SUMMERS, YOUR FRIEND IS INSANE.

[ 4.19 ]

For the first time in four years, Kitty was willingly running around and cleaning the apartment. Though he was scared asking why would make it stop, Giles still questioned why she was so insistent on the place being tidy.

"Because Willow is bringing Tara to the meeting today, and we have to impress her," Kitty had said while balancing an armful of empty cups and water bottles that she'd been hoarding in her bedroom.

It was Tara's first official Scooby Gang meeting. She'd finally met everyone — she even went to a party with Willow at the ATO house (Kitty missed out, what with still being banned), which ended up going horribly wrong, as all things did in Sunnydale. But aside from the spirits that wreaked havoc, Tara had a nice time out with them all. Now, Kitty wanted to make her feel welcome and included, paving the road for when Willow inevitably introduced Tara as her girlfriend.

The Cupid could feel it in her bones — Willow and Tara were in love. But since it was so new to Willow to have feelings for a girl, Kitty seldom brought it up, and never to anyone that wasn't Willow, knowing she'd tell people when she was ready.

"Well, I'll never complain about you picking up after your messes," Giles had said, watching as Kitty filled the sink with dishes to wash. "What are the odds we can keep it this clean until your party next week?"

Kitty's Gotcha Day was the next week, marking her fourth full year on earth and with Giles. The party would be held at the apartment, and all her friends were invited. Angel hadn't confirmed if he could make it or not, as he wasn't sure about seeing Buffy again. If not, he promised to send her a very nice gift.

"Well, if we don't keep it clean—" It was very unlikely that she could keep the apartment in nice condition. "—then we'll re-clean. Or pay Xander to clean."

"Xander's idea of clean wouldn't exactly pass a health inspection," Giles said, grimacing at the thought of the days they'd lived in the basement. "Here, I'll finish the dishes. You go get all your junk off the couch."

With them working together, the apartment was soon in perfect condition. Well, perfect-ish. It was suitable for Tara, at least.

Once she got there with Willow, Kitty welcomed her with a hug. Then the meeting kicked off. Things were calm — probably too calm. Faith willingly went to prison after seeing Angel in LA, so they didn't have to worry about her anymore. Adam was still the main threat, but he was lying low. He wasn't the only one either — Buffy seldom saw a vampire or demon on patrol anymore, which rubbed them all the wrong way.

"Patrol's been totally uneventful. My kill count's way down," Buffy complained.

Willow leaned over to explain to Tara. "She means there's been less bad-guy activity," she whispered.

"Well, we know what that often indicates," Giles muttered.

"Buffy doesn't make her quota. Bad slayer!" Xander said, wagging his finger at Buffy.

"Well, I wish it were that innocuous, but with Adam around, I feel he's involved somehow," Giles said, leaning against his desk. He swiped a Cheez-It from the bowl Kitty was eating out of.

"When things get slow," Willow whispered to Tara, "it's usually because there's some extra evil brewing."

"Except the weird thing is, we've been busy at the Initiative," Riley told them, crossing his arms. "Our squads are pulling a lot more captures. We got demons coming out our ears."

"That's a metaphor," Willow whispered.

Tara smiled, thinking it was cute how Willow was explaining even the simplest of things. "I got it, thanks."

Willow cringed, slightly embarrassed. "I'm overhelping, aren't I?" Tara laughed and nodded.

"So the activity's shifted but not stopped. That's fascinating," Giles said.

"To an extremely bored person, maybe," Anya muttered, much to Giles' annoyance. "Well, that was a thrilling hour."

"You know, I really don't appreciate your snide remarks, Anya," Giles said as they began to disperse. Everyone looked at him in surprise — especially Anya. "Now, I have a great deal of experience in these matters, and if I say there is a matter of some import brewing, I-I—"

Giles stopped when he noticed no one was looking at him. They'd all turned toward the door, which was now open. Kitty dropped the Cheez-It that she'd been about to eat in shock, it falling to the ground.

Because standing in front of them all was Oz.

Willow spoke first, hardly able to get his name out. "Oz."

"Oz," Tara said, now understanding what was happening. A horrible feeling washed over her.

Oz looked around at them all, a bit uncomfortable, before looking at Willow. "When - when did you get back?" she asked.

"Pretty much now," he replied.

Though there was an awkward silence, Xander stepped forward and broke it. "Oz, man. Hate to sound grandma, but you don't call, you don't write."

"Yeah, sorry," he said as the two boys shook hands.

