"A Guy, A Girl, and A Really Big Werewolf"
'This isn't fair' thought the young red haired girl as she looked up from her physics book. 'Why am I here studying and everyone else is out having fun' As in answer to her thoughts the caged best growled and then howled at her. "Oh ya. There is the watching you fact but I could use some off time. Not that I mind watching you it's just that, well..."
"...All work and no play make Willow one grumpy witch." Said Xander with a big smile as he walked over to her.
"Hey Xander. Why are you back so soon? You didn't get Cordelia mad at you again did you? She just stopped yelling at you for the time you made a comment about her dress at the dance" Cried Willow looking at him accusingly. "Alexander LaVelle Harris what did you do this time?"
"Will, relax. Nothing happened. I just started thinking about you and how you were all alone with Oz man and how you were studying and-" Started Xander.
"And how you didn't do your homework?" Asked Willow raising an eyebrow and a smile creeping up her lips.
Raising his hands up in defeat said, "You got me. Never could pull one over on you, could I?"
Walking away from him she called over her back "Come on. I'll help you understand all those numbers and stuff"
Grabbing his book that he had left on the desk he followed Willow over to one of the many empty tables. About twenty minuets later the pair was laughing and doing nothing that had to do with math.
"It's been awhile hasn't it?" Asked Willow.
"What do you mean? What's been a while?" Replied Xander looking a bit confused.
"Nothing. It's nothing really. OK it is something but it's kind of stupid and you'll laugh" Said Willow looking away from him.
Placing a hand on her shoulder he told her "How long have we been friends? I've told you things that should make me look like the biggest dork in the world. Believe me. Nothing you say could ever make me think that you're stupid. So spill."
"Promise?" She asked looking at him pleadingly.
"I promise. Cross my heart and hope to die" Said Xander crossing his heart.
She got up and walked towards the book cage but not close enough to disturb the now sleeping werewolf. "OK. It's about Oz." She began.
"What about Oz?" He asked looking over towards his best friend.
"Don't talk yet. It's hard enough for me to ask you about this and if you interrupt me I am just going to not be able to talk about this and then I am going to be confused again. Not that I probably wont be confused after we talk but maybe I will figure it out a little better." Noticing she was babbling she stopped to take a breath.
"Alright then-" He started to say until Willow cut him off.
"Shhh. Not until I'm done." She told him holding up a hand. After he made a zippering motion over his lips she continued. "OK. I've noticed that over the past few months that things have changed. Between Oz and me I mean. Well, things have gotten, well, how can I put this. Complicated." She said. All the while averting her eyes from his.
At the last part his eyes went wide saying. "Will. You don't mean that you and Oz have. I mean you couldn't have. Did you?"
"What? NO! I mean not yet. But that's what I wanted to talk about." She started blushing as she said it.
"You mean you've been thinking about it?" He asked he.
"Well, yeah. I mean I have been thinking about...it. I love Oz and we have been together for a while. Your going to tell me you don't think about it? With Cordelia I mean. Not Oz." She said.
"Yeah I do. But there is a huge difference between me wanting it and you wanting it." He told her looking for something to keep his eyes on. At this moment it was hard to look his friend straight in the face.
"And that would be what? The fact that you're a boy and I'm a girl?" She asked turning a little less red and a little angrier at Xander's sexist comment.
"Well, yeah." He said sheepishly.
"Sigh" She felt tired all of a sudden. "I knew that this was a bad idea." She turned away from him heading towards Giles office. She thought that some tea might help calm her and clear her head.
Xander followed her trying to get her to talk more. "I'm sorry. It didn't sound the way I meant it. What I meant is that you usually don't think like that."
"Why? Because I'm a nice little Jewish girl and too book wormish to think like that? Is that it? Well I hate to disappoint everybody but I am human. And my body has...needs and...wants...and stuff." After satisfied that she was now the color of a fire truck she walk/ran over to fill the teakettle with water.
"Wait. Go back over that. Wants? Needs? When did all this happen?" Xander asked a little louder then he meant to.
The werewolf in the book cage growled and crashed into the door trying to get out.
"Keep your voice down. It upsets him when he hears loud noises." She walked past Xander heading to her now upset werewolf/boyfriend. "These needs have always been with me. I just never...had someone to share these needs with."
"So let me get this straight. You and Oz have been having sex!" He said the last word at a whisper.
Blushing she slapped him on the arm she yelled at him. "NO! Well...not yet. I mean I don't know if not yet. I wouldn't mind it but Oz moves so...slow."
"Go-good. Slow is good. S-slow is very good. In fact I-I-I think you should move slower. By the way, what do you mean by slow? How slow are we talking here?" Stammered Xander.
"Oh Xander" She said playfully punching him. "I know taking it slow is good but a women has needs gosh darn it." She told him as she walked back over to the table. "And even though you never noticed, I happen to be a women now" She said under her breath. She then looked over to the clock on the wall. "Look. It's 2:30. Giles said he would be here around now to watch over Oz while I went home and slept. So why don't we continue this tomorrow, OK?"
"All right. That would be good. We can get some sleep. Think about all of this and hopefully by then I will understand what happened to the real Willow." He jokingly said.
"Can you give me a ride? Oz said that if we needed it we could use his van. Even though it's only a few blocks I don't feel much like walking." She asked him while getting together her books.
"You mean I get to drive and it's not just Giles old Citron? I'll go anywhere you want me to. Can I drive it to school and make fun of all the kids that are walking?" He said with excitement in his voice.
"Only if you're a good boy." She said jokingly. "Oz said that he didn't need it till this afternoon. He isn't gonna need it tonight because of, well, you know, his being a wolf and all. I'm pretty sure he won't mind you using it. As long as you fill it up and not use it for you and Cordy's new love nest."
"Hey. Me and Cordelia don't need some spacious van that can take us to places where prying eyes can't see." He looked at her after saying it. The expression on her face told him that she didn't believe him. "OK. OK. I promise me and Cordelia won't use the van for making out."
"Good. Because the last thing I need is to think about you and her getting all smoochy in the van where I should be getting smooches." She said.
"Hello Willow. Xander. I apologize for taking so long. My car seems too decided to brake down on me at the most dreadful of times." Giles said as he hurried in through the doors of the library.
"If your car didn't brake down on a daily basis I would get worried." Said Xander as he got up and stretched before getting the keys of the table.
