MEGA W.I.T.C.H. AU

By: FunahoMisaki

(A/N: I own nothing and read last chapter)

(A/N: Just so you're aware

"Hey what's up?" – Normal talking

"You okay?" – Telepathy or thoughts

"I warned you." – Nerissa.

Okay Authors Note over)

"You sure you're okay to come to class Will? I can take the notes for Spanish if you need some more time." Taranee offered as the two of them and Cassidy were walking down the hallway towards the classroom, everyone giving Will confused or worried looks as she passed with that too old air to her and look in her eyes.

"I'm fine." Will said her voice almost a monotone as if the answer was an automatic response.

"Try that again with someone who'll believe it." Taranee said dryly as she gave her friend and leader a look.

"Hey Taranee I've been meaning to ask…how come you and Irma are so…ya know understanding of what happened? Cornelia and Hay-Lin seem kinda…" Cassidy trailed off trying to think of a non-insulting word for the far away and scared attitude of the air and earth Guardians.

"My mom's a judge, she's had to pass the death sentence before even though she prefers juvie cases so she can avoid that. Irma's dad is a cop, I think you can guess how that works out. Hay-lin…she's always been kinda the optimist who thinks everyone could be saved. Cornelia…she surprised me a bit but then she's always been a bit sheltered compared to the rest of us so I guess her distance makes sense." Taranee paused for a moment as she looked straight at Will to make sure the red head understood what she was about to say.

"I know how this can affect you Will. I've seen my mom go through with the guilt of knowing what the sentence she passed would result in, I've seen Irma's dad go through it when there was a shoot-out. They both had support systems to help them…and you do to. Me and Irma are on your side all the way no matter what happens okay sis?" Taranee asked softly with a smile on her face, making Will stare at her and her eyes become misty after she stared at Taranee a moment.

"Huh she means every word of that too. Hard to find that kind of loyalty anywhere." Nerissa said looking at Taranee and seeing the truth and determination in her gaze.

"Thank you fire sister." Will said swallowing heavily and smiling weakly at the dark skinned Guardian.

"Anytime Heart Sister." Taranee said placing her hand on Will's shoulder supportively.

"You have a lot of support and all of us are right there with you little one." Nerissa said placing her there but not there hand on Will's other shoulder.

"You have us Formers with you as well. We've all had to go through our first ones when we were about sixteen. Even Hallie and Yannie went through it and I thought Hallie was going to shatter before she found herself again. Yannie had been used to killing animals so she was a bit better off but even she wasn't completely normal after the first time. So don't worry. We're right here with you too." Cassidy said putting her hand on Will's shoulder, unknowingly overlapping Nerissa's own there but not there hand and giving a wordier version of the former Keeper's own remark.

"Let's get to class before you lovable idiots make me cry." Will said wiping her eyes quickly and turning away from the two who giggled at her.

"You sound like Hallie did when her parents kicked her out and we let her crash at our places until we all bought an apartment building for us and any future Guardians in case they needed a getaway." Nerissa said with a chuckle of her own as she followed Will to the classroom.

"Come on let's see if we can suffer through Spanish together. Makes me wish I took that in college instead of French although they didn't offer language classes in high school back when I was a student." Cassidy said wincing and looking thoughtful at the end as she followed after the other two since the classrooms had been moved around a bit since her time as a student.

"Really?" Taranee asked curiously as she looked at the former Guardian of water.

"Yeah but Yannie was teaching us some Chinese for whenever she slipped into it by accident. We were fluent by the time we were nineteen and we all chose different languages in college." Nerissa said nodding as she followed behind them, gracefully dodging anyone she would have ran into without thinking about it.

"Yeah but Yannie taught us Chinese for when she was hurt or disoriented since it was her first language. Then when we all made it to college we chose different languages to study and taught the others the one we chose. That way we could talk about the whole…you know… out in public and no one would know." Cassidy said making Will and Taranee look at each other. It would probably be a good idea for them to do that too for the same reason and so they can make plans right in front of their enemies without them ever knowing.

"Hallie learned Latin and Greek, Kaddie learned Dutch for some weird reason, Nerissa took Spanish class, and I learned French. Yannie was still trying to grasp the finer points of English so she didn't take any courses. Not to mention how suspicious everyone was of her because of… well the war and all. We all tried teaching each other our chosen languages and while Hallie was a sponge for them I only learned maybe a few words of the other languages and most of those were cuss words." Cassidy said shrugging a bit sheepishly at that. Hey she had been a young adult woman in the fifties, how else was she going to get away with cursing in public?

