Halliwells
"We good to go?" Piper asked as she walked into the attic, to find Faith sitting in the corner, staring blankly at the ritual going on in front of her, Paige and Phoebe lighting candles, and Xander sitting near Faith.
"Stinky herbs are go," Phoebe said, waving some herbs around.
"Now we just wait for Wesley."
Wesley
Wesley thanked Demetria, before she waved and winked out. Hopefully, he'd be able to get one of the Charmed ones to transport him back home. Unable to arrange a sitter for Serafina, he put her down carefully, and then holding her hand walked up to the front door and knocked on it.
Faith, Xander and Phoebe
Faith jumped at the knocking of the door. "Nononononon!" she cried, putting her hands to her ears.
"It's ok, hey, it's ok," Xander soothed, trying to calm her down without touching her.
Phoebe bounded down the stairs and opened the door.
"Hey, Wesley?"
Wesley
"Pleased to meet you at last. Yes, I'm Wesley. And this is Serafina. Say hello, Serafina."
"Hello!" Serafina flashed a smile, before hiding her face in Wesley's pants leg again.
Phoebe
"Hi, I'm Phoebe. Hi Serafina," Phoebe said, smiling down at the little girl.
She gestured for them to come inside.
"We're all upstairs in the attic."
Phoebe closed the door.
"Follow me," she said, heading for the stairs.
Wesley
Wesley picked Serafina up and she cooed happily, snuggling into his arms. Until they got to the attic. She saw Faith, and her eyes flashed golden, fangs dropping as she hissed angrily.
"Bad lady! Unka Wes, take me hooooooommmmmeeeee!" Her voice soared upwards in a wail.
Wesley dug in his pocket, found one of the peppermints that she had become extremely fond of and put it in her mouth. She shut up, still growling slightly and glaring at Faith. "Hello, Xander, Faith." He nodded slightly at them. "This is Serafina. She must sense that Faith is a Slayer...how interesting. And I do not believe we've had the chance of meeting yet. Wesley Wyndham-Pryce at your service, Charmed Ones. Delighted to make your acquantice."
Halliwells, Faith and Xander
Faith recoiled when Wesley talked to her. She buried her head into her hands and rocked back and forth slightly.
Xander stood to shake Wesley's hand. "She's... she's a little... broken."
"No, don't, stop," Faith whispered to herself.
Piper and Paige stood up. "Hi, I'm Piper."
"And I'm Paige."
"Well, shall we?" Phoebe said, gesturing around them. "We found that we already had an Orb Of Thesulah, so that was good luck."
Wesley
"Extremely fortunate," Wesley agreed with Phoebe. "I wouldn't have brought Serafina if I'd had any other choice, but Cordelia is dealing with a migraine, Gunn went out to try and catch the demon that was the cause of the migraine, and Connor is far too trigger happy around his half-sister." He put Serafina down on the floor, then crouched in front of her. "Now, sweetheart, I want you to sit in the corner and be good while I work, ok? You can't intrrupt for anything. We;re doing magic, and you might get hurt."
"I won't," she promised solemnly, then sat down as far from Faith as possible, still flashing the Slayer golden eyed glares.
"Let us commence then," Wesley said as he straightened up.
Xander, Halliwells and Faith
Xander resumed his seat next to Faith, who was still curled up on the spot.
Phoebe sat down next to her sisters and held up the piece of paper for them all to read.
"Te implor, Doamne, nu ignora aceasta rugaminte," Phoebe intoned. (I implore you, Lord, do not ignore this request.)
"Nici mort, nici al fiintei..." Paige chimed in. (Neither dead, nor of the living...)
"Lasa orbita sa fie vasul care-i va transporta, sufletul la el," Piper finished. (Let this Orb be the vessel that will carry his soul to him.)
The orb glowed briefly, then stopped.
Wesley
Wesley lifted the censor filled with incense and wreathed the Orb in the fragrant smoke. "As we will it, so may it be done. So mote it be." He cleared his throat as the smoked wafted upwards into his face. "We will it, therefore Lord, let it be done."
Serafina watched them wide-eyed.
