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Standing in front of the restroom mirror Kathryn assessed herself in the mirror, thinking back to the conversation she'd just had not 5 seconds ago before Connor had started to get impatient with her.

"Hello?" Kathryn bit her lip nervously waiting for a response.

"you've got to be kidding me."

Kathryn leaned back on the sink, peeling off the chipped pain on the door, "please Buffy just this once! I've never asked you to do anything for me."

"Bullshit, how about that time you needed me to baby sit? And that other time when you asked me to call in sick for you at work when I was the one who was sick?"

"I don't remember those moments," Kathryn said trying to be funny, "ok, ok. After this I won't ask you to help again…I swear."

"Pinky swear?"

Rolling her eyes at how third grade Buffy was acting Kathryn swore, "fine pinky swear, you just need to be here in two days and help me deal with Angel. That's all. I'll baby sit your kids for a week…when you have kids…if you have kids."

"I'll hold you to that."

"I'll see you on Wednesday then right?"

"ugh…I guess."

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!" Allowing her self to relax just a bit Kathryn thought back to the last encounter Buffy and Angel had with each other, Kat tensed up just thinking about it. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to have called her big sister.

"Your welcome. Your welcome. Your welcome."

"I have to go, Angel might beat down the door if I take any longer."

"You'll kick his ass, then I'll kick his ass, and then Robin will kick his ass with Faith watching and cheering from the sidelines."

"I actually believe that. Bye."

"Be careful."

"Yeah yeah," she said sarcastically.

Coming back to the present Kathryn cleaned the invisible lint off her black tank, fingering the small silver cross around her neck Kathryn forced herself to keep her mind on the present.

A timid knock reminded her that people were in fact waiting on her.

"Hey umm Kathryn, are you planning to come out of there anytime soon? You've been in there for like…45 minutes."

"Damn it Connor don' you know a girl can't make miracles happen in half an hour," she glared at the door but kept her tone playful as she reapplied her lip gloss. "Can we go now, please?"

Taking pity on the boy and her stomach Kathryn walked out of the restroom grabbing Connor by the arm and dragging him out of the room, stopping only to make sure the room was indeed locked. Hooking her arm with his she smiled up at him, "Ok nephew, where are we going?"

Shrugging Connor let her lead him into the Roswell downtown area, "I have no clue, dad told me about this place but I don't remember what it's called."

"We'll find it," she declared confidently. It almost made him believe that they wouldn't get lost.

"So…dad never told me I had an aunt, and since you know he's," he made a face and hissed, "Vampy."

Giggling at his impression of a vampire Kathryn figured she could explain her connection to his father, maybe it would bring them closer together, who knew.

"It's sort of complicated. He's technically not my brother.."

"Figured that."

"Shut up…he was my brother though. 250 years ago."

"Wow..your old."

"Connor shut up," Kathryn glared up at him, a smile tugging at her lips, "my name was Kathy and I was 10 years old when I was murdered…by my brother."

Silence greeted her words so she continued, "I loved him so much then, my Liam. When he came back I was convinced he was an angel, sent to look after me and care for me like he'd done when he was alive. So I let him in."

They walked side by side, "I was the first to call him Angel. After that he took to calling himself Angelus."

Connor knew his father had been an evil sadistic bastard once, it bothered him, hearing the pain in her voice, "you don't have to tell me anymore."

Kathryn shook her head, "it get's better, I swear."

They had just made it past another hotel when Connor pulled her to a stop, "how does it get better? You died."

"I came back silly," Kathryn made a move to steal his nose before she realized he was looking at her as if she was out of her damn mind.

"Explain please," Connor started walking again this time without Kathryn by his side.

Taking long strides to catch up she hooked her arm around his again, "after I died I was reincarnated, you know what that means right? Anyways since my life had ended before it began the PTB's decided to give me a second chance. Though I swear to you their idea of a second chance is extremely twisted."

"I know," he deadpanned.

"Oh right! You do know. Your mother is the resurrected then revamped sire of Angelus…huh," she cocked her head to the side a smirk on her face, "that's a mouth full. That's basically what they decided but it's never a second chance if they don't give it a little twist. The Powers That Be decided to play match maker and got one philandering married man by the name of Hank Summers and one real witchy bitch of a mother together for a one night stand. They did the horizontal mambo and I was created."

"Horizontal? I don't want to know, don't explain," the name alone let him know what she was talking about, he did not want to hear what he had to say.

