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| ****Magista***** Oz kicked the tire of his battered van just once more in case it would help this time, and looked up into the hazy night sky. Why today, of all days? He sighed to himself. He'd decided to take a few days away from the rest of the Dingoes, and had spent them in the high desert. Birthdays were a good time to do a little meditating and reflecting on your life - but they were not supposed to end with broken fan belts somewhere north of LA on highway 14. He was tantalized by the sky-glow over the city, but it was out of reach unless he could find something with which to make makeshift repairs to the van. Oz sighed again, just to appreciate the dramatic effect of it all. In the past couple of years, he'd become adept at living with the wolf inside and controlling his temper. He simply threw open the back doors and began to rummage through his tool kit and the various odds and ends there to see what might serve. He hadn�t passed anyone on the highway for hours and so was startled by a pair of headlights piercing the darkness over the hill. They swept through the air and came to rest on the van. Oz shielded his eyes against the brightness, but couldn�t make out what type of car it was that finally pulled up behind him. The door opened, and the driver stepped out. �Good. I was hoping I�d be able to catch you,� said a familiar voice. ****Prebuffy**** Oz contemplated the blond vampire in front of him. �Never thought I�d be calling YOU a lifesaver.� Spike smiled the lazy smile that made him look so innocent on the exterior. �I can�t say it was coincidence, mate. I�ve been on your trail for a day or so now. Need some help?� Oz threw a caustic look at the smoking hood of the van and nodded. �Maybe a little.� Spike removed a battered tool kit from the rear of the DeSoto. The two of them hunkered near the headlights, searching for the right tools to repair the damage. Both remained casually quiet. Knowing the golden value of silence, the two outcasts tinkered beneath the hood until a rumble from the engine signaled the rebirth of the van�s driving capabilities. They wiped their hands and put coats back on over dusty, oil splattered t-shirts. Spike ran a hand through his hair, leaving a greasy streak at the temple. Waiting patiently for Oz to inquire about the pursuit, he leaned against the dented door of his beloved machine and pulled out a cigarette. They stood, pensive, Spike smoking, Oz breathing. Never much for subtlety anyway, Spike spoke first. �Ain�t you gonna ask me why I�ve been playin� Daniel Boone?� Oz looked away. He stared at the myriad of stars in the sky and wondered how they stayed so bright and faithful when they could never touch one another. He looked back at Spike and his forehead creased with concern. He already knew. �Well?� Spike asked again. Oz shoved his hands in his pockets and shuffled in the highway dust. He spoke the one word so softly, if Spike hadn�t had vampire hearing, he would have asked him to repeat it. �Willow�� ****Mazzy**** Spike smiled at Oz's lack of emotion 'cause deep down he knew the boy must be in turmoil over his long-lost pet and that he must thinks she was in turmoil over him. He offered a fag to the wolf boy, but it was refused with a stern look. "Love's complicated, init?" "Who said anything about love?" Oz answered, betraying no feeling. "Look Spike, I'm sure that Willow thought she was doing the right thing by sending you for me, but I can't be there for her anymore." Spike flashed the former scooby a "what-the-hell-are-you-talking-about" look, indicating that he'd read everything wrong. He turned with a pivot on his black heel and aimed his eyes carefully at the boy so he would comprehend. "Who said anything bout trouble? Just 'cause she's looking for you, doesn't mean anything's afoot. Though suppose a few years living near the hellmouth would pop the idea of trouble into that brain of yours." "Huh?" Oz raised his eyebrows, uncharacteristically without the proper words to express himself. He shut the van's hood down with a slam and propped himself up on top, intrigued by what Spike reasons for tailing him might actually be. Spike sighed. He thought this might be a bit harder than he initially expected. He tried to tell Willow, but she insisted that it was important for Oz--for his birthday, she'd said, something about a long ago wish, a promise she made him. Why he'd agree to help her out, he wasn't sure. Maybe she'd cast a spell on him. "Look, you get comfy there. I gotta make a couple of calls to LA. Just hold tight." Spike threw down his cigarette butt and stomped it out with a squish of his foot. Oz arched a lone eyebrow. "You got a cellphone?" Spike turned back and roared an explanation. "It's Buffy's. She's letting me...oh nevermind. Just wait there a minute. Gaze at the stars or something." And Oz did just that, wondering what schemes Spike and Willow had up their sleeves ****Magista**** �Angel Investigations,� said the voice at the end of the line. �We can help you.� �I doubt it, Peaches,� Spike replied archly. �You always were something of a Luddite. I need someone who understands a bit more about technology.� He held the phone away from his ear for the ensuing blast, and waited until the volume had once again returned to a safe level. �Yeh, and I love you too, grampa. I�m calling because it�s something Buffy asked me to do, not because I wanted to hear your dulcet whispers in my ear again. Now hand over the phone.� The invocation of the magic name had the requisite calming effects, and Spike soon found himself talking to a cautious Cordelia. �Um� Spike? Angel said that you needed help with the phone, or something?� �I need to set up a bit of a three-way here, pet,� he said. �Three-way--?� she said, sounding offended. Then suddenly understanding, she laughed. �Oh! You mean a conference call?� He smirked, since she couldn�t see his face. Well, if I thought you were interested� �Just so, ducks. Hold the line and don�t mind the beeps. I�ll be right back.� He selected �standby�, and dialed another number, waiting patiently as the signal was transferred from radio tower to land line and through local switching until he heard Buffy�s voice. �Hello?� �Hello love. Yeah, I found 'im alright - he was in a bit of a tight spot, but everything's okay now. I�ve got the LA bunch on the other line now. Can you get Red to the phone?� Spike walked back over to where Oz was waiting patiently in front of his van, listening while Buffy called for Willow. �Spike?� the witch said at last. �Is everything set up?� �I�ve got Cordelia in LA waiting on the other line,� he said. �Just a sec and I�ll put you both on together, then you can spring your surprise on wolf-boy here.� Another few buttons, and he could hear Cordelia and Willow exchanging guarded greetings. He handed the phone to Oz. �Here you go. As soon as you�re through, I�ll be taking the phone back to Buffy.� At Oz�s confused glance, he only shrugged his shoulders. �Don�t look at me. They don�t tell the errand boy anything.� Oz put the phone to his ear. �Willow?� he murmured ****Prebuffy**** Cordelia stood silent on the other end of the conference call. She was reluctant to help put this little plan into action in the first place. But she knew how it felt to want something so badly, and not be able to have it. So, on a whim, she had agreed to a cockamamie scheme to reunite Willow and Oz. Well, she really hadn�t had any choice. When the PTB had their own ideas about something, you just have to play along. Especially when they have a direct line into your head. At hearing Oz�s familiar voice on the other end of the phone, Willow almost started crying. It had been far too long. She actually had cried after the first phone call regarding her former love. When she picked up the phone a week ago and heard Cordelia�s voice on the other line, she had no idea she was in for such a surprising turn of events. And now, she had to tell him what Cordelia had told her. He HAD to come back to Sunnydale. If not for her, for Spike and Buffy and Dawn. For everyone they had ever known. For everyone they had ever loved. Oz, confused, repeated the plea. �Will. Are you there?� �Yes, yes, I�m here. How are you?� �Fine. Are you okay?� �Yeah. But we do need to talk. Maybe Cordelia should start�� Sure, why not, she thought. Leave it up to me. I had the vision. �Uhhh, hey Oz. Ummm, long story short, I have visions. You were in my last one. And I think you need to get to Sunnydale. Fast.� �Okay,� Oz replied, even more confused. Cordelia�s callous words never had made much sense, but now she sounded as though she had had way too much to drink, then hit her head repeatedly against a wall. �And then, there�s the why?� Cordelia stalled. �Willow?� Willow took a deep breath. From the other side of the phone, Buffy and Dawn were looking at her encouragingly. Xander was lurking in a corner, pouting. He had wanted to tell Oz the good news. �Ummmm, it sort of involves Buffy. And me. And her sister, Dawn. You remember her, right?� �Yeah, of course. But what about her?� �Well, she�s�special. And there�s a particularly nasty group of hunters after her right now.� �Like the order of Taraka?� �No, more like the insane child-killers. Anyway, we need you to stop them. See, they can shapeshift into animals, which makes it hard for Buffy and Spike to fight them. I guess animals fall into his �living thing� clause. The only person who can hurt them is you.� Cordelia impatiently interrupted. �Yeah, and Willow can�t do any magic �cause she went all homicidal last year. Or so I heard. So for Dawn�s safety, and Buffy�s sanity, you gotta go help them, okay.� She changed the tone of her voice. �Willow, I�m sorry, but I have pressing matters here. Is there anything else you need me for?� Willow�s always mellow voice softened. �No. Thanks for helping me explain.� �No problemo. Good luck.� And with that, Cordy was gone. �I don�t get it Willow. You could have told me she had a vision.� Oz looked up at Spike in the distance, smoking and shifting agitatedly from one foot to another. He knew something. And he wasn�t telling. �Will?� �Well�there�s kinda a little bit more�� ****Mazzy**** �So Spike,� Oz said, eyes raised in confusion, �didn�t you say there wasn�t any trouble?� Spiked grinned and his blue eyes twinkled, �Well, what you call trouble, I call fun.� Spike slid into seat behind the steering wheel of his car. �Your wheels are in motion now. Hop in and keep your headlights on my tail. The games are about to begin.� Oz had a million and one questions about the whole scenario, and the last person he wanted to trust was the vampire that caused him so much trouble in LA, but something told him it might be better to go with the flow on this one, after all, Willow had asked. As he was about to step into his van, he jingled the keys and stepped out to yell to the blonde one. �Wait, just one thing.� The vampire turned his attention to him. �What do you mean there�s a little bit more?� Spike sighed and looked upward, �Just take a chance mate, alright? Some things are better left to patience.� He gave the younger man a look of insistence that told him to get in and follow already then he muttered to himself, �The things we do for love.� The ride was twenty minutes? Half an hour? More? Oz didn�t know. The glaring lights of the DeSoto mesmerized him. He knew the way to Sunnydale, of course, but it was nice not to have to think about how to get there, to think instead of what this whole thing was about�to think of Willow and whether or not she really needed him or if this was some sort of ploy to bring him back. The truth was that he�d wanted to go back countless times, even so far as calling his parents and his aunt and uncle to tell them he was returning, but at the last minute, he always hesitated and ultimately backed out. He knew Willow was better off without him complicating her life further. So why now? Why this way? Spike blasted the radio of his car, banging his head to some local LA bands�actors pretending to be rock stars, but this one group wasn�t so bad. Occasionally he glanced behind him to make certain the hulking van was there. The last thing he wanted to do was lose Oz on this journey. Willow and Buffy would never let him hear the end of it. The cell phone rang an annoyingly loud tune and he scrambled to pick it up. He saw Dawn�s name on the display and assumed she was on the other line. �What�s up niblet?� Instead, he was surprisingly greeted by the voice of a heavenly creature�albeit a mildly miffed one. �Spike, what�s taking you so long? We�ve been at the rendezvous point for 15 minutes already!� Unbelievingly he questioned his blonde love, �Everybody�s there? Lil Bit? Harris? The Witch? The Poof? Geez, we sound like a band of comic book characters.� He could hear her annoyed groan. �Settle down pet, I�m just turning off the highway now. Be at the woods in 5 minutes.� Spike made his exit and turned on his brights to illuminate the near darkness around him. The wolf-boy followed him, caution and concern growing in his mind. ****Magista**** A few minutes after the turn off the highway, Oz began to recognize his surroundings as part of the Valle Asoleado wilderness reserve and campground. Why would Willow want me to meet the gang out here? he wondered, but kept close to the vampire�s car. Spike turned onto a little-used utility road and began a winding climb into the hills. Oz followed dutifully, though the van had some difficulty forcing its way through beneath the overgrown branches. He emerged, trailing broken foliage, into a small clearing where a number of people and vehicles were assembled. A small fire at the centre of the clearing threw their long, wavering shadows into the trees. Spike pulled the DeSoto up beside Buffy�s SUV, and Oz pulled in behind him. Spike strode across the glade towards Buffy, and Oz clearly heard him muttering something about damn wizard�s tricks. He understood when he looked more closely at the brawny figure standing beside Buffy. Angel had been on the phone with Spike not half an hour earlier - he couldn�t have made it from LA to the campground ahead of them without invoking some kind of magical transport. Drawing her cellphone from his pocket, Spike handed it back to Buffy, and Oz experienced an almost overwhelming sense of sympathy and d�j� vu. After a dagger-eyed glance at his sire, all Spike�s cocky swagger and attitude seemed to slip away as he stood next to Buffy. For a moment he resembled nothing more than a young man desperately in love with a young woman who found his devotion uncomfortable and inconvenient in the new life she was trying to build. Oz wanted to tell him he�d only find serenity by leaving, to not define himself by his relationship, to seek peace in understanding himself first - but being Oz, said nothing. A slight, red-haired figure hurtled across the grass and into his arms, and he found himself hard-pressed to maintain his own laconic poise. Willow hugged him as hard as though she had never chosen anyone else. �Oh Oz,� she murmured into the folds of his jacket. �I�m so glad you�re here.� Willow�s scent, so dear and familiar, surrounded him. But it was underlain now with something harsh and acrid. Taking her by the shoulders, he held her away from him to look at her, but she wouldn�t meet his gaze. �Hey Dawn, Xander.� Oz shifted so that Willow was tucked in under one arm, and acknowledged the others with brief nods as they drew near. �Buffy, Angel. Long time no see. What�s up?� �Bunch of shapeshifting child-stealers after the Niblet here,� Spike offered from beyond the fire where he had stayed. This brief account earned him Dawn�s patented eye-roll #57. �Hello? So not a child anymore. Can�t we come up with a better description than--� Buffy interrupted her sister�s complaint. �Spike can�t fight them, and I� won�t.� �I don�t get it,� Oz protested mildly. �I mean, I see why Spike can�t help you, what with the chip and all � but you�ve have handled things worse than this before. Why me?� He felt as though he�d used up a month�s worth of words all at once. �See, it�s kind of complicated,� Xander began. �There�s more to it than just us versus them, this time." The others looked around, no one wanting to elaborate further. Beneath his arm, Willow stirred uncomfortably. Finally, Spike came around the fire, his shadow flaring large against the trees. �Red�s one of them.� *** They settled themselves on logs around the dwindling fire. Spike poked at it desultorily with a stick, the burning tip of which he then used to light himself another cigarette. Oz focused all of his attention intensely on Willow, sitting before him. �I thought I�d managed to isolate a cure for� you know� the wolfiness,� she said quietly at last. �I�ve been looking for months � years, really � ever since�� She gestured vaguely in a way that nevertheless summed up the entire time since his abrupt departure from Sunnydale and her life. �When I found you with Veruca that time�.� Oz nodded and dropped his eyes. She�d appealed solely to the wolf inside, but at that time he�d not yet developed the will to resist that animal attraction. �At first I thought that maybe if I had some of what she had�� Willow�s voice trailed off in a sniffle. �I tested a number of temporary lycanthropy spells on myself, but they only made me itchy � and want to chase cats.� �Oh Will,� he said softly, tightening his arm around her. �You didn�t have to be anything but yourself for me. There was nothing there. I would rather have died than hurt you � but I had no control and then it was just too late.� �I realized that later,� the witch admitted. �Even after Tara came into my life, I still wanted to give you that gift � so I kept looking. Then last year�� �You know, with the wanting to end the world and all,� Xander threw in helpfully. Willow shot him a warning glance. �It seems as though there was still residue of those old spells in my system, and when I drew in all that magical energy, it triggered something. When I performed some simple enchantments earlier this year � I changed.� �So what Cordy said about you not doing magic�� �Let�s just say that Cordelia�s got a certain view of how things should be,� Angel interjected. �If Willow was performing magic, I�m sure she had every reason to think it necessary.� �Doesn�t explain why she had to bring you here,� Spike muttered under his breath, tossing his latest cigarette butt into the fire and getting up to pace around the clearing. �Go on, Willow,� Buffy encouraged her friend gently. �You�re almost done.� �I don�t really have any memory of the time when I was changed,� Willow said. �I was just lucky that Buffy and Xander managed to stop my attack on Dawn the first time. But a few days later, I came back, leading a pack of other shapeshifters. I don�t know how much longer they�ll be able to stop me � and I can�t just stay locked up forever.� She burst into tears. Oz waited until Willow had grown somewhat calmer again in his embrace before speaking. �I only have two questions.� Everyone looked at him expectantly. �Why here, and what do you want me to do?� ****PreBuffy **** The uncomfortable yet companionable silence that fell over the group prompted no one to speak. Not one of them wanted to be the bearer of what could only qualify as bad news. Yet in the abyss of sound, you could hear the gears turning in everyone�s heads. Thinking of all the ways this little experiment could go wrong. Worried about Dawn. Afraid for (and a little of) Willow. Grateful for the help of friends, who had stopped their lives to lend input. Finally, after the moment seemed too long, Buffy spoke. �Um, Oz, I know you�re here to help. But this kind of help sorta involves you being of the woofy. Are you okay with that??� Oz looked over at Willow�s upturned face and worried, crooked grimace of encouragement. He used his usual number of words to express his feelings. �Of course.� Looking over the fire at the pairs of eyes that surrounded him, he suddenly realized why they had sent Spike, of all non-people, to fetch him. He understood. The �Anything Clause� was implied with him, and therefore left unsaid. Feeling as though he had a powerful group of allies in his side, Oz asked again, �What do you need me to do." Buffy looked him directly in the eye and said the one word he dreaded. �Change.� |
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| PASTS & PRESENTS |
| To be continued very soon.... |