At least the radiator had stopped hissing. That was something, anyway. Oz knew that it would happen eventually. The van had made a total of five cross-country trips, and even it had limits. He had just found that limit, actually, and it had left him stranded by the side of the road, unsure of what state he was in. He was definitely somewhere in New England, of that much he was sure. Taking one last longing look at his vehicle, Oz began to walk down the winding, tree-lined road. < Somewhere along this road there has to be a town. Then I can call a tow-truck and pay to have my van fixed with non-existent money. > He sighed. < I knew this rootless wandering thing would get me eventually. > The werewolf’s spirits plunged further as several cars flew past him. < At this rate, it’ll take me just short of forever to catch a ride to civilization, > he thought, resettling the pack on his back.
__________________
“So tell me about this assignment, Tess.” Monica leaned back against the seat of the car, enjoying the sun and the wind.
“His name is Daniel. I’ve been looking out for him for a while, as his guardian, and now it’s time to reveal a little bit more to him. He’s at a crossroads in his life, and it’s our job to help him make the right decision. Daniel is one of His warriors on earth, although he doesn’t know yet.” Tess smiled to herself. “He’s also a musician.”
“Ah,” said Monica, nodding understandingly. Tess had always had a soft spot for musicians.
“He should be walking down this road right now.” Tess steered the car around a bend. “Here we are.” She pulled over to the side of the road. “Baby, you need a ride?”
“Yeah.” Oz tossed his bag into the backseat and leapt over the side to join it.
“Where are you going?”
“Anywhere I can get my van fixed. It broke down about two miles back.”
“You’re in luck, then. We’re headin’ to Gateway, ‘bout fifteen miles further. I’m Tess, and this is my friend Monica.”
“Daniel Osbourne.”
_____________________
“That’ll be fifty bucks, pal.” Oz dug through his pockets, finally coming up with enough reserves to pay for the tow, and sighed when the man had left. The radiator on the van had cracked, and would have to be replaced, a repair that would cost him seven hundred dollars. He was fairly certain there was no way to stretch four dollars and seventeen cents into seven hundred dollars, leaving him with no way to fix the van unless he found a job in the town somewhere. Which meant he had to stay in town for at least a month, find a place to stay, and figure out a way to get food until that first paycheck arrived. Life sucked sometimes.
After a long morning spent in fruitless pounding of pavement, Oz had still been unable to find a job. It was a small town, and not too many people were willing to hire a drifter who could only claim a high school education and virtuosity on seven different instruments. “Daniel, nice to see you. I was wondering when you were going to find our little establishment.” He ordered a cheeseburger platter, and when Tess brought it over to him, she sat down next to him. Somehow, he found himself spilling about his recent troubles, edited version, into her sympathetic ear, and when he was done, Tess smiled at him. “Daniel, I think we may be able to help each other. Monica and I were just talking about hiring someone to help out around here.” Oz glanced around at the nearly empty dining room, and then looked back at Tess. “Things really pick up when the tourist season starts. We even have a little room in the back. We’ve been using it for storage, but you could empty it out. The job won’t pay much, and it’ll be hard work, but it’s the best we can do. What do you say?” Oz considered the possibilities for a moment and stretched out his hand. Tess shook it eagerly, her smile broadening. “And you’re a musician, too!” __________________ Oz learned very quickly that Tess had been serious when she had mentioned hard labor. Every one of his muscles was aching by the time he had cleaned out the storage room, and he fell into an exhausted sleep as soon as he had moved his few belongings in from his now-defunct van. The next morning the delivery truck that carried the week’s food shipment arrived, to Tess’ delight and Oz’s silent despair. After he had unloaded the stock, took an inventory, and put everything in its place, Tess called him back into the office. “Daniel, how much do you know about computers?” “I can get by.” “Good. We need someone to work the books on here. Would you like that?” “If it gets me out of unloading stock for a while,” he said honestly. Tess laughed and gestured for him to