"Code name for 'sex' Xander said it in front of me once and I didn't understand what he meant until last year," she grimaced at the thought of her first time, it hadn't been pleasant.

His groaned, "TMI Kathryn. Didn't I say I didn't want an explanation. Where's the mind bleach when you freaking need it."

Kathryn scoffed, "oh please you can act like a virgin in front of your father but we're clearly close in age. You can not tell ME of all people that you haven't done the horizontal mambo at least once."

Blushing Connor cleared this throat, "still technically two years older than you and talking about my sex life with you is embarrassing."

"Want me to tell you about mine?" Kathryn couldn't help but tease him, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"NO!" Connor covered his ears, "stop with this line of conversation."

Walking down the street side by side the pair wasn't aware of the first strings of a bond forming as they laughed carefree for the first time in a long while.

At the Crashdown:

"Are you guys sure you don't want to order?" Maria asked the two men in one of the booths.

"We're waiting for my sister and son," Angel answered their waitress politely, her presence starting to grate on his nerves.

"Oh really? You have a son? But you look so young," she flirted shamelessly with the dark haired man, he was definitely a hotty Maria couldn't help but think.

"Excuse me Miss, I would like to order the…Men in Black Combo Meal," interrupting the ogling Wesley almost rolled his eyes at the hormone crazed girl at the edge of their table.

Maria smiled as she scribbled down the order on her order pad, "alright, what kind of drink would you like? We have Coke, Sprite, Cherry Coke, Fanta Orange."

"A coke would be fine," Wes nodded handing back his menu.

"Okay, I'll be right out with your order," Maria spun around swaying her hips to the kitchen.

As the door's to the back room swung closed Maria flung herself onto the sofa in the break room, "Jose," Maria called out waving the small slip of paper out in front of her, "one of the guys ordered an MIB combo, if you could pretty please make it."

Coming down the stairs from her home Liz sank down beside her best friend, "those guy's still here?"

"Yeah, said they're waiting on a sister and a son," she declared tiredly, "that hot guy has a son." Maria pouted.

The door jingle went off letting Liz and Maria know that more people had decided to make the Crashdown Café their last stop for the evening.

"Ria," Lis whispered as Jose let loose a few curses under his breath, "do you think this'll ever be over?"

Maria gave her a look, "no."Sighing Liz nodded in agreement, she knew in her heart maybe they'd be safe and free but not for long. Something about the alien abyss would pull them back.

"Liz," Max's soft voice called from the doorway.

Her heart skipped a beat, she never got tired of hearing him say her name like that, "hey."Yes Liz smiled, the danger that came with knowing Max's secret was worth it, as long as she had him by her side.

Coming down from their carefree high Kathryn took a moment to observe her surroundings, it took a good two minutes before she realized she recognized the buildings around her.

'No,' the panic laced thought slipped through her mind before she silenced it.

With it's green lettering and alien theme the Crashdown dive that Angel had unknowingly picked to eat at, threatened to bring her world crashing down around her. The possibilities of having to face the people that had had a hand in raising her, in crushing her preteen spirit, made her skin hum with nerves.

Kathryn forced herself to stay calm, rational thought finally winning over.

A lot of time had passed, she was no longer the little girl that had left. She had a different name, different mannerisms.

Clearing his throat Connor nudged her closer to the door, "Come on Kat, Dad's waiting."

"No," perhaps she wasn't ready as she thought she was, Kathryn stubbornly locked her knees.

Connor frowned pulling her over to the side and away from the large window, "what's wrong now?"

"Your father is such an idiot," she grumbled darkly as she repeatedly told herself no one would recognize her.

Connor looked around uncomfortably before slowly pulling her into an uncomfortable hug, "you don't have to tell me, I already now."

Stunned that he would go out of his way to comfort her Kathryn smiled, "lets go."

Keeping one arm around her shoulders Connor walked her back to the front of the establishment and tugged at the door. The familiar jingle of the X-Files rang out.

The interior was exactly as it had been since she'd last seen it, the jukebox still in the corner waiting to be played, the chairs and linoleum floor still that color she considered ugly.

Shrugging off the claustrophobic feeling she'd gotten as soon as she walked through the doors Kathryn looked around, her eyes skimming over the empty booths and the few customers on the counter. Her gaze landed on a group of people that looked her age, Kat imagined if she had stayed maybe she herself would have been found among them.