"He's been pretty quite tonight. I don't think he'll give you any trouble." Willow told Giles. She then walked over to the cage and whispered something to Oz that made him jump up at her. Willow fell backwards as the werewolf leapt at her and hit the cage door. "Ow." She got up and grabbed her jacket and books trying to leave in a hurry. "Night Giles." She said as she hurried past him.
Giles and Xander just looked at each other wondering what had happened to make Oz jump at her like that. Xander just shrugged and picked up his stuff. "See ya G-man." Xander called over his back as he left.
"Hmm? Yes, well, goodnight" Giles called back.
Just as the pair left Oz howled and tried to break free of the cage again.
"I do hope that you don't plan on doing that all night." Was all Giles said before he went on to going through some books that had just got in. Never noticing that the werewolf was once again testing the stability of the cage doors. Or that he had found a weakness.
After Xander dropped off Willow he drove around for a while. He thought about going back to the Bronze to see if the girls where there but he then remembered that it was 2:30 in the morning and that they had all gone home by now. He didn't feel like going home though, not that he ever felt like going home but this was different. He needed time and a place to think.
He felt like he had gotten hit with a sludge hammer. It wasn't so much the fact that Willow had these thoughts but more along the lines that she was having these thoughts about Oz. 'No. I will not think about her that way. She's my best friend. Besides. I have Cordelia and she has Oz.' He drove through the empty streets and came up on his street. He decided to head home considering that he would need some sleep in order to make it through the day.
He parked it and headed in noticing how quite everything was. He turned on the light and looked around. He saw that the liquor cabinet was opened and that there was an empty bottle of Jack Daniels lying on its side on the floor. He went over, picked it up and put it in the garbage. He went upstairs to his room trying his hardest not to make a sound as to not wake up his parents from their drunken sleep. He plopped on his bed without bothering to even change. His mind was just to clutter to sleep so he laid there thinking about everything.
'Why can't I be happy? I have a good life now. Wait. Scratch that. I have a very good life now; if you don't count the fact that my life is in danger on a nightly basis. I have a girlfriend, people that would die for me and I'm actually going to graduate this year. So why can't I be happy?' he thought to himself as he looked out his window.
'I'll tell you why. It's because you're in love with your best friend and you only noticed it when she is happy with someone else. That's why your not happy.' He then rolled over and his eye caught a picture that he must have looked at a thousand times by now. It was the one with him, Willow and Jesse. He picked it up and looked at it. Running his fingers over the glass and remembered when it had been taken. It was a few weeks after they had entered high school. They pretty much knew there place there but didn't care. They had each other and they where happy.
He placed the photo down and picked up the one next to it. This one was of him, Willow and Buffy. Buffy was great and all but she couldn't replace Jesse. It was still hard to think about the fact that Jesse was gone. Although no one had known it he and Willow had both taken it really hard. It was bad enough to realize that your best friend is dead but then to find out that he is a blood-sucking creature of the night and you've been living on to of the mouth of hell, well, it was hard to take in. He remembered that he and Willow had talked for what seemed like forever about what had happened. As he looked back on the past he slowly fell asleep. Just like his thought, his dreams drifted towards Willow.
'Stupid Xander. I tried talking to him and see where it got me. Nowhere. Now he thinks that I want to sleep with Oz! God what was I thinking. I was only trying to hint to him about...before Oz. How I felt, and feel, for him.' Willow thought to herself. She couldn't believe herself. Once again she was spending her night lying in bed thinking about Xander and Oz. She loved Oz. She really did but when she thought of Xander her heart still skipped a beat at the even slimmer of a chance that he might be even remotely interested in her. 'Stupid Xander' She thought again. If only he could have noticed the way she looked at him.
She got up and walked over to her window. She remembered once when Xander and Jesse had threw pebbles at her window to get her attention. She had gotten mad at them for making fun of her when they found out she had a crush on there teacher. She was 10 and he was smart. He was the first person who told her that it was OK to be smart.
She had only told Xander and Jesse because they told each other everything. She laughed as she remembered Jesse's mom coming over and yelling at the two of them for sneaking out of the house in the middle of the night. After that it had become almost a weekly ritual. The two of them would come over and throw pebbles at her window till she would come down and let them in. They would only stay for about ten minuets and it was only nine at night but to them it was the crime of the century.
When they got to high school they had stopped. That is until Jesse had died. She remembers sitting at her computer and just staring at the screen until she heard this tiny 'tink' at the window. She jumped about five feet in the air and it took her about ten minutes to go to the window and look outside. She thought that she was going to come face-to-face with some hideous monster. But was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was only Xander. She rushed down stair's to let him in before something got a hold of him. That was when they had talked about everything. About Jesse dieing, about Buffy being the Slayer, about living on the Hellmouth, everything.
That's what she had tried to do tonight with Xander. She wanted what they had back. She wanted her best friend back. She wanted to be able to talk to him about everything. Whether it was about vampires or demons or the toupee that Mr. Starks was trying to pass off as his real hair.
She went back to her bed and lay down. As she slept she promised herself that she would try to talk to Xander tomorrow. She would just tell him that it was about the 'thing' they were talking about tonight. 'Yeah. That's sure to get him to talk. Anything to protect his innocent little Willow.' She thought with a smile. Just like her thoughts, her dreams drifted towards Xander.
Willow looked up at the clock on the library wall. '9:14. He's late.' She looked over at Oz and frowned. She hated looking at him like this. Sure it's what made Oz Oz but it still frightened her to think that if he got loose he could, and most likely would, kill her. She knew that if he was in his right mind he wouldn't but the thing is that he doesn't control the werewolf when he becomes it. It controls him. He growled at her and hit his head on a part of the cage door. Despite the distance between them she jumped back.
She decided to make herself some tea and go over her plan once again. She had told Xander to meet her in the Library at 9 so she could talk to him about the 'thing'. But now he was late and she was losing her nerve. 'Stay strong girl' She thought. 'You've talked to Xander about lots of things. This isn't any different.' But it was different. For some reason she thought that after tonight nothing would be the same. For better or worse things would change. 'Please let it be for the better' She pleaded silently.
