Introduction
This is a series called The Nyazian Scrolls Saga. It is basically a
Harry Potteresque adventure series starring Angel's son, Connor, and
his friends, Pandora Halliwell and Ron Weasley. This is not a cross-
over with Harry Potter, the use of Ron's name will be explained within
the fic. The series will be set up much like the Harry Potter books
with each story taking place in the next year with the characters one
year older. The first story is called "A Charmed Friendship." I don't
know how long each story will be or how many I will write - that will
probably depend upon creative inspiration and the response to the
series. And before anyone yells at me: Yes, this is Willow/Angel, it
just might take a while to get there, but Willow is definitely in the
story and there will be a friendship/romance storyline for them. I
hope that you enjoy the series.
***********************************************************************
Title: The Nyazian Scrolls Saga: A Charmed Friendship
Author: T. C.
Rating: PG-13; same as show
Pairing: Connor/Pandora/Ron friendship; Willow/Angel friendship
Summary: The danger to Angel's son is starting to die down and he goes
to school where he meets two interesting friends.
Disclaimer: The characters of BTVS and Angel belong to Joss Whedon,
20th Century Fox, the WB, and UPN. The characters of
Charmed belong to Constance M. Burge, Spelling Television
Inc., and the WB. The character of Ron Weasley belongs to
J.K. Rowling. Pandora Halliwell is mine.
Spoilers: Season 3 of Angel, definitely up to "Dad." Season 7 of BTVS
may be referred to up to "Wrecked." Season 4 of Charmed.
Author's Note: Since most of this is basically my universe, I've let my
new title of 'God' go to my head and I've made a few
changes. First of all, this is not a Harry Potter
crossover - I've just character-napped Ron Weasley. I
think that he's a great friend and just what Connor
would need. Because this story really has nothing to do
with the Potter-verse, Ron will be different from the
books, I've basically taken the name and some of the
attitude. Secondly, the Halliwells now live in Los
Angeles, not in San Francisco. This just makes things
easier for me.
***********************************************************************
Part One
The janitor's closet was dark and had a faint, musty lemon smell, but
it was the best place to eavesdrop on conversations taking place in
Uncle Wesley's office. Connor held his breath as the voices rose in
volume. He hadn't wanted to start an argument, but his Mom was one of
the few people who could change his Dad's mind.
"Angel, you're being stubborn!" Cordelia's voice rang loud and clear
even in the closet. "Connor deserves to have a semblance of a normal
life. He can't be hidden away forever."
"Cordelia." Angel glanced meaningfully at the janitor's closet just
outside the office's door. He could hear his son's heartbeat, but even
if he couldn't, he would have known he was there. It was his favorite
hiding place - had been for the past ten years. "His life is still in
danger."
"There hasn't been an attempt to kidnap or kill Connor in over a year."
Cordelia jumped up on Wesley's desk to sit beside Angel as he leaned
against it. "Wesley and the assorted demon tutors that Lorne has sent
us are fine, but they bore him. Xander, Anya, and their kids don't
visit very often and besides, Brenden and Michelle are younger than
Connor. He needs kids his own age to play with. We can't be his
whole world."
"I know. It's just that...."
"You'll worry," Cordelia finished Angel's statement. She put a
comforting hand on his shoulder. "So will I. So will Wesley and Gunn
and Fred and even Spike. We all love him, but we can't protect him by
sheltering him. If he's going to deal with...the prophecies...he needs
to learn some things on his own."
"I know." Angel ran a hand through his hair. He knew Cordelia was
right. Connor needed to learn how to look after himself. This was the
hardest thing he had ever done. "Fine. He can go to school."
"I knew you would see sense eventually." Cordelia leaned over and
kissed Angel's cheek.
"And by 'sense' you mean 'your way'?" Angel teased.
"Of course. You'll see, Angel, it will be okay. Saint Jude's Academy
is a great school and it's not too far away. There's even sewer access
for emergencies - not that there will be any - and, here's the best
thing, who is going to look for the miracle offspring of two vampires
in a Catholic school?" Cordelia jumped off the desk. She smiled a
wide, encouraging grin, one she knew Angel couldn't resist. He had
already consented, but she wanted him to feel good about his decision -
it would cut down on the brooding time.
"You've been doing your research." Angel smiled back at the woman his
son called 'Mom.' Cordelia was his best friend. His confident. His
unrequited love. Angel had accepted it years ago that Cordelia refused
to allow her feelings for him move beyond a deep and abiding
friendship. Even after raising a son together and the Powers rewarding
him with a permanent soul, still Cordelia had insisted that they remain
friends. She was looking for something - something he obviously
couldn't provide - and Angel didn't want to lose her, so he accepted
it.
