We Never Break A Promise Part 2
"The New Beginning"

By
Warm Hearted
Edited and Proofed by Catherine Linda Michel

Synopsis: Eric Jones was an orphan that grew up friendless, abused, humiliated, and unloved in the foster system. In this chapter Eric awakens from being magically healed from an almost deadly, undeserved beating and begins an evolutionary journey of personal truth. All the copyright stuff applies.

(THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR KIND WORDS AND ADVICE! I'm trying to improve my writing technique, grammar and spelling so please continue your help and a special thanks to Zapper. Please let me know if the second chapter holds your interest enough to read a third chapter)
******

Looking at myself in the mirror I saw I had very fair skin, large blue eyes, a small slightly upturned nose, oval shaped face and full pink lips. I looked somehow familiar, yet different. Then I looked at Erin, then at me, then back to Erin and realized I looked a lot like a younger copy of her, but with very short, golden blonde hair.

Erin noticed me seeing the resemblance and said, "Yes, we have a strong family resemblance. Eric you are actually my niece, but I will explain more later, you have enough to digest at the moment."

Erin tilted the mirror and I could see the rest of my body, but I couldn't tell much about it because of the heavy blanket covering me. I could see delicate arms covered in the same flawless fair skin and small hands with thin fingers and very short nails.

Then I noticed two mounds on my chest and I thought, "I have breasts." I was surprised, but not freaked out. It made sense that they are part of the package. I was actually more shocked when I looked farther down at my feet.

My feet normally almost hung off the end of most beds. Now, laying flat on my back in this normal twin bed, I saw my feet under the blanket almost two feet from the foot of the bed. Erin then took the mirror away and said, "I will be right back."

Laying there, my mind was racing, trying to absorb all that just happened. Yes being a girl was a fucking big thing to adjust to since before now I never even thought of what it would be like to be a girl. You have to understand the sheer elation I was feeling over now having a family. Not just any family, but discovering that the kindest, most loving, giving person I ever knew WAS MY AUNT! So to a great extent the joy, comfort, and giddy happiness of the former outweighed the shock, apprehension and strangeness of the latter.

If you have never been a foster this probably would not make sense to you. How the significance of learning you have family could counteract the hysteria you should be feeling going through something like this. The best way I can explain it, is like if you were always hungry to the point of starvation. Hungry not for food, my former body proved they gave me plenty of food, but for someone to care for you out of love, not because they are paid to do it.

Waking up in the morning and going to bed at night knowing the only reason the people you live with do anything for you is the check they get in the mail. Don't get me wrong, not all foster parents are like this, but the ones I had were.

Erin returned with a tray and set it on the table beside the bed and asked me, "If I release the spell that is keeping you still, will you be calm enough to stay put in bed and just sit up? If the answer is yes, blink your eyes twice."

I thought for a second and I knew I would not be able to stay calm enough to stay in bed and I really wanted able to talk and ask questions, so I blinked twice. Erin then made a pass over my body and said, "Ena de ko." I felt a small surge of energy and I was able to move. The first word I said sounds really dumb now, I said, “WOW!”

Then Erin helped me to sit up and adjusted the pillow behind my back. I said, "Thank you." It was my voice, but it was the voice of a stranger. Definitely female, a little raspy from my dry throat, but really a nice voice. I felt movement on my chest and, looking down, I saw a cotton gown with lace slightly pushed out by my breasts.

Erin said, "Yes, you will have a lot of new sensations, but please Eric, don't panic, OK?"

I answered, "Don't worry Erin. I'm not panicking. It's just new."

Erin handed me a cup of tea and, as I drank it quickly, Erin said, "That tea will help a lot. You should feel better now and you should be fully recovered by this afternoon. How do you feel now?"

I felt the magic tea working. I could actually sense strength and health filling me and I answered. “A lot stronger, but I'm a little overwhelmed at the moment. Can I ask you some questions.?" My voice lost its raspy tone and it's a very nice female voice of a stranger.

Erin said, "Of course dear I will answer anything you ask to the best of my ability."

I looked Erin and asked, "Please tell me about my parents and what happened to them and how I ended up as a foster child?

Erin looked at me and said, "That's a lot, so for now can I just tell you the short version and I will tell you more details as time goes on, because we will be together for a long, long time."