Xander checked himself in his reflection of the display case in the school hallway. He brushed back his hair with his hands and tried to straighten it as best he could. 'Why am I so nervous? This is Willow for Christ sakes. My best bud. The Willster.' He thought. "So then why are you so damn nervous?"
He got up and headed for the Library. Before he went in he saw Willow through the window. She was staring at Oz and looked troubled. She suddenly got up and disappeared into Giles office. That's when he was about to go in when he suddenly got very nervous and chickened out. He just stayed there watching as she exited the office with a cup of tea and went over to the computer. He watched for about 15 minutes as she sat there typing at the computer. She looked so beautiful right now. He hair was partially in her face and she had on this cute little black T-shirt with see through sleeves along with a pair of black jeans. A very un-Willow type outfit. "OK. Evil thoughts. Come on Xander your turning into one of those voyeuristic people you hear about on the news." He told himself. "Time to face the firing squad" With that he pushed open the door and tried to look as laid back as he could. He just prayed that he didn't look as stupid as he thought he did.
"Xander! Where have you been?" She asked as Xander walked into the room. "Are you OK?"
"What do you mean?" He asked as he wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans.
"Well your walking like your hurt. Are you? Did something happen? We can call Buffy if something did happen. She said if we needed anything to call. Do you want me to call?" She stopped herself once she noticed that she was babbling and turned her head towards the computer screen in hopes of hiding her now apple red face.
"Umm...nope. All fine here. Couldn't be better." He lied to both her and himself. He shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned up against the wall.
'What's wrong with me?' Willow thought. 'I should just come out and tell him what's going on.' They both looked as once again Oz ran and attacked the same spot on the book cage.
"What's with him? I thought you gave him his biscuit for the night?" He asked her. Making lame attempt to lighten the mood.
"I don't know. Giles said that after we left last night he was going crazy. Giles said that he thought he was going to have to hit him with a tranquilizer." She said ignoring Xander's joke.
"Oh. Giles did leave the gun here, right?" He asked her looking a bit nervous.
"Yep. Right where it always is. But we shouldn't have to use it. That is unless he gets out. Which we probable wouldn't be ready for so we'll most likely be dead-" She said.
"In which case we wouldn't have to worry." He said finishing her sentence. "I'm gonna go get the gun now. OK?" He didn't wait for a response as he went over towards Giles desk.
'OK. Just go ahead and spit it out.' She thought. "Xander?"
"Yeah Will's?" He said as he loaded the gun with the dart.
"OK. Look. We need to talk. Well we don't need to talk but I want to talk. And I think it would be good for us. If we talk. Can we talk?" She asked sheepishly.
"Good because I want to talk to you too." He said. Just as he got the last word out the heard the sound of metal straining to the breaking point.
"What was that?" They both said in unison. They turned just in time to see the werewolf burst through the book cage. He didn't waste one minuet but instead of running towards the two he ran towards the doors and out of them. The two of them just stood in disbelief.
"Um uh. Wh-what just ha-happened?" Said Xander after the shock of what just happened lifted a little.
"Oh my God! Oz! Quick go see if he's still in the school. I'll call Buffy and Giles." Cried Willow as she grabbed the phone off the receiver. Xander just stood still in shock. "Xander! Go! NOW!" She yelled at him.
"Yes. Going." He called as he ran out the door. Tranquilizer gun in hand.
Willow quickly dialed Buffy's number. She was glad that she answered the phone instead of Joyce. She filled Buffy in on what had happened and she promised to stay until Buffy got there. She then hung up the phone and dialed Giles's number. 'Where is Xander?' She thought. It took about six rings before Giles answered the phone and when he did he sounded bit upset.
An annoyed "Hello?" came through the phone.
"Hello? Giles? It's me. Willow." She told him.
"Ah yes. Willow. Is everything all right? You sound strained." He asked her.
"Well actually everything is not all right." She told him. Then she continued to explain to him what had happened.
"Dear God. I'll be over there as soon as I can. But Willow listen to me. I want you to stay put until I get there. Tell Buffy the same thing." Giles told her and then hung up the phone.
'Where is he. He should be back by now.' She thought to herself. She all of a sudden noticed how quite it was in the Library. Eerie quite. The only noise she heard was the ticking of the clock and that was being drowned out by her heart, which was now beating heavily.
A million thoughts where going through her head at once. Where was Oz? What had happened? Where was Xander? What if Xander had found Oz? What if Oz had eaten Xander? She was so worried that she didn't even notice when Xander and Buffy come running through the doors.
"Willow? Are you OK? Has Oz come back?" Buffy asked Willow while she comforted her with a hug.
"No. H-he just ran out of here. Almost like he knew we had the gun. Which we did, have the gun I mean, but he never knew that it could hurt him before." Willow managed to choke out before the tears started to run down her cheeks.
"I checked all over the school. No sign of him." Said Xander.
"Buffy what are we going to do? If Oz hurt or kills somebody he'll never forgive himself. And what if someone kills him when he likes this? I can't..." She cried out between sobs.
"Will. It's all right. We'll find." She told her then turned to Xander. "Xander. I want you to go call Giles and tell him what happened. Where gonna need his help in finding him before sun up." He turned to grab the phone when Giles walked in.
"WOW. That was fast. Ever think of delivering pizza?" Xander said.
"Is everyone alright? I came as soon as Willow called me." Giles said. Ignoring Xander's comment.
"That's my girl Will. Always thinking." Buffy said smiling at Willow.
She gave a weak smile back and then wiped her now red eyes. "So what's the plan?" She asked.
"I would say that we split up, locate Oz and take him down." Giles said. Then, after noticing the terror filled look in Willows eyes, he revised what he said. "What I mean is knock him out and bring him back here before he injures either himself or someone else."
"I could have even come up with that one." Said Xander.
"Xander. Now is not really the time." Buffy told him. "So how do we work this? I see one gun and four of us. I might not be that good at math but even I know that doesn't add up." She said to Giles.
"Well, Xander and I will take the gun and drive around while you-" Giles started but was cut off by Willow.
"No. I'm going." She stated firmly.
"Willow are you sure? I mean are you going to be alright?" Asked Giles.
"Yep. I have my resolve face on so don't even try fighting with me." She told them all.
"Alright. Then Will, why don't you come with me. We can take Oz's van and Buffy and Giles can take his car." Xander said.
"Are you sure walking wouldn't be faster?" Buffy joked as they got up and rushed out of the Library.