"Actually, it was Connor who did the research. He really wants this."
Cordelia didn't know what else to say. She loved Connor and Angel so
much, she couldn't stand to see either of them unhappy. Because of
that, she had almost given in to Angel's flirting and started a
relationship with him. Almost. It was only the fact that she knew
she wasn't what Angel needed that stopped her. If they had done
something stupid like get romantically involved, it would only have
hurt Connor once it stopped working. Angel wasn't what she needed
either.
"Son," Angel called out and waited for the door to the janitor's closet
to slowly swing open. Connor's dark head emerged, hope lighting his
bright blue eyes. He looked a lot like his father, except for his
eyes, those were Darla's. "Do you really want to do this?" At
Connor's enthusiastic nod, Angel grinned. "Then I guess your Mom is
going to have to take you shopping for school supplies."
"And clothes."
"There's a school uniform, Mom," Connor informed Cordelia with more
than just a little relief. "I need to get at least two of them. And I
need notebooks and pens and a ruler....I have the list upstairs in my
bedroom. Can we go right now, Mom? Can we?" Without bothering to
wait for his mother's nod, Connor tore upstairs, still excitedly
listing off the things he would need to buy.
"We better watch it, or we'll have another Willow on our hands." As
soon as she realized what she said, the amused smile faded from
Cordelia's lips. No one had seen Willow in eleven years, not since
around the time Connor had been born, and the Sunnydale group was
decidedly silent about the events surrounding the redhead's
disappearance. Angel was especially bitter about the silence, he took
it as guilt and blamed them for Willow running away. That and Connor's
birth had been the death knell for Buffy and Angel's eternal soulmates
angst. They barely spoke anymore and when they did, they ended up
arguing about Willow and Connor.
"That wouldn't be so bad." Angel sighed. Whenever Willow entered his
thoughts, he sent up a silent prayer for her safety and he did so
again. He had given up looking for her a year after she had left.
Occasionally, a letter would arrive telling them she was safe and she
never forgot to send cards at Christmas or on birthdays. She also
seemed to know what was happening with them, because Connor was
included. Angel had tried to find her by tracing the envelopes, but
they were enchanted - the post office had no record of ever sending
them so there was no return address. "She remembered Connor's
birthday again. She sent a package early because they were busy with
moving preparations."
"They? So, she's not alone. Did she let anything else slip?"
"No. I wish I could write her back. Then I could let her know that
we don't care about whatever happened in Sunnydale and that she
doesn't need our forgiveness."
"And you could ask what the hell she did that was so horrible she had
to leave and Buffy refuses to speak her name. I miss her." Cordelia
scowled. It was a sad day in Willow Rosenberg's life when her former
nemesis uttered those words and really meant them while her so-called
best friends went on with their lives like Willow had never existed.
When they visited, Cordelia tried to browbeat Xander into telling her
what happened, but the last time he had actually started to cry and
she had stopped.
"I do too. I'm going to call Buffy again and maybe Xander. It's been
awhile, maybe they'll finally tell me something." Angel may have given
up trying to find Willow, but he hadn't stopped trying to find out what
the hell happened that had made her disappear from their lives.
"I got the list. Mommy, let's go." Connor dashed excitedly downstairs.
He hadn't called Cordelia 'Mommy' in months, preferring to address her
with a more mature 'Mom' now since he was about to turn eleven soon.
"Okay." Cordelia grabbed her jacket and purse. She held out her hand
for the keys to the convertible, which Angel handed over without
protest. She pecked his cheek. "We'll be back in a couple of hours.
Try Xander first. He still doesn't like you, but if he thinks you
might be able to find Willow, he might tell you what happened."
"I'm not going to look for Willow, she doesn't want to be found and, as
long as she's safe, I have to respect that."
"Just don't tell Xander that and he might spill. Bye, Angel." Cordelia
took Connor's hand and they headed for the front door.
"Bye, Cordy. Don't let her talk you into Armani pencils, Connor."
"Armani doesn't make pencils." Cordelia tossed back a withering
glance.
Angel grinned. "If he did, you would buy them."
*****
It was too soon. She was just a baby - her baby - and there was no
telling what would happen if she were out on her own. She wasn't
ready. Piper Halliwell turned to look at her eleven year old
daughter sitting in the passenger seat of the SUV. Pandora's hazel
eyes were wide with excitement as she watched the other children
exiting buses or their parents' vehicles and heading into the school.