"So are you here here, or are you just passing through?" Buffy questioned. None of them wanted Oz to just pass through and hurt Willow before leaving again.

"Well, um, let's not, uh, bombard the poor chap with, uh, questions right off," Giles told them. "Can I get you something, um, tea?"

"I'll pass, thanks," Oz said. Then he walked toward Willow. "Look, I'm going to Devon's to see if he's got a place I can crash. But I was hoping that we could talk. Later. Tonight."

"I guess so," Willow said slowly, still processing it all.

"I'll come by your place?"

"Okay."

Oz smiled and stepped back. "It's great to see you guys again. Really."

"Tell Devon I said hi," Kitty told Oz. Then she pushed off the desk and hugged him. Despite all that had changed and gone down, she still missed him. "We missed you."

"Missed you, too," he said, hugging her back. Kitty was his favorite, not counting Willow, of course. "We'll catch up. Maybe tomorrow?"

"Boy, have I got some insane stories," she said, smiling.

Then when Oz left, the smile on Kitty's face dropped. The weight of the situation was still settling around them all. Even those that didn't know about Willow and Tara felt uncomfortable.

"Everyone's uncomfortable now," Anya correctly noted.

Buffy walked over to Willow and gently touched her arm. "You okay?"

Willow, who was still shocked, couldn't even get a syllable out. And Tara, who had watched the whole thing silently, got off her stool and decided to go. "I just, um, I realized, um, I'm-I'm late for a study group."

"Tara, wait—"

"No, no, it's okay," she interrupted Willow softly. "You-you should be with your friends, and, and I-I should go."

"Wait," Willow called, watching as Tara quickly left.

Things just got much more complicated in the worst way possible.

♡︎

The next morning, for Kitty's entire shift at the bakery on campus, she was jittery. The short, two-hour shift passed incredibly slowly as she was anxious to go to Willow and Buffy's dorm room. She wanted to hear everything about Oz and also figure out how Willow was feeling. She couldn't imagine how confused and hurt she must be by his sudden arrival just when everything was getting good again.

So, when she did get off work, Kitty rushed across campus, a box of 'feel better' donuts in hand. When she got to the dorm, Willow was the only one in — Buffy probably stayed at Riley's to give them privacy. Willow was on her bed but managed to shoot Kitty a small, confused smile.

"Are these 'happy he's back' donuts or 'fuck him for coming back' donuts?" Kitty asked, joining Willow on the bed.

"They're 'I don't know' donuts," Willow said, grabbing the box and opening it up. "Thanks."

"So, is it something you want to talk about—"

Kitty was cut off by the door opening and Buffy coming in. "Hey," she greeted softly, not looking particularly happy. It seemed relationship issues could potentially be going around, but Buffy didn't want to draw focus from Oz.

"Hey. You okay?" Willow asked, seeing the look on Buffy's face.

Buffy dropped her bag on the floor and rubbed her neck. "Yeah, I just - I don't wanna talk about it. I wanna hear about you and Oz," she said, joining them on the bed. "You saw him, right? "

Willow nodded but didn't smile or anything. "I was with him all night."

"All night? Oh my god," Buffy said, grinning. But then she thought about it. "Wait. Last night was a wolf moon, right?"

"Yup."

Buffy and Kitty shared a confused look. "So, you're saying either something really kinky went down or—"

Willow cut Kitty off with a small smile. "No kink. He didn't change, guys. He said he was gonna find a cure, and he did. In Tibet."

"Oh my god. I can't believe it," Buffy said, grinning. Then she noticed finally that Willow didn't look happy. "Okay, I'm all with the woo-hoo here, and you're not."

"No, there's 'woo' and, and 'hoo.' But there's 'uh-oh,' and 'why now?'" Willow said, smiling uneasily. "And... it's complicated."

"Why complicated?" Buffy asked,

Willow took a deep breath, finally ready to say it out loud. "It's complicated... because of Tara."

Buffy frowned at that, not understanding what Tara had to do with it. "You mean Tara has a crush on Oz?" But then she saw how Kitty softly took Willow's hand and squeezed it in a comforting manner. "No. Oh!" Willow smiled nervously, anxious for Buffy's reaction, who quickly got off the bed. "Oh. Um... well... that's great. You know, I mean, I think Tara's a - a really great girl, Will."

"She is," Willow said, nodding. "And... there's something between us. It-it wasn't something I was looking for. It's just powerful. And it's totally different from what Oz and I have."

"Well, there you go, I mean, you know, you have to - you have to follow your heart, Will. And that's what's important, Will," Buffy said.