Erin telling me that we were going to be together a long time made feel so happy that I would had agreed to anything so I nodded. Erin nodded and thought for a moment, then started telling me the short version of my history.

"Your father was a very powerful Wizard named Seth Crane and your mother was my older sister, Cassandra Sparrow Crane. You were born Willow Crane, but two weeks after your birth your parents were killed and you were stolen by Lea Wren.

Wren hated our family because Ged Sparrow, my father, your grandfather, is the head of the Council Of Wizards and had sentenced Lea Wren's parents to death for practicing dark magic. Dark magic requires the death of a wizard. Eric, all wizards do not have the same level of magic. Some are very weak and can't perform major spells.

Most of these weaker wizards are happy to live life like Non Magical folks. Living normal lives and using minor spells to benefit themselves from time to time. For example, if someone wants a promotion they will use a spell to make their boss look more favorably on their work. The Wrens wanted a Socra Amulet that would let them steal magic from other Wizards and it takes dark magic to make one.

The Wrens killed a Wizard who thought they were his friends and made the Amulet. They then started stealing power to raise their status The Council discovered their crime and took them prisoner. Your grandfather was the judge at their hearing and sentenced them to be executed, but the Council never found the Amulet. Lea Wren was taken by distant relatives and raised.

Eric, not to change the subject, but it's part of the story and you need to know this too. When Wizards are born their magic is in them, but they can't access it until their 18th birthday, the "Age Of Awakening. At that time they are presented to the Council and are assessed for ability, then apprenticed to a teacher. Usually a close relative is selected to be their teacher, but not always.”

“Your mother, just as your father did, received the highest ranking possible at their assessment.."Mage." Neither your grandfather nor your grandmother could take your mother as an apprentice because your grandfather is head of the Council and it's not allowed for his household to have an apprentice. His best friend, your father's adopted father Aaron Crane Sr., took your mother. You see Seth, your father, was four years older than your mother so he had finished his apprenticeship. With that being the case, Mage Crane was free to take and train her.

Lea Wren was also assessed that same year as your mother and, like her parents, she ranked low, "Minion" class I believe. Wren was assigned to her third cousin, the cook at the Crane mansion. Wren had grown large and heavy, but your mother and father went out of their way to include Wren in activities and defend her from the teasing of the others.

Eric, your mother once suffered a broken nose from getting in the way of a grapefruit being thrown at Lea. Your father stepped in and KO-ed the guy that threw it, but because of that Lea fixated on Seth. Wren made him her imaginary lover. So when your parents fell madly in love and announced their coming wedding Wren went crazy.

I don't mean unfriend you on Face Book crazy. I mean Hannibal Lector crazy. On your naming day Wren showed up wearing the Amulet and vaporized you father and put an aging spell on your mother. She then grabbed you and escaped.

Eric, we Wizards live a very long time, I once met a Wizard who met Merlin and King Arthur, but the spell Wren put on your mother aged her 100 years a minute."

Erin then paused to wipe the tears from her eyes with a tissue and take a deep breath.

I watched Erin struggle to regain her composure and then she said, As your mother lay dying in my arms she asked me to promise to find and take care of her daughter. I told her that I promised and she died."

Erin went to the bathroom and I heard her crying and I started crying too. I reached over on the bedside table and took a tissue and started wiping my eyes. Erin came out and saw me. She rushed to my bed and sat there on the edge of the bed and put her arms around me. I wrapped my arms around her neck and we both cried together until both our shoulders were wet from tears. When we both were cried out, but still hugging each other Erin said, "Oh my sweet, sweet Willow, at last I found you."

There in my aunt's loving embrace was the first time in my life's memories that I was called by my birth name and our tears flowed again, but these were happy tears. Then Erin let go of me and I did the same, but she stayed on the bed. She leaned back and took my hand and continued my history where she left off.

“I started immediately looking for you but Wren had constructed a vast tangled web of false trails. You see Willo..ah Eric, oh hell, what do you want me to call you?"

I thought.. My birth name was Willow given to me by parents that loved me and Eric was given to me by some clerk that had to assign a name to John Doe -412 so I said, "Willow."

Erin beamed and continued. “You see Willow, damn that sounds good, when we Wizards are young we leave a trail of magic residue that a close relative can follow, but by the time of the Awakening it stops. Wren hid yours in 1000's of false leads and when she was captured in Costa Rica you were not with her. Even the offer of escaping the death penalty would not get her to tell where you were.