Willow was staring off into space out the window. She couldn't focus her thoughts on anything. She thought she would be more help in finding him considering that she and Oz where so close. But she wasn't doing anything other then sitting there. 'I just wish I knew that he was OK. Not that he can't take care of himself when he is like this but...' She didn't want to finish her thought. She knew what Oz was right now but it didn't matter. 'No matter what he does he'll always be my Xand...Oz! Oz! He will always be my Oz! Why did I just think Xander? It's Oz I love...in that way I mean. Not Xander. I love Xander of course, just not like that. Even when he smiles at me or makes that goofy face or when he looks at me with those brown puppy dog eyes.' She suddenly found herself getting very red so she rolled down the window in hopes of cooling herself down.
"You OK Will's? You're looking a bit funny. Anything I can do?" Asked Xander.
"No. I'm just worried, you know? About Oz and all." She told him. "Once we find him I'm sure I'll be fine.
He reached over and gave her hand a squeeze. "I'm sure we'll find him. In fact I bet you that Buffy has him already and there just waiting for us to show up." He said trying to comfort her.
"You think so?" She asked looking at him pleadingly.
"Positive. Plus it's almost sunrise. If in two minutes we don't find, big if mind you, he'll be back to his old naked Oz self in an hour." He glanced over and saw Willow giggle at the thought.
Xander looked over and saw that Willow was still giggling. 'God she looks good when she laughs.' He thought to himself. He could never stand to see her sad. He always tried to do something to make her happy again or at least smile. At the Bronze once he even went to the middle of the dance floor a continued to make a fool of himself by doing what he liked to call dancing.
He glanced down at the clock. 5:34. Just a little under an hour and Oz will be normal again. They had been driving around all night with no luck. They had gotten in touch with Giles three times only to hear the same thing. It was odd. You would think that a werewolf would be easier to find. With all the screaming and corpses and all.
After about fifteen minutes of silence he decided to talk to Willow. "So what were you going to talk to me about tonight? You know, that big important thing that couldn't be spoken in front of other people?" Willow just bit the bottom of her lip and continued to stare out the window. "Hello? Willow? Are you in there?"
"Huh? What happened?" She asked. Clearly not hearing what he had said.
"I was just asking what you wanted to talk to me about tonight." He said.
"Oh. That. It...it was nothing." She lied.
"Come on. Don't hand me that. I've known you for how many years Willow. I think I can tell by now when something's wrong. Spill." He said.
She thought about it for a moment. There didn't seem that she had much to lose from talking to him about it right now. At lest he couldn't walk off and she didn't have to look into his eyes. So she went for it. "Well lately I've just felt, sell, that we've grown apart. You and me I mean. You've been spending so much time with Cordelia and me with Oz that we just haven't been there. For each other. Like we used to. Am I sounding like a complete spaze right now?"
"No. Not at all. Not the slightest bit of spazticity anywhere." He told her. "I know what you mean. Things haven't been the easiest for any of us. I mean with Buffy running off and before that with Angelus...it just out strain on all of us. You and Oz got closer while me and Cordelia did...did what ever it is we do." He said.
"I know. It's been really hard but we shouldn't have grown apart like we did." She said.
"Hey. I would like to think that were still the same. Exactly the same but with one minor difference. We both talk to different people about things now." He explained.
"But I don't want to talk to someone else. I want to talk to you. Xander I've always want to talk to you no matter what." She said.
"Will. You know that you'll always be able to talk to me. I'll always be here for you. If anything you'll be the one going places and leaving me." He told her.
"Stop with that. You'll go places and see lots of things and forget all about me." She said quietly.
"Where is that coming from?!?" He cried. "No matter what I could never, will never forget about you. Do you understand me?"
"Well it's just that-XANDER LOOK!" She cried and pointed out the window.
Xander looked out the window to see what she was pointing at and what saw made him stop the car. Right in front of them was Oz just walking in the middle of street. Only he was in werewolf form. Oz then looked up and saw them and growled ferociously before turning and running away from them.
"Xander follow him!" Shouted Willow.
"Already on it." He told her and then slammed his foot on the gas. He didn't want to go to fast because they just wanted to follow him. Willow was on the wrong side to shoot him with the tranquilizer and he couldn't stop steering because Oz kept making sharp turns. "Willow! I want you to lean over me and try to get a shot at him. Can you?" He asked her.
"I can try." She said. Then she grabbed the gun and leaned over Xander's lap and stuck both her head and the gun out the window. She tried getting a clear shot but both Oz and the van where moving from side to side to fast. As she moved back into her seat she noticed for a split second the closeness that was between her and Xander and she blushed despite herself. "No good. Where just moving around to much." She told him.
"Any other ideas? I'm open to any suggestions." He said half jokingly.
"What about cornering him? Then we could hit him with the dart, right?" She offered.
"I don't know what's worse. Cornering a blood thirsty werewolf or that being our only option." He said mostly to himself. He then drove faster until he was right up on the werewolf.
"Be careful. You don't want to hit him." Willow told him.
"I'm not going to hit him. I just want to get close enough to him to-Hey! Where'd he go?" He said. Xander then slowed down the car till they almost stopped. "Did you see where he went?"
"I think he went to the left." She said pointing in that direction. They both sat there looking all over. They jumped when they heard a thud on the roof of van.
"I think we found or missing werewolf." Xander said. Then jumped into the back of the van, grabbed Willow and dragged her back there. "I think we should be safe as long as we can stay away from him till sunrise." Xander then noticed how close the two of them where right now. He could smell the perfume on her. So he quickly moved over and grabbed the gun from up front just in time to see Oz jump onto the hood and hit the windshield. Xander jumped back till he hit the back doors.
"Were going to die, were going to die, were going to die." Was all Willow was saying as she quickly huddled up next to Xander. She tried to remember some kind of spell that could protect them but the only thing going through her mind was that Oz was going to eat both of them.
"No we're not." He told her. Then he raised the gun and fired a shot directly at Oz's chest. The only problem was that there was still glass in between Oz and the dart. The dart bounced off the windshield and landed on the floor. "Damn it. Can't anything ever work?"
"Xander! Push the gas! Put the car in reverse and drive." She told him.
"Are you nut's? He'll kill us before we even get up there." He said.
