Oz watched as Buffy bounded into the library. 

She was happy, he realized, excited about something. Had something happened with Angel? He knew, from the nightly treks to the mansion and the snatches of overheard conversation between slayer and vampire, that Angel wasn’t adjusting well to being back from Hell. Oz couldn’t blame the guy, it must be hard to know and yet not know what happened. 

Taking a deep breath as unobtrusively as possible, Oz froze. 

She smelled like Angel. More so than usual. But…surely if he’d reverted to his demon, then Buffy would’ve realized it? Said something about it? If she was this happy, if the smile on her face – genuine and real for the first time since Oz knew her – was any indication, then...then what? 

“Buffy,” he said in greeting, wondering how to talk with her without arousing the suspicion of everyone else in the room. 

“Hey guys!” She called and set her purse on the table. “Is Faith here?” 

“No,” Giles said as he exited his office, a book in his hands. “How are you this morning?” 

Buffy beamed a smile at him. “Just fine,” she said and then tried to tone down her expression. “I found Lagos and the Glove. Killed Lagos,” actually Angel had but a kill was a kill, no matter whose column it was ticked in, “Have the glove. Is there someway we can destroy it?”

Angel told her of a way, something about breathing flames. Living flames…he was kissing her neck and Buffy was a bit distracted. Besides, if she somehow suddenly knew this way to destroy the glove, then suspicions would be aroused and her secret would be out. 

“Oh, really?” Giles asked, pleased. Maybe now that horrid woman would leave them be. “Yes, well, I’m working on a way to destroy it.” To demonstrate, he sat at the table and began to read the book he held. 

“Can I help?” Buffy asked, wondering how to look through the book Angel had told her about. 

Willow passed one of the books in her pile. “Have one of mine,” she chuckled, “I have more than enough.” 

Buffy nodded and sat next to her best friend. Oh, how she wanted to tell Willow of Angel. His return, their reconciliation, their night together. How there was no more curse. It was on the tip of her tongue, but she held herself back. Couldn’t tell her best friend, wasn’t sure how to. Wasn’t sure if it’d remain a secret if she did so. And that, more than anything, was why hurt Buffy the most. That nagging doubt. 

“What’s new, Will?” She asked instead, realizing that she hadn’t been spending nearly as much time with her friends as she should’ve. 

“School, work, research.” Willow paused and wondered if she should tell Buffy about she and Xander. No, that would be bad. Besides, was there a she and Xander? Willow didn’t know, she was so confused. Xander seemed to like her in that way now, want her, but what of Oz? 

“Things have been crazy,” Willow said by way of introduction. “I really need your advice.” 

“Sure,” Buffy whispered back, well aware of the looks Oz was shooting her way…and the fact that a werewolf’s sense of smell was highly developed. Oh, God, what was she going to say to him? He was going to ask, Buffy knew that as surely as she knew that she had no idea what to tell him. 

“After school?” Buffy asked, looking at Willow. When the other girl nodded, Buffy returned to her reading. She already knew which book it was in, and this wasn’t it. Glancing at the pile on the desk, she tried to read the spines, but they were facing Xander. 

“Xand,” she said to her friend across the table. When he looked up, eyes darting to Willow before landing on Buffy, the slayer frowned. What was going on there? “What are those other titles? This one isn’t helpful.” 

Obligingly he turned the books so she could see the titles. The book she needed – Finding the Lost Arts: How to Create and Maintain – was the third one down. Shrugging, Buffy placed her book in the discarded pile and reached for the top one. She couldn’t very well dig through, that was very un-Buffy like. 

“Giles,” she asked, eyes glued on the page she wasn’t reading. “What are we looking for, anyway?” 

“Anything that indicates it destroys something that can’t be destroyed,” he said from the end, not looking up. 

“That’s not helpful,” Buffy mumbled and Willow giggled beside her. 

“I told him that already,” she whispered.

Buffy looked through her book and watched the pile before her. Oz took the next one, then Xander reached for the next one, the one Buffy knew the spell to be in. She needed that book, but ten minuets later when Xander placed it in the discarded pile, Buffy froze. Had she remembered wrong? No, she didn’t think so…so then Xander clearly didn’t realize what the spell was for. 

“So, Buffy,” Willow ventured as Xander left for his first period class, Cordelia behind him. “You’re spending a lot of time with Faith.” 

