next weekend.  Things were going great with two exceptions - she hadn't talked to Buffy again and she hadn't heard from Dawn at all.  Willow sighed.  Now she was moping in the sunshine.  She turned back toward home.  If anything she could get some work done on a neural net security program she was working on.  It was for more unconventional businesses and incorporated several spells to protect a user from psychic hackers or demons that would use the net to possess people.  She hoped to test it out at Angel Investigations, but hadn't asked yet.

"Willow!" a happy, excited female voice yelled as Willow neared her house.  Sitting on her front step was Buffy and a lovely young woman who could only be Dawn.  The fourteen year old girl in Willow's memory suddenly became a twenty-five year old woman in seconds.  "Willow!" Dawn called again.  She stood up and waved before running down the walk and engulfing Willow in a hard hug.  "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too, Dawnie."  Willow hugged her back.  She looked over Dawn's shoulder at Buffy.  She wasn't wearing her wary Slayer look, but rather simply a guarded, closed expression that showed very little emotion.  Willow wasn't certain why Buffy had turned up on her doorstep after she had made it clear that she was disgusted by her and her son and didn't trust her.  Willow stepped away from Dawn.  "I'm so sorry for what I did to you and I'm sorry if you spent all these years afraid of me.  I was young and stupid and in way over my head, but I've learned how to control myself and my magic.  I don't want to hurt you."

"Then don't leave again."  Dawn smiled brilliantly.  She wiped at her tears.  "I'm sorry you felt like you had to leave in the first place. I wasn't really mad at you, not really.  Don't do it again, okay?"

"Okay."  Willow felt tears prickle at her eyes and blinked them back. She hugged Dawn again.  "You're all grown up."

"Yeah.  I'm getting married."  Dawn broke the embrace this time to show Willow her engagement ring.  "I can't wait to meet your husband and son and for you to meet Andy.  We'll have to come back to the city and have lunch some time.  Right now I have to go meet Andy's mother and talk wedding plans."  Another quick hug and then Dawn sprinted to her car.  "Bye, Willow.  Buffy, I'll pick you up in a couple of hours."  She drove off with a wave much to her older sister's apparent shock.

An uncomfortable silence settled between the former best friends. Willow stepped up to her front door to unlock it as Buffy stood up awkwardly.  "Shouldn't you have gone with her to help plan the wedding?"  Willow stepped into her house.  She didn't invite Buffy in nor did she close the door.

"I was supposed to, but I guess Dawn had other plans."  Buffy stood on the front step.  She still didn't know what to say to Willow and could curse her younger sister for interfering.  "I'm sorry you felt you had to leave too.  No matter what was going on, I would have protected you and your son."

"I wasn't so sure about that, Buffy.  Maybe I would have been if my friends had believed in me in the first place."  Willow felt sour bitterness rise up in the back of her throat with her words.  Her fists clenched.  She wasn't a shy, uncertain girl eager to please anymore.  "One mistake.  I made one mistake and you wrote me off as evil.  You gave Faith more chances than that."

"It was more than once."  Buffy hung her head.  She didn't want to do this.  It would be so much easier to not do this.  "I was in Heaven. Heaven, Willow.  I had done my duty and I was at peace.  You pulled me back into this mess because you were scared."

"I was afraid you were in Hell.  You jumped into that vortex without telling any of us what you were going to do.  We didn't have time to research.  All we knew was that Glory was a Hell Goddess and that was her ride home.  I'm sorry, Buffy, I'm sorry I took you out of Heaven, but I didn't know!"

"I know.  It's just...I had finally fulfilled my duty as the Slayer. I thought that maybe I would be given a normal life as a reward, but I didn't get that chance because I had to claw my way out of my own grave.  A part of me hated you for that and an even bigger part of me hated myself for feeling that way.  When Rack said you were addicted to black magic and turning evil, it justified my feelings and I didn't hate myself so much anymore."

"I'm so glad for you."  Willow glared.  She stopped herself from slamming the door in Buffy's face.  Things wouldn't get resolved that way and they needed a resolution - for better or worse.  "I wish there was something that could help me forgive myself for what I did.  Do you think that I just walked away from that unscathed?  That I didn't care about what I had done to my best friend?  God, Buffy, do you think that you're the only person who has feelings?  You wouldn't talk about it.  I knew that you hated me, but you wouldn't talk about it. You just kept saying that everything was fine, but it wasn't fine. You didn't want to be alive."

"I'm sorry.  We should have talked.  Maybe if we had then you wouldn't have turned to Amy for company and then you wouldn't have even met Rack."

"What I got from Rack had nothing to do with you, Buffy.  He made me feel powerful and special and confident.  When I was doing a spell, a really powerful spell, it was like no one could touch me and the magic that Rack gave me was ten times stronger.  It was better than the power that surged through me when I did your resurrection spell. Tara was right about me having to learn not to be dependant on magic, but the answer wasn't to give it up entirely.  I had to learn to like myself for who I am and then magic just became a part of me and my life instead of being my life."