Halliwells and Xander
"The Power Of Three will set you free," Paige, Piper and Phoebe said together.
The Orb flashed again, then went dull.
"So did it work?" Xander asked from the seat in his corner.
Wesley
"We won't know until we find him," Wesley said wearily. Serafina shifted into cat form, then cautiosly crept out the door. She could feel the pull of Angel in her blood, and she wanted to meet him. "But yes, I think it worked."
Serafina made her way outside, then struck out in the direction of Angel.
"Now, if we just..." Wesley looked around the room. "Good lord! Serafina!" He got to his feet. "Be careful where you step...when she's cat shaped, she's quite small and prone to getting under people's feet."
Faith, Paige and Angel
"Don't want to see..." Faith moaned, curling even more tightly up in her ball.
"Well... let's see if I can sense him." Paige closed her eyes. "Nope, nothing."
***
Angelus screamed as he felt something strange happening. No, not again.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
He fell to the ground, then stood moments later.
"Oh God, what have I done?"
Wesley
Wesley searched meticulously for Serafina. "This is so undignified...Serafina! Serafina, come out here right now." No answering mew or giggle.
~*~*~*~
Serafina ran faster, paws pattering over the ground. There! She skittered towards Angel, purring loudly. She sat at his feet and looked up, feeling the bonds of blood calling her in and singing. A thought, and she shifted upwards into her human form and looked at him consideringly. Yes, this was him. She smiled sunnily. "Da?"
Angel and Paige
Angel looked at the little girl through his tears. She felt... like his. Angel reached over and picked the young girl up.
"Hello," he said softly.
***
"Are we sure she's still here?" Paige asked, looking under a couch.
Wesley
"Da!" Serafina declared happily, and snuggled into his neck, a slow rumbling purr starting through her chest. She kissed him, arms firmly round his neck. "I *told* them I could find 'oo!" She giggled suddenly. "Unka Wes is gonna be *vewwy* angry." She giggled again.
~*~*~*~
"I certainly hope she's still here," Wesley said as he checked the curtains. "She hasn't left the hotel without permission before..."
Angel, Paige and Piper
"Ah, you'd be... my daughter," Angel said softly. An amused grin spread acorss his features. Connor was not going to be happy.
He lifted the girl up and hugged her closely, then kissed her head.
"Come on, we should find..."
He looked out. It was still daylight.
"Well, we'll have to wait a bit."
***
Piper screeched as a cockroach came running out from the wall. She froze it quickly.
"Ahh someone get it!" she yelled.
Paige lifted the bin. "Roach." The rat orbed into the bin and she went to the window and tipped it out. "Honestly," she muttered, then went back to searching the room.
Piper looked out the window and unfroze the cockroach.
Wesley
"Sun, sun...hurts my eyes," Serafina told Angel seriously, blinking slightly. "Unka Wes had stuff, and he told me to sit in the corner quietly, so I did. And den I came and found you. My name is Serafina."
~*~*~*~
Wesley checked along the bookcases. "I think she...may have gone to find Angel," he said quietly. "I truly hope that spell worked."
Paige and Angel
Angel nodded.
"Well, we've only got a few minutes before sun down. We'll be alright."
He hugged the little girl again.
"I'm Angel."
***
Paige nodded.
"I could orb us to where we found Faith, that'd be pretty close to where he is, I'm guessing."
Wesley
"Mama told me." Serafina nodded seriously. "We had to run, cos the mean lady came. Mama said I had to be good, and be brave..." She sniffled slightly.
~*~*~*~
"One would hope so," Wesley said, after even offering the peppermints Serafina was becoming addicted to didn't flush her out of hiding. "Should we go then? She'll come to me and she won't to you."
Angel and Paige
Angel nodded and looked out. The sun had gone down, so he picked Serafina up and headed outside.
***
Paige took Wesley's hand and orbed them to where they had found Faith, and led him out of the bush.
"I assume he had them in a sorta... warehouse," Paige said as she spotted Angel.
Wesley
Wesley gripped the stake tighter as he saw Serafina in Angel's arms. He stepped forward ready to do what he could, then saw the drying teartracks on Angel's cheeks. "Angel?"
