Chrysalis
AN: This is my first story. Feedback is more then welcome. I am not extremely familiar with The Angel series or with the details of later BtVS episodes so I will be taking some creative license with things. It's a fan fiction accept it.
I do not have a beta, if you are interested in beta-ing my story (ies) please contact me.
Disclaimer: This piece of fiction was created for sheer fun, no profit is being gained from it. The non original characters contained within belong to their respective owners.
'thoughts'
-----------
scene change
CHAPTER TWO
"Wolfram and Heart, do you know the extension cord of the person you are trying to reach?" The sterile nasal voice of the company operator tinly chirped out over the phone lines.
"No" 'Maybe this was a bad idea... maybe I should go back to England...'
"Who are you looking for sir?" That same tinny nasal voice chirped only this time sounding a little irritated.
"A Mister .... Angel....?"'That is it.. no last name... he probably doesn't work here...
"One moment I'll put you through to his secretary"
Lupin glanced at his traveling companions while he sat on hold listening to overly cheerful muggle songs. It wore slightly on his very worn nerves it wasn't bad enough he wanted to run away and hide.
To avoid getting rejection.
What if she hated him for not knowing, for not finding her, for not suspecting she might be alive, for not looking harder, for who he was?
What self respecting witch would want a werewolf for a father? She grew up a muggle. She would probably fear him.
He wasn't going to run. He couldn't run. No matter how much he wanted to run to avoid rejection, like avoiding the entire topic of lycanthropy and himself as a student. Not wanting others to find out. Not wanting them to know. To judge. To hate him. To fear him.
No she was his, a part of his now very small pack and he would protect her.
Remus was jolted from his thoughts when he heard Snape speak only to find that the phone has suddenly disappeared.
"Hello, I would like to speak to Mr. Angel" Sape's sharp curt voice called out as Remus realized where the phone had reappeared with Snape.
Mcgonagall rested a hand on Remus' shoulder offering comfort but also preventing the wound up werewolf from retaliating and trying to remove the phone from Snape by force.
As he turned away from the phone Remus realized he has been growling softly in the directing of Snape and the phone and he took a deep breath closing his eyes running his hand through his hair again.
"It is of the utmost importance that we speak to this Angel person as soon as possible." Snape stiffly cut out. His tone moving from one of stern boredom to stern annoyance "Listen here you vapid, inane little chit, your boss Mr Angel instructed us to be here. We are here.
He wanted to speak with us we have called. No we will not try phoning again later. You will make us an appointment with him today or suffer when he finds out that your incompetence and bumbling have created. I am sure it wont be the first time your mistakes have inconvenienced him and those trying to speak with him"
Remus' eyes grew wide shocked at the insults and the self important air that was beging convayed over the phone. Getting a first hand view of the dreaded potions professors.
The phone crashed down and Snape turned to his companions "We have an appointment at 6 when Angel returns from a meeting.
Use your next hour well we will have to order and use muggle means of transportation. I am sure Lupin is at least able to manage to arrange that with out assistance?" Snapes eye brow rose up as he began to quickly move around the hotel room that Dumbledore had arranged for them.
Mcgonagall spoke up first "Then we best get some thing to eat and head over there." She smiled gently at the younger man and lightly squeezed his shoulder before gathering up her things and organizing herself.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The trio of wizards and witch waited in the reception of Angel's office. Mcgonagall sitting straight backed in a chair watching Remus fiddle and try to appear calm and Severus Snape stand off slightly away from the two of them scowling.
Wolfram & Heart had set their nerves off, through out the building there was a feeling of magic(k). It unnerved all three of them because this was the muggle world. The unmagic(k)al world.
The buzz in the air was something that they might have missed if they had come directly from the wizarding world where so much magic(k) floated about easily. However, walking in off the definitely nonmagical muggal street into the building the buzz of magic was scarily noticeable.
Currently they were waiting for the receptionist to notice that they were actually there. Despite Remus politely clearing his throat she seemed less then willing to acknowledge their presence.
Inwardly Remus fumed that it was most likely due to the earlier rudeness of Snape over the phone and the correct assumption that they belonged to the group meeting with Angel in 5 short minuets.
"Frija preserve me!" Snape slammed a hand down on the receptionists desk.
The young woman jumped and looked up glaring "You know you're kinda rude."
"We are here to see Angel" Severus curtly said to the annoying little woman
The woman glared even more "Oh! You are the man from the phone! You are really rude"
She continued to glare not moving from her seat. "You should be nice to me. I don't have to tell him you are here you know! He could just think you skipped the appointment and happily go on his way!"
