Wesley
"Get out of my room!" Connor's voice echoed through the hotel.
"MEANIE!" Serafina's voice was just as loud and shrill.
Wesley winced and kept trying to work on a translation he was doing.
"Why can't we drown her? Please, someone give me permission to kill her."
"I hate you! You're mean!"
"Stop PLAYING with my crossbow!"
"You should share! Mama says-"
"Your mother left you here because she didn't want you anymore!"
Serafina's lip quivered and her eyes overflowed. "No..."
"Yes, she did. She was glad to be rid of you."
Sobbing, Serafina ran out of the hotel. Wesley glared at Connor.
"Well, that was a stunning display of immaturity."
"DA!" A terrfied scream hung on the air for a moment, and Wesley bolted for the front door. A black car pulled away from the curb, two arms pulling a kicking and screaming Serafina inside.
"ANGEL!" Wesley ran out the door.
Angel
"I swear, Wesley, if this is about the... Wesley?"
Angel came down the stairs, buttoning his shirt.
He sniffed the air.
Fear.
Anger.
Connor.
Angel ran outside. "WESLEY?"
Wesley
"Serafina...car...go..." Wesley pointed after the black car, panting. He'd tried to run after them, but he couldn't keep up.
Serafina screamed and screamed, biting and kicking. "DA! I WANT MY DA! UNCLE WES!"
"Someone *shut* her up!"
Angel
Angel tossed his car keys to Wesley.
"Pick me up on the way."
He took off at a full speed run, coat flowing out behind him.
"SERAFINA!"
Wesley
Wesley caught the keys and ran back into the hotel to get the car.
Serafina raked claws down a man's face and fixed her teeth into a woman's hand, hissing and eyes glowing gold.
"F*CK!"
She kicked the door open, and attempted to dive out of it but hands hauled her back inside.
"DA!" She screamed out into the night before the door closed again. "NO! LEGGO!"
Angel
Angel stopped and smelt the air again.
Fear.
He vamped into game face and growled before taking off again.
Wesley
Wesley got into the car and glared at Connor. "You've caused enough trouble tonight."
The car raced down the road after Angel.
Serafina screamed again, and someone hit her across the face. She latched onto the hand viciously. Greedily gulping down the blood that flowed.
"AH! CHRIST!"
Angel
Angel turned his head to see Wesley in the car. He jumped into the seat and sniffed the air, then pointed.
"TURN LEFT!"
Wesley
Wesley obediently wrenched the wheel around.
Behind them two cars crashed into each other.
He spared a glance backwards. "Oh, dear..." Then he concentrated on where he was going.
Serafina kicked and bit, scratching and generally making a lot of trouble for the people that had picked her up. Her voice filled the car with screams, wails and catlike yowls.
Angel
Angel's eyes never left the car in the distance.
"Turn right."
He sniffed the air.
She was afraid... but she wasn't making it easy for them. He gave a little smile at that, that was definitely his and Nyx's daughter.
Wesley
Wesley turned right, the motor roaring to keep up.
"Ah, I didn't see who took her...I'm so sorry, Angel."
Serafina spat out something...fleshy and growled, then dove under the seat. She swiped at their legs with their claws. Why couldn't she turn cat? She was locked like this!
"My daddy's gonna hurt you," she informed them sweetly.
Angel
"Least it wasn't you taking my kid."
Angel turned to look at Wesley.
"Sorry, weak joke. And anyway, with heinsight of the way Connor behaves, maybe I should've let you take him."
He sniffed.
"Left."
Wesley
Wesley laughed weakly and turned the wheel.
Serafina had her teeth latched in someone's ankle and was currently engaged in working down to the bone. Growls cascaded out of her mouth as the unfortunate man it was attached to yelled in agony.
Angel
Angel pointed at the car that had switched its headlights off, in the distance.
"That's them."
He looked at the car ahead of them.
"If you can get us close enough... I can do a jump."
Wesley
"Right, right..." Wesley nodded, and stepped on the accelerator. "Good luck."
Serafina was dragged out from beneath the seat, still screaming bloody murder. Almost appropriate as blood and flesh were embedded under her claws and her mouth was red rimmed.
"Shut her up. The vamp's following us."
Serafina's head rocked back on her shoulders and she whimpered.
Angel
Angel got out of his seat and climbed over the windscreen and onto the bonnet of the car. He would've taken a deep breath, but he didn't have to, seeing as he doesn't breathe, so he simply launching himself onto the back of the car, climbing up the top and holding on as they swerved.
