Resting (Tree buddies)

He jumped to the forest scanning the immediate area for anything living close by. Once he was sure there was nothing close he stood up straight relaxing a little as he dusted off his coat.

He was feeling a little hungry now after his long day but there were no people around. He sighed leaping into a sitting postion before jumping so he landed sat on a branch at the top of a tree where he leant back against the trunk hoping to nod off when he heard a sound. His head snapped up looking over to the spot.

Willow was busy climbing trees, she hadn't done it in a while and she felt like she needed a bit of a break from her life around her and just take some time out to think, after all she didn't get much time to herself surprisingly between helping all these people out, working as a Professor, running her store and managing finances. Continuing to swing through the tree's Willow winced as her skin on her fingers cut with some rough bark.

Willow dropped to the floor and licked her hand free of blood but it was then that she saw that someone else was occupying the clearing she was in, it was Aspen, and she smiled a little. She didn't expect to see him around. Waving nervously at him, in case he didn't want to be disturbed Willow grinned:

"Hello Aspen!"

He took a deep breath and smelt blood making his stomach rumble. "Oh god i need to eat." He muttered to himself before appearing right in front of Willow. "Hello there. Bet you hardly recognise me without all the blood and the body." He smirked.

He looked down at her finger biting his lip. "You might wanna clean that up it might get infected." he said his hand going to play with his finger neckalace nervously.

Willow smiled and shook her head a little bit, walking a little closer to Aspen she pulled off a part of her blouse and wrapped it across the palms of both of her hands where she was still bleeding a little.

"Well, I can tell it's you by the fangs, and we met when we had to go and save Arsen, remember?"

She grinned and leant against a tree twirling a strand of hair around her finger.

"I don't know how to heal it, I was never taught."

He smiled clicking his fingers. "Ar yes how i forget things." He tutted turning to look around them making sure they were still alone. He brought his fingers to his mouth and whistled calling for cerberus.

He glanced down at the finger again holding out his hand. "May i?" He asked. "I need to clean it first though." He smiled nervously.

Willow smiled at Aspen and tapped the side of her head with her finger, she didn't know how anyone could forget that day and she knew that it would stay in her mind forever. She hated the thought of loosing her little one.

"Good job I have enough memory for the two of us then."

She said happily before holding her cut palm out to Aspen.

"You don't have to heal it, it's only a scrape or two I'm a big girl I can handle it. Oh my..."

Willow gasped as she noticed the necklace of bones he wore.

"That's a cool necklace, a little...macabre but it's cool all the same. Are they real finger bones?"

"I have a really good memory actually." He smiled. "It just remembers other things..." He said his hand going up to touch his necklace. "... I remember every person i have ever killed. Every face, every name, every reason for killing them. I have an excellent memory just not for the things everyone else would like to use it for." He explained.

He smiled taking her hand before giving it a lick to get rid of any extra blood. He took out his wand and gently pressed it to the wound to heal and only once he was satisfied did he let go. "There good as new." He smiled before looking down to his necklace.

He laughed. "Macabre is a good word." He smirked taking one of the fingers. "Yes taken from each kill myself." He smiled proudly. "Helps me remember you see this one? This was from a guy named Tony i spent a week looking for this guy. He had many hiding places but i caught him eventually, didn't taste too good though." He frowned remembering the taste of his blood.

"So tell me has someone like you ever killed a man?" He asked an eyebrow raised.

Willow bit her lip a little, she knew that Aspen killed a lot of people but she didn't know that he would be so forward about it or about the fact that he seemingly quite enjoyed being this supreme killer. She never saw the point in killing when things could be resolved by other methods but then again Willow probably was brought up differently to Aspen.

"Thank you Aspen!"

She smiled and wiggled her newly healed fingers in the air before placing her hand by her side.

"But there's so many..."

Willow trailed off and her heart sank just thinking about all the people who's life had been ended by Aspen, it was a horrible thought and she didn't think it was wise to dwell on it because tears were already gathering in her eyes but she sniffled and smiled once more.

"No of course not. I would never harm anyone, in my opinion there is no point."

He nodded turning to glare at a bird that had stopped on the tree above. He turned his head to the side and just stood staring at it for a while. "Does that bird look normal to you?" He asked quickly glancing at Willow before looking back.

He bent down and picked up a stone and threw it straight at the bird and smiled as it flew away. "Hmm guess it was." He smirked turning back to look at Willow.

He frowned then shrugged. "I guess i'm very popular, im very good at my job it's natural for people to want to hire me. Then there's the whole father business. Wow no wonder why i never have any spare time." He moaned. running his hand through his hair.

"Not even if they murdered someone you loved? What about Arsen? If someone killed him would you stand by and do nothing?" He asked.