"I swear Cass learned how to cuss in ten different languages by the time she was twenty one." Nerissa said laughingly as she followed the girls into the classroom.

"Ah our new student Senorita Durano. There's a free seat by Senorita Vandom so follow her and if you need any help catching up ask Senorita Cook." The teacher, Mr. Folen, said looking at the three girls that had just walked in.

"Durano? But that is Halinor's last name." Nerissa said surprised as the girls took their seats, Nerissa just kind of sitting on the desk in front of Will. That was one of the Grubber sisters deck but it seemed like both of them were out sick today.

"Is Durano really your last name? I thought it was McLean?" Taranee asked Cassidy, making Will glance over at her confused as well.

"Well yeah my last name is actually McLean but I went to school with Katherine, who's the principal now. It'd be strange if a girl who looked and acted just like her friend who died forty years ago appeared out of nowhere with the same first and last name as the deceased girl though." Cassidy thought back to Taranee, the other girls both old and new being broadcasted into the conversation so that they knew what her cover was and didn't blow it in front of someone by accident.

"So instead you're using a different last name to throw her off. Shouldn't you have changed your first name too in that case?" Taranee asked making Cassidy glance over at her, none of the girls paying attention to the teacher much.

"Nah I have that part covered, see Durano is Hallie's last name so as far as Kathy knows I'm Hallie's granddaughter. With my mom dying in child labor and my dad running out on her before I was born I was named and raised by my grandma. It wouldn't be farfetched for me to be named after my grandmothers dear departed friend and besides… Cassidy is actually a pretty common name for girls." Cassidy explained before they were all brought back to the outside world by the teacher calling for Will.

"Senorita Vandom! Do you know the answer?" Mr. Folen asked making Will jerk slightly. What was the question?

"Just repeat after me okay Will? Mi Ilamo es…" Nerissa told the girl making Will glance at her for a split second before deciding to trust the ghost. What did she have left to lose?

"Mi ilamo es…" Will reported dutifully making the teacher blink but nod.

"Correct. My name is in Spanish is Mi ilamo es." Mr. Folen said making Taranee and Cassidy let out a sigh of relief while Will relaxed a bit. Nerissa really was helping her. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as she thought it would be. Although she probably should pay more attention to the teacher and class.

"Yeah that'd be a good idea." Although now she thought she might ignore the teacher just to mess with Nerissa.

"I heard that!" But that might not be a good idea because then she'd be falling behind in class more than she already is and she didn't want to give her mother any more reason to lecture her.

"Hey don't pretend to ignore me!" Nerissa was getting annoyed now although she was happy to see a small smile on Will's face now. The first real smile and not a sad one that the red head sported ever since the fight.

"Fine see if I help you pass Spanish." Nerissa said pouting and crossing her arms over her chest as she turned away from Will.

"Will you okay?" Taranee asked waving a hand in front of Will's eyes as the bell rang, making Will blink and startle. She had been so busy thinking and listening to Nerissa that she hadn't paid any attention to the class.

"Fine. Lost in thoughts." Will said grabbing her book bag and standing up.

"Try again and about what?" Taranee asked as they headed for the door to move to the exit, Spanish being their last class of the day so they went to meet up with the others.

"Nothing important just random things." Will said averting her eyes making the two following her look at each other. She didn't have to be brought in on their mental link to know that they thought she was talking about Nerissa again. Well… it's not that they'd be wrong.

"Ms. Vandom are you… alright?" Knickerbocker asked when she caught sight of the girl walking past her, earning a confused look from the Heart wielding red head.

"I'm fine." Will said on reflex making Cassidy snort slightly.

"You sound like Kaddie." Cassidy said making Katherine look at her and pale drastically.

"Cass-Cassidy?" Knickerbocker asked her voice shocked and she looked like she had seen a ghost.

"That's my name. Cassidy Durano. You okay there ma'am?" Cassidy asked looking worriedly at the principal who swayed a little bit.

"Tara the left." Will said quickly supporting Knickerbockers right side in case the woman fainted.

