Chapter Text
7:35 am – The Hyperion Hotel's Dining Room/Kitchen.
And as the sun started its slow accent into the sky, a buzz of nervous energy flittered through the air like static.
While Cordelia was searching the kitchen counter for the ideal snack, Angel and Wesley stood at the table cramming various items into a tiny rucksack and pondering why a child required so many things and how they would fit them all in.
Weirdly the only one who wasn't rushing around like a headless chicken was Lindsey himself, who sat at the table dipping soggy soldiers into his egg, sleep-ridden eyes peeking out from a crop of overgrown curls.
"Right, we've got, pencils, crayons, a ruler, Elmers glue… Is that everything? I feel like we're missing something."
"I'm not certain. Does he require a notebook?" The watcher enquired as he passed over a pack of coloured pencils to the vampire's outstretched hand. Angel then placed the crayons into a tightly packed pencil case, which slid carefully into the front pocket of a galaxy-themed backpack.
"No, the school provides them with workbooks. They did mention something about bringing a water bottle to fill up at the fountain." Angel added, looking around as if the item he was looking for might suddenly just appear in front of him. "Do you know where we…"
"Got it," Cordelia called out, interrupting the vampire mid-sentence. She then carried the item over to him, along with a blue plastic box and a tight smile. "And here's his lunch. One cheese sandwich, apple and grape slices, a healthy alternative too chips, and a carton of juice."
"That's perfect, Corde."
And with that, the team had everything ready to go, with a checklist read twice to make sure everything was accounted for.
"So, how you feeling kiddo?" Angel asked, turning to the young boy as he wiped theyoke from his chin. "Ready for an exciting day at your new school."
"Umm, I guess."
"You guess? I thought you were looking forward to starting school, making new friends, and learning all kinds of new things?" If anything Angel was expecting the boy to be bouncing off the walls, begging them to go already. But now that he thought about it, the cub had barely said a word all morning. "Hey, what's the matter Lins?"
"I still wanna' go, I just... I'm a little scared… What if I do somethin' wrong? Mamma always said I was too bad for school, and tha's why I couldn't go with my brothers and sisters." Lindsey spoke quietly, chewing on his lip as it lowered into a soft pout. "I don't want to be bad, Mr Angel."
"Well, I guess we could..." Angel looked at his fellow teammates searching for some encouraging words to make the young cub feel better, but no one had anything to offer. Gunn who'd at some point crept into the room was especially quiet from his sullen little corner, his constant arguments about not sending the kid to school having fallen on deaf ears for the past week.
"How about we make a list of rules," Wesley spontaneously suggests. "That way if you're not sure if what you are doing is alright you can check it and be certain."
"That's a great idea Wes. Would that make you feel better, little cub?"
With a shy smile Lindsey nodded his head.
"Great, where should we start?"
The team then got started coming up with Lindsey's special list of rules and guidelines.
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1. Listen when an Adult/Teacher is talking
2. Always be kind to and respect others
3. Make sure to raise your hand and wait if you want to ask a question
4. No fighting (and if someone hurts you or you see them hurt someone else, tell an adult)
5. Do not show your magic to anyone, even if you think you can trust them
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"Right, that should be everything. You ready to go kiddo?" Cordelia asked, slipping the piece of folded paper into the front pocket of Lindsey's bag.
"Uh, can I go bathroom first?" The cub asked innocently, a soft pink blush coming to his chubby cheeks.
"Sure thing." Cordelia chuckled. "I'll go get the car warmed up for us."
And as Angel guided the kid to the upstairs bathroom everyone else slipped out in various directions. Everyone but Charles Gunn, who lingered for a moment by the abandoned backpack, before scurrying off in a sudden hurry.
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8:20 am - Outside St Mary's Elementary School
With the sun now sitting a little higher in the sky, Kids rushed around the school's small playground, laughing and screaming as they weaved in and out of their parent's legs. In fact, there was only one child who sat quietly at his guardian's side, and both he and she were strangers to St Mary's
"You still feeling nervous, Little cub?" The young newcomer asked, bending down to the little brown-haired boy who clung tight to the cuff of her leather sleeve. His eyes were fixed on the building that sat in front of them, the big red doors being a particular focal point to his fearful gaze.
"A little bit."
"Hey look at me, Lins." Cordelia waited a moment for the young boy to carefully turn his face and eyeline toward her. "It's ok, we all get scared sometimes."
"Even you?" Lindsey asked slightly unbelieving, but trusting his caretaker all the same.
"Even me."
And with that, the two fell into a nervous quiet, Lindsey still tucked behind the crook of Cordelia's knee, watching as happy smiling faces rushed by with glee. He wanted to run out and join them, but something inside his stomach kept him pinned to the spot right up to the moment that the five-minute warning bell sounded.
"I think it's time for you to head in. You got everything you need?" Cordelia spoke softly as she searched out the young boy's eyes, but he kept his stare focused solely on the ground as he nodded his head. "Ok, I'll see you later Little Cub."
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8:25 am – K2 Classroom
As Lindsey walked cautiously into the brightly coloured classroom, he found himself gaining the attention of an elderly woman with silvery pin-curled hair and a gentle smile. She bent down a little as she spoke to him, her knees creaking slightly with the motion, and after a few softly spoken words, she pointed Lindsey to an empty chair in the centre of the room.
'Ok Lindsey, you can do this. Miss Delia and Mr Wesley said so.'
Unpacking his backpack, Lindsey realised he couldn't see much of the sun through the painted windows; only its bright light as it shone through the rainbow of colours. It made him nervous not being able to see the outside freely, made him feel trapped as that weird fluttering in his stomach grew more frantic. What if he did something wrong, or let his kitty come out when he wasn't supposed to? He couldn't escape if he didn't know where he was going too.
