AUTHOR'S NOTE: sniffles No reviews! I'm a sad little author. How am I to know if I should finish this thing or not, if I'm not getting any feed back? Oh well, my depression aside, here's the third chappy.

CHAPTER 3 -ELEMENTALS 101-

"I've always thought that elementals can only control one element," Wesley said as he paced in front of Mabon and Fred.

Fred had ushered the reluctant elemental to sit one of the lobby's red couches while she bandaged up his wrists and neck.

"Most people think so, and they're not totally wrong," Mabon said and attempted to keep his hair out of his face, only to have fall back down. "Originally all elementals could control all of the elements. But in time, or so I've been told, many of the elementals started to specialize on just one element and eventually they and their offspring could only manage a single element. That's how you got sylphs and the like."

"But that didn't happen to all the elementals?"

"No. A minority kept controlling all elements. Not that there's any reason to do so, I guess they just didn't want the type, my type, of elementals to disappear completely. When you're utterly immortal the only way your kind can become extinct is for you to evolve into a different form."

"What do you mean by utterly immortal?" Cordelia asked, watching the slight boy suspiciously.

"There's no way to kill us. An elemental can be injured." Mabon held up a bandaged hand. "But we can't sustain permanent injuries."

"I've heard about that. According to a theory; since the elementals are the personifications of the elements, for an elemental to die would be the same as an element seizing to exist. And because no one can destroy an element entirely, no one can kill an elemental," Wesley explained.

Mabon nodded. "That's true."

"Okay, so you can't die, I get that," Gunn said. "But what I really want to know is, what side your playing for."

"Huh?"

"He's asking if you're one of the good guys, like us, or one of the bad guys, like the people we tend to chop into bits on a nightly basis." Angel shrugged.

Mabon bit his lip. "I'm neither. It's not usual for an elemental to get mixed up in the whole good versus evil thing. To most of us it makes no difference."

There was an awkward silence and Mabon quickly added, "but I'd never go around attacking people, if that's what your worried about."

Fred glanced up at Mabon's face. She had never thought that this was what a high spirit looked like. When ever she would image any spirit-creature she had always thought of a handsome man with long, golden hair, rippling muscles and preferably a pair of shimmering wings. She had never imagined a weak little boy that looked more like she herself than some otherworldly entity. Yet, she felt empathic towards Mabon and she doubted she could have felt that much sympathy for "the ultimate being".

"But if your kind is so neutral, why'd you end up in demon's box?" Gunn asked.

For a split second Mabon's eyes looked haunted, he turned his face away from Fred.

"Could you think of a better weapon than something that can control the four elements?" Mabon closed his eyes, not willing to let emotions surface. "Bernard's father sure thought so. But when I wouldn't comply... It's not something I like to talk about."

Fred felt Mabon tremble under her touch. "That's okay. You don't have to say anything."

"No, I'm sorry. I owe you an explanation, you let me out after all."

"Yeah. I let you out and I'm telling you, if you don't like to talk about something then you don't have to."

Fred finished bandaging the cuts on Mabon's neck and went on to put away the first aid kit. Mabon hugged his legs close to his chest his eyes looming at nothing in particular.

"I wonder if Bernard's home by now." Mabon said.

"You think he'd come after you?" Cordelia asked.

Mabon shook his head. "No. Not if he thinks I'm safe. I'm just worried he might feel lonely."

Gunn gave the elemental an unbelieving look. "You're worried about him?"

"In a way. He's done everything he could do for me for the last few centuries. I think I've been the closest he's had for a companion."

Gunn flung his hands in the air. "Great, an elemental with Stockholm syndrome."

Mabon pouted his lips and stared at Gunn. "It's not like that. Bernard's not like his father was, not to mention his big brother. I've known him for three hundred years and while I may not exactly like him as a friend he's still done a lot for me."

"That explains the music, doesn't it?" Wesley said.

Mabon smiled. "There was a Vivaldi concert on the classical channel. Bernard knows I like string music. Look, the whole thing with me and Bernard is a bit complex and to understand everything about it would mean I'd need to go through memories I really dislike going through."

"On another note on Bernard," Wesley said. "Do you know if he's ever had an alabaster dog statue in his possession?"

"The Hound of Soroni? Yes, he did have. But then he lost some money in the stock market and had to sell it."

"You wouldn't happen to know who to?" Angel asked.

"I do remember what the buyer sounded like, but I never caught her name."

"Her?"

Mabon shrugged. "Well, she had deep voice, but I'm pretty sure she was a female. I probably should let Bernard know I'm alright. I could always ask him while I'm at it."

Gunn looked around. "Anyone got a phone?"

"Here." Cordelia produced a cell phone from her pocket and handed it to Mabon.

Mabon turned the phone around a few times and gave Cordelia an embarrassed look. "I don't know how to use this."

Fred grabbed the phone from Mabon. "Give me Bernard's number and I'll dial it for you." After having dialled the number Fred handed the phone back to Mabon.

He carefully held it to his ears and asked, "fast peeps means it's reserved, right?"

"Yeah."

Mabon sighed and returned the phone to Cordelia. "Guess I'll have to try later."

Wesley shifted in his seat on the other couch. "How cooperative would you say this Bernard is?"

Mabon tilted his head. "How do you mean?"

"Wesley means, do you think he'd be willing to tell us who he sold the statue to?" Angel explained.

"I don't see why he wouldn't. You helped me, so he might feel obliged to help you."

"We could drive you over to his house later tonight and figure things out there."

"Unless you think he'd want to cut our heads off," Gunn said.

Mabon chuckled, "I doubt that he likes you guys breaking into his home earlier on, but I don't think he'd resort to violence."

"Well, that's settled." Fred stood up and pulled Mabon up with her. "What do you want to do?"

Mabon appeared genuinely startled. "I... uh..."

"I can think of one thing." Cordelia walked next to Mabon and Fred. "You need some new clothes. Those things haven't been acceptable casual wear for over a century."

"Yeah, let's go shopping!" Fred declared and the two girls started to lead the elemental out the main door.

Mabon shot the men present a somewhat desperate look. "Are women these days that much into shopping?"

Angel smirked. "Pretty much."

With that Fred, Cordelia and Mabon were off to modernize Mabon's appearance.