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Chapter 34: That's Voll She Wrote
As I woke up, I noticed that I wasn't alone. Oz was fast asleep and I smiled up at him and looked towards the door. I slowly movde his arm and slid out of bed, trying to make as little noise as possible and I walked down the hall. As I got down the hall, I noticed that Faith was in her room with a bottle of Hypnotic and I smiled and walked across the hall, looking in to notice that Willow and Kelly were fast asleep. I looked to see if there were signs that they had done anything, but apparently they'd just crashed. I smiled and walked downstairs. As I got to the bottom of the stairs, I noticed that Charity hadn't made it to the couch and I stepped over her, giggling to myself. I walked to the kitchen and looked outside to where the sun was shining and turned to walk back. As I walked back, I felt something move outside and turned quickly, but saw nothing. I sighed to myself and walked back up to my room, contemplating whether I should call and check up on Doug or not. I decided to wait and slipped back into bed and under Oz's arm. As I adjusted, Oz stirred.
"Hey." he smiled at me.
"Hey. How you doin?" I asked.
"I'm sure the werewolf is okay." a disembodied voice said, causing us both to jet up and stare at the man standing at the foot of the bed, " You should get up, now." the man frowned.
We assembled downstairs, I looked around and saw that he'd only found Oz, Charity, Kelly, and I. faith and Willow were noticeably absent. I was pissed. Who was he to come into my home and take us hostage? Is this why I pay taxes? Voll walked by us, looking each of us over. Doug entered behind him and sat beside us, looking to us for an answer, to which we all shrugged.
"So, Austin Young...Kelly Chase...Doug Richards...Charity Matthews...and Daniel Osbourne. I am General Voll and I'm here to get answers from you. Austin young, a model of good faith, aren't you? A and B student, pretty good civilian...yet somehow, your parents are dead and a hospital in Rome is in ruins...a hospital in which you were in and mysteriously made it out of. Kelly Chase...you're running with an auspicious crowd these days, the rich girl and the renegades. Doug Richards, all star athlete and from what our experts tell us, one hell of a male witch. Charity Matthews, slayer, enough said. And last, but not least...Daniel Osbourne...known werewolf, first Id-ed by the Initiave, you've been on the move as of lately, haven't you?" Voll said seriously, then walked to a man with a manilla folder and pulled something from it, " We have been searching for these 'people' for some time and we suspect you know where they are." hes aid, flashing pictures of the Scoobys.
"What would make you think we'd know?" I asked.
"Mr. Osbourne not only knows these terrorist, but was best friends with them in High School. Sunnydale High. That's where you're all from." he said.
We all looked at each other, then at Charity.
"Even Miss Matthews. We know they've been here, and we know you've been in contact with them. Buffy Summers, Willow Rosenburg, Xander Harris, Rupert Giles, Dawn Summers, Faith Lehane, Anya Jenkins, Andrew Wells, Robin Wood, and a bundle of girls...slayers." Voll explained.
"What's that?" Doug asked.
"You know what a slayer is, you'd have to. You're helping her." Voll said impatiently.
"Look, Mr. Voll..." I started.
"General." he corrected.
"Whatever." I scoffed, " I knew Buffy and the gang, but we haven't talked since Sunnydale caved in."
"We have you on film." Voll said.
"With?" I asked.
"Faith Lehane and Willow Rosenburg." he replied.
"The redhead and 'Wild Child'? Yeah, that went back to...Sunnydale." I said slowly.
"Sunnydale isn't there anymore." he sighed.
"That's what I said, I don't get them." I lied.
"Thank you for your cooperation." Voll said, walking away with his guns. He walked outside where a helicopter was waiting to pick him up.
I sighed and rocked back into the sofa, " faith...Will, you can come out." I said with relief.
"That was fun." Doug said sarcastically.
"Now he's going to go back to the crater and see Amy and the skinless man." I said quickly.
Willow focused on me, " What now?" she asked.
"Well, when I came back from wherever I was, I was in Sunnydale, or the big ass hole, and I saw Amy. And she was there with some skinless guy. I kicked his ass for a while and she parted us." I explained.
"So, what? Who's this Amy chick?" Faith asked.
"She's trouble. Really big trouble." Willow frowned.
"Any thoughts on the skinless man?" I asked.
Oz chuckled, " Amy's a super-witch. Nowhere as good as Willow, but she's loony." he said.
