Hi out there! so if you're here that means this story (yes i know its been going on for ever, yes i know i'm a horrible person to have kept it going this long, yes i know its called writers block and its common but COME ON! give me a break here! i'm in review hell! nothing to offer current and fresh support...OH WHERE HAVE YOU GONE MY LOVELY READERS?! *clears throat* sorry about that. its been a rough couple of daysweeksfreaking months...and i have the tendency of being overly dramatic. anyway! This chapter took me a..while. my muse left without informing me for how long she'd be gone leaving me to my own devices BUT she's back! xD so without further ado :) ON WITH THE STORY!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I do own my OC's...no you can't have them, they're MINE!

At the beginning:

"You promised to take me on your next hunt Degenhard! You promised!"
A young 10 yr old boy cried out as he followed a tall lanky teenager, a pout on the young boys lips.

"I did promise you little brother, on my next hunt you will go with me," the 16 year old smiled down, his kind eyes a warm light brown. Eyes like their mothers.

"It is not fair," the little boy wailed pitifully following Degenhard into the stables, "Biernat is going with, why must I stay behind again?"

"Oh stop your belly aching Wolfrik or I'll tell father," a 13 year old boy called out, lifting himself on to the saddle of his horse Caldis. His brown hair is disarray and his light brown eyes glittering mischievously.

Wolfrik huffed glaring up at his older brother, opting to stay quiet instead of yelling at him. The threat of their father knowing he had acted out caused his heart to accelerate.

"Enough you too," Degenhard declared, pulling himself up on to his own horse, Phelan, "tell mother we shall return before night fall."
A feeling, one Wolfrik had never known settled on his thin young shoulders, with those parting words his older brothers left him behind.

Hours later when the sun was starting to dip back into the earth.

Reading one of the scrolls his tutor assigned him, Wolfrik almost didn't hear his mothers keening wail.

Setting the page down he ran to her room, and found her at the window overlooking the courtyard, whimpering at the sight below.

"Mother?"

His mother, Celene turned around her eyes red and her skin blotchy. In her hands was a bloody tunic, a tunic he could recall his older brother Degenhard wearing before he'd left that very morning.

Present:

Tanya shoved another book off her desk, "nothing."

Hours had gone by since her daughters call, hours she had spent going over every books she owned and looking for something that could possibly help.

Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of a book she had yet to open.

Its cover was deep purple cloth, with spots of mold and dirt.

Tanya couldn't remember how she came by such a book, its pages yellow with age and delicately lined with silver.

"You did this," Celene whispered, tears streaming down her face as she hugged the lifeless body of her youngest child to her chest.

Her husband looked down at her, the disgust he felt for her evident on his face, "who else?"
Celene chocked down the bile that threatened to rise, "why?"

Her husband smiled cruelly, he squatted down so that they were at eye level, "proof of my love."

She watched as he walked away, a mother's rage burning through her veins. With a clouded mind Celene made a vow, 'you will pay for this in tenfold Izzerial'.
The feel of her now empty home sent Celene out of the room, taking the stairs down to the basement where the bodies of her other boys were being kept before their burial.

Crying at her loss, she laid Wolfrik down beside them.

The words penned on the page were not English.

Looking it over Tanya grumbled, the writing looked similar to archaic Latin. Reaching for the phone she dialed someone who would know more, someone who could read what this book had to offer. \

Thunder shook the heavens.

Lightening lit up the sky and the dark land below for a brief moment before casting it all in shadow once more.

If Celene were so inclined to listen to the chatter beneath her feet she would have heard the frightened whispers of her people.

Fabrications of an angry god, one who ruled the heavens.

One who sent down bolts of lightening to strike fear into their hearts.

If Celene were so inclined to have listened, she would have surely put them at ease with the knowledge that, what was happening was a sign. An acknowledgement and a blessing, all for her.

As it was, Celene was not listening.

Standing in circular room of her highest tower Celene looked out, mesmerized by it all.

Power gathered in her body while bitter cold winds whipped around her.

She inhaled sharply as the ancient power still foreign to her crawled beneath her skin. It was too much.

As if she was underwater Celene heard the muffled shattering of a wood door, her husband was home. Her rage swirled in her heart, blending with this power that she'd been given after she'd sold herself.

Footsteps thundered up the tower, Celene instinctively knew he did not come alone.

Good.

Celene waited patiently for her husband and his mistress to reach the top, and as expected he threw the door open shattering it against the stone wall.

"Such violence husband," Celene murmured, "is not necessary."
"What is this," he growled, his handsome face twisted and ugly.

Unbidden her gaze landed on the woman behind him, Celene forced the anger and confusion down. Not willing to break the mask that she had carefully constructed for this moment. She was not what she had expected, with impassive eyes she looked on the woman who had taken her husband. Turning and twisting the man she had once loved into something evil.

His mistress stood in the doorway, petite with broad shoulders and rough hands. The color of her hair and small eyes were that of mud, over all Celene did not understand.

The woman in the doorway sneered at her, "your wife dares to look upon my face as if we are equals."
Immediately the woman was shielded from view, her husbands eyes blazing with a fury she'd never seen on his face.

