Feedback: Julie
Don't Leave Me
They walked up the steps and stood by the front door. She leaned over and kissed him. He smiled at her and said, "I'll see you tonight?"
"Definitely," she said.
"Ok, see you in a few hours. Bye Willow."
"Bye Oz." She smiled and watched him walk to his van. She walked into her house and her smile disappeared as she thought about how distant Oz had been. Hadn't she told him that was ready to move further with the relationship? She dragged herself up the stairs and started to prepare for the evening.
***
Oz sat on his bed and sighed. This was the night that it was to happen. He couldn't let their relationship progress any further. He loved her way too much to hurt her and he knew that with being a werewolf, that there was a chance that could happen. He didn't want to hurt her. He hoped she would understand?
***
Willow and Oz were laughing as they walked up her front steps and again stopped by the front door. She started to say goodnight, but he pulled her over to the bench that Willow's family had on their front porch. Willow saw the look on Oz's face and knew that something was up. "Oz, what's wrong?"
"I know you're not going to like this Willow and I know that it's completely out of the blue, but I think that we should end our relationship." Willow sat there, completely void of any emotion as the words sank into her slowly.
After some time she spoke. "Why?" she said, hinting no feeling.
"Well, I didn't want to get too involved since there is a chance that I could hurt you and I'd rather lose you then hurt you." Well buddy, you just did.
Willow thought as she said, "Ok. I guess I'll see you later. Bye." She got up and walked into the house, leaving Oz sitting there.
Smooth Oz, real smooth. He ran his hand down his face as he stood up and walked over to his van.
***
Willow collapsed onto her bed and started to cry. She was lucky that her parents weren't home, because they would have immediately heard her since her sobs could be heard throughout the house. Why did he think that he would hurt me? I don't understand? The only way he could hurt me would be to leave me completely, which he almost did? Willow broke down into tears again as she thought about how much Oz meant to her and how much she loved him, but never got the chance to tell him. She knew that there was only one person who could understand her, and that was Buffy.
***
Buffy sighed as she looked out her window. She was thinking about Angel again. It had been two months since he lost his soul and killed Ms. Calendar. She was just coming to terms with the fact that she might have to kill him. She thought about all her other friends. Xander and Cordelia were going out and why she couldn't understand. Her thoughts moved to Willow and Oz and how happy they were together. She was interrupted by the shrill of the phone. She picked up the phone and said, "Hello?"
"Hi Buffy."
It was Willow and she was crying. "What's wrong Will? What happened?"
"I can't tell you over the phone. Could you come over?"
"Yeah, of course. I'll be right over."
"Thanks Buffy. I owe you one."
"No prob. I'll see you in a bit. Bye Will."
"Bye."
***
5 minutes later, Buffy arrived at Willow's house. She rang the doorbell and Willow came immediately to the door. Buffy looked at Willow's face. Her cheeks had tear streaks running down them and her eyelashes were matted with tears. Buffy gathered her best friend into her arms and hugged her tightly."What happened Will?"
"The unthinkable."
"What do you mean?"
"Oz. He broke up with me." Willow was trying as hard as she could to choke back the tears.
"But, why?"
"He said he'd rather lose me then hurt me. Well by losing me, he hurt me. God Buffy, I love him. This hurts more then when I found out that Xander was dating Cordelia. I don't know what to do."
"Well I do. Fake being sick on Monday and I'll have a little chat with our friend Oz."
"Don't hurt him."
"I won't. I'll just leave him with something to think about." Buffy looked at her friend and opened her arms, letting Willow cry some more. Poor girl. She's had her heart broken so many times. More then anyone should have to go through in 17 years.
For hours, Buffy sat next to Willow, listening to her sobs, trying to find a way to comfort her, silently vowing that she would make Oz pay for what he had done to her best friend.
***
Oz walked to his locker after school. He was about to go to practice, but first he had to get his books. He didn't really want to go to practice, but he had to. He had thought of nothing except Willow, who was sick that day. He opened his locker and remembered that he had put his books in his van. He closed his locker and turned around as he felt a hand grab him by the neck, lift him up, and slam him into the lockers. He got a clear view of who it was and it was Buffy and by the looks of it, she wasn't happy.
"Do you what I've done most of this weekend? Well, besides hunting down my boyfriend, I've been trying to comfort you ex-girlfriend. Tell me exactly why you broke up with her?" She loosened up her grip on his neck and allowed him to speak.
"I broke up with her so I wouldn't hurt her."
Buffy released him and let out a small laugh. "Well, by breaking up with her to not hurt her, you broke her heart. That's why she isn't in school today. She playing sick."
Oz's stomach sank at what Buffy said about him breaking her heart. "I never wanted it to end up like this."