"Honestly this isn't the strangest thing that Kathy has seen. Then again she didn't know that Cass was revived." Nerissa said as she looked at her old classmate.

"Easy there ma'am. Geez when grams said I'd give someone a heart attack I didn't think she was being serious." Cassidy said as Taranee supported Knickerbockers other side and the two teens kept the older woman up on her feet.

"Grams said that I look a lot like her old friend, that's why I share her name. Are you going to be okay?" Cassidy asked lying but still looking genuinely worried about her old friend and classmate as the other students began to crowd around curiously.

"Your grandma?" Knickerbocker asked weakly while Cassidy gave a sheepish grin.

"Cassidy what have you done to Katherine? Honestly it's not even your first day yet!" A woman called causing the Guardians to jerk slightly while Nerissa gave a small snort when Cassidy yelped.

"Oh come on! It's not my fault I look like a replica of my namesake! I didn't expect my principal to nearly faint cause of it." Cassidy said defensively as Halinor came walking over wearing a blue and white dress.

"Easy Katherine. She looks like her yes but don't faint." Halinor said quickly walking over and helping Katherine calm down with a worried look on her face.

"Halinor? Ugh sorry about that." Knickerbocker said shaking her head and snapping out of her funk.

"It's alright Kathy. My Cassidy looks a lot like our old friend with the same name." Halinor said with a small sad smile.

"Kathy this is my granddaughter Cassidy Durano. Cassidy this is my old classmate Katherine Knickerbocker." Halinor said doing introductions without batting an eye lash.

"And to think that when we started as Guardians she couldn't lie to save her life. Honestly I swear we nearly got busted at least twenty times because of her inability to lie for like two years." Nerissa said impressed at her old friends ease with lying now, even later on in their Guardian career she hadn't been much good at lying. Obviously she had gotten much better.

"Really? Congratulations Halinor and I'm sorry about that Miss Durano. You just look an awful lot like an old friend of mine that unfortunately had her life cut short too soon." Knickerbocker said making Cassidy shrug it off easily.

"Yeah so I've been told. Aunt Kadma fainted when she saw me a couple of months ago. It was hilarious when she came around saying something about how the Water Demon came back to haunt her." Cassidy said quirking a small grin and making Knickerbocker snort slightly. The other students were moving away from them now that it didn't look like someone was fainting anymore.

"That sounds like the Kadma I knew. I'm surprised she didn't get arrested for killing whoever was responsible for what happened to the Water Demon. Those two were like Ms. Lair and Ms. Hale are now. Always at each others throats but first in line to protect the other." Knickerbocker said with a chuckle while Cassidy and Halinor exchanged confused and alarmed looks.

"What makes you think it was someone's fault? From what grams said it was a skiing accident." Cassidy asked looking at Knickerbocker who snorted slightly.

"That's why. Your namesake hated skiing, she preferred swimming and wouldn't get on a pair of ski's if it would save her life." Knickerbocker said making Cassidy look surprised while Halinor smiled slightly. Only those who knew Cassidy before her death would know that she didn't like skiing at all and guess that she had been murdered.

"Kadma didn't get a chance. Cass's killer is dead I promise you that." Halinor said glancing at Will before turning to the girl and smiling warmly.

"And where did Cassidy find a hazel eyed clone?" Halinor asked smiling kindly at Will who blinked.

"Everything down to her love for swimming and her friends being protective. I nearly fainted when I saw her for the first time." Knickerbocker said making Cassidy and Will look at each other.

"You really do look like a clone of Cassidy." Nerissa agreed as she looked at the two red heads who were standing next to each other.

"Nice to meet you young lady. My name is Halinor Durano, Cassidy's grandmother." Halinor said as if she hadn't met Will before, mainly because Knickerbocker and a few other students were nearby.

"Nice to meet you Ms. Durano. My name is Will Vandom, this is one of my friends Taranee Cook." Will went along with it without batting an eye as Taranee gave a small smile and wave.

"You sure you're a grandma? You don't look like one." Will asked being completely honest and making Nerissa bust out laughing while Cassidy snickered.

"Suck up. Grams knows she looks old." Cassidy said teasing Will and nudging her playfully in the ribs.

"I may be old but I can still take you to task." Halinor said with a smirk while Knickerbocker was snickering.