Looking away Kat noticed the two girls that had walked out of the backroom, recognition sparked as she looked at the girl with long dark brown hair and equally dark eyes. 'Lizzie,' a child's voice called out in her memory.

Connor pulled at a rigid Kathryn to the booth that he had spotted his father in, "you know," he mumbled close to her ear, "I don't want to carry you but if you don't start moving I'm going to have too."

The threat of being carried pulled her back to the present, looking up at Connor mischief in her eyes Kathryn leaned into his frame her eyes closing, "I'm soooooo hungry…can't move…feel so…lightheaded."

Connor grunted at having all of her weight leaning on him, "funny girl."

Kathryn moaned her head lolling back a bit for added affect, "can't stand…much longer."

Her theatrics had gotten the attention of the pod squad making Connor blush with all the eyes that were on him, retaliation on his mind Connor smirked, "really so you can't stand much longer huh…"

"Don't you dare," she growled at him.

Letting his arm drop, quickly side stepping away from her, and as gravity pulled her body down, Connor caught her with lightening fast reflexes. Coming face to face with wide glaring green eyes, "oops."

Lifting her in his arms Connor carried her to his father's booth, dumping her on the empty side he scooted in next to her, "so what's on the menu."

Still glaring Kathryn smacked him, hard.

"Ow! Rubbing his arm Connor turned to look at his assailant, "what was that for?"

"For dropping me," she declared, her arms folded over her chest and her nose in the air.

"I caught you. I could have let you fall," he informed her, a smirk still on his face.

Yanking the menu out of his hands Kathryn ignored his protest, "since you're such a hero you won't mind if I looked at this first."

Folding his arms Connor grumbled looking everywhere else but at Angel and Wesley, "cranky old woman."

Lowering the menu slowly, Kathryn turned her fierce glare to Angel, "did your son just call me what I think he called me?"

If it were possible Angel's heart would have skipped a beat at the look on her face, "no."

Her left eyebrow went up, "are you sure Liam."

Angel knew, from past experience with angry woman and their mood swings, that it was time for a subject change, "how's Faith?"

"Don't ch-"

"I'm leaving tonight," Wes declared before a true argument could begin.

Resisting the urge to pester and whine about how he should stay, Kathryn's glare faded, "why?"

"I don't quite have the resources that I need here," he explained patiently, for all their arguing he got along fine with Kathryn, they'd gotten quite close during her last visit to Los Angeles. Staying in contact when Giles left for England to see what was left of the Watchers Council, even helping each other when there was need for it. Though he doubted Angel or Connor would believe them. It was no matter, Wes felt better not having to explain their friendship to people, "I'll be leaving tonight when Gunn arrives."

Kathryn sighed, knowing what he said was true but still not liking it, "books, research," she mumbled a pout forming, "is Gunn coming alone?"

"No," Angel grumbled, still not pleased that Spike had invited himself and had per swayed Gunn into bringing him along.

"Ookay," Kathryn blinked owlishly, "then who's coming with him?"

"A friend," he declared, reverting back to his cryptic self for a second.

Maria smiled prettily as she walked up to the table with a cold drink and Wes's plate of food in her hands, "here's your Men In Black Combo, ah I see everyone is finally here," she pulled out the small booklet, "is everyone set to order?"

Kathryn eyed the waitress, she looked familiar, "yeah, I'll have a cherry coke and the same thing as Wes ordered. Extra pickles."

Maria's friendly gaze hardened, the girls dismissive attitude rubbing her the wrong way, as she opened her mouth to snap at her a smooth voice stopped her.

"I'll have the same," the hot guy next to the rude girl, smiled at her.

"Hi my names Maria."The image of a small loud mouth girl her hair up in pig tails flashed through her mind, Kathryn almost wanted to laugh and then deck her. Hard.

"So you're the son," Maria danced along the fine line between flirting and politeness.

Smiling Connor ran his fingers through his hair, "names Connor."

Kathryn's eyes widened at what was going on before her, rolling her eyes she leaned forward to whisper into her ear, "ask her out already."

Blushing beet red Connor cleared his throat, "So Maria do you uhh…want to go to the uh movies tomorrow night?"

Maria giggled, "sure, pick me up here..7?"

"Yeah sure 7 is good," Connor's lust struck gaze followed Maria as she walked backwards to the kitchen, "tomorrow night."

"He got his skills from you didn't he," Kathryn looked at Angel with a raised eyebrow shaking her head in mock shame, "I bet Wes has more game than you kid."