"Good.  I always knew you were special.  I'm sorry I was such a bitch the other day.  I was afraid that you had come back to hurt us.  If you were evil, I couldn't kill you, Willow.  I love you."  Buffy sighed.  "Is this over now?  Can we stop saying nasty things to each other and be friends again?"  Buffy looked hopefully at Willow.  The anger and resentment that she had felt for years toward her best friend was gone and in its place was only relief that she was okay and happy.  There was still a lot that they had to talk about, but Buffy needed to know that Willow was going to be her friend at the end of it.

"I hope so.  I love you too, Buffy."  Willow let her tears fall and from the sound of Buffy's sniffles, she was doing the same.  She reached out and they hugged and cried on each other's shoulder. Willow felt the last missing piece of her life restored like the final color on a paint-by-numbers as her friendship with Buffy started to mend.  She smiled through her tears.  "Come in, let's have some coffee and catch up.  I can't believe little Dawn is getting married."

"Me either.  He's a nice guy, though.  Took the whole vampire slayer sister/key to the universe thing well."  Buffy followed Willow into the kitchen.  On the way she noticed pictures of Ron at various ages and pictures of Willow with her husband as well as family pictures of the three of them.  She had missed so much of her best friend's life. "Spike hates him, but we don't pay attention to that - he's just overprotective."

"He always was.  So, are you and Spike...together?"  Willow wasn't sure if it was her place to ask that question, but there was so much that she didn't know about Buffy's life.  She thought she had picked up a vibe between the two of them at Angel's and Spike had been in love with Buffy when she had left.

"He has a soul."  Buffy settled herself at the kitchen table.  She just realized that she had been dying to talk to Willow about Spike and Dawn and so many things.  And there was so much that she wanted to know about - Lindsey, Ron, and how Willow had felt when she had seen Tara again.  It was going to be a nice, long chat.  One long overdue.

*****

If you looked at it just on the surface, it wasn't that scary.  Just a long table with high partitions that gave an illusion of privacy.  It was like a bank of payphones or study cubicles at the university library.  That's what Phoebe told herself as she nervously settled herself down into the metal chair the prison guard had directed her to.  She didn't have to wait long before another guard on the other side of the bullet proof glass brought Cole in.  She picked up the phone and watched as Cole did the same.

"Hi."  Phoebe quickly scanned over as much as Cole as she could see. He had refused to see her and had spent the last four days in jail. He looked okay - tired, sad, unshaven, and a bit thinner - but okay.

"Hi."  Cole ran a hand through his hair and smiled sheepishly.  "I'm going to be in a here a while longer.  I couldn't tell you before, but I'm involved in an investigation of the judge who put me in here.  I can't apologize to the bastard even if I wanted to."

"So, you didn't think to warn me about this before you did it?  I thought that you would rather stay in jail then come home with me. That you didn't want to see me.  Have things gotten that bad between us?"

"No.  Yes."  Cole sighed.  He hated the horrible sadness in Phoebe's eyes.  He hated that he was the cause of it.  It was his past as a demon that had her so wary of committing to him.  He wished he could be happy with what they had, but he wanted what Piper and Leo had.  He wanted a wife and children.  "I think we need the time apart.  I love you, Phoebe, and I know what I want...."

"I want to marry you," Phoebe interrupted.  "I love you and you're right, we should take the next step.  I've been stupid and paranoid all these years."

"Phoebe, I'm not staying in jail to blackmail you into accepting my marriage proposal."

"I know."  Phoebe leaned closer to the glass separating them.  "I'm just giving you advance warning.  When you do get out of here, buster, I expect one hell of a romantic proposal.  After all, you should have plenty of time to plan."

"You're right about that."  Cole grinned.  He reached out, but his fingers bumped up against the glass.  "Tell Pandora I'm sorry that I'll miss her first parent/teacher night.  Is she nervous?"

"Yes, but like everything else in her life, not for the normal reasons."  Phoebe took a deep breath.  She didn't want to worry Cole, especially since he couldn't do anything from his jail cell, but she also didn't want to lie.  "She and her friends suspect her teacher of either being a demon or working for demons.  It seems that Pan's new friends have something in common with her.  They think the teacher might want to hurt Connor Chase.  Apparently his father is a vampire with a soul who works for the Powers That Be.  At the parent/teacher night I'm going to see if I can get a premonition from Ms. Foster."

"Wow.  So, Pan knows Angelus' son.  How tightly wound is Piper these days?"

"Actually, she took the news quite calmly and is acting rationally about it.  Paige and I are worried about her."  Phoebe frowned.  "You know this vampire?  Leo said the Elders had no information about a vampire with a soul."