Reminded of what she was meant to do Celene quickly backed away mumbling the words she'd been told too.

"What is she doing?!"
His mistress shrieked, stepping around the man. There before her eyes was the evidence, a demon in disguise. Her once pale skin was a light shade of green and her eyes, once the color of mud were the most unnatural shade of violet. With a new fervor Celene continued as the wind picked up speed.

Time froze, before her very eyes two different holes in the air appeared one sucking in his mistress and the other sucking him in.

As the holes closed up and the wind died down Celene swore she'd remember the look on her husbands face and his last words for eternity.

present:

Sitting at the foot of her bed, which was now Connor's bed as well, Kathryn felt antsy.

She didn't know why she felt antsy only that she did.

The feeling had her on her feet, pacing the length of the room and an itch between her shoulder blades that Kathryn knew by now meant she wanted to find trouble to take her frustration out on.

Leaning against the headboard Connor kept a weary eye on her as her speed picked up only to slow down again.

"You know we can leave right," he told her, a knowing look in his eyes, "I'm sure if we drove out to a big city or something we'd find some evil demon or vampires to fight. Dad doesn't have to know."

Awake and going through his emails Gunn scoffed making his opinion known, "you know Angel will know."
Scowling at the door right in front of him as if his father was standing there instead Connor shook his head, "he's asleep what the hell is he going to do? Walk out and bring us back?"
"Right," Kathryn called out, stopping in front of Connor, "lets go."

Quickly Connor got dressed and made his way to the door

"Be careful," Gunn called out just as the door closed, "don't do anything stupid."

Happily Buffy hugged her nephews goodbye after reassuring them for the tenth time that she would in fact tell their mother that they missed her and that of course she'd help their mommy fight the bad guys.

Amused Faith stepped in to reign them in, "Alright come on guys auntie B's got to go if she wants to get to Roswell tomorrow like she promised your mom she would."

With an adorable pout on his face Gage gave Faith a curt nod and gave Buffy her last hug. Liam and Kade followed after their big brother accordingly.

"I still can't get used to that," Faith looked on as the boys went into the den and found the tv remote.

"I know," Buffy shook her head, "Kat reassures me that for the boys that's normal."

"I'll find out for myself huh," Faith smirked, her confidence shining through.

"Remember what Karen wrote down," Buffy shoved the piece of paper into Faith's hand and brought it up to her face, "No sugar. The boys get far too hyper. Bedtime is at 8:30 not at 9 or whatever time you feel like putting them to sleep."
Faith waved her off, "I know how to read, Robin and I will be fine."

"Fine," Buffy stepped out the door knob in her hands and a skeptical look on her face, "you know Kathryn and Karen will kill us both if you don't follow the rules."

"I know," the brunette whined pushing her out the door, "go already."
In the den two pairs of wide green eyes were focused on the TV before them, ever mindful that their older brother had told them to look interested.

Gage rummaged behind his aunt Faith's desk, his little legs flailing as his arms pulled him up onto her chair. His bright green eyes full of determination.

Remembering all those times he'd been in his mothers office when she was working he turned on the computer.

"Kade," the little boy called out, the part that came next he didn't know how to do but he was sure his little brother did. After all Kade had often sat on their mothers lap when she was working on something that wasn't all that important.

With his dark blond mop of hair and curious eyes Kade entered and pulled himself up, already knowing what Gage wanted. His little fingers pointed out the icon that their mother often used as Gage moved the mouse.

In the middle of their sting little Liam bundled in, his fingers in his mouth, "auntie fae gonna get pocorn."

Gage scowled at his younger brother, "back Liam."
Pouting he headed back to stand guard on the sofa.

"We gonna go where momma at Gage?"

Kade asked the other boy, his little fingers going up to tangle themselves in his hair. A move that suggested how excited and nervous he was with the prospect of and adventure of his own.

Not bothering to answer Gage focused on the little sticky pad that was at the edge of his aunts desk with scribbles that he was sure meant something important. Handing the little paper to Kade he watched as Kade started matching up letters to the little black buttons on something he had heard his mother call a 'keysboard.'

"Gotta find momma Kade," Gage murmured, his gaze on the screen, "help momma fight."
The information popping up was all just a bunch of highlighted lines with some letters he could remember from the alphabet. But still Gage looked, his eyes searching for that place auntie Faith had called Roswell.

With time slipping away and knowing his aunt would be back to look over them Gage moved the mouse over one of the highlighted lines and clicked.

Kathryn watched as red water circled the drain and disappeared down the pipes.

The action mesmerized her, to see all that gore gone. Erased. As if she hadn't just been fighting for what seemed like her the water beating down on her bruised body Kathryn fought back the satisfaction that swelled in her chest.
'Control your pride Kat,' she huffed knowing full well that too much pride was bad for the soul, 'the three hour drive was totally worth it though.'

Shutting off the water Kathryn sighed, happy that she was clean and the evidence of her little excursion was all gone. No way for her overbearing Liam to find out.

She dressed quickly, remembering that Connor was still in his dirty blood stained clothes.

She stepped out just as the adjoining door clicked open.

Grabbing the doorknob Kat forced it closed.

Using all of her strength she held on as Gunn practically shoved Connor in the bathroom.

The doorknob twisted and jiggled in her hand.

"Gunn? Kathryn? What's going on over there?"

"Nothing Angel," Kathryn answered back, "I'm changing and I didn't want you walking in on me."

The doorknob stilled in her hand.

"You're changing," his voice thick with doubt.

Kathryn winced, "Yup."

"Where's Gunn?"

"In the," mentally she cursed him out for his questions while her mouth opened up to answer him, "bathroom. Taking a shower."

Gunn shook his head, bad answer.

Kathryn glared at the man, demanding he help her out of this mess.

Gunn shook his head again his eyes saying what he wouldn't say out loud, 'your cover is blown Kat. I told you so.'

"And Connor?"

Fumbling for an answer Kathryn sprouted off the only thing that came to mind, "He's in here with me. Looking the other way. Being a gentleman."

"Let go of the door Kathryn."

Her fingers only tightened. Kathryn refused to believe she'd been made, she just had to hold on till Connor got out of the shower to back her story up and then they'd be in the clear.

"I told you I'm changing."

"Bullshit, let go of the door."

"No," Kathryn huffed stubbornly, "I'm half naked cause you won't let me finish putting on clothes and I'm not about to let you open the door."

Angel growled knowing full well that she could be telling the truth or lying to him as they spoke through the door, "Fine! 5 minutes. If this door doesn't open in 5 minutes I'm knocking it down."

Kathryn waited to hear the telltale creak of weight falling on the mattress before letting go, she locked it for good measure.

Backing away she felt Gunn's knowing gaze on her.

Sticking out her tongue she leaned against the wall and mentally yelled at Connor to hurry up.

Hunched over his desk Michael glared at the clock.

First day of school and already he had too much homework on his plate.

At the front of the class his English teacher stood, with her back to the wall writing some list on the board.

'Focus,' Michael reminded himself again. Just like he had to keep doing every hour. Completely oblivious to the somewhat worried glances he'd be getting from Max and Isabel, or the glares from Maria.

Fresh from football camp Kyle squinted at Stone Wall Guerin, making a mental note of the way the brooding alien was glaring at the clock and the hickey that he could just make out on his neck.
If he looked long enough that is.
He'd been informed rather quickly by his housemate Tess that the couple had once again split up, for good this time. Kyle glanced at Maria at the front of the class and her tense shoulders.
A smirk stretched over his face, he had no doubt that she was sniffing her cedar oil. With a blink he refocused on the mystery at hand, Kyle slid his gaze over to Guerin again, his eyes drawn to the hickey.
If they had in fact broken up who had left such a mark on the brooding Czechoslovakian? Kyle's brow furrowed he knew Guerin didn't like hickeys, didn't like how they looked after a childhood of marks left on his body.

"and so the plot thickens?"

Kyle murmured, a spark brightened his eyes. 'A Stonewall mystery,' Kyle smiled, giddy with the thought of playing detective.

"What?"

Kyle blinked and found himself caught in the glare that had been directed elsewhere. Kyle mentally scrambled to stay calm and to say something, "nothing man."

The glare that threatened to set him on fire on the spot didn't lessen reassuring Kyle that maybe he should send a quick prayer up to Buddha or something. He had yet to ensconce himself completely in Buddhism, the books he'd gotten on the subject piled near his bed to ensure they would be read and self enlightenment and peace would be achieved.

A grunt from his tall friend brought Kyle back down to earth to find that Michael had stopped looking at him all together and had returned to looking at the clock.

'Buddha give me guidance in this endeavor,' the grin back on his face.

sooo there! I personally am loving the direction this is going in. I've decided that the only friend that did stick around when everyone else disappeared for Kathryn is Kyle. I've reread all the chapters and saw that this is possible. After all the little glimpse that I wrote was of one moment (or was it 2?...crap O.o i need to check again) of Kathryn and Liz's childhood together, pretty much leaving out the Parker Parental Unit (PPU..that has a nice ring to it ) and obviously the librarian got some time there. i think its perfectly reasonable to conclude that Kyle was her best friend, and that may have been one of the reasons why Liz dated him (i will explain...next chapter i will)

For all of you that are reading this...you just got a glimpse of whats to come...its all right there..in bold..in my authors note. LEAVE A STINKIN' REVIEW PLEASE! YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION I FEEL WHEN I DON'T GET REVIEWS! u.u AND i'm a stress eater. do you know what that means?! i munch on whatever i get my hands on (food wise...i have some control here...i do not munch on paper..whatever! you get the point). its a horrible horrible habit i have yet to break hence why i am mostly a carefree person...no really i am...ask my family they'll tell you i am a relatively carefree person. hence why when i'm writing away and posting and FINDING OUT THERE ARE NO REVIEWS! they know how big a deal it is. i swear. i tell you da truth!...they also think i'm weird for getting so worked up over this but THAT'S not the point.

have mercy..make this little writer happy, please leave a review