She lay on her bed absorbing the day. Oz's yet another return had not stirred up quite as many nerves, but it had left her and Tara on edge. Tara especially. He had news they could benefit from. Some demon that he'd been tracking since Germany. Tara had made it quite clear how much this upset her. Willow had no idea why. They were together now. Oz and her were past, and yeah - maybe future, but Willow thought that unlikely. Tara had been gone since one that afternoon. She had told Tara that they would meet for lunch the previous day, but Oz thought they could do some researching at the Espresso Pump. Just to talk. She like that they could act like friends now. But, on returning to her room, Tara met up with them in the hall. She was near tears. Oz tried to explain, for some reason Willow didn't have the nerves to. She remembered how upset she was. Oz deserted Willow as well. She had made quite a mess of things. There was a knock at the door. She knew it wasn't Buffy. She was at Angel's mansion while he was in town. Riley was away in Iowa for a couple of days so Buffy wasn't feeling a total guilt-trip by being with Angel.
"Tara?" she called. The person hesitated.
"No. It's Oz," he called back.
"Ah, close enough. Come in," she said. He opened the door.
"I'm sorry about today," he said. "You were right to bail," she said. He walked over to her computer desk.
"No. I wasn't. And… I shouldn't have," he said.
"What?" she asked innocently.
"The lunch thing. I'm sorry," he said.
"No! No! It's… okay. Or… was… So, why did you come?" she asked. "To say that, and, Buffy and Angel had a run-in with the demon. Buffy's been scraped up pretty badly. She being "nursed" at Giles's," he said.
"We should go, then?" she asked.
"Yeah. But I should go by myself. I'll cover for you. You need to explain things to Tara. Tell her I'm sorry," he said.
"She's not talking to me," Willow said.
"That's the point of straightening things out with her. To make her talk again," he said. She smiled.
"Thank you.
" He nodded. He got up to leave.
"Oh, and Oz?
" she asked. He raised his eyebrows as a signal for her to talk.
"Thank you for… everything. I know this is… weird. Huh? I mean…
" Willow felt a lump rise in her throat.
"No, really? This isn't me! I never… Oh God. I really am the same person I was in grade ten. I'm just a geek. And now I'm… gay – which is totally ironic, ‘cuz the only two other people who've ever been interested in me were a demonic robot and… well, you,
" Willow said. Oz blinked. He walked over and embraced her.
"Listen to me for a second. I love you. And I know I'm not allowed to anymore, but it's hard. You are not the same Willow you were. But I loved everything about you. You've grown, and we've changed. What we mean to each other has changed, but you are the only person I have met in my life that I have not yet found one flaw in,
" he lifted her chin.
"And if you love her, you had better get down to her dorm room before she starts to doubt how much you love her.
" She smiled.
"Thank you. I'm so sorry. So sorry…
"
"No. Shhh.
"
* * *
"I'm the slayer. SLAYER. First word: Slay? Giles, I'm losing my touch! He wasn't even that big! A girl could fight that thing. Okay, I am a girl, but, okay, a girl without slayer powers,
" Buffy whined.
"And just look at my nails!
"
"I see I haven't missed anything,
" Oz said, closing the door behind him.
"I thought Willow was coming. That's why we sent you out,
" Xander said.
"Thank you, master. For my life is now fulfilled,
" Oz said. He sighed and gave Xander a look, and then continued,
"She's going to be delayed.
"
"Oh. Tara. Right. She… called,
" Buffy said.
"How are you feeling?
" Oz asked.
"Like I've had my ass kicked by I slimy, incredibly barf-worthy demon, but that might just be me,
" Buffy said.
"You shouldn't feel to bad. I watched the merchant I was talking to in Milan get each and every bone torn from his body in a matter of thirty-five seconds. It was intense. And a little bloody,
" Oz said.
"Well thank you. Now I feel better,
" Buffy said.
"I only got severely bruised - And my suede jacket is ruined.
"
"Hey,
" Willow said from the doorway. She had red eyes and an incredibly hurt expression. You could tell she had been crying a heavy amount.
"Where's Tara?
" Xander asked. Willow was on the verge of crying again.
"Give me a moment,
" Oz said, he went to the corner of the room to talk with her so the others could continue.
"What happened?
" Oz asked. Willow eased the lump from her throat.
"She said that nothing I could say would change the way she felt. And I said I loved her and she said that she knew it wasn't true, and I just left,
" Willow said.
"How would she know what's going through your mind?
" Oz asked. He pushed a strand of hair from her face and lifted her chin.
"She's pretty much the reason my magic's gotten better,
" Willow took a breath, but was interrupted by Oz.
"So it helps actually being motivated instead of put in a little security box?
" he asked.
"No, no. Well – yeah, but, no - she's a witch, too. She said she had this really powerful mother, and that I was really powerful, too,
" Willow said.