"Well guess what. He's going to kill us if we sit here and do nothing too. So get up there and drive." She nearly screamed at him.
He looked down at Willow and saw the terrified look on her face. He knew she didn't want to hurt Oz but he also knew she didn't want to die. "Aw screw it." He said before launching himself into the drivers seat. He Put the car in reverse and floored it. Oz went backwards a little but stayed where he was. Once he got his bearings he renewed his assault on the windshield.
Xander glanced down at the clock. 'Just a few more minutes and this will all be over.' Is what he kept telling himself until the windshield flew in at him and a hairy paw tried to use his face for a scratching post. Then all he could think of where a few curse words he never said in his life. He quickly shifted into drive and the car lurched forward. This only seemed to anger Oz and after he regained balance again he tried to get at Xander, again.
Xander steered as best he could as to find a nice, but not to soft place, to "drop" Oz off. When the werewolf got to close though Xander slammed his foot on the brake immediately bringing the van to a stop and throwing both himself and Oz out onto the street. The last thing he remembered hearing before the blackness swallowed him was a dog yelping.
Willow was thrown forward into the back of the driver seat when Xander had stopped the van. She tried to get up but her head was hurting bad and she thought she might have twisted her ankle and maybe broke her arm. "That wasn't fun at all." She said to herself.
She tried getting up and drew in sharply as the pain hit her. She lay just how she was trying to reserve her strength. After about five minutes she clenched her teeth and slowly forced herself up. Holding on to the two front seats she pulled her way to the side door. When she got outside she Xander and Oz on the ground in heaps. She ran over to Xander but only because Oz was still in werewolf form. She turned him over and stared at his bruised face. "Xander? Xander answer me. Please Xander for Gods sake answer me!" She screamed at him.
Xander opened his eyes and then shut them right away after he realized it hurt to keep the open. "Hey there...umm...you. Did we win?"
"Yeah I think so. Oz is out and it's all sunny. I would say we won." She smiled at don at him.
"Good. Because I would have to explain to Buffy about getting you killed and all." He said. He tried to get up but fell down again. "I don't think I'll try that again for a while. Like, a year! Hey look. Sun's coming up." He pointed towards the east.
"Well look at that. I guess it is." She said and then went to turn to Xander and smile again but he was getting up. "Where are you going?"
"As much as you would love it, a naked Oz is not my idea of fun." He said as he placed one of the many blankets from the van over Oz. He looked pretty banged up and they should probable take him to the hospital. "Willow. Help me get him into the van. I think we should get him to doctor."
"Is he that bad?" She asked rushing over to the pair. "Oh my God!" She cried before covering her mouth to hold in her sobs. He had cuts on his face as well as bruises all over his body.
"It's not as bad as it looks." Xander lied. "He'll be OK as long as we can get him to the hospital." He said not knowing what to do to comfort her.
Willow said nothing. She merely grabbed Oz's feet and helped to bring him to the van. She got in next to him and sat there holding his hand as Xander jumped into the driver seat and drove as fast as he could to the hospital. She just prayed that they got there in time.
Xander stood just outside the room watching Willow sitting by Oz's bed and talking to him. He had gotten in touch with Buffy and Giles a few moments ago and told them to meet them at the hospital. There he would explain everything to them later. He walked over to the coffee machine and got a cup.
He played the images of what had happened over in his mind again. After they got Oz to hospital and got him settled in with the doctors he and Willow had to be checked out. Willow had a sprained arm but despite that and a few bruises and cuts she was all right. He on the other hand had a two broken ribs, a gash running from the back of his shoulder to the mid of his back, a dislocated arm and a really really big headache.
He headed out to the front of the hospital to wait for Buffy and Giles. He didn't really feel like interrupting Willow and Oz right now. Out of the three of them Oz had the worst damage. He broke both his arm and his leg and he was unconscious for nearly an hour. He also had cuts and bruises all over his body. He felt bad for him. He really did. But he wanted to comfort Willow.
He looked up to see Buffy run in with Giles right behind her. "Is everyone all right? What happened?"
Giles took one look at Xander and his eyes went wide. "Dear God. What happened to you?" He murmured.
Xander took a sip from his coffee and sat down in one of the waiting chairs outside. He just sat there staring at the perfect sunny sky. He laughed to himself. "After a night like last, you would think things would look different in the morning, as if something would have changed. But it doesn't. It still looks the same. A picture perfect morning. No matter what happens I don't think that the mornings will ever look any different. Do you know how scary that is?"
Buffy looked down at him deeply concerned. "Yeah. I know how unnerving it can be." She looked over at Giles who also seemed worried about him. "But what did happen last night?" She asked taking his hand.
He didn't say anything for a moment. He just sat there staring at the sky. Sighing he took a deep breath and started to explain to them what happened after the four of them had gone off in search of Oz. "We drove down the streets looking for Oz..."
"...and then me and Xander drove you to the hospital. You pretty much know the rest." Willow ended her story of last night's events.
"WOW." Was all Oz had to say. He was hurting badly and didn't know quite what he should say. He knew that he wasn't responsible for his actions when he was in wolf mode but he still felt that it was fault. "I'm sorry for causing everybody so much trouble."
"Oz don't be silly. You didn't know what you where doing. I'm sure that if you had known then you wouldn't have done anything like you did. You would be like those puppies you see in pet shop windows. All happy and jumping around." She offered a weak smile, knowing that it wouldn't really help.
"How long are they going to let you stay?" He asked.
"The doctor said that you need some rest but that I could come back tomorrow." She told him. She saw his face fall a little when he heard that. "But I'm gonna try to sneak in later on tonight. OK?" She added with a mischievous grin.
"Very OK." He smiled. After they kissed and said their goodbyes Willow left. Oz watched her leave and then turned his head towards the window. He watched as Willow, Xander, Buffy, and Giles got into Giles's car and drove off. He looked over at the clock on the wall. Hoping night would come soon so he could see Willow again. Seeing her always made him feel better. He then started to fall off to sleep. Just like his thought, his dreams drifted towards Willow.
Willow sat at her computer. Just staring at the screen. She had gone back to the hospital to see Oz like she promised. It took a bit of convincing and a little lying to get the nurse to let her in to see him. They only had a few minutes together but they made the most of it. Plus whether it was 12 minutes or 12 hours it always felt good to see him.
