Title: A friend in need
Author: Cee
Disclaimer: i own nothing
Author's Note: Enjoy and review


Oz woke up in Liz's living room with a blanket over him
"Liz!?" Oz said getting up quickly hoping his dream wasn't true
"I'm right here." Liz said in the chair next to his bed
"Did I?" Oz asked hoping he didn't
"Yeah." Liz said gently with him
"I didn't hurt anyone, right?" Oz asked, frightened that he hurt someone
"Don't worry." Liz said
"Did I?" Oz asked again
"No." Liz sighed
"But what if I-" Oz started, but Liz stopped him, "Oz don't blame yourself."
"I can't blame anyone else, but myself." Oz said getting up and getting upset, "I hurt everybody."
"So is that why you left Sunnydale?" Liz asked, and Oz stood quiet
"You don't have to hide from me." Liz told him, "Remember there is no secrets between us."
"Yeah." Oz stated starting to open up
"Do you want to tell me what happened?" Liz asked
"I don't want to talk about it right now." Oz stated disappointed that he lost control again, "But all I can say is that I left to get away."
"You left to get away?" Liz questioned
"I left to find a cure so I could be with Willow." Oz added, "But as you experienced, I haven't found one yet."
"So how long have you been gone?" Liz asked curiously
"Around 5 months or so." Oz replied
"So Willow doesn't know you're here?" Liz asked
"No one does." Oz stated, "And I would like to keep it that way."
"No problem." Liz stated
"So what are you planning to tell your friends?" Oz asked
"To be completely honest I don't know anything." Liz stated, "I don't know a lot of things. I don't know what to tell them, I don't know how to tell them, I don't know if they'll believe me, and I don't know…. I just don't know."
"I screwed up your life." Oz stated feeling very bad
"No." Liz stated knowing that, that wasn't true, "My life was screwed up already. With you here at least I have someone I can talk to about my screwed up life."
"Do you know that there is something different with Max, Michael, Isabel, and Tess?" Oz informed her
"What are you talking about?" Liz asked playing dumb
"When I was a werewolf they had a funny smell to them." Oz stated
"Interesting." Liz stated playing dumb, "Maybe you just were imagining something?"
"Maybe." Oz stated, "But then Spike said he smelled something different about them too."
"Oz I can't…" Liz started, but Oz cut her off, "Don't worry you don't need to."
"Thank you." Liz stated. She appreciated that Oz understood that she couldn't say anything
"So who's this Spike?" Liz questioned thinking that he was going to be a problem
"He's going to be a problem." Oz stated as he began to tell her the whole story
"So he left Sunnydale to be with Drusilla?" Buffy questioned as Oz nodded his head, "But why come to Roswell without Drusilla?"
"I don't know." Oz replied
"Well whatever it is we'll figure it out together." Liz replied as she held his hand to let him know that she was there for him
"Thanks." Oz replied
"No." Buffy stated, "Thank you."
They were holding hands and smiling at each other when Maria walked in on them
"Hi." Maria replied, knowing she probably walked in at the wrong time
"Hi." They both stated. After that there was an awkward silence where no one said anything
"So you're okay?" Maria asked Oz. She was scared of Oz and didn't trust him, but if she was going to get Liz to talk to her again then she had to play nice
"Yeah." Oz replied
"Are you coming to work today?" Maria asked Liz
"I'm off today." Liz replied
"Oh okay." Maria stated trying to not ask so many questioned because lately when somebody asked Liz too many questioned she usually try to shut them out, and that's not what Maria wanted
"Well I guess I'll see you next time you work." Maria stated
"I guess." Liz stated as she left
"She's trying." Oz stated seeing how Maria was acting
"I know." Liz stated staring at the door, "But I want it so that she won't have to try. I want it so it would be natural to her"
"But you don't lead a natural life." Oz stated pointing out the obvious
"Obviously." Liz agreed
"But right now we have some researching to do." Liz stated as she grabbed her purse
"Where we going?" Oz asked as he got up
"Library." Liz stated
"You're library has vampire books?" Oz questioned
"Something like that." Liz stated as they walked out into the front of the diner to leave.
Liz saw Max, Isabel, Alex, Kyle and Tess staring at her as she came out. The only one she smiled at was Alex who was coming up to them
"Hey." Alex greeted
"Hi." Liz stated
"I'm sorry to bug you Oz." Alex stated, "Since I see you two are heading out."
"It's okay." Oz replied
"But did you remember that we have practice tonight." Alex stated reminding him
"Yeah." Oz assured him, "I'll be there at 5."
"Let's go." Oz stated as they made their way through the diner. She saw how the diner was really packed
"Liz?" Oz questioned when she stopped
"I'll meet you at the library in an hour." Liz stated
"Is everything all right?" Oz asked concerned
"Yeah." Liz smiled, "Maria's the only one here and the place is packed."
"All right." Oz stated, "So see you in an hour?"
"Yeah." Liz stated as she went to the back to get her uniform
"At least she didn't leave with her "friend"" Kyle replied
Just then Liz came back in with her uniform and notepad
"I'll take the left side." Liz stated to Maria
Maria looked up and she was surprised that she saw Liz in her uniform
"I thought you weren't working?" Maria questioned
"It looks like you need the help." Liz stated as she looked around at the packed diner
"Thanks." Maria stated appreciating the help
"What are friends for." Liz smiled. That was her way of forgiving Maria
Before Liz turned to leave, Maria grabbed her hand
"Do you mean that?" Maria asked with hope in her eyes. She didn't care what Liz was hiding, the only thing she wanted was her and Liz to be friends again
"Look Maria." Liz stated as she faced her, "Everyone has their secrets. I can't always tell you everything that's going on, but no matter what the situation is or how mad we are at each other I will always be your friend. I will always try to be there when you need me, and that will never change."