Across the restaurant Michael's eyes had stayed on the girl from the moment she'd entered, her aura's radiance was blindingly beautiful. He was sure if other's knew how to look for it they'd see it too.

Feeling eyes on her Kathryn looked around until her eyes locked with caramel eyes. She shivered, goose bumps erupting all over her arms. His intense gaze lighting a fire in her veins. Kathryn looked away, her cheeks going rosy as she felt his eyes roam over her body. Later in the safety of her hotel room she'd swear her skin burned hotter where ever his eyes had landed, as if he was trying to drink in every detail of her.

Michael focused as her bright white gold aura became speckled with amber, 'I make her nervous,' smirking at that little nugget of knowledge he focused on the boy next to her. Michael noted that his aura was just as bright as the one next to him, they were even similar in color.

"Michael?"

Bringing his vision back into focus, Michael looked at who ever had said his name, "What?"

"Stop staring," Isabel whispered from her spot next to Max.

Garrett Park Sunday Night.

Pushing himself harder Steve Miller felt the familiar burn in his leg muscles. The burn distracting him from his wife's reluctance to move to Chicago after finding out his promotion would send them far from home.

"Damn in-laws," he muttered under his breath. As he stopped to take his pulse at the light on the corner of Garrett Park Ave. and Dobbs St.

He stopped moving altogether as his eyes landed on a dark brown foot leading away from the park. Looking around he found the second foot print, Steve felt his heart skip a beat.

Following the foot prints deeper into the park Steve stopped at the edge of a playground where the grass turned into sand. Frozen to the spot Steve followed the drag markers with his eyes.

A scream lodged in his throat as he found himself looking at a bloody body of a little girl, a hole in her chest. He stumbled backwards almost falling on his ass as he the tears streamed down his face.

Spotting a payphone not to far away he dialed 911.

Minutes later the sound of sirens and flashing lights let him know that help was on the way.

Steve Miller swore as he cried openly that he'd convince his wife to move to Chicago, as soon as the nightmare he walked into was over.

Slamming his apartment door shut Michael dumped his jacket on the counter, landing on his old sofa with an ompf.

His mind on the girl who's name he didn't know and how she'd looked at him just before leaving, her eyes a beautiful green. And for a moment Michael forgot about the murderer on the loose, the one he was worried about.

"And now the Evening News at 10 with Tim Jones and Nina Grady."

An older looking man with graying hair and a serious face stared into the camera lens, "I'm Tim Jones with an update on the New Mexico Killer, another victim of this murder was found earlier this evening police were called to the scene at Garrett Park in Dona Ana County. David Dodson is on the scene."

A middle aged black man with a microphone in his hands and the park at his back, "I'm here at Garrett Park where 13 year old Brianna Garcia was found by Steve Miller." A little man with tight running clothes stared into a camera, tear tracks on his face and yellow caution tape behind him, " I was just jogging by like I do every night when I saw tracks leading away from the park, I called 911 for help."

The reporter came back on, "It would seem that the New Mexico Killer has claimed a fifth victim. No evidence has been found up until now, the tracks may be a possible lead that the police will actively pursue says Las Cruces Chief of Police Dallas Romero. A press conference will beheld tomorrow morning by Chief Romero in hopes of calming the people. Back to you Tom.

The TV turned off.

Kathryn threw the TV remote across the room pulling out her laptop Kathryn wiped away a stray tear.

Typing away at high speed Kathryn focused on getting through the firewalls of the Las Cruces Police Station. Grabbing her flash drive Kathryn downloaded all five reports on the New Mexico murders. Shutting down the computer she tugged open the adjoining door.

Connor's heavy eye lids slid shut as Kathryn stormed unto the room glaring at Angel's pacing and Connor's sleeping form. Wesley looked up from his packing."Please tell me you had the TV on."

Wes zipped his bag shut as he glanced at Angel, "no I'm afraid we did not."

Kat rolled her eyes heaven ward, unshed tears making her eyes glisten, "what the hell Angel? Aren't we here to investigate? Shouldn't you have the TV turned to the nearest news station just in case there are any new developments?"

Wes sighed, glad that the question wasn't aimed at him.

"The last victim was murdered 7 days ago. There seems to be at least a two week gap between each victim. We have another 7 days before he strikes again," Angel murmured, not stopping in his movements.

Her vision went red, "dammit Liam! Connor wake up!"

Connor snapped up looking around with wild eyes, "What the hell?!"

