Title: That Hocus Pocus Nonsense

Author: Jmaria

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: Season 7 and the movie

Disclaimer: No, I don't own them. Someone else thought 'em up, I'm just jerking the puppet strings about. They'll be returned as good as new, promise.

Setting: Ten years after the movie, mid season seven.

Summary: No touch-y!

A/N: Ok, just because I got these last two chapters out close together, please don't expect another immediate update. I've got a bunch of projects due this week.

4. The Book

Carlos was late getting back to his grandparents home. He tired to just slip in the door, but it was really hard to do when his grandmother was standing in the foyer with her arms crossed.

"Where have you been, Carlos Alexander Trejo?" She demanded shrilly.

"I was - "

"Our understanding was that you were to be directly home after school, young man."

"I know it was, Grandma." Carlos sighed. Why did all of the women he know try to boss him around? "I was out with a friend."

"A friend?"

"Getting an after school job."

"A job?" She murmured, stunned at her grandson's truthful answer.

It was the first time in his life that he'd actually thrown his formidable grandmother for a loop. He silently thanked Dani. She walked over to him, taking his arm for support. She led him into the sitting room.

"So, where are you working and who is this new friend of yours? We might know his parents."

"The Sanderson House Museum. And her name's Dani Dennison."

"The Dennison girl?" His grandmother smiled. That was never a good sign. "She's related to Allison Crane. The Cranes can trace their family as far back as we can."

"Yeah - "

"Dolores, is the boy back yet?" His grandfather barked from the foyer.

"He's in here, Arthur. He's got some wonderful news, dear!"

"There's a phone call for you, boy." Arthur looked at his watch. "Dolores, we've got that charity dinner. Don't be on the phone too long."

"Oh yes. Carlos, there's some Angela prepared a meal for you. It's in the refrigerator. Don't stay up too late. You do have school tomorrow."

"Yes, Grandma."

Arthur and Dolores Standish were upstanding, upper class people. Which was why they could never understand their daughter's husband. Hector Trejo had been working two jobs to put himself through college when he had met Deborah Standish. They'd fallen in love, and they were engaged the year after they had both graduated. Because he wasn't the type of man they would have picked for their daughter, her parents had not fully accepted their engagement and had been strongly against the marriage.

Carlos waved good-bye to his grandparents and quickly raced to the nearest phone.

"Hello?"

"Carlos! It's Dawn- " The girl cried through the phone.

"And Kit!" Kit threw in.

"How are - aren't you in L.A.?" Carlos asked.

"Well, duh. We're three-way calling." Kit snorted.

"Via my awesome cell phone."

"Have you seen my folks?"

"They left town a few days ago." Dawn sighed. "Everybody's booking."

"Yeah, I figured. Mom was talking about getting out of Sunnyhell." Carlos rolled his eyes.

"So, how's the new school? What's it called? Have you made any new friends, or have you already skipped?" Dawn chattered on, with Kit laughing in the background.

"Jacob Bailey High, it's not located over a hellmouth. No, I haven't skipped and I made a friend and got a job."

"Is he better than us?" Dawn said very seriously.

"No way, we are the coolest best friends a guy 3,000 miles away can have." Kit replied. "Right, Carlos?"

"No, she's not better than you guys." Carlos laughed

"She?" The two girls cried at the same time.

"You two aren't serious."

"No, we just figured you'd replace us with jocks." Dawn said.

"Not a girl. Guys, we can beat hands down -" Kit paused.

"But girls are a whole other thing." Dawn finished.

"Is she prettier than us?" Kit mocked.

"No. But she knows about the weird stuff - like vamps and zombies and witches."

"Wiccans?" Dawn asked.

"No, she said evil witches."

"Maybe you should Google the names."

"I think she might tell me on her own." Carlos sighed. "So how's Sunnyhell?"

"Extra helly of late." Dawn said cheerfully. "Let me fill you in."

Dani was late. The first bell had already rung, and Carlos sat starring blankly at the chalkboard. Where was she? He was bored out of his mind, and it was filling up with thoughts of the supernatural rather than the information the teacher was trying to put in there. The back door of the classroom opened quietly, catching his attention. Dani slipped quietly into the room. She quickly sat in the empty chair beside him.

"I thought you were gonna skip class for a second, Dennison."

"I'm here aren't I?" She grinned over at him. "I'm actually surprised you didn't ditch."

"Nah. It's too hard to slip outta here. You have guards and everything." He said disgustedly.

"Yeah. Too bad about that."

"Salem isn't that big. Why is this place like Fort Knox?"

"Ten years ago, somebody broke in and tragically killed the kiln in the art room. Needless to say, they beefed up security." Dani replied, her face completely neutral.

"That'd be about the time you met the zombie?" Carlos narrowed his eyes at her.

"Stop trying to be 'bad cop', Trejo. It doesn't work on you." She grinned again. She opened her folder. "Max needs you and your grandparents to fill out these forms."

"Right. So, you ever gonna tell me what really happened ten years ago?"

"Yeah. At work today. When we're not too busy."

"Wait, I start today?"

"Yup."

"Ms. Dennison, is my teaching interupting your conversation?" The teacher demanded.

"No, you can go right ahead. I was just asking Carlos what we were covering." Dani smiled.

"We're covering covalent bonds." Carlos added.

"Yes. Now, as I was saying," The teacher continued.

Dani was happy that school was done for the day. She shut her locker and went off in search of Carlos. It was nice having a new friend to hang out with that wasn't her brother, Allison, Jay, or Ernie. She didn't have to look very far. Carlos stood at the end of the hall.

"Hey, long time no see." She smiled.

"It's been ten minutes, Dennison."

"Yeah. I've got issues." Dani shrugged.

"So, you gonna tell me what happened?" He prodded.

"Yeah."

Dani told him the whole story as they walked to the museum. She told him how Max, Allison and she had gone to the Sanderson house on Halloween night. How Max had lit the Black Flame Candle, and brought the Sanderson Sisters back to life. She told him that the Sanderson sisters goal was to suck the life out of at least one child to remain alive. She told him about Binx, and how he'd been a cat for three hundred years, and how he and Max risked their lived to save her from the worst of the three sisters, Winifred.

"And Max knocked her off her broom and she stepped on hollow ground. She turned to stone, and basically exploded when the sunlight hit her." Dani finished.

"And Binx?"

"Binx died. His soul was finally free. But I loved him, you know? And it hurt a lot that he had to go." Dani sniffled. "But his spirit kissed me, and thanked us for all we did."

"I get that." Carlos replied. "But I do have one question."

"What?"

"What happened to the book and the candle?"

"Ok, we have a rule. That big glass case? That's where they are." Dani looked up at him. "You a virgin?"

"That's a damn personal question, Dennison."

"No, it's not." Dani rolled her eyes at him. "Because if you are, you're not getting within five feet of that case."

"Why?"

"Because there's a virgin clause on it."

A/N: The surnames of Crane and Standish are both made up. Allison (as far as I know) was never given a surname. I 'borrowed' these surnames from the soap opera Passions. I, like Spike, was addicted to it.