"Why do you keep saying my name like that?" Willow asked, and Kitty cringed.

"Like what, Will?" Buffy asked with an overly cheerful tone.

Willow sat up defensively. "Are you freaked?"

"What? No, Will, d—" Buffy stopped herself when she realized she said her name again. She sighed and took a seat on the bed once more. "No. No, absolutely no to that question. I'm glad you told me."

"We're really proud you did tell us," Kitty said, finally chiming in. "And we're gonna be there for you no matter what you decide about all this."

"Thanks," Willow said quietly. Then she leaned on her head on Kitty's shoulder. "And, um, thanks for letting me tell you in my own time. I know you probably picked up on it with the Cupid connections."

Kitty comfortingly ran a hand through her hair. "I wasn't gonna corner you and tell you that you had feelings before you even knew it yourself. Something like this is so personal and important to work through at your own pace. And I promise none of us are going to be freaked."

"What did you say to Oz?" Buffy asked Willow. Because, well, Oz might be freaked considering he came back for Willow.

"I was gonna tell him," she said, "but then we started hanging out, and I could just feel everything coming back. He's Oz, you know?"

Buffy and Kitty gave her sympathetic looks, knowing how in love they'd been and how close they were. That was why it hurt so much when he left instead of trying to work things out. "Yeah. I know."

"I don't wanna hurt anyone," Willow said, frowning.

"No matter what, somebody's gonna get hurt," Buffy told her honestly. "And the important thing is, you just have to be honest, or it's gonna be a lot worse."

♡︎

"So then, Xander is all like 'Oz, my guy, you haven't called. Now you're at the door. What up?' What up is that he wants Willow back," Kitty said. She was hanging out in Spike's tomb, having brought lunch over to eat while they watched TV. Then she ended up telling him about Oz's return, even if he wasn't particularly interested. "They hung out all night — which, hello! It was a wolf night. He said he found some way to control the shift in Tibet."

"So, Red's getting back together with Dog Boy?" Spike assumed. Kitty sighed and laid back against the coffin lid. Spike wandered over and looked down at her, taking in her troubled face, wondering why she was in distress. Last he recalled, she was a big fan of Oz and got along with him nearly as well as Xander and Angel. "She's not getting back together with Dog Boy?"

"Well, it's just complicated," she told him, knowing it wasn't her secret to share.

"Because of that other witch?" Spike then asked. Kitty sat back up quickly and looked at him in disbelief. Spike chuckled and slid on top of the coffin to sit next to her. "I saw how they acted around each other at that party. It may not have been obvious to the rest of your little gang, but I'm good at picking up on that sort of thing."

"Oh, right. I forgot. You're love's bitch," Kitty said, smiling as she poked his chest where his heart was at. Spike rolled his eyes playfully while snatching her finger and holding it back.

"Well, I used to be, I suppose," he muttered under his breath.

"I'm sure you will be someday again. Maybe you and Dru will work things out," she said, nudging his shoulder. Kitty didn't know why her stomach turned at the thought — she'd blame it on the general dislike of Drusilla rather than the real reason.

"No," Spike said quietly. Kitty turned her head to look at him to find him already staring. There was an unreadable emotion in his eyes. "Dru... Drusilla is nothing—" Compared to you, he impulsively wanted to say. "—to me, anymore."

Kitty looked away and down at her lap. "What about Harmony?"

Spike laughed softly. "Wasn't exactly love, Kitten. Was just a bit of fun while I was trying to, ya know, kill all of you."

"The good ol' days," she joked.

"Kind of glad I didn't kill you," Spike admitted, thinking of that first night when he escaped the Initiative. "I want this chip out more than anything, but at least it kept me from biting you."

"You have bitten me," she reminded him.

"Yeah, but you were offering those times. You liked it," he said, smirking.

A blush rose to her cheeks and a chill ran down Kitty's spine from those memories, his lips on her neck, hands on her body flashing through her mind. She had liked it, more than she cared to admit to herself. She wanted to feel him touch her like that again. Kitty quickly blinked, willing the thoughts away. There was a look on Spike's face like he knew exactly what she was thinking of because he'd been recalling the same.

If Spike had only heard the whimper that left her lips, stolen by The Gentlemen, he might have taken her in the living room right then and there.

Kitty focused on his hands, which were pressed to the top of the coffin as he leaned back on them. "I'll try to remember to bring nail polish tomorrow," she said, eying the black that was nearly all chipped off. "The usual? Black like your soul?"

