Oz looked at Nina's naked body, watching her pant. When he looked at her he didn't see a woman's naked body. He saw something older than sex, older than gender. When he saw her he saw raw power. The wolf was back inside, but only just beneath the surface. It ran under her skin, flowed through her bloodstream. In her muscles, in her breath, the wolf made its home.
"I can control it now." She said in awe "I can control the transformation." She looked at Oz and blushed. The world came rolling back in. Nina was a woman again. Oz was a man. He looked down and this was apparent. "Our clothes are back at the house." Nina remembered.
"Right," Oz started in that direction, walking in front of her so he wouldn't have to keep averting his eyes from her nakedness.
"We could change again." Nina suggested "You could teach me how to guide the wolf to where I want to be."
Oz considered this. "I think we need to wait until the wolf has slept before we bother her again. Once we're human we need to be fully human before we change again."
Nina accepted this without question. "I've come so far in such a short amount of time."
Oz grinned. "You have,"
"No wonder with such a great teacher," Nina said
"I give the credit to the student. You took a lot less time than I did to come this far."
"It's not me." Nina insisted "You can feel it too can't you?"
"The wolf is stronger." Oz said "Yeah I know."
"That's why we have to keep letting them out. We can't let them build up their strength or we'll lose control. We have to keep practicing, keep getting better."
"Because something is coming." Oz said as they came into view of Nina's house.
"You'll help me face it?" Nina asked "You'll stay with me?"
Oz didn't reply right away. A serious question like that deserved a serious answer, it deserved a definite answer. To promise Nina that he would stay by her side during the upcoming events would be the strongest commitment he had ever made. Was she worth that to him? Oz had only known one person before he would have made that kind of commitment to.
…
"The earth is full of energy, just like the human body. There are channels that intersect and split up. When we connect to the earth we feel that energy. Try to feel it." Willow pressed her hands against the earth, bits of grass tickling her palm. She could sense the energy running through the earth, maintaining balance. She was one with that energy, one with that earth.
"I don't feel anything." Kennedy said. Willow opened her eyes to look at her lover. Kennedy was trying, eyes closed, hands on the ground. She went through the motions with all diligence, but her spirit wasn't in them. "It's not working."
"Control your breathing." As experienced as she was Willow was able to look at Kennedy and give her directions while still being connected to the earth's energy. This was because on some level she was always connected. It was a delicate system of give and take that allowed Willow to control her powers. "You are a part of the earth."
"This is no good Will. I'm a slayer, not a witch."
"A slayer's power is mystical in origin." Willow reminded her girlfriend
"Doesn't mean I'm any good at magic." Kennedy insisted
Willow closed her eyes. "This isn't about magic." She said as she dipped in and out of the earth's many energy wells. "This is about balance." Speaking of which, something was out of balance. Willow let her energy be carried by a new current, one running where it had no business being. The energy here was screaming with wrongness. A dark pool was coming up and instinctually Willow tried to pull away, but the current was too strong. Willow couldn't open her eyes or move her hands, she was trapped. A pool of demonic energy, upsetting the flow of every current that had ran near its location, was sitting like a tumor in the earth. It wasn't connected to the earth's life system. It was foreign and unwelcome. Willow felt her skin catch on fire. She screamed and the demons laughed. The flames grew higher, images forced themselves into her head like a brutal violation. A knife entered her gut. Willow screamed as the blood flowed.
"Willow! Willow!" Willow's eyes snapped open and she was looking at Kennedy's horrified face. Willow was shaking and covered in sweat. Kennedy was straddling Willow, a knee on each side of her hips and was holding Willow's dirty hands to her chest. When Kennedy had been unable to rouse the screaming shaking Willow she had tackled her and forced Willow's hands from the earth, bringing with them clumps of dirt and grass. "Willow, baby, say something." Willow continued to shake, tears running down her face. "Baby please."
"Burning! Oh God the burning! Make it stop baby please make it stop."
"It's over baby." Kennedy leaned down and kissed Willow, letting her feel her pure clean energy. "It's over." She continued to kiss her. "You're safe." Kennedy let go of Willow's left hand and brushed her hair away from her face. "I will never let anything happen to you."
"It's burning! I can see them." Willow's body shook with the force of her sobs.