"SERAFINA, GET DOWN!" he yelled, giving her half a minute, before punching through the window, and pulling one of the people out of the car and throwing them across the street.
Wesley
Wesley kept the car on course after Angel leapt off the bonnet. He didn't want to crash Angel's precious car.
Serafina squirmed in the hands that were holding her, and bit them. They loosened for a moment, and she dropped to the floor. "Da! Toooold you!" She singsonged. "He's *mad* now!"
"Someone shut that brat up!"
Serafina yelped, then rolled under the seat as someone kicked her in the side of the head. "Ow."
One of the men in the car stabbed upwards at Angel with a stake.
Angel
Angel snarled and vamped out again as the stake stabbed through his coat, leaving a hole. He growled and grabbed the hand the stake came in, and pulled the guy out of the car. He punched him. Hard.
"That was for my coat," he snarled, then threw the guy away. "And that's for my daughter."
Serafina
Serafina tried to squirm backwards. "Go away!" She snapped her fangs at a hand that reached in after her. She bit it and the person howled in pain. "Got you!"
"Damn it..." A woman clutched at her bleeding hand. "Damn, damn, damn. This was meant to be easy."
"Shut up and help, you daft bitch," a man growled at her as he scrabbled for a crucifix. "You couldn't even knock the kid out, you stupid, stupid..."
"She f*cking bit me!"
Angel
Angel looked at Wesley.
"THIS ISN'T WORKING!" he yelled over the wind. "SERA, GET DOWN AGAIN!"
He gave her another half a minute, then stood shakily on the roof and kicked a hole in the car.
Serafina
Serafina kept down. She was scared, but she was growling at the bad people and biting anything that tried to get her out of her hiding place.
"Oh, god damn!" A man complained. "He kicked a hole in the car!"
"State the obvious, genuis," the woman sneered, then she managed to drag Serafina screaming out from under the seat and put a gun to the little girl's head. "Jump off. Now." She stared at Angel as Serafina thrashed and tried to bite. A huge bruise discoloured the side of the kitten's face.
Angel
Angel made it look as though he was going to jump off, then with lightening fast reflexes, he bent and stuck his hand through the hole he'd made and grabbed the gun.
The car stopped suddenly and he tumbled off, before recovering quickly and getting up and opening the front door, pulling the driver out and snapping his neck, then went around to the backseat door and peered into the broken window.
"Cars a bit damaged," he said conversationally.
Wesley
The woman squeaked. Serafina kicked her in the face and bit down on her arm. "SHIT!"
"Bad lady!" Serafina scolded. "Naughty, naughty words." She hissed and clawed as the woman didn't let go.
Wesley pulled up next to the car. "Angel?"
Angel
"Hi Wesley," Angel said pleasantly, before turning to open the backseat door. He reached his hand in and pulled the woman out by the neck, then punched her.
"Don't you ever, ever, try and take my child again."
He punched her again.
"And don't swear around her either."
Wesley
Wesley looked at the corpse and forbore to comment. Kidnap Angel's children, and you deserved everything you got.
Serafina climbed out of the car, still hissing slightly. "Nasty nasty people...they didn't even taste good. Bleagh." She spat in disgust.
"Should we get going now, Angel?" Wesley inquired carefully.
Angel
"Yeah, please."
Angel lifted Serafina up and kissed her head gently, then carried her back to the car. With a final disgusted look over his shoulder, he climbed into the car, leaving Serafina on his lap.
"Thanks," he said to Wesley.
Wesley
Serafina cuddled into Angel, eyes closing and the last glimmers of gold fading into the brown.
"It wasn't a problem," Wesley said softly as he started the car. "At all. But you will need to speak to Connor when we get back..." His mouth tightened into a thin line as he turned the car around.
"He said Mama didn't love me anymore. But she does, doesn't she?" Serafina looked up at Angel, tears glimmering in her eyes.
Angel
Angel kissed her head.
"Of course she does, and so does your Dad."
He hugged her close.
"He's... he's going to get in a lot of trouble for that, don't worry, Serafina."
Wesley
"I just want him to like me..." Serafina whispered. "I want my littermates." She scrubbed her eyes with her hand.
Wesley kept his mouth shut as he drove back to the hotel. He pulled up in the garage, and got out of the car, handing the keys back to Angel. "Here."
Angel
Angel smiled.
"Thanks. Could you... I need to talk to Connor."
Angel handed Serafina to Wesley and kissed her cheek again. "It's ok... we'll go visiting, ok?"