Spike snorted and shook his head, most of the tension fading. "This time I won't be smashed for you to sneak the glitter on," he said, recalling waking up with glitter on the nail of his pinky. Secretly, he didn't mind.

"We'll see," she said slyly, determined to find a way to get glitter on him somehow. "What time is it? I should probably be getting back."

"Do I look like a watch?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You don't even look like you know how to tell time," she shot back, sliding off the coffin with a smile. "I'll see you later. Maybe I'll have Willow, Oz, Tara updates. Y'know, because you're so invested."

"Red's gonna choose the witch," Spike declared, shrugging. "I'd put money on it."

"You don't have money," she said, giggling.

There was a smile on Spike's face as she left — he had a terrible affliction where he smiled any time he thought of Kitty, something he needed to fix soon or it'd cause problems. With her gone and the sun still out, Spike had to stay put in his crypt. Just as he thought about laying down, he heard heavy footsteps approaching from behind from something that must have slipped in just after Kitty left.

"From the sound of those massive mud flaps, I'd peg you as a demon," Spike said, rolling his eyes. "Which means you're in for a world of—"

Spike slowly turned and froze when he saw Adam. He'd only heard about the creature from Kitty, who wasn't exaggerating by how creepy he was with all the mixed parts. "Pain," Adam finished his sentence for him. Spike took a wary step back, knowing that Adam had a habit of dissecting things to learn their anatomy. "Spike, I want you to come with me."

"Do you?" he questioned, shrugging. "Well, let's go then." Spike turned as if to leave before spinning around in hopes of catching Adam off guard. He punched the creature in the stomach, only for it to cause him pain, and Adam didn't even budge. Kitty also wasn't exaggerating about his strength. "Ow."

"Come." Adam stepped forward, and Spike stepped back again. "You're going to help me with my problem."

Spike glared at him. "Why is that exactly?"

Adam slowly raised a hand, touching the side of Spike's head. "I'm going to help you with yours."

♡︎

Kitty found herself on the UC Sunnydale campus for the second time that day. She meant to find Willow at the library to ask her if she'd talked to Tara or Oz yet. But then when she came across Tara walking through the humanities building with red eyes and wearing Willow's sweater, Kitty gathered that a talk was had.

"Hey, Tara," Kitty said softly, getting her attention.

"Oh, h - hey," she stuttered out, mustering a smile.

"Did, um, have you seen Willow today?" she asked delicately.

Tara nodded, the smile dropping. "Yeah. She, uh, she came by my room earlier."

"Right," she said, nodding. The two slowly walked down the hallway together. "I know we've only hung out a few times, and I def don't want to be Prying Cupid Girl, but Willow cares about you — more than just cares. It's all confusing and unsure right now with... with Oz, but don't forget that, please."

"I - I know she cares," Tara said quietly. She knew Willow more than cared, and she did too. "I, uh, I told her to do what makes her happy. I just want her to be happy."

"You make her happy," Kitty said. "Happier than she's been in a long time. I know it's new, but that doesn't make it mean any less."

At the end of the day, though, none of them could tell Willow what to do, who to choose. It was up to her, and it likely felt like an impossible decision.

"Can I, um," Tara paused and glanced at Kitty nervously. "I'd understand if you didn't w - want me to come to your Gotcha Day party next week. Willow helped me pick out a gift, but I can just—"

"Of course, I want you at my party," Kitty said, holding Tara's hand. She wanted to keep Tara as a friend no matter what happened. "It's the people there that matter, not the gifts, and you matter." Then, after a moment, "I mean, I never say no to gifts."

That managed to get a smile out of Tara, who hadn't smiled a real one since Oz arrived yesterday. "I found it at the magic shop. I think you'll really like it."

"See, I'm actually quite impatient and don't do good with surprises," Kitty informed her. "So, you shouldn't have said you got me anything because now I'm gonna hound you about it—"

"Willow." They were cut off by Oz suddenly calling out for the girl just as they came around the corner. His nose picked up on her scent that was so strong it was like she was really there. He looked confused when he only saw Kitty and Tara.

"No Willow's here," Kitty said, smiling.

"Hey," he greeted. "I thought I sm — ah, heard Willow," he said, coming closer. Oz wasn't sure if Tara knew about him being a werewolf.

Tara grew nervous as Oz approached. "Hey," she said. Then she noticed a folder with the school's logo on it in his hand. "You're, um, you're coming back to school here, huh?"

"Pretty much. Feeling oddly motivated," he said. Kitty saw him sniff the air and look back and forth between her and Tara.

