Chapter 11: Secrets and Guys Part 2

Halliwell Manor

"Where's Kayda?" Anakin asked upon returning the Halliwell Manor and finding Kayda gone.

"She got a lead from Andy," Phoebe said. "Went to check on it."

Anakin frowned. "I gave her explicit orders to remain by the board."

"Master Skywalker …" started Phoebe, then she let out a sigh. "First do you mind if we drop the Master business. Dawn relaxed it since we're family."

Anakin thought about it for a moment. He knew that both Buffy and Dawn had indeed relaxed it when it came to their family. And because of Dawn's adoption into his family, hers was also his. It was why little Padme, Aurora, Elara and Kayda all called him Uncle. "I will allow it, since your right, you are family. It makes no sense that some of our family does while others don't."

"Thank you, Anakin," said Phoebe. "Now secondly. Doesn't Kayda have just about as much experience in these things as you do?"

"Yes and no," answered Anakin. "There is a reason that Kayda and Elara both were not promoted to Knight the moment they joined the Order on Endor. I won't go into the details, but suffice to say part of it was because they were Sith Lords that only turned to the light when they met their mothers. As far as the Jedi goes, they have very little experience. As far as the Force itself goes, yes, they have pretty much as much experience as I, Buffy and Dawn do."

"Then can I suggest something?" Phoebe asked as Anakin nodded. "Use this situation as her trials?"

Anakin thought about what Phoebe was suggesting. The current situation would be a good test to see if Kayda in only a year was truly ready to be a Jedi. "Agreed."

Franklin House

Mr. Franklin led Kayda to the couch in his living room, still holding the picture of him, his wife, and his son. He hesitantly explained to her what had happened the night before when Max had been taken. "Then they hit me and I passed out," he finished, dropping into the arm chair that was diagonal to Kayda. "I've been going out of my mind crazy ever since last night. Should I go to the police? To the Jedi Order? Should I do as they say? They promised to bring him back, but after what the police said happened this morning… I—I don't even know if he's alright." He admitted, the worry evident in his voice.

"No, I know that Max is okay right now. I know that for a fact as I personally saw the second of two messages he somehow sent," Kayda assured him softly.

Mr. Franklin paused at her choice of words. "So, I take it you're a… a witch too?" he guessed.

"No," answered Kayda. "My half-sister is though. But all Jedi whether they have the added gifts that magic gives them have access to powers."

"Could the Jedi train him?" he wondered.

"It is possible that he could be trained to be a Jedi alongside being a witch," Kayda said. "Only the Triumvirate can make that call. But it does seem he is strong in the Force."

"My wife, Paulette, said he and she were witches. You know, it would have been a hell of a lot easier to handle her family secret had it been revealed a lot sooner," he replied with a hint of bitterness.

"Maybe she was afraid of how you would react," Kayda assumed. "Maybe she was afraid that you might not accept her or love her."

Mr. Franklin narrowed his eyes in a scrutinizing manner. "Speaking from personal experience?"

"Sort of," Kayda said. "For a long time, I lived with my father. He was a very evil man. I was told my mother did not want me. When I finally met her, I was afraid to let her in, afraid she would see me as the child of an evil man, not as a woman who wanted to get to know her mother."

Mr. Franklin looked at Kayda and nodded, she did understand. "Well, when Paulette, she had to tell me, she was running out of time. She passed away three months ago," he explained. He took a moment to compose himself before continuing. "Then suddenly, Max, he starts having this power. I don't have a clue what to tell him what it all means. Then he uses it and gets busted at an arcade and now this…"

"I'm sure that Max…" Kayda started but was cut off by Mr. Franklin.

"Do you have any children?" he demanded.

Kayda shook her head. "No. Not yet. I have a half-sister, Aurora, and another half-sister, Elara. I also have a cousin who recently turned seven-years-old. My entire family is very close to one another. I know what I would do if any of them were in Max's place instead of Max. I also know what you're feeling with your wife, I lost a man I considered a brother, who sacrificed himself for me, my sisters, my cousin and my uncle. Do you know of anybody who owns an auto shop?"

He appeared thoughtful before finally shaking his head, unable to think of anyone. "Why?" Mr. Franklin wondered.

"The message I personally saw mentioned auto shop," Kayda explained.

"No, I…" Mr. Franklin trailed off as a sudden thought hit him. "… Although, I think Max's friend, Danny, his brother works at one over in Oakland."

"Is Danny the friend that broke into the arcade with Max?" Kayda questioned. She watched as Mr. Franklin's eyes widened in realization. That was answer enough for her. "Got a location?"

