The Way We Were: Part 3
by TC McGonigle
The Way We Were
by T. C. McGonigle
Buffy and the rest of the Scooby gang belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and the WB, I'm only borrowing them for my own twisted purposes. Sorry that this took so long to write, but I was busy with work and school and I had a bit of trouble with where it was going. Thanks for your patience. It will be finished soon, I promise.
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Part Three
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Oz found Xander in the computer lab. He wasn't alone. Willow sat in a chair next to the terminal, twirling around idly. Every once in a while she would tip her head back and hock a spitball into the air and then catch it in her mouth. Oz cleared his throat and walked in.
"Hey, Oz." Willow grinned at him. "Buried any good bones, lately?"
"Willow." Xander looked up from the computer and cast his friend an exasperatedly affectionate glance.
"Oz doesn't mind. He's cool with the Willow-lady, aren't you, Oz?" Willow winked at him.
"We'll always be cool, Willow." Oz forced himself to stop staring. She wasn't his Willow, even if she was still cute as hell. "Xander, man, I need your computer expertise."
"Sure, what for?"
"I have to write a paper. . . ."
"Uh, oh," Willow interrupted him, "School work shop talk. I'm outta here. Catch you later, Xander." Willow paused to look Oz over. She smiled. "Oz."
"Well, anyway," Oz continued once Willow left, "I need research on spells or curses that switch people's personalities or souls and it has to be stellar stuff. You know, impressive. Not from regular avenues of inquiry."
"That shouldn't be a problem." Xander navigated a few sites on the Web. "What class is this for?"
"Psychology," Oz said without thinking. "I'm putting a whole new spin on multiple personality theory."
"It'll be new, all right." Xander gave Oz a weird look and turned back to the computer. "Here's something." Xander leaned closer to the screen. "It's a possession curse. The caster can imbue the person of his/her choice with whatever traits is wished. You can make an honest person a liar, a cheater faithful. . . ."
"A cheerleader a slayer," Oz mumbled under his breath.
"What?" Xander frowned at Oz.
"Nothing. Can I get a copy of that?"
"Sure. Of course, it doesn't have the spell, only a description."
"Where can I get the spell?"
"Angel should have it." Xander looked thoughtful. Oz was horrified to see his nose start to crinkle like Willow's used to. "I think it should be in the Texts of Korpax. I'll go it." Xander handed Oz the printout.
"Thanks. I'll wait here." Oz turned his attention to the pages in his hand. This sounded like the hammer hitting the nail on the head, but who could have cast it?
"Looks interesting." Oz looked up to see Willow standing in the doorway of the computer lab. She leaned on the frame. "But, I'll bet it's not half as interesting as me."
* * *
Buffy's eyes were closed as she savored every second of this stolen moment with Angel. He was human! He could. . .they could. . .no souls would be lost! It was in the middle of this incoherently blissful train of thought that Buffy realized the horrid reality of the situation. Angel was kissing her because she was Cordelia. And he was Giles. Buffy broke away from their embrace and stepped back.
"This is school. We shouldn't be doing this in school. Here."
"You are correct, of course." Angel brushed a hand through his hair and straightened his jacket. "We have to keep this off campus and relegated to weekends."
"Angel," Cordelia's voice snapped from down below, "If you're through with your little lustbunny, we have slaying business."
"Cordelia," Xander muttered an admonishment as Angel and Buffy emerged from the stacks.
"What crisis could have possibly happened between now and this morning to make this interruption necessary? Vampires are nocturnal." Angel walked down to face his perturbed slayer.
"Very funny, Angel. Leave the snideness to me." Cordelia glared at Buffy. "I need to know what kind of ritual junk I'm supposed to look for tonight."
"And what are you doing here, Xander?" Angel ignored Cordelia's demands for the moment.
"The Texts of Korpax. Oz is doing some paper and he's interested in a possession curse. I think it might be in there."
"Oz found a possession spell." Buffy pushed past Cordelia to get to Xander. "What kind of spell?"
Xander backed away from Buffy. "It's a curse, really. It turns people into people they're not." Xander took the book that Angel handed him and flipped through the pages.
"It's on page twelve hundred and eleven. What kind of paper is this?"
Xander found the appropriate page. "Don't ask."
"Where's Oz now?" Buffy asked.
"In the computer lab, waiting for me."
"Great, I'll come with you. We're working on the paper together."
"Poor Oz." Cordelia smirked. "Are you through ignoring me now, Angel? I promise not the rag on you about your sweetie anymore."
"I have some diagrams over here." Angel walked toward his office without looking at Cordelia.
* * *
"If we talked that is, because I can talk. A lot. Not so much up on the reading thing though. That's what Xander's for."
Oz smiled when Willow's smooth come-on quickly deteriorated into the usual Willow-babble until he realized that Xander had a tendency to babble when nervous as well.
"Oz, I found that curse." Xander walked through door and bumped into Willow. "Uh, sorry, Will."
Willow patted Xander's shoulder. "That's okay, Xander." Then she noticed Buffy standing behind him and her warm smile disappeared. "Hello, Buffy."
"Hi, Willow." Buffy was not comfortable with the animosity Willow felt about her. She turned her attention to Oz instead. He was the only normal one, except for her. "This sounds like the thing we're looking for."
"What? We? What are you looking for and why are you looking for it with Oz?" Willow's voice rose with each question and her eyes narrowed in on Buffy.
"Buffy and Oz are doing a report." Xander answered for them.
"Buffy doesn't do reports." Willow's vague dislike and disdain for Buffy were quickly escalating to outright hatred.
"Everyone has to do reports eventually." Xander put a calming arm around Willow. "In fact, I believe that I was supposed to help you with one. Let's go do it now. We'll be in the library if you need us." Xander handed Buffy the Texts of Korpax and then steered Willow out of the computer lab.
"Sorry about that, Buffy."
"No, no, it's okay. In fact, it's great. Willow was jealous. That means she has kept her feelings for you just like Angel has for me." Oz raised his eyebrows at Buffy's mention of Angel. "We, well, we had an encounter in the library."
"That is good. Willow is supposed to be Xander-like, but attraction to me is definitely not a Xander quality. And unless Giles and Cordelia have something going on that....."
"Ew." Buffy interrupted Oz.
"Then the curse should be reversible."
"That's what we're hoping for." Buffy opened the Texts to the proper page. Even if the curse was reversible, would she and Oz be able to reverse it? Or would they need a witch?
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