"I don't blame her for not believing it. You look 35, 40 at the most Halinor." Knickerbocker said making the blond smile and give her old friend a small hug.

"Thanks for saying so Kathy. Kadma's moving back in town at the end of the week and Linny mentioned reserving the Dragon for us one day. We can make a reunion of it. Not many of our graduating class is left after all." Halinor said smiling warmly at her old classmate.

"There's only Yan, Hali, Cass, Kathy, and Kadma left." Nerissa said softly her eyes sad but understanding. She would and yet wouldn't be at that reunion but it was her own fault. She should have known that, while enhanced by the Hearts she had taken and her own Keeper durability, her body was old and frail. Of course having a sword fight would have her collapsing or straining it too much.

Honestly she could feel her lungs beginning to go out during the fight and so technically Will did her a favor when she stabbed Nerissa through the stomach just before the old Keeper could strike a fatal blow on the teen. Dying from the stomach wound was faster and less painful than the way her lungs had been killing her.

"What happened to Nerissa do you know? I know she vanished shortly after Cass….erm McLean's death but I hadn't heard anything else about her in years." Knickerbocker asked looking at Halinor who winced while Will flinched and shrunk in on herself as Taranee and Cassidy moved to support her.

"Nerissa is dead. She died some time ago." Halinor said her voice soft and she glanced at Will in worry.

"True but not true at the same time. Nicely done Hali." Nerissa said not flinching at the mention of her own demise.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I know how close you five were. You five were joined at the hip. Where you went, they went and where one of you five was, the other four weren't far behind." Knickerbocker said smiling sadly at Halinor who looked away as did Cassidy while Will looked guilty as hell.

"It's not your fault and Rissy…she wasn't the same after what happened to Cassidy. She was no longer the Rissy I knew. No longer my sister in heart." Halinor said shaking her head sadly at how far her fellow guardian and once sister had fallen.

"Ouch. I deserved that." Nerissa said with a wince at what Halinor had said while Will started feeling sick again. She was being reminded that the person she had killed had been someone's daughter, someone's sister, someone's friend…hell she was one of her friends mother!

"Pardon me." Will said pushing past the others quickly as she dashed for the closest trash bin or toilet.

"I'll go check on her." Cassidy said immediately taking off after Will while Knickerbocker looked startled and alarmed at the sudden departure of the hazel eyed red head.

"What's wrong with Ms. Vandom?" Knickerbocker asked worried and confused.

"Nerissa…she died just a few days ago and that young lady Will? I…According to Yannie she was there when Nerissa…" Halinor trailed off making Knickerbocker look horrified.

"She saw Nerissa die. That explains why she's been so strange acting today." Knickerbocker said making Halinor nod slightly in agreement.

"Yes seeing death for the first time, especially with how Nerissa had died…Kathy Will was literally sitting in a pool of Nerissa's blood when we learned about what happened." Halinor said telling the truth but omitting certain parts of it.

"Is she okay enough mentally to come back to school?" Knickerbocker asked making Halinor sigh heavily.

"That's a…difficult question. Will is…from what Yannie tells me and what little time Kaddie had spent with her…She's a strong stubborn girl. She's…functional right now. Right now I think school is just what she needs, something to keep her distracted until she finally comes to terms with what happened." Halinor said after thinking of it for a moment trying to make it sound like she knew the girl very little and only through the others. Which…was mostly true. She didn't get to spend a lot of time with the newer guardians before she had been enthralled.

"Anything I should keep an eye out for?" Knickerbocker asked concerned.

"She's likely to suffer flashbacks of what happened perhaps Survivors Guilt. You know the symptoms of that and what it can do to a person…just…if she starts getting really bad have Cassidy call me and let me know. Yannie has me working as Will's therapist due to my…well you know our history with this kind of thing and my degrees." Halinor said for once glad that she had gotten an associates degree in psychology despite how misogynist most of the class and school had been about that.

"Right. I'll keep an eye out and let the other teachers know that she had a traumatic experience and to keep a careful but distant eye on her. If she has your temper when it comes to people trying to keep an eye on her I don't want to get in her way." Knickerbocker said making Halinor smile sadly but thankfully.

She only said one thing though that had Knickerbocker snorting slightly at the look on Taranee's face.

"I said I was sorry for setting your hair on fire."