Throwing her flash drive at his head Kat glared, "get your laptop running and open the files in that thing."

Looking down at the little stub Connor reached for his bag, " I was sleeping you know."

"I could see that," her angry glare making him move faster.

Stepping up behind her Wes brought a hand to her shoulder, squeezing to let her know he was here for her, "what happened?"

Kathryn leaned back, his silent support better than the nothing she was getting from her brother, "we have a fifth victim. 13 year old Brianna Garcia. Before that 11 year old Lucas Vale. Why didn't you tell me there were kids involved?"

Her shoulders sagged as if the weight of the world was on them.

Wes squeezed again before letting go and moving to his bag to get a flash drive, handing it to Connor his face serious, "copy the files to the USB drive. I'll need them when I'm in Los Angeles."

Kathryn's bottom lip trembled, she needed a hug damn it.

"Dad," Connor called out his face pale, he turned the laptop around so that it would face the others in the room.

A photo, in color filled the screen. Blood everywhere as Angel finally stopped moving. The body of a little red haired girl laying on sand, her chest cavity open and exposed.

"She's missing her heart," Connor managed to say as he turned the laptop back around, opening all the files he noted the same went for every vic before her, "they're all missing their hearts."

Connor copied the files, handing Wes his USB drive back.

Wesley knew, as he held his hand out for the laptop itself that this case would be harder for her now. Going over each photo with a critical eye Wes closed the laptop, "it seems the Killer is evolving."

Kathryn waited for him to put the laptop down before throwing her arms around him, needing to comforted.

Rubbing circled into her back Wes almost wanted to deck Angel for his callousness, it was obvious to him that she'd wanted her big brother to comfort her.

Angel looked away from the glare Wes was giving him, he'd wanted to hug her but he still felt awkward about shielding her from the ugliness of the world. At the back of his mind he wondered if he'd been somewhat replaced by Wesley without his knowledge.

"Connor and Kathryn are not going out as bait. Until you find out what's doing this and how to kill it, they'll be staying close," Angel declared his eyes on the window and his back to the room.

Sniffling Kat stepped away from Wes, wiping her face clear of the few tears she'd let loose, "we're stuck until you find something then."

"You'll interview families," a plan forming in his mind, "I'll be down in the sewers, looking for leads with the demon underground until we hear from you or Fred, Wes."

Wesley nodded, he glanced at Connor who was deep in thought, "make them stay together."

"of course," Angel murmured.

Connor and Kat locked eyes, hardened resolve and strength coursing through their bodies.

Out in the desert…

The wind rushed past it's ears as the moon looked down from it's spot in the heavens. The moon's mouth a gap in horror as it cried out to anyone who'd listen.

'Run. Hide. It's coming.'

The moon's warning lost in the wind.

It grunted hearing the moon, hearing it's words, running faster to reach the bight lights in the distance that were calling to it like a sirens song. Passing a sign it growled feeling the human deep in it's being stir. The brown crusted blood under it's nails and on it's feral face.

It new agony.

It new pain.

It new hunger.

And it reveled in it.

Feeling it's control slip, an inhuman scream ripped through the night as it's form started to shift. To shrink in size. Slender feet ran across the desert floor until they came to a complete stop.

A girl no older than 15 stood naked in the desert plain with a strong grip on her still beating belongings, "stupid animal."

She walked heading for the next town over.

'Tuule, where are you?'

"Leaving Sir," she mumbled.

'How many more.'

Tuule shivered as she heard the hunger and anticipation in her master voice, "ten more sir."

' Move faster,' the voice commanded, 'the humans are close. I will not defend you if you are found.'

"They won't," she snarled, angered at the thought of being stopped by a weak human.

'See too it that they do not.'

"Yes sir."

'Kalev is expecting you, do not keep him waiting.'

"Kalev," Tuule shivered as she remembered her companion in a body older than the one she was in currently, "is he to go with me."

'NO,' her master screamed, angered by her question, 'he will do as he is told. Do not fail me in this Tuule. We have waited too long to fail this time.'

"Yes master," she stuttered, all thought of finally coupling with her companion again put out of her mind.

The moon had looked on with renewed horror. Her warning still in the wind.

'She lends a hand to the beginning of the end to all and the dawn of new darkness. Forever hope will be lost, stop her.' The moon whispered a new warning, willing the wind to carry her words to someone who would listen.

goodness! :)

tell me what you think!

~Luna-Rose