Verbena, March 2520
Mal paced one of the downstairs halls at the Slayer's ranch. After the fèihuà River had spouted, Lacey had taken off faster than Mal had ever seen anyone move. He's been too stunned to go after the doc and Willow like she'd asked. Fortunately, River had done that, and they were both standing behind him by the time Lacey reached the figure in the distance. He watched as the figure stumbled and Lacey caught them before they could fall. He heard the sharp intake of breath from Willow behind him as Lacey lifted the figure and turned around, moving nearly as fast as she had unburdened. She'd breezed right past Mal, a short, pale man with knotted red hair in her arms, into the house, and down the hall. Simon and Willow had joined her in one of the downstairs bedrooms. River had followed moments later with Buffy and Faith in tow.
And now Mal was pacing. Flashes of light and tendrils of smoke were occasionally squeezing out from under the door and Mal caught occasional phrases, what sounded like chanting, in a language he didn't know.
He didn't like not knowing what was going on. Even if it wasn't on his ship. So Inara found him pacing.
She laid a hand gently on his arm, "Mal, zhè shì zěnme huí shì?"
Mal shrugged, almost desperately, "Don't know. Lacey saw someone coming in from the back pastures, River came out spoutin' some nonsense, then Lacey was carrying in this kid who'd been beat all to hell, and now…"
Inara let her hand drift down to take his and she pulled gently, and he followed her to the kitchen, where everyone else was gathered, sitting or pacing just as helplessly.
Willow shifted forward in her chair and ran her fingers gently through Oz's hair. Someone had washed it at some point, Willow was pretty sure it had been River… or maybe Kaylee. It didn't matter. Willow just knew she was exhausted and she wanted Oz to open his eyes so she could see if they were the same green she remembered. She spent almost 20 years with Kennedy before ending things. It had taken another 150 years and 2 more failed relationships before finally working up the courage to ask why everyone had cringed at her girlfriends since Tara.
Buffy had shrugged a bit, "We loved Kennedy…"
Will had given her the Look.
"Okay, so we kinda hated Kennedy. At least with you." Buffy clarified.
"But why? It's not gonna hurt my feelings. I'm asking!"
"Well… you only had two relationships before her. Oz and Tara. And we loved them both. And we loved them both with you. Because they were right for you… the whole opposites attract thing? It's insane. Take it from the Slayer who fell in love with two vampires. It's okay to be with someone like you. They were both quiet and reserved-like and smart like you, but that worked. Kennedy was just a bossy brat. Jen and Kat were even worse. The whole extroverted dominant personality thing doesn't work with you, Will."
And that was when Willow realized that it didn't matter what equipment her partner had externally, it mattered what equipment they had internally. She'd even dated a few guys after that, but every time she tried, her mind drifted back to Oz. He'd stayed on the ranch with them at first, but less than two years after they'd settled, he'd gone back to drifting. He still couldn't be around Willow, his feelings had never changed and it was just too hard. Occasionally they'd gotten word that someone had seen him. A few times he'd waved or written himself, but the day he left so long ago was the last time Willow had seen him. And now here he was again.
Between Simon's medical expertise and Willow's magic, his body was knitting itself back together, but there was no telling when he was going to wake up.
Willow took her hand in his before bowing her head into the bed to muffle her sobs.
"You're positive?" Giles asked.
Lacey shrugged helplessly, "He wasn't exactly coherent, but I'm pretty sure."
"Sure about what?" Robin asked, joining everyone in the kitchen.
"Oz escaped from the Academy."
Translations:
fèihuà – nonsense
zhè shì zěnme huí shì – what's going on