Title: Kinnergarten

Author: Sassy

Rating: G

No Pairings this time.

Disclaimer; Joss owns all except Shali. 

Summary: AU, Future Fic. Connor was never taken by Holtz and he's growing up at the Hyperion.  It's his first day of school.  One parter

Kinnergarten

            I stood on the sidewalk to the elementary school.  It was my first day of school, because I was a big boy now.  Five years old last March! Cordelia held on tightly to my hand while Aunt Fred giggled and snapped several pictures from a digital camera.  I held a Batman backpack and shifted uncomfortably in my brand new shoes that Cordy had made me wear.  She'd told me in her mean voice, "First day of school is important.  First impressions are everything and I'm not letting you leave this hotel until you put those darling new shoes on that I bought you with my paycheck that your tightwad father finally gave me."

So I'd given in to Cordy because I loved her bunches.  Auntie Fred hadn't seemed as worried about my shoes as she was my backpack.  Uncle Gunn had said that I was little, I wouldn't have any need for a backpack, but Aunt Fred said I'd need to carry books in it.  Uncle Wesley had taken Aunt Fred's side, but that wasn't surprising 'cos he liked books.  And Aunt Fred.  So she'd taken me to Wal-Mart and helped me pick out a brand new backpack.   I would never tell anyone, but I liked the back pack more than I liked the shoes.

"You'll be a good boy, won't you, Connor?" Cordelia asked.

"Mhm." I nodded stubbornly.  They were making such a big deal out of school and I didn't know why. 

"No fighting.  These other kids don't fight the way you do, Sweetie."  Fred said, kneeling in front of me.

"No fighting.  Uncle Wesley already told me I was specialer than everybody else and I had to be estra estra careful."  I rolled my eyes and pushed my hair back out of my eyes. 

Fred leaned forward and kissed my forehead.  "Okay, then.  Be a good boy.  Answer lotsa questions for me, okie dokie, Smokey?"

"Okie dokie, Smokey."  I giggled when I said that.  Aunt Fred was lotsa fun.  She took another picture of me before she left me with Cordy.

"I love you a whole lot, you know that, Connor?"

"Yes, Cordy.  I love you tons, too.  I love you as much as I love Daddy's swords!"

Another lady and a boy walked by, but the lady gave me a weird look when I said that.  Cordy laughed a little, but it was her funny laugh, not her real one.

"I know, Baby.  I have to leave now, but I'll be here at 3:25 on the dot to pick you up."
"Duh.  Like you'd be late to pick me up.  I bet everyone 'cept Daddy will come pick me up!"

All the grown ups had been so excited about my first day of school.  Even Uncle Wesley.  Cordy nodded and ruffled my hair.  I hated it when she did that.  "I bet you're right."

Cordy had water in her eyes, but I didn't know why.  She wasn't hurt and she didn't seem very sad.  I kissed her cheek and turned around and walked inside.  I waved at her and she didn't seem like she'd ever move from where she was. She finally did, though.

            Kindergarten was just a big room.  It had two sandboxes and a bunch of chairs and tables and all kinds of letters up.  I'd learned my letters a long time ago.  Aunt Fred had made me learn them when I was two.  A lot of the kids already knew each other, but I didn't know anyone.  I didn't play with a lot of kids.  I played with Uncle Gunn and Uncle Wesley when I wanted to play games.  'Specially video games.  I sat down in a red chair and nobody sat by me.  Not until a girl came in, at least.  But she didn't count.  She said her name was Shali.  I think that's a weird name, but girls are weird anyways.  'Cept Cordy and Aunt Fred.  The teacher was nice enough.  She said her name was Miss Smit and that we would have a lot of fun in kinnergarden.  Then she made us talk.  I don't like to talk.  Nope, not at all.  I was the second one to go since my last name was Angel.  I wished it was like Uncle Wesley's, Wyndam-Pryce so I could have gone last.  She asked us questions.

"What's your name?"
"Connor Angel."

"How old are you?"

"Five."

"Can you read and write?"
"Mhm, my Auntie Fred taught me."

"What is your father?"

That was a weird question.  Did they know he was a vampire already? 

"He's a vampire.   He doesn't look like one 'cept when he puts on his GRRR face.  'S not scary though, it's funny."

The teacher looked at me funny.  She didn't seem to know what I was talking about.  Had I not answered the question right?  A bunch of kids giggled like I was dumb or something.  It made me hate talking even more.

"Okay.  What does your father do, though?"

"Like his job?  His an inves-invesigantor."

"Investigator?"

"That's what I said!"

"Okay.  What about your Mommy?"

"My mommy died when I was born.  I have a Cordy though!  She's just as good.  She's an invesigantor too!"

"Oh.  Is that everybody you live with?"