Piper tapped the steering wheel and hastily swung the car into a newly
opened space. Who was she kidding? Pandora was more than ready to go
to a regular school. She was the one who wasn't ready.
"Okay, Sweetheart, here we are." Piper gave her daughter a toothy
smile. She couldn't resist reaching out to stroke her long, wavy black
hair. It was so much like Pru and Paige's. "Are you scared?"
"No." Pandora shook her head. "School is fun, Mom. Thanks for letting
me go and for convincing the Elders that it was a good idea."
"That was your father." A familiar blue and white light filled the
backseat and formed into the man just mentioned. "Leo! Do you really
think you should be doing that here? We don't want to call attention
to Pan."
"The windows are tinted and everyone is concerned about getting their
kids into the school so they can get to work on time. I'm sure no one
noticed. I couldn't miss my daughter's first day of school." Leo
leaned forward and planted a kiss on his wife. Then he turned to his
daughter and smiled. "Have fun and be careful. If there's any
trouble, Pan, all you have to do is call and I'll orb in if you need
me."
"Dad, the Source isn't going to send demons into a Catholic school to
kidnap me. You and Mom worry too much."
"We love you, sweetie." Piper hugged Pandora. She wasn't as confident
as her daughter that the Source wouldn't look for her here. Of course,
she had been fighting evil for fifteen years and tended to see it
everywhere. She had also lost way too many people she loved for her
not to be worried. "Remember, no using your powers, even if you drop
your pencil, and your Aunt Paige will be here to pick you up right
after school."
"Okay. Bye, Mom. Bye, Dad." After a quick hug and a kiss to both of
her parents, Pandora hopped out of the car. She gave them both a
wave before joining the throng of uniformed students entering the
school.
"Tell me she'll be okay, Leo."
"She'll be fine and I can always orb in if she's not." Leo squeezed
Piper's shoulder. "The Elders couldn't teach her everything she needs
to know, she needs practical experience."
"She needs friends." Piper waited until Pandora entered the school
before she put the car in gear and headed home. That was the only
reason why she had agreed to let Pandora out of her sight and away from
the Charmed Ones and the Elders' protection - her daughter was lonely.
This would be good for Pandora. She would be fine.
*****
Ron Weasley was nervous and excited. He always felt this way his first
day at a new school. He swiped at the bright red hair that fell into
his eyes and pressed his freckled face closer to the window to get a
better look at some of the other students. They were all wearing the
same navy blue uniform jacket with white shirts and navy ties
underneath with the boys in matching navy pants and the girls in navy
plaid skirts. Ron had no idea why his mother insisted on sending him
to a Catholic school since they weren't Catholic. Actually that
probably was why she had sent him here, it was the last place He would
look for him.
"I'm sure you'll make new friends at this school too." Mac, his
stepfather, tried to reassure him. He ran a hand through his wavy
brown hair. "I'm sorry we had to leave New Orleans, but your mother
was getting a bad feeling and you know what her bad feelings mean."
"It's okay, Dad. I know why we have to move all the time." Ron's
green eyes clouded. "Is Mom okay?"
"She's fine. We're just a little too close to home for her and she
has to deal with some memories." Mac ruffled Ron's hair. "Have a good
day, son, and I'll pick you up after school."
"Bye, Dad." Ron got out of the car. He slung his knapsack over his
shoulder. The first day was always tough, but he always got through
it.
*****
Throughout his young life, Connor had been prepared for many things.
His mother and father had taught him how to fight and defend himself -
not that they had let him even come close to using his skills on
anything other than the punching bag in the basement. His Uncle Wesley
and Aunt Fred had quizzed him endlessly on the vulnerabilities of
vampires and assorted demons - not that he was ever allowed to use his
knowledge. The only vampires he had ever met were his Dad and Uncle
Spike and the only demons were Uncle Lorne and the benign tutors he had
sent to teach him his schoolwork.
Now, for the first time, Connor was going to face something and the
irony was that he hadn't been prepared for it at all. He stood in the
doorway of the classroom and shifted uncomfortably. The other kids had
all found seats and had congregated into groups to talk about their
summer vacations. They had all obviously gone to school together the
previous years.
"Hey, if you're auditioning to be the door, you're failing miserably,"
a voice from behind Connor cracked. He turned around to see a boy his
age with a mop of bright red hair and a pale freckled face.