Maria hugged Liz
"I now know how dumb this sounds." Maria stated as she pulled away, "But I really needed to hear that."
"I know." Liz smiled as she went to cover her booths
The afternoon rush was over within an hour or so
"So you two okay?" Michael asked as he saw how Maria had become after her and Liz talked
"Yeah." Maria smiled
"I really have to go." Liz stated as the diningroom was cleared out with the exception of Max, Isabel, Tess, Kyle, Alex,
"Okay." Maria stated as Liz was taking off her apron, "Thanks."
"No problem." Liz stated as she was about to leave. She was about to get to the door when Tess walked in front of it
"What is she doing?" Maria whispered. She didn't want anything to ruin how close Liz and her got within the last hour
"Don't worry, Liz will know that whatever she has to say has nothing to do with the two of you." Michael assured her
"Get out my way." Liz stated to Tess, but Tess didn't budge
"We want an explanation." Tess demanded
"We?" Liz questioned because she was the only one in her way
"All of us." Tess stated
"Not all of us." Alex stated
"We want to know what your friend turned into." Tess added
"None of your business." Liz stated
"That's nice coming from an enemy." Tess stated, "Do you believe we believe you?"
"She's not the enemy Tess." Maria piped in
Liz looked around the room to see all her "supposed friends staring at her
"None of us trust you." Tess rubbed in
"Get out of my way!" Liz demanded. She was angry, but most of all hurt
"No!" Tess smirked back knowing she hit a nerve in Liz
Liz just had enough and clocked Tess with all she had. Tess went flying and crashed into a table and some chairs
Liz started after Tess, but Kyle and Max blocked her way. They were amazed at how strong of a punch came from Liz and they were seriously afraid of what Liz could do to her
"Liz don't." Isabel yelled not wanting a fight to happen
Liz stepped back, taking that as a sign that Max, Isabel, and Kyle were on Tess' side. In fact she started to believe Tess. All of them didn't trust her, all of them thought she was the enemy
"So I am the enemy." Liz stated looking at all of them while stepping back towards the door. She was about to cry if she didn't get out of there quickly. She just turned her back from all of them and walked out of the Crashdown without looking back
Tess finally got herself up from the tables with the help of Max and Kyle
"Liz wait." Maria and Alex yelled after her, but she didn't stop
"See I told you she was dangerous." Tess stated thinking she proved her point to all of them
"YOU STUPID BITCH!" Maria yelled as she came face to face with Tess, "DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU JUST DID?"
"I showed everyone the real Liz Parker." Tess sneared
"Damn you." Maria stated as she slapped Tess really hard. She looked around the room at everyone, "I don't want any part of this."
Maria quickly left the building
"Maria wait" Michael called out as he went after he
"Let her go." Tess grabbed his arm, "She needs a few minutes to calm down."
Michael quickly got his hand away from Tess and went after Maria
"You're lucky." Alex stated calmly as he walked up to her
"Why?" Tess asked
"You're lucky I'm not a chick." Alex stated, "Or else you would have gotten your ass kicked 3 times in one day."
"Alex wait." Isabel called out
Alex stopped and turned to look at them in shame
"Maria and I told you guys that if we were going to stick with you then you guys would have to lay up on Liz." Alex stated staring at everyone, "You guys obviously don't care what we feel, or what we think or even what we want."
"I can't stand to be around any of you right now." Alex stated as he turned around and left the building with out looking back
"Why aren't you going after him?" Kyle asked Isabel
"Because he's really upset." Isabel stated, "And I'm probably the last person he wants to see."
"You've succeeded." Isabel stated staring at Tess, "You have split the group up."
"Are you coming Max?" Isabel question before she walked out of the Crashdown
"You never listen." Max shook his head as he exited the Crashdown
"Are they all blind?" Tess asked Kyle, "Tell me you saw Liz punch me."
"I saw it." Kyle stated, "But you had it coming."
Kyle then left the building
Tess followed Kyle out of the building
-----
"Who needs them?" Liz shouted. . She has been crying for about an hour, but decided that she would take out her emotions out of something else
She was sitting in the cemetary waiting to literally kick a vampire's ass
"With friends like them who needs enemies." Liz stated talking to herself
She was about to cry again when she heard foot steps behind her
"What are you doing out her all by you lonesome?" A man's voice questioned in concern
"Waiting for you." Liz's replied as she turned towards him
"Me?" The man questioned. Obvious not the answer he expected
Liz took this time to punch him straight on the nose
"Why the hell did you do that?" The man questioned as he pulled back
"Because I know what you are." Liz stated kicking him in the chest so he stumbled back
"That's it." The man stated as his face shifted to a vampire, "I'm not playing nice anymore."
"I never wanted you to play nice." Liz stated as she dodged his punch and followed that up with a roundhouse kick of her own
"This all started because of you guys." Liz stated as she smashed him into a tombstone, "If it weren't for you then I wouldn't be in this mess."
Liz then elbowed him in the ribs and kicked him really hard at the knees
"Stupid vampires had to follow me to Roswell." Liz stated as she bodyslammed the guy
"If you didn't follow me then I could have lived a normal life." Liz stated and then realized what she said, "Okay maybe not a normal life….who am I kidding….my ex boyfriend was an alien."
Liz then kicked him into another gravestone
"But the fact of the matter is that I could have led a more normal life then I'm leading right now." Liz stated as she staked him and he became dusted
"And I wouldn't be a vampire slayer if there was no more vampires." Liz stated as she put her stake away. She crouched down to her knees and started to cry and then she started to laugh, and then she started to cry again
"My life is never going to be normal is it?" Liz stated looking up at the sky as if she was talking to someone.