AN: Hello again!

You must be thinking I'm writing a lot right now, however you would be wrong. This is the AU I have been working on since my Spring Break back in March. I want this to be a really good story, so I ended up getting two beta-readers, however over time it seems only one been getting back to me. While the other seems to be MIA.

But for this chapter I am going to give a wonderful thank you to Pikeru's Angel and Spitfire47 for their help, tips, and corrections! Thank you ever so much!

Disclaimer: I do not own "The Sorcerer's Apprentice"Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney do. I am not making any money off of this story. I am writing this story purely for fun and a practice in craft.

Please enjoy and do not forget to leave reviews!

Updates for chapters two and three will be up within the week. After that I cannot make any promises for the next few chapters (but I can say the whole first part is finished just needs to get betaed).

1998

Chapter One

His mother told him that they were moving this summer.

He had known that it was inevitable seeing how his mother complained about her job. Never the city though. She loved New York. It was just the two of them since his father passed away when he was little (his mother never remarried for one reason or another). His belief was that they would move to the city, like London, but his mother's job was situated in a town located within Northumberland, England somewhat close to Scotland.

He scrunched his nose to wherever that was. He knew England was a part of the United Kingdom - a large island situated North of Europe. He learned that in third grade geography.

"I don't understand why we have to move there, mom. Why couldn't you get a job still in New York City?" His mother gave him a sad smile and crouched down to meet his eyes. She looked at him in the expression that told him she understood what he was going through, however this was for the better.

He liked that sort of comfort, but sometimes it just didn't help.

"Because, Dave, this is a really big chance for mommy to show her true colors. Besides I thought you wanted an adventure. I know you like New York City, sweetheart, and so do I, but mommy got a new job with a really well known firm. They pick the top illustrators up there for children books, and that one firm really liked my work. They want mommy to come and work for them and would pay a lot more than what I make at my current job. They are a very reputable firm and I think you'll like it once we are in England, sweetie.

It will be open, green, and we'll have tea and maybe take the train to Scotland and visit some of the castles up there. Hey, maybe we could try and find the sword and the stone!" His mother put a smile on his face as she gave an amused grin and she stood up and looked her son in the eyes.

"But mom! The sword would already be out of the stone by now!" Dave protested and his mother laughed with a smile in her eyes and took her eight year old son in her arms.

"Oof! You're getting too big for this you know! Running into your mother's arms and being lifted up! If you're not careful you're going to pull my back prematurely!" This was an old argument, but his mom's eyes shone with a fierce love and he put his head on her shoulders.

"Do you think anyone will like me there mom? I mean I only have Bennet as a friend here," Dave said. His mother now understood his fears and looked him straight in the eye.

"David Jay Stutler, what is not to like about you? You're smart, you have a good head on your shoulders, and you make the cutest faces." He blushed at thisand looked down at his shoes abashedly. His mother ruffled his hairfondly and put him down.

"Now help me with this box squirt, and then we'll get some pizza and for this one time, this week I'll let you have some soda instead of milk okay?" His mom said as she packed a box and Dave grinned at this as he packed his Buzz Lightyear alarm clock.

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Three weeks later they were leaving New York City. Bennet, his best friend, hosted a Bon Voyage party for him and his mom at their apartment a couple of days beforehand. During that party Bennet had said, "Promise me Dave you'll write, and hopefully your mom will be okay with paying the extra postage. And I'll give you some of my drawings of wolves once I'm finished with them," Dave shook his head, knowing his friend's obsession with wolves. He didn't understand what was with Bennet and the grey wolf, but somehow he didn't really care. They were friends for life, regardless of their obsessions.

"I will Bennet, and maybe mom might be okay with me sending one of those emails she uses. It'll be quicker," Bennet shook his head and they ran into his room to read comics, discuss who is cooler Luke Skywalker or Han Solo (Han always won), and sometimes they would dig into some of his mom's books that she illustrated for with faeries, unicorns, wizards, mages, and dragons.

That was three days ago.

Now they were in the airport through security at J.F.K International Airport waiting to fly to London Heathrow airport. That was till Emily Stutler heard her name over the intercom.

