Wend Their Ways Together: Chapter Nine

[jesterladyfic]

Buffy was totally shocked when the knock on the door turned out to be the quiet, redheaded werewolf.

“Oz! Come in! When did you get back?” She gave him a quick hug before ushering him in.

“Pretty much now.”

“Um, well, I know you probably want to see Willow, and she’s here, just not here here.” Oz accepted this the way he accepted all unusual news, without surprise, and waited for her sure-to-be forthcoming explanation. “She’s stuck in a demon dimension and won’t be able to get back until a couple of months from now, but she’s totally okay and she’s opened a portal to talk to us.”

“Sounds like there’s a story there. Guess I’ll hear more later. But, Buffy; is she doing okay otherwise?”

“I will be as soon as you get over here and talk to me, Oz.” Willow called from inside the room. He crossed the room to where Willow’s image hung inside a glowing, silver circle floating three feet off the ground. “Oz, what are you doing back here? Not that I’m not glad to see you, I really wish I was actually there. But, I’m not glad to see you either. You just left and didn’t leave me anywhere to reach you. And you’re the reason I’m stuck here, though I guess that’s pretty much my fault, not yours and, and, and I wish I was there.” Oz looked at Willow and she could tell how glad he was to see her and watch her do her nervous ramble thing.

“I think Tara and I will be outside,” said Buffy, pulling a willing Tara out toward the door. Though Tara had developed considerably in her self-confidence and was completely privy to the whole Willow/Oz saga, new meetings and private talks made her nervous. Buffy and Tara closed the door behind them and sat down on the fountain to soak up some sun. After awhile, Buffy remembered that she had wanted to ask Tara a special request.

“Tara, now that we’ve finally settled it that Willow won’t be at the wedding, though she’ll be there with the portal, I want you to be my maid-of-honor.”

“Buffy! T-that’s so special; you don’t even know me that well. I mean, s-shouldn’t you ask Anya?”

“Tara! Anya and I have come a long way, but she is so not being my maid-of-honor. That job is reserved for someone I can talk to for more than 20 minutes at a time. I want you to have it. Anya will be my bridesmaid, Miss Perfection, so don’t worry, she’s not left out. To be honest, I’m really not that close with anyone else.”

“I’m h-honored. Thank you, Buffy. I-I mean you just met me and all.”

“Don’t say another word, please. So, what do you say we go dress-shopping as soon as we find out Oz’s fate?” Tara laughed and agreed. A little while later, the door opened and Oz stepped out, a pleased look on his face. Anyone else would have been grinning. They could see that things were okay between the witch and the werewolf once more.

“So, how goes it, Oz?” Buffy asked.

“I’m on my way to enroll back in school. That help?”

“Most definitely. Is Willow still in there?”

“No, portal broke up, but she said she’d talk to you tomorrow.”

“Ok, Tara and I are going dress-shopping. I’m getting married. Did she tell you?”

“Yeah, I heard that Spike succumbed to the Dark side of the Force. His point of
view, anyway.”

“Did Willow really say Spike did it out of his own free will? She’s come a long way.”

“Is a long way,” Oz replied.

“I’m sorry, Oz. I know it’s hard that she isn’t here right now. I mean, she’s
not even going to be at the wedding. Can you believe that?”

“I wanted to take her out tonight and show her the moon.”

“I-isn’t tonight the night after the full moon?” asked Tara hesitantly.

“Yeah, that’s the part where I get to come back. See, I can keep from wolfing out now, uh, blonde girl.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Tara, this is Oz. Oz, this is Tara. She’s a witch and goes to
school with us and is now an official Scooby.”

“It’s n-nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“I’m remembered. Good to know.”

“Oz, that is so great about the wolf cure thing. I guess it justifies the whole
leaving and breaking her heart thing and the other wolf thing.”

“Buffy: sure to bring up the bad memories.” Oz seemed properly chastised and Buffy considered her best friend chastisement duties fulfilled.

“Sorry, we’ll just leave the memories alone. Ooh, chance for new memories! We’re having a Scooby meeting here at seven to discuss the latest Commando threat. Wanna come?”

“Sure. I’m going to talk to Devon about a place to stay, but then, I’m ready to be one with the Scooby-ness.”

