Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all characters are copyright and trademarks of WB, David Greenwalt, Joss Whedon, 20th Century Fox, and others. please do not plagarise or anything. LOVE YA
Chapter 19: Friends From the Grave
"So, break's coming up. Are you going to see Buffy and the gang?" I asked Dawn through the cell phone.
"No. Well, I plan to later, but Berkeley doesn't go on break for a while." Dawn sighed, " You're lucky."
"I think the only reason we're getting early break is that we have all these papers due...that and you know, the evil." I said, walking past a tombstone.
"Yeah, Oz filled me in on what happened." Dawn said quickly, " And I think the whole 'not pummeling him into ooze' was a good way to go, even though I wouldn't have minded seeing him oozy, I'd like my friend to stay my friend." she chuckled.
I chuckled and looked past a crypt, " Yeah. I'm leaning towards the dark side lately." I frowned, not seeing anything. I sat on the crypt, " I mean, I think in just the short time I've been here, I cut myself off. I'm not in college with you, Connor says I'm disconnected and I've barely interacted with the rest..." but before I could say anything else, I was hit from behind! I rolled on the ground, inches away from my phone and got to my feet. The vampire ran at me, but I ducked and knocked his feet from under him and staked him, then jogged to the phone and picked it up."
"So, you know what I mean." Dawn asked.
"Sure." I said, exhaling deeply, " Dawn, I gotta go." I said, saying goodbye.
"Nothing like talking to old friends." a voice said behind me. I turned to see the blonde, green eyed guy from my dream, " Let me introduce myself. I'm the demon you're trying to kill, Rykus Titan."
"Get out." I smirked, cluthing my stake.
"All I'm sayin is that maybe it's a good thing." Kelly said, shelfing books, " I mean, lower demon activity, higher fun...tivity."
"No, that would mean they were up to something." Groo said.
"They?" Doug asked.
"Demons." Groo said.
"Aren't you a demon? You don't know?" Kelly chirped.
Groo frowned, " I'm not evil." he spat.
"Duh. A big amount of duh, but don't you have Esp on your friends?" Kelly asked.
"I don't think it works like that." Groo argued.
"Oz is a werewolf and he can feel other werewolves." Kelly replied, " Doug's a witch and he can sense other witches."
"And." Connor said from the office.
"She has a point." Doug said, " Austin can feel other slayers, can't he. In his dreams, he can even be them."
"I think that's more like a 'see into the future' thing." Oz said.
"More like cryptic." Kelly said, turning to them, " I mean, he has these freaky vision type situations and what? He sees half the diff, that's if he's not insane at the moment."
"He's not insane." Connor spat.
"Don't think that's what she meant." Doug said.
"That's what she said." Connor said, walking to the office door.
"I just meant that he's a bit off lately." Kelly said and Connor frowned, " We all are, but there's something he's not telling us. We know he was in that freaky facility where they tried to straighten him out, but there's something else."
Connor nodded and turned to the office.
"You know something, don't you?" Doug smirked.
"Yeah, but I'm not telling. It's his decision to tell, or not to tell." Connor growled, walking back into the office.
"There is more than that going on." Groo said quickly, " What are we going to do about Wolfram and Hart?" he asked.
"I don't know." Connor said, turning to Oz, " What do you think?"
"I think that we're gonna kick some demon ass." Oz said simply.
Kelly chuckled, " I vote for that." she said, looking at her watch, " Exactly where is Austin anyways?"
I punched at his face and missed. He was fast and I tried to punch him again, but I missed and turned to feel him pin me against a crypt.
"Fiesty." he smiled.
"YOU SONUVABITCH!" I shouted, pushing him off me and kicking him in the face, " You killed them!"
"No, didn't I explain that before?" he asked, " I didn't. But Wolfram and Hart has an idea."
"And, let me guess, you're going to help me out?" I asked.
Titan shrugged, " Believe me or not, Wolfram and Hart are the groundship. Harmony. Charity. All the strange occurences that have happened. They were..."
"Micah." I said simply, " Or that thing imitating him."