"Emily Stutler to the United Airlines representative desk please!" Emily looked at her son and walked to the desk.

"Yes?" Emily questioned. Knowing her luck they would get booted off from this flight. She didn't like to fly and neither did David, but there was no other way to get where they needed to go. They could have taken a cruise, but that was not what she wanted to do. She understood this was a whole new chapter in her life and that some fears needed to get over. For example flying on a cramped, germ infected, recycled air contraption that shook way too much for its own good. Never mind that, it would get her where she needed to go.

"Oh yes, you and your son have been upgraded to first class. We've gotten a note saying from your future employer that you and your son are not comfortable flying on planes. He felt the least he could do was offer you to fly where you might be more comfortable." Emily was shocked. Her boss paid for two very expensive tickets for her son and herself to fly first class? Well, it wasn't like she was going to turn them down.

"That was very kind of him, Dave honey we're going to fly first class. That's at the front…" But the representative smiled,

"Actually Ms. Stutler, you're seats are on the second level," Dave looked at his mom and his eyes grew wide.

"Wait this plane is a two story plane! I didn't even know they had two story planes!" His mother laughed and the United representative had a smile in her eyes. Shortly afterwards, Dave and his mother boarded the plane and climbed the stairs to their seats. There they were two seats in the bulkhead, no less, and she smiled as she took Dave's backpack and put it into the overhead compartment above their heads. She saw that there was a man next to her putting a briefcase into the storage unit next to theirs and was wearing a fairly large hat and leather coat.

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Dave looked at the first class cabin with wide, curious eyes. He had flown on planes a few times, even though he wasn't a big fan of them. He saw all the men and women with their business attire, some speaking in an English accent or even with a Scottish or Irish lilt to them. Others spoke in a mix of New York accents and even other languages as well.

He knew his mother acted as a brick for him, but he knew this was scary for her as well. They were moving out of the country, just the two of them. His father died when he was really young, and his mother always had to feel like she had to be more for him. Some would think he would be mad about not having a father and everything, but he wasn't. His mother helped him a lot, and even though back in New York City he didn't have a lot of friends his mother was his best friend. Even if that did sound a tad bit creepy.

She wasn't always so girly like he knew a lot of mom's too be, she liked to play laser tag and watch the movies he liked. But she also got him into the things that were important like history and science. She always had something nice to say; even when she was mad or frustrated. She would calm down and explain the reason why she was upset with him. Then he would understand, sometimes not at first, but eventually.

His mom called it a learning process, and just mumbled after that.

He looked through the plane's small, oval-ish window and saw the airport and wondered if anyone would really like him in England. Would he get picked on at the school for being into science and math? Would they laugh at him for being American? Or just because he was funny looking and just for being himself?

What if the firm his mother was going to work for didn't like her work as much as they thought they did? His mother would be devastated. His grandmother told him they were always welcomed back at her house, for any reason. But his mother wanted to be strong, for both of their sakes. Sometimes, Dave wondered if maybe his mom should have gotten remarried. He doesn't even remember his own father; he was still in infant when his dad died. He always wondered what it would be like to have a dad; someone who would take him to a Yankee's game or takes him to The Garden for a basketball game.

Even to watch Star Wars with and watch football. Well, he wrinkled his nose at that, he wasn't much into sports but at least one baseball game with his dad did seem picturesque.

He looked at his mother who was getting everything ready to go and a really nice lady, the stewardess with brown hair and kind eyes came over and asked his mother if she wanted something called a mimosa and for him orange juice. He smiled, maybe he didn't like planes but he did like orange juice.

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Emily had only flown a few times, and never in first class. But to have someone ask if she wanted a mimosa and her son wanted some orange juice as well as having seats that were not stiff she smiled. This was a beautiful start to a whole new life. Especially because the first class attendant made sure they were comfortable and gave her son an extra pillow and she saw a package with some longer socks, a sleeping mask, and a bunch of other little freebies. Her son had a huge smile on his face.