"Sorry." Connor stepped aside and allowed the boy to join him on the
fringes of the classroom.
"It's okay." The boy shook his head. "This is the worst part, finding
some place to sit without disturbing or offending the social circles.
I'm Ron Weasley, by the way, my family just moved to Los Angeles."
"Connor Chase. This is my first day too."
"Excellent! It's easier when there's more than one newbie. You just
move here too?" Ron cocked his head to the side and readjusted his
knapsack. He scanned the room for empty seats. He could already tell
that he liked this Connor guy - kind of the strong, silent type - and
it helped that he wasn't the only one without friends in this class.
"No, I've lived in L. A. all my life. I had tutors."
"Excuse me," a girl's voice interrupted their male bonding. "Class is
about to start and you shouldn't be standing around like this. I'm
Pandora Halliwell and I've been home-schooled until now as well."
Pandora took a deep breath. There was no reason to be nervous. They
were just boys and it's not like she was going to be friends with them.
"There are three seats over there that aren't taken."
Connor exchanged a glance with Ron before shrugging and following the
girl with the take-charge attitude. He didn't quite know what to make
of her, she kind of reminded him of his mother - she was always telling
his dad and uncles what to do too. "I'm Connor Chase and this is Ron
Weasley." Pandora nodded as she sat down in the seat in the front row.
She looked like she was going to hold out her hand, but seemed to
change her mind and ran it through her long black hair instead. Connor
sat in the seat behind her and Ron took the one across from him to his
left.
"Good morning, class." The entrance of the teacher forestalled any
more conversation between the three new classmates. The teacher was a
young blonde woman who wore a long black skirt and a pink sweater.
Connor was slightly surprised because he had thought his teachers would
be nuns and she didn't seem to be a nun. "I'm Ms. Lana Foster and I'll
be replacing Sister Frances this year since she has retired. I see we
have three other new people today....Connor Chase, Ron Weasley, and
Pandora Halliwell." Ms. Foster looked up as she read their names and
they each nodded in turn.
A soft snigger to his right drew Connor's attention. He looked over at
the pretty girl with her blonde hair done up in barrettes. Her cold
blue eyes were fixed on Pandora. "I hope you didn't bring a box to
school with you. Your parents must be heathens, Halliwell, to give you
such a ridiculous name." Pandora's spine stiffened, but she didn't
turn around to acknowledge the comment.
"I like it," Connor immediately defended her. "It's unusual."
The blonde girl turned to him, a smile warming her eyes. "Connor
Chase, right? I'm Amanda Vespy. Just a little friendly advice, you
might want to think about your fondness for the unusual, it's not
accepted here."
"Really?" Ron's eyes bugged out and his mouth contorted into strange
shapes as he put on a blatantly false display of surprise. "You mean
the whole everyone-wears-the-same-thing was an attempt to make us all
alike? And here I thought this school would be the right bloody place
for freedom of expression!"
"Children," Ms. Foster interrupted with a pointed look before Amanda
could respond to Ron's sarcasm. "You can get to know each other
better later, right now let's focus on the lesson."
In response to the teacher's order, Connor turned to face the front.
Pandora sat with her head bent over her books, writing furiously even
thought the teacher wasn't really saying anything that needed to be
written down. It was like she needed to keep her hands busy so that
they wouldn't be doing something else.
*****
When Connor arrived back at the Hyperion with Uncle Gunn after school,
his Mom and Dad were waiting for him. So was a glass of milk and a
plate of chocolate chip cookies. Sometimes in their efforts to give
him a 'normal' life, his parents got a little dorky and cliched.
"So, Connor, how was your first day of school? Are your teachers
nice? Do you like your classes?" Cordelia gave him a big hug and a
kiss. She would never admit it to Angel, but she had been worried
sick all day.
"It was fine, Mom. Ms. Foster is really nice and the classes are okay,
I guess." Connor bit into a cookie.
"Did you make some new friends?" Angel asked his question much more
calmly than Cordelia had asked hers. She hadn't fooled him, she had
paced and fidgeted all day. He had actually been surprised when he
hadn't joined her in her worry. Now he knew why. His son needed this
experience and had felt he was ready for it. Angel trusted Connor's
judgement.
A swig of cold milk washed down the cookie as Connor considered his
Dad's question. He thought about Ron. He like him. Ron was funny and
easy to get along with. Pandora was a bit harder to figure out. She
was bossy and outspoken, yet she hadn't defended herself against
Amanda's taunts. "I think so, Dad."
To be continued.....