His mouth set into a grim line, the scowl coming back onto his face as he stalked into the hotel.
"CONNOR!"
A bolt went flying past Angel's head and he caught it before it hit anything, then snapped it over his knee.
Connor stood sheepishly in the lobby, as Angel walked over, grabbed the crossbow and flung it across and into the wall, shattering it. He grabbed his son by the shirt.
"Right, let's get some things straight, son. You NEVER say things like that to your sister. Again. Do I make myself clear?"
"I didn't - "
"No, that wasn't the right answer. If I ever catch that kind of behavious again, you can get the hell out of my house."
Angel let go of him and pat his shirt back down. "Now, go wash up for dinner. Cordy's cooking something."
Wesley
Wesley hugged Serafina as he stepped through to the lobby, eyes noting the sullen Connor and shattered crossbow. Serafina hiccuped and clung to him silently.
"Let's go get you cleaned up, alright pet?" He said softly, noting the large bruises on her face and the wince when he held her too tightly. When they grabbed her, they probably hurt her ribs, he thought.
She nodded.
"Angel, I'm just going to clean Serafine up, alright?" Wesley headed upstairs to Serafina's room and a bathroom without waiting for an answer.
Angel
"Yeah, sure."
Angel went into his office, ignoring the evil looks he was getting from Connor.
"Connor, room, now."
Wesley
Connor scowled and stomped up the stairs. He passed Wesley and opened his mouth to say something.
"Not. One. Word."
Connor shut his mouth again and walked into his room, slamming the door behind him.
Serafina jumped a little in Wesley's arms.
"Shh, it's alright, Sera. It's alright."
Wesley washed her face and hands, not commenting on the blood that came off when it didn't seem to be hers. He dabbed arnica on the bruises on her face and ribs, and dressed her in a new outfit.
"You want to go downstairs and get something to eat now?"
"'Es. Please." She nodded and put her arms up so he could pick her up.
Wesley walked back downstairs with her and put her in her chair.
"She's got bruises on her ribs from where they grabbed her, and her face is bruised but other then that, she seems to be fine," Wesley said to Angel quietly.
Angel
"Good, good."
Angel looked up from his books.
"Not good that they took her, but you know, that she's alright."
He held a book up.
"What do you know about this ritual?"
Wesley
"Not much..." Wesley said carefully. "Other then that you need a being of extreme magical energy to perform it. One that was brought into existence by magic and...they were going to use Serafina. Use her blood to consecrate the magical space...it's a very potent ritual. It's meant to confer immortailty on it's focus."
Angel
"What is it about my kids and being kidnapped?"
Angel sighed.
"Well, that's averted at least. For now. We should look into some sort of... maybe a tutor for Serafina? I don't really want to be sending her off to school."
Wesley
"Yes, of course..." Wesley hesitated slightly. "I've never...taught children. I've tutored before though, when I was in England. But I'm sure that until we can find someone that we can trust..."
Angel
"That would be good, thank you."
Angel stood up.
"Alright, come on, let's go see what Cordelia has done to my kitchen. I swear, if she even tries to crumble anything into my blood again, I'll fire her."
Wesley
Wesley chuckled slightly. "She's only trying to broaden your horizons Angel...and after she heard from Giles that Spike puts Weetabix in his blood, she will try again. After all, what's good for one vampire is good for another."
Serafina was babbling happily to a slightly worried looking Cordy then sipped from a mug of blood that the woman handed to her. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, Serafina. Now if all children had such lovely manners..." Cordy looked up.
Angel
Cordy handed a mug of blood to Angel and he peered into it suspiciously. "Thanks." He took a sip and his eyes widened. "What did you crumble in?"
"Nothing!"
"Cordy, it feels like..." Angel peered into it and saw a white thing floating in the mug. "You crumbled OREO'S into my blood?"
"Double stuffed, if you want to get technical. But yes. Angel, you need to explore, you can't just eat the same thing over and over, it's boring." Cordy winced. "Please don't fire me."
Angel grumbled as he took another sip. "I can't believe you put a chocolate biscuit into my blood."
Wesley
Serafina giggled, then sipped from her own mug. "Chocolate. Nummy." She grinned, then carefully licked around her mouth to get any stray drops of blood.
"Well it meets with Serafina's approval..." Wesley smiled slightly.
"She's a child. Anything with chocolate in it is gonna meet with her approval," Cordelia said.
Serafina hummed happily and bounced slightly in her seat before Connor slunk in. She stopped smiling.