So I searched for you for seventeen long years. I truly believed you were dead. I had made a promise to your mother to look for her daughter and care for her when I found her. I finally discovered the true trail and it led here to Charlotte and stopped. I was sure Wren had brought you here and killed you, but because of the promise, I had to keep looking even when I thought it was hopeless.

I decided to stay here in Charlotte where the trail ended and opened the book shop. We Wizards love books you know."

Erin then took my hand in both of hers and started explaining recent events, "The second day I was here, you showed up on my porch. Willow, when one Wizard sees another for the first time a halo appears over their head. That way we can always spot another Wizard and the size and color of the halo tells us their family line and level of power."

I interrupted, "I saw a blue halo around your head when you greeted me on the porch, but I thought it was a reflection off the stained glass door panel."

Erin laughed and said, "Willow, you're amazing. As strong as that dark spell of Wren's was and even though you haven't reached awakening yet you're still powerful enough to see our family's color and to top that, although it was weak, I saw your blue halo too.

That is why I greeted you as kinsman. When you were confused by the greeting I figured you were from a branch of the family that was so weak they'd long ago fully assimilated with the Non-Magicals. There are cases of this. That's why I invited you in and gave you the job. I thought it would be nice to have family close. It didn't matter how distantly related we were, you were family. I was unsure of you at first, but you proved yourself. Oh yes, that brings me to something else. You made a promise to me, remember?"

I thought back and I remembered and said, "Yes I remember. I promised to work for you after school."

Erin nodded and said, "That's right. You see, with Wizards promises are serious pacts. If we don't keep them, for whatever reason, we will always carry the burden of not keeping our word. That burden, I'm told, is like a deep depression, but I have never experienced it. In addition, the promise has to be carried out to the letter perfectly or it's considered broken. So you will have to stay in school until you graduate
and work with me in the afternoon."

I said, "I love working with you, but my school may be hard. They would not recognize me now."

Erin addressed my concerns, “That's not a problem. I can magically create all the documentation you need to say you are transferring from another school. So that will be easy, but you have to make a decision, Who do you want to be?”

I looked confused and asked, "What do you mean, who do I want to be?"

Erin enlightened me. "I know that being Willow is very different than being Eric and it may be too uncomfortable for you being like you are now. Your uncle Aaron will be back this afternoon and he can transform you into a male version of yourself or any look you want. Aaron isn't your uncle by blood because your father was adopted in his family, but Seth and Aaron Jr. loved each other as strong as I loved your mother."

I looked at Erin and asked, "I think you're just as powerful a Wizard as Aaron, I know this somehow. So why can't you change me?"

Erin looked very sad and didn't want to answer, but she had promised to answer my questions. So still holding my hand very hard, she said, "I'm prevented from doing that spell on you. You see I could remove the curse that Wren put on you with Aaron's help, but I can't change you from being Willow because of the promise I made to your mother."

I thought about what Erin had told me about promises and I thought about what Erin had promised my mother. It dawned on me that Erin had promised to find and care for my mother's "daughter." So if I was anything but my mother's daughter, Erin would be forced to break her promise. I could not live with knowing that I caused Erin such a burden.

I let go of Erin's hand, put my arms around her neck, leaned into her cheek and whispered, "Aunt Erin, I always want to be your niece Willow. I PROMISE."

Erin started crying and I started crying and Erin said, "Niece. I love you so much."

*****

After another session of happy tears ended, I asked how long was I asleep and what day it was? Erin told me I had slept one night and that it was Saturday morning. Then I asked where we were and I learned we were in the living quarters over the book shop. I never knew that the upstairs had such a nice living area. Erin told me there were two bedrooms and two baths so I could have my own room and bath. Later I learned there was a combination kitchen, living area also.

Erin then said, "You seem strong enough if you want to get up and walk around?"

I nodded and Erin pulled back the blanket and I got up and walked around the room. I felt fine except I needed to pee real bad. I said, "Erin, I need to go to the bathroom."

Erin answered, "Sure Willow, it's right there."

Looking at Erin perplexed I said, "I'm not sure how to do it now."

Erin looked at me and giggled, saying, "Oh yeah. You have new plumbing now. Sorry, I wasn't thinking. Don't worry, I'll help you."