She turned off the computer, got up and changed for bed. She hadn't slept for almost 2 days and was starting to feel the effects. She got into bed and pulled the covers over herself even though it wasn't all that warm. It was more of a security thing. Being wrapped up in the covers gave her the feeling of being safe and that nothing could get to her.
She had just fallen asleep when she heard a noise and stumbled out of bed. She felt around for the light and turned it on. Looking around her room trying to find where and what the noise was she heard it again. After hearing it twice more she recognized the familiar 'tink'. She ran to the window, opened and peered out looking for Xander. Except he was nowhere to be found. 'I guess it was my imagination.'
She turned to go back to bed when she heard the noise again. This time she stood there not moving until she was sure that she heard the noise again. She slowly made her way back to the window, wary of what she may find outside. So before she looked outside she picked up the largest object she could find at that moment. It was only a vase but it kind of heavy.
She went back to the window and opened it again. This time she did see something though. She couldn't tell what it was. It was by the side of the house and was hunched over looking for something. She raised the vase in her hand and threw it with all her might at the creature. It hit the side of its head and caused the thing to fall to the side revealing it's true form. Xander.
Willow rushed outside hoping that he wasn't hurt to bad. "Oh my God. Xander are you OK? I'm so sorry I didn't know that it was you and I didn't want to be eaten by something. Are you going to answer me? Please say something. Anything."
He groaned and rolled over. "Ow." He struggled to get up but only managed to fall down. "Little help?" He asked. Willow grabbed under his arm and helped to his feet.
"Xander. You're bleeding." She said surprised.
"I know. It happens when people hit you in the head with things." He said jokingly.
"Oh Xander I'm so sorry. I really didn't know it was you. I-I-" She stammered as tears filled her eyes.
"Will. Calm down." He interrupted. "It's all right. It's not that deep and it only hurts when I think. Which I don't do often so I should be OK."
Smiling she said, "Oh shut up and let me get you inside." It took them a little bit to get inside because every few steps Xander would trip over something. Once they did get inside though Willow made him sit down on the couch while she got some antiseptic and a bandage. Dressing a wound had become second nature to all of them since they had been introduced to what their small town really was.
"Thanks." He said after she was done patching him up. "What was it that you threw at me anyway?"
Willow looked around sheepishly. "My glass flower vase." She said softly.
Xander's eyes seemed to grow twice-there size. "You threw that big heavy vase at me?"
"Well I thought that you were some creepy thingy that the Hellmouth spit out. What were you doing there anyway? Why were you creeping around like that?" She said defensively.
"I was looking for more rocks. I distinctly remember there being a lot more rocks when we where younger." Xander said as he got up.
"Yeah. I think we threw them all." Willow said smiling. "So why are you here?"
"Well besides my fetish for getting hit upside the head with large blunt objects..." He said before getting to dizzy and sitting down again. "...I had wanted to, you know...talk."
Willow looked at Xander and smiled. She couldn't help it. He looked so cute right now. He was blushing slightly as if he had been caught doing something wrong. "We could have waited till tomorrow ya know? I mean not that it's bad that you want to talk but after all that just happened I just figured that we could, oh I don't know, sleep!"
"Yeah, I know it's late. I was just lying in bed thinking and I just had to come over." He said.
"Well what where you thinking about?" She asked sitting down near him.
"Well it wasn't so much as a what as it was a who." He told her moving slightly closer.
Willow noticed the familiar redness and heat creep up her neck. So she quickly shot up in order to escape the embarrassment she was sure would come. "Would you like some tea? I would. I think I'm gonna go make some tea. Because I am tired and some tea could keep me up. So I don't fall asleep and stuff." She then hurried into the kitchen leaving a very confused Xander in tow.
Xander noticed that Willow had gotten extremely embarrassed. But he decided to go on with it. If he backed out now he would never get himself to do it. "Do you want to know about who?" Asked Xander with a grin.
"That all depends. Do you think I should know?" She said after putting the water on.
"Well I wouldn't have said anything if I didn't want you to now. Now would I?" He said still grinning and turning a slight shade of red.
"Alright but if it's another one of your dreams about Buffy I'm gonna be pretty upset with you mister." She said with a mock threat.
"Well two things. One, I told you before I don't have those dreams anymore. And two, shut up." He playful smacked her arm. "Well I was going to go to sleep when I started to think about everything. The fact of the matter is, is that I have been thinking about this thing and this someone for quite awhile." He cast a quick glance at Willow to see if she had picked up on anything that he was saying. But all he saw was the back of her head as she readied her teacup.
"This person that you've been thinking about. Do I know her?" Willow asked.
"Who ever said that it was a her?" He said defensively.
"Well I just assumed that with you being a guy and all..." She said teasing him.
"Didn't I ask you to shut up? I believe I did." He said jokingly. Xander looked at her. Seeing what he wanted, what he yearned for and knew that he could never have. His chance had come and gone but he would settle for something that he wanted even more. Their friendship back.
Willow was happy again. Xander had gone home around two in the morning and they had talked all night. Everything seemed to be back to normal. As she climbed the stairs up to her room she smiled to herself. Everything was starting to go back to normal. They had talked about everything and she had felt herself return. Almost as if she had lost something and she had just gotten it back.
She went into her room and felt more tired then before. 'I guess getting your best friend back does that to a girl.' She thought happily. She got into bed and tried to sleep. She knew that sleep would come if she could just calm down. But unfortunately she was too giddy to sleep. It started as a giggle and ended as an all out non-stop hysterical laugh. Even after she got tangled up in her sheets and fell off her bed she still laughed.
As he started off to his house he heard her. Her laughter echoed through the quite street and reaching his ears. He stopped and turned around and saw her through her window as she got up and untangled herself and couldn't help but smile. She was just to adorable for words with the way she struggled to get out but wound up only getting herself more entangled because of her laughter. He laughed softly to himself as he turned and continued his journey home. For some reason, home seemed farther away. He told himself that it was because it was late and it was tired. But what he knew, deep down inside that it was because he had found something. He had found his best friend again but more importantly he found where he wanted to be and he never wanted anything more in his life.
'This isn't fair' thought the young red haired girl as she looked up from her physics book. 'Why am I here studying and everyone else is out having fun' As in answer to her thoughts the caged best growled and then howled at her. "Oh ya. There is the watching you fact but I could use some off time. Not that I mind watching you it's just that, well..."