"And it runs in the family." Willow said, " And I'm ot sure, but I only know one skinless man and he's dead."
"Hold on, you knew a skinless man?" Charity asked.
"I kinda made him skinless." Willow said sheepishly.
They all stared at her in shock except for Oz, Doug, and I.
"Yeah. You were bad-ass." Doug said.
"How do you know?" Willow asked.
"Wait, you killed someone?" Kelly asked with surprise.
"Yeah, then I tried to end the world." Willow said darkly.
"Oh...okay." Kelly said.
"How do you know what I'm like when I...I..um..." Willow said nervously.
"Go Dark Phoenix? I faced you in the contest..." Doug said slowly, " Me and Tara fa..."
"Ta-Tara, what about Tara?!" Willow asked.
"In the 'contest', we had to have so many 'players', but Groo left." I stopped and looked at Oz, Doug, and Kelly, " We needed someone and the Powers that Be...those wacky powers brought her back."
Willow looked at us and plopped into a nearby chair, " So, where is she?" she asked.
"She died." Doug said quickly, " Well, we had to face Super-Wicca Willow and she sacrificed herself."
Willow looked guilt-ridden.
"She did say that if I ever met you, that you should be the goddess you are...and something about an amazon." Doug smiled.
Willow began to cry and smiled up at him, " Really? She wasn't mad or disappointed?" she sniffled.
"No." I said, causing her to look at me, " She was proud. Obviously not of Dark Willow, but of course she's proud of you. You saved the world...hell, you changed the world!"
"She...was she...d..." Willow stammered.
I smiled brightly, " Willow...you have to get to Scotland. Tara said something about the General, the Witch, and the Skinless man. She said to warn you about them, to warn Buffy. I think you maybe too late." I said quickly.
"I'll call Buffy and...and get them ready." Willow said.
"Have you seen Dawn? You don't really have time." I smiled.
Willow hugged me, " I'll go now." she said.
"Be careful, sweetie. The general may still be around here...and Amy, she's up to something." I said quickly.
"Anything you want me to tell Buffy or Dawn or Xander?" she asked.
"I wish they were here." I said sadly, " Maybe you should just do some mojo and get there faster...or..."
"I'll fly." she answered.
"You fly?" I asked, shocked.
"Yeah, it's not like a jet plane, cause hey, I'm ot that large, but it gets me gone." Willow said.
Willow nodded and ran up the stairs.
"What now?" Oz asked, " Are we going to Scotland?"
"No. This is a Buffy thing." I said quietly.
Willow shoved things into bags quickly and shut the bag, trying not to forget anything, but secretly wanting to stay because this place felt like home. She didn't really stay at Command Central in Scotland because it wasn't a home-type place. She often wondered how Buffy had gotten the money for the grand base. It wasn't home. Sure, her friends were there, but it wasn't what she considered home. She just could wrap her head around Tara being alive again and not being able to see her. It hurt. It was...way beyond anything that she felt before.
"How are you going to get your bags there?" Doug asked at the door.
Willow stopped and looked up at him, " Well, they fly. Actually, they'll hover in the Ether regions until I call for them." she explained.
"So, how did it feel? I mean, I saw first hand what you can...or could do. What is that feeling like?" Doug asked.
Willow looked at him.
"The feel, the taste..." Doug said, walking in closer.
Willow stepped into is face, " You don't want to know. It's the worst that can happen to you and if it does, you'll beg for it to stop...kay." Willow smiled, " Also, a little chalky." she said, walking back to her suitcase.
"Chalky? Really? I would have thought it would taste like something spicy or tangy?" Doug asked.
"No, well..." Willow stared at him, " The point is, magicks are not meant to be abused."
"So chalky?" Doug stared.
"The first tasted chalky, but..." Willow walked to him, " If you're abusing, then you have to stop! You could..."
"Kill a criminal?" Doug asked sarcastically.
"Kill." Willow said direly, " It's something a lot of people never come back from. So stop. Now."
Doug looked down, " We both know it's not that easy." he said.
"Tell your friends...it's surprising, but they help." Willow smiled, " There's nothing worse than feeling like your friends'll never accept you after you've done something unspeakable."
Doug nodded, " How did you stop?" he asked.
Willow smiled weakly at him.
"No, I mean...the exact moment you wanted to stop?" Doug asked.
"When I lost Tara and wrecked a car with Dawn and I in it. That was pretty low, but if you don't get help...things get out of control." Willow said, grabbing her bag.
"Here." Doug said, picking up her bags, " These muscles aren't for nothing."
Willow smiled and walked out of the room. As they came downstairs and Will said bye to everyone, she told Faith and Charity that she'd see them soon, and then she walked over to me. She was whispery when she got to me.
"I'll walk you outside." I said, walking her to the porch, " What's up?"
"Doug." Willow said, carefully.
"What about him?" I asked.
"Keep an eye on him. He's abusing." she said.
"Drugs?" I asked.
Willow shook her head, " No. Magicks. He's all wiggy." she said.
I hugged her, " Are you sure?" I asked.
"Yup." she said, breaking the hug.
"Thanks." I said, watching her take off into the air.
RJ and I had gone on our date. It was, surprisingly, fun. I was happy to be out with him, although I was apprehensive because of Oz, but Oz hadn't even made it look like he was making a move except for the couch and was it really worth it to lose him as a friend? Then there was Doug. I left him with the group until I could get back. I had no idea how to deal with that and it was nice to step away from it all and just be a datable guy for once. Since Connor had...I wasn't exactly Sir Date-a-lot. Sure, I was in the cat and mouse thing with Oz, but he wasn't pulling my string. Take that how you want it, either way, I wasn't getting any play. Ha, I made a rhyme! On our date, RJ and I had started out with dinner, then there was a movie and now we were heading to the Silver. The drawback was that we were taking a shortcu through the cemetary.
"Are you sure?" I asked, not wanting to stake anything in front of him.
RJ turned to me, " What? You still afraid of those cemetaries?" he asked.
I scoffed, " I'm so not scared of the cemetary, I just think the streets are the better way to go." I said quickly.
"Don't worry, I wouldn't let anything happen to you. At least not before I get you to admit that you had fun." RJ said moving on.
I sighed and moved into the cemetary, " Of course I had fun. Fun is me. I'm just smarter than I look." I smirked.
"So, why didn't you call me after Sunnydale turned into a crater?" RJ asked, looking at me sideways as we walked.
I looked at him, " There were...issues I had. Plus, you were scum to me. Are...are scum to me. You had just screwed some chick and I was..." I stopped.
"Devestated?" he asked.
I looked at him testily.
"Come on, you can say it." he smirked.
"I was a kid." I said.
"That was a year ago." he chuckled.
"I've changed." I said, " Something you haven't thought about."
"I'm just subtler than you...do you remember you?" hea sked.
"Vaguely." I smirked.
"You made Kelly Chase look deep and meaningful." he chuckled.
I nodded, " I was shallow and spiteful and insecure. Got it, but what were you?" I asked.
"A total manho, a meat head, and totally in love with you." RJ said.
"Love?" I laughed, " You? LOVE?!"
"Hey!" Rj said angrily, " I really did, okay."
"And that's why your penis slipped into someone else?" I asked.
"No. That's why I told you about it." RJ replied, " I felt like I was your thing for the minute...Just some jock you were using to get your jollies and I figured we'd do it and you'd move on."
"I was shallow and bad, but I was never..." I trailed, " I'm not sure you know what you did to me."
"You did the same thing to me." RJ said seriously, then he cheered up, " but we were young, right?"
"Young." I nodded, " Right."
Flashback
"So, did you see the new student? He's creepy." Janice said.
"Yeah, definitely. He put the ick in e." Austin said as he, Janice, Dawn, and Kit walked down the hall.
"You guys, mayby he's got some little issues, but..." Dawn said softly.
"Little?!" Austin chuckled.
"Little." Kit sneered as she stormed away.
I looked at Dawn, " What wrong with little Miss Depression? She got the 'Never-Been-Kissed' blues?" I joked.
Dawn didn't laugh, but Janice did.
"I think she's dating the weird guy." Janice said, causing us all to look over towards him and Kit, who were making out fiercely.
Dawn just stared at us.
"Holy crap! She is, isn't she...Oh my god. She's...ewww, tongue." I chuckled.
"Stop it! Sometimes you two are just...ugh!" Dawn said, walking away from us.
I turned to Janice, " Was it something you said?" I smirked as we walked over to RJ and his group of jock and cheerleaders.
"Hey Austin." the head cheerleaders said.
"Hey." I smiled, " What's up?"