come to the machine. Oz stopped her as she was leaving. “Tess, is it alright if I use this to check my e-mail? I’ve got a friend I’ve been talking to for a while now, and I’d like to be able to e-mail him.” “Go right ahead, Daniel. Before I forget, its Open Mike night tonight. You up for anything?” “I don’t sing.” “Baby, everyone can sing. All you need to do is get up there and spill what’s in your heart.” “I don’t think so, Tess.” “How about a little compromise? Why don’t we take a break this afternoon and play with some music? Maybe we can work something out.” Oz reluctantly agreed to this arrangement, and Tess chuckled as she headed out of the office. At four o’clock, Oz powered down the computer and headed back to his room, returning to the main room with guitar in hand. Tess had dragged an amp out earlier, apparently, and he plugged the instrument in and plucked a few strings, wincing at the discordant sound. Humming the notes, he carefully tuned the guitar, making a mental note to give his other instruments the same treatment sometime soon, and began running through some riffs from songs he had played when he was with the Dingoes. < Man, I’m out of practice. > As his fingers loosened, he began to move into some melodies that had been running through his head for the last little while, unaware that Tess and Monica sat in a booth listening to him. “He’s very good, Tess. Why did you have to work so hard to get him to play?” “Because he’s scared. He doesn’t trust anyone, least of all himself, and he’s been running for so long that the idea of putting down roots and hurting someone frightens him completely.” They sat there, listening to the werewolf play his heart, for several minutes more. “What do you hear when he plays, Monica?” “Loneliness,” she answered immediately. “And uncertainty. Daniel was not meant to wander the world, and definitely not alone, and that’s what we have to help him realize. He’s got a purpose to fulfill, and Satan has been working very hard to keep him from that purpose. Do you remember what I’ve told you about his past?” At Monica’s nod, Tess turned back to Oz. “He hasn’t dealt with any of that. Not really. And when you don’t deal with the past, it comes back to haunt you.” ____________________ The days quickly blurred into weeks. Oz quickly fell into a routine: Get up, get ready, eat breakfast, unload and inventory stock, eat lunch, work on the computer, eat dinner, practice his music, go to bed. It was a nice, simple life. Up until the night of the full moon. He had found an old, deserted barn about a mile out of town. The previous owner had apparently become paranoid at one point and placed a fallout shelter underneath the decrepit structure. After some testing, Oz had decided that it would be a secure full-moon hideout. The night of the full moon came, and he locked himself into the shelter as he felt the sunset coming. The vague memories of that night were of the wolf throwing himself against the walls in an attempt to escape from his cement prison, but when he changed back, he was still locked inside, a small triumph that he was grateful for. Oz walked back to Tess’ diner, humming a tune that he intended to write down later. His joyful reverie was broken when Oz caught a glimpse of the headline that graced the local paper. ‘Girl found Dead!’ it screamed, and went on to say that it had been a vicious animal attack. She had been found mutilated that very morning, near the barn where he had spent the night. Every rational thought disappeared from his brain. The only one that emerged was a siren, screaming for him to run. He dashed into the little room where he had existed the last month, intent on packing his few belongings and leaving as quickly as he could. The werewolf was greeted by a familiar scent, one that made him cringe inside. “What’s the matter, lover?” Veruca was lounging across his bed, looking much like she always had in human form. “Did you really think you could get away?” “You’re dead. I killed you.” “And that wasn’t very nice. Not to mention that it was highly ineffective. Our kind is much harder to kill than that.” Her voice was much raspier than he remembered, but he supposed that had something to do with the fact that he had torn out her throat the last time they had met. “What’s the matter? Running again?” “I have to.” He reached for the picture next to the bed, only to have it pulled out of his grasp by the female werewolf. “Ah, the little witch and her annoying friends. I remember them. Are you running to her again?” “I’m running away from you.” “Oz, Oz, Oz, when will you realize