Severus seemed to be trying to figure out how to curse the young woman with out the ministry finding out he had attacked a muggle.
Remus moved forward towards the desk softly. His voice quiet and tired "You will have to excuse my companion Miss. We have all had a very long day traveling here from England. It is rather important that we speak with Mr. Angel though so if you could find it in you to let him know that we are here I would appreciate it very much."
The receptionist looked between all three of them '... and if I don't Mr In My Face will storm into the office flying off the handle screaming about how terrible I am. Mr Gray will make him feel guilty over it because you are all calm and look ready to either fall apart or sleep. And she will look stern and serious and important so he doesn't throw them out before he realizes I was going to send them away. Then I'm in trouble..'
"Fine! I'll let him know you are here." The young woman seemed to sulk all the way into the office.
The muffled sound of whining filter out into the reception. The door was yanked open and the pouting receptionist stormed out "Angel will see you now." she stormed back to her desk and flopped into her seat. Looking very much the part of a whiny teenager.
Remus shot her a kind nervous smile "Thank you very much Miss." and he lead the group into the office.
Angel looked up from his desk as the three moved in keeping an eye on the werewolf moving into his office "I am afraid my receptionist forgot to find out who you are and why you wanted to see me so how about we start with that?"
Remus reached into his coat pocket drawing out the letter addressed to Sirus Black holding onto it while he spoke "I am Remus Lupin, my companions are Severus Snape, and Minerva Mcgonagall. We are here about a letter you sent to Sirus Black..."
Angel stiffened cutting off Remus "And where is Mr. Black? I do believe I asked him to come to the offices if he was interested pursuing this"
Remus flinched "Please, I was a friend of Mr. Black." he paused and took a breath before continuing quietly "A few months ago Mr. Black was killed in an attack."
Angel did not relax "Then why are you here? Like I said Mr. Black contacted us to find his sister and any children she may have had. I am not about to hand over this woman to a group of total strangers I'm sorry"
Remus tried to keep his usual calm. He tried not to growl at the one man who could tell him where his cub was.
He failed and growled softly eyes narrowing "I am here for my cub." Remus took a deep breath closing his eyes clenching his fists and then slowly releasing them as he relaxed "I am sorry, this is a bad week for me. Please let me explain?"
Angel's attention snapped at the werewolf's use of the word cub. He watched the worn wolf try to collect himself "Explain then"
Remus let a small smile of thanks cross his face before he started speaking in quiet calm tones "I mentioned that Sirus and I were friends. We had been very close friends ever since we met at school.
I received the letter to him, because I have been helping organize some of his affairs. We are here because Sirus's sister and I were...." Remus trailed off momentarily trying to find a way to explain that Lakshmi had been his mate.
'A muggle wouldn't understand she was my mate.' As he thought that something clicked for Remus. The man across from him did not smell like a muggle.
He smelt like a vampire. Remus' eyes met the vampire named Angel. Remus telling himself off for being so distracted that he failed to even notice that the person with the key to his cub was a vampire.
They seemed to watch each other closely as Remus continued his explanation
"I met Lakshmi at school as well she was a year older then us and Sirus's half sister. She was my mate. She was also the daughter of a very warped and evil man who decided he wanted her to fight for his cause. She was a very powerful young woman and with her connections she managed to run away. She cut off contact with our world and disappeared in 1981"
Angel relaxed only slightly "So you believe that her daughter is also your daughter and you would like to make contact with this young woman. And the people with you are? "
"I know she is my daughter, I would have known if she had been unfaithful to me before she left and she hadn't. The people with me are professors."
The two took that as their que to move forward.
"Severus Snape, Potions Master"
The woman smiled breifly "I am Minerva Mcgonagall, I transfiguration professor and deputy headmistress at Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The headmaster requested that we join Mr. Lupin and meet with the young lady."
"Alright. First. I don't know you. I don't trust you and if you give me reason you will find living very difficult. This will be her choice and if she says she doesn't want to meet you or she no longer wants contact with you. You will leave and not try to contact her again. Are we all clear?" Angel took out his cell phone and stood as the others nodded.
"Hello?"
"Fred good you are home."
How is she holding up?"
"Good."
"Look could you put her on the line? Thanks"
"Hey Little One want to sit down?"
"You are. Good I've got some news."
"Have you come to a decision about the Sirus case?"
"You are sitting Little One. Not quite another member is here in his place and would like to meet you. Lakshmi's mate. ." There was an extended pause as Angel listen with an amused smile on his face.