"Yeah, well it did." She started to walk away, but she turned around and slapped him as hard as she could, which was pretty hard. "You deserve more then that. You deserve to have you ass kicked for what you've done to Willow, but I have faith in the fact that you love her and that you'll make things right. If not for me, then for Willow. She's miserable. And if you don't make things right, then I hope you rot in Hell." With that, she walked away, leaving Oz to think about what Buffy said.
***
Since Willow's parents had been gone since Thursday and it was Monday and they weren't coming back until Wednesday, she was able to go on a walk. She stopped when she reached the tree by the lake that her and Oz always used to go to. She climbed the ladder that was nailed into the tree and went about three-quarters of the way up. She sat down on one on the thick branches and leaned up against the trunk of the tree. She let a tear find it's way down her cheek as she remembered all the times that she and Oz had spent there. She was so into her own thoughts, that she couldn't notice that Oz was on the other side of the tree, thinking about the same thing.
***
Oz felt absolutely guilty about what he did to Willow. He didn't know if he could forgive himself, let alone Willow forgiving him. Everything in his life came back to Willow. Everything reminded him of her beauty, her intelligence, and her sweet nature. He almost felt like crying about it. He too was so wrapped up in his thoughts, that he didn't hear Willow climb up and go down the trunk of the tree. Only when she walked over to the lake did he notice someone, but he didn't recognize it as Willow. All he saw was some girl with long hair in shorts and a T-shirt. He saw her sit down and bring her knees to her chest. He saw her shoulders shake. He figured that she was crying. I wonder who she is? And why is she crying? After some time, he saw her get up and walk over to the water and start singing "On My Own". He could barely make out the words to the song.
"On my own, pretending he's beside me All alone I walk with him to morning Without him, I feel his arms around me And when I lose my way, I close my eyes and he has found me"
He could feel tears rise up in his throat as he continued to hear her sing. She sang with such emotion, that it was almost unbearable. He knew the pain that she was going through. It made him think about Willow. He had to make it up to her and he knew just how to do it.
***
Willow went and sat down by the lake. She pulled her knees up to her chest and started to think. I've never felt like this before. It hurts more then I could ever imagine. To have the one you love break your heart. People say that is better to have loved and lost then to have never loved at all. That is the biggest bunch of shit that I have ever heard in my life. To have loved and lost is the most painful thing that could ever happen. It's that wound that takes the longest to heal. No amount of medicine or drugs can take away the pain. Why? Why'd it have to happen to me again? If this is what it feels like to have loved and lost, then I not so sure that I ever want to love again.
She started sobbing again. Eventually, she stood up and walked over to the edge of the water. She started singing "On My Own", deciding that it described how she felt at that moment. I hope Buffy talked to Oz today. Little did she know, her boyfriend had found the perfect way to make it up to Willow and she was going to be surprised.
***
Oz drove through downtown Sunnydale with most of his savings account with him. It may seem like a lot, but she's worth it. He found the place that he was looking for and parked in the closest available space. He hopped out of his van and made his way towards the jewelry store across the street. He walked in through the door and was immediately greeted by a salesperson. "Good day. My name is Charles. How may I help you?"
Oz smiled at the salesman standing in front of him. "Do you have any emeralds or sapphires by any chance?"
"Sure do. Right this way." Oz smiled even wider as the salesman led him to the back of the store. She's going to love this.
***
"Bye Willow," Buffy called as she walked away from Willow's house late Friday afternoon. "Bye Buffy," Willow said as she waved to her friend. She had been tutoring Buffy in math for the last hour and a half and she was exhausted. She took out her key to her front door since she knew that her parents weren't going to be back until tomorrow from when they called her on Wednesday to say that their business meeting was going to go a little longer then they had thought. She opened the door and found a whole bunch of white roses sitting on the table in the front hall. She looked around her house and found a trail of white rose petals and candles leading up her stairs. For a moment, she thought that it might have been Angel, but then she remembered that she had taken away his invitation to come into her house.
She got curious and decided to follow the trail. To her surprise, the trail led up to her room. She found a note on her desk that read, "Go out onto your balcony." She set the note back on her desk and walked over to her balcony doors. She opened them slowly and gasped when she saw her balcony. A little table had been set out there that had candles on the border, surrounding a bouquet of more white roses and another letter. She picked up the letter and opened it.
Willow-
I am incredibly sorry for hurting you like I did. I'm having a hard time forgiving myself for hurting you. I guess I just didn't want to hurt you and I thought that breaking up with you would prevent me from doing it. Well, I was wrong and by breaking up with you, I not only hurt you, but I also hurt myself. I can't imagine my life without you in it. Nothing else seems to matter as long as I have you with me. I am so, so sorry for hurting you like that and I promise that I will never do it again. What I'm really trying to say it that I love you Willow. I always have and I always will, just as long as you forgive me.