“Yeah?” Buffy murmured. “I suppose so. But it makes the slaying easier. And I think she’s lonely.” 

Willow didn’t think so, but didn’t care enough about Faith to form an opinion. That was mean, but Willow couldn’t help it. She was jealous. “She thinks…” Willow started but couldn’t finish her sentence. She thinks you’re lonely. Instead she smoothly finished, “So, too.” 

“Good,” Buffy nodded. She needed to get to class, and wanted to do so before Oz had a chance to corner her. On the other hand, she needed to reread that book and ‘find’ the spell. 

Deliberately putting the book she’d just read in the ‘unread’ pile and grabbing Finding the Lost Arts: How to Create and Maintain, Buffy started to read. It took her no time to find the spell – that table of contents really helped out – and when she did, Buffy nudged Willow. 

“What’s this?” She asked. 

Willow looked over the spell and frowned. “Don’t know, but it sounds good.” Willow nodded, exited. “Giles! What does the Living Flame do?” 

“Living Flame?” He repeated, “It destroys…where did you find that, Willow?” She handed him the book and he looked through it. “Yes, I believe this will do nicely, well done.” 

Buffy stood and smiled at Willow. “I need to get to class, see you for lunch?” 

Willow nodded and went to help Giles gather ingredients. “Giles,” Buffy called him before he got too engrossed in the spell. Moving him a little away form everyone else, she said, “I have the glove. What do you want me to do with it?”

“Where is it?”

“In my basement,” she admitted, looking uncomfortable. It wasn’t, Angel had it for safekeeping until she got it from him later tonight. 

“Keep it there,” he advised, squeezing her shoulder. “Well come get it right before we do the spell.” Buffy nodded and turned to leave. “Buffy,” he called. When she turned back, he warned, “Don’t put it on, once on it can never be removed.” 

“Gotcha,” she grimaced and headed for class. 

She wasn’t so lucky. Oz had followed her. She knew it and ignored him, pretending not to have seen him. He raced to catch up with her and clamped a hand on her arm. Turning her to face him, he stared at her for a moment. 

“I haven’t told,” he said. 

Eyes big, Buffy stammered, “Told what?” She was such a bad liar sometimes. 

“About…” he paused and lowered his voice even more. “Angel.” 

“What about him?” She demanded. “He’s…gone.” 

“Buffy,” he sighed and pulled her off to the side as the dismissal bell rang for first period. “You can’t lie to me. I’ve known he was back since he got back. I can smell him all over you.” 

Tears welled in her eyes but Buffy refused to shed them; her heart froze in panic. “Why haven’t you said anything before?” 

“Wasn’t my business. No one else knows,” he added. “But what have you done?” 

“I couldn’t leave him, Oz,” she told him frantically as her eyes darted down the hallway. No one else could find out. “He didn’t understand anything, he was so lost! I couldn’t leave him. But no one would understand if I said something. I couldn’t tell them he was back; they’d never believe me that he wasn’t evil.” 

“I know,” he assured her and waited a moment as she gathered herself. “I told you I didn’t say anything. But what did you and Angel do last night?” 

Buffy stared at him for a moment. He knew, really knew. “He still has his soul, Oz,” she stressed. “Please, please don’t tell anyone. I know what you’re thinking, and he didn’t lose it. We…” she waited as the football team – what remained of them – passed by. “We made love, but he didn’t lose his soul. I don’t know why, but he’s still the same.” 

“I want to see him, Buffy,” Oz stressed. “I believe you, but I need to see for myself.” 

Hanging her head, Buffy nodded. “He has the Glove of Myhnegon, I need to get it from him before tonight.” 

“I’ll come with,” Oz nodded as they headed for their individual classes. 

“You won’t say anything?” 

“I haven’t so far. Said I wouldn’t.” 

“Why haven’t you?” Buffy wanted to know. 

“Everyone deserves to have their private life private. Before this morning, I figured you knew the consequences and wouldn’t do anything to endanger us.” 

“I do,” Buffy nodded sadly. “But you don’t understand. Even I don’t, not all of it. But Angel seems to and I trust him.” 

Oz said nothing for a moment. “You’re sure he had his soul when he returned?” 

“Yes,” Buffy nodded sadly. “I killed him…I sent him to hell and he had it, when he returned, when he came back, he did too.” 

