A/N: Sorry for the massively late update, everyone. I've been doing various other things. . At least you get more, ne?

Oh man, I love writing Asa and Morgan together. :3 haha, especially that hot little hickey number. XD Sorry, I couldn't help myself. I listen to Le Portrait de Petite Cossette soundtrack as well as E Nomine and various other things to get into the mood. :3 so be happy.

E NOMINE IS ONE OF THE BEST BANDS EVER! LISTEN TO THEM! I BEG OF YOU!

Chapter Thirteen


Charlie nodded to Fidelio and Gabriel. Charlie kept Emma's clothes for her in his trunk, so she was sitting on top of the bus waiting for it to move. Billy and Catherine got on the bus together and sat down. Fidelio moved over to the seat in front of the one where Billy and Catherine were, grinning over the top of the seat at Billy. "Hello, Billy! How are you doing, eh?"

Catherine glared angrily at Fidelio as Billy sort of shrank away. Fidelio continued to grin at Billy. "Oi, I was wondering, would you like to come over to my house tomorrow?"

Billy looked to Catherine and she shook her head. "We are going to be with mum and dad all day."

Fidelio shrugged and walked back to Charlie's seat. Gabriel got up and walked over to the seat in front of the pair and sat down. Then, he pulled out a book and started reading. Catherine tensed when Gabriel came over, but along the ride, she relaxed when he didn't budge or look up from his book. He had the seat all to himself, so she figured he was there so he could get some quiet to read.

When his stop came up, Charlie got off and walked to his house with his trunk in tow. When he got to Number Nine Filbert Street, he sprinted up the stairs and put his trunk away, stuffing his book bag with Emma's clothes and running out. "I'll be back in a little bit!" he called out before Maisie could stop him and ask him about his time at school. He sprinted across lawns and through shortcuts between houses, going through bushes and vaulting over shrubs as he came to wait for the bus to let off a large load of students on Taligate Road.

By then, the entire back of the bus would be empty except for Fidelio, because all the children last on the bus stayed in the back, normally. He saw the bus come into view and stop, letting off a group of children. He snuck out of a bush and onto the back of the bus, sneaking into the seat behind Fidelio. The bus started up again and went up hill toward the harder to get at houses like Fidelio's.

It seemed to take forever. Charlie was getting cramped in his position on the seat at the very back. His bag carefully held against his body, his long legs tucked against his chest and feet planted firmly on the seat against Fidelio's back so he wouldn't fall or make a noise when the bus made a stop.

Fidelio had to get off then, nodding to Charlie. Charlie lifted himself just enough to see him wink at him from outside. Charlie ducked down again and waited for the bus to start again. When it did, Charlie had a harder time keeping himself in his seat without Fidelio to give him something to push against. He felt bad about doing that to Fidelio, but it was necessary.

Gabriel's book bag dropped and part of the contents spilled out. He picked it up hurriedly, Billy getting down to the floor to help Gabriel out. Catherine pulled him back up into the seat and snarled before Gabriel got back into his seat with his bag.

Gabriel got off and then the bus went on. Charlie watched as the bus went into a heavily wooded area. No wonder Emma had trouble following. The trees overhead made it almost impossible to see through. Even if they weren't on a blue bus, it would be easy to lose the trail.

They stopped in a neighborhood where the houses were far apart, past the Heights and into the country. Charlie began wondering how he was going to get home as he watched the houses go by. He saw the bus was coming to a stop and clutched his bag to his chest and pushed against the back of the seat in front of him.

Billy and Catherine got off the bus and Charlie got out the back of the bus and darted into a bush. Billy and Catherine walked along a dirt driveway to a large house that sat ominously on a hill. Charlie watched as the bus drove off and he darted to another bush to keep them in sight.

Charlie looked up to see no bird in sight. That meant Emma got lost again. He'd have to find some way to get her to find the place, though the part where the house was wasn't hidden from the sky by trees. He wondered if there was something he could make explode when he saw the white moth with silver tipped wings, his wand. Maybe if he thought about it, he could use it to make something explode into the air like a flare.

They walked into the house at the top of the hill as he pulled out the light blue bracelet he'd found that one day. Time seemed to stop as they walked in. He ran past them into the house and hid in an upstairs room that looked like it was Billy's before taking the bracelet off. He hid in the closet as he listened to the steps up the stairs and Catherine calling out to her parents. "Mum! Dad! We're home!"

"Good. Get him to his room," said a deep, male voice from downstairs. Charlie hadn't stopped to look for the parents, and they would surely be home by now. In fact, the sudden thought made him afraid.

Billy was thrust into the room and the door slammed shut and locked tight. Billy sighed and went to his bed and sat down, pushing his trunk against the foot of it. Charlie waited for a little while in Billy's closet, not sure when he should come out. He sat with his stomach starting to growl when he heard Catherine called down for dinner. The door opened and a tray of meatloaf was put onto the dresser and the door locked up again.

Billy took the tray and smiled. Charlie smiled as well; at least they fed him well. Maybe it was because they had a daughter that would probably object to having something undesirable. However, Charlie's smile disappeared when he realized food was an imperative and pulled out as quietly as possible the bit of food cook had given him before he'd gone to classes earlier that day. He munched silently as he continued to wait.