"...All work and no play make Willow one grumpy witch." Said Xander with a big smile as he walked over to her.
"Hey Xander. Why are you back so soon? You didn't get Cordelia mad at you again did you? She just stopped yelling at you for the time you made a comment about her dress at the dance" Cried Willow looking at him accusingly. "Alexander LaVelle Harris what did you do this time?"
"Will, relax. Nothing happened. I just started thinking about you and how you were all alone with Oz man and how you were studying and-" Started Xander.
"And how you didn't do your homework?" Asked Willow raising an eyebrow and a smile creeping up her lips.
Raising his hands up in defeat said, "You got me. Never could pull one over on you, could I?"
Walking away from him she called over her back "Come on. I'll help you understand all those numbers and stuff"
Grabbing his book that he had left on the desk he followed Willow over to one of the many empty tables. About twenty minuets later the pair was laughing and doing nothing that had to do with math.
"It's been awhile hasn't it?" Asked Willow.
"What do you mean? What's been a while?" Replied Xander looking a bit confused.
"Nothing. It's nothing really. OK it is something but it's kind of stupid and you'll laugh" Said Willow looking away from him.
Placing a hand on her shoulder he told her "How long have we been friends? I've told you things that should make me look like the biggest dork in the world. Believe me. Nothing you say could ever make me think that you're stupid. So spill."
"Promise?" She asked looking at him pleadingly.
"I promise. Cross my heart and hope to die" Said Xander crossing his heart.
She got up and walked towards the book cage but not close enough to disturb the now sleeping werewolf. "OK. It's about Oz." She began.
"What about Oz?" He asked looking over towards his best friend.
"Don't talk yet. It's hard enough for me to ask you about this and if you interrupt me I am just going to not be able to talk about this and then I am going to be confused again. Not that I probably wont be confused after we talk but maybe I will figure it out a little better." Noticing she was babbling she stopped to take a breath.
"Alright then-" He started to say until Willow cut him off.
"Shhh. Not until I'm done." She told him holding up a hand. After he made a zippering motion over his lips she continued. "OK. I've noticed that over the past few months that things have changed. Between Oz and me I mean. Well, things have gotten, well, how can I put this. Complicated." She said. All the while averting her eyes from his.
At the last part his eyes went wide saying. "Will. You don't mean that you and Oz have. I mean you couldn't have. Did you?"
"What? NO! I mean not yet. But that's what I wanted to talk about." She started blushing as she said it.
"You mean you've been thinking about it?" He asked he.
"Well, yeah. I mean I have been thinking about...it. I love Oz and we have been together for a while. Your going to tell me you don't think about it? With Cordelia I mean. Not Oz." She said.
"Yeah I do. But there is a huge difference between me wanting it and you wanting it." He told her looking for something to keep his eyes on. At this moment it was hard to look his friend straight in the face.
"And that would be what? The fact that you're a boy and I'm a girl?" She asked turning a little less red and a little angrier at Xander's sexist comment.
"Well, yeah." He said sheepishly.
"Sigh" She felt tired all of a sudden. "I knew that this was a bad idea." She turned away from him heading towards Giles office. She thought that some tea might help calm her and clear her head.
Xander followed her trying to get her to talk more. "I'm sorry. It didn't sound the way I meant it. What I meant is that you usually don't think like that."
"Why? Because I'm a nice little Jewish girl and too book wormish to think like that? Is that it? Well I hate to disappoint everybody but I am human. And my body has...needs and...wants...and stuff." After satisfied that she was now the color of a fire truck she walk/ran over to fill the teakettle with water.
"Wait. Go back over that. Wants? Needs? When did all this happen?" Xander asked a little louder then he meant to.
The werewolf in the book cage growled and crashed into the door trying to get out.
"Keep your voice down. It upsets him when he hears loud noises." She walked past Xander heading to her now upset werewolf/boyfriend. "These needs have always been with me. I just never...had someone to share these needs with."
"So let me get this straight. You and Oz have been having sex!" He said the last word at a whisper.
Blushing she slapped him on the arm she yelled at him. "NO! Well...not yet. I mean I don't know if not yet. I wouldn't mind it but Oz moves so...slow."
"Go-good. Slow is good. S-slow is very good. In fact I-I-I think you should move slower. By the way, what do you mean by slow? How slow are we talking here?" Stammered Xander.
"Oh Xander" She said playfully punching him. "I know taking it slow is good but a women has needs gosh darn it." She told him as she walked back over to the table. "And even though you never noticed, I happen to be a women now" She said under her breath. She then looked over to the clock on the wall. "Look. It's 2:30. Giles said he would be here around now to watch over Oz while I went home and slept. So why don't we continue this tomorrow, OK?"
"All right. That would be good. We can get some sleep. Think about all of this and hopefully by then I will understand what happened to the real Willow." He jokingly said.
"Can you give me a ride? Oz said that if we needed it we could use his van. Even though it's only a few blocks I don't feel much like walking." She asked him while getting together her books.
"You mean I get to drive and it's not just Giles old Citron? I'll go anywhere you want me to. Can I drive it to school and make fun of all the kids that are walking?" He said with excitement in his voice.
"Only if you're a good boy." She said jokingly. "Oz said that he didn't need it till this afternoon. He isn't gonna need it tonight because of, well, you know, his being a wolf and all. I'm pretty sure he won't mind you using it. As long as you fill it up and not use it for you and Cordy's new love nest."
"Hey. Me and Cordelia don't need some spacious van that can take us to places where prying eyes can't see." He looked at her after saying it. The expression on her face told him that she didn't believe him. "OK. OK. I promise me and Cordelia won't use the van for making out."
"Good. Because the last thing I need is to think about you and her getting all smoochy in the van where I should be getting smooches." She said.
"Hello Willow. Xander. I apologize for taking so long. My car seems too decided to brake down on me at the most dreadful of times." Giles said as he hurried in through the doors of the library.
"If your car didn't brake down on a daily basis I would get worried." Said Xander as he got up and stretched before getting the keys of the table.
"He's been pretty quite tonight. I don't think he'll give you any trouble." Willow told Giles. She then walked over to the cage and whispered something to Oz that made him jump up at her. Willow fell backwards as the werewolf leapt at her and hit the cage door. "Ow." She got up and grabbed her jacket and books trying to leave in a hurry. "Night Giles." She said as she hurried past him.
