Title: Collaboration Chapter 3

Author: Nimacu

Summery: Buffy/Harry Potter/Smallville Crossover. Our heroes all receive interesting letters.

Timeframe: Buffy Post season two, age 17, Harry Post book seven age 18, Clark mid-season two age 17? Yes I may be molding it to my own device but hey that's why it's fan fiction and not the Jetsons meet the Flintstones

Disclaimer: Not mine, not of it. Even the plot leans a little towards LXG. So again I say I don't own Buffy, Harry, Clark and any other characters. Don't own the song either; it's all Crow's

Thank You

Catlimere- Your compliments flatter me.

SlayGal- I hope so

totesBrot- Patience isn't one of my virtues, so I tend to post shorter chapters, but this one is quite a bit longer.

Bob- thank you

ElementalAngel- here's more

Cutiepie- I promise not to abandon it

Alright here's the thing, there used to be a song in this chapter, it was important and integral part of the song, but since songs aren't allowed on this site, i'd recommend googleing twisting the hellmouth and reading it there. I'll fix this up a little bit to let you know where it goes

"If it makes you happy" by sheryl crow has been removed from this part of the story

Buffy got off of the bus, she wasn't surprised to see that she was the only one departing the bus at Sunnydale. Not exactly the kind of town to draw tourists. In fact the only new people they got were usually monsters or vampires. Just one of those benefits of living on the Hellmouth. During her bus ride she'd decided who'd she go to for the money. It hadn't been an easy decision, but she couldn't face the others.

She looked up at the big gray house; she'd only been there a handful of times. "Well here goes nothing," she thought as she knocked on the door. A woman in her mid forties with blonde hair answered the door.

"Can I help you young lady?" The woman asked warmly

"Is Oz home?" Buffy fidgeted nervously under the woman's gaze

"Yes, come inside. I'll go and get him for you." The woman smiled and ushered Buffy in the door.

Buffy looked around the hallway she'd been led into, pictures of a young Oz smiling back at her. "So he's a red-head, I've always wondered" She murmured out loud to herself.

"You could've just asked"

Buffy turned around sharply at the sound of Oz's voice. She hadn't heard him approach. Which went to show just exactly how off she felt being here. They stared at each other for a few moments.

Oz broke the silence "You're back" Giving her the same deadpan stare he always wore, his voice carried more emotion than usual. Buffy tried to clarify it for him "No…I mean yes…well just for a couple of hours". She finished sounding less sure of herself than she had when she'd started.

Raising one eyebrow he asked "Why are you here? And by here I mean at my house and not with Willow or Xander." "I couldn't face them" Buffy avoided his gaze, but was surprised to hear the slight tinge of anger when he spoke next. "You owe them at least that."

"Yeah...Well…Maybe, but then we don't always get what we're owed" Buffy's voice was laced with Bitterness

"So again, with the Why?" Oz asked still showing no emotion on his face.

"I need a favor, it's important."

"Money?" Again with the raised eyebrow

"How'd you know?"

Sarcasm dripped from his voice as he answered her "Lucky guess."

"So…" Buffy was at a loss as to what to say next when Oz spoke again. This time his voice had gone down to its normal monotone pitch "You've saved my life a dozen times, I'm socially obligated to say yes"

"Oh Oz, thank you." Relief swept over her

"Don't thank me…yet." Oz hedged

"What's the catch?" Buffy was expecting this; there was always a catch

"You have to promise to see Willow and Xander"

"I don't think I can." Despair at the thought of the disappointment in their eyes creeping over her.

"You don't have to do much. You don't even have to talk. They need to see with their own eyes that you're ok." Oz pleaded, or at least as close to pleading as Daniel Osborne ever is.

"Alright" Buffy conceded. She needed the money and it would be a weight off of her shoulders to see them alive and well for herself.

"So how much" Oz pulled out his wallet, getting ready to hand the money to Buffy

"Three hundred" She cringed, the thought of asking someone for that much money bothered her, and she was surprised when Oz pulled three crinkly one hundred dollar bills and one fifty dollar bill out of his pocket. "Here you go" he spoke as he handed her the bills. And he added, "You'll need the fifty to eat on when you get to Chicago" Buffy took the money and exited the house, wondering to herself if she'd mentioned Chicago to Oz, she didn't think she had. But then again, she must have. How else could he have known?