When nightfall came, Billy was let out to brush his teeth and do other things. Charlie almost had a heart attack when he saw a thinly built woman walk in, freckles across her cheeks and long brown hair like Catherine. She straightened the room and Charlie started feeling uneasy. Something about her eyes, her eyes glowed when she turned his way with an eerie red light. She walked out and closed the door.

Billy came in a little bit later and the door locked on its own. Billy went into his bed and turned his lamp out, sighing. Charlie shuddered in the closet as he remembered the burning coals in that woman's head. It was like looking into hell itself!

Then, Charlie opened the closet carefully and closed it silently. He tip toed over to Billy and leaned over him, covering his mouth with his hand and putting his finger to his lips. Billy gasped and shoved at him before Charlie realized he didn't have his glasses on. Charlie snatched Billy's glasses up and put them on him before smiling weakly. "Come on, I've got a way out of here," he whispered. "Get dressed."
Billy blinked at Charlie. "What are you doing here, Charlie!" he whispered, red eyes big behind his glasses.

Charlie sighed. "I'm taking you out of this place. Gabriel's got a place set up for you for a while in the shed, just until we can get you to a better place, but that's the meeting place for us. Now come on!"

Billy nodded with a grin and got dressed quickly until they heard someone coming up the stairs. "Billy," said a soft female voice. Charlie was instantly afraid. It was the mother.

Billy was scared out of his wits as well. He was frozen to the spot, looking to Charlie for an answer to the situation. Charlie pulled a shirt over his head and pushed his jacket at him before grabbed Billy's shoes and going to the window. He opened the window and panted as he looked to Billy, motioning him over. He pulled the light blue bracelet out and untied the ends so that it was one long string and then wrapped it around his hand and Billy's. Time stopped for them right then, or so they hoped. Charlie pulled Billy out the window only to have a horrible burning feeling on his hand as Billy yelped in pain. Mrs. Pest was at the door glaring at them with those eerie eyes. Charlie looked down and saw that the bracelet had turned to ash and his hand was burned where the string had been.

Charlie yanked Billy out the window and they slid down the roof and fell onto the ground in a heap. Charlie shoved Billy's shoes on his feet and pulled him down the hill at top speed. The trees and grass around him lit up in flames as they made their way down the hill. Charlie pulled Billy into the trees and to the road. Charlie felt a strange sensation of not being tired or hungry, his body moving without any pain from his lungs. He found himself running very fast, the countryside passing by him as though he were in a car. He heard a warm purring sound on all sides of him and saw Aries, Sagittarius and Leo running beside them.

They ran right into the Heights, right past Loom Villa where the gates opened and four large black dogs ran out and snarled at them. Charlie kept a firm hold of Billy and practically dragged him along as the sound of a car coming down the road sounded. The wind whipped around them as they kept running, the Flames continuously giving Billy reassuring mews and growls.

However, flames erupted in front of them, stopping them in their tracks. The Flames surrounded the two boys as they turned to see Mrs. Pest smiling at them. Mr. Pest was behind her, medium built and sickly looking, though he seemed healthy enough in the car. "Billy, you shouldn't run away from us," she said them. Those burning coals for eyes settled on Charlie and he felt as though the very air around him was burning.

The sky was growing darker and Charlie heard thunder crack in the sky, lightning sparking through the clouds. Mrs. Pest growled and looked up into the sky as rain started coming down. When it hit her, steam rose from her body, the sound of water sizzling against her skin. She growled as the fire around them went out.

Charlie dragged Billy away again, running down the road again. Mrs. Pest backed away as the car went headlong after them. Just then, lightning crashed down and the car burst into flames, getting put out by the rain. Mrs. Pest's screams could be heard as she ran to the car. "WILLIAM!"


Mrs. Bone woke up to the sound of a phone ringing. She had been so worried about Charlie disappearing the way he had, that she had stayed by the phone in the sitting room and fell asleep. She picked up the phone quickly and put it to her ear. "Charlie?"

Charlie's voice came out clear enough. "Sorry about leaving the way I did, mum, but I had to do something. Billy, you remember Billy right?"

"Yes… yes I see," she said.

"Billy was locked up in the Pest home for a while, the Pests aren't a nice bunch, they fed him all right, it looks like, but both Mr. Pest and his daughter used strange sickness powers, or whatever, on him and Mrs. Pest! She's a fire starter!" Charlie continued to ramble until he didn't have anything left to say. "I'm at the Silk house, mum, Mr. Silk tells me he'll take me home later, but I need to be here for a while."

"Yes, thank you," said Mrs. Bone. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye," said Charlie and then hung up.

"Who was that?" grunted Grandma Bone from upstairs.

"Cleaners. They destroyed my favorite blouse. I guess I'll have to find another," said Mrs. Bone.

"Cleaners? How rude to call now at this time in the morning," she grunted and went back into her room with a snap of her door.

Mrs. Bone smiled faintly before pulling up a pillow and hugging it. "Be careful, Charlie," she muttered to no one.


Morgan looked out the window to the sky above. It was so stormy out that it made it difficult to sleep. The rain would have put her to sleep like a drug, but the thunder and the sound of the windows rattling made it difficult to do so.

She looked down at the ground at a gray beast padding across the ground in the rain with something shiny in his mouth. "What are you doing, Asa?" she muttered.

She sighed and lay down again, rubbing her neck. What was Asa doing?