Oz stood in the cage. "You sure this will work?" He asked. Xander shook his head.
"Not really." He said. "There isn't enough data to come to a definite conclusion, but what data I've been able to scrounge points to at least a fifty-fifty chance."
"Can you not do that?" Oz begged. "It really scares me. Just doesn't…"
"Sound like Xander?" Buffy asked as she, Shalimar and Angel walked down. "You said it, but that's alright. Better than a string of bad jokes."
"Hey!" Xander said suddenly. "I'm not that bad."
"I know." Buffy said, smiling sweetly. "I just wanted to break that icy façade of yours. It really doesn't suit you." A chuckle echoed from the corner.
"She is right." Cane said. "It is not you." Xander shrugged.
"At least I can help." Xander said indignantly. "So, what's up?"
"Thought we'd give Oz a reason to try a little harder." Shalimar said. "Seems that Veruca chick at the Bronze's a wolf, and unfortunately, she's got her eyes on you." Oz stared at them.
"That's the reason…" He stopped, embarrassed. Buffy nodded.
"She's got some serious hormones coming off her." She said. "That's why I got Willow to get you out of there last night. Me and Shal tried to talk her out of it, but she's determined." Angel looked at Oz.
"It's time to figure out who and what you are." The former vampire said. "And, more importantly, what you want. Willow needs you, more than she'd let on. And you need her. She's the key to your control, you know and I know it. What you have to decide is how long it's going to take before you acknowledge that fact." Oz nodded as the sun began to go down.
"Full moon." He said, sitting in the lotus position. "I hope this works." Buffy looked over at Xander.
"I figured that the barrier he keeps running into has nothing to do with him or the wolf, and everything to do with the full moon." Xander told them. "Or more precisely, the wolf's reliance on the full moon. With any luck, once the two halves are working together, Oz's wolf form will be able come out without the full moon, making it possible for Oz to be more helpful in battles. At least, that's the theory." He shrugged. "I really don't have much to go on." Buffy looked at him, impressed.
"Not bad." She said. "This super computer thing you got going does come in handy, doesn't it?"
"Well, I asked Sage to go over the data and see if she came to the same conclusion." Xander admitted. "She came up with better odds." They watched as Oz began to transform into the wolf then, suddenly, stopped half way. "Fingers crossed." Xander muttered.
Oz looked around him. He was in some kind of forest. Before him was a cave of some sort. A wolf den I guess, he thought. He walked up to it and was about to enter when a low growl stopped him.
"You should not be here." A voice said. Oz watched as a large, sleek wolf walked out. "This is not your place."
"We need to talk." Oz said. The wolf growled.
"No, we don't." It said. "You wish to persuade me that I'm wrong and your right. You are not the first to try, and you will surely not be the last. It will not work."
"I have to try." Oz said. "You're hurting innocents every time you go out there." The wolf growled.
"They are prey." It said. "Pink, soft and weak. They are food, nothing more." Oz snorted.
"You sound like a vampire." He accused.
"You dare compare me to those…things?" The wolf roared. "If we did not share this body, you would be dead."
"So why act like one if you don't like them?" Oz demanded. "Why hunt humans when there are vampires and demons and God knows what else walking around? We're on the Hellmouth, there are…"
"The Mouth of Hell?" The wolf demanded. "You have brought us here, to this place?" Oz started to read something in its voice.
"Yes." He said. "I brought us here and while you are locked away during those nights and days without the full moon, I've been helping my friends fight the demons you seem to hate so much. They accept what I am, Buffy included, and she used to be the Slayer." It was a gamble, mentioning Buffy's former destiny. But if the wolf was as much an enemy of vampires as it sounded…
"The Great Hunter?" There was a sense of awe in its voice, then "Used to be?"
"She died." Oz said. "Xander, one of our friends, brought her back with CPR. Its…" An image appeared of one of the lifesaving courses he had taken, showing him applying CPR. That's interesting, he thought.
"Your friend her saved with…this?" The wolf asked incredulously.
"Yep." Oz nodded. "Xander has a way of being there when needed, and doing the impossible." The wolf nodded, as an image of Xander appeared, goofy smile in place.
"This is…Xander?" It asked. "Interesting. Show me the girl, the former Hunter." Xander was replaced with an image of Buffy in mid battle, plunging a stake into the heart of a vampire. "How is she still doing this?"
"We found out she's a new mutant." Oz said. "A genetically engineered human with extraordinary abilities. In her case, the agility and strength a little more than a Slayer's, plus enhanced senses." The wolf tilted its head, interested.
"Incredible." It said.
"Not nearly as incredible as…" The image was replaced by Willow, red headed and beautiful. "Her. My fiery red headed Willow." Oz thought he heard the wolf's breath catch.
"Beautiful." The wolf whispered. "She is…breathtaking." The wolf took a deep breath and Oz realized he was bringing an image of Willow that smelt like the real thing. The wolf walked up to her. "This is the one you fear of hurting more than any other?" Oz nodded.
