Arcadia wasn't famous for much, but their Christmases each year were amazing. The town had a parade and the school did a secret Santa every year, fully optional. Thankfully, enough people participated every year to keep it going.
Strickler mysteriously disappeared after the play, so one teacher was randomly paired with a student. And that student gave Mr. Uhl a signed picture of one Steve Palchuk. Angel found out and gave Uhl a self made coupon for one free truck wash, inside and out, bumper to bumper.
Angel had gotten Eli, so she gave him a book on conspiracies he knew he didn't have. Eli had gotten Steve, so he just wired double the amount of lunch money into his account. Which only in turn got him an extra locker stuffing that day.
Jim and Claire ended up getting each other, the ensuing awkwardness something Angel and Toby could both agree was hard to watch. Toby ended up getting Angel, to which he complained about to Jim so many times, his ear almost fell off. In the end, he ended up getting her a gift card for the bookstore and leaving it at that.
Mary had gotten Darcy, Darcy got Shannon, and so on and so forth. The day was filled with so much drama and tears of both happiness and fake sadness, yelps of joy and pain from great gifts and practical pranks, Angel fell into her spot at the desk with a sigh.
"Rough day?" Douxie chuckled, leaning on the desk in front of her with a smile. She only nodded and pulled out her gift card.
"And I also will have to wash Mr. Uhl's truck someday soon," Angel said with a small chuckle. "Steve is the worst secret Santa."
"Eugh, I'll bet. Who gave you that?" Douxie took the card from her.
"Either someone who doesn't know me, is too lazy to try and know anything about me, or is Toby."
"Huh? Why would it-"
"Ever since I said I left my parents at 18, he's had it out for me. Don't ask why, I can't tell you."
"Well, at least you get two weeks off from school and seeing him, right?"
"Yeah but I still have to go into town for... things." Douxie eyed her suspiciously before walking off with a sly smile to put up some books. She didn't notice as she was looking up at the ceiling. "And then there's the parade and concert that you somehow talked me into doing."
"You have beautiful voice," he said. "I want others to hear it." Angel blushed and looked at him with bashful features.
"It's not that good, Douxie. It cracks and is uneven and-"
"And is soft and lovely and beautiful. Come on, love. Give yourself credit."
"I- I..... thank you, I guess," Angel muttered, suddenly interested in the paperwork that needed to be done.
. . .
"Come on Arch!" Angel begged the familiar cat. Douxie had the morning shift for the Cafe, so she had the entire morning to pester Archie it seemed. "Just give me some ide-"
"For the last time, no!" Arch said hopping onto the rail of the stairs to make it to his afternoon resting place. "It will mean more if you get it yourself, no help from me."
"But you've known him for centuries! I've known him for a decade, only really for half that." When Arch refused to answer her, she studied him with suspicious eyes. His posture had a fake relaxation to it, and he pointedly avoided eye contact. "You don't know what to get him either, do you?" Archie nearly lost his balance.
"Don't be ridiculous, of course I do."
"You've known him for centuries!"
"That doesn't make it any easier to get the boy a gift!"
"I knew you didn't know what to get him!" The familiar just rolled his eyes as he made that final leap to the top railing. Archie ignored her the rest of the day except for wishing her to be careful before she left to run some errands.
Angel was window shopping for what seemed like hours, finding nothing that Douxie didn't already have or wanted or needed. So she wasn't able to pick anything out today, but tomorrow she definitely would.
Music blaring on her headphones, just with one off so she could hear her surroundings, she walked home. Douxie said he had a surprise for her; no doubt an early Christmas present based on his voice. It seemed he was glad she was out for the night.
She was glad for some time to herself. It was nice to just walk and listen to her music. Until her mouth was covered by some kind of cloth and her middle had an arm wrapped around it as she was pulled back into an alleyway. The world went black before she could even think about using any sort of spell.
. . .
"Douxie, how much longer is this going to take?" Arch asked from his place holding up the side of the shelf in his dragon form.
"Not much longer, Arch," Douxie said, drill in hand.
"You know, when I became your familiar, this was not in the job description."
"There! All done, Arch."
"Finally," Arch sighed, letting go of the shelf and ploping down on it in cat form. It didn't feel nearly as sturdy as it should be for a bookshelf, but it was decent. Angel had been talking for weeks about how her shelves couldn't hold her books anymore, them being piled on the ground and desk.
"Oh come on, it wasn't that bad, was it Arch," Douxie chuckled as he started grabbing her books to place them on the brand new shelf. Arch reminded him that she was very particular about where things went, especially books, so he put them down.
"Shouldn't she have been back by now?" Now that it was mentioned, yeah. It was nearly nine and she hadn't at least called. When Douxie called her himself, he only got her voice-mail.
Ok, sometimes she didn't hear it or was too busy. He tried again after a few minutes to no avail. Douxie frantically repeated the action for the next thirty minutes. He was probably being silly, but he had to find her. Arch and Angel could double team on a lecture after.
. . .