I looked at Erin feeling very uncomfortable about her offer and said, "Erin is there any way you can just tell me and let me go by myself?"

Erin grinned real big and said, "I wasn't meaning I was going to potty train you like a baby. I meant I could use magic. I would never, and I would stop anyone else from changing that wonderful personality you have. What I'm offering is just simple knowledge imparting. Just the knowledge about what to do in your new body. Things like hygiene, dressing, walking and all the girl stuff. All things you may choose to do, but it will always be your choice to do it or not. Would that be okay for me to do that for you?"

Standing there with my legs crossed slightly bent over, I said, "Sure, if you can do it in a hurry." Erin touched my forehead and I knew what to do, so I ran to the bathroom.

With my gown pulled up and as I finished emptying my bladder, I reflected that it wasn't all that bad having to sit instead of standing. Then it dawned on me that I will have other new experiences because of my new sex. I thought about periods. Then, and to my surprise, I knew what to do about tampons and pads.

My mind following that course of thinking, I thought, "Periods are probably the worst part of being a girl, but having them is better than missing one." Then it hit me. As Eric-shun, even though I never had a girlfriend, I loved looking at pretty girls. I loved their shapes, their voices and how their butts looked in tight jeans. I questioned myself 'Do I still like girls?' As I took some tissue and patted myself dry I decided to try a test.

I wasn't at all familiar with my new body. It was still a stranger's body to me. So it stood to reason for me that, looking at myself in the mirror, it should have the same effect on me as if I was looking a pretty girl that I didn't know. Then fear crept into my mind about the ramifications to my life that discovery would mean.

I was on the horns of this dilemma. If I still liked girls, although not a bad thing, it could make me a target again for mean hearted people and I was very tired of being a target. If the opposite is true I will want to date boys and they will want.. OH SHIT!

Pushing my fears back, I stood in front of the mirror on the wall behind the vanity and pulled my gown off over my head. I stood there seeing that girl in the mirror with a very pretty face, firm medium sized breasts with light, red quarter sized nipples circled by slightly larger aureola's. My eyes went down and saw a flat stomach with an almond shaped, "innie" belly button. I had a tiny waist and slightly flaring hips.

Down farther I saw a Venus mound and shapely thighs that didn't meet at the top so I saw light shining through there. I then turned and looked at the girl's butt. It was a perfect teardrop shape. Seeing this girl in the mirror naked should have sent Eric running home to lock himself in the bathroom for an hour, but no matter what sexy pose I struck, it was like me seeing other guys in the locker room shower, objectively judging their appearance in comparison.

Then, when the thought of the images of the naked guys in the locker room shower came into my mind, it felt like a surge of warm butterflies formed in the pit of my stomach when I thought of the good looking ones. I spoke out loud in a hushed tone, "Holy fuck! I like guys and now they will like me and want to hook up with me, but that ain't happening."

Not wanting to think about it any more I quickly pulled my gown back on, but when I raised my arms over my head I caught a whiff that solved another lifelong mystery for me. Pretty girls can get body odor too. I needed a shower. I opened the door to find Erin waiting and she asked.

"Did everything go OK?"

I giggled for the first time in my life and said, "It went flowingly, but I need a shower."

Erin said, "Ok, and you will need clothes so we need to go shopping after Aaron gets here. Until then I need to alter some of mine because you are a little more petite than I'm. So you will have something to wear. Would jeans and a top be ok?"

I said, "Yes. That will be great."

Erin asked me my sizes and I looked at her and said, "How would I know?"

She responded, "I gave you the knowledge, not me. Think about it and you will know."

I did think about it and I discovered I did know my sizes so I told Erin, "Size 5 shoes, size 1 panties, 32-B bra, small petite top and size 5 petite jeans."

Erin answered, "Best as I can recall that's the same size your mother was at your age."

Erin then said, "Wait, I have something for you." Erin returned with a silver picture frame in her hand and said, "This is the last picture your parents and I had done together before they died."

I looked at it and saw Erin, looking much like she does now, in a two piece, light blue bathing suit, with a man and a woman on the beach. I studied the man in swim trunks with sandy hair and washboard abs. Then the woman that looked like the "girl" I saw in the mirror, in a dark blue, one piece suit. The only exceptions were she had long hair below her shoulders and a rather large baby bump.

I looked at Erin with a smile, pointing to the woman's baby bump and said, “Look Erin. I'm in the picture too.” We both giggled and hugged.