"Alright I will let them know"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Willow sat looking out of the window to her room in the Hyperion hotel.
Kennedy was dead. Gone. Buried. She died in Cleveland. She had manage to survive a battle against the first only to get taken down by a normal every day vampire that caught her by surprise.
She was cursed, everyone left her. One way or another they always leave. At least this time she hadn't tried to end the world.
It hurt though.
Kennedy hadn't been her everything, but she cared and it hurt.
Everyone was worried about her still. They said she needed a break. With all the activated potentials she wasn't needed in Cleveland. So Buffy called Angel asked him if she could come here.
Buffy and Giles were looking for the potentials and setting up
That was six months ago.
She felt kinda bad about not trying to destroy the world after Kennedy died. She knew destroying the world was full of the badness and she didn't want to go there.
What with the black eyes and the veiny Darth Willowness. Then there was the whole liking the world now thing. Well like might be a little strong, but it seems like a very nice world and if given a chance... and even mentally ranting.
But the point was there. Did she not care enough about Kennedy to want to end the world? Or was it she was more grounded and controlled this days that the magic didn't control her?
Was she expected to destroy the world every time someone she cared about died now?
So making with the helpful in Cleveland. Kinda confused and bummed out and looking for a little redemption.
Buffy put two and two together and made four. Angel is in the redemption business. Willow owns major stock.
Making with the save the world mojo one time apparently doesn't clean the slate. So where better to send her when she's all down and needing to do something, and needing to get out of Cleveland? Angel!
It's not that she was upset at her friends for handing her off to Angel. She understood they were busy with saving the world again and finding potentials and setting up a new and improved Watchers Council. Complete with all the bells and whistles.
It's not that she didn't like it here. She did. She liked them and here and making with the helping and she was useful. Wolfram and Heart's network didn't stand a chance against her.
She just felt like she shouldn't be enjoying herself. 'Well I shouldn't! It has only been six months. I should be making with the crying and the sadness'
It was around this point Fred wandered in with the phone "Willow? Angel's on the phone for you" she said gently to the distracted witch.
"Thanks" Willow lipped to the other woman as she took the phone
"Hey Angel?"
"Hey Little One want to sit down?"
'Eep! Super serious-type stuff!' Willow thought before sitting down and replying "I already am, what is it?"
"You are. Good I've got some news."
"Angel what is the news?"
"Have you come to a decision about the Sirus case Little One?"
"Is he there? Oh goddess! What if he hates me what if... I need to sit"
"You are sitting Little One"
"Oh? Am I? Good for me, Angel is he there?"
"Not quite another member is here in his place and would like to meet you. Lakshmi's mate."
"Lakshmi... as in the woman the computer said was my mother?..." Willow asked slowly "M..m..mate as in the person who is my father or really angry that Lakshmi has me.
But it doesn't sound angry there. It sounds pretty quiet.
They want to meet me don't they? Of course they do they wouldn't be here if they didn't'?
They don't look evil do they? You wouldn't let me meet them if they were evil though. I'm ranting aren't I? Angel! You are meant to tell me when I'm ranting so I stop ranting and ..."
Willow trailed off collecting her thoughts. She had been expecting this for a while, one of the first cases she helped with had been one for a Mr. Sirus Black looking for a woman named Lakshmi.
They had had the case for quite a while and made little progress. Lakshmi seemed to be non-existent. So Willow decided whipped out the lean mean Willow computer nerd skills.
At first nothing was showing up, but she expanded the search with the information from the file of information from Mr. Black. Willow found a Lakshmi Avery had registered at the DMV and a the license photograph on file matched the description of the woman.
A little more hacking into hospital records and Willow finds out that Lakshmi had a daughter who was adopted by one Ira and Shela Rosenberg. She oddly was found dead for no medical reason a few weeks later.
She was still unsure how she felt about being adopted, but now someone was here. To see her. To meet her.
'Oh Goddess, it's so soon. What if they hate me? What if they are disappointed in me? Hi! I'm Willow your daughter who ends the world on weekends tell me about yourself? I can't do it! Okay, self listen to me. You have helped to beat countless apocalypses and big bads including The First and you survived Ira and Sheila you can do this. You have to do this. You are big and mean and strong. I am Willow hear me roar... maybe mew...?'
"Okay, I'll come there and meet them, but only if you stay in with me. I can't do this alone. What if they hate me? What if... Give me an hour will that be okay?"
"Alright I will let them know"
Frija is the Norse Goddess attributed with patience. It's a play on the expression 'saints' since wizards probably don't have saints