The first thing she smelled was the remnants of whatever substance had been used to knock her out. She felt chains around her wrists, holding them behind her chair. Adjusting ever so slightly so it could possibly be seen as a sleeping movement, she felt the ones around he feet too.
"Why would you bring her here?" Wait... was that-?
"You're the one who wants to raise Angor Rot, Strickler," another voice answered with sickening glee in a German accent. She heard a tell tale goblin 'Waka chaka' in response. "And what better way to find the Inferna Copula then by interrogating a wizard. Wake her up." The sound of something being kicked her way made her lift her head up in response.
"It seems she is already awake," Strickler said bemused.
"It was you!" She yelled, glaring at him. "You're the changeling I saw go into the school!"
"My my," Strickler's friend chuckled, circling her. "Aren't you a smart human? The wizard shared his secrets, did he?" Angel's eyes widened against her will.
"Wh- what wizard? I'm the only one Arcadia has." She was lying through her teeth and the changelings could see it. They were master spies so of course they could.
"Really?" Strickler asked with a smirk. "So Douxie doesn't have a familiar named Archie that is sometimes a normal black cat and sometimes a black dragon. And he hasn't been around since Camelot was around?" Angel's face must have said it all because his friend chuckled as his smirk grew.
"We know all about your roommate," his friend said. "And you, mien friend."
"I ain't your friend!" She snapped. "And how the hell did you know?"
"We hear things," Strickler shrugged nonchalantly. "Your friend has given us quite the bit of trouble for the past centuries."
"Merlin's apprentice," the friend said with a malicious chuckle. "Bular would have been thrilled to have a chance at him."
"B-bular?" Angel couldn't help but whimper at the memory of him, his breath, his eyes. Suddenly she realized that he could be waiting on the other side of the door and wall. Strickler noticed her fear and faltered, concern flooding his features for only a moment. "H-he-"
"Unfortunately, he will never get the chance," Strickler assured, locking eyes with her terrified ones. Despite the situation, who he was, she calmed slightly at his kind eyes. The only thing kind about him in this moment.
"He was killed?" Strickler nodded. "Jim?" Another nod. Angel withheld her sigh of relief, but the sharp intake of a shaky breath let him know how much it meant to her.
"You are not getting off the hook so easily, little girl." A knife was at her throat, the cold metal inches from her skin by his friends hand.
"Otto!" Strickler protested, earning a glare from him. "You promised-"
"We need information from her," Otto glared at him. "If you're sentimental for another student, then you can leave."
"The apprentice is likely on his way already. If we do anything to her, what do you think will happen to us?"
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. She's been around for centuries herself, you know. She probably knows things he doesn't." As Otto readied to slice a part of her she didn't want to find out, she spoke wildly.
"Stop! I don't know anything! I'm only 30!" Otto and Strickler froze, knowing she didn't mean her looks. "I- I've only known Douxie for a decade, really practicing magic for half that! I have nothing for you, no information, I'm... nothing at all."
It worried Strickler that she seemed to believe that herself.
. . .
Douxie asked the people at the store, in passing on the street, if they'd seen any sign of Angel. Nothing but the direction she had gone, leading him to find her dropped groceries and headphones before a dark alleyway.
"Fuzzbuckets," he muttered, kneeling down and examining the scene. She never left without her headphones, ever. It was a go to when something was troubling her or just wanted to listen to music. She said multiple times that she couldn't live without music of some kind. He picked it up and held it close, his blood turning colder by the second. Arch brushed up against his knee for comfort. "I-I should have gone with her, Arch. She- she couldn't use magic, she couldn't defend herself and there- there are changelings and Bular and... oh buckets.."
"This is not your fault Douxie," Arch tried to assure him but to no avail. He was almost to tears as he cradled the still blinking head "Listen, we-" Archie jumped when Douxie's phone rang, his familiar immediately answering the phone.
"Angel?"
"Guess again, apprentice," a familiar voice came through. "But we are hosting her. And she is rather comfortable, aren't you?"
"Right, this is so comfortable," Angel said sarcastically, but her voice was cracking with fear. Douxie's grip on the phone tightened as she spoke again. "Wait, who are you on the phone with?"
"Just your beloved wizard, Little Witch. He says hello."
"Angel!" Douxie shouted into the phone in relief and fear. "Don't worry, don't be scared! I'm-"
"Douxie, do not come! It's a- ahh!"
"Waka- chaka!"
"Ow! Get off of me! Get off! Ow!"
"Stop struggling, girl!"
"Come to the address I'm about to send you by dawn; without your familiar, or we take her where you won't ever find her. That is a promise," the first voice warned before the call disconnected. Though California was warm even in the winter, his blood ran cold.
. . .
Archie put up a fight about him going alone, rightfully so. Douxie was about to walk into a den of changelings, some of which likely older than him. And goblins. There would definitely be a nest hiding in there. So have no fear as he walked in there alone, with no backup and no idea where Angel was in that stupidly large abandoned warehouse on the edge of town. No problem; easy peasy, right?