*****

I showered quickly because the warm water brought thoughts of the guys in the shower room back to my mind again and I started getting that warm butterflies feeling back. Then I saw my nipples get larger and I felt the those warm butterflies pushing up and out, making it a little harder to hold my legs together.

Towel drying my male hair cut hair and the rest of me, I wrapped a dry towel around me and went into new bedroom. I found that the gown I had on had been replaced with a set of clothes. I dropped the towel and slid on the pair of white cotton panties with a little pink bow on the front. Then I picked up the bra and knew just what to do putting it on. I turned it around after hooking it and slid my arms through the straps after adjusting them.

Then I pulled on the jeans, they seemed way too tight, but when I zipped and buttoned them and looked in the mirror, I saw they were no tighter than Erin wears hers. I turned to check the back and I saw I had a great butt in jeans and the funny thing was, I felt proud of it.

Then I put on the light blue cashmere sweater top and slipped on a pair of matching flats. The top was very soft and had a slightly scooped neck so just a tiny bit of cleavage showed. Then I noticed the sleeves hung down little on my hands. I remembered I always thought sleeves like that looked sexy on a girl.

All dressed, I went and looked at myself in the mirror and fussed and fretted, trying to do something with my male haircut. Frustrated, I yelled, " ERIN? PLEASE COME IN HERE!"

Erin came busting through the door and asked, "Willow, what's wrong? What's going on?"

I said, "Look at me! I look like a freak!"

Erin looked and said, "Willow you look beautiful!."

I answered, "How can you say that? Look at my hair. It doesn't go with the rest of me. People will laugh."

Erin smiled. "Your hair is an easy fix. How do you want it to look?"

I thought about it and said, "Like my mothers in that picture. It looked so pretty."

Erin waved her hands over my head and my hair just fell down my back and I had hair below my shoulders. Seeing my new hair in the mirror I calmed down. Then I realized I was at the point of tears over my hair. Perplexed, I looked at Erin and asked, "Erin I know you didn't change my personality and how I think because you said you would never do that and I believe you, but I just got so upset over how my hair looked. I would never have done that before. So what's happening to me?"

Erin looked at me and made signs in the air and looked at me again and said, "Damn! I never saw this coming. Remember the day we first met and we had our long talk?"

I nodded, wondering why that had any importance to what was going on in me.

Erin then explained, "Eric hated everything about his life. So much so that he was going to kill himself, but he didn't jump off the bridge. Because of his caring nature he didn't want to cause the person who killed him the trauma of taking another's life. So the first force at work is you are subconsciously reinventing yourself into someone you like.

Now link that force to your new female brain patterns and hormonal make up. To sum it all up, now you are someone who will get stressed over how her hair looks. So it's not magic. It's psychological, physical and chemical, but it's all you."

Erin then showed me in her bathroom where her brushes and curling irons and hair spray were and I shut the door and went to work.

As finished spraying my hair in place I looked at me and I still wasn't right. Then saw Erin's make up there. I knew that with my complexion all I needed was some blush and lipstick and since it was just a shopping trip, anything more would be a little too much. So I applied what I needed. Then I inspected myself again and thought, "I even look better than that bitch Leigh." I was pleased.

As I was putting Erin's things back where I got them from, I was thinking how much I love My new Aunt. She was the kindest, most caring, giving person I ever knew and that was before we knew I was her niece. Now I get to live here with her, go shopping with her, and even work with her.

Yesterday, when I thought the shop was going to be closed today and I was going to lose a day that I could be with her, I got so depressed. Just one day later I never thought I could be so happy and it was all due to my Aunt. My Aunt, who loved me so much she never gave up looking for me.

As I was thanking whatever forces responsible for the blessings I was now enjoying, I left the bathroom and went in Erin's bedroom. Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door and it opened forcefully. Then I saw a real, honest to god giant in a blue police uniform, holding a gun, come in the room and I started screaming my head off.

The giant put his gun away and put his hands out open in front of him saying, "Calm down Miss. Please, please stop screaming."

At this point Erin rushed in the room and grabbed me and started holding me, saying, "It's alright Willow, calm down, I'm here. It's alright."

I stopped screaming, still scared as hell as Erin led me out of the room past the big blue giant. Just then another Giant in a shirt and a tie with a badge and gun on his belt came out of my room and said, "Ms? Would you take her down stairs and wait?"