“Ok, see you then.”


***

Not very promptly at seven, Buffy, Spike, Giles, Tara, Oz, Anya and Xander were gathered in Giles’ living room to discuss the other huge happening of the time. Buffy, from a comfortable perch atop Spike’s lap, related her findings of last night, backtracking a little for Oz’s benefit.

“Ok, so we know that for awhile now, there have been Commando like guys sneaking around campus at night, using pretty stiff technology, to capture demons. Capture, not kill, which looks shady from the get go. Then a couple of months ago, Spike was captured by these guys and woke up in an underground lab. After escaping, he found that he was unable to feed or hurt any humans. They’d put a chip in his brain. Being desperate and rather pathetic, Spike came to us for help and told us about the Commandos, (very reluctantly), I might add.”

“Oh, pathetic, is it? Well, not so pathetic that I’d tell you information so you’d stake me after I wasn’t any more use.”

“Still not of use. I would gladly stake the resident Evil Undead over there.” Despite the menace of the words, Xander’s tone was without malice.

“Getting off-topic, Xan,” said Buffy firmly. “Now, so far that’s all we knew. But last night Spike and I split up on patrol. I was in the cemetery closest to the campus when I was practically knocked over by three vamps apparently fleeing for their lives, which by the way, irks me to no end. Hello, I am the Slayer! It’s my job to handle demons and even then, I’m not so cruel as to try and experiment on them, though if Spike were willing, I could think of some…” Buffy’s voice trailed off as she remembered where she was. Her face turned bright red and so did everyone else’s besides Spike.

“Ok, officially disgusted. And who’s off-topic, very, very off-topic?” asked Xander.

“Um, well, the point is that the government is overstepping its bounds. So, these vamps practically run over me, I slay one and there’s this bright taser-gun flash and a vamp goes down. I knock the other one and dust it, and this guy pushes me out of the way and tries to do something to the tasered one. I didn’t see what, cause I staked the vamp and trapped the guy and guess who it is, Riley!” Buffy’s impressive tones left no impression on her audience and she remembered that nobody but Willow had ever really met
him.

“He’s at school with us; we sorta had a thing, like a picnic thing. But that was so pre-Spike.” Spike stiffened, but said nothing.

“Oh, Teutonic-guy.” Understanding dawned on Xander.

“The big news is that we know the Commandos now. They’re actually the Initiative
and my psych professor is the head of it.”

“But, Buffy, what makes you think he’ll tell you anything? I applaud your
efforts, it is good that we know who they are, but secret government programs are hardly
likely to reveal their secrets to a freshman, Slayer or no, assuming they know what that
is.”

“Giles, I had a pretty long talk with Riley. I mean, he wasn’t exactly
forthcoming, but he let a lot spill before he realized it. He said that he would work on
if I could get entrance to scope out their operation. Do some stealthy Slayer sneakage on
them. That way we have an in to see if they’re up to something evil.”

“Why don’t we just send “the Big Bad” in there and see if they stake him? If they don’t, we’ll know they’re evil.” Xander smiled at his idea.

“Hardly helpful advice,” said Spike. “You’re conveniently forgetting they’re the ones who shoved this bloody chip up my brain in the first place. Don’t think they want me dead, just tortured.”

“Hey, they sound great. Let’s join them.”

“Honey,” interrupted Anya, “I know that you miss your Army days when you were useful, but joining the evil, ex-demon hunters is not going to help our relationship any or earn you any orgasms.”

“G-getting back to s-some semblance of a point,” said Tara, who enjoyed these little spats between Spike and Xander, but was anxious to find out more about the government demon-hunters. Though she knew she wasn’t their first target anymore, black ops against the supernatural gave her the creeps.

“Yeah, I wanna get back to the guys who experiment on my kind. I figure they won’t be too keen on werewolves.”

“That is what I was coming to,” said Buffy. “Anyone not completely human can’t be alone at night, especially not on patrol. Oz and Spike are the ones they’ll look for first, especially Spike cause they know about him and aren’t too happy about his not being with them anymore. But this applies to me and Tara and Anya. I know we’re all strictly human, but I don’t know these guy’s views on magic or ex-demon being, so we have to be careful. Oz, do you have someplace to stay yet?”