that you can’t run from me? You’re mine. I claimed you a while ago, and I don’t give up what belongs to me. Why don’t you just give in? We could terrorize the countryside, and we would have so much fun. You don’t have to be alone, Oz.” She reached up and stroked his face, then pulled him in for a kiss. “All you have to do is join me. You know you want to.” Oz stepped back. “No.” “Well, if that’s the way you want it,” she pouted, before pulling out a knife. Oz tried to wrestle it away from her, and eventually managed to throw her away long enough to arm himself. He braced himself for her return attack. She didn’t make one. The smell of blood filled his nostrils, and he realized that the knife had found a resting place buried to the hilt in Veruca’s chest. He had to get away from the sight, from the smell of the other werewolf’s blood, and he turned toward the door, which was blocked by Tess and Monica. “No it’s not! I just killed her. Again.” “No you didn’t baby.” Tess turned from the young man to the body lying on the floor. “Katherine! Show yourself.” Oz watched as Veruca dissolved into a dense black smoke, reforming into a tall, dark-haired woman whose very scent was death. He was halted from further musings as his friends became suffused with a warm light. Tess turned back to Oz, smiling a gentle smile, and answered his unspoken questions. “We’re angels, Daniel, sent by God.” “And what’s she?” “I’m a fallen, Oz. The kind of angel who knows how to have fun.” She glared at Tess. Oz looked back at Tess. “Why?” “You’re at a crossroads, Daniel. There are three paths, and the fallen want you to take any path other than the one God wants.” “Which path is the right one?” “You tell me, baby.” The room seemed to dissolve around him, replaced by an empty crossroad, with three pathways in front of him. Oz looked at the one on the left. It was marked by a sign that said, “Using werewolf abilities selfishly.” As he watched, Veruca appeared on the dirt road. “No thank you,” he muttered, turning to the road in the middle, which was labeled, “Keep Running.” Willow materialized in front of him, a sweet smile on her face. “Oz, I realize now that I do love you completely. Tara was a big mistake. Will you come back to me?” He started to take a step forward, but something held him back as Willow continued. “After all, I’ll have you twenty-five out of twenty-eight days. You won’t be the wolf then, just the cool guitar player from Dingoes Ate My Baby. It’ll be just like it was in high school.” It was surprisingly easy for Oz to turn away from that road, but he placed that into a mental file marked ‘things to think through later.’ The last road also had a sign, which read, “Using abilities for Good.” A teenage girl who was about two inches shorter than him was standing there, a solemn, unreadable look on her face. She blinked open green eyes when he turned to her, but said nothing. “Aren’t you supposed to tell me something to help me make a decision?” “I’m not allowed to say much. Unlike the other two, I’m from the future of this path, and I can’t give away too much.” “So, twenty questions?” A smile flitted over her face, and she relaxed her posture. “You really don’t change much over the years,” she chuckled, absently tugging on her long red braid. “The guardians of the other paths had to try to convince you that their path was the right one. I don’t have to do that. Deep inside, you’ve always known that this was the right path. You were meant to use your abilities to help others, not stifle them, and this is the path that will take you there.” “I know.” Oz started to the road, then stopped. “What’s your name?” “I can’t tell you everything, but my last name is Osbourne.” She smiled at him, and he could hear her soft voice say, “I love you, Daddy,” as he walked down the road. Just as suddenly as the crossroads had appeared, he was returned to the room. Tess was beaming at him, and the fallen named Katherine was glowering. “You made the right choice, baby.” _____________________ Oz finished carrying the last of his belongings out to his van, and then turned to say goodbye, giving Monica a quick hug, and then moving on to Tess. “Before you go, Daniel, I have one last thing to give you.” She led him inside and sat back down at the counter, Oz sitting next to her. “It’s a very special gift, and one He doesn’t give very often: three glimpses into the future, to give you peace. Now, there are some ground rules. First off, we’ll be standing to the side, watching. No matter what happens, you can’t affect it. Secondly, you won’t remember all the details when it’s