"Nope.  I have an Aunt Fred; she works with Daddy too.  She's super duper smart.  She makes things and stuff.  And I have an Uncle Wesley.  He loves my Auntie Fred, mhm.  And he likes books.  He always looks up demons and stuff."

The teacher gave me that look again.  Why did she always give me that look?!  It wasn't very friendly.

"And I have an Uncle Gunn, too!  He likes to fight, he teaches me with my Daddy.  And Uncle Lorne sings a lot.  He's funny."

"Do you live with all these people, Connor?"

"Yep.  Well, sometimes Uncle Wesley doesn't stay at the hotel, but he usually does."

"You live in a hotel?"

"Yep.  My Daddy used to live in it a long time ago and so he bought it when it was up for sale."

"I see."  And then teacher moved on to the next person. 

            I decided kinnergarten was the stupidest thing ever. We had to draw pictures of the people we talked about, but I don't like drawing.  Then we played in the sandbox.  And sang the alphabet.  Losta kids didn't even know the alphabet.  Then we sang other songs.  I don't like singing, I'm not good at it.  Just like I'm not good at drawing.  The boys were mean because Shali followed me around everywhere.  And when we got to go to the playground, she wouldn't stop following me.

"Connor, wait up!"

"No.  Go away.  I don't like girls!"  Shali seemed sad then and I felt bad.  I didn't want to be mean.  Auntie Fred always said not to be mean.  I told Daddy and Cordy and Aunt Fred I'd be a good boy and I wasn't.

"Sorry, Shali.  I didn't wanna be mean."  Shali smiled at me then and whispered to me.

"I believe you about your daddy being a vampire."
"Why?  Is your Daddy one?"

"Nope.  But he's a demon."

"I fight demons!  Well, pretend ones.  Daddy says I'm too little to fight the real ones."  I said.  She didn't look like a demon.  Not at all.  She looked like me.  But I don't look like a vampire baby either. 

"But I'm not bad.  Neither is my mommy.  She's the demon.  She looks like a reglar person, though."

"Do you have a demon face?  My Daddy does."

"Yep!  Wanna see it?"

I nodded.  She looked around the playground to make sure no one was looking.  Then she changed her face to this blue thing with purple eyes.  Then she changed back.  I decided she was the coolest girl ever. 
"Cool!  I don't have a vampire face. I wished I did, but your's is super neat."

She grinned.  "I have a candy bar in my backpack. Mommy gave it to me, since she couldn't take me to school."

"Really?  My Daddy couldn't take me.  Sun.  But Cordy did.  And Aunt Fred."
"I'll share with you, Connor."

I decided maybe she was an okay girl.  I mean, not that I'd be friends with the other girls, but she was neat.  So we sat down and she broke the candy bar in halves. 

"Did you have to get new shoes, Shali?"
"Yeah.  They hurt my feet.  I don't like shoes."
"Me, neither."

            Cordy was there right when the bell rang for us to leave.  So was Uncle Wesley and Uncle Gunn and Aunt Fred.  Shali and I walked out together and it made Uncle Wesley smile.

"He's with a girl."

"Connor has a girlfriend."

"We've taught him well, English."  They were freaks.  Shali didn't have anyone waiting for her.  I felt sorry for her again 'cos she would walk home alone.  I tugged on her hand.

"We can take you home, Shali."  She seemed happy and walked to the car with me.  The others were so slow and Aunt Fred was taking pictures again.

            After Shali left, we went back to the hotel.  Daddy was standing in the middle of the room, waiting for me. He ran to me, hugged me and spun me around.
"I'm sorry I couldn't come, kiddo.  How was it?  Did you love it?  Do you have lots of friends?  Did you wow your teacher with how completely brilliant you are?" Daddy kept going until Cordy put a hand on him.

"Let the little one answer."

"Kinnergarten is stupid.  We do a bunch of stupid stuff.  But Shali is fun.  She's a demon!  She's blue and purple, but she can hide it just like you can yours, Daddy.  She's my only friend, though.  But she shareded her candy bar with me and we played together.  Il ike Shali, even if she is a girl.  Teacher is nice, but she made us sing the alphabet today.  I already know it.  And she didn't believe me when I said you were a vampire."

Daddy's eyes got real big but Cordy started laughing.  Daddy seemed like he was mad, but then he changed his mind.

"Oh, Baby, you shouldn't tell people your Daddy is a vampire." Cordy told me from the side.

"But Shali believed me and that's when she showed me her face."

"Well, Shali is special."
Cordy sighed and ruffled my hair again.  I jumped down from Daddy, because I didn't want to make him mad. I ran back to talk to Aunt Fred.  I wanted her to help me find out what kind of demon Shali was.  Daddy hugged Cordelia and muttered something about his little boy growin' up.  I've been grown up for a long time.  Grown ups were just definitely weird.