Name: Dream Dangerously, Fassbender Fan, Jimjamz
Title: Changes (part 4)
Disclaimer: characters belong to the writers of Hex and Shine Entertainment with the exception of original characters created for this fic.
Character focus: Cassie/Thelma/Azazeal.
Rating: PG
Summary: Cassie returns to Medenham after the events of Series 1 to discover some shocking changes. This was originally written as a continue the plot fic on the Strange Thoughts board.
Context: Just after series 1, an alternative version of events to series 2.
Keywords: drama,

Thelma walked out of the classroom and down the long, empty corridor, caught up in thoughts of all the grim things she'd like to do to Azazeal if she were actually able to touch him. She stopped and stamped her foot angrily.

"Damn it!" She yelled with frustration, the echoes of her cry rolling down the corridor. It was then that her eye was drawn to the end of the corridor to a large bay window where a young man was sat. He had a mop of blonde hair, very blue eyes and a silly smirk on his face.

More unnervingly, that silly smirk seemed to be directed straight at Thelma.

Gob smacked, she peered over her shoulder to check there wasn't anyone behind her. When she looked back at the man he raised his eyebrows, gave her a jaunty little salute and then got up and walked out the nearest door.

"What the..." Thelma stood puzzled for a second then began to run. "Hey, wait!"

When she hit the end of the corridor and yanked open the door he was long gone. From over her shoulder a voice made her jump.

"Now Bunty dear, I don't know about you, but I'd like to know what the hell is going on!"

Thelma looked up at Peggy, a confused look on her face amidst the tears and make-up.
Peggy's smile faded as she saw the tears, stretching a hand toward the young girl's cheek she touched the air beside it tenderly.

"What has been going on?"
***

Cassie paced back and forth in her room, her arms folded and he brow furrowed. Giving a sigh of exasperation she shoved the last remaining items into her bag and closed it. Her eyes lingered on the photograph beside her bed, a lump formed in her throat as she gingerly turned it over, hiding the happy image of her and Thelma from her sight.

Swallowing hard she looked around the room one last time before reaching for the door handle..which was already turning..
***

Thelma blew her nose loudly as Peggy looked at her friend
"..It's not your fault bunty. Stronger women than Cassie have fallen into his trap before."

"B.. But.. I-" tears drowned Thelma's stammers as she broke down...

Peggy laid a protective hand upon Thelma's shoulder, stroking her hair and allowing her head to fall and land on her lap. Neither spoke as Thelma sobbed into her companion's lap.
***

"Rose! Uh.. Hi, I'm just. I'm going out!"

The perky redhead grinned at Cassie, "I'm glad you're here! I got this plant for our room. I thought we could call him P.... oh!" She trailed off mid-sentence as she took in Cassie's bags.

A frown creased her forehead. "Are you...are you going away?"

In all the chaos of the day, Cassie had forgotten all about Rose. Suddenly her vanishing act didn't seem like such a good idea. The last thing she needed was anyone actually caring where she'd gone, or even worse dragging this seemingly sweet girl in to the nightmare that was shaping up to be Cassie's life.

"No. Not at all." Cassie though for a second. "I'm just heading down to the laundry...I'm out of clean clothes." She attempted a smile.

"Great! Could you stick some things in for me?" Rose began rummaging around in her wash basket.

So now I get to run away with a bagful of someone else's dirty underwear! If that's not going to get my locked up I don't know what is.

Cassie realised she might have to re-think her plans. She took the bag of clothes that Rose handed her and headed for the door. "Back in a bit." she muttered.

Rose stood and watched Cassie leave, a big grin on her face. Once the door shut behind Cassie, the smile was gone.

Pausing for a moment, she listened to Cassie's fading footsteps before Cooley opening her mobile. Pressing a single button she dialled a familiar number and put the phone to her ear her eyes fixed upon the closed door.

"Hello? Hi. It's me. Yeah she's gone."
***

The launderette was dead. There were two students who appeared to be a couple playing cards on a nearby table as Cassie walked in. Avoiding their stares and deliberate break in conversation Cassie hastily shoved Rose's washing into a free machine.

The machines whirred loudly as Cassie leant against an empty tumble-dryer her eyes occasionally drifting over to the lovers she shared the room with. Staring into each other's eyes and occasionally kissing Cassie found it hard to watch...

Distracting herself she flicked through a nearby magazine until the load finished. With little effort she dropped the wet clothes into a basket and carried them toward the tumble-dryers, as she did so something fell from the clothes onto the floor.
***

Rose snapped the mobile shut as the conversation finished. Perching herself on the edge of her bed she scanned the room nosily. Her eyes resting upon the canare. She eyed the blue pottery knowingly and with overwhelming curiosity stood and walked to where it lay on Cassie's table.
***

Cassie paused and looked down at the object by her feet. A quizzical look upon her face she bent to retrieve it.

It was a locket. Normally Cassie wouldn't find it suspicious at all, but for the strangest reason, she was drawn to it. Leaving the basket of clothes on the floor, she picked up it up and pocketed it, thinking she'd examine it later. With a heavy sigh she picked up the basket and carried them over to the dryers.