This is a series called The Nyazian Scrolls Saga. It is basically a
Harry Potteresque adventure series starring Angel's son, Connor, and
his friends, Pandora Halliwell and Ron Weasley. This is not a cross-
over with Harry Potter, the use of Ron's name will be explained within
the fic. The series will be set up much like the Harry Potter books
with each story taking place in the next year with the characters one
year older. The first story is called "A Charmed Friendship." I don't
know how long each story will be or how many I will write - that will
probably depend upon creative inspiration and the response to the
series. And before anyone yells at me: Yes, this is Willow/Angel, it
just might take a while to get there, but Willow is definitely in the
story and there will be a friendship/romance storyline for them. I
hope that you enjoy the series.
***********************************************************************
Title: The Nyazian Scrolls Saga: A Charmed Friendship
Author: T. C.
Rating: PG-13; same as show
Pairing: Connor/Pandora/Ron friendship; Willow/Angel friendship
Summary: The danger to Angel's son is starting to die down and he goes
to school where he meets two interesting friends.
Disclaimer: The characters of BTVS and Angel belong to Joss Whedon,
20th Century Fox, the WB, and UPN. The characters of
Charmed belong to Constance M. Burge, Spelling Television
Inc., and the WB. The character of Ron Weasley belongs to
J.K. Rowling. Pandora Halliwell is mine.
Spoilers: Season 3 of Angel, definitely up to "Dad." Season 7 of BTVS
may be referred to up to "Wrecked." Season 4 of Charmed.
Author's Note: Since most of this is basically my universe, I've let my
new title of 'God' go to my head and I've made a few
changes. First of all, this is not a Harry Potter
crossover - I've just character-napped Ron Weasley. I
think that he's a great friend and just what Connor
would need. Because this story really has nothing to do
with the Potter-verse, Ron will be different from the
books, I've basically taken the name and some of the
attitude. Secondly, the Halliwells now live in Los
Angeles, not in San Francisco. This just makes things
easier for me.
***********************************************************************
Part One
The janitor's closet was dark and had a faint, musty lemon smell, but
it was the best place to eavesdrop on conversations taking place in
Uncle Wesley's office. Connor held his breath as the voices rose in
volume. He hadn't wanted to start an argument, but his Mom was one of
the few people who could change his Dad's mind.
"Angel, you're being stubborn!" Cordelia's voice rang loud and clear
even in the closet. "Connor deserves to have a semblance of a normal
life. He can't be hidden away forever."
"Cordelia." Angel glanced meaningfully at the janitor's closet just
outside the office's door. He could hear his son's heartbeat, but even
if he couldn't, he would have known he was there. It was his favorite
hiding place - had been for the past ten years. "His life is still in
danger."
"There hasn't been an attempt to kidnap or kill Connor in over a year."
Cordelia jumped up on Wesley's desk to sit beside Angel as he leaned
against it. "Wesley and the assorted demon tutors that Lorne has sent
us are fine, but they bore him. Xander, Anya, and their kids don't
visit very often and besides, Brenden and Michelle are younger than
Connor. He needs kids his own age to play with. We can't be his
whole world."
"I know. It's just that...."
"You'll worry," Cordelia finished Angel's statement. She put a
comforting hand on his shoulder. "So will I. So will Wesley and Gunn
and Fred and even Spike. We all love him, but we can't protect him by
sheltering him. If he's going to deal with...the prophecies...he needs
to learn some things on his own."
"I know." Angel ran a hand through his hair. He knew Cordelia was
right. Connor needed to learn how to look after himself. This was the
hardest thing he had ever done. "Fine. He can go to school."
"I knew you would see sense eventually." Cordelia leaned over and
kissed Angel's cheek.
"And by 'sense' you mean 'your way'?" Angel teased.
"Of course. You'll see, Angel, it will be okay. Saint Jude's Academy
is a great school and it's not too far away. There's even sewer access
for emergencies - not that there will be any - and, here's the best
thing, who is going to look for the miracle offspring of two vampires
in a Catholic school?" Cordelia jumped off the desk. She smiled a
wide, encouraging grin, one she knew Angel couldn't resist. He had
already consented, but she wanted him to feel good about his decision -
it would cut down on the brooding time.
"You've been doing your research." Angel smiled back at the woman his
son called 'Mom.' Cordelia was his best friend. His confident. His
unrequited love. Angel had accepted it years ago that Cordelia refused
to allow her feelings for him move beyond a deep and abiding
friendship. Even after raising a son together and the Powers rewarding
him with a permanent soul, still Cordelia had insisted that they remain
friends. She was looking for something - something he obviously
couldn't provide - and Angel didn't want to lose her, so he accepted
it.
