Angor carefully stroked the hare's ears as he tucked it back amongst the rest. He smiled as they welcomed her back into the burrow.

"Come on, Ruckus," he scooped the half shaved fox into his arms, "Time for us to head back."

Ruckus had gotten his tail and back leg stuck in a poacher's trap when Angor had found him. With injuries as severe as his had been, Ruckus would be living in the keep for a while yet.(1)

As soon as Angor stepped out of his enchanted grotto he heard it. The familiar chirping cry of a kitten. Setting Ruckus back on the ground, he began searching for the source of the sound. Whatever it was clearly hadn't eaten in a while. These were hungry cries.

Finally, Angor found the kitten. Or, rather, the Cub. It's eyes and ears where still folded shut and it's fur was snow white. It was an albino bobcat. Angor nodded slowly and carefully slid his hands around the kit. It mewled again and latched onto his thumb.

"No teeth," he whispered, "You really do need help, don't you."

If he was expecting a reply, he was disappointed. Cradling the the kit to his chest in one hand, he stooped to pick the fox back up.

"Let's go, Ruckus."

He opened the portal to the keep. He could only imagine what his roommate would say when she saw that he had brought another animal into their keep.

LLB

"She's so tiny!"

Angor had expected many reactions in this situation. A centuries old enchantress squealing over a kitten, had not been high on the list. Morgana cooed and stroked the kit's forehead.

"You must remember," Angor scolded, "She's still a wild animal. Just like Ruckus. Some day she'll be a large and fierce bobcat. Not just a tiny, delicate kitten."

Morgana rolled her eyes, "I know, Angor. Or do you forget I am also known as the Mother of Monsters?"

Angor growled and summoned the kit's bottle.

"Does she have a name?"

"No. And she doesn't need one. I let you and the apprentices name Ruckus. You are not naming this one."

LLB

Angor yawned as he shook the bottle for the kit, "Come on, Little One. Breakfast time."

The tiny white bobcat chirped up at him and latched onto her bottle. Her eyes and ears were wide open now and she had as much energy as any one of the toddlers that were brought into the keep. Claire skipped in, large backpack over her shoulders.

"Morning, Angor. Morning, Stardust."

Angor froze and turned to his apprentice, "What was that?"

"I called her 'Stardust'," Claire shed her backpack and watched Angor feed the kit, "The yellow and grey flecks on her look kinda like stars so I thought it was fitting. Don't you?"

Angor looked down at the kit. He couldn't deny that she was right. And the way she looked down at the bobcat warmed his stone heart.

"It does, Youngling," He agreed, "It's very fitting. What do you have in your bag today?"

"Oh!" Claire unzipped her bag and pulled out several books, " You said you didn't know much about bobcats in this region so I went to the library yesterday to do some research."

Angor smiled, "Thank you, Youngling. I'll look at the books as soon as we finish your lessons for the day and get them back to you as soon as possible."

Claire nodded, "That's fine. You know, researching animals would be a lot easier for you if you would get a smart phone."

He rolled his eyes, "So you've mentioned. However, I do prefer the communication charms and my slide phone is much sturdier than your 'smart phone'. If what I hear about young Tobias is anything to judge by."

"We have protection charms though."

"I guess today's lesson will have to be on the side affects of magic on modern technology."

"Like how when Merlin tried to make a potion in Jim's blender or when you made the cradle stone and blew up the microwave?"

Angor put the kit back in her box and rubbed his eyes, "Yes. As well as many other things."

LLB

Morgana peaked her head into the sitting room of the keep. Angor and Claire sat side by side. The troll had a book open in his lap and a watch in his had, explaining and demonstrating the magic's affect on the electric battery inside. The girl had the bobcat kitten in her lap and was hanging on his every word.

"Different types of electricity are affected differently. Soler power and water power are usually safe. But another source, like the battery in this watch, will short out and stop working. That is another reason I don't want you practicing magic in your house to much."

Claire nodded, "Yeah, the last thing I need is to short out the TV or the baby monitor and make my parents mad. They might make me quit magic!"

"Speaking of your parents, you should head home soon. It's almost four and you do need to practice for the battle of the bands yet."

"Alright," She hung her head and handed him the kit, "Bye, Angor. Bye-bye, Stardust."

Then she pulled out the shadow staff and ported home. Morgana waited until Angor put away the book and settled onto the sofa with this pet. Then she stepped forward.

"Stardust?"

"Claire thought it suited her," Angor pulled up one of the books his apprentice had left for him.

"What happened to not naming this one?" Morgana grinned and as beside him.

Angor grunted and looked away. Stardust chirped and scrambled over his arm and into Morgana's lap.

"You never could tell her 'No'," She played with the kit's ears and paws, "Even when you have to you find a better compromise or trick her into thinking it was her idea in the first place."

Angor grunted again and tried to focus more on his book.

LLB

Hours after Barbara had gone home for the night, Morgana finally stumbled back into the keep. Angor was still on the sofa. Stardust was curled up in his lap and he was surrounded by open books.

"I thought you went to bed hours ago?"

Angor shook his head and pulled another book closer, "That's not right. It can't be right..."

"What can't be?"

Angor tore his eyes away from the books, "Bobcat cubs are born with milk teeth. They lose them at around six weeks when their mother starts weening them. That's when they get their adult teeth."(2)

Morgana furrowed her brow, "But Stardust doesn't have teeth at all?"

"Exactly. That implies that she wont ever have teeth."