"That's um, that's great. I mean, that's, that's great for you and Willow, right?" Tara asked, finding it hard to talk to him without crying.

"I hope so."

"Good, that's - because—"

"Is that her sweater?" Oz suddenly asked.

Tara looked down and continued without acknowledging the garment. "I just - I just hope that you guys'll be very... happy."

Oz stepped closer. "You smell like her," he said, almost accusingly. "More than Kitty even. She's all over you, do you know that?"

"Oz," Kitty said in a warning tone. For someone that was always so chill and mellowed out, his temper seemed to be getting the best of him.

"I can't," Tara said quietly, turning to walk away. "I-I can't talk about this."

Before Tara could leave, Oz grabbed her arm, making her gasp. Kitty instantly tried to pull him off. "Oz, what are you—"

"But there's something to talk about? Are you two involved?" Oz asked Tara angrily.

"I have, I - I have to go," Tara said, trying to get out of his hold.

"Back up, Oz," Kitty said, finally breaking his grip on Tara's arm.

"Cause she never said anything to me like that. We talked all night and she never—" Tara tried to flee again, but he grabbed her. "No, stop!"

"Oz, you're scaring her!" Kitty shouted in alarm. What had happened in Tibet to make him like this? He hadn't even been like this when Willow cheated on him with Xander.

"Is she in love with you?" Oz asked point-blank, fearing the answer. "Tell me, is she?"

Oz shook Tara by her shoulders, and once again, Kitty pulled him off her. He took a step back, panting heavily. Then they all looked down to see his hand grow fur and claws in the middle of the day without the moon. When he looked back up, his face was half-transitioned and his eyes were fully black.

"Run," he managed to get out.

Tara dropped her things, and she and Kitty bolted. The sound of clothes tearing and snarling came from behind them. Oz chased them, fully changed and out of control, through the empty school.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit," Kitty said breathlessly as they finally found an unlocked classroom to run into.

She locked the door as Tara ran up the tiers of chairs and desks of the lecture hall. Kitty quickly followed, eyes set on the back door. Oz knocked the door completely off the hinges as he ran in, growling threateningly. Tara and Kitty reached the back door only for it to be deadbolted shut.

"Shit!" Kitty yelled much louder.

She made sure to push Tara in front of her as they ran in a circle to try and make it through the main door before Oz thought to double back. They ended up being cut off by Oz, who was much faster. He cornered them at the front of the classroom, ready to pounce. Thinking quickly, Tara grabbed a chair and threw it at him with all her might.

Oz collapsed and didn't move to get up, but it wasn't because of the chair. Kitty could see a silver tranquilizer dart sticking out of his side. She looked to the door just as Riley and a number of Initiative soldiers rushed in. Riley and Forrest put away their weapons while Graham came to check on Kitty and Tara, who were both shaking.

"Are you okay?" he asked, putting a hand on Kitty's shoulder.

"What's going on?" Tara asked, never having seen any of the Initiative soldiers work before.

"We'll take it from here," Forrest said.

"This thing looks like it may be one of the demons that took out your guys the other night, Graham," one of the soldiers said.

Kitty watched with wide eyes as they put Oz in some kind of bag and carried him out. "No! You can't—"

"We'll take it back. We'll make an ID. If it is, we'll put him down," Riley instructed, cutting Kitty off.

"You don't understand," Tara said, "that's—"

"Listen, we know what we're doing. You know that, Kitty," Graham said, looking at her. "I went up against one of these last night. I know it was frightening, and you're in shock. But you're okay."

"But—"

"We'll handle it," Graham cut her off before following all the soldiers out.

Kitty could only watch as they disappeared with Oz. She took a deep breath and pulled her hair back out of her face. "Shiiittt," she breathed out.

After sharing a worried look, Kitty and Tara rushed off at the exact same time. They both knew Willow's schedule, so knew she was at the library in a study group. And Willow noticed as soon as the two girls showed up in her peripheral vision, so she excused herself from the group and came over.

"What's up?" Willow asked them. She noticed the distraught looks on both their faces. "You guys okay?"

"Oz," Tara stated, shaking her head. "We were talking. and he changed. Right in front of me."

"What? It's daylight," she stated.

"We know, but it happened," Kitty told her. "It was like anger triggered it or something — like in the Teen Wolf movie."

"Oh my god, are you both all right?" Willow asked, searching for injuries.

"We're fine. Riley and the commando guys, they stopped him," Tara said. "But they don't know it's Oz. We tried to tell them, but they took him away."

"When? Just now?"