"Actually, it was Connor who did the research. He really wants this."
Cordelia didn't know what else to say. She loved Connor and Angel so
much, she couldn't stand to see either of them unhappy. Because of
that, she had almost given in to Angel's flirting and started a
relationship with him. Almost. It was only the fact that she knew
she wasn't what Angel needed that stopped her. If they had done
something stupid like get romantically involved, it would only have
hurt Connor once it stopped working. Angel wasn't what she needed
either.
"Son," Angel called out and waited for the door to the janitor's closet
to slowly swing open. Connor's dark head emerged, hope lighting his
bright blue eyes. He looked a lot like his father, except for his
eyes, those were Darla's. "Do you really want to do this?" At
Connor's enthusiastic nod, Angel grinned. "Then I guess your Mom is
going to have to take you shopping for school supplies."
"And clothes."
"There's a school uniform, Mom," Connor informed Cordelia with more
than just a little relief. "I need to get at least two of them. And I
need notebooks and pens and a ruler....I have the list upstairs in my
bedroom. Can we go right now, Mom? Can we?" Without bothering to
wait for his mother's nod, Connor tore upstairs, still excitedly
listing off the things he would need to buy.
"We better watch it, or we'll have another Willow on our hands." As
soon as she realized what she said, the amused smile faded from
Cordelia's lips. No one had seen Willow in eleven years, not since
around the time Connor had been born, and the Sunnydale group was
decidedly silent about the events surrounding the redhead's
disappearance. Angel was especially bitter about the silence, he took
it as guilt and blamed them for Willow running away. That and Connor's
birth had been the death knell for Buffy and Angel's eternal soulmates
angst. They barely spoke anymore and when they did, they ended up
arguing about Willow and Connor.
"That wouldn't be so bad." Angel sighed. Whenever Willow entered his
thoughts, he sent up a silent prayer for her safety and he did so
again. He had given up looking for her a year after she had left.
Occasionally, a letter would arrive telling them she was safe and she
never forgot to send cards at Christmas or on birthdays. She also
seemed to know what was happening with them, because Connor was
included. Angel had tried to find her by tracing the envelopes, but
they were enchanted - the post office had no record of ever sending
them so there was no return address. "She remembered Connor's
birthday again. She sent a package early because they were busy with
moving preparations."
"They? So, she's not alone. Did she let anything else slip?"
"No. I wish I could write her back. Then I could let her know that
we don't care about whatever happened in Sunnydale and that she
doesn't need our forgiveness."
"And you could ask what the hell she did that was so horrible she had
to leave and Buffy refuses to speak her name. I miss her." Cordelia
scowled. It was a sad day in Willow Rosenberg's life when her former
nemesis uttered those words and really meant them while her so-called
best friends went on with their lives like Willow had never existed.
When they visited, Cordelia tried to browbeat Xander into telling her
what happened, but the last time he had actually started to cry and
she had stopped.
"I do too. I'm going to call Buffy again and maybe Xander. It's been
awhile, maybe they'll finally tell me something." Angel may have given
up trying to find Willow, but he hadn't stopped trying to find out what
the hell happened that had made her disappear from their lives.
"I got the list. Mommy, let's go." Connor dashed excitedly downstairs.
He hadn't called Cordelia 'Mommy' in months, preferring to address her
with a more mature 'Mom' now since he was about to turn eleven soon.
"Okay." Cordelia grabbed her jacket and purse. She held out her hand
for the keys to the convertible, which Angel handed over without
protest. She pecked his cheek. "We'll be back in a couple of hours.
Try Xander first. He still doesn't like you, but if he thinks you
might be able to find Willow, he might tell you what happened."
"I'm not going to look for Willow, she doesn't want to be found and, as
long as she's safe, I have to respect that."
"Just don't tell Xander that and he might spill. Bye, Angel." Cordelia
took Connor's hand and they headed for the front door.
"Bye, Cordy. Don't let her talk you into Armani pencils, Connor."
"Armani doesn't make pencils." Cordelia tossed back a withering
glance.
Angel grinned. "If he did, you would buy them."
*****
It was too soon. She was just a baby - her baby - and there was no
telling what would happen if she were out on her own. She wasn't
ready. Piper Halliwell turned to look at her eleven year old
daughter sitting in the passenger seat of the SUV. Pandora's hazel
eyes were wide with excitement as she watched the other children
exiting buses or their parents' vehicles and heading into the school.
Piper tapped the steering wheel and hastily swung the car into a newly
opened space. Who was she kidding? Pandora was more than ready to go
to a regular school. She was the one who wasn't ready.
"Okay, Sweetheart, here we are." Piper gave her daughter a toothy
smile. She couldn't resist reaching out to stroke her long, wavy black
hair. It was so much like Pru and Paige's. "Are you scared?"
"No." Pandora shook her head. "School is fun, Mom. Thanks for letting
me go and for convincing the Elders that it was a good idea."
"That was your father." A familiar blue and white light filled the
backseat and formed into the man just mentioned. "Leo! Do you really
think you should be doing that here? We don't want to call attention
to Pan."
"The windows are tinted and everyone is concerned about getting their
kids into the school so they can get to work on time. I'm sure no one
noticed. I couldn't miss my daughter's first day of school." Leo
leaned forward and planted a kiss on his wife. Then he turned to his
daughter and smiled. "Have fun and be careful. If there's any
trouble, Pan, all you have to do is call and I'll orb in if you need
me."
"Dad, the Source isn't going to send demons into a Catholic school to
kidnap me. You and Mom worry too much."
"We love you, sweetie." Piper hugged Pandora. She wasn't as confident
as her daughter that the Source wouldn't look for her here. Of course,
she had been fighting evil for fifteen years and tended to see it
everywhere. She had also lost way too many people she loved for her
not to be worried. "Remember, no using your powers, even if you drop
your pencil, and your Aunt Paige will be here to pick you up right
after school."
"Okay. Bye, Mom. Bye, Dad." After a quick hug and a kiss to both of
her parents, Pandora hopped out of the car. She gave them both a
wave before joining the throng of uniformed students entering the
school.
"Tell me she'll be okay, Leo."
"She'll be fine and I can always orb in if she's not." Leo squeezed
Piper's shoulder. "The Elders couldn't teach her everything she needs
to know, she needs practical experience."
"She needs friends." Piper waited until Pandora entered the school
before she put the car in gear and headed home. That was the only
reason why she had agreed to let Pandora out of her sight and away from
the Charmed Ones and the Elders' protection - her daughter was lonely.
This would be good for Pandora. She would be fine.
*****
Ron Weasley was nervous and excited. He always felt this way his first
day at a new school. He swiped at the bright red hair that fell into
his eyes and pressed his freckled face closer to the window to get a
better look at some of the other students. They were all wearing the
same navy blue uniform jacket with white shirts and navy ties
underneath with the boys in matching navy pants and the girls in navy
plaid skirts. Ron had no idea why his mother insisted on sending him
to a Catholic school since they weren't Catholic. Actually that
probably was why she had sent him here, it was the last place He would
look for him.
"I'm sure you'll make new friends at this school too." Mac, his
stepfather, tried to reassure him. He ran a hand through his wavy
brown hair. "I'm sorry we had to leave New Orleans, but your mother
was getting a bad feeling and you know what her bad feelings mean."
"It's okay, Dad. I know why we have to move all the time." Ron's
green eyes clouded. "Is Mom okay?"
"She's fine. We're just a little too close to home for her and she
has to deal with some memories." Mac ruffled Ron's hair. "Have a good
day, son, and I'll pick you up after school."
"Bye, Dad." Ron got out of the car. He slung his knapsack over his
shoulder. The first day was always tough, but he always got through
it.
*****
Throughout his young life, Connor had been prepared for many things.
His mother and father had taught him how to fight and defend himself -
not that they had let him even come close to using his skills on
anything other than the punching bag in the basement. His Uncle Wesley
and Aunt Fred had quizzed him endlessly on the vulnerabilities of
vampires and assorted demons - not that he was ever allowed to use his
knowledge. The only vampires he had ever met were his Dad and Uncle
Spike and the only demons were Uncle Lorne and the benign tutors he had
sent to teach him his schoolwork.
Now, for the first time, Connor was going to face something and the
irony was that he hadn't been prepared for it at all. He stood in the
doorway of the classroom and shifted uncomfortably. The other kids had
all found seats and had congregated into groups to talk about their
summer vacations. They had all obviously gone to school together the
previous years.
"Hey, if you're auditioning to be the door, you're failing miserably,"
a voice from behind Connor cracked. He turned around to see a boy his
age with a mop of bright red hair and a pale freckled face.