"No, they wouldn't.  He would have been beneath their notice - not enough power - but was quite a legend in the Underworld."  Cole smiled wistfully.  "In fact, he was kind of my inspiration.  The Scourge of Europe giving up his evil ways because he regained his soul.  I have a soul, I just didn't know how to use it until I met you and fell in love."

"Ah, my fiancee-to-be, the sweet-talking jailbird."  Phoebe leaned forward, but stopped a few inches from the glass and kissed the air. This was a prison and despite its clarity, who knew what was on that glass.  "Keep singing, stoolie.  What else do you know about Angelus the vampire?  Did he regain his soul by falling in love with an irresistible witch?"

"No.  He killed a favorite daughter of a Romany gypsy clan and they cursed him with a soul as revenge.  The Source was furious, he was considering making Angelus a higher level demon.  Last I heard he was in love with a Vampire Slayer.  Is she the mother of his kid?"

"No, Pan said she was a vampire too and apparently not a good one.  I don't know what happened to her, Connor is being raised by his father and a half-demon Seer stepmother."

Cole raised his eyebrows.  "How the hell did two vampires have a child?"

"I don't think even they know."  Phoebe shrugged.  She raised her eyes to the ceiling.  "They probably have plans for Angelus too now that he's on our side."

"So, we're sure he's on our side?"  Cole frowned.  He didn't like being in here now - not when Phoebe and his family were in danger - but if he left he risked blowing the investigation of Judge Carlson. He had heard about the things the vampire Angelus had done.  They were horrific enough to earn the esteem of the Source.

"Only Connor knows that we're witches right now.  We'll tell his father once we meet him at the parent/teacher night and let him know what I get from Ms. Foster, if I get anything."  Phoebe smiled reassuringly.  "If it helps, Pan seems to think that Connor is good. In fact, I'm pretty sure she thinks he's great."

"Great.  My niece's first crush and it's on the son of the Scourge of Europe.  Looks like she's a Halliwell in more ways than just magic."

"Excuse me, but not all Halliwells are attracted to former bad boys. Look at Piper - Leo is an angel and a pacifist."

"We'll see about that when Pan turns sixteen."  Cole grinned.  "You be careful and take care of yourself.  I love you, Phoebe."

"I love you too."

*****

Paige stood at the front door of the Hyperion, uncertain as to whether she should knock or just go in.  It was a place of business, but it was also a home.  She looked down at Pandora who just shrugged in response.  Paige straightened her shoulders and gave the door a quick rap before ushering her niece inside.  "Hello," she called out.

"Hey," Gunn greeted them with a smile as he entered the lobby.  "Uh, Angel and Cordelia left for the parent/teacher thing already."

"Oh, yeah, I know.  Piper and Leo should be there too."  Paige smoothed her hair before tossing it over her shoulder.  Her sisters had teased her mercilessly, but Paige still thought it was a good idea for her to stay with Gunn and the kids just in case something happened while everyone else was occupied at the parent/teacher night.  And if nothing happened then she still got to spend the evening with a very hot guy.  "I thought you might need some help with the kids."

Gunn's grin broadened.  "Sure, that's great.  Connor and Ron are in the kitchen.  We were making popcorn for the movie."

"Sounds like fun.  Right, Pan?"  Paige smiled at Gunn.

"Yeah, lot's of fun."  Pandora gave her aunt and Gunn a weak smile and followed them into the kitchen.  She couldn't stop thinking about her parents, Aunt Phoebe, and Ms. Foster.  She wasn't sure if she wanted her aunt to get a premonition from the teacher or not.  If she did, then Ms. Foster was evil and planning on hurting Connor.  If she didn't, then this bad feeling that Pan had been getting for the past couple of weeks came from someone else who wanted to hurt her friend - someone unknown.

*****

For someone who had once claimed to know only two ways of dealing with people - bite and avoid - Angel was enjoying himself in a room full of them.  It was just amazing to him to be around other parents and be accepted as one of them.  There had been a brief introduction where the teacher, Ms. Foster, had talked generally about the class and the progress of the students.  She had then invited them to enjoy the refreshments and get to know one another or approach her with any specific questions or concerns about their children.  Angel sipped his punch and grinned.  He hadn't talked to Connor's teacher yet.  He wasn't exactly sure what to ask.  It would probably be strange to enquire if any demons or evil lawyers had visited the classroom.

Willow laughed softly beside him.  "This is surreal," she commented. "I never thought that I would be attending a parent/teacher night with you of all people."

"Neither did I, but it's nice."  Angel glanced over to Lindsey and Cordelia who were lingering at the refreshment table.  "So, how are things?"

"Great."  Willow beamed.  "Buffy and I made up.  We still have a lot of things to work out, but we're talking and being friendly.  She and Dawn are coming in to the city next weekend and they asked me to have lunch with them and help with some wedding shopping.  Cordy's coming too."