"If it makes you happy" by sheryl crow has been removed from this part of the story

Buffy walked into the Bronze, she knew she'd find at least one of them there; and she was right. Xander and Cordelia were sitting at the usual table. Buffy stood in the background for a few minutes, hoping Cordelia would leave. And just as luck would have, it she left Xander and headed towards the bathroom.

Buffy walked quietly over to Xander, trying to draw as little attention to herself as possible, she slipped into the seat that had been vacated by Cordelia. Xander wasn't paying any attention to her as he watched the bodies move across the dance floor. Deciding to keep it light she spoke "What's a nice boy like you doing in a place like this."

"I saw you come in."

"Oh"

"I'll always sense you"

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I figured you'd come over here eventually. Cordy left. She thought she might be the problem" There were a few moments of silence before Buffy spoke again

"Are you Ok Xander?"

"As good as can be expected"

"I'm sorry"

"Are you staying?"

"No"

"Than you're not sorry enough. I guess it doesn't matter though."

Buffy grabbed his hand squeezing it gently, he looked away from her with pain in his eyes, but he returned the squeeze. He pulled away gently and stood up, turning to look at her he spoke "Buffy you'll always have a home here, with people who love you. Wherever you're going don't forget that." He uncharacteristically kissed her softly on the forehead and left.

"If it makes you happy" by sheryl crow has been removed from this part of the story

Willow was sitting in the coffee shop reading a book; Buffy debated whether or not to go talk to her. She just couldn't do it. She couldn't see the same disappointment and pain that Xander had carried again in Willow. Instead she took a piece of paper out of her pocket and scribbled a few words on it.

"If it makes you happy" by sheryl crow has been removed from this part of the story

Willow was getting to the part in The Hobbit where Bilbo answers the riddle when she felt someone brush past her. Looking up she saw a girl from behind who looked amazingly like Buffy quickly exiting on to the street. Willow thought about going after the stranger just to be sure it wasn't; but she thought better of it. She'd done that on more than one occasion in the last three months. And just as she was going to start reading again she noticed a folded up piece of paper next to her coffee. Opening, tears formed in her eyes as she read.

"Wills, I'm ok and I love you. Be strong and brave. Give my love to the Scooby gang. -Buffy

"If it makes you happy" by sheryl crow has been removed from this part of the story

Buffy boarded the Bus that would take her back to Los Angeles and the earliest flight to Chicago. As she watched the town roll by, tears streaked down her face.

"If it makes you happy" by sheryl crow has been removed from this part of the story

Harry had meant to apperate back to his apartment, but somehow he ended up in the place he wanted to be least, the graveyard in Hogsmeade. Somehow no matter how he wanted to avoid this place, he kept coming back here. He knew it was probably some sub-conscious need to torture himself, but knowing why he came back didn't make it any easier. And just like always his feet followed the path to the left and then over the hill. And just like always he found himself staring at the name until the letters were so blurred that he couldn't read it. Hoping that if he willed it enough, they'd say something different. Tears pouring out of his eyes, Harry kicked at the stone, not moving it an inch.

"I can't do this anymore." Harry thought to himself before shouting out loud enough to rustle the birds in their trees. "Chicago here I come!" And with that he apperated again.

"Get out of the road you FREAK!" someone yelled at Harry as he collected his wits. He was still quite drunk after all and realizing that he apperated into the middle of traffic jam, Harry busily removed himself from the street. No one seem to notice however that he'd apperated out of this air. They were all too busy with their own business.

"I'm going to love it here" Harry said to himself with a smile as headed out to look for lodgings for the next few days.

"What do you mean I can't go?" Clark yelled at his father

"Clark we don't know what kind of people they are." Martha, Clark's mother intercepted

"This could be just another ploy of the Luther's again." Clark's father explained

"In Chicago?" Clark asked skeptically, the Luther's business dealings were all in Kansas or overseas

"True, but we just don't know." Martha placated

"I'll go anyway" Clark sounded defiant, which was just about as Un-Clark like as possible. He really felt that he needed to go, and he was going to get there no matter what he had to do.

"Well son, your mother and I can't stop you. But we hope you'll make the right…." Jonathan Kent stopped in the middle of his sentence because Clark had already left. Martha pulled Jonathan in for a hug comforting him "He'll be ok." She reassured. Jonathan was quiet for a moment before he spoke again, this time with a small smile on his face "Well at least there's no meteor rock in Chicago."