done, because it’s not good to know too much. Finally, it’s over when I say its over. Not before, and not after. You ready, baby?” Oz nodded, and Tess smiled at him. “Close your eyes.” He did so. “Now open them.” Oz looked around at his new surroundings. They were in what appeared to be a nice hotel room, standing to the side of the door. “Where are we?” “Two years into the future, in a hotel in New York.” He would have asked her for more details, but just then the door opened, and a bellhop came in with two small suitcases. Just past the bellhop, standing outside the door, was Oz, from this time period. A small woman stood at future-Oz’s side, and while Tess and Oz watched, future-Oz scooped up the woman, who gave a somewhat startled yelp. “Up and over the threshold, love.” “Oz, we’ve been married for three months.” “But this is still the honeymoon.” He held her closer and kissed her, a kiss that was broken with a soft sound from the bellhop. Sighing, the woman reached into her husband’s back pocket and fished out his wallet, handing over a tip. “Well, what should we do next? I mean, there are museums, and parks, and let’s not forget a tour of the area cemeteries. What do you think?” “I think we should try out the bed, make sure it feels all right. It looks like it might feel lumpy.” “We wouldn’t want you to sleep on a lumpy bed, would we?” From her position in her husband’s arms, Oz could see a little smirk on her face as she Oz kissed her and quickly set her down. “I’ll take that as a yes,” she said, disappearing to the bathroom with her suitcase in hand. “Close your eyes, Oz,” Tess said firmly. “We’re leaving.” “Where are we going this time?” “Ten years ahead.” Oz blinked rapidly, suddenly finding that he and Tess were standing in a parking lot. “Whoa. Is this ten years?” Tess nodded, and they stood back and watched as a dark blue van pulled into a parking spot. The front passenger door opened, and Oz looked up at the man who stepped out. And up. And up. The man was probably seven feet tall, wearing a long black duster and heavy boots. He stretched and reached for the other doors of the van. The Oriental woman who emerged was clearly his equal. She was also clearly in the advanced stages of pregnancy. Oz from the present was more prepared than he had been the first time when future-Oz walked around the van. “All right, you Mexican jumping beans,” he called out, standing back as the six children tumbled out. “We’re not Mexican jumping beans, Daddy,” giggled a little girl with red hair. “You’re not?” The child shook her head. “Then what are you?” “We’re American bouncing children!” “They most certainly are,” muttered the Oriental woman. “I think Jubilee slipped them Dr. Pepper,” said a voice from within the van. Oz watched as his future self helped out the tiny woman he remembered from earlier, only now she was not quite so tiny, due to the fact that she was at least eight months pregnant. “Okay, quick check. We’ve got the Three Musketeers.” The three black-haired little boys raised their hands. “We’ve got Larry, Curly, and Moe.” She rested her hand briefly on each of the three redheaded children. “We’ve got Xena and Hercules,” nodding her head at the other couple. “And Buttercup and Wesley,” finished the Oriental woman. “Everyone present and accounted for? Good, let’s go eat.” She grasped the hands of two of the children and headed toward the entrance, the rest of them following suit. “She’s a little eager today,” Oz heard the tall man whisper. “You know how Hank has her eating those two snacks in the afternoon? Daria missed those today, Ymmit.” “So you’re saying that we have a Tracker with a high metabolism, eight and a half months pregnant with a werewolf, and she hasn’t eaten for six hours?” “She might beat Vic’s record tonight.” “Not if I can help it,” the Oriental woman replied, a grin on her face as they walked into the restaurant. “She may be eating for two, but I’m eating for five.” “I heard every word you three said,” Daria chided, tucking a long strand of chestnut hair behind her ear. “If I want to break your record, Vic, I will. As for Hank, he just can’t handle it. Remember when he found out that we were both pregnant?” She followed the waiter to a table in the back, Oz and Tess still trailing the group. “I don’t think I could forget. There he was, lecturing you about how you shouldn’t be pregnant again, and you had better get your tubes tied after this one. Then you turned to me, smelled the hormones, and said, ‘You too?’ and he passed out then and there.” “When he woke up, I told him I couldn’t get them tied because I was