“I’ll meet you after school then.”
~~~~~~~~~~
It wasn’t easy to get away. 

Faith wasn’t there, not yet, but Xander wanted to come, and Willow wondered why Oz had agreed to go with Buffy to get the glove. Giles just nodded when Buffy laughed and said she just wanted another supernatural being with her when she brought the glove from her house here. Before leaving, she asked Giles to call Faith and have her waiting at the school incase they ran into trouble. 

Walking as fast as they could, Buffy led Oz on a path that he seemed to know well. The mansion was dark, but she expected that. Angel was there, sitting on the couch with a frown on his face. Buffy immediately went to him, framing his face with her hands. 

“What’s wrong, baby?” She whispered, concerned.

“Who’s he?” 

“Oz?” Buffy looked over her shoulder and motioned for him to move closer. “Do you remember Oz?” She shook her head, “No, maybe you wouldn’t. He’s a werewolf, Angel. He’s dating Willow. And he knows you’re back.” 

“Willow,” Angel’s eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared, “Redhead.” Buffy nodded and Angel stood, pulling her closer in a possessive move. “Why is he here?” 

Oz stared at the vampire. His wolf wasn’t doing anything, wasn’t raging, wasn’t urging him to fight, wasn’t even howling, and he took that as a good sign. He’d followed Buffy enough times to know the scent and appearance of Angel, maybe that was the reason the wolf wasn’t angry. Two predators in the same room – three with Buffy – and everything seemed okay. So far. 

“Came to get the glove,” Oz nodded to the table behind the couch. “That it?” 

Angel nodded slowly, eyes on Oz, hand tightening around Buffy’s waist. He didn’t sense a threat from Oz, so let him move to the table. Buffy leaned into his chest, stretching on tiptoes to kiss him. He smiled down at her and ran a hand through her hair. Mine. 

“You can…” he paused, waited. “Destroy the glove?” 

Buffy nodded, “Found the spell you said, Giles and Willow are working on it now. We’re going to take this there,” she said as Oz picked up the glove, careful not to touch the actual metal spike-parts. 

“Where?”

“School,” she said and kissed him again. “We can’t stay long; I said it was at my house and we have to get to the school with this. I’ll be back later,” she promised and nodded to Oz to leave. “Love you,” she whispered, kissing him once more. 

Angel watched them leave and growled. He felt hopeless, sitting there, unable to do much. He was stronger now, his strength was returning more every day. The blood Buffy fed him wasn’t the best – what kinds of drugs did people give their livestock these days? – but he was better. His coordination was better, too, though Buffy still bested him on a regular basis. 

It was better that way, Angel admitted. If she couldn’t beat him, than she was always in danger and that was unacceptable. Still, he’d like to win once. Maybe he’d practice tonight, do something to relieve the tension winding up his spine. He was worried for Buffy but couldn’t do anything for at least another two hours. The sun was still shining brightly in the sky. 

He started with the Tai Chi movements he was teaching his lover, slowly centering his mind and body, finding the weaknesses, working on those, finding the strengths and making sure they weren’t wasted. 

But a small part of his mind was always on Buffy.
~~~~~~~~~~
They cut across the grounds, looking for Faith and anyone or anything else that was there. 

“Well?” Buffy finally asked, unable to stand the silence any longer. 

Oz hadn’t said anything since they left the mansion and Buffy wanted to know what he was going to do next. Tell? Continue to keep her secret? Something in the middle? The suspense was killing her and she needed to know before they met up with the others. 

“He wasn’t trying to kill me,” he conceded. “And he seemed over protective of you.” 

“He’s always like that,” Buffy smiled. “Even before…everything. I’m not sure if it’s a vampire thing or just an Angel thing, but he gets jealous when I’m not with him.” 

“Endearing,” Oz granted and offered her a small smile. “But are you sure…?” 

“About his soul?” Buffy asked, “Yes. About his mind? Yes. I know I can bring him back. I love him and he loves me and I know that I can bring him all the way back.” She was confident in that because she refused to accept failure in anything Angel-related. “You didn’t see him before, Oz, he was…so primal, like those Neanderthals you read about in science class.” 

“Has he…tried to hurt you?” He had to ask. Oz doubted Angel had, but if he was going to continue to keep this a secret, especially with the new revelation of this morning, then he needed to know everything. 

“Of course not!” Buffy replied indignantly. “Angel would never hurt me.” 