"We wer thinking of throwing this party, are you guys in?" the girl asked.
"Only if I can bring Dawn..." I said.
"I guess, if yo have to." she scoffed.
"Thanks." I smiled.
"But the gothic queen can't come. She's creepy." she laughed.
We all laughed as the bell rang.
"We should get going...Josh, walk me to class." she said and the football players walked the cheerleaders to class.
RJ and I stayed behind, though.
"So, are we going to the party together?" RJ asked.
I scoffed, " Doubt it. Why would we do that? I mean, you're supposed to be straight." I smiled. I noticed he wasn't, " What's up?" I asked.
"What do you mean?" RJ asked, pouting.
"I've been dating you for about a year now...I've watched my best friend dance all over you...now spill." I said.
"A sexless year." he said quietly.
I rolled my eyes, " So, what? You wanna do it know? I mean..." I said
"I had sex with Cyane." RJ said suddenly.
"Huh?" I asked in shock.
"It just happened...I will do anything if you just let me make it up to you." RJ said quickly.
"You wanna make up for the fact that you cheated?" I asked, " Better be glad I'm not a slayer." I whispered to myself.
"What?" he asked.
I frowned and shook my head, " Sorry. But I do not deserve that. I can find someone else who is way hotter who will wait cause...you're...I bet your dick is small anyways." I said, storming away.
We walked vamp-free and I was relieved. I'd have to thank Charity and Faith. We walked on and into the club. I had to get a stamp, but RJ didn't, which made me kind of happy. I could get drinks, but not enough to totally lose my balance when I'm dancing on the nearest table.
"So, how's Cyane?" I asked as we sat at a table.
RJ chuckled, " I deserve that." he said.
"No, you don't. Since when did you become a doormat?" I asked.
"I haven't. I've always been your doormat." Rj smiled.
"True." I smiled, " But you love it."
"Yeah, I really do." RJ said, " How about a drink."
"Sure." I smiled.
RJ nodded and got up from the table to get the drinks and I smiled to myself. I guess I wasn't paying attention because the next thing I knew, my friends had crowded around the table.
"EH!" Charity smiled, " Having a good time?"
"Yeah. Great. What's going on?" I asked.
"We're just hittin the club." Faith smirked, " So, superhunk, you and muscles gonna get jumpy?"
"As In bones?" I asked with a giggle, " I don't think so. So, where's everybody else?"
"Well, the guys...umm." Kelly stammered.
"What?" I asked.
"Oz is wolfy tonight and Doug really wanted to go home." Kelly said.
"Did you let him?" I asked.
"Yeah, why?" Kelly asked, " Did he promise to buy you dinner too, cause he..."
"I want you to go and hang out with him." I said, earning a sigh from her, " I know, but he's abusing the magic and I really didn't want to announce it, but..."
"Shouldn't we all be helping?" Kelly asked.
"Yeah, but I think this is more a you thing. I could go and try to slay his demons, but he needs his best friend." I said.
"You are our best friend. You've become our best friend...besides, why not you?" Kelly asked.
"Because you're the heart of our little team. And you bring something else." I said, " Sanity, isn't that shocking?"
"Thanks. I've gotta go!" Kelly said, turning and running.
"Faith, you and Charity need to get there too. If he loses control, she'll need protection. I'll end things and be over as soon as I can." I said as they took off.
RJ came back to the table with drinks and watched Faith and Charity running away, " Was that your friends? They didn't have to run because I was coming." he chuckled.
I smiled weakly, " Yeah, um, there was an emergency and I really don't wanna go, but ..." I said.
"Sure. I mean, as long as we cand o this again." Rj said as I stood up.
I smiled at him and left the table, but I came back, " Definitely." I said, kissing him passionately and leaving.
As I ran through the dark town, I found myself flashing back to when the vengeance demon granted an accidental wish and I had to run down Sunnydale to find the locket. Then there were some other memories. Other slayers. Something about the 'Day'. They only pushed me to run faster and harder and I sped down the streets. As I got to Doug's apartment, I saw the door open and ran inside to see Kelly holding Doug while Faith, Charity, and Oz stood before them.
A voice <You're running out of time.>
I just stood there, watching them and I knew whatever I was remembering was important. I just watched them in saw and for the first time in a while, I was scared.
Thank you for reading. If you want another chapter, I'm really going to need more feedback.