Serafina cooed happily as she spotted Wesley. "Unka Wes!" She smiled gleefully. "Told ya I could find him!"
"Yes, yes you did..."
Paige and Angel
Paige glared angrily at Angel.
Angel sighed, looking tired and upset. "Hi Wesley."
"Shall we get going?" Paige asked icily. "Someone take Angel's hand, because I'm not."
"Paige..."
"I don't care," Paige replied, not looking at him.
Wesley
"Fine, I'll do it," Wesley sighed. "Serafina, don't you *ever* do that again. I was very worried."
The eyes started to shimmer and the lip went out. "Don't you love me any more?" She said in a small sad voice.
"Do you see what I mean about the pout? Serafina, I love you very much, and soon we're going to go home, with your daddy," Wesley said calmly and slowly.
"'Es." Serafina smiled waveringly. "Away from the nasty scratchy lady."
Angel, Paige, Xander and Faith
"Oh God, Faith..." Angel said softly.
Paige glared at him and set her jaw. "Yeah, you have some making up to do with her."
She orbed them back to the Manor.
Faith looked up and started to hyperventilate.
Piper turned to Angel cautiously. "You should probably go," she said.
"Faith?" Angel walked over near Faith.
Faith shivered again.
"Faith?" He reached out to touch her.
"NONONONO! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Faith hissed.
Xander stood up. "You should go."
"Xander..."
"I know. But she doesn't."
"Ok." Angel sighed in resignation. He lifted Serafina up and rested her against his hip. "Ok, let's go. Thanks guys."
Wesley and Demetria
Serafina growled at Faith. "Icky, nasty. Scratchy all over. GRRRR!"
"We'll be going then," Wesley said, ignoring Serafina's dislike of Faith. He got his cellphone out of his pocket and dialled the mansion. "Hello, I'm looking for...she'll be right here? Thank you."
Demetria appeared in the room, and looked around. One eyebrow went up slightly. "Shall we go? I have homework to do..."
"Yes." Wesley nodded as she placed a hand on his and Angel's shoulders. "And thank you, Paige, Piper, Phoebe. Call us if you need us." And with that last word, Demetria 'ported them out. "Thank you, Miss Edgerton-Smythe..."
"It was my pleasure, honestly. I think I remember you promised me some proper tea? Dr Xavier does try, but..."
"Of course." Demetria followed Wesley into the kitchen. Serafine looked up at Angel, and tilted her head slightly, eyes wide.
Xander, Angel, Paige and Faith
Angel fidgeted nervously as they appeared back in Hyperion. He sighed and went into his office and closed the door, sitting down at his desk and resting his head in his hands.
***
Faith jumped up. "Shower." She ran out of the room.
Paige looked helpless after her. "Is she going to be alright?"
Xander shrugged. "I honestly don't know..."
Wesley and Demetria
Wesley and Demetria chatted over some tea, discussing Britain and discovering that they had some family friends in common.
Serafina pouted for a second, then her eyes gleamed. She wasn't being watched. A devillish giggle echoed for a moment, and then she was off on a mission of mischief. She hummed to herself as she tiptoed into Connor's room. Nasty brother. Not like Saku and Faolan. A few seconds and she had what she wanted and tiptoed out again.
Demetria left, and Wesley sighed before finishing his cup of tea. Then his eyes narrowed slightly. Where was Serafina? The silence was entirely too disturbing. He got up and went to find her. Connor appeared at the top of the stairs, frowning.
"Wesley, have you seen my spare crossbow?"
"Isn't it in your room?" Wesley suddenly had a thought strike him. "Connor, where did you leave it? Exactly?"
"It was on my dresser..." Their eyes met. "Crap."
"I suggest we find Serafina as quickly as possible before she hurts herself."
"Why does she always steal a crossbow? What is it about crossbows?" Connor sighed. "I told you we should drown her..."
"Connor, we do not go around drowning children."
"She's not a child. She's a kitten. Humans drown unwanted kittens all the time..."
Serafina fiddled with the shiny parts of the crossbow.