***

"Your ready now. We succeeded in getting her to join us, and now all that's left is down to you"

"Yes"

The young man stood up from his position, kneeling at Azazeal's feet. The fallen angel smiled at him, patting the chair beside the one he was sitting in. With a small bow, the boy sat down.

"And you know where they are?" He said casually, lighting a cigarette as he lounged insolently in his chair.

"Of course I do" The boy said, aggravated. He threw Azazeal a dirty look, before taking out his own packet of cigarettes, making the older man chuckle.

"You shouldn't smoke," He said, taking a drag on his own, "Filthy habit..."

"Like father, Like son" The boy smirked, "I seen that ghost you told me about earlier. She looked rather upset"

"Good" Azazeal said shortly, standing up. He crossed over the room, coming up to a heavy wooden door. With his back turned to Michael, he began to speak.

"She wants to stop meddling in Cassie's life. Silly fool is still in love with her. She refuses to get over the fact that Cassie doesn't want her...Even killing her didn't work"
"So what are you going to do?"

"She thinks she's untouchable, now she's dead. She underestimates me, thinks I cant harm her...how wrong she is"

He released the heavy metal bolt on the door and turned to his son,

"Now you stay here and be a good boy won't you?" He added sarcastically with a grin before leaving Michael along in the dank room.
***

"Here's your washing!" Cassie dropped the basket onto Rose's bed. Her roommate looked up from her book muttered a thank you then continued reading; Cassie bypassed her ignorance and sat at her dressing table.

She thumbed through some schoolwork aimlessly; thoughts of Michael busied her brain as her eyes searched the room for an excuse to leave. They fell upon the canare beside her, something which had seemed so insignificant once had been the cause of <b>all</b> of this. She ran her finger along the room of the pottery, her skin barely making contact with the clay.

"So where'd ya find it?"

Cassie jumped as Rose appeared at her side her eyes fixed upon the canare.

"Find? What makes you think? I..um.." Cassie stumbled over her words as she felt her cheeks flush pink.

"Sorry, I just meant, it's kinda odd ya know..doesn't fit the 'decor'" she laughed loosely as her hand reached for the vase.

Cassie eyes traced her hand's movements, she felt as if time had slowed as she watched the girls fingers curl around the object of Cassie's torment, tipping it gently into her other hand inspecting it calmly.

Cassie's throat was dry, she could not speak, she could only watch as Rose turned the ornament curiously.

"It's quite interesting really..that you were the one who found this. After all, it's not exactly coincidence is it?" Rose's dark eyes flashed wildly as she locked eye contact with Cassie. All innocence seemed to disappear from her expression as paranoia swept over Cassie...

Her heart beat wildly in her throat as she eyed her roommate, all this time she had known...how? Why? Cassie's thoughts were interrupted by a third person entering the room. It seemed a lifetime before Cassie turned to see who the visitor was..

"Az-"
"Azazeal!"

Rose, now stood gazing at Azazeal in a manner which made Cassie surprisingly jealous, interrupted the blonde.

Azazeal grinned at the red head by his side and stroked her cheek his eyes fixed upon Cassie.

Cassie gasped breathlessly. "You..." She left the sentence unfinished.

Azazeal smiled slowly. "It's a beautiful thing, having minions. Rose here has been especially.... devout." He gave Rose a lingering glance.

His tone changing to become more business-like he continued; "It's amazing what you can find on the Internet these days. Apparently there's a whole website devoted to worshipers of the Nephilim. That kind of attention could go to ones head."

Cassie couldn't quite reconcile herself with the image of Azazeal sat in the Internet cafe, but she could well believe that the first thing he'd look up was himself.

"Cassie. Our boy is growing up fast, very fast actually. He needs his mother. Or am I going to have to raise the stakes again?"

Cassie felt shock and fear wash through her.

"What have you done?"
***

Thelma wiped away the last of her tears, blowing her nose noisily on one of Peggy's silk handkerchiefs

"That's the spirit darling. I'll take care of you. Now I'm going to go and see what I can dig out about this child, Michael you say?"

Thelma nodded. Peggy gave her one last concerned look then hurried out the library to seek out her books.

Thelma got up and walked slowly to one of the wide windows that looked out across the parkland grounds of the school. Suddenly she caught sight of the strange young man who'd been looking at her earlier. He was picking his way across the park.

Thelma got an idea in her head. She ran out of the room and then out in to the park. She followed the young man at a distance, hiding behind pillars, trees and anything else that came in handy. Then he was gone.

Thelma peeked out of the statue she'd been hiding behind and look around, puzzled at how she'd lost him.

"Looking for me?" A soft and yet rich and compelling voice asked from above her. Thelma looked up. The young man was perched on the plinth of the statue. He smiled at her. He had an angelic boyish face but the blue eyes were even more unnerving up close, a glassy shade that Thelma had never seen on any human.

A penny dropped in Thelma's head and her heart came in to her throat.

"You're one of them aren't you?" she managed to squeak out.

The young man nodded slowly.

He bit his lower lip as if he was holding back from laughing at a very good joke.

"So that's why you can see me." Thelma replied, trying to remain calm.

"Of course I can see you." He replied in that clear voice. "I'm Sariel, I was named as God's command, I guided the path of the moon." He paused grinning wolfishly and his angelic face became sinister. "I was the angel of death and you, you have been a very naughty ghost."