Auto Shop

Max fought to break the ropes that bound his wrists and looked up in surprise as Kayda walked in, heading straight for him her lightsaber at the ready.

"Max?" Kayda asked, though she knew immediately it was him.

"Who's there?" Max demanded, trying to look over his shoulder and get a good look her.

Kayda knelt down in front of him, she clipped her lightsaber to her belt before trying to undo the knots. "I am Padawan Kayda Skywalker of the Jedi Order. I'm here to take you home," she explained hastily.

"But how'd you find me?" Max questioned curiously.

Kayda frowned down at the ropes that refused to loosen. "The Jedi Order received your messages," Kayda said as Max gave her a quizzical look. "You must have been doing it subconsciously. But those messages led me to your father you led me to your friend, Danny. I had a little chat with him."

Max was obviously becoming increasingly confused. "You know my dad?"

"Yeah, he…" Kayda trailed off as she heard the door clang open. She spun as her lightsaber sprang to her hand instantly. She saw Mickey in the doorway.

Mickey was stunned for a split moment before his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Hey, who the hell are you?" he demanded. Before he could reach for his gun, Kayda utilizing the Force sent him flying back into the tire bend. He dropped to the floor just as David ran in. Again, utilizing the Force, she sent him into the tire bend as well. David promptly fell to the floor beside Mickey.

Kayda turned back to a wide-eyed Max and pulled him to his feet. "Come on. We need to hurry," she insisted, trying to lead him toward the back door.

"You have powers?" Max wondered aloud.

"Not like what you have, but yes," Kayda replied. "We should go."

Max pulled back from her. "I can't leave. They'll kill my dad if I do."

Before Kayda could answer, Mickey had walked up behind her and punched her. She hit the ground and slipped into unconsciousness.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Kayda vaguely felt herself being shaken awake. A rough voice telling her 'Hey, naptime's over, wake up.' She slowly opened her eyes and the room began to come into focus. She found Mickey kneeling beside her and she spun immediately around, looking for Max. She was relieved to find him next to her and unhurt. Kayda could just see David leaning casually against the wall behind Max.

"… I got a little surprise for you." Mickey continued, ignoring Kayda's inattentiveness to him.

Kayda's eyes had flickered back to Max. "Max, are you okay?" she asked, her voice soft and soothing but overshadowed by worry. Max shook his head. She stretched out her senses and knew exactly why Max was not okay. The men had strapped a bomb to him.

"He's fine," Mickey replied. "Now before you go trying to pull any of that magical, uh, hocus pocus crap again, I want to show you something." He pulled a switch with a blinking red light out of his pocket and showed it to her.

Kayda looked at the switch knowing what it was instantly, the trigger for the bomb. "So, to make sure I do nothing you are risking your payday," she said.

"I knew you Jedi were smart," Mickey smirked.

"Mickey, why don't…" David started to disapprove but Mickey turned on him.

"Shut up!" Mickey stood up and knelt down beside Max while David left the room. He made sure Kayda saw the bomb attached to Max's waist. "Plastic explosives. Little trick I picked up in Corcoran. Prison system's very educational."

With another pointed glance at the bomb attached to Max and the trigger he held in his hand, he sauntered off to join David in the adjoining room.

Kayda looked toward Max as Mickey and the other man walked into the other room. "Do what they want for now," she said. She had to buy herself some time to come up with a plan.

"I'm sorry I got you into this. Sorry I have these stupid powers," Max apologized, glancing away from her and to his hands that were tied in front of him.

Kayda shook her head. "No, Max. Don't ever be sorry about that. You have a gift."

"It's a pain! I'm a freak," Max retorted. "My dad hates it too. He hates me."

"No, no he doesn't." Kayda argued softly. "He just doesn't understand it, that's all. It's new to him too." There was a moment of silence in which Max thought the new perspective over. "Don't worry, Max. I won't let anything happen to you; I promise. Okay?"

Max offered her a faint smile. "Okay."

Quake

Piper quickly crossed the restaurant to where Leo was sitting at a table. She untied her apron and slipped into the chair next to him. "Sorry, small mutiny in the kitchen," she apologized. "Where were we?"

Leo hesitated a moment, glancing nervously at her. "Piper, there's something I need to tell you," he began.

"Yeah?" Piper pressed, listening closely with an expectant smile.

Leo sighed loudly and looked down at his hands, searching for words. "Look, uh, forgive me but I could be summoned at any moment, so I have to tell you this now…" Piper nodded for him continue. "… I …" Leo trailed off. He took a deep breath to compose himself and tried again. "… I …" Again, he couldn't finish it. Looking into her light brown eyes, that were now staring at him with a hint of worry, he couldn't say it. "… I can't believe how much I missed you."

Piper smiled and laughed a little though she was now confused. She was sure that wasn't what he was going to say but she didn't press it. "Well, Leo, I missed you too, but what do you mean 'summoned?' Summoned where?"

Before he could answer, Harry stuck his head out of the kitchen and waved enthusiastically at Piper. "Hey, uh… Piper! No respect, I can live with, okay, but where the hell is my coriander?" he demanded.

Piper looked around Leo and fixed Harry with a look of annoyance. She stood up suddenly and irritably tossed her apron on her seat. "Okay, that's it. I'm ending this now!" she decided, heading straight for the kitchen.

"Well?" Anakin said as he sat down at the table next to Leo.

"I just don't know how to tell her," Leo said.

"Honesty is the best course," Anakin said. "While you wait, I need a location. I know Kayda is not a Jedi Witch like her half-sister, Aurora. But since you are …"

"You want me to try and see if I can sense her location?" Leo asked as he closed his eyes and then shook his head. "No. I can't reach either Max or Kayda telepathically."

"Master Skywalker," Piper said as she sat down at the table opposite Anakin and Leo. "Is everything alright?"

"Maybe we should go outside," Anakin suggested. "Leo needs to tell you something important and then I need your help in locating Kayda."

"Alright," Piper said as they walked through the restaurant and outside.

Anakin motioned toward an alley and they walked into it. "Leo, just show her."

Leo sighed and nodded as he orbed out and then back in.

Piper's eyes went wide. "Demon?" she asked as she looked at Anakin.

"He's a Whitelighter," Anakin corrected. "Supposed to be a guardian angel to witches. In fact, he is your family's Whiteligter. He is also the Jedi Order's liaison to a group he calls the Elders. He's good, Piper."

"Okay, so…" Piper said. If it had been anyone else who had said that, she would have assumed they had made it up. But she knew that Anakin had no reason to lie to her.

"Till now, his relationship with you was forbidden, and you have heard the story of my relationship with Padme," Anakin explained. "So, I asked him to take me to his bosses and I spoke to them on his and your behalf."

Piper nodded as she looked at Anakin and understood what he was saying. He had talked to these Elders and persuaded them to allow her and Leo to be together, to not put her through what Anakin himself had gone through. "So, we're not forbidden like you were, Master Skywalker?"

"No," Anakin said.

Piper smiled at Leo. "I'm glad."

It was then that Leo heard a call from the Elders. He looked toward Anakin. "I have a location on Max and Kayda."

"What?" Anakin said wondering what had changed.

"Something must have happened and they gave me a location," Leo explained as he held out his hands.

Anakin took one hand and he motioned for Piper to take the other. "Take us there."

Leo nodded and orbed out with them.

The Auto Shop

Mickey pulled the door of the inconspicuous van, which they would be using as transport, open, getting it prepared for the night. David was passing him the blueprints, guns, and other objects that they were going to be using while Mickey packed them in.

"So, the thing is, once Max shorts out the alarm, we got like three minutes before the guards realize there's a signal interruption," David warned, leaning casually against the door of the van.

Mickey shrugged, unconcerned. "Just make sure the kid knows what he's supposed to do," he ordered sharply. He glanced around David and caught sight of the two witches on the other side of the room. "And keep an eye on the Jedi. I don't trust her."

Kayda watched their preparations with narrow-eyed curiosity until Max hesitantly caught her attention. "Has anything like this ever happened to you before?" he asked nervously.

"No," Kayda admitted. "I know people who have though. Usually the demons that they dealt with..."

"Demons?" Max repeated with wide eyes.

Kayda bit her lip slightly and silently scrutinized the young teenager. "Your Mom didn't get the chance to tell you much about your powers, did she?"

"No, I just found out about my power when she died." Max replied, shifting his gaze down to the ground.

"I know how you feel and how much it hurts," Kayda said. "For most of my life, my father told me my mother did not want me. I didn't learn the truth till just recently when I finally met my mother. But I know that feeling of loss never truly goes away. And when it comes to your powers you will have some of the best teachers the Jedi Order has to offer. I am sure even your dad will help."

Max laughed mirthlessly. "He'll never understand," he argued.

"Max, you have to help him understand." Kayda insisted softly.

He smiled faintly at the familiar words. "You sound just like my mom," Max remarked.

Kayda returned the smile and pulled him into a quick, one-armed hug. "Well, I care a lot about you too."

"I wish you could be my mom right now," Max admitted.

Kayda's smile widened before pulling slightly away from him. "So, what is your magical gift?" she asked curiously.

"Mom called it psychokinesis," Max answered. "It means I can move things I can't see."