'Maybe I could tell the teacher I'm not feeling good? Then she could get Miss Delia to come back for me and take me home.'
That thought stuck in his brain for a moment, lingering as he reached for the newly brought pencil case in the front pocket of his bag. However, as he pulled the pack free a slip of paper came with it.
'My special list that Mr Angel made for me.'
Reading through the carefully curated list of rules and guidelines that his guardians made for him, Lindsey could feel the fluttery sensation dwindling. Because it had everything he already knew on it, all the lessons they'd taught him on the lead-up to starting school, in the exact words and order they spoke to him that morning. Well, almost the exact words.
As he made his way down the list, Lindsey couldn't help but notice a last-minute addition scrawled in messy handwriting at the bottom of the paper…
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And most important
6. Be brave and have fun little tiger cub.
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10:08 am – The Hyperion Hotel
Looking out of the special glass window he had fitted in his office, the vampire gazed up towards the sun that he could no longer feel upon his face, his mind not focused where it should have been on his mounting workload. Instead, he'd been grumbling all morning about one thing or another, much to the annoyance of his friends and colleagues, who tried to get on with their own tasks despite the constant distractions.
It wasn't until the low mumblings suddenly rose in volume, that Wes and Gunn finally took notice of what Angel was actually moaning about.
"Seriously Wesley, isn't it time for us to pick him up yet? I swear it's been hours."
"It's barely been an hour and a half, Angel. School won't be out until two pm."
"What! But that's four hours away. Surely school can't keep him that long."
"I'm afraid so. In fact, most elementary schools in this district don't let their students out until at least three-thirty sometimes four, so we should count ourselves lucky." And with that admission, both men went back to their work, this time in a mutual sorrowful silence.
"You should enjoy the peace and quiet while you still have it." Gunn piped in, chuckling at the forlorn expression that Angel was pulling. It was so much better than the sad brood he usually saw on the vampire's face. "It won't be long till the little devil spawn is back running riot around here, getting into things he shouldn't be."
"I don't see what your problem is, Gunn." Wes admonished the younger man. "Lindsey is a sweet child, you should spare him the benefit of the doubt sometime."
"Whatever."
"I still think his school day is too long. When I was a child my tutors only sat with me for a couple of hours at most. I mean when do they have time for fun." Angel questioned, his strange comment about his own education going by barely noticed by the watcher.
"After their homework is complete. Before they're bathed and tucked into bed." Wes answered quickly without thought.
"Wait, what is homework?"
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12:15 pm – K2 Classroom
A few hours into his first day at school, the bell rang for lunch, and all the kids began to run for the door, leaving Lindsey alone as he slowly rose to his feet.
You see, due to a shyness he had never experienced before, Lindsey hadn't actually spoken to the other children at his assigned table, and therefore he wasn't as excited about going outside as he once thought he would be, even after seeing the huge play area that they had to themselves.
In fact, he actually looked straight past the huge jungle gym that normally would have kept his attention, his eyes settling instead on a lonely bench that sat far away from where the rest of the kids were playing.
Maybe he could just sit and enjoy the sun alone until it was time to go inside.
But then again that wasn't doing what the list told him to do.
'Come on Lindsey. Be brave. It's the most important rule, remember. Be. Brave.'
As he pondered that thought, his mind deep in its own world where he often had conversations with himself and another voice that sometimes lived in there, a tap on Lindsey's shoulder startled him back into reality.
"Hey there."
The were-tiger stared at the boy with both fear and indignation at being touched so suddenly, his gaze never shifting even as the boy looked away, probably realising how rude he'd been.
"Uh, sorry I didn't mean to make you jump, It's just… I don't know if you remember me, but my name is Tommy and we played in the park together before."
And now that Lindsey got a good look, the kid did seem kind of familia, with his bright blond hair and green eyes. In fact, there were even some fond memories that came to mind, of playing knights and dragons, now that he thought about it. Still, Lindsey didn't answer, just letting the boy steamroll on as he seemed happy to do.
"And so, me and my buddy thought you might like to play with us?" The kid then pointed to another child, this one a girl, with a pixie cut and freckles who waved at them excitedly.
"Uh, umm…" It wasn't what Lindsey had expected the boy to say after startling him just, and that kind through him in a loop a little bit. However, a voice that Lindsey heard often and trusted completely spoke quietly in his mind. Be brave, My Cub. Be Brave. "OK."
"Cool. Oh, and if you want, I can get you moved to my table up front. There's a spare seat that nobody wants because it's too close to Mrs Clark."
"Yeah, I'd like that."
And as the pair ran off together, a smile spread across Lindsey's face, his cheeks growing flush with pride.
'You did good, My Cub.'
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2:25 pm – The Hyperion Hotel Lobby
"Angel-Angel-Angel-Angel!"
"Hey, kiddo I missed you." Swooping Lindsey up from the floor, Angel propped him on his hip and moved them further away from the mid-afternoon sun that threatened the vampire from the doorway. He was honestly grateful to see the little cub, finally home after so long, but after taking a quick glance at the young boy, in a less harsh light, he was worried to see that Lindsey had his ears and tail on display. Now, it was probably just a recent development, after a long day of keeping his abilities in check the kid probably needed to relax a little. Still, the vampire had to ask. "Did everything go ok at school today?"
"Yeah, it was amazin'."
And well, if anything could settle the fear and anxiety that Angel had been feeling all day, it would definitely be the happy shout and beaming grin that accompanied that response.
"That's great, champ," Angel smiled back at him as he walked them both to the kitchen to fetch some food. "Let's get you a snack and you can tell me and Wesley all about it."
"Ok, but I have homeswork to do first."
"Of course you do."