Blood Brothers
Mathew Donner and Sherman Blackstone walked into Tyler Creed's garage that morning and found Oz back in his human form. Matt had picked up Sherman on his way here hoping that the keeper could provide some insight into the situation. Now they stood looking at Oz in the cage who stoically looked back at them.
Matt took a look at the wallet which was sitting on the workbench nearby. He looked at Oz's I.D. and then looked at Oz.
"Well, Osmund …" Matt began.
"It's just Oz."
"O.K. Oz. Tell us what you are and how you came to be here," Matt asked.
"What I am?" Oz said. "You already know that. I'm just like you."
Matt, Sherman, Tyler and Buddy all looked at each other in surprise and amusement.
"And just what do you think we are?" asked Tyler.
"Werewolves, like me," answered Oz plainly. He looked at their faces and started to feel that perhaps he wasn't right. "Look, I've seen how strong you are and how you smell. You can't tell me that you're human."
"Your transformation can only happen at a full moon?" Sherman asked.
"Yes," Oz said warily. "And the moon was not supposed to be full last night. I don't know what's up with that. How do you guys handle it?"
"The moon is always full over Wolf Lake," Tyler said. "This land is sacred and it is why we have settled here."
"But that's scientifically impossible," Oz stated. "How can the moon be full only here and not in other places around Washington?"
"Only Kokomut knows that," Sherman said.
"Kokomut?"
"The spirit who created the Earth," answered Sherman.
Matt wanted to get back to the questioning. "Are there more like you in this Sunnydale place and were you born like this or did someone turn you into a werewolf?"
"I'm the only one in Sunnydale. Sunnydale is filled with vampires and other demons because it was built on a Hell Mouth. I was born somewhere around here actually and then adopted and taken to California. I had no idea what I was until I was a teenager."
"You were born around here you say?" Sherman asked, his interest now piqued.
"Well, not sure of the exact location," Oz told him. "All I know is that my mother was pregnant with me went she was killed in a car crash on her way to Seattle. The doctors were able to save only me."
Buddy looked pale. "Who was your mom?" he asked.
Oz shrugged. "No one knew. She was considered a Jane Doe case. Then her body was stolen from the morgue and they couldn't find out anymore."
Sherman looked over at Buddy and then back to Oz. "What's your birthday?"
"August 4th, 1983." Oz answered.
Buddy put a hand through his hair and swore.
Sherman let out a little laugh. "Well, Oz, I'd like you to meet your big brother, Buddy Hooks."
Oz stared at Buddy in shock. This thug was his brother? Buddy looked at him as he paced back and forth.
"How can this be Sherman?" Buddy asked. "There is something wrong with him! He doesn't even transform right! He's not like one of us!"
"Well, there's something wrong with you too," Sherman said as he pointed at Buddy's hand.
"But not like that!" Buddy pointed at Oz.
"Well you know the gene pool is pretty shallow around here," Sherman said. "Could be some sort of birth defect on his wolfen nature. Or the fact that he was taken prematurely from his mother's body could have prevented him from forming correctly."
Now they were all thoroughly confused and everyone stared at one another. Oz didn't know what to think. He had a brother? And now he might even have a birth defect?
"So I assume that you were the ones who took her body from the morgue?" Oz now asked.
"Of course," said Matt. "Guarding the secret of our existence is the only way we can live normal lives. I remember that day we brought her back. We could see that she had lost the baby. We had no idea that it was alive."
"Well, it was me and I am alive, at least for now," Oz said and he gave Tyler a dirty look. "Look, I'm really no danger to anyone when it's daytime. Could I please get out of this cage? I really would like to stretch my legs."
Tyler shrugged with Buddy looked at him. Buddy then took the keys and unlocked the door. Oz came out and stood up, turning to face Buddy. Buddy was a lot taller than him.
"So, do we have a Dad?" Oz asked carefully.
"Not anymore," answered Buddy. "I'm all that's left of the family. Well, no, I guess that's not true anymore. We're all that's left of the family."
"Well, well, happy reunions," mocked Tyler. "So what do we do now Sheriff?"
Matt let out a long breath. "We need to inform Vivian of all this and decide from there." He turned towards Oz. "What about Van Halen? Were you connected to him in any way?"
"No," said Oz, "my girlfriend found his internet show and thought that if we came up here I could find my origins or something like that."
"Well, you found it," laughed Sherman.
"Speaking of my girlfriend, do you guys think I might be able to see her? I need to know that she's all right," Oz stated.
Matt looked down and sighed, "She escaped last night and we haven't been able to locate her. A local said she was spotted hitching a ride out of town. There are people out there searching for her."
Oz was happy that she got away but if he knew Willow then he knew she would not go far without trying to rescue him. He also had an idea of whom she would have called for help. He kept this knowledge to himself; however, as he really wasn't sure if he didn't need that help still.
"Come on," said Matt. "Let's get going to the Alpha's house."
-
Xander, Buffy and Willow sat in the living room of Miranda's house as Willow filled them in on all she knew of the situation so far. Miranda had told her last night that the description of the truck sounded a lot like a truck belonging to Tyler Creed. Miranda had not yet met Xander or Buffy as she was still asleep in her room.
Buffy grabbed a phone book. "Well, let's just see if Mr. Creed is listed." She ran her finger down the page. "What do you know! Of course he's not." She slammed the book shut. "Will your friend know where he lives?"
Willow looked at the door to Miranda's bedroom. "Well, maybe, but she's asleep right now."
Buffy strode over to the bedroom door and knocked. Xander was pacing around the living room in his black muscle tee shirt, getting himself all pumped up about his up coming race.
"What?" came an angry yell from inside the room.
"Um… hi… I'm a friend of Willow's and we have something we need to ask you," Buffy said through the door.
Miranda threw open the door. Her curly hair was all tangled and she wore a long T-shirt which fell to about mid-thigh. She glared at Buffy. "What's so urgent?"
"Well, our friend's life is," Buffy answered. But Miranda was no longer looking at her. Her eyes had caught the sight of Xander in his tough biker disguise and she smoothed out her hair quickly with her fingers.
Stepping past Buffy out of the bedroom, she put on a sultry face and said, "Well, who do we have here?" Xander stood still when he saw Miranda looking at him slowly from head to toe. And not only that. She actually looked like she was liking what she saw! Xander puffed out his chest a little more.
"Hey baby, nice place you've got here," he said in his most macho voice. Buffy looked at Willow and they both rolled their eyes.
Miranda glanced over at the leather covered Buffy. "Are you two an item?" she asked.
"Nah," said Xander quickly, "we're just friends. I'm Xan." Xander strode over to Miranda, picked up her hand and gave it a kiss. He held on to it while Miranda crooned back, "I'm Miranda."
"Can I make you some coffee, Xan?" Miranda gave a flirty smile as she made her way to the kitchen, swaying her hips on purpose.
"I'd love some of your coffee Miranda," Xander said in his sexiest voice and followed behind her.
Willow raised her hand and said meekly, "I'd like some too."
"Um… Xan… don't forget you have to be at the race in twenty minutes," Buffy called after him.
"Come on Willow, let's go in the kitchen and see if we can get Miranda to talk about this Tyler Creed," Buffy said as she grabbed Willows hand.
Coming Up Next: The race and more…
Please send me a review and let me know if you're enjoying it. There will probably be about three or four more chapters of this story as I meant it to be like a missing episode of the show and not a long drama.