Kayda started to respond but cut off as Mickey walked up to them. Her eyes flickered to land suspiciously on the trigger in his hands.

"Alright, remember, just do everything I say and, uh, nobody gets hurt." Mickey reminded them, staring pointedly at Kayda and waving the trigger in her direction.

"Let's roll," David decided, herding Prue and Max toward the van.

The foursome halted as Mr. Franklin came in through the door. "Max?" Mr. Franklin called as soon as he had caught sight of them.

"Dad!" Max responded, taking a step forward only to stop as David and Mickey both pointed guns at his father.

Mr. Franklin stopped, as well, holding his hands up in a sign of surrender. "Hold it. Hold it. Don't shoot. I'm unarmed," he assured them quickly, pulling open his jacket so they could see that he was indeed unarmed. "Nobody else knows you're here, I swear. I found you the same way she did. Through your brother."

Mickey fixed David with a look of utter disbelief mingled with anger. "Your brother?" he repeated.

"Dad." Max mumbled nervously.

"It's alright, son." Mr. Franklin assured him, his eyes never leaving Max. He slowly turned to face Mickey. "Look man, I'll give you anything else you want. Just… let me have my boy, please."

There was a tense silence in which everyone glanced nervously between Mr. Franklin and Mickey. Mickey abruptly lowered his gun and turned to David. "Alright, David, go, um, go put them in the van." David hesitated. "Do it." Mickey ordered, his patience running thin.

David pushed Kayda and Max past Mr. Franklin and roughly shoved Kayda inside first.

"My son…" Mr. Franklin tried to reach out to grab Max as they walked by but David shoved him aside and then forced Max into the van with Kayda. "Max, Max." Mr. Franklin repeated as Mickey grabbed him and moved him back behind the van. "Please man, let him go. I'm begging you. Please. He's my son. I beg you. Please."

Mickey loaded his gun and pointed it at Mr. Franklin. "Sorry," he apologized without a hint of remorse. Mickey pulled the trigger and Mr. Franklin fell to the ground. He walked over to the van and got in just as Leo orbed in with Piper and Anakin.

"Freeze them," Anakin said as he motioned toward the van and Piper motioned with her hands and froze the van. He looked at Leo. "Heal him."

"Raise the boy well. Heed the advice of Kayda and the Jedi Order." Leo said as he held his hands over the man and healed him.

"Dad, you okay?" Max yelled as Piper helped him and Kayda out of the van.

"Think you can use your power on the bomb?" Kayda asked Max who nodded and short-circuited the bomb.

Max then ran forward to meet his father.

Anakin unclipped his lightsaber and moved in front of the van before activating it. He nodded to Piper who unfroze David and Mickey. "Out of the van, you are hereby charged with the kidnapping of two Padawans of the Jedi Order."

"There's somewhere we need to go. I'd like you to come with us." Mr. Franklin said as he looked at Kayda.

Hills of Eternity Memorial Park – Next Morning

Max and Mr. Franklin knelt down beside Paulette's grave, both holding flowers that they placed in front of the stone. "I was so busy being angry at your mother for leaving, for not telling me her secret, your secret… it was like a… a weight on my heart. I hope you both can forgive me," Mr. Franklin admitted softly.

Instead of responding in words, Max turned away from his mother's grave and threw his arms around his father in silent forgiveness.

Kayda smiled, a content and watery smile.

Halliwell Manor

Kayda, Mr. Franklin and Max sat on the couch opposite Phoebe, Piper and Anakin. "Thank you," Mr. Franklin said, "for protecting my son."

"I'm just glad it all worked out," Kayda replied.

"What I told the men was a legal way of getting your son free without many legal jumps," Anakin said. "If you like, Mr. Franklin. We will train Max to be a Jedi."

Mr. Franklin looked at Max who nodded. "I'd like that," he said. "I would also like if you don't mind that Kayda be his teacher."

Anakin looked at Phoebe and nodded. He then looked back at Mr. Franklin. "Padawans are normally assigned to Knights or Masters," he said as he noticed the crestfallen look on Mr. Franklin's face. He smiled as he turned his attention toward Kada. "Padawan Kayda Skywalker, kneel."

Kayda got off the couch and knelt.

"By my order, Kayda Skywalker," Anakin said, "you are hereby promoted to Knight of the Jedi Order." He then ignited his lightsaber and saluted Kayda with it. "Rise Jedi Kayda Skywalker, Knight of the Jedi Order."

Kayda stood and smiled at her uncle. "Uncle Anakin, I wish to take Max Franklin as my Padawan Learner."

"And so, you shall," Anakin said as he saw a smile appear on Mr. Franklin's face.