"I think they might hurt him," Tara said, worried about him.

"I don't just think," Kitty said. "I think another wolf took out part of Graham's squad last night. They won't be happy."

"I - I have to go," Willow said. "Kitty, we have to find Buffy."

"I know," Tara said, understandingly.

Willow nodded and then grabbed Kitty's hand before running off. They tracked down Buffy, who was studying in their room. Then Xander and Anya were called to meet at the apartment.

Once there, Buffy tried over and over to contact Riley, but he was likely still down in the base. Willow was pacing anxiously, terrified that Oz was being dissected or something equally as gruesome.

"Tara and Kitty said they took him right before they found me," Willow said, counting how much time had passed on her fingers.

"So that's good, right?" Anya asked. "I mean, they probably haven't had time to eviscerate him yet."

Willow sat on the sofa, her eyes wide with fear. Xander looked at Anya and shook his head. "Ahn, you can help by making this a quiet time."

"Once again, we're faced with a fairly daunting prospect of having to infiltrate the Initiative," Giles muttered, rubbing his forehead.

"It'd be great if we knew someone dating a man on the inside. Someone with connections," Xander said as Buffy hung up the phone, finished with leaving another message. He gestured to her. "Oh, wait!"

"He's still not answering his pages. I left him another message," she told them.

"So, what do we do?" Willow asked.

"Well, we need to move fast. So we make a plan without Riley and hope he calls," Buffy said, frowning.

"He usually returns your calls pretty quick," Kitty noted. "Even when down in the base."

"You think something's wrong?" she asked.

Kitty shrugged. "What are the odds that he found out it was Oz and is trying to help?"

"Or he found out it was Oz and is avoiding Buffy's calls because he's helping eviscerate him," Anya chimed in needlessly. It earned scared whines from both Willow and Buffy.

"Thanks, Ahn," Xander mumbled. Then he got off the couch. "We can't wait much longer anyway."

"I know," Buffy said, nodding. Then she addressed them all. "Okay. Xander, you, Kitty, and I are gonna go in. We've done it before."

"I'm going with you," Willow insisted.

Buffy shook her head. "No. Look, it's too dangerous, Will. Besides, I need you to help Giles hack into the city's electrical grid. We've gotta try to power down the Initiative."

"Giles can do it without me—"

"Can he?" Kitty asked, knowing how much he detested technology.

Willow ignored her and continued. "I can give him all the instructions. I can show him exactly what to do."

"Of course," Giles said, though he was also doubting his computer comprehension skills.

"I-I can't just sit here," Willow said desperately.

"Okay. Okay, you can back us up," Buffy said, giving in with a sigh. "Now, the only way I know into the Initiative is through the elevator in the Lowell House," she said, using the formal name for the frat house. "But my clearance is long gone."

"So we grab a guy, make him take us," Xander suggested.

"Or you could just use the back way." They all turned to see Spike standing by the closed door, having come in unnoticed. "Hell of a lot less bother."

"How did you get in?" Giles asked acusingly.

"Door was unlocked. You might wanna watch that, Rupert. Someone dangerous could get in," he said almost teasingly.

"Or someone formerly dangerous and currently annoying," Buffy muttered.

Spike sauntered over, looking extremely amused and pleased with himself. "Now, now. None of that. Or I won't help you get Red's mongrel back." They were all surprised he knew about that, even Kitty who hadn't had time to tell him. "Bad news travels fast with us demons. We all like a good laugh."

Giles sighed tiredly. "Short of cash, Spike?"

"I happen to be seeking monetary gratification, yeah," he informed them. "But I also get a kick out of jackin' up those army ginks myself. I know how to find the big guy who can take you to Oz."

"Uh-huh. So what's the going rate on a wild goose chase, Spike?" Buffy asked doubtfully.

"Fine, if you're not interested. But I was stuck in that hole, remember? And I've heard things from other guys who've gotten out. I can get you in. No alarms, no cameras, no waiting."

"Buff, I think he's telling the truth," Kitty said softly, coming to his defense. "Isn't Oz worth putting a little faith in Spike just this once?"

♡︎

Evidently, Oz was worth it. That's how Buffy, Willow, Xander, Spike, and Kitty all ended up walking through the woods and wearing disguises. The girls were in lab coats while the boys were dressed as soldiers. Buffy had a small crossbow in hand, which wouldn't be easily noticed, while Xander had a big gun.

"I've mentioned how much I'm gonna kill you if this is a scam, right?" Buffy asked, glaring at Spike.