Angel
"Sit." Angel's tone was so frightening that Cordy obediently sat as well, even though the word was directed at Connor.
Connor sat down, the ever present sneer on his face.
"Now... eat your dinner, then go back up to your room." Angel sipped at the mug again. "Ok, Cordy, that's not chocolate... what the hell is that?"
Cordy grinned sheepishly. "A cracker. I was experimenting."
Wesley
Wesley smiled. "And what are the non-blood drinkers having?"
"Oh, stirfry." Cordy got up again. "I made it. But, from a packet mix. Which I followed very carefully. So it should be alright."
"Wonderful," Wesley said dryly.
"And I want Serafina to eat some as well. She shouldn;t be drinking just blood. She needs proper food as well."
Serafina sniffed, then turned back to her mug. "Your food's dead. I'll go hunting later."
"Oh, gross," Connor whispered.
"No..." Serafina tilted her head slightly. "Mice. Yum." She snapped her teeth together.
Angel
"Connor," Angel warned. He looked at Cordelia with pleading eyes. "Can you please stop adding things to my blood?"
Cordelia shook her head as she started to serve up the food.
"No, you need to try other things."
Wesley
"Experiment, Angel," Wesley said., "Who knows? She might even manage to find something you like."
Connor rolled his eyes.
Serafina's eyes flashed flecks of gold, then she held up her empty mug to Wesley. "Finished."
"That's good, Serafina." Wesley took the mug from her and went to wash it up.
"So..." Cordy said hesitantly as she placed plates of food on the table.
Angel
Angel grinned as he watched everyone pick at their food hesitantly. Thank God he couldn't taste anything.
He stared into his mug, then finished it in one gulp.
"Ok, yuck. Cordy, you're fired."
Wesley
"Hey! I asked you not to fire me!" Cordy protested.
Serafina made a face at her food, then pushed it away. "I'm full."
Wesley chuckled silently as he ate. Ok, it was pretty bad. But...
Angel
"And I asked you not to put anything else in my blood."
Angel went and picked Serafina up, and sat down again, bouncing her slightly in his knee.
"Yeah, but - "
"No. Cordy, you mixed biscuits in. That was... unpleasant."
Wesley
"You need to try new things! And Serafina liked it, didn't you, sweetie?" Cordy looked at Serafina.
Serafina giggled. "Chocolate. Blood. Num!"
Wesley chuckled.
Angel
"Cordy," Angel said slowly. "It felt like I was drinking blood with clots in it."
"Ewwwwww," Cordy said, wrinkling her nose.
"Exactly."
Wesley
"That was...entirely too descriptive." Wesley looked at his half eaten dinner, then picked the plate up as he stood up.
"Tasted good," Serafina remarked, shrugging. "Tasted better then the vegetables. Yuck."
Connor scowled down at his dinner and forked it into his mouth stubbornly.
Angel
"Sorry about that."
Angel lifted Serafina to his shoulders.
"Right."
Cordy frowned.
"I really did try that time, guys. I thought it would be alright."
Wesley
"It was fine, Cordelia. Really," Wesley insisted. "It's just..." He looked at Angel and shrugged. "Entirely too descriptive."
"I liked the chicken in it though," Serafina said encouragingly.
"Well, that's good." Cordy nodded slowly.
Angel
"Sorry again."
Angel smiled slightly.
"Uh, Wes, could you look into anymore prophecies that might involve..."
"Angel, am I still fired?"
"No, but you're on your last warning."
Wesley
"Of course, Angel," Wesley said as he cleaned up his plate. "I'll start looking first thing tomorrow."
"Well, that's good." Cordelia beamed.
Connor snorted.
Angel
"Connor, room, now," Angel said.
Connor got up, scowl on his face as he stormed from the kitchen.
"He's your son, alright. Has the scowl," Cordelia commented.
"Do you want to be fired?"
"No, sir."
Wesley
Wesley chuckled slightly.
Serafina frowned, then pouted.
"But that's purely Nyx," Cordelia commented. "No way Angel could pout and look that cute."
Angel
Angel looked at Cordy. "Want to be fired?"
"No."
"And I don't pout."
"No, you scowl. And brood."
"Wes, the prophecies?" Angel asked, tactfully changing the subject.
Wesley
"I'll get on them right away. Best to be prepared." Wesley left the room.
Serafina yawned. "Tired. Bed now?"
Angel
Angel took Serafina up to her room and tucked her in, feeling exhausted himself. He kissed her head.
"Night Sera."
He reached over and switched the light off and hopped into his own bed and went to sleep.