The Blue Room: Chapter Three
"I am gonna fix it…"
"Goodbye…"
And she's gone. Alanna…
"G!" Chain shouts to me and I turn around just in time to see a vampire grab him from behind. Chain is dead before the others know what happened. Soon there are four vampires, each one taking another one of my brothers. Amidst the screams for help I hear a chuckle from behind me. Their leader. He grabs me by the throat, ready to strike, when he collapses into dust.
"Are you alright?" A man asks me. I don't have time to answer, he stakes another vampire as it's moving towards us and then dashes toward the last of my crew. He's too late. The three remaining vampires already have my friend and they knock the man to the ground hard. They use the boy's body as a shield and escape out the door. The mysterious man curses as he gets to his feet.
"Oh God…" I feel like my insides have fallen out. "All of them… They were my only family…"
"I'm sorry." Says the man, solemnly shaking his head. "I should have come sooner… I'm–I'm so sorry."
"You saved me."
"Yes…" He looks so sad. Like he hasn't slept in months. I wish I had something comforting to say him, but—
"I think...I wish you hadn't come. I think I hate you for this."
Gunn awoke to a bright and beautiful brand-new day. The morning sang to him to get up and dance with her, and all he lusted for was the precious little time he could remain unconscious. Unconscious and unknowing.
"Ahem… Oz I don't mean to be rude, but it's getting late and we haven't any extra beds." Wesley said.
"Got it." Oz nodded. "No worries, I have a place. The Dingoes are rented through next week." Fred grinned.
"Ooo! Great! We'll see you around then!" She stood and followed Oz to the door.
"Can I see you tomorrow?" Oz asked in a tiny voice.
Wesley's eyes narrowed.
"Tomorrow?" Fred questioned, a puzzled look on her face. "I think so. For what?" Oz looked shuffled his feet.
"Just—" He looked up again, straight into her eyes. He felt as though he might drown if he didn't pull away.
"Just to see you, I guess." He said at last.
Fred looked at him, astonished. For a moment, they stared deep into each other's eyes, searching for something neither could describe. Wesley coughed, and the two of them were forcefully jolted from their trance.
"How about lunch?" Oz asked quietly as he stepped out the door. Fred nodded, still consumed in thought. Oz smiled. Then he turned and walked down the hall and into the elevator.
Fred watched unblinkingly as she slowly closed the door behind him. Wesley turned with a loud sigh and fell lightly into the couch.
"Good night, Fred." Fred nodded and retreated into her room. And even though he fought it, even though he didn't want to, Wesley curled into a helpless ball and sobbed quietly into his pillow.
"Wes?" Gunn prodded him with his finger. "Hey, Wes?"
"Mmmm…?" Came a muffled groan from under the deep blue throw blanket.
"What are you doin' on the couch?" Wesley opened his eyes reluctantly. Gunn studied him. "You know you could of gotten me up. I just needed a nap. I didn't mean to make you crash out here."
"No, no." Wesley sat upright and raised his single fist over his head in a yawn. "I'm alright, it was actually, surprisingly comfortable." As he said this, he winced and brought his hand to his lower back.
Gunn smirked. "Uh-huh. I see that." Wesley glanced briefly at the ceiling.
"Hey guys?" Fred called from the kitchen. Both men jumped at the sudden sound, and turned to see Fred poke her head out from behind the wall that separated the two rooms. "What d' ya say we go out for breakfast?"
Wesley frowned. "Why?" He asked cautiously. Gunn held his breath to keep from laughing. Fred blew a stray hair out of her face.
"Um..."
"Someone has got to do something about this." Oz gestured toward the mountain of dishes spilling out of the sink. He understood there was a budget, but this? It's just wrong to force six men into one room. No matter the cost, each man has a right to his own bed. He was scarred for life, Oz was sure.
"I just have a hard time believing that all this is from last night."
"Some is from breakfast." Argued the drummer as he sat down in front of the television.
"Still, that's–when did you eat breakfast?" Oz asked, looking rather befuddled.
"Forty minutes ago, man." Said the bleach-blonde lead singer as he plopped himself next to the drummer and picked up his PS2 controller.
"You slept in today. What with the full moon and all. We saved you a few eggs. They're in the fridge. Dude I am SO gonna kick your ass!"
Oz blinked. "What? Why?"
The blonde laughed. "Oh sorry, not you. Tommy, here." The drummer raised a hand to make himself seen. "Wanna try a little Buffy the Vampire Slayer?" He asked.
"It's amazing how closely the graphics actually resemble you guys..." He chuckled. "Technology today..."
Oz shook his head.
"I'll watch."
"You should eat something." Said Howard, the base guitarist. "We've gotta gig this afternoon, and if you don't eat you'll be bitching' all day."
Oz slammed his palm into his forehead. "Oh no!"
"What?" The band asked in unison.
"I made plans, I can't–"
"Oz!" Exclaimed Tommy. "We've already rescheduled so that we could have you with us during your cycle!"
"But this is really important, I just–"
"OZ!" The band shouted again. Oz gave an exasperated sigh.
"Fine, I give. Just let me make a phone call."
"Wow, Fred. I'd never realized just how much you can eat at once." Wesley smiled. Gunn, on the other hand, looked nervous.
"Could the dudes runnin' the buffet kick us out for eatin' too much?" He asked.
Wesley shook his head.
"'All you can eat.' No reason to fret. So Fred, when are you and Oz going out?"
Gunn looked at Wesley, his eyes wild. "They're going out?"
Fred giggled. "Yep! I think it would'a been dinner and another movie, but–"
"You went to a movie?" Wes asked suddenly, his features not betraying his emotions.
Fred nodded, smiling. "Spur of the moment thing. He asked me and I said yes. But anyway, I think it would'a been that, but Oz has to schedule for the daytime, so it's just a quiet lunch."
"It's probably for the best." Wesley said without thinking. He wanted to slap himself, but he held his own.
Gunn chuckled.
"Why lunch? Is he afraid of the dark or somethin'?"
"Oh, no." Fred explained. "Oz is a werewolf."
Gunn sputtered in his orange juice. Wesley smiled.
"So what time do you plan on going out?" He asked again. Fred looked at him knowingly.
"Wesley...you don't have to worry about me all the time. I'm a big girl now, and I can take care of my– augh!"
Wesley was able to catch her before her face connected with the table.
"She's having a vision!" He gasped to Gunn at his puzzled and frightened expression. Other people in the small restaurant were staring at them, but not one of them thought to pick up their cell phones and call for medical assistance.
Fred shook and screamed for what immediately seemed to be too long, and then she suddenly sat straight up, a terrified look on her face.
"Oh no! Oz!"
"Damn. I forgot my music. You guys go on and catch a cab, I'll catch up. Put your equipment in the van, I'll bring it with me." Oz waved to his friends as they got into a cab and pulled away from the apartment building. He sighed as he turned and walked back into the building. But as he stepped up to the door and pulled out the keys, he noticed something strange.
"Huh..." Oz nudged the door with his foot and walked cautiously inside as it swung open easily. After a moment of examining the empty room he grabbed his sheet music and then spun around quickly, his fist colliding strongly with the intruder's jaw.
"What do you want!" Oz shouted. He prepared to hit the guy again, but was grabbed from behind by another black-clad man. And another.
"Hey!" Oz shouted. "I have to be somewhere, could you come back tomorrow?"
Against Oz's shouts and protests, he was roughly dragged by his arms and hair and thrown into the back of a large dark van.
Fred hid her face in her hands.
"Oz..."
Author's Note: I've seen very little of Buffy, so if I got something wrong, please let me know. My current excuse is to say, this is AU, so it's my world. Ha.