He rolled his eyes. "Look, would I wear this if I wasn't on the up-and-up?"

"You do sorta look like an evil olive," Willow said, smiling.

Kitty's eyes were fixed on Spike's back, appreciating how the dark green sweater looked on him, tight around the muscles. 'Olive' wasn't exactly the words she'd use to describe him, but she quickly pushed it to the back of her mind, knowing that this wasn't the time to be randomly attracted to Spike.

"Guys," Xander said, suddenly spotting something through the bushes. "Check it out."

They came across a hidden doorway that blended into the huge boulders around it, which must have led down to the base. Spike walked toward it and easily pulled it open. "For a nasty town like Sunnydale, nobody seems to mind their locks."

The other four shared somewhat surprised looks, not believing the door was so easy to get through. Buffy eyed Spike skeptically. "You first."

Spike rolled his eyes before entering. They others slowly followed, having to go down a long stairwell, as this entrance had no elevator. There wasn't much activity when they made it to the hallway given that it was so late. Buffy then took the lead, specifically searching for Colonel McNamara's room so he could take them to Oz's containment unit. As they neared it, the lights in the Initiative suddenly cut off, only for the faint emergency lights to come on.

"Seems like Anya and Giles make a good team," Kitty whispered. There were doubts about whether they'd be able to work together.

Soon, Buffy arrived at the correct room and kicked the door in. She and Xander marched over to his bed and pointed their weapons at him. He tried to reach for something, but Buffy put her crossbow right up to his face, causing him to retract his arm.

"You know who I am?" she asked.

McNamara looked from her and Xander to the other three by the door. "Yeah."

"Then you know I'm pretty good with this thing. Take us to him," Buffy ordered.

"Finn stays in the brig. Helping an HST escape is a court-martial offense. You're only gonna make matters worse."

They were all surprised by that, having no intention of rescuing Riley because they didn't know he needed rescuing. "Riley tried to help Oz escape?" Buffy questioned.

"That's who you came for," McNamara realized. "The wolf."

"Guess we're two for one," Xander told him.

"Get dressed," Buffy ordered.

It, understandably, was a little difficult for McNamara to get dressed with a crossbow aimed at his head, but he accomplished it eventually. The first place he took them was the brig where Riley was being kept. After knocking out the guard stationed outside, Buffy rushed in to get Riley.

"How'd you get in?" he asked, getting off the bed while Buffy opened the cell door.

"Talk later. Stealthy escape now," she said, turning to go.

Riley then stopped her. "Buffy, I leave now, I can't ever come back." Buffy only looked at him blankly, not seeing a downside to that — neither did he. "I just wanted to hear that out loud."

Now with Riley in tow, the slowly growing group rushed through the halls and toward the containment units. Even though the cameras and power were out, they still managed to get caught by soldiers, who surrounded them just as they found Oz's cell.

"Hold it!" one of the officers shouted.

Buffy kept a tight hold on McNamara, her weapon trained at his temple. Xander lifted his weapon, but it wouldn't be much help when there were eight others pointed at them. "Stay back, or I'll pull a William Burroughs on your leader here," Buffy threatened.

Everyone looked at her in confusion, unfamiliar with the name. Xander looked at her over his shoulder. "You'll bore him to death with free prose?"

"Was I the only one awake in English that day?" she asked, clearly annoyed. "I'll kill him," she said slowly. "Get him out."

After receiving a nod from McNamara, one of the soldiers lowered his gun and moved to Oz's cell. After swiping his keycard, the door slid open, and Oz stepped out. Willow started toward him.

"Oz—"

Oz held up a hand. "Will, get back." He looked down at his hand, which was once again hairy and clawed. But then he concentrated and took a deep breath, and his hand went back to normal, meaning he regained control. Riley stepped forward and grabbed him, knowing he was probably still weak from all the experiments done on him.

"Let's go," Buffy said, still holding McNamara.

The soldiers followed them through the rest of the hallway of the containment wing, guns aimed at their backs. Kitty was moving quickly by Spike's side, but began to slow down as they rounded a familiar corner.

The non-hostile wing.

Kitty's feet stopped so quickly that Xander nearly ran right into her. Without meaning to, she was stopped in front of a cell — the same one.

"Kitty," Buffy said, looking at her friend in confusion. "Kitty, come on. We've overstayed our welcome."

But Kitty wasn't listening. Her eyes were glued to the boy, who was watching her with the same expression. That feeling was back, the one that drew them to each other. Her eyes then wandered to the floor of the cell, noticing something she hadn't before because they blended in with the stark white floor they were sitting on. She knew what they were instantly because the floor of her bedroom used to look like that anytime she groomed her wings.