“No, Devon didn’t have room till tomorrow.”

“Maybe, Giles, he could stay here? Or with you, Xander?”

“Hey!” Anya wasn’t thrilled with that aspect. Xander blushed.

“We kind of had romantic plans.”

“We were going to light candles and have sex near them,” stated Anya proudly.

“Well, we wouldn’t want to cut into that seven and a half minutes,” said Spike sarcastically.

“Hey!” cried Xander and Anya together.

“Spike! Not helping.” Buffy gave him a Slayer death glare and then turned to
Giles.

“Do you think Oz could stay here?”

“Of course, Buffy. He could sleep on the couch, I’m sure Spike would love to
resume sleeping in the bathtub.”

“Oi, I’m not sleeping there.”

“I’ll take Spike with me tonight, Giles. And don’t argue, Spike, I won’t let you
worship me. In fact, I’m planning other goddessy commands for you, like actual helping with the wedding!” Spike closed his mouth and looked properly chastised, though he did smirk wickedly at Xander when Buffy turned away. Xander turned the proper shade of green.

“Keep the couch warm for me, Shorty,” Spike called to Oz.

“Must be hard to leave it, so I’ll do my best; see that it doesn’t get lonely for
you.”

“You know, come to think of it, I’m not too sure I want to leave my couch under your tender mercies. Not too happy with you, Dog Boy, over the whole Gem of Amara business.”

“I like crossbows,” shrugged Oz. Spike laughed and stuck out his hand. Oz shook
it and was initiated into the small group of people that Spike actually liked.

“Just don’t point them at me and we’ll playact at getting along, yeah?”

“Right,” agreed Oz, suddenly willing to let go of the past, which was hard,
considering the whole kidnapping Willow and trying to turn her deal.

“Ready to go, Goldilocks?” Spike turned to Buffy.

“Lead the way, Big Bad Papa Bear.”

“It’s a good thing you tagged on the Big Bad part, Slayer or I might have had to
bite you.”

“Please don’t try, I’m not really in the mood for nursing one of your “Big Bad” migraines.” Their bickering faded into the night as Giles closed the door after them.

“So, Spike,” said Oz.

“Spike,” said Giles.

“She looks happy.”

“She is.”

“I’m sensing misgivings.”

“It’s rather complicated, Oz. I’m trying to give it a chance; I suggest you do
the same before your head explodes trying to deny it.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Suffice it to say, until Willow gets back we won’t know anything for certain.”
Oz nodded and then went to the couch, aching for the day when she would get back.

***

The next afternoon Buffy was alone at Giles’. He’d gone out shopping for

“Necessities and Wheatabix.”

Oz was registering for classes and she’d left a protesting Spike at her dorm telling him to sleep during the day like a normal vampire. For awhile, she tried doing her homework but ended up finalizing some last minute wedding stuff. It was next week and as always, unexpected Slayage had put a crimp in her planning.

Behind her came two sharp cracks and a blaze of silver light as Willow’s figure materialized in the portal. Buffy looked up unstartled, they’d all gotten used to Willow’s sudden entrances by now.

“Hey, Wills. How ya doing?”

“Ok, not parades and cotton candy, but ok. As exciting and demony as Arashmaharr
is, I’m so ready to be home and sleep in my own bed. Or has Spike been sleeping in it and I will never want to touch it again in my life?”

“None of that. I get enough of it from Xander and Giles. I don’t get it; why is everybody jumping all over me? Giles dated a Romany gypsy whose people cursed my ex-boyfriend with eternal agony, Xander is dating a thousand year old ex-vengeance demon, you’re dating a werewolf. I am marrying a vampire. Looks like we’re all freaks. Speaking of which, spill about your little talk yesterday with Mr. Non-giving Out of Exclusive Information.”

“He knew you’d drag it out of me anyhow.” Willow laughed. “I need someone to
talk to actually, and it needs to be you. So, fasten the best friend helmet on and guide me through the relationship crash course.”

“Best friend helmet: check. Spill.”

“Well, I don’t know where to start. I’m so happy Oz came back to me. And that’s
all he’s been working for, was to come back to me.”