Erin, with her arms around me, led me down the stairs and I asked, "You didn't tell me there were giants and why are they dressed like police, and what are they doing here?"

Erin whispered, "Willow, they aren't giants. Actually they aren't as big as you were. Willow, think about it. You are now over a foot shorter and over 200Lbs lighter, but I should have realized this. Since you woke up I was the only person you saw. I guess you really never paid any attention to how you towered over me before, but I'm only 5'3" and you are a little shorter than me."

I thought about it. I knew I was bigger than Erin, but I had so much respect for her she never seemed small to me. Now I live in a world of giants. Other petite women have the same situation and they don't, for most part, let themselves be intimidated. Look at Leigh. She's the T.H.B.I.C. (The Head Bitch In Charge). So if Leigh can deal with the size differential, I know I can. With that thought I felt better and not afraid anymore.

Being calmed down I said, "OK, I got it. I'm small now and they aren't giants, but what are they doing here?"

As we made it behind the counter of the Book Store I saw other cops looking in every room and closet and they even had a dog sniffing.

Erin shouted, "If that dog ruins anything you will pay for it!" So they led the dog outside.

Then a detective (according to his gold badge) came to us and asked, "Ms. Sparrow, who is this?"

Erin answered, "My niece, Willow Crane, she just started living with me."

Then detective turned to me and asked, "Do you know Eric Jones and if you do, when was the last time you saw him, and do you know his whereabouts now?"

I looked at him and said, "Yes I know Eric Jones and the last time I saw him was at the costume store next door looking for a costume for the Renaissance Festival, we all were going there today."

The detective nodded and said, "So you haven't seen him since and you don't know where he is?"

I answered, "That's right. I haven't seen Eric Jones since then and I don't know where that boy went."

The detective nodded and continued his search. I felt Erin pinch my arm and I said, "OUCH! What was that for?"

Erin said, "For almost making me pee my pants trying not to laugh. I got all you said and you told him the absolute truth. So the last time you saw Eric was in the mirror at the costume store. Then you said we all were going without telling him that "we all" meant you and me, because you and me were all that were going. It about ripped it when you said you didn't know where that BOY went. Willow you take a lot after your mother but you get your smartass from me."

Just then the front door opened and I saw a man who had a green halo enter the bookstore. He was dressed very casually, although extremely neatly, in a polo and khakis. He stopped and looked surprised at all the cops roaming around. Erin saw him and ran to him and closely hugged him in a very sensual way. Then Erin talked to him so softly I couldn't hear.

When Erin finished talking to him, he got very red in the face and shouted, "WHO IS IN CHARGE HERE?"

The detective that talked to me came up to the man I saw with the now gone, green halo. He stood very close over him trying to look intimidating over the smaller newcomer and said, “I'm Detective Reese. I'm in charge here and I have a warrant to search this place for a suspect."

The smaller man, not at all intimidated, said, "Let me see the warrant."

The detective handed it to him and he read it and gave it back. Then the smaller man and Erin walked to where I was standing and Erin said, "Willow, this is your Uncle Aaron.

Aaron said, "Willow, you will never know how happy I am to meet you, but I need to take care of this so we can talk more freely after." Aaron pulled out his phone and hit speed dial and said, "Hello Megan? Have Judge Wright call me right now, immediately, at this number.. yes right now. Tell him speed is mandatory.. yes. Thanks Megan, bye."

Aaron then asked me, "The cop that came in on you, did he knock or announce he was a police officer?"

I shook my head and said, "I just finished putting on my make up and came out of Erin's bathroom and he ran in the bedroom pointing his gun at me. I started screaming and Erin came in then."

Aaron's facial expression turned stone cold, but his face color became a bright red and he asked, "Do you see the man that pointed the gun at you, down here?"

I nodded and pointed at the cop that was pulling the bookcases away from the wall to look behind them.

Aaron then yelled, "Hey you! The one destroying that book case! Come over here!"

The cop stood up and looked as the detective came to his side and they both walked to Aaron, flanking him on both sides in an effort to illustrate their physical superiority. Detective Reece said, "You have a PROBLEM?"

Not one least bit daunted Aaron said, "Yes, a major one. This officer entered a closed room where my niece was dressing, without knocking or announcing he was a police officer, with his weapon drawn."

