Chapter 4: INSTEAD OF...

The room fell silent when Kary entered the kitchen; she stood at the door way, unsure of where to go or what to say. A soft but firm hand pressed into the small of her back and propelled her to a chair. Conner smiled as he sat down beside her.

'There's something about her, something that won't let me look away. What is it?' Conner thinks as he stares at the stranger before him.

'She is so young, I'd say 18. She seems so small and weak.' Angel leans against the wall with sympathy on his face. Kary can't take it, the silence was what she left behind, and she couldn't handle anymore silence.

"Hello" she mumbles as she studies each member of Angel Investigations.

"Um, we have a few questions for you, do you mind?" Cordy asks her new found sister. 'I wonder if she really is my sister? It would be so much fun to have a little me, we could shop and gossip about boys...speaking of them, why is Conner looking at her like that?' Cordy gets lost in her train of thought and snaps back to reality when Wes starts to ask the obvious questions.

"My name is Wesley Windom Price. I am from England and have been a watcher for most of my life. What about you, what's your name and where are you from?" Wes asks the new research project before him.

"Kary, I don't know my last name or where I am from, just that I was kept somewhere against my will for the last eighteen years of my life and am trying to find all of that out." Kary returns in a single breath. "And you haven't been a watcher for most of your life. You were discharged when Buffy refused to take your orders and have been working for Angel since." She leans back in her chair. 'Questions, I hate questions. That's all Terkel would ask...how do you feel...anything different. Right after he stuck me with a needle, son of a bitch.' Kary could hardly keep a straight face as she thought about that traitor.

"Yes, well..." Wes looked a little taken aback.

"How do you know all of that? And how do you know our names?" Gunn asks kind of freaked out.

"I can tell you everything you would ever need to know about the crew at Angel Investigations. For example, Charles Gunn...from the rough neighbourhood - hunted vampires until he lost his sister to them - then started helping Angel - currently involved with Fred. Fred - or Winifred - bookworm until sucked into an alternate dimension by her teacher - Angel helped her escape and has been working for him ever since." Kary stopped to take a breath and turned around, "Cordelia Chase - born in Sunnydale - fell in with Buffy and crowd who call themselves the Scooby gang - romantically linked to Xander - left to pursue an acting career but met Angle and has been helping him - became a higher being and then sent back to help Angel - currently involved with Angel. Conner - Angel and Darla's son, human but with vampiric senses and strength - lost at the age of four months in Quortath with Holtz - returned at the age of nineteen with Holtz and set on killing Angel - Holtz got a friend to kill him and make it look like Angel had, then Conner sent Angel to the Ocean depths and has been getting along with everyone since. Which brings me to Angel." Kary looks at him for a second before continuing. "born as Liam - you were turned by Darla and became Angelus, the one with the angelic face - became the scourge of Europe - drank the blood of a gipsy and cursed to become angel - brooded for a while in Sunnydale helping the weak - fell in love with the slayer - lost soul - regained soul - left Sunnydale and started Angel Investigations with Doyle and Cordy where you help the helpless - currently involved with Cordy." Kary stops and looks around at the shocked faces staring back at her.
" I can tell you anything you need to know about vampires or slayers, I know a lot about demons and about you guys...but I don't know what the movies or games or even what a school is like. I can speak twenty different languages - mostly ancient - but I can't tell you my last name or who my parents are or where I am from because that was not information I needed to know. Instead of getting read fairy tales I got a History lesson on Angel...instead of having a birthday party I got a training test to make sure I wasn't weak. Instead of having a life - I was created to destroy." Kary froze after this and hung her head. How could she look at the faces around her, she could sense the fear. Slowly, she stood up; she looked around at the silent people. "Um...I'm gonna let that sink in and go let off some steam...do you have a gym?" she addressed the last part to Conner, who pointed down the hallway. Kary nodded her thanks and left to change into some fighting clothes.

An hour later, after everyone had decided that it was best to save anymore questions for another day and to let Kary stay with them until it was all figured out, Conner went to go find Kary. He found her in the gym still training.

She was only 5'10", looked 130lbs, with blonde hair just past her shoulders, and the most amazing eyes that seemed to switch colors. "Are you gonna fight me, or just stand there?" Kary asks with out turning around.

"I don't wanna hurt you..." Conner calls, but has a sinking feeling that Kary could kick his ass.

"You won't" and without any other warning she launches herself at him and tackles him to the ground. Rolling over the two get up and face each other.

'He is 6'2", 170lbs, muscular...' Kary was trying to see if she could take him, but couldn't help notice that he had soft brown hair that fell in front off his eyes, and those eyes...God.

But the thinking cost Kary as Conner lunged at her, knocking the wind out of her. And so the two fought, both letting out anger and frustration until they collapsed on top of each other in an exhausted heap.

Conner rolled over and looked into her eyes..."Cordy wants to take you shopping" Conner says between breaths, "we have Gunn's birthday dinner tonight, and she wants you to look good." Conner couldn't help thinking that she looked so hot right now; sweat dripping off of her fit body and covering her black tank top and tight pants.

"Oh...Okay..."Kary mumbles as she tries to get up. Once at the door she turns and pauses, "But I did kick your ass." she says before rushing up the stairs.

'Yeah, whatever'. But Conner can't help wondering why she almost had...he had never had that much competition in a fight before, well except for facing his father...and then it hit him, why she smelt so familiar...she had angel's sent all over her.