Giles and Xander just looked at each other wondering what had happened to make Oz jump at her like that. Xander just shrugged and picked up his stuff. "See ya G-man." Xander called over his back as he left.
"Hmm? Yes, well, goodnight" Giles called back.
Just as the pair left Oz howled and tried to break free of the cage again.
"I do hope that you don't plan on doing that all night." Was all Giles said before he went on to going through some books that had just got in. Never noticing that the werewolf was once again testing the stability of the cage doors. Or that he had found a weakness.
After Xander dropped off Willow he drove around for a while. He thought about going back to the Bronze to see if the girls where there but he then remembered that it was 2:30 in the morning and that they had all gone home by now. He didn't feel like going home though, not that he ever felt like going home but this was different. He needed time and a place to think.
He felt like he had gotten hit with a sludge hammer. It wasn't so much the fact that Willow had these thoughts but more along the lines that she was having these thoughts about Oz. 'No. I will not think about her that way. She's my best friend. Besides. I have Cordelia and she has Oz.' He drove through the empty streets and came up on his street. He decided to head home considering that he would need some sleep in order to make it through the day.
He parked it and headed in noticing how quite everything was. He turned on the light and looked around. He saw that the liquor cabinet was opened and that there was an empty bottle of Jack Daniels lying on its side on the floor. He went over, picked it up and put it in the garbage. He went upstairs to his room trying his hardest not to make a sound as to not wake up his parents from their drunken sleep. He plopped on his bed without bothering to even change. His mind was just to clutter to sleep so he laid there thinking about everything.
'Why can't I be happy? I have a good life now. Wait. Scratch that. I have a very good life now; if you don't count the fact that my life is in danger on a nightly basis. I have a girlfriend, people that would die for me and I'm actually going to graduate this year. So why can't I be happy?' he thought to himself as he looked out his window.
'I'll tell you why. It's because you're in love with your best friend and you only noticed it when she is happy with someone else. That's why your not happy.' He then rolled over and his eye caught a picture that he must have looked at a thousand times by now. It was the one with him, Willow and Jesse. He picked it up and looked at it. Running his fingers over the glass and remembered when it had been taken. It was a few weeks after they had entered high school. They pretty much knew there place there but didn't care. They had each other and they where happy.
He placed the photo down and picked up the one next to it. This one was of him, Willow and Buffy. Buffy was great and all but she couldn't replace Jesse. It was still hard to think about the fact that Jesse was gone. Although no one had known it he and Willow had both taken it really hard. It was bad enough to realize that your best friend is dead but then to find out that he is a blood-sucking creature of the night and you've been living on to of the mouth of hell, well, it was hard to take in. He remembered that he and Willow had talked for what seemed like forever about what had happened. As he looked back on the past he slowly fell asleep. Just like his thought, his dreams drifted towards Willow.
'Stupid Xander. I tried talking to him and see where it got me. Nowhere. Now he thinks that I want to sleep with Oz! God what was I thinking. I was only trying to hint to him about...before Oz. How I felt, and feel, for him.' Willow thought to herself. She couldn't believe herself. Once again she was spending her night lying in bed thinking about Xander and Oz. She loved Oz. She really did but when she thought of Xander her heart still skipped a beat at the even slimmer of a chance that he might be even remotely interested in her. 'Stupid Xander' She thought again. If only he could have noticed the way she looked at him.
She got up and walked over to her window. She remembered once when Xander and Jesse had threw pebbles at her window to get her attention. She had gotten mad at them for making fun of her when they found out she had a crush on there teacher. She was 10 and he was smart. He was the first person who told her that it was OK to be smart.
She had only told Xander and Jesse because they told each other everything. She laughed as she remembered Jesse's mom coming over and yelling at the two of them for sneaking out of the house in the middle of the night. After that it had become almost a weekly ritual. The two of them would come over and throw pebbles at her window till she would come down and let them in. They would only stay for about ten minuets and it was only nine at night but to them it was the crime of the century.
When they got to high school they had stopped. That is until Jesse had died. She remembers sitting at her computer and just staring at the screen until she heard this tiny 'tink' at the window. She jumped about five feet in the air and it took her about ten minutes to go to the window and look outside. She thought that she was going to come face-to-face with some hideous monster. But was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was only Xander. She rushed down stair's to let him in before something got a hold of him. That was when they had talked about everything. About Jesse dieing, about Buffy being the Slayer, about living on the Hellmouth, everything.
That's what she had tried to do tonight with Xander. She wanted what they had back. She wanted her best friend back. She wanted to be able to talk to him about everything. Whether it was about vampires or demons or the toupee that Mr. Starks was trying to pass off as his real hair.
She went back to her bed and lay down. As she slept she promised herself that she would try to talk to Xander tomorrow. She would just tell him that it was about the 'thing' they were talking about tonight. 'Yeah. That's sure to get him to talk. Anything to protect his innocent little Willow.' She thought with a smile. Just like her thoughts, her dreams drifted towards Xander.
Willow looked up at the clock on the library wall. '9:14. He's late.' She looked over at Oz and frowned. She hated looking at him like this. Sure it's what made Oz Oz but it still frightened her to think that if he got loose he could, and most likely would, kill her. She knew that if he was in his right mind he wouldn't but the thing is that he doesn't control the werewolf when he becomes it. It controls him. He growled at her and hit his head on a part of the cage door. Despite the distance between them she jumped back.
She decided to make herself some tea and go over her plan once again. She had told Xander to meet her in the Library at 9 so she could talk to him about the 'thing'. But now he was late and she was losing her nerve. 'Stay strong girl' She thought. 'You've talked to Xander about lots of things. This isn't any different.' But it was different. For some reason she thought that after tonight nothing would be the same. For better or worse things would change. 'Please let it be for the better' She pleaded silently.
Xander checked himself in his reflection of the display case in the school hallway. He brushed back his hair with his hands and tried to straighten it as best he could. 'Why am I so nervous? This is Willow for Christ sakes. My best bud. The Willster.' He thought. "So then why are you so damn nervous?"
He got up and headed for the Library. Before he went in he saw Willow through the window. She was staring at Oz and looked troubled. She suