Title: The Werewolf, the Witches and The Murder
Rating: PG-13 (Language, *suggestive* scenes, if you will...)
Pairings: It's a whole lot of confusion, just read the fic...Mainly W/O.
Reviews: Oh please oh please oh please! :)
A/Note: This is my sequel to A Comeback, A Spark and A Confused Wiccan, brought to you by popular request...or at least, lack of popular protest. Later I am *winces* bringing Angel into this, I know I'm sort of...well, blatantly contradicting myself from last time...I hope I write him well, it's my first time with him in a story so please be kind? *Hopeful grin* Usual Oz/Willow in the spotlight. Oh and have no fear, Spike will be back! That's about it. Yep. Okay. Read on. Carpe Diem! <3
Willow's breath came out in pants as she dodged the vampire's solid punch to her head. It annoyed her a bit to think she would've been dead by then if Buffy hadn't wounded the thing earlier, but truth was truth. Her hand fumbled around for a stake in her bag. With relief, she felt her fingers hit wood. As the vamp loomed closer, she lifted the stake and drove it home. The demi-demon stared at her with something almost like disbelief etched on his face, then exploded into dust. She coughed and waved the debris away from her face.
Note to self...back away when they dust...
"Look at you, Will," Buffy's suitable impressed voice came from behind her. She turned toward her friend and grinned happily, triumph and pride evident on her face.
"I got to dust one!" She said with a little too much delight.
"And in a skirt too," her friend added.
Xander walked over gasping for breath, "hey Xander, great fight huh?" The Slayer gave him an enthusiastic smile.
"Yeah...great. And while you two gals are celebrating Will's vampire-kill-of-the-month or whatever, of course no one bothered to check on poor Xander. No one cares about Xander...so what if he had to stake 3 big uglies on his own, so what if he almost got the life sucked out of him...no, it's oka-"
"I think I liked you better gasping hungrily for air," Buffy interrupted dryly.
"Hey, I don't know about the girls, Xander, but the whole time we were fighting those vamps, I was only thinking about you," a quietly sarcastic voice from behind Willow piped up for the first time. The Wicca's grin went even wider as she turned to face Oz.
"Did you see me stake that one?" She asked eagerly, the primitive but still exhilarating rush of combat still in her.
"Yeah, you staked him. You staked him good," he replied with his trademark half smile.
Buffy's face took a turn for the serious as the tired but glowing group ambled around the now silent cemetery, "those vamps were traveling in a good sized pack," she mused, "and they we're stupid fledglings either..I wonder what they were up to?" she shrugged slightly, shifting into her business persona, "how many got away?"
"Uhh...I counted maybe 5?" Xander replied.
"We should talk to Giles about it, get into research mode," Willow piped up, pausing to tuck her stake back into her bag.
Buffy smiled tightly at her friend, "they were almost fledglings," she said with a humored scoff, "let's worry about it tomorrow...speaking of which, that's when boyfriend of mine comes home," she added cheerfully.
"Did he visit the folks for Thanksgiving?" Xander asked.
"You bet," she replied, her voice brightening, "it was his sister's 16th birthday the 26th too so they did the family thing for the holidays," the group finally reached the cemetery gate, "well, that was a nice little blast from the past...how 'bout we call it a night?"
There was much agreement, especially from the Xander party.
"Hey Buff, I'm gonna go with Oz tonight," Willow said softly to her friend as they parted, "don't wait up." Buffy flashed her a devilish grin.
"Okay, have fun."
Willow allowed Oz to lead her to his room though she knew exactly where it was. As he fiddled with the doorknob and apparently uncooperative key, she smiled to herself, studying him..the slight smile he wore so well, the mused hair, currently his natural color, a nondescript red/brown and the gentle eyes she loved so much...their depth and warmth, how they could capture her, calm her, tell her how very much he cared without him even speaking.
"My lady," his voice interrupted her thoughts as he held the door open for her with a grin. She curtsied neatly, holding her torn skirt.
"My....not lady," she replied, finding the word Lord just not fitting. He just smiled again and followed her into the room. She sat on the bed, allowing the subtle Oz-like smells to fill her mind. She occupied her hands with his stereo, putting one of her CDs in and pressing play. The soothing sounds of Bic Runga filled the air and she felt his hands gently massaging her shoulders.
Don't stray, don't ever go away
I should be much to smart for this
You know it gets the better of me
Sometimes
When you and I collide
I fall into an ocean and you pull me out-
His hands dropped from her shoulders and he propped himself up on one elbow and ran a finger down her spine with the other hand. She smiled and lay beside him, allowing his hand to run through her short copper hair as she indulged in everything about him.
"Tonight was a rush," he commented.
"Yeah," she agreed, "haven't had one of those group slaying sessions since..." she shuddered for effect, "highschool."
"It's weird...it never used to hit me this much, but tonight...I'm just so tired..." he sighed.
She grinned, "too tired to..well..." she leaned over and whispered a very detailed plan in his ear. His eyes widened.
"...but," he added, not skipping a beat, "not so tired that I couldn't pull one of those."
Willow laughed as he growled playfully and pulled her beneath the covers.
"No...Don't leave me...please....Oz...come back..."
Oz bolted awake at the noise. He looked wildly about the dark room to assess the danger, but he found none. His face softened as he looked down at Willow. A troubled look rippled her slumber as she jerked back and forth in obvious distress next to him. Gently, he shook her shoulder.
"Will...Will...wake up, it's just a dream. I'm right here."
Her soft eyes opened shining like dark pools of oil in the black of the night and she blinked in tired surprise.
"Oz?" Her voice was disembodied with confusion.
"I'm right here....I'll always be right here. I'm not going to leave you, it was all just a dream," he whispered soothingly to her.
A dazed look crossed her face, "A dream?"
"Yes, just a dream."
She nodded uncertainly, "okay, if you say so." Without another word, she wrapped her arms around him and slipped away from the conscious world. He sighed with relief hearing her deep, easy breathing. But his brow creased, troubled. Yes, he was here, but it hadn't always been a dream. Not all of it.
Early morning sunlight danced across Willow's face, stirring her from her slumber with a gentle shake. She groaned and stretched, rolling over to face Oz. His eyes were already open and he was gazing at her.
"Morning," he said simply.
"Mm...morning," she answered, sitting up, modestly wrapping the sheets around her, "how long have you been up?"
"Not too long," he replied evasively.
"You should've woken me." Her voice went muffled as she pulled a shirt over her head.
"I was going to, but you looked all...peaceful like."
"Well, how'd you sleep?" She pulled a clean pair of pants on and after assessing yesterday's battered skirt, she tossed it into a garbage bag. Stupid vamps. No respect.
"I don't recall sleeping too much..." he grinned watching her flush, "but I was fine. More than fine," he paused, hesitant. "How about you? No dreams?"
Her brow creased...yes, she had a dream...but she couldn't recall. She shook her head, "not that I remember."
Oz cleared his throat and nodded, "so, where do you want to go for breakfast?"
"Definitely Denny's. They have those yummy grand slam deals," she replied with a perky grin.
"Sounds good...I'm starving after last night's exercise," he commented, walked past her. She opened her mouth in surprise and swatted him on the arm.
"Hey!" He protested with a smile, "I was talking about patrolling."
He shook his head fondly as he watched her leave for the bathroom. He frowned a little, at least she hadn't remembered the dream. Still, it bothered him inside. Shrugging a little, he focused on fastening his belt buckle.
The afternoon light rained down upon Sunnydale, shedding a warm glow on everything and making Willow almost forget the city was situated on the Hellmouth. She entered Stevenson hall, waving to several friends she crossed paths with on the way to her dorm. Turning the corner, she bumped right into someone. With a flash on blond hair and the sound of falling books, she found herself on the ground.
"Oh no...I-I'm...s--s-so sorry, Willow," her 'assaulter' apologized, helping her up.
"Oh hi Tara...I'm really sorry," she blushed, embarassed and stooped to aid her friend in collecting her spilled books. Glancing at the covers of some of them, her face brightened, "so, are you practicing on any spells lately?"
Tara's face stayed locked with the floor and her hair masked her as well. Willow pursed her lips in sympathy, Tara was so much like..well, her in her highschool years.
"Y-yeah...I-I am..." Tara tried to smile, but it came out a friendly grimace, "I um, called you last night..to see if you wanted to try some new ones. I-I found a really uh, interesting book of them. Spells, I mean."
It was possibly the longest sentence the blond had ever said to her, and possibly the most stuttery. Willow smiled at her shy, (well, shy was an understatement) friend.
"I would've loved to bu-"
Tara nodded quickly, "Buffy answered, she told me how you were with...Oz." The blond witch's face went oddly dark at the name, but Willow didn't notice.
"Well, maybe tonight then?" She inquired cheerfully.
"S-sure, sounds good." Her eyes stayed glued to her brown shoes as though they were the most fascinating things she'd ever seen.
"I'll call you then?"
Tara nodded numbly, barely hearing Willow's farewell. She felt her heart give way and her bit down hard on her lip to avoid the tears. Silly, really, Willow would never love her, at least, not the way she wanted. How could she? The thought had probably never once crossed her mind. She brushed imaginary dust off one of the books and sighed in relief that Willow hadn't seen that it. The cover of the book was dark wood, engraved with intricate swirls and thorny patterns, sending out an aura of creepy darkness. She tucked the rest of the books into a shoulder bag, but kept that one tightly in her arms all the way back to her dorm room.
Entering the room, she locked the door and sat on the bed. The very idea of what she was going to do with that book was chilling, it sent shivers of fear coursing deep within her. Upon becoming a Wicca, she had vowed not to use her powers for even remote evil. And yet, her plan would shove aside all boundaries on her standards of what was bad. The Wicca group that she and Willow both belonged to wasn't big on spells, just pamphlets and henna, their advice could not be seeked. And yet, it was them that would help her the most, however unintentionally.
Reaching into her bag, she glanced around the otherwise empty room with a look of paranoia before pulling out the group's thick record book. Not an hour had passed since she's neatly stolen, no, not stolen...rather, lifted, the book from the bag of the group leader, Karah. Tara's breathing was shuddery as she flipped to the bookmarked page. Her fingers shook so much that they tore the edges of the faded paper the book was opened to, but she paid it no mind. Her eyes scanned the page with a fever in them as she read the details of those that had been expelled from the Wicca group.
There they were, names of people like Leila Hatch, Ardelia Frost, Nadine Conner, their crimes...and up to date addresses to keep tabs on them. The idiots, she though happily. Reading closer, she laid a shaking finger on the page beneath a group of expelled witches who called themselves the Potent 3. A slow smile spread across her face. With a thud, she shut the book and hugged it gleefully to her. It would take sacrifice of her morals, but at last, she would have Willow.
Buffy Summers stood anxiously at Gate B-12, trying to peer over the heads of the tall family in front of her as they swarmed an aunt or whatever in greeting. Her face lit up as Riley ambled his way out of the plane and into her waiting arms. They broke apart to look at one another.
"Hey! I missed you so much!" Her voice was full and bright. He gave her a smile and hugged her again.
"I missed you too," he replied as they headed for the baggage claim. She attempted to take his carryon, but he batted her hands away, "I got it."
"So..how was the family?" She asked, maneuvering through the crowded airport.
"Great...and they loved you from the pictures I showed. And of course, from my constant rambling on how wonderful you are," he said with a grin. She laughed and took his hand.
"That's just what I needed to hear."
They stopped at the empty baggage claim and waited. Buffy leaned her head on Riley, feeling as though nothing could go wrong in the world as long as she stayed like that. He wrapped an arm around her thin shoulders and she looked up at him, eyes filled with adoration.
"Anything happen in the ever exciting Sunnydale while I was gone?" He inquired.
She shrugged lazily, "I spent Thanksgiving dinner with Mom and the gang and Giles...in general, Thanksgiving break was pretty break-ish."
"How about in the demon department?" He pressed, lowering his voice.
"A few slays, no biggies," she shrugged, being with him made her feel bold enough to be optimistic, "who knows, maybe it'll be quiet for the rest of the year."
The baggage claim buzzer sounded.
To Be Continued...
*PLEASE REVIEW!! <3 :):)*
Rating: PG-13 (Language, *suggestive* scenes, if you will...)
Pairings: It's a whole lot of confusion, just read the fic...Mainly W/O.
Reviews: Oh please oh please oh please! :)
A/Note: This is my sequel to A Comeback, A Spark and A Confused Wiccan, brought to you by popular request...or at least, lack of popular protest. Later I am *winces* bringing Angel into this, I know I'm sort of...well, blatantly contradicting myself from last time...I hope I write him well, it's my first time with him in a story so please be kind? *Hopeful grin* Usual Oz/Willow in the spotlight. Oh and have no fear, Spike will be back! That's about it. Yep. Okay. Read on. Carpe Diem! <3
Willow's breath came out in pants as she dodged the vampire's solid punch to her head. It annoyed her a bit to think she would've been dead by then if Buffy hadn't wounded the thing earlier, but truth was truth. Her hand fumbled around for a stake in her bag. With relief, she felt her fingers hit wood. As the vamp loomed closer, she lifted the stake and drove it home. The demi-demon stared at her with something almost like disbelief etched on his face, then exploded into dust. She coughed and waved the debris away from her face.
Note to self...back away when they dust...
"Look at you, Will," Buffy's suitable impressed voice came from behind her. She turned toward her friend and grinned happily, triumph and pride evident on her face.
"I got to dust one!" She said with a little too much delight.
"And in a skirt too," her friend added.
Xander walked over gasping for breath, "hey Xander, great fight huh?" The Slayer gave him an enthusiastic smile.
"Yeah...great. And while you two gals are celebrating Will's vampire-kill-of-the-month or whatever, of course no one bothered to check on poor Xander. No one cares about Xander...so what if he had to stake 3 big uglies on his own, so what if he almost got the life sucked out of him...no, it's oka-"
"I think I liked you better gasping hungrily for air," Buffy interrupted dryly.
"Hey, I don't know about the girls, Xander, but the whole time we were fighting those vamps, I was only thinking about you," a quietly sarcastic voice from behind Willow piped up for the first time. The Wicca's grin went even wider as she turned to face Oz.
"Did you see me stake that one?" She asked eagerly, the primitive but still exhilarating rush of combat still in her.
"Yeah, you staked him. You staked him good," he replied with his trademark half smile.
Buffy's face took a turn for the serious as the tired but glowing group ambled around the now silent cemetery, "those vamps were traveling in a good sized pack," she mused, "and they we're stupid fledglings either..I wonder what they were up to?" she shrugged slightly, shifting into her business persona, "how many got away?"
"Uhh...I counted maybe 5?" Xander replied.
"We should talk to Giles about it, get into research mode," Willow piped up, pausing to tuck her stake back into her bag.
Buffy smiled tightly at her friend, "they were almost fledglings," she said with a humored scoff, "let's worry about it tomorrow...speaking of which, that's when boyfriend of mine comes home," she added cheerfully.
"Did he visit the folks for Thanksgiving?" Xander asked.
"You bet," she replied, her voice brightening, "it was his sister's 16th birthday the 26th too so they did the family thing for the holidays," the group finally reached the cemetery gate, "well, that was a nice little blast from the past...how 'bout we call it a night?"
There was much agreement, especially from the Xander party.
"Hey Buff, I'm gonna go with Oz tonight," Willow said softly to her friend as they parted, "don't wait up." Buffy flashed her a devilish grin.
"Okay, have fun."
Willow allowed Oz to lead her to his room though she knew exactly where it was. As he fiddled with the doorknob and apparently uncooperative key, she smiled to herself, studying him..the slight smile he wore so well, the mused hair, currently his natural color, a nondescript red/brown and the gentle eyes she loved so much...their depth and warmth, how they could capture her, calm her, tell her how very much he cared without him even speaking.
"My lady," his voice interrupted her thoughts as he held the door open for her with a grin. She curtsied neatly, holding her torn skirt.
"My....not lady," she replied, finding the word Lord just not fitting. He just smiled again and followed her into the room. She sat on the bed, allowing the subtle Oz-like smells to fill her mind. She occupied her hands with his stereo, putting one of her CDs in and pressing play. The soothing sounds of Bic Runga filled the air and she felt his hands gently massaging her shoulders.
Don't stray, don't ever go away
I should be much to smart for this
You know it gets the better of me
Sometimes
When you and I collide
I fall into an ocean and you pull me out-
His hands dropped from her shoulders and he propped himself up on one elbow and ran a finger down her spine with the other hand. She smiled and lay beside him, allowing his hand to run through her short copper hair as she indulged in everything about him.
"Tonight was a rush," he commented.
"Yeah," she agreed, "haven't had one of those group slaying sessions since..." she shuddered for effect, "highschool."
"It's weird...it never used to hit me this much, but tonight...I'm just so tired..." he sighed.
She grinned, "too tired to..well..." she leaned over and whispered a very detailed plan in his ear. His eyes widened.
"...but," he added, not skipping a beat, "not so tired that I couldn't pull one of those."
Willow laughed as he growled playfully and pulled her beneath the covers.
"No...Don't leave me...please....Oz...come back..."
Oz bolted awake at the noise. He looked wildly about the dark room to assess the danger, but he found none. His face softened as he looked down at Willow. A troubled look rippled her slumber as she jerked back and forth in obvious distress next to him. Gently, he shook her shoulder.
"Will...Will...wake up, it's just a dream. I'm right here."
Her soft eyes opened shining like dark pools of oil in the black of the night and she blinked in tired surprise.
"Oz?" Her voice was disembodied with confusion.
"I'm right here....I'll always be right here. I'm not going to leave you, it was all just a dream," he whispered soothingly to her.
A dazed look crossed her face, "A dream?"
"Yes, just a dream."
She nodded uncertainly, "okay, if you say so." Without another word, she wrapped her arms around him and slipped away from the conscious world. He sighed with relief hearing her deep, easy breathing. But his brow creased, troubled. Yes, he was here, but it hadn't always been a dream. Not all of it.
Early morning sunlight danced across Willow's face, stirring her from her slumber with a gentle shake. She groaned and stretched, rolling over to face Oz. His eyes were already open and he was gazing at her.
"Morning," he said simply.
"Mm...morning," she answered, sitting up, modestly wrapping the sheets around her, "how long have you been up?"
"Not too long," he replied evasively.
"You should've woken me." Her voice went muffled as she pulled a shirt over her head.
"I was going to, but you looked all...peaceful like."
"Well, how'd you sleep?" She pulled a clean pair of pants on and after assessing yesterday's battered skirt, she tossed it into a garbage bag. Stupid vamps. No respect.
"I don't recall sleeping too much..." he grinned watching her flush, "but I was fine. More than fine," he paused, hesitant. "How about you? No dreams?"
Her brow creased...yes, she had a dream...but she couldn't recall. She shook her head, "not that I remember."
Oz cleared his throat and nodded, "so, where do you want to go for breakfast?"
"Definitely Denny's. They have those yummy grand slam deals," she replied with a perky grin.
"Sounds good...I'm starving after last night's exercise," he commented, walked past her. She opened her mouth in surprise and swatted him on the arm.
"Hey!" He protested with a smile, "I was talking about patrolling."
He shook his head fondly as he watched her leave for the bathroom. He frowned a little, at least she hadn't remembered the dream. Still, it bothered him inside. Shrugging a little, he focused on fastening his belt buckle.
The afternoon light rained down upon Sunnydale, shedding a warm glow on everything and making Willow almost forget the city was situated on the Hellmouth. She entered Stevenson hall, waving to several friends she crossed paths with on the way to her dorm. Turning the corner, she bumped right into someone. With a flash on blond hair and the sound of falling books, she found herself on the ground.
"Oh no...I-I'm...s--s-so sorry, Willow," her 'assaulter' apologized, helping her up.
"Oh hi Tara...I'm really sorry," she blushed, embarassed and stooped to aid her friend in collecting her spilled books. Glancing at the covers of some of them, her face brightened, "so, are you practicing on any spells lately?"
Tara's face stayed locked with the floor and her hair masked her as well. Willow pursed her lips in sympathy, Tara was so much like..well, her in her highschool years.
"Y-yeah...I-I am..." Tara tried to smile, but it came out a friendly grimace, "I um, called you last night..to see if you wanted to try some new ones. I-I found a really uh, interesting book of them. Spells, I mean."
It was possibly the longest sentence the blond had ever said to her, and possibly the most stuttery. Willow smiled at her shy, (well, shy was an understatement) friend.
"I would've loved to bu-"
Tara nodded quickly, "Buffy answered, she told me how you were with...Oz." The blond witch's face went oddly dark at the name, but Willow didn't notice.
"Well, maybe tonight then?" She inquired cheerfully.
"S-sure, sounds good." Her eyes stayed glued to her brown shoes as though they were the most fascinating things she'd ever seen.
"I'll call you then?"
Tara nodded numbly, barely hearing Willow's farewell. She felt her heart give way and her bit down hard on her lip to avoid the tears. Silly, really, Willow would never love her, at least, not the way she wanted. How could she? The thought had probably never once crossed her mind. She brushed imaginary dust off one of the books and sighed in relief that Willow hadn't seen that it. The cover of the book was dark wood, engraved with intricate swirls and thorny patterns, sending out an aura of creepy darkness. She tucked the rest of the books into a shoulder bag, but kept that one tightly in her arms all the way back to her dorm room.
Entering the room, she locked the door and sat on the bed. The very idea of what she was going to do with that book was chilling, it sent shivers of fear coursing deep within her. Upon becoming a Wicca, she had vowed not to use her powers for even remote evil. And yet, her plan would shove aside all boundaries on her standards of what was bad. The Wicca group that she and Willow both belonged to wasn't big on spells, just pamphlets and henna, their advice could not be seeked. And yet, it was them that would help her the most, however unintentionally.
Reaching into her bag, she glanced around the otherwise empty room with a look of paranoia before pulling out the group's thick record book. Not an hour had passed since she's neatly stolen, no, not stolen...rather, lifted, the book from the bag of the group leader, Karah. Tara's breathing was shuddery as she flipped to the bookmarked page. Her fingers shook so much that they tore the edges of the faded paper the book was opened to, but she paid it no mind. Her eyes scanned the page with a fever in them as she read the details of those that had been expelled from the Wicca group.
There they were, names of people like Leila Hatch, Ardelia Frost, Nadine Conner, their crimes...and up to date addresses to keep tabs on them. The idiots, she though happily. Reading closer, she laid a shaking finger on the page beneath a group of expelled witches who called themselves the Potent 3. A slow smile spread across her face. With a thud, she shut the book and hugged it gleefully to her. It would take sacrifice of her morals, but at last, she would have Willow.
Buffy Summers stood anxiously at Gate B-12, trying to peer over the heads of the tall family in front of her as they swarmed an aunt or whatever in greeting. Her face lit up as Riley ambled his way out of the plane and into her waiting arms. They broke apart to look at one another.
"Hey! I missed you so much!" Her voice was full and bright. He gave her a smile and hugged her again.
"I missed you too," he replied as they headed for the baggage claim. She attempted to take his carryon, but he batted her hands away, "I got it."
"So..how was the family?" She asked, maneuvering through the crowded airport.
"Great...and they loved you from the pictures I showed. And of course, from my constant rambling on how wonderful you are," he said with a grin. She laughed and took his hand.
"That's just what I needed to hear."
They stopped at the empty baggage claim and waited. Buffy leaned her head on Riley, feeling as though nothing could go wrong in the world as long as she stayed like that. He wrapped an arm around her thin shoulders and she looked up at him, eyes filled with adoration.
"Anything happen in the ever exciting Sunnydale while I was gone?" He inquired.
She shrugged lazily, "I spent Thanksgiving dinner with Mom and the gang and Giles...in general, Thanksgiving break was pretty break-ish."
"How about in the demon department?" He pressed, lowering his voice.
"A few slays, no biggies," she shrugged, being with him made her feel bold enough to be optimistic, "who knows, maybe it'll be quiet for the rest of the year."
The baggage claim buzzer sounded.
To Be Continued...
*PLEASE REVIEW!! <3 :):)*