Tears began to leak from Kennedy's eyes. "Who did this to you?"
"L.A. is in hell. I can see them. They're dying." Willow closed her eyes and fell still, silent tears still dripping onto the ground. "We have to help them.
…
"Thunder only happens when it's raining. Players only love you when they're playing. They say women, they will come and they will go-o. When the rain washes you clean you'll know, you'll know." Kate finished the chorus to Stevie Nicks' Dreams.
"She's clean." Lorne said
Kate walked over to where Rodney was leaning against the wall massaging his neck.
Teresa walked up to Lorne. "Do you hear the people sing? Singing the song of angry men. It is the music of a people who will not be slaves again. When the beating of you heart matches the beating of the drums there is a life about to start when tomorrow comes."
Lorne looked confused. "She's clean."
"You don't look so sure." Rodney said
"If he says she's clean she is." Angel approached Lorne. "Morning, just another day. Happy people pass my way. Looking in their eyes I see a memory. I never realized how happy you made me, oh Mandy. Well you came and you gave without taking."
Lorne flinched. "Beautiful Angel-cakes, you're clean."
Conner followed his father. "Well she was an American girl, raised on promises. She couldn't help but thinking that there was a little more to life somewhere else. After all it was a great big world, with lots of places to run to yeah." Conner looked at Lorne.
"Uh-oh," Lorne said
"What?" Conner looked terrified and everyone's eyes were on Lorne.
"You're clean, but…"
"What?" Angel asked "Is something going to happen to Conner?"
"Let's focus on the task at hand, this can wait."
Angel was frustrated by Lorne's caginess, but he was right in that it wasn't good to get distracted from such a delicate proceeding. "Okay, Spike you're next."
Spike walked up to Lorne mumbling under his breath. "Bollocks, if I was going to betray you I would have long ago." He glared at Lorne.
"Whenever you're ready." Lorne spoke with forced pleasantness.
"Early one morning just as the sun was rising I heard a young maid sing in the valley below. Oh, don't deceive me, oh, never leave me. How could you use a poor maiden so?"
"Clean," Lorne declared to Spike's murderous glare.
Gunn approached Lorne. "Fair warning, first person to say anything dies."
"Just get on with it ya bloody wanker." Spike insisted
"Three little maids from school are we. Pert as a school-girl well can be. Filled to the brim with girlish glee. Three little maids from school. Everything is a source of fun. Nobody's safe, for we care for none. Life is a joke that's just begun. Three little maids from school."
"Clean," Lorne said "And you've nothing to be ashamed of Charles, you have a lovely voice." Lorne chuckled nervously at Gunn's furious expression.
"Who's next?" Lorne said cheerily "Ladies?"
Anne looked at Illyria nervously. "I uh…"
"Don't be afraid sweetie," Lorne assured her "It's a perfectly painless process."
"Yeah enough alliteration." Spike said "Just sing so we can all get on with our lives."
Anne swallowed hard. "Oh where, oh where can my baby be?" She whispered "The Lord took her away from me. She's gone to heaven so I've got to be good, so I can see my baby when I leave this world." Anne stared at her shoes.
"You're clean sweetie." Lorne assured her "See, nothing to worry about."
Anne walked over to Gunn and grabbed his hand, squeezing it tight.
"Illyria," Angel's voice was cautious.
"I will not sing." Illyria stated. "I will not demean myself."
"Come on blue," Spike said "We all demeaned ourselves."
"I refuse to bring myself down to the level of you lower beings." Illyria insisted
"I thought you wanted to be more human." Conner said
"I will not debase myself by opening my mind to you."
"It's not your mind." Said Wesley "You stole it from Fred."
"If I stole it then it is mine." Wesley wanted to do something, react in some violent way to those offensive words, but he was just a ghost. He couldn't even touch anyone.
"Illyria," said Conner "If you sing then everyone will know you're not the traitor."
"I think it's fast becoming obvious she is the traitor." Said Rodney
"Illyria," warned Angel "You have to sing or we put you in the cage."
"You may try." Illyria challenged
Angel looked at Spike, the blond vampire nodded. "Illyria," Angel said as they began to head toward her. "Nobody thinks you're the traitor."
"I do," Rodney piped up. Gunn elbowed him in the ribs.