"Sorry." Connor stepped aside and allowed the boy to join him on the
fringes of the classroom.
"It's okay." The boy shook his head. "This is the worst part, finding
some place to sit without disturbing or offending the social circles.
I'm Ron Weasley, by the way, my family just moved to Los Angeles."
"Connor Chase. This is my first day too."
"Excellent! It's easier when there's more than one newbie. You just
move here too?" Ron cocked his head to the side and readjusted his
knapsack. He scanned the room for empty seats. He could already tell
that he liked this Connor guy - kind of the strong, silent type - and
it helped that he wasn't the only one without friends in this class.
"No, I've lived in L. A. all my life. I had tutors."
"Excuse me," a girl's voice interrupted their male bonding. "Class is
about to start and you shouldn't be standing around like this. I'm
Pandora Halliwell and I've been home-schooled until now as well."
Pandora took a deep breath. There was no reason to be nervous. They
were just boys and it's not like she was going to be friends with them.
"There are three seats over there that aren't taken."
Connor exchanged a glance with Ron before shrugging and following the
girl with the take-charge attitude. He didn't quite know what to make
of her, she kind of reminded him of his mother - she was always telling
his dad and uncles what to do too. "I'm Connor Chase and this is Ron
Weasley." Pandora nodded as she sat down in the seat in the front row.
She looked like she was going to hold out her hand, but seemed to
change her mind and ran it through her long black hair instead. Connor
sat in the seat behind her and Ron took the one across from him to his
left.
"Good morning, class." The entrance of the teacher forestalled any
more conversation between the three new classmates. The teacher was a
young blonde woman who wore a long black skirt and a pink sweater.
Connor was slightly surprised because he had thought his teachers would
be nuns and she didn't seem to be a nun. "I'm Ms. Lana Foster and I'll
be replacing Sister Frances this year since she has retired. I see we
have three other new people today....Connor Chase, Ron Weasley, and
Pandora Halliwell." Ms. Foster looked up as she read their names and
they each nodded in turn.
A soft snigger to his right drew Connor's attention. He looked over at
the pretty girl with her blonde hair done up in barrettes. Her cold
blue eyes were fixed on Pandora. "I hope you didn't bring a box to
school with you. Your parents must be heathens, Halliwell, to give you
such a ridiculous name." Pandora's spine stiffened, but she didn't
turn around to acknowledge the comment.
"I like it," Connor immediately defended her. "It's unusual."
The blonde girl turned to him, a smile warming her eyes. "Connor
Chase, right? I'm Amanda Vespy. Just a little friendly advice, you
might want to think about your fondness for the unusual, it's not
accepted here."
"Really?" Ron's eyes bugged out and his mouth contorted into strange
shapes as he put on a blatantly false display of surprise. "You mean
the whole everyone-wears-the-same-thing was an attempt to make us all
alike? And here I thought this school would be the right bloody place
for freedom of expression!"
"Children," Ms. Foster interrupted with a pointed look before Amanda
could respond to Ron's sarcasm. "You can get to know each other
better later, right now let's focus on the lesson."
In response to the teacher's order, Connor turned to face the front.
Pandora sat with her head bent over her books, writing furiously even
thought the teacher wasn't really saying anything that needed to be
written down. It was like she needed to keep her hands busy so that
they wouldn't be doing something else.
*****
When Connor arrived back at the Hyperion with Uncle Gunn after school,
his Mom and Dad were waiting for him. So was a glass of milk and a
plate of chocolate chip cookies. Sometimes in their efforts to give
him a 'normal' life, his parents got a little dorky and cliched.
"So, Connor, how was your first day of school? Are your teachers
nice? Do you like your classes?" Cordelia gave him a big hug and a
kiss. She would never admit it to Angel, but she had been worried
sick all day.
"It was fine, Mom. Ms. Foster is really nice and the classes are okay,
I guess." Connor bit into a cookie.
"Did you make some new friends?" Angel asked his question much more
calmly than Cordelia had asked hers. She hadn't fooled him, she had
paced and fidgeted all day. He had actually been surprised when he
hadn't joined her in her worry. Now he knew why. His son needed this
experience and had felt he was ready for it. Angel trusted Connor's
judgement.
A swig of cold milk washed down the cookie as Connor considered his
Dad's question. He thought about Ron. He like him. Ron was funny and
easy to get along with. Pandora was a bit harder to figure out. She
was bossy and outspoken, yet she hadn't defended herself against
Amanda's taunts. "I think so, Dad."
To be continued.....