"When did this happen?
" he asked.
"When you… you know… …code word is kinda…
" she trailed off.
"Veruca.
"
"Oh,
" Oz whispered quietly.
"So I think in her anger she cast a knowing spell. But I thought I did love her! I should know, right?
" Willow asked frantically.
"I really don't think that she made it this complicated. I think she's just really mad. I don't think I can really understand it. It was a harmless lunch thing,
" Oz cut himself off for obvious reasons. Key word kind of Veruca.
"But that was different. I actually liked – there's no way I'm getting out of this, huh?
"
"I seriously doubt it. Thanks for trying,
" Willow said, hugging him. Oz looked like he was picking up a scent.
"That's weird.
"
"What, you smell that, too?
" Angel asked, the first time Oz noticed he was there.
"I still have werewolf rights.
"
"Strangely familiar. Only it's… Buffy, how are you feeling?
" Oz asked.
"Better,
" she said.
"Can you fight?
" Angel asked, catching on to what Oz was getting at.
"Not really well, why?
" Buffy asked.
"He's here,
" Oz said.
"Damn!
" she asked.
"You should go upstairs and hide. You're in no condition to fight,
" Oz said.
"Fine.
" Willow kissed him and ran up the stairs. Everyone stopped.
"Run!
" he yelled at her. She did. He grabbed a crossbow from the trunk. Just as the demon came through the door. Ripped it off, actually.
* * *
Willow could hear the scramble from the linen closet. What the hell was that? Was Tara right? Slowly, Willow opened the closet. She wasn't going to hide. She went to Giles's, and just as she expected it was lined with magical ingredients. She started to work on a spell.
* * *
Just as Oz had warned them, this thing usually brought some friends. There were two down, one in critical condition about to join the other two and yet there were still four left. The Big Kahuna, as Xander had deemed him, was staying out of the way. Buffy delivered a high kick into the stomach of the one who was nearly dead. Then, she brought out the stake and drove it home. They, oddly, did
"poof
" meaning these things were probably not genuine demons in some way. Angel killed another, so that left three and the master. Just then, when it really sunk in that his carefully devised plan was not working, The Big Kahuna grabbed the slayer by the throat so fast that her reflexes didn't come into play. But they did now. She kicked him and punched him over and over. As she continued, he grip loosened. She was prepared to kick him again when he heard Willow clamor down the stairs.
"Will! No!
" Buffy yelled. She tried to run, but this thing was fast. He grabbed her around the stomach and prepared to kill her when she got loose. In a matter of ten seconds this all occurred. Then, as she prepared to run up the stairs he grabbed her foot and twisted it. Not too severely, but she was sure she'd need a cast.
"Hey!
" Oz yelled. The demon spun around. He shot the demon right through with the crossbow. He staggered, but did not die.
"God, what are you, indestructible?
" Buffy asked. As the demon cleared the path to Willow Oz ran up to her. He tried to help her up, supporting her. She put her arms around his shoulders. He got her into Giles' bedroom and locked the door securely.
"I feel like we're abandoning them! What if they need us out there?
" Willow asked. He carried her to the bed.
"You'll be fine,
" he said, purposely ignoring her. She shook her head.
"I can't just sit here, Oz,
" she said.
"Let me look at your foot,
" he said.
"It's probably nothing. I probably just sprained it.
" He walked over and sat on the bed.
"You want to go back out there, then?
" he asked. He lifted her a little and positioned her on a pillow. They got close and he pulled away.
* * *
"Until next time,
" the demon said. He made his exit. Buffy had nearly had him, too.
"I despise the forces of darkness,
" Buffy said.
"Where are Willow and Oz?
" Xander asked.
"Oh God!
" Buffy said. Oz came out of a door from upstairs.
"She got her foot twisted. She'll be okay. Does anyone have anything we can wrap it in?
" Oz asked.
"I'm afraid not. Healing mystical ferries I can do, broken ankles are a whole other side of the Hellmouth,
" Giles said. Tara entered Giles' just as Oz had returned back to the room where Willow was.
"Tara, I'm afraid your timing's not ideal,
" Giles said.
* * *
"Thanks for trying, though,
" Willow was saying.
"I guess as soon as we can we'll have to get you to a hospital or something,
" Oz said.
"Can you come over here?
" Willow asked. He sat next to her on the bed.
"Can you lift me up so I can be sitting?
" she asked. He did. She embraced him while they were still holding each other. She pulled away this time. Then she leaned forward again, as did he. They kissed again, only longer. He pulled away.
"I'm sorry,
" Oz said.
"I don't think I am,
" Willow said, blankly.
"But I am a little confused, Oz. God, my whole day has been like this.
" Despite the fact that he shouldn't he hoped she meant what she had said at first.