"Prove Rodney wrong." Angel said "Sing for us."
"That mortal's feelings have no consequence to me. I do not care what he thinks I am any more than I care about the desires of the Wolf, Ram or Hart. I would not betray you to those simpering fools." Illyria insisted "But if you choose to think I would," Illyria deflected a blow from spike and threw Angel to the other side of the room. Spike tackled her. She kicked him in the groin. "It matters not to me."
"What about me Illyria?" Conner asked "Do you care what I think of you?"
Illyria did not respond. She shoved Angel away as he approached her, but he kept his stance. He went as if to hit her but withdrew at the last moment. "Afraid mortal?" She jeered.
Spike approached her from behind and wrapped him arms around her. "Come on you stupid trollop let's cooperate now." He grunted as Illyria attempted to break free.
"Can we get some rope?" Angel asked as he grasped Illyria by her shoulders.
Kate ran behind the front desk to get some.
Angel stared deep into Illyria's empty eyes. "Last chance, cage or sing?"
Illyria spat in Angel's face. "You will regret this betrayal."
Angel wiped the spittle from his face. "Right, cage then."
Kate helped Angel tie up Illyria while Gunn went downstairs to open up the cage. Spike, Kate, and Angel forced Illyria into the basement and threw her into the cage. Angel slammed the door shut while Kate clicked the lock. "I will escape from here and tear out your treacherous intestines." Illyria promised. "I will feed your eyeballs to you and bleed you dry. I will boil you in your own fluids!" She began to shout as they headed upstairs. "This cage cannot hold me half-breed! Your life is forfeit! Dogs will not see fit to lick your ashes when I am done with you!"
When the four of them returned to the lobby Angel noticed that Wesley was gone.
"Was that necessary dad?" Conner asked
"I'd bloody well say it was." Spike said as he adjusted his testicles
"Spike man," Gunn said "New invention, called privacy."
"I've got nothing to be ashamed off." Spike insisted. Kate and Anne shared a look while Teresa snickered. Lorne looked at her, baffled.
"Dad," Conner said "I don't think Illyria did it."
"Had to be her," Rodney said. "She didn't sing."
"Neither did Wesley or Lorne," Conner pointed out.
"Can't sing for myself kiddo," Lorne reminded him "But thanks for the accusation. As for Wesley I can't read ghosts."
"I'm not accusing you or Wesley." Conner insisted "I'm just saying not everyone sang."
"I'm sorry Conner," Angel said "I know it's hard to be betrayed by someone you trust-"
"I know you do," Conner interrupted "You don't have to bring that up."
"Conner no," Angel insisted, horrified Conner thought he was talking about him. "I di-"
"I get it." Conner ran upstairs followed by an unlikely member of the group, Teresa.
"I think he wants to be alone honey." Lorne's warning fell on deaf ears.
…
"How are things over at Angel Investigations?" Lilah asked as Wesley returned to his office. She was sitting on his desk, grinning.
"I don't know."
"Do you really expect me to believe that isn't where you went?"
"I didn't say I didn't go there." Wesley said "I said I don't know how they are."
"And you don't particularly care?" Lilah guessed
"I didn't say that either." Wesley wasn't sure why he said that. Because it was true?
"Honesty from the man of dark secrets," Lilah feigned surprise. "What brought this on?"
"There's no point in pretending Lilah," Wes sneered "We found the mole."
"I figured she'd crack under pressure." Lilah said
"You did?" Wesley didn't think any kind of pressure could get to Illyria and was surprised Lilah thought it would. "For what it's worth she didn't."
"Oh," Lilah was intrigued "What happened?"
"Wouldn't sing for Lorne," Wesley explained
"Stupid twat," Lilah snickered "I had that vamp give her the drugs that would let her pass any psychic screening. I guess she just got nervous."
Illyria, nervous… Wesley thought back to the lobby, a voice whispering in his brain. 'Oh where oh where can my baby be?' "How did you get to her anyway?"
"You mean you didn't figure it out the moment you caught her? You're slipping Wes,"
"I'm not the man I used to be." Wesley admitted truthfully
"It was the vampire attack. You really think that weak little girl could dust a vampire?"
"It was fake. You hedged your bets on the two members of the group with the least loyalty to Angel, Rodney and Anne."
"You're taking this pretty hard huh?" Lilah said "Losing your chance to save Fred?"
"No," Wesley realized "I still have a chance to save Fred."
Lilah raised an eyebrow. "Go on,"
"Angel has no idea who the traitor is."
…
Oz looked at the white porcelain plate and the stew on top of it. Canned green beans, minced garlic, canned black eyed peas, and canned spinach were some of the few things at the house they had left. Oz pushed the food around with his fork.
"I know it's not that great," Nina said "The dining options in the apocalypse aren't-"
"Yes," Oz said, looking up and locking eyes with Nina.
"What?" Nina was confused
"I thought about what you asked. As long as you want me to I'll stay by your side."
"Why?" Nina asked
"We have a connection."
"What kind of connection?"
That was a good question. It was more than the wolves inside them. It wasn't a sexual connection. Were they just really good friends? "I don't know, let's find out."
"Together," Nina smiled
"Together," Oz scooped stew into his mouth
Nina fidgeted happily in her chair. It was ironic that in a time of so much uncertainty she felt more stable than she had in a long time, even before the werewolf bite. Nina knew who she was, a wolf. She was learning to control the wolf, or guide to be more accurate. She was discovering more about herself and had someone who she trusted to help her on her journey.
"Nina,"
"Yes," Nina said immediately
"How did it change you?"
Nina didn't have to ask Oz what he meant. "It didn't change me a lot. I had help managing my condition and for all but three days, well nights, of the month I was just the same old Nina. But I did feel different. There was this whole other world I knew nothing about. I mean werewolves, vampires, magic puppet creatures-"
"I want to hear that story," Oz interjected
Nina chuckled "It's pretty funny. So this whole other world was opened up to me and it changed my perception of things. Who was one lowly liberal arts major in a world that had stuff like that in it? Most people never even know this stuff exists, but all of a sudden I'm a part of this world and I've no delusions that I'm not on the bottom rung."
"So you were humbled?" Oz asked
"In a way…" Nina bit her lip "In a way not. I felt alive, I felt this world open up to me that had been closed off and I wanted to explore it. I wasn't sure how until…"
"Until now," Oz finished
"Until I met you." Nina elaborated
"Who helped you manage your condition?" Oz asked
"This law firm Wolfram & Hart, their CEO Angel helped me."
Oz gave Nina a funny look. "Huh,"
"What?" Nina asked
"Was this Angel a vampire?"
"Yeah," Nina was surprised "You know him?"
"Um-hum," Oz said "Only the last time I saw him he wasn't a CEO, or a lawyer, or gainfully employed in the strictest sense of the word. I guess a lot changes in five years."
"I guess," Nina said "What was he doing when you knew him?"
"Oh, trying to prevent an evil vampire from getting a ring that made him immortal,"
"Aren't vampires already-"
"Immune to stakes and sunlight," Oz explained
"That's no good," Nina said "Whatever happened to it?"
"I think he destroyed it or hid it or something. So Angel's a lawyer now?"
"He's not really a lawyer. He just runs the law firm and uses their recourses to fight evil, it's like a magical law firm you know?" Oz nodded so Nina continued "Right before all of this happened, the sun going out and taking the power with it stuff that is; Angel gave me three tickets to get out of L.A. for me, my sister, and my niece. I gave the tickets to my sis, told her they were a thank-you for being so understanding about my unexplained weirdness. I told her I would explain when she got back. I told her to take a date or friend and go. I knew something was coming, probably apocalyptic in nature, but I gave away my ticket anyway."
"Something kept you here," Oz said
"Yes but…" Nina sighed "It's stupid."
"No," Oz said
"There is something here that is calling to the wolves, I feel that." Nina took a deep breath and then blew out all the air at once. "I could have left, knew I should. It was like someone wanted me to stay. It was like someone asked me to stay, told me I had a part to play and needed me to stay here. This benevolent presence, connected with me."
"I had a dream," Oz said "This girl I used to go to high school with told me to stop resisting, that it was okay to follow the wolf. She said he would lead me to someone and I was supposed to find this person. I forgot the dream, but I stopped fighting the wolf."
"Now you remember," Nina said
"You reminded me." Oz explained
"What if this is a trap?" Nina asked "What if we're being played for fools? Oz, I don't want to be a pawn in a mystical chess game. I may be on the bottom rung, but I'm a human being. I used to be anyway." Nina amended
"Still are," Oz said
"How do we figure out what's really going on?"
"There's only one way."
…
"Touch me," Teresa held out her hand to Conner as he walked toward his family's room.
Conner glared at her. "Go away,"
"I'm hungry," Teresa mewled.
"Go get something to eat," Conner said, disgusted
"I haven't eaten since I got here, no one will feed me." Teresa put out her lower lip like a pouting child. "I'm so hungry and you're so full of memories."
"You eat memories?" Conner backed up. Who all knew this?
"I don't take them. I see your memories, see them in your mind, but I don't touch. It feeds me to see. I've lived a thousand lifetimes in twenty-eight years. I've been all over the world and never left the United States. You've been to other dimensions Conner. Let me see."
"Get away from me." Conner threatened. "Don't come any closer."
Teresa started to advance on him. "I'm so hungry." She put a hand to her temple.
"Thought I could wait for a natural touch, but Lorne told everyone I can read their memories. They keep secrets. You have a secret Conner, let me taste."
"No,"
"I won't tell."
"Stay away from me!" Conner shoved Teresa's chest, touching only her clothes, sending her to the ground. "Do not come near me!" He continued toward his room but froze when he saw his mother staring at him, eyes wide. "Mom," Conner swallowed hard.
"Conner," She looked from Conner to Teresa.
"She's a demon." Conner said "Look at her scales, look at her claws."
"She's a bad demon?" His mom asked
"It's complicated." Conner explained. "It's all… so complicated."
Teresa stood up. "Bad things are coming that I'm supposed to stop. I can't think, I'm so hungry." She started to cry. "I'm supposed to tell."
Conner's blood ran cold. "Shut your mouth."
"Conner!" His mother was aghast.
"I'm not good at this." Teresa sobbed "I was supposed to warn, tell what I saw. I was supposed to tell, hold together, the broken pieces. I'm not crazy."
"I beg to differ." Conner snorted
"I see it!" Teresa clutched her head. "Don't do it!"
"What's going on?" Angel entered the hall. "What's with all the shouting?"
"Nothing," Conner said "I think Teresa has been lying to us."
Angel looked at the half-demon. "She sang for Lorne."
"She eats memories." Conner said
"Gimmie yours," Teresa held her hands out to Angel. "So hungry," she moaned
Angel backed up. "You eat memories? Lorne told us you read minds but-"
Teresa screamed, holding her head like it was coming apart. "Shut up! I changed my mind! I don't want this job! It's hard! I can't tell, to hungry! Give the job away!"
"What the bloody hell is going on?" Spike came up behind Angel while the rest of Conner's family entered the hall, standing behind his mother.
"Give it to him." Teresa pointed a shaking finger at Conner. "He's part demon."
Conner stepped forward and slapped Teresa knocking her down. "Conner!" Angel said.
Teresa grabbed Conner's hand and held it to her face. "Let go!" He snatched his hand away. "You freak! You don't belong here!"
Teresa sighed and rose again. "I can tell now."
"No!" Conner said "Don't say anything!"
…
The large green demon with mottled skin swiped its enormous claws at the wolves, but they were too fast. It had seen the young woman and desired to rip apart her flesh. Yet when he attacked she was gone, a wolf in her place. Now he was facing two werewolves. These wolves were different, all the strength of the wolf, yet with human intelligence. They had the wolf's cunning, but guided its skills with human will.
…
Lorne ran into the hall, Rodney, Gunn, Anne, and Kate right behind him. "Teresa we need to talk." Lorne said "I wanted to wait until you were alone but I don't think that's an option anymore." Lorne walked past Spike and Angel, extending his hand to Teresa. "Come on,"
"I have to tell." Teresa said
"No," Conner said "Lorne get her out of here."
"Tell what?" Rodney asked "What's going on?"
"I think we'd all like to know." Angel said "Lorne have you been keeping a secret?"
Teresa giggled. "I've got a secret nobody knows in a box made of gold and it tickles my toes. I've got a secret nobody knows and people scream not sing when it snows."
"Teresa," Lorne said "Please come with me."
"It never snows." She whispered "Never snows in Quor'toth."