trying for another girl, and besides, I have to keep up with Victandra and Ymmit.” Both future-Oz and present-Oz turned ghost white. “Love, I don’t think I can handle many more,” future-Oz whispered to his wife. “I was kidding, honey.” She laid a small hand against his cheek. “We’ll talk about this later,” she whispered, glancing at their three children. “I, for one, am beyond starving. Line up, ducklings.” Daria lead the way to the buffet tables. “Ducklings?” “She started calling them that this week. Said it was only appropriate, since their mother was waddling.” Present-Oz watched in morbid fascination as the delicate looking woman daintily finished the last bite and wiped her mouth on a napkin. “Oz, would you get me another plate of food? In the meantime, I declare a bathroom break. Coming, Victandra?” “Sure.” As the two women walked away, present-Oz heard Daria mutter, “Little American bouncing child number four is bouncing up and down right on top of my bladder.” Deciding that he probably shouldn’t follow them into the ladies room (although he was tempted, since he had never been inside one before), he trailed after the two men instead. “How did we get roped into helping with this contest?” “We didn’t have much of a choice. After all, we were the ones who got them pregnant in the first place.” “You keeping score?” “Nine even just now. We stopped two plates ago. Willing to bet on the outcome?” “Not a chance. She finds out I bet against her, and I’m sleeping on the floor. She finds out I bet on her and lost, and I’m sleeping on the floor.” “What if you bet on her and win?” “I’m still sleeping on the floor for not taking her and the baby seriously. What’re you getting for Vic?” “Another piece of chicken, some potatoes, carrots, and maybe another of those little steaks if there’s room on here. You?” “One of the steaks, some of the shepherd’s pie, broccoli, and some potatoes. At least I don’t have to try to get her to eat enough this time around. Having Vic around to encourage her has cut back on Hank’s lectures considerably. He’s gone from ‘gain four pounds by next week or I’ll put you on bed rest’ to ‘You’re getting your tubes tied after this one, right?’” Present -Oz followed them back to the table, watching as they set the food down in front of their wives. “We decided to call an end to the contest.” Daria looked up at her husband, a lopsided smile on her face. “But we scoped out the dessert bar while we were up, and I’d like a piece of carrot cake.” By the time he had returned, dessert in hand, she was eating the last bites of her potatoes, placing the empty plate on the stack at the end of the table. “We both beat your previous record, Victandra. That’s something, at least. Ducklings, did you all get your dessert?” The two older children bobbed their heads vigorously, the youngest more slowly. “Daniel, sweetie, are you getting sleepy?” The child nodded, and Daria pushed away the dessert in front of her and pushed herself up out of her chair. “Does anyone else want to come out to the van with us?” The other two Osbourne children nodded and stood up, and Daria braced herself against a wall and lifted the youngest, settling him on her hip. “Keys?” Future-Oz fished them out of his pocket and handed them over, then reached for the child in her arms. Daria shook her head. “He’s already fallen asleep. You try to take him now, and he’ll scream bloody murder.” She leaned over as far as she trusted herself and gave him a quick kiss. “Tip the waiter well, honey. Despite the fact that he won a bet with us tonight, I think we had at least fifty plates, and he has to clear them all away.” Both Oz’s watched her walk away, the afore-mentioned waddle more pronounced because of the little boy in her arms. “Hank would probably have three successive fits if he had seen that,” said Ymmit as he gathered his own children. Their mother led them out of the restaurant. “If you think you can stop her, be my guest.” Future-Oz pulled out his wallet and laid down a fifty. “It’s time to go, Daniel,” said Tess, taking hold of his arm. “Close your eyes.” When he opened them again, they were standing in a room, with bright sunlight streaming through several of the windows. “This is thirty years into the future.” Future-Oz was sitting on a sofa, talking on the telephone. “Of course you can come over, Faith. When will you get here?” He listened to the other end of the line, smiling at something that was said. “I’ll let your mother know. Love you.” He hung up the phone and stood up as Daria entered, twisting her damp hair into a thick braid. “Faith’s bringing the