She was getting to where she wanted to be, for years she worked as an underling for a prestigious firm in New York, but never making her mark. Her work to her colleagues had been the best they had seen in a long time, but her boss always made a higher profit off her work and she never got even close to what she deserved (at least in her mind). She was thinking of leaving, when her boss told her that there was another firm abroad looking into her work and she got a call from Margie Evans in Northern England, on behalf of Heinnerman & Brooks Publishing.

A fairly profitable and well known children's book firm in Northern England that had gotten a look at her work when an associate of Mr. Heinnerman's came across her work while he was in New York City for pleasure and had wanted to see if she was interested in coming across the pond to work for them.

She had dropped everything when she heard what they were offering her. Not only a significant pay raise, but seeing as she did want to do some original work that maybe in the future she would be able to start her own project within the year (seeing how things go of course). She was also promised a larger share of her work profits, and at this her boss dismissed them as "leaching" talent "she found first". Right, she applied, and was the best applicant they found. Then her talent got leached for someone else to make a quick buck off of.

Welcome to corporate America.

In the end she told her boss she wanted to accept this offer, but she talked through with family and finally with her son to see what he thought before she made the final decision.

His answer? Whatever made her happy, he would go where she went. She called Margie to say she was interested in what Mr. Heinnerman and his associate were offering; it was fairly generous and asked when they would like to see her or to have a formal interview. Margie handled the interview and told her that she would get the information from Mr. Heinnerman within the week; she did and signed the contract.

Then she worked on getting her work visa, finding housing, putting her apartment up for lease, seeing as how the timing was perfect. Her lease on her and Dave's current apartment was up within the next couple of months. She found a nice cottage close to the train station to get her to the main city where she would be working and close to some very good schools.

Of course the down payment was the hardest part to pay, but her family had chipped in saying that once she got on her new payroll that she shouldn't have a problem. She said she would pay them back. They of course waved her off and said see this as an early birthday gift. Right, like paying for a new house was a birthday gift your family and friends pay for. She wasn't really that pathetic was she?

No, she wasn't.

She was going to live her dream, to work for a firm that respected her as an artist and to live abroad. Her family thought it was too perfect, and she had to agree and had talked to Margie if she could contact Mr. Heinnerman personally. She told her that he was incredibly busy with his associate, but she got a letter within the next two weeks with how sincere he was.

From there she got the tickets to fly and started contacting schools for Dave. After that everything else was easy…except to saying goodbye to her family, friends, and her co-workers she cared about at work (who thought this was one hell of an opportunity for her…seeing as she had heard of some of the work and talent they had. She felt elated that they wanted her, Emily Stutler, to work for them).

She looked back at her son, knowing they would be spoiled by this, but the representative was right this would make the flight that much more bearable.

This had to be a dream, it really had to be. She pinched herself, and smiled when it wasn't.

"Dave hon, I think this is a start of a beautiful new beginning," she smiled at him and Dave smiled back at her and messed with his hair.

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Behind the Stutler's sat a solitary man who was looking at a particular illustrated children's book who's art reminded him of a time long past, with gilded letters and incredible detail and complex colors. He overheard the mother and her son talking about how nice her new boss was, and her son mentioned he would write a thank you note and spread his arms in an over exaggerated manner to say how thankful he was for his mother's new boss. His mother laughed and they strapped into their seatbelts for liftoff.

He looked on the scene with a smile his daughter, Rebecca, was back home with her mother and he was finishing some business in the city. Particularly seeing as he was the one who hired Emily Robbins Stutler to work for his firm as an illustrator, but she didn't know that seeing as he had contacted her former employer and had told her to offer her the deal saying he was abroad, when he was really in the city looking at her work and finding what he could on her. His own version of a background check considering he was one part of Heinnerman & Brooks.

Yes, Balthazar Blake thought there was something about this small family. He put the book away and grabbed the New York Times he picked up at the airport.

AN: Hello again, sorry for the double author's note. Anyways, this is an AU which means situations will be changed, however the characters themselves will be. Also, if you live in Northern England or around Scotland could you please give me some pointers in terms of what it is like, am I somewhat accurate in descriptions. I've been to the Southeast and trying to make things seem plausible. I did my own research but some input would be helpful. Other than that, please do not forget to review. Thanks!