A few fluffy, white tufts from feathers were scattered all around.

Kitty's eyes were back on the boy in an instant. Not boy. Cupid.

"Kitty," Xander whispered, still not understanding. All he knew was that the other soldiers were getting impatient.

"Move it along," one said, stepping up to Kitty.

None of them expected what she did next — not even her friends. Kitty rammed her elbow into the soldier's chin, knocking his head back before forcefully ripping the rifle out of his hands. All the guns were now pointed at her, but hers was focused on McNamara.

"Let him out," she said, her tone surprisingly calm.

"Kitty," Willow said uneasily. "What are you doing? Who is that?"

Kitty ignored the questioning and concerned looks from her friends. "Let him out," she ordered again.

McNamara shook his head. "Not a chance. You're lucky to be getting two—"

"Let him out," Kitty interrupted, speaking slowly, "or I'll shoot someone."

"Kitten, you're not actually gonna—"

Spike was cut off by Kitty's gun firing, hitting a soldier in the leg. He screamed and collapsed, clutching his wound. Willow gasped, and Xander shouted her name in disbelief. Kitty didn't even take her eyes off McNamara as she did. She didn't even flinch when the soldiers aiming their weapons tensed up, ready to fire at a moment's notice.

"Oh, no, you are actually gonna," Spike said, his eyes wide. All of their eyes were wide.

Now Kitty's gun was fixed back on McNamara. "I'd really not like to say it a fourth time."

"Summers, your friend is insane," McNamara said, eying his wounded soldier.

"Apparently so," Buffy said, genuinely worried about Kitty. But she could see the desperation in her eyes and knew it was important. "And I don't know why, so if I were you, I'd listen to her. Slayers are fast, but not faster than guns."

It took longer than with Oz, but eventually, McNamara nodded. One of the soldiers stepped up, keeping a wide berth of Kitty. He swiped his keycard and immediately backed away as the glass doors slid open, freeing the captive.

Kitty turned her head just enough to see the boy out of the corner of her eye, who seemed almost scared to leave the cell. Scared because it was all he'd known since coming to earth. They met each other's gaze, and Kitty held out the hand not holding the gun.

That was all the motivation the boy needed, who felt safe with Kitty. He stepped out of the containment unit and held Kitty's hand tightly. Both let out a breath as a warm feeling washed over them at the contact. It confirmed Kitty's suspicions, telling her just what he was.

"Now we go," Kitty said, still looking at the boy.

It took a second for anyone to move, but eventually, Buffy collected herself. With McNamara still their prisoner, the eight of them rushed to the elevator out of there with the armed soldiers following — aside from the one carrying the injured one to the medical bay.

When they got to it, Kitty tossed the gun to the side, having no use for it. It was a tight fit to cram everyone inside, and they all looked warrily at Kitty and the boy they'd never seen, who were still holding hands and staring at each other. But they didn't dare ask questions until they were sure they were safe from the Initiative.

When the elevator opened inside the ATO house, everyone rushed out. They didn't hang around the house either, bolting through the door and onto the front lawn. It was still incredibly dark, the blackout affecting even the street lamps.

"K - Kitty," Xander said, albeit, a bit hesitant. "Wanna tell us why you psycho shot that guy to rescue a demon?"

"Who is this?" Buffy asked, holding onto Riley. "How do you know him?"

"I don't think she does," Spike suddenly said. Kitty and the boy were in their own little world, not listening to any of them. But Spike knew Kitty and he recognized the look on her face — like she was discovering something new.

Kitty's heart was beating a mile a minute as she looked at the boy across from her. Tears began to well in her eyes. "I thought I might never find you," she said quietly.

"But you did find me," he said, his voice soft. It felt familiar to her ears even though she'd never heard it. "I saw you the first time but I wasn't sure."

"Me either," Kitty said, remembering the first time that ended with Graham dragging her away.

They both continued to study the other with wide eyes, still holding hands. He had gentle eyes that scanned her form, but then he looked just over her shoulder and frowned. "They're... gone?"

Instantly, she knew what he was talking about. Kitty smiled sadly and nodded. "They are."

"Then we can share mine."

"Holy shit," Xander said, realizing just who this boy was.

A moment later, he did something that clued the others in too. As he stepped forward to hug Kitty, a set of large, fluffy, white wings manifested out of his back, which wrapped around them both protectively.

"He's a Cupid."