“But how’d he stop with the wolf thing? Impossible as far as I knew.”

“Believe it or not, in Tibet. He went to these monk guys and they taught him all these meditation mantras and gave him smelly herbs. He can even change when he wants and control the wolf slightly when he’s changed. Use its strength and scenting, but without the whole no reason and trying to kill your girlfriend part.”

“Ok, the Slayer in me is going, ‘yeah team, vital asset added.’ The Buffy in me is just happy for you both.”

“Not as happy as I am; it’s almost like the pain went poof just like I wanted it to. And he said the only reason why he didn’t let me know where he was is because it was part of the treatment. The monks told him the only way to restrain the wolf was to cut off its supply of the things that bring it out in him. Like being afraid of hurting me or anger or other werewolves. So he couldn’t think about me or us here or talk to us, or it would have distracted him. He said.” Willow looked down at her hands. “He said it was the hardest thing he’s ever done.”

“Wow, Oz can be sweet. Who knew? Oh, wait, everyone. The guy is perfect for you, Will. Now I don’t want to bring up past uglies or anything, but what about the Veruca deal?”

“Oh, so over that.” Buffy shot Willow a look. “Ok, so I’m not happy about it. But I know the only reason he was attracted to her was because she was like him, but he doesn’t like that part of himself. And he loves me, more than anything. I also know the only reason he did anything with her was to keep her from hurting anyone. Besides, the whole Xander thing kind of keeps my righteous anger from speaking up too much.” Buffy smiled.

“So it sounds like all’s well in Willow-land.”

“Well, with Oz yeah. But he did have some worries about me that he brought up. I’ve been dealing with those all night.”

“What kind of worries?”

“Magic worries. He thinks I’m heading into dangerous redheaded-witch-eating shark
infested waters. And he’s right. The whole my will be done spell showed me that; that and the banishment to a hell dimension. Kind of puts it into perspective for me, you know? He was sort of worried about me before my attempted cursing of him and now with this, he told me I have to get a handle on it. Even if I had to go out and find it, like he did.”

“I hate to say it, Will, but I agree. This last spell worried all of us.”

“I know. And don’t worry, there will be many cookies a’ baking when I get back. But I’ve been thinking and I talked with Oz and I realized something about myself. I depend on magic to get me out of sticky jams, ones I got myself into. I know I’m not that adept yet, but already I’m way less of a person because of it. Can you believe I even use magic to do my homework?”

“Willow! That’s serious. You would never let anyone else even touch your homework. It’s that bad?” Willow grimaced.

“That bad. I just like being in control, you know? Knowing I have the power, I’m gonna win cause I got all this magic on my side. Like I’m not geeky, shy Willow, the Slayer’s sidekick.” Buffy started to protest, but Willow went on. “But I’ve come to the conclusion that I just grab raw power wherever I can find it, no matter what kind. I don’t know how to use it and it keeps hurting you guys.”

“We know you never meant to hurt us.”

“That’s the problem. Who care about my intent? I can’t use my inability to let
you all make your own decisions risk your lives just cause I feel like I’m failing. That’s why I’m trying really hard to be ok about Spike.”

“Well, thanks for that anyway.”

“So new and improved me is coming home to work hard at learning stuff, not how to do spells, but what magic really is and what it should be used for. Oz is gonna teach me some meditation stuff and Giles and Tara are going to work with me on building up my power properly and restraint and how to be a good witch, I guess. Looks like I’m going to Hogwarts. You think Giles would be mad at me if I called him Dumbledore?”

“I don’t know. He might need a break. Spike has taken to calling him Dad lately and I don’t think poor Giles can take it much longer.” Willow giggled at the thought.

“I can’t wait to come home and witness it all first hand.”

“Me too. Can’t wait for you, I mean. I’m already here.”

“Caught that, Buff.”

“You’ll be at the wedding, right? You know the time and all? Open the portal in
my back yard, not here?”

“I got it all down, Buffy. I’m All-Efficiency Willow, just waiting to prove I can and will show up on time at the right place. Oops, portal’s getting weak. Gotta go. Love you.”

“Love you too, Will.”