"My idea." he smiled, " I controlled him and sent him to watch over you and somehow he got confused. 'Micah' the human grew feelings for you. But the demon I placed inside him became confused and grew infatuated with you. Carlos wasn't the victim, but he wasn't the agressor. He was supposed to seduce Dawn Summers, and he did. Wolfram and Hart are very thorough." he explained.
"Micah." I said through gritted teeth, " I ended him." I said bitterly.
"No one is ended. In this world, no one is truly gone, are they?" Titan asked.
"What?" I asked.
"Do not be a fool." Titan said, turning around.
"Were you there?" I asked.
"Rome? Yes. I went there to help you, to explain. I saw you in the hospital basement, but that fool, Groosalugg interrupted us. Believe me or not, I shall be at Wolfram and Hart." he said, disappearing into the darkness.
I slid into the hotel around two, unsure of what I had just heard. That was Titan, yes, but was he telling the truth. I walked into the lobby and past the unshelved books. Someone should really have shelved them, but then the light came on in the office. I stopped as if I was being caught by my parents.
"Hey." Connor said, yawning and rubbing his eyes.
"Hey." I said, kissing him, " What're you doing up?"
He turned to the office, " Reports and papers, the life of a college student." he mumbled, " Anything interesting happen?"
"Yeah." I said walking to the counter.
Connor walk with me, " Is everything okay? Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.
"No. You know Titan? Big guy trying to kill me?" I asked.
"You might have mentioned him, what happened?" Connor asked, slipping his arm around me.
"He's in L.A. He really is. And I met him tonight. He's the disappearing guy." I said, a little shaken, " He said Wolfram and Hart know who killed my parents."
"So...he didn't?" Connor asked.
"He said he didn't." I said.
"And you believe him?" Connor asked, shocked.
I looked at him, " That's the odd thing, I do." I said.
"Well, we can sort this out tomorrow, let's go to bed." Connor said, ushering me up the stairs. As I ascended the stairs, I felt something strange happen to me, like I was so tired I couldn't go on.
Charity Lyonne chuckled behind Lindsey and Titan. They stopped mid chant to look back at her. Lindsey flashed a smile at her. She was great to have around, if you were evil. She was a bit sadistic and very off balance. If anyone could take down Austin, it would be her. Lindsey didn't want Austin hurt though, that wasn't his intention, but he knew sooner or later, it'd happen. It'd happen because Charity was a loony bitch. Charity was a killer, remorseless and unforgiving. She was no Faith, but she was definitely no Angel. Ha, Angel. Lindsey just hoped he'd be there to stop her, or calm her a litte, but the Senior Partners were very much against Austin. Lindsey felt it, there was something special about him. Titan perplexed him. He was strange...Most of Lindsey's clients were strange and it hadn't bothered him before, but Titan was new. Though he appeared to be around twenty-eight, his actions said something about it. He was well beyond thirty. He seemed to have an attachment to Austin, he'd stated more than once that he wanted Austin to know the truth about his parents and how they died. He wanted to clear his name, he stated that he and Austin were truly mean to do good things. Together. That Sinew was coming. Sinew...strange.
"What's funny?" Lindsey asked.
"You two using magic to try and kill..." Charity began.
"...Not kill, just fluster him." Titan corrected.
Christy sighed and rolled her eyes, "...Whatever that means." she pouted
"Look, this is a complicated spell and you laughing it up behind us isn't helping." Lindsey spat.
Charity threw up her hands, " Okay, okay chief, I can see I'm not wanted here." she smirked, " The club's callin my name."
"Thank you." Titan said, turning back to the open book.
"So, you're just gonna let me leave?" Charity asked with disbelief, " What kind of gentlemen are you?"
"Impatient ones." Lindsey said, moving things around the desk.
"Yup." Charity said in her most southern accent, " Cause all your exes live in Texas?"
"Ok, that's it." Lindsey said, turning around, " You're off the clock. We'll call ya!"
Charity chuckled, " Don't get your thong in a whirl, I'm going." she said, walking to the door and waving as she exited.
"I don't like her." Titan said casually.
"Yeah, but the Senior Partners say we need her." Lindsey said.
Titan stopped, " I don't live here. I don't work here. I don't side with evil..." he trailed, " I have one purpose.