“He did.” 

“That wasn’t Angel,” she insisted as Faith came into view. Her sister slayer was scowling and Buffy immediately saw why. “Oh, look, it’s the other watcher. How’d she find out?” 

Oz just shook his head as they met up with the other two. “Hey,” he nodded to Faith. 

“Oz,” she nodded back, eyes holding Buffy’s. “Hey, B, look who decided she wanted to be involved.” It was obvious that Faith didn’t like Gwendolyn Post one bit and Buffy couldn’t blame her. The blonde offered Faith a conspiracy smile and Post a scowl. 

“I’m guessing that you finally decided to help out?” Buffy asked to the snort of laughter from Faith. “How very nice of you.” 

“Is that the glove?” Post asked, her eyes never leaving the bundle in Oz’s arms. “May I see it?” 

Oz shook his head, wary. “Uh, why don’t we get it inside, first?” There was something about the new watcher that Oz didn’t trust, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. And what was that she was holding behind her back? 

A gun, Oz stared at it dumbly as Post whipped it from behind her back and shot him. Ow! Damn it, that was the second time in less than a year that he’d been shot! Falling to the ground as the bullet tore through his right shoulder, Oz dropped the Glove of Myhnegon.
Faith whirled to look at her watcher, staring at her in disbelief, she was a moment too slow when Post dove for the Glove and quickly unwrapped it. Buffy shouted something and jumped at the watcher, knocking her back; Post retained her grip on the Glove and managed to put it on before Faith made it the few steps separating them. 

She was too late. 

Post was holding the glove in her left hand and she quickly slid her right arm into the it. Making a fist with the clawed fingers, she smiled. It wasn’t a sane smile. The metal claws surrounding the glove’s edges closed, puncturing her arm one at a time until all ten were permanently embedded in her flesh. That thing wasn’t coming off. The smile never leaving her face, excited, feverish, and downright crazy, Post didn’t seem to notice that her forearm was bleeding and the glove wasn’t moving. Raising her arm above her, toward the open sky, she prepared to make the glove’s powers hers. 

“Taou huogan maqachte milegaing!” 

The sky lightened, and a bolt of lightening crackled around Post, thunder booming in the immediate vicinity. Buffy stopped from her place by Oz, ready to attack Post again and looked at Faith who was standing a mere foot away, staring at her watcher. Post was breathing excitedly, waiting for something. What? What the hell was she waiting for? 

Before Faith had a chance to either attack or…well, ask, Lightening struck again, a sizzle along the ground. Post was staring at the sky, laughing in that crazed way they’d never noticed before. 

“What’s going on?” Faith demanded, “What the hell is going on?” 

Post looked at ‘her’ slayer and smirked, lowering lowers her gloved arm “Faith, my dear! A word of advice: you’re an idiot.” 

Faith and Buffy both looked at her in disbelief as they realized just what happened. They’d been played, they’d both been played! Raising her arm to the sky as the two slayers and wounded werewolf stared on in disbelief, Post shouted, “Tauo freim!” 

Buffy jumped out of the way just as a bolt of blue lightening sapped her way. In the distance, she heard everyone else, Giles, Willow, Xander, and Cordelia race out of the library. “Get back!” She shouted as she rolled to a stand. “Faith,” she shouted to the other slayer, “Draw her fire!” 

Post heard, how could she not, but evidently didn’t care; as far as she was concerned, she had all the power, the Glove was hers and she controlled it. “Please,” she scoffed as she aimed and fired at Faith. “There’s nothing you can do to me now!”

The blast missed Faith, she jumped to the left at the last minute and avoided the fire that now raged across the school grounds. They were weaponless and both slayers realized that. Well, they both held stakes, so maybe that’d work. Faith rolled up and started to run again, determined to stay out of Post’s blasting range. She grabbed the stake from her waistband and tossed it to Buffy was sneaking up on the watcher. 

“I have the glove,” Post laughed as she turned to Buffy. “With the glove comes the power.” 

Catching the stake, Buffy smiled just Post aimed at her. “No, I have the power.” Throwing the stake Faith had tossed her Buffy aired for Post’s arm, hoping the pointed end was enough to pierce something, cut something, do something to the Glove. It didn’t sever her arm, but Buffy wasn’t exactly expecting it to. Hoping but not expecting. Whatever happened, it was enough. 