-Oz
Willow was crying as she finished reading the letter. No guy had ever done this for her. She was also shocked to find out that Oz loved her. She felt someone tap her on the shoulder and she knew who it was. She turned around slowly and found Oz standing there. He raised his hand and gently started caressing her cheek, wiping away the tears. She grabbed his hand and kissed it lightly.
"I'm sorry Willow. I'll tell you that as many times as you want to hear it. I never wanted to hurt you."
"Oz, the only way you could hurt me would be to leave me." She looked down for a moment, then back up into his eyes. "I love you too. That's why it hurt so much. To have someone you're in love with break up with you. I wasn't sure that I would ever want to love again."
Well, I hope you do, because I love you and I wouldn't be able to stand it if you decided not to love anyone ever again."
"Not possible now that I have you." They started into each other's eyes for a moment before they kissed.
It was a long, gentle kiss that made them realize how much they had missed each other. The kiss ended and they stood there with their foreheads touching. After a while, Willow spoke. "I missed you."
"I missed you too." They smiled at each other before Oz pulled something out of his pocket. It was a small jewelry box that he fingered in his hand before giving it to Willow. "I saw it and it reminded me of you. I wanted to get you a token of my affection, so? Open it."
Willow opened it and tears came to her eyes as she saw what was in the box. It was a thin silver ring that held a small emerald in the center. "You didn't?"
"I did. Willow, you deserve this. You're worth more then anything to me and I'll do anything for you."
Willow slipped the ring onto her left middle finger. "I love it. Thank you." She gave him a hug and he hugged her back.
"Well, I better go. I have to take care of my little cousin."
He gave her a kiss and turned around to leave when Willow spoke again. "Hey Oz? Me, Cordelia, Xander, and Buffy are getting together tomorrow and I was wondering if you would like to come with us?"
"Sure. I'd love to. When?"
"Um, I think at about one. We're meeting at the school."
"Ok. See ya then."
"Ok, bye. I love you."
"I love you too."
Oz left and Willow sat down on her bed and picked up her phone to call Buffy. She let it ring a few times before Buffy picked it up. "Hello?"
"Hey Buff. It's Willow. I am just calling to tell you that Oz is coming with us tomorrow."
"He made with you? That's great Will. How did he do it?"
"Well, when I got into the house, there were a bunch of white roses sitting on the front table in the hallway. Then I found a trail of white rose petals and candles leading up to my room and onto my balcony. I opened my balcony doors and found a table that had more candles around the border, surrounding another bouquet of white roses and a letter. The letter said stuff about how sorry he was and how much he loved me. When I turned around, he was standing there. He said he was sorry and I told him that I loved him and he kissed me. Then he gave me something."
"What, what?"
"I'll show you tomorrow."
"Ok, bye Willow."
"Bye Buffy."
***
The next day, Xander, Cordelia, and Buffy were sitting outside the school waiting for Willow and Oz to show up. Willow showed up first and Buffy walked over to her. "Willow, what did he get you?" She held up her hand to show Buffy the ring that Oz had gotten her. Buffy gasped when she saw it. "Wow Willow! He must have spent a fortune on it."
At that moment, Cordelia walked over. "Let me see." Cordelia took one look at the ring and a look of jealousy appeared on her face for a moment before fading into surprise. "Oh my god Willow, it's beautiful. Buffy's right. Oz must've spent a fortune."
Xander then said, "So what? It's only a ring."
Willow then said, "Yeah, it may just be a ring, but it's an emerald."
Xander choked on the drink that he was drinking. "An emerald?"
"Yes Xander. An emerald. Some peoples boyfriends care," Cordelia said as she glared at Xander. At that moment, Oz pulled up in his van and walked over to Willow, who gave him a kiss.
"Hey. How are you doing?" Oz asked his girlfriend.
"Fine, couldn't be better."
Xander looked at Oz with a look of hatred. He didn't like Oz because he was dating his former best friend.
"Well," Oz said. "What sort of fun-filled activity do we have planed for today?"
"Well," Buffy said, "We were thinking of minature golf since the last time we went, it was not good." Willow, Xander, and Buffy shuddered at the memory of when they went with Buffy's mother and Ted.
"Well then," Oz spoke up, "Let's go. Willow, come with me and Xander, we know you're going with Cordelia, and Buffy, I guess you can go with either one of us."
"I'll go with Xander and Cordelia to make sure that they don't fight."
"Ok," Willow said, "We're outta here." They climbed into the cars and rode off to a day of fun, without a worry in the world.