"One day, I'm gonna kill you." Lindsey chuckled.
"You will try." Titan smirked, " I welcome that day."
"Omni oos, fer-ratnum..." Lindsey chanted with a smirk.
As we climbed the stairs, I noticed Connor start to wobble and I felt weary myself. I saw him ready to fall to the floor, but I pushed him ahead of me and clear of falling, but I fell backwards, down the stairs and landed in...The Desert. Hot and sticky. The cave. I know the cave. Should I go in?
"Yes." a low, raspy voice growled behind me.
I turned and saw a woman, Sineya, staring at me fiercely, " I know you." I said, trying to remember, " Sorry, something..." but I stopped and looked around the cave we were now in.
"Injured." she growled, " Dying."
"My head." I said, feeling my head, " I'm dying."
Then there were fuys. They said that I fell, a spell had been casted, and I fell and hit my head. I could grasp the language, but I understood them.
"Shadow Men?" I asked, " Is it cause you're black? Cause I'm black and if you're Shadow Men, does that make me the Shadow Slayer?"
One of them smashed his staff on the ground and shouted, " SLAYER!" at me.
"All I'm sayin is that you don't look very shadowy to me." I said, looking around.
They said I should be quiet, that I was like the last slayer that had visited.
"Why does everyone say that?" I asked frustratedly.
Sineya growled and disappeared from the cave. They didn't acknowledge her, instead they began to chant.
"Hey! Whoa!!" I said, throwing my hands up, " Gonna hafta pass on the mojo." I said quickly, " While I'm heree, I need to know slayer things. The 'how' can wait, I guess, I just need to know the 'why'. I need to understand MY powers." I said.
They kept chanting.
"Gosh, watchers don't listen in any period of time," I sighed, " Gonna be a long nigh...da...aw, hell, whatever this is!' I said running at them.
Connor walked down the sunny campus, trying to find someone he knew. Anyone at all, but he couldn't. He looked around, noticing that either he had died or someone had turned the world on mute. Connor was also worried because he had just been walking up the stairs with Austin. He was just there, but where was he know?
"Connor." A sweet, concerned voice said, causing him to spin around.
"Mom?" Connor asked, looking at Darla, open mouthed.
"connor, you and your friends are in trouble." Darla whispered.
"Trouble?" Connor asked.
"Come sit down." Darla said, walking to a nearby bench and sitting.
connor sat beside his mother, who wore a black dress and boots to match, " Mom." he said simply.
"Connor, baby, I can only help you with this. It's something only a mother and son can share." Darla said softly, " It's going to get dark, very dark and you'll be changed and Austin won't be able to save you..."
"What?" Connor asked in shock, " What kind of darkness? Austin can't save me...."
"...Until you save him." Darla smiled warmly, " My precious baby boy."
"mom." Connor said, hugging Darla and smelling her, trying to finds smells and ways to remember her, " I miss you. I love you."
"I know, baby, and I'm sorry you came into the world the way you did, but I'm so proud of you." Darla said, looking from Connor to someone in the distance.
Connor looked to were Darla looked and stood, " Austin?" he asked. Austin stood before him. Connor moved to him and hugged him, bathing in his light. Connor awoke to see Austin at the foot of the stairs and became frantic.
Oz stood outside with Willow, watching the sky. The moon, more specifically. Willow sparkled under the moonlight and it sparked something Oz, something that only Willow could do to him. Willow and...
"Oz?" Willow asked.
"Yeah?" Oz said, snapping out of his reverie.
Willow smiled and sat up on her elbows, " I wonder if the moon ever looks down on us and is like 'look at those people, they're so beautiful, except that guy and that girl and..." she rambled.
"Will." Oz said, staring up at her.
"Yeah?" she asked.
"If the moon does, you know, look down on us, then he's definitely saying something good about you." Oz smiled.
"He?" Willow smirked, " He could be a she."
"But you said he could be a she, alluding that she is a he." Oz said
"But what if she isn't a he and he is a she?" Willow asked.
"Then they think you're beautiful." Oz said carefully.
Willow leaned over and kissed him on the lips, then pulled away, " You taste weird." she said.