Reece answered, "We have a warrant and if you don't shut up I will order Officer Johnson here to arrest you for obstruction."

Then Aaron pulled out his phone again, hit speed dial, and put the phone on speaker as someone answered, "Hello?"

Aaron responded, "Hello Jim. This is Aaron Crane. I want you to hear something. Detective Reece? Tell me again what you will do if I don't stop complaining about your man here busting in, unannounced, on my teenage niece dressing, with his gun drawn sending her into a screaming panic."

Detective Reece lost his temper and screamed, "I don't care what mutha-fucker you got on the phone. I have a warrant and we are looking for a dangerous suspect. So we will go where we want and hold a gun on anyone we want! She was lucky Officer Johnson didn't spray her to keep her quiet!"

Just then Aaron's phone beeped and Aaron said, "Jim, hold a minute." Then he answered it and said, "Hello Judge. I'm putting you on a speaker conference. I have a question that you need to answer."

Hearing this conversation, the big detective's expression changed from anger to concern.

Aaron then said, “Ok. Now I have you both on conference and speaker. Judge, can you explain why you issued a full search warrant to search Erin Sparrow's, my sister in law's, home and business for a part time employee that she has only known for a week?”

The Judge sputtered and said, "I swear Congressmen Crane, I was
misinformed by the detective who requested the warrant. He told me that Ms. Sparrow was definitely harboring a fugitive. I will rescind the warrant and call the DA to look into perjury proceedings on the detective."

Aaron answered, "That's fine Judge. We will speak more on this at your approval hearings next week. Good bye."

Aaron asked, Are you still there Jim?" and we heard over the speaker, "Yes. Are Detective Reece and Officer Johnson still there?" and Aaron said, "Yes"

The voice on the phone said, "Reece? So it doesn't matter who this mutha-fucker is? Let me see if I can make it matter. This mutha-fucker is Police Commissioner James Flynn, who just had the Chief of Police pulled away from his grandson's baptism to deal personally with you and Officer Johnson! Now you two report back to your station and turn in your guns and shields!”

Aaron, I will have the rest of the officers stay and put everything back in order there and I will have Assistant Chief Debra Collins there to supervise and make sure everything is made right in 10 minutes."

Aaron thanked him and hung up, then Googled Eric Jones and whistled, saying, "Read this."

Erin and I looked at his smart phone and read..

"Eric Jones, a local 17 year old white male, is being sought by police and the FBI across the state for charges of: 1 count of Attempted rape, 6 counts of Assault With a Deadly Weapon, 1 Count of Kidnapping, and 1 count of Attempted Manslaughter.

The Attorney for the family of the teenage girl who Jones is accused of Kidnapping and attempting to rape, stated to this reporter that Jones had a history of sexual offenses at school and that the school was negligent in not reporting them to law enforcement.

Jones' foster parents said, in a phone interview, that Jones had very poor social skills and spent much of his time alone, but stated they had no idea of his trouble at school because the school failed to ever report it to them. Jones' foster household is now under investigation by the Department of Social Services to ascertain if Jones assaulted any of the other children in their care.

Allan Lockerbie, an employee at Costumes and Etcetera Unlimited, reported that he witnessed Jones following the small teenage girl who Jones is accused of abducting and attempting to rape, out of the store.

Shortly before the reported incident. Mr. Lockerbie also said that the girl knew Jones and reported to Mr. Lockerbie that Jones was attempting to shoplift an adult sex toy from the store, which Mr. Lockerbie said he recovered from Jones. Mr. Lockerbie said he could tell that Jones was greatly upset with the girl as he followed her out of the store.

The Assault With a Deadly Weapon and Attempted Manslaughter charges against Jones stem from him attacking the teen girl's friends. The other teens names are withheld due to their ages, but the statement of the boyfriend of the abducted teen girl stated that he and his friends, being very concerned about his girlfriend, searched for her.

He then stated they found her in a secluded alley behind Books, Books, And More Books, where Jones' was employed, and witnessed Jones attempting to rape his girlfriend. When they tried to rescue the teen girl from Jones, the boyfriend and others reported that Jones attacked them with a weighted club decorated with satanic symbols. A club matching that description was found broken at the scene with Jones' finger prints on it.

The injured teens were taken to the hospital with various injuries and most of the teens were treated and released. The assaulted girl's boyfriend received a concussion and was kept overnight for observation. The hospital reports he is in good condition and should be released today.