"My mate." He said. "My love." He moved closer, gently stroking her cheek. "And she's in danger." The wolf growled suddenly, a low, protective growl.
"Who?" It demanded. "Who would endanger our mate?" Oz smiled. The wolf really was a part of him; it's the only way to explain how easily it had taken to her.
"Another wolf." He said. "One that thinks she's not worthy of us. One who sees only the frail, weak human, and not…" He played the image of Willow telling Giles off for his reaction to Buffy's mutantcy. The wolf chuckled.
"She is spirited." It said.
"Yeah, she is." Oz nodded. "And beautiful, gentle, kind, loving…she's the greatest friend a lot of people have. I'd even go as far as saying she's the heart and soul of our little group." The image of Willow was surrounded by the other Scoobies, Buffy, Xander, Giles, Shalimar, Angel, even Cordelia was there, and Cane and Mrs Summers. The wolf looked at the group.
"They are…our pack?" It asked. Oz thought a moment.
"I never thought of them that way." He admitted. "We're as close as family, so yeah, I guess we're pack." The wolf nodded.
"And there are others?" It asked.
"No one we really know." Oz admitted. "But…the entire town we're living in, a town built on the edge of the Hellmouth, is filled with people who do not know of the dangers in the night. We've been protecting them all." The wolf looked at him, then nodded.
"A Guardian of the Earth." It said. "A Protector. I understand; it is the place of a wolf to protect his territory." Oz smiled.
"I think you've got it." He said.
"Indeed." It said. "But the restrictions of the moon make things difficult. There is a way." Oz looked at it questioningly. "We must fuse, totally. The whole of one must consume part of the other. You will not loose anything, but you will have full access to my powers on the nights where the moon is not full, and will keep your human form when it is. You will be able to transform to the full wolf when necessary, but will keep your wits. You will be better able to protect our territory, our pack…" It looked at the Willow image. "…Our mate." Oz nodded, understanding. It was the only way.
"Let's do it."
Oz's eyes flew open. It was still night, the moon was full, but he was human.
It worked.
He leapt to his feet. "Look who's up?" He looked over at Angel, who was sitting against the wall.
"Where are Buffy and the others?" Oz asked.
"Bronze." Angel said. "They wanted to get Willow's mind off Veruca and you, so Buffy, Xander and Shalimar took her out." Oz nodded, and walked towards the cage door. "I take it you had some success?" Oz grinned.
"You could say that." He said. "Let's just say I won't be having any control issues." Angel grinned, unlocking the door.
"So you talked it around?" The feral asked.
"Better." Oz said. "We merged, totally. I have full access to the wolf's abilities. Better to protect my territory, pack and mate." Angel nodded, understanding, throwing Oz's shirt at him.
"Put this on." He said. "Willow will definitely want to know."
Willow looked at the door for the thousandth time. "Do you think everything's all right?"
"Wills, relax." Buffy reassured her. "Oz will be fine. Angel's there to watch him, and it's not like you're man can't handle himself." Willow sighed.
"Guess you're right." She said. She looked over at Xander, who had his 'glasses' on. "What's up? Checking your e-mails?" Xander grinned.
"Actually, I've been keeping an eye out for anything pointing to Veruca." He said. "Scanning the area, you know. I picked something up, something you might be interested in."
"What?" Willow asked. Xander shook his head.
"Just watch the door." He said. "You'll see in three, two…one." At that moment, Angel walked in. Right behind him was a very human looking Oz. Willow felt her breath catch.
"I can't breath." She whispered as they walked towards them. "Why can't I breath? My lungs aren't working and there's Oz coming towards us and he's human and the moons full and…" Oz made it to them smiling at her. "Oz, you're human and it's a full moon, but that's not possible because you should be all hairy and growly, but here you are, human and non-wolfy, but how, did it actually work, are you in control, the moons full…" Willow stopped talking as Oz bent closer, covering her mouth with his. Buffy watched with a smile as Angel moved over to her.
"I guess it worked." She said.
"Guess so." They watched the two lovers for a moment.
"Hey, whoa guys, come on." Buffy said, covering her eyes. "Public place here. Get a grip, would you?" Oz grinned as they pulled away.
"Oh wow." Willow whispered.
"Yeah." Oz said, and then led her away. "Bye guys." Willow waved breathlessly. Xander chuckled.
"Damn I'm good." He said. Buffy rolled her eyes.
"C'mon you." She said, grabbing Angel's arm. "Those two made me jealous." Angel grinned as she dragged him off. Xander shook his head.
"Where're they all going?" Shalimar asked, walking over from the bar.
"Two guesses." Xander said. Shalimar groaned.
"I'm not getting any sleep tonight, yet again." She muttered, walking off. Xander watched as they did so, then turned his attention back to his scanners. Just in case.