kids over.” His wife smiled, the action deepening the feathery lines around her eyes and mouth. “When?” “After she can get them both bathed and dressed. Apparently it’s not as easy to take care of two children as she thought it would be.” “We could have told her that. How’re your hands?” She reached for one, running her fingers along his. “Did you take your meds?” “Not yet.” “All right then. While you’re taking care of that, I’ll go get a few things. I’ll be right back.” She returned shortly, two towels in hand. “Have a seat, honey.” When he had complied, she settled herself on his lap, draped one of the warm towels across her lap, and tugged his hands forward, wrapping one in the other towel. Daria began to slowly rub the free hand, starting just below the wrist and working upward into the fingers. “What’s she doing, Tess?” “Soothing his arthritis. It’s one of their little rituals that they began about two years ago. She does this twice a day, so he can play his guitar.” The woman who was being discussed had switched to the other hand now, a set of parallel lines appearing between her eyebrows as she concentrated on this task. Future-Oz, apparently a little bored, began dropping little kisses on the back of her neck. “You know, if you keep that up I won’t be able to finish this,” she murmured, a tiny smile on her face. “Worse things have happened.” “Faith is probably on her way right now.” “I’ll lock the door.” “The kids are probably all excited about seeing their grandpa.” “They can wait.” “So can you. Haven’t you learned patience at this advanced age?” “I don’t know, have you?” The doorbell rang, and Daria laughed at his frustrated moan. He stood up, his wife still in his arms, and set her upright. “To be continued later.” “I’ll hold you to that.” She went to answer the door, straightening her shirt as she walked. “Faith, it’s good to see you.” The young woman who was at the door embraced her mother. “Hi. Mom. Are you OK? It feels like you’ve lost weight.” Daria rolled her eyes. “I’m fine, sweetie. And the last thing I need is lectures about my weight. I’ve actually put on quite a bit.” “A whole ten pounds since we were married,” grinned Oz as he hugged his daughter. “Grandma, Grandpa,” came two shouts, and Daria steadied herself as a little girl and a little boy grabbed her by the legs. “Hey, you two.” She ruffled their blond hair, planting a kiss on each of their heads. “You brought them by just in time, Faith. I think we’ve got chores just for both of you.” At their shrieks of protest, Daria put an astonished look on her face. “What’s the matter? You don’t want to do chores? What if the chore is helping your grandma bake some cookies?” “That’s not a chore, silly.” They ran to the kitchen. Faith shook her head. “You’re going to let them eat cookies all afternoon, aren’t you Mom?” “What are grandmas for? I’ll probably send what’s left home with you as well.” A thudding sound came from the other room, and Daria hurried off. “Think she’d let us into the kitchen to get something to drink?” “Probably not. You know how she guards her time with the kids. How’ve you been? Still having problems with Joe?” “No. He finally stopped calling after I talked to Grace.” Oz arched an eyebrow. “Do I want to know?” “Probably not. What about you and Mom?” “We were never having problems with Joe.” “That’s not what I meant, Daddy!” A smile broke through, which had been Oz’s intention all along. “What did the doctor say?” “He gave me a new medication. It helps a little.” “And Mom?” “That bad, huh?” “She knows where her limits are.” “Daniel.” Oz turned from the scene to where Tess was standing. “It’s time to go back now. Close your eyes.” When he opened them, they were sitting at the counter again. “Will it all happen like that, Tess?” “It sure will, baby.” They both stood up and walked out to the van, and Oz climbed into the front seat. He got ready to start the engine, then laughed. “I don’t know where I’m going.” Tess smiled. “Well, Daniel, you’re one of His chosen warriors on earth. Why don’t you ask Him?” Oz nodded, and after a moment the engine roared to life. “I’m off to Connecticut.” End.
“It’s okay, Daniel. It’s all right.”
“C’mon, Oz, you don’t want to be somebody’s lapdog for the rest of your life. We could have so much fun together. Just you, me, and a bunch of dumb sheep,” she said, winking at him.
bit her lip, dramatically weighing the options. “Tell you what. We’ll try out the bed if you let me go get the surprise out of my suitcase.” Future-
“The day that she listens to what a doctor has to say is the day that I hang up my guitar for good.”