"I know, she told me.  It is great."  Angel smiled in return.  He was glad that Willow and Buffy were straightening things out and were on the road to becoming friends again.  Willow was going to need all of her friends at her side when Wolfram and Hart decided it was time to lure Lindsey back into the fold or when Rack returned for his son. Angel's gaze flickered back to Lindsey and Cordelia.  He hoped that the Powers would see fit to warn them if Lindsey switched teams again.

"Your vampire keeps staring at me," Lindsey hissed at Cordelia.

"He's not mine, Angel and I have raised Connor as friends.  And he doesn't trust you."  Cordelia nibbled on a shortbread cookie covered in orange icing.  She was nervous.  She knew how to work the room as the most popular girl in school, as a cheerleader at a football game, or as an aspiring actress.  She had no idea how to socialize as a parent.  She and Angel had been more or less alone - save their friends - as parents.  There had been no PTA meetings or play dates where they had discussed Connor's development with other parents. Given the fact that he was the child of two vampires, Connor's development had been odd at times and it was doubtful that any other parents would understand some of the problems they had encountered anyway.  Cordelia just didn't want to say the wrong thing - like mention the time that Connor had decided to make his mommy a really pretty present when he was four and had broken Angel's favorite broadsword and twisted the hilt into the shape of a crude heart.  "Do you think they know?  Do you think the other parents think we're strange or sense that we're different?"

"I doubt it."  Lindsey shrugged.  He eyed Angel, who was bending down slightly to hear something Willow was saying to him.  He would rather the vampire stared at him then listen so attentively to his wife.  "We all look perfectly normal, so everyone will assume that we are perfectly normal."

"Good.  Let's go rejoin Angel and Willow.  Then he can stare at you up close and personal."  Cordelia smirked over her shoulder at Lindsey as she moved toward her friends.

Lindsey took a hold of Cordelia's arm and stopped her.  "What's his deal?  I know he hates that Willow is my wife and I would understand the level of his animosity if I had married the Slayer, but he barely knew Willow.  She was just his ex's best friend."

Actually it was a question that Cordelia had asked herself.  She had noticed Angel's long, unexplained absences and had surmised that he was in protective stalker mode, but was confused as to why he thought Lindsey was so bad for Willow.  They obviously had a very happy marriage and it did look like Lindsey's evil past was behind him, but Cordelia wasn't about to tell Lindsey that and take his side.  "Look, ex-evil flunky, they may not have gossiped over the phone every week about their favorite soap opera after he left Sunnydale, but Angel and Willow are friends.  He cares about her.  Willow restored his soul and when you worked for Wolfram and Hart, you did everything in your power to take it away.  Angel doesn't believe that you love Willow and I don't blame him.  Just know this, if you hurt her, he will kill you."

"Hey, what's with the intense discussion?"  Willow interrupted them before Lindsey could reply.  She gave Lindsey a quick peck on the lips.

"Nothing.  Cordelia was worried about making an impression on the other parents."  Lindsey wrapped an arm around Willow's waist and ignored Angel.  He didn't care what the vampire believed, he loved his wife and all the staring in the world wasn't going to change that fact.

"They why don't we start with Pandora's parents.  I think that's the Halliwells talking to Ms. Foster."  Willow pointed out a couple standing up front by the young teacher.  Another young woman approached them and introduced herself to the teacher, holding out her hand with a smile.

*****

The cramped confines of a van was hardly the way Lilah preferred to spend an evening, but she wanted to be on hand for this mission.  No one was going to filch the credit for capturing Angel's son and a Charmed One's daughter.  Lilah turned in her seat to look at the man behind her who was busy studying a video screen.  "Well?" she snapped impatiently.

"The heat bugs are picking up five beings with a normal human body temperature in the kitchen.  There are no cold spots, so the vampire has left the building.  When do we give the signal for the recovery team to move in?"

"Not yet.  We'll wait until they settle in.  Angel and Cordelia will be occupied for a few hours yet.  Besides the children, who is in the hotel?"

"Visual recon recorded the aura reading demon leaving before supper. He was followed to a bar where he's giving readings for clients.  The former watcher and their tech girl left to see a movie a half hour ago.  An unidentified female was seen entering the home with the Halliwell girl and she hasn't left.  That leaves the other person to be the black operative."

"Damn."  One of the Charmed Ones had stayed.  Lilah took a deep breath.  It was just a snag, one that they were prepared for.  The real power of the Charmed Ones lay in the three of them together. "The recovery team is equipped with the magic dampener and stun guns?"

"Yes."

"Tell them to hit both of the adults with the stun guns and to shoot the adult female with a magic dampener as well as the girl."  Lilah glanced past the man to the cages behind him.  Both were magically reinforced so that the bars wouldn't bend or break no matter how strong Angel's kid was and from one of them a talisman hung.  It would render the girl's magic useless once the magic dampener wore off. Lilah couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.  She couldn't wait for the cages to be holding their captives.  She only wished that they still had cameras in place at the hotel so she could see Angel's face when he realized that his son had been stolen from him.
 

Part Ten

"So, when Dad and I got home, Mom and her friend Buffy were in the kitchen and they were crying and laughing."  Ron took a handful of popcorn.  The movie was playing, but no one was really watching it. Paige and Gunn had moved into the corner onto the loveseat and were talking quietly.  The kids had staked out the floor in front of the television.  "Dad said they must have made up because that's how girls get when they're really happy.  They get emotional."  Ron and Connor both gave Pandora a nervous and suspicious look.

Pandora rolled her eyes as she finished chewing her popcorn.  "Don't worry, I'll let you guys take turns dealing with my hysterics then you'll only have to worry about it every other week."  She laughed at the horrified faces of her friends.  She scooped popcorn from the bowl and chucked it at them.  "I'm kidding, morons."

"How were we supposed to know?  We got to know you because you were having a girly attack and Connor got all concerned - by the way, buddy, her hysterics are totally your territory."  Ron reciprocated by throwing popcorn back at Pandora.

"I don't think so."  Connor joined in on the fun.  A flurry of popcorn zinged between them in an intense skirmish.   Paige and Gunn continued to talk in the corner, unaware of the battle.

*****

It wasn't a premonition.  Phoebe just got that shivery feeling of evil as she approached Pandora's teacher.  There was nothing physically about the woman that suggested she was a demon, there was just something about her.  Of course, the feeling could just be a product of her niece's suspicions.  She wouldn't know until she got a premonition. Phoebe took a deep breath and focused her mind.  Over the years, her power of premonition had grown so that she could generate one voluntarily if the occasion warranted it.  She held out her hand to the teacher and smiled.  "Hi, I'm Phoebe.  I've heard a lot about you, Ms. Foster, from my niece."

"I hope it was good."  Ms. Foster returned her smile warmly.  She took Phoebe's hand and shook it.  "It's nice to meet you, Mrs...."

"Ms., actually, Ms. Halliwell," Phoebe answered absently.  She felt the other woman withdraw her hand abruptly, but it was too late.  A sinking black void overwhelmed her.  There was nothing.  No hope, no joy, no fear, no love.  The teacher was a blank slate, but behind the blankness was a pervading sense of evil and a name.  Wolfram and Hart.

"Phoebe?" Piper's worried voice brought her back and she blinked at her older sister.  "Phoebe, is everything okay?"

"No."  Phoebe shook her head vehemently.  "We have to find Connor and Ron's parents and then we have to leave."

"You can't leave, you must stay and associate with the other parents," Ms. Foster insisted.  "Pandora is a lovely child.  She's very bright and...."

"How dare you talk about my daughter."  Piper stepped toward the teacher, her hands clenched at her sides.

"Piper, there are too many people here."  Leo held his wife back and led her out into the hall with Phoebe following them.  He would have loved to let her blast the woman who threatened their daughter, but it was his job to protect the Charmed Ones and there were way too many people in that room.  "Tell us what you saw, Phoebe."

"Ms. Foster isn't the threat.  She's nothing but a puppet animated by evil.  I think she was created by Wolfram and Hart, the law firm Pan told us about."

"You're probably right.  Wolfram and Hart use golems a lot," a male voice agreed.  The man of information stood with his arm around a woman with red hair.  "I'm Lindsey MacDonald and this is my wife, Willow.  We're Ron's parents."

"I thought his last name was Weasley - like the character in the Harry Potter books."  Piper eyed the newcomers with suspicion.  Another couple stood just behind Lindsey and Willow MacDonald and from Paige's descriptions she guessed they were the vampire and part demon seer. She wasn't comfortable with these people.  Piper wanted to know how much they would be willing to reveal to her about themselves before she trusted them with her family's secrets.  "And how do you know about golems and evil law firms?"

"It's a long story, but the gist is that I've had some problems with Ron's biological father.  He's evil and wanted to hurt Ron, so I ran away from him.  When he was six, Ron picked out the name as his alias. I used to read him the books."  Willow smiled at the memory.  "His name is actually Ron Alexander Rosenberg."

"And to answer your second question, I know about golems and evil law firms because I used to work for Wolfram and Hart."

"And I'm supposed to find that comforting?"

"You can trust him," Angel defended Lindsey even though he didn't believe what he was saying.  There was something different about these people.  He had recognized the way the one woman's whole body had stiffened when she had shaken the teacher's hand.  It was how Cordelia used to look when she had vision before she became part demon.  "How exactly did you find out the teacher was golem?"

*****

"Do we have a visual inside the hotel yet?"  Lilah snapped impatiently. She stopped herself from biting her fingernails and clasped her hands together.  She wanted to pace.  Things were going too smoothly - just as she had planned.  It was starting to make her nervous.  In all the years she had known Angel, nothing had ever went as she had planned it.

"The vamp and his friends have always been on top of sweeping our bugs, so I brought some remotes.  They should be in there right about now." The technician grinned proudly.  He flipped a few switches and the hotel's lobby sprang onto the television screen.

The picture changed as the remote glided through into the parlor. Lilah's nerves calmed as she surveyed the scene.  The brats started flinging popcorn at each other.  Angel's son looked remarkably like him, hopefully he would be easier to manage than his father.  Some random kernels hit Angel's associate, Gunn, and the witch.  It was a normal evening at home, babysitting the kiddies.  They suspected nothing.  "Send in the recovery team."

*****

The nerve, questioning her and her family about their knowledge of golems when he stood there being a vampire.  Piper scowled.  She had been willing to entertain the idea of a vampire with a soul for her daughter's sake and because Connor seemed like a good kid, but she would not have a demon casting aspersions on her family.  Piper was very tempted to have Leo orb them away so they could collect Pandora and Paige and have nothing more to do with these people when something occurred to her.  "We're all here."

"Yes, we are."  Angel frowned.  Was this woman crazy?  She obviously didn't like him or Lindsey - which was a good instinct in Lindsey's case - but she really wouldn't have a good reason for her dislike unless she knew that he was a vampire.  And if she knew that he was a vampire, then she would also need a reason for why she wasn't afraid of him.  "You and your daughter aren't just normal, average people, are you?"

"We're witches, but we don't have time to play what kind of supernatural being are you right now.  Phoebe, did you see anything about the children in your premonition?"  Piper turned to her sister who shook her head.

"Sorry, all I got was that Ms. Foster is nothing and she's connected to Wolfram and Hart."

"But there has to be a reason why we're all here at this parent/teacher night conveniently organized by a golem animated by an evil law firm." Piper's voice rose in pitch.  She was on the edge of panic - just the edge - the only thing that kept her teetering on the brink was knowing that Paige was with Pandora.

"I haven't had a vision," Cordelia offered.  "The PTB would have sent me a vision if Connor was in danger."

"Lilah's interfered with your visions before."  Angel was starting to catch the witch's distress.  He felt a hand on his arm and looked down into Willow's reassuring gaze.

"Gunn is with them, he'll keep them safe and we'll all leave right now."

"Our sister Paige is there too," Phoebe added.  "Leo, why don't you orb Piper and Connor's dad to the hotel and we'll follow."

Piper hesitated a fraction of a second before holding out her hand. His son was in as much danger as her daughter if not more.  "You have to hang on to me.  We'll be there almost immediately."

Before her offer could be taken, Ms. Foster stepped out into the hall and closed the door to the classroom.  "You can't leave yet," she said and smiled as if the jig wasn't up and everyone thought she was a nice school teacher.  "We have to discuss your children."

"She's not a real person, right?" Piper directed her question toward Lindsey.

"Not anymore."

"Good." With a flick of her wrist, Piper blasted the teacher.  The golem didn't even scream as it disintegrated. Piper held her hand out to Connor's father again.  She felt Leo clasp her tighter as the vampire took her hand.  The three of them disappeared in a maelstrom of blue light.

*****

This was one of the best nights of her life.  It would definitely go into the Paige's Non-date Dates Hall of Fame.  She hadn't stopped smiling since she and Pandora had arrived.  God, she hoped she didn't look like a goof.  She really liked Charles Gunn and the best thing about him was that she didn't have to worry about the inevitable revelation that she was a witch.  He might be surprised by it, but he wouldn't think she was insane or a freak.  "So, anyway, after my year of unemployed no life, I got my job back and was promoted to a full social worker a few years ago."  A comfortable silence settled between them as they locked gazes.  Paige licked her lips.  Gunn was leaning closer to her.  She was about to close the distance when she felt something hit her cheek.  Paige looked down to a lap full of popcorn and the sounds of the children yelling finally made it to the foreground of her attention.

"Hey!" Gunn jumped up.  The popcorn fight came to an abrupt halt as the kids immediately turned to the televison.  "What's going on here?"

"Just watching a movie."  Connor motioned to the screen without taking his eyes from it.  He stopped himself from glancing at the popcorn scattered around the floor or at his friends.  He heard Ron snort trying to hold in his laughter.

"I guess we made too much popcorn."  Paige shook her head at the mess. "Where's your vacuum?"

"I'll get it."  Gunn sighed and headed toward the janitor's closet. Damn kids had ruined a moment.  Kissing had been in his immediate future.  "Damn ancient vampire and his damn ancient appliances," Gunn grumbled as he hauled the old vacuum cleaner out of the closet.  He slung the hose over his shoulder and turned around.  Paige was helping the kids collect the popcorn that hadn't been crushed into the carpet. He took a moment to admire the view as she crawled around the floor.

Gunn's Paige Appreciation Time was violently interrupted when they heard the front doors bang open and several men dressed in black rushed into the parlor.  The man in front immediately aimed a rifle at Paige and fired.  "Aunt Paige!"  Pandora scrambled toward her aunt.  No blood issued from a wound, the only indication that Paige had been hit was a green glow at the base of her neck.  Gunn sprang into action and clocked the guy closest to him with vacuum cleaner - unfortunately it wasn't the guy who had the rifle.

"I'm okay."  Paige blinked to get her vision back in focus.  It was fuzzy, like she was looking at the world through a static-filled television screen.  She saw the man aim at Pandora.  "Rifle."  Paige held out her hand, but nothing happened.  The rifle stayed where it was - pointed at her niece.

"Dory!" Ron yelled and dove at his friend.  The green aura hit him in the back.  He collapsed onto Pandora.

"Ron, are you okay?"  Pandora maneuvered herself out from under Ron. She and Connor helped him sit up.

"Yeah, I think so."  Ron shook his head violently.  "I can't change into my animal form.  I'm trying, but nothing's happening."

"Aunt Paige couldn't call the rifle to her either.  Whatever they shot you with, it's blocking your magic."

"He aimed at you, Dory.  They know you and your are witches."  Connor moved in between his friends and the Wolfram and Hart operatives.  He knew they were after him, but he didn't like it that they knew Dory was a witch.  She would be valuable to them too.  "Ms. Foster must be working for Wolfram and Hart.  They knew that our parents would be at the school tonight."

"Connor, you and your friends get out of here," Gunn yelled.  More men entered the parlor.  He glanced over to Paige, who was handling herself well, but they were hopelessly outnumbered.  A blue light in his peripheral vision distracted Gunn for a second and he got kicked in the gut.  When he looked up, Angel and Pandora's mother stood at the entrance to the parlor with another man.

As soon as they appeared, Piper froze all the men in black.  "Pandora! Paige!" She searched the crowded parlor for her daughter and sister. Pandora, Connor, and Ron were crouched close to the couch.  Paige was extracting herself from the grasp of her frozen assailants.

"It's about time you got here," Paige grumbled.  She gave Gunn a weak smile.  He was poking at the guy who had kicked him and getting no response.

"Why didn't you orb everyone out of here?" Piper started to make her way to her daughter.

Angel and Gunn shared a look, not really sure what to do since beating on frozen Wolfram and Hart operatives would look stupid.  "Connor, are you okay?"  Angel wanted nothing more than to find Lilah and crush her for this attempt to kidnap his son, but he had to make sure Connor wasn't hurt.

Before Connor could answer, the windows burst in a shower of glass. One of the incoming operatives crashed into Piper and knocked her to the floor.  The frozen operatives suddenly came to life and Gunn and Angel found themselves with too much to do.  That's when Phoebe, Cordelia, Willow, and Lindsey showed up and joined the fray.  Angel noticed that Willow had picked up a few tricks in her time away as she zapped a few operatives.  Angel's observation was interrupted when he saw one of the operatives fire a crossbow at the children.

"Connor.  Ron."  Pandora grabbed her friends' arms and closed her eyes. She orbed them out of the parlor as the tranquilizer dart buried its tip into the carpet.

*****

Lilah's stomach turned as Angel and the witch appeared in the lobby. Bad went to worse when the others showed up and started kicking her best operatives' asses.  There was a brief moment of hope when the tranquilizer dart was fired, but that quickly went up in smoke when the brats disappeared.  "Retreat, dammit!" she ordered as the video feed from the Hyperion died.  She turned to the driver of the van.  "Get out of here.  Now."  She had to get back to her office.  Luckily she had come across something after her little chat with Lindsey when he had appeared back in town.  It might stop Angel from killing her.

*****

The operatives started to clear out - dragging the incapacitated with them.  It wasn't mercy or loyalty that prompted their actions, they didn't want to leave anyone behind who could talk.  Angel let them go. He knew who was responsible.  He crossed over to Piper Halliwell and her husband.  A bright golden glow emanated from the man's hand as he healed his wife's lacerations from the glass.  "Where are the kids?"

"Pandora can't orb very far yet."  Piper stood up with Leo's help. "They have to be around here somewhere.  Leo, can you sense her?"

"They're upstairs."  Leo smiled proudly.  Pan had trouble orbing herself short distances, but when she had to she had orbed her and her friends out of danger.  "I'll go tell them it's safe to come down."

"Leo is our whitelighter - a guardian angel for witches," Piper explained as Leo orbed upstairs.  "My sisters and I are the Charmed Ones, we protect innocents from evil.  Paige, why didn't you orb everyone out of here?"

"I couldn't.  They shot me with something that's blocking my magic." Paige risked a glance at Gunn to gauge his reaction to the new information about her.  He seemed mildly bemused, but not upset.  She would have to apologize and explain why she hadn't told him earlier. Maybe find a way to make it up to him.  "Do you think Leo can fix it?"

"Ron was hit with it too," Pandora informed them as they all returned to the parlor.  "Dad fixed him."

"Ron."  Willow rushed to embrace her son.  She would have been a little bit more impressed to be in the presence of the Charmed Ones if she hadn't been so concerned for Ron.  She had read about them in Giles' books back in highschool.

"They didn't hurt you, did they?"  Cordelia already had Connor in a stranglehold.  It was difficult to hug him and check him for injuries at the same time.

"No, Dory got us out of there before they could get to me."  Connor shrugged away.  As much as he loved his Mom, it was getting embarrassing.

"I'm fine, Mom.  Geez."  Ron struggled out of Willow's arms at the same time.  "They were aiming at Dory."

Piper instinctively clasped Pandora closer to her.  "What is this Wolfram and Hart?  Are they going to try to kidnap the kids again?"

"No."  Angel picked up and pocketed the dart.  "I'll take care of it."

*****

Waiting was not one of Lilah's talents, but she didn't want Angel to catch her pacing.  That would make her look nervous and vulnerable. She was neither.  She sat at her desk instead, but couldn't help drumming her fingernails on the glossy surface.  Angel was taking longer to come after her than she thought he would.  Lilah sighed and turned to her laptop.  She might as well get some work done while she waited.

Lilah was halfway through the Hayden file when she felt a sharp jab at her neck.  She lifted her hand to touch the spot only to have it captured in a crushing grip.  "Hello, Lilah. How fast does this tranquilizer work and how long does it last?" Angel purred softly into her ear.  She felt him smooth down some errant strands of hair at her neck.  She was starting to hate it that he turned her on because he never followed through.  "Come on, Lilah, torturing you won't be any fun if you can't feel it."

Lilah swallowed carefully, mindful of the dart pressing against her skin.  "Angel, you're such a tease.  You won't kill me."

"You're a threat to my son and his friends.  I will kill you."

"Wolfram and Hart is the threat.  If you kill me, someone will take my place."  Lilah smiled.  "Maybe Lindsey."

"Why do you say that?"  Angel eased the pressure of the dart.  He knew he shouldn't have trusted Lindsey.  "This wouldn't have anything to do with the last Nyazian Scroll, would it?"

"Lindsey threatened to give it to you if I didn't leave him and his happy home alone."  Lilah wished she could see Angel's face.  She finally had something over him and she couldn't even savor her triumph. "The little woman must really be something for him to take a risk like that.  I did some investigating and found out he was bluffing.  I recovered the last scroll."

"Stay away from Willow and Ron.  I don't care what happens to Lindsey." That stupid bastard!  If he had come straight to the Hyperion when he and Willow had returned to L. A., then Angel could have taken care of things and Lilah wouldn't have even thought of tracking down the last scroll.

"The last Nyazian Scroll has some very interesting information about little Connor.  It's not very useful for Wolfram and Hart while I'm making the decisions around here.  It's mostly about these pesky, painful rituals with Connor as the sacrifice to gain strength or power. I have power and I'm more interested in corrupting the little guy than killing him.  The someone who takes my place might feel differently and they would have the scroll, of course."  Lilah smirked.

Angel covered Lilah's smug mouth and stabbed the dart into her neck. "Dream of me, Lilah," he whispered and kissed her temple.  He let her slump forward onto her desk and left.  he had to go see Lindsey about a scroll.

*****

The next morning at school was surprising normal.  The other kids were clustered in groups comparing parent/teacher notes.  Pandora joined Ron and Connor at their desks.  As she sat down she heard Amanda's snide voice, "My Mom said her mother's last name is Halliwell and her father's is Wyatt.  That makes her a bastard.  She shouldn't be going to a proper school."

"For your information, even though it's none of your business, my parents are married."  Pandora turned to Amanda.  She itched to blast her.  "My family doesn't change their name with marriage.  Born a Halliwell, die a Halliwell.  What name do you want to die with?"

"Woo-hoo, Dory." Ron gave her the thumbs up.  "I think Vespy would look great etched on a tombstone."

"Good morning, children."  A middle-aged nun interrupted them before the insults went any further.  "I'm Sister Carol.  Ms. Foster has taken an unscheduled sabbatical because of a family emergency.  I'll be your teacher for the rest of the year."

Once the teacher turned away, Amanda glared at them.  "You two are horrible, threatening my life like that.  You're nothing but common bullies.  How can you associate with such callous people, Connor?"

Connor smiled.  Things had worked out so much better than he had hoped when he had asked his Dad if he could go to school.  Pandora and Ron knew what he was and accepted him.  "They're my friends."

The End.
 

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