"If you say one more word I'll kill you." Conner said
"Conner," his mother said "What's gotten into you?"
…
Oz looked at Nina's naked body and smiled, she wasn't a woman yet, still the power. He approached the demon they had slain. "It works for them."
"The ones who are doing this," Nina agreed
"We don't." Oz said "But I think they think we do."
Nina nodded. "Maybe that's good. Maybe that's our purpose."
A scream cut the night in half, or maybe it was day. In moments the wolves were out and running, being guided by their human minders.
…
"I know a secret wrapped in a bow. She loves. We always hurt the ones we love."
"Teresa," Lorne said "I don't know if you've noticed, but everyone is a little bit on edge today. The whole treachery thing is very upsetting." He took her hand. "Let's go."
"But I'm supposed to share my vision." Teresa whined
"You get visions?" Angel asked "Are they from the Powers That Be?"
"I have to tell my vision." Teresa said
"Okay," Angel agreed "We're all listening."
"Uh Angel-cakes-"
"Shut up Lorne." Angel said "We'll talk about the secret keeping later."
"Cordelia," Lorne said "Interested?"
"I saw-" Teresa began
"Hold up." Angel interrupted her. If his heart beat it would have stopped. What did Lorne know about Cordelia? "What are you talking about?"
…
There were five demons of various species before them. The two wolves worked perfectly in synch, as though they were two limbs of one body. There was a link between them, not telepathy. This wasn't minds, this was blood. The same blood ran through both of their veins and it sang. They howled to the killing moon. They asked for the power to kill, they asked the moon to accept their sacrifice. They felt power enter them, they were one with each other, and they were one with the killing moon.
…
"Teresa works for the powers, I heard it when she sang. I didn't want to tell you until I asked her why she didn't tell us who recruited her." Lorne explained
"Cordelia," Angel whispered
"Works for the powers," Lorne explained
Angel looked at Teresa. "She gives you visions."
"She told me about the hybrids. The powers recruit us to tip the scales." Teresa began to talk in an odd way. She replayed the conversation for them, mimicking Cordelia's voice in a pretty good impersonation for what she had said. "Angel has worked with them before, their names were Whistler and Doyle. I'll send you visions from the powers. I can only help a little bit, but the visions aren't your main job. I love these people, I can't be there to love them. I need you to do it for me. That's why I chose you. You can't help but love everyone you meet. These people deserve your love. They can give you a real life, not just somebody else's. Do you understand? I'll fight evil? You'll help the people that do. I can't fight evil, I'm wicked. Not anymore. You can do this Teresa. You just have to tell them about the visions I send you and keep them from falling apart. The bonds that unite them are their greatest strength. Protect those bonds for if they break the world is doomed. Start with Lorne, bring him back, you'll love him best. I saw that. Then Spike, he has the most potential to break away. But if you're not done with him when Conner's crisis comes you'll have to put it on hold. Conner is in serious danger. Next is Anne, then you'll just have to make your best judgments because there are too many possible futures after that. Remember Teresa you're my connection to them, I need you to act for me. Will you do it? What if I fail?" Teresa shook her head. "She was gone, but I got a vision. I saw Lorne, went to find him. My next vision was about the traitor."
"You knew there was a traitor and you didn't tell us?" Rodney asked "Why?"
"She told me." Spike confessed "I just thought she was loony until Wes said the same."
Rodney glared at the vampire. "Anything else you didn't think to tell us?"
"Shut up," Angel was exasperated "Tell us about your vision."
"Didn't see who the traitor was until my next vision, had it just now in the hallway when I was talking to Conner. I needed to tell him it wasn't Illyria. He wouldn't listen, didn't understand. He thought I was talking about him. He's not the traitor."
Angel was having trouble controlling his temper. "Who is the traitor?"
Teresa didn't get a chance to answer. Just then Wesley came up the stairs and announced to all assembled. "Anne is the traitor. Twenty-one of her charges are about to be sacrificed under the killing moon at the designated spot. We have maybe six hours to get there and save them."
…
Nina pulled the sweater grabbed from an abandoned store over her head. She watched Oz pull on a pair of jeans. It seemed wrong, to conceal themselves under human clothes. It seemed wrong to hide their power, hide their feats. She looked up at the killing moon and smiled.