The DA's office said, once found, they will charge Jones as an adult and will push for maximum sentencing to run consecutively. If found guilty, Jones could be in prison for as long as 75 years. Harold Dill, the candidate challenging the incumbent DA next year stated, "The current DA is too soft on crimes like these against women."

Law Enforcement is asking the public's help in locating Jones, but they state that no one should try to apprehend him, because he is considered very dangerous. Eric Jones is still at large and there is no recent picture of him available. He is white, 6'5", 312Lbs, with short dark brown hair, and blue eyes. If anyone has any information concerning Jones they should call Crime Stopper's. A $15,000.00 reward is offered for information leading to his arrest.

After I finished the article I looked at Erin and Aaron and started to say something, but Erin hushed me and dragged me upstairs with Aaron following. When we were alone upstairs I explained to Aaron what I had already told Erin.

I told him how I got the name Eric-shun. I told how when my gym teacher and the cheerleading coach were questioned about me showing my penis, they both said it was an unintentional accident. The only action taken by the school was to get me bigger gym shorts.

Then I shared what happened at the costume store because I hadn't had the chance to even tell Erin what led up to the beating that Erin stopped. I told how Matt hung the giant condom on my back without me knowing. Then I started tearing up when I shared how everyone laughed at me when Leigh took it off my back and teased me about me trying to shoplift the four foot long condom because it was my size. I explained to them it was
Matt I chased, not Leigh, when he led me into the waiting Varsity Defensive Line ambush. Then finally I told how it was Leigh that broke my staff across my knees and It had my prints on it from me holding it in the store.

Aaron answered, "Those lying little shits and, as the article says, the family has an attorney. Those greedy fucks are probably suing the school system for damages in the millions for negligently not reporting a known predator."

Just then Erin and Aaron raised their hands and in unison said, "Procra Kie-Le Win."

Then a sea green flash appeared and I felt a static electric charge and said, "WHAT WAS THAT?"

Erin rushed to the window and looked out, pointing to a girl who was getting up off the ground. I looked and saw Leigh getting to her feet across the street on the sidewalk.

I said, "That's Leigh."

Erin said, "Oh. Leigh is a Witch."

I answered, "Yeah, spelled with a "B.""

Erin shook her head and said, "No, she is of a Magical of the species called Witches. They are different than us Wizards. Willow, what I can tell you is limited by Wizard Law until your "Awakening," but Witches get their magic from an outside source, not an internal source like Wizards. Just before I was born there was a war between Magical folk. Wizards and their allies on one side and Witches and their allies on the other. There has been an uneasy peace since then with The Joint Council overseeing the peace. And.."

Aaron interrupted and said, "Erin! You've said enough! You can tell her everything legally after her "Awakening" and Assessment which is less than a year away. Willow, for now all you need to know is this Leigh person is a powerful Witch and has it in for you for some reason. Why she hates you so much has me puzzled and I'll try to find out why through my connections, but you don't have to worry. Erin and I can keep you safe until your power awakens. After that, I truly feel you will be able to handle yourself and this Leigh will be severely outclassed.

I asked if it was legal for them to tell me what happened and what that blue green flash was. Erin looked at Aaron and winked and Aaron beamed at me. They told me that I should not have been able to see that until my "Awakening" and that it was a protection spell. They had cast the same spell at the same time and that's why it looked blue green. That was both of their colors mixing.

They casted at the same instant because they saw a dark mist of a locating spell come in the room. When they blocked it, it sent a jolt back to the caster of the spell.

Erin said, "Leigh must really hate you, or is really stupid to cast a spell towards two Mage Class Wizards. Maybe the answer to this is both, but that explains why your attackers were not still there after I levitated you up to your bed before Aaron got here. Leigh woke up faster than I expected from my stun spell. Then, while her friends were still stunned, she changed their memories of what just took place.

Now she knows I'm a Wizard, but not how strong I am. Very strong Witches can take weaker Wizards, but I don't think she knows anything else about you. I think that in a little time she will figure out who you really are, but like your Uncle said, we will keep you safe until you can kick her ass by yourself.

I can tell your uncle is going to be spending the next few hours on the phone trying to put together the puzzle of why Leigh hates you. Let's do the best thing we can do to help. GO SHOPPING!