"You could do a examination charm on her. An x-ray spell would let you know if she'll develop teeth in the future."

"I don't want to expose her to any more magic than necessary."

Morgana nodded. Stardust mewed and yawned, nuzzling closer and falling asleep. She sighed and lay her head back against the back of the sofa. Angor summoned a blanket from down the hall and lowered it over the two beside him.

LLB

Claire growled and glared down at the book and charts in front of her, "I just don't get it. Why do I need to know healing magic? I'm not going to be a doctor or go into any medical profession."

"Because it's important to know how to heal your friends should anything go wrong on a mission," Angor reasoned, "You and Barbara have opposite problems. Barbara excels at healing magics and her potions are perfect. While her portals exceed yours do to more practice and she is perfect in old Latin, she has yet to master most levitations and she hasn't learned Trollish in nearly seventeen years. You are amazing at levitations, your portals phenomenal, your runes are perfect and you mastered Trollish in ten months. But, you struggle with most potions and your healing magics leave much to be desired. And the best way to learn these things is by practicing them. You never know, maybe some day having the ability to see mend broken bones will save one of your friends."

Claire sighed and returned to her book. Enrique squealed as he toddled around the room. Stardust scampered ahead of him, stubby tail bouncing back and forth. Aja lay upside down on the sofa in her Akoridian form watching the two. Morgana and Barbara were working in the lab and Tronos had taken Krel and Luug to the Hero's Forge to test some on the boy's new inventions.

"Are you going to try to use one of the spells on Stardust's mouth? Or to see of there is anything else wrong with her?" She asked.

"I already did. As much as I didn't want to expose her to the magic, our theory was correct," Angor sighed and shook his head, "Stardust will never have teeth. She will have to stay here, even once she's grown. But, her claws will still pose quite the threat."

"To our flesh and the furniture," Morgana scooped the toddler and the kit up as she and Barbara entered.

"So...now that she's been exposed to magic like that...she could, hypothetically, be someone's familiar. Right?" Claire turned back to her mentor.

"In theory. I've never had a familiar before. Mostly because I was a little...preoccupied, for a while. Being dead or being an assassin..." Angor rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

Morgana cringed and burried her face in Stardust's fur.

"Claire, Mary and Darcy are waiting for you to join them for girls' night," Barbara took Enrique from her mother-in-law, "I'll take your brother home. Aja, your parents and brother are waiting to talk with you in the mother ship."

"Thanks, Dr. S." Claire gathered her books and kissed her brother goodbye.

"Thank you, Dr. Strickler," Aja rolled over and changed forms and followed the other girl out the door.

Barbara bounced Enrique for a moment, "And I gotta get going. I have to drop Enrique off and head to work. Same time tomorrow, Mom?"

"Of course, Barbara," Morgana set Stardust on the ground, "As long as the hospital doesn't call you in. Just call if they do."

"Will do."

Morgana sighed and turned to the kitchenet. Her shoulders shook as she made her dinner.

"Do-do you want anything specific for dinner, Angor?"

Angor narrowed his eyes, "Not particularly...Morgana? Are you alright?"

"Yes. It's just...I'm fine."

He wasn't convinced. Rolling his eye, the tall troll made his way over and hugged her from behind, towering over the tall enchantress.

"What's wrong?"

Morgana was silent for a moment, "Just a bad day, I guess. I'm sorry."

Angor nodded slowly, "I see...Well, maybe Stardust can cheer you up."

Sure enough, the kit was twining and chirping around their legs. She wouldn't be much of a kit for much longer as her thick adult fur was beginning to grow in. but she was still their Stardust. Morgana smiled down at her and laughed as Angor seized the opportunity to burry his nose in her hair.(3)

"You're messing my hair!"

Angor grinned and squeezed her once more, "Next time, don't hesitate to talk to someone about what's bothering you. Maybe not me. But someone."

Morgana nodded slowly and leaned into his touch.

"You two are ridiculousss."

LLB

Angor moaned as he sat up in his nest. He didn't know hat exactly had awakened him but something was definitely wrong.

"Morgana? Can you check your phone to see if something is going on on the-"

The bed on the other side of the room was empty. Angor scooped Stardust up and walked down the hall into the lab.

"Morgana? What are you doing up so early?"

"Something woke me up but it wasn't something on the surface and I had to know what it was so I cam in here to run a few quick spells and the more I look at the results the more I don-"

"Morgana. Breath. Slow down. Now, what is going on?"

Morgana took a deep, shaking breath, "Someone's using time magic."

LLB

AN: I'm going to be completely honest, I intended to have this chapter finished a lot sooner. However, at the beginning of July my sister's dog attacked our mother's cat and it was all down hill from there. She attacked my therapy cat, Leo, a week later and just last Tuesday I had to put him down due to the severity of his injuries. Losing Leo made writing a lot harder, especially this chapter. Then, on Saturday, we went to the shelter to get me a new kitty. His name is Kiki and while he certainly isn't Leo, he really has helped me. He is the cover I used for this chapter. Thank you all for your patience and my nest chapter will be the first chapter of Changling Families Adventures. See you all after Wizards! TTFN Ta Ta For Now!

1) I don't know about California, but where I live, hunting Foxes is illegal under most circumstances.

2) Not gonna lie. I mostly bull shitted this. Bobcat kits do have milk teeth but I don't know if not having them would mean that they'll never have teeth. I just know that albino animals tend to have more issues as well.

3) Listen. After the month I've had, I really needed something fluffy. Even if it was my trash ship.