"Like herbs? Cause I..." Oz started.
Willow frowned, " No. You're something you're not telling me." she asked.
"No." Oz said quickly, " Yeah, there's always tuff I don't say. I'm Oz."
Willow nodded, " You're in love?" she asked.
"Tara, Kennedy..." Oz said.
"Not judging, cause that would be the very peak of hypocritical." Willow said quickly, " I just...it's not expected, is all."
"I hear ya." Oz said, " Any advice."
"Don't be afraid to say it." Willow said, " Don't run from it."
"I didn't run, I left" Oz protested.
"Also known as running." Willow chuckled.
Oz nodded, " You're right. I guess I have to say something. How not Oz of me." he chuckled.
"He's in trouble." Willow said.
"Trouble?" Oz asked, " A lot trouble."
"Yes. Things are gonna happen. The big bad is brewin." Willow said, winded, " Oh say that five times fast."
"I'd better go." Oz said, leaning over and kissing Willow and bathing in the white light emanating from her.
Groo found himself in the Hyperion. It was a scary vision, though. Dark and mysterious in nature. he walked through the dark lobby and stopped at a woman sitting on the round seats.
"Groo, nice of you to show! I've been waiting forever." Cordelia said loudly. She was different than when he had been with her, her hair was long down her back, and she wore a white blouse with white capris and white pumps.
"Cordelia?" Groo asked, " Princess?"
"I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me, " Cordelia said, standing, " but hell, I'm Cordelia."
"What are you doing here?" Groo asked.
Cordelia smiled, " I'm here to hang, that's what friends do, you know." Cordelia said, " I'm dead. Wasn't so hard, didn't hurt much..."
"What did..." Groo began.
"Like I'm finally at peace." Cordelia said dreamily, " You'll love it."
Groo gulped.
"Oh, when you do die, I mean." Cordelia chuckled, " You, my cousin, Austin, and the rest. They're in trouble. And now you're in trouble." she shrugged, " Guilt by association."
"So, we are not gonna win?" Groo asked.
"I don't know. That is entirely up to Groo." Cordelia laughed, " Sorry, the rhyming thing is annoying. Do you think you're gonna win?" she asked.
"Yes." Groo said.
"Really?" Cordelia asked, " Do you really believe that?"
"Yes." Groo said angrily.
"Why?" Cordy asked.
"Because he's fighting for it everyday! Because he's fighting." Groo said confidently.
"That's the Groo I knew." Cordy sighed, " Dammit that's annoying."
"You watch?" Groo asked.
"Yeah." Cordy blushed, " It's entertaining. Tell Austin..."
"What?" Groo asked.
Cordelia took a deep breath, " Tell him when he wakes up that he's a great fighter and that he was dead on about the Scoobys and the Wicca Evil." she smiled.
"When he wakes...he's sleep?" Groo asked.
"He's sleep like I was." Cordy said.
"Is he gonna survive? He's in a coma?" Groo asked, pacing.
"Yes. He needs you now. Go." Cordy smiled, reaching out to him, " I'm pulling for you guys." she smiled, wiping tears from her eyes.
"Cordelia..." Groo said.
"Cordy, call me Cordy." Cordy said, finally touching Groo and bathing him in the white light.
Groo met Oz as he ran out of the room and they both met Connor at Austin's body. Connor was on the ground, cradling him.
"We need to get him to the hospital." Oz said, walking towards them.
Connor flinched, " Should we do that? We could hurt him more." he said fearfully.
"We have to, take him to the place where humans are healed." Groo said, " The hospital."
"Hospital," Oz said, " Let's go." he said, helping Connor up.
Connor carried Austin out of the hotel, running as fast as he could. Oz and Groo were about to leave whne Kelly and Doug fell through the door. They were giggling and smiling until they saw Oz and Groo.
"Hey guys, what's happening?" Doug asked.
"Yeah, you guys look like someone died." Kelly chuckled, then stopped when she saw their faces, " Oh god, who died?" she asked.
I'd like to that everyone who wrot to me, sorry it took so long for the last two chapters, but I have to like chapter 40 mapped out, so just write if you like this story and i'll get the ball rollin.