Oh, this was a mistake. He knew that all too well. But the way Angel had screamed, the fear in her voice... it left a pit of something in his stomach that he couldn't place and really didn't want to.
"Douxie," came a voice from behind him. Immediately calling magic to his hands he turned to the man who took Angel. "Impressive, but put the magic away. You hurt any of us..."
"Where is she?" Douxie asked him with a glare. The man didn't flinch away when he came closer, but his eyes did soften.
"Please stop. I do not wish another student of mine to be hurt."
"Student?" Douxie hated to put away his only defense, but slowly his hands stopped glowing blue. Especially as he realized who he was talking to. "You. You're Strickler, her history teacher. The one who refused to pick up a Gaggletack." Strickler only gave a bemused smile as he walked towards the warehouse, gesturing for him to follow.
"A very keen eye, she has. I'm truly sorry to see our relationship has to change. I'll-"
"Stop right there," Douxie warned, blue dancing at his fingertips.
"Point taken, apprentice." The rest of the walk was in uneasy silence. The moment he saw her chained to that chair, head hung low and goblin defensive on her lap. To keep him away from her until they were ready. And he didn't fail to the blood dripping from her head, matting her hair; the scratches on her arms. And the culprit was sitting on her lap so nonchalantly that it took everything in his power not kill the thing right then and there. Having no fear wasn't a problem anymore, at least.
"Sorry about her state, mien friend," The voice that had yelled at her to stop struggling with a weird glee said, a man now standing behind her. He lifted her head up gently, revealing the curtain of blood falling over the left side of her head. "She's a surprisingly fierce fighter. You can't tell with her mostly frightened demeanor."
"Get your hands off of her," Douxie growled, clenching his fists so tight his knuckles were white. The changeling did as asked, letting her head drop with an oh so self-satisfied smirk. "You have me, so let. Her. Go."
"Sure," Strickler offered, with an equally satisfied smirk, sharing a glance with his friend.
"We just need one bit of information first," the german said, now just showing off his place in this situation by placing a hand on Angel's shoulder. Douxie tensed and glared profusely, but didn't say a word. In fact, he couldn't anything at all, barely managing to make even the slightest gesture for him to continue. "Have you heard of the Inferna Copula?"
"What?" Douxie asked, momentarily having his anger replaced with confusion. Of course he had heard of it, it was something that Merlin found out Morgana did years before she became the pale lady. She was nice enough and had good intentions, but years of hardship changed her to the monster Merlin had to seal away. Well, in full especially after what she did too.... "No. Nope, that is a horrible idea! Raising Angor Rot, an unruly troll assassin?"
"I'm afraid that is not your place to say, young apprentice," Strickler said.
"I think it is my place when it's very likely you'll be sending him after Angel and me once you raise him?"
"I won't if you promise to stay out of our business."
"I'm sorry, but I really don't want Gunmar getting out and-"
"He had his time! It's the changelings time now. Now-" Strickler motioned to his friend who immeadiately slid a knife from his sleeve and pulled Angel by the hair to lift her head up. the silver glinted against her nearly pale neck. "The Inferna Copula's location. Now!"
Suddenly, a small but accurate burst of fire hit the german's hand making him drop the knife. another took out that god forsaken goblin.
"I warned you to come alone!"
"I did come alone!" Strickler was only able to mutter liar before he was shot down by another blast of fire. Douxie finally spotted the culprit.
"Arch? You followed me?"
"To the ends of the earth, my friend," the black dragon with round glasses said, smiling fondly at the wizard. He barely had time to return it before chaos ensued.
"Dou- Douxie?" Angel's weak voice came, barely heard over Strickler's bellow to rouse the goblins. Archie started blasting them away as Douxie rushed to Angel, sending the german changeling into the far wall in anger, his eyes glowing blue. "Where- where-"
"Sh, sh, sh," he whispered gently, cupping her face in his hands, eyes dimming back to their normal hazel. "It's alright. I'm getting you out of here." He made it sound easier than it was; the freaking chains were magic proof. After a moment more of fruitless blasts, his eyes glew bright blue again and he drew the German changeling dangerously close.
It was only a moment of the changeling yelling in pain that he got the keys from his pocket and began unlocking her desperately. Angel fell forward limply, Douxie barely able to catch her in time. And despite what was happening and her weakened state, she was thinking ahead.
"We were... a walk, coyotes... hit ..."
"We need to leave!" Archie yelled above the roar of Goblins coming after them in a slow and menacing manner. They had time, in there minds, because they blocked off all the exits.
"I can... I can.." Angel said weakly, her eyes struggling to open as Douxie put up a shield.
"No, it's too-" he started, but her eyes turning bright red cut him off. Douxie couldn't take his eyes off her. Her hair was flying up, her expression hard and fierce. Were it not for the blood on her face, Douxie would have found the sight forming a knot in his stomach. He was already staring in awe. "Arch!" He finally managed to get out. The familiar understood and flew to his shoulders just as a final burst of magic got them out of there.
Strickler was furious.