Post screamed as the stake drove itself through her arm, piercing whatever connection the Glove had with the woman who wore it. The lightening that was gathering for her new barrage against Buffy centered, focused, but not on the blonde slayer. The lightening, no longer having a conduit to fire through, struck down on Post as she writhed and screamed in pain. Moments later, with one final bright blast, what was left of Gwendolyn Post vanished in a flash of light and energy. 

A few small arcs of electricity sizzle around the Glove, now lying on the singed grass. There was no arm inside it, no trace of the watcher – or whoever she was. Faith and Buffy walked closer, cautious as they searched for signs of the woman. Nothing. There was nothing there. 

“Uh,” Faith wondered looking around. “Where’d she go?” 

“Glove must have got her,” Buffy said with a shrug. Looking into the trees that lined the eastern edge of the campus, she spotted Angel. He was in his game face and seething. Angry over what almost happened to her and Buffy wished that she could somehow go to him, reassure him. But she couldn’t, there was no way. Not without letting everyone gathered here – and they were all here – know he was back. 

Buffy wasn’t ready to reveal that yet, not when she know how much resentment they all still felt towards Angel. She smiled at him, calming her breathing and her racing heart. If he didn’t sense she was in danger, then he’d leave – hopefully – and she could explain later. 

“Oz,” Willow said and Buffy turned to see her friend holding her boyfriend, trying to stop the blood. 

“I called the ambulance,” Cordelia said as she held her cell phone up to show how. “They should be here soon.”

In the far distance, they heard the sirens and Giles shook his head as if coming out of a trance. “We’d best get this glove inside,” he said but did nothing to touch it. “Don’t want the police asking questions.”

“They wouldn’t believe us anyway,” Xander shook his head. 

Buffy and Faith nodded, but picked up the Glove anyway, holding it between them as if it was a dead body. Not a stretch, but neither wanted to think on that. “This is gross,” Faith whispered to her sister slayer and all Buffy could do was nod. 

“Where’d the psycho watcher come from?” Buffy wanted to know. “Was she even a watcher?” 

“Who knows,” Faith mumbled as they tossed the glove into the library from the opened doors. No sense in taking chances. “Just be glad she’s gone.” 

“Definitely,” Buffy agreed as they walked back to where Oz was. 

“He’s shot!” Willow said in disbelief. “Are you okay, Oz?” 

“I can’t believe she shot me. Is that in the watcher’s handbook? Ow, ow, okay ouch!” He muttered as the EMTs raced across the field. “Why does this always happen to me?” 

“It’s the company you keep,” Faith smirked.
~~~~~~~~~~
“Oz is fine,” Buffy told Angel later that night as they lay in bed together. “Gwendolyn Post is a lousy shot.” 

“You’re okay?” It was the third time he’d asked her that. He still wasn’t convinced, berating himself over not having been with her when this happened. He needed to protect her; he couldn’t let anything happen to her. But if she insisted – and Buffy did – that no one could know of them, then how was he to do that? 

“I need to help,” he told her, his voice a low rumble. “I can’t…stay here and not…you’re in danger. I need to help you.” 

She knew that, Buffy did. But she couldn’t risk anyone finding him. She didn’t want to take that chance, if they discovered he was back, they wouldn’t understand and they’d follow her around and they’d never have a moment together. And on a non-selfish note, they’d never trust her again. They wouldn’t understand that Angel wasn’t Angelus and that he wouldn’t do anything to harm them. 

“Maybe soon,” she whispered from her position in his arms. “But…it’s not,” she assured him, “That I don’t want them to know you’re here, but I don’t want them to, well,” she wasn’t entirely sure of her reasoning. She knew why – they wouldn’t believe her – but Angel, she didn’t want him to know that. 

He was a little possessive of her and careful of her feelings, and he might not comprehend the whatever it was she was trying to do. what was she trying to do? 

Buffy wasn’t sure, all she knew was that Oz wasn’t going to say anything about Angel, she had his promise. Angel wasn’t going to do anything that would endanger his relationship with Buffy and that included letting her friends know of his reappearance in her life. Not that it was an endangerment, but Buffy didn’t want it, not yet…not until she could figure out a way to tell them without them trying to, well…kill Angel. 

All the balls of her life were still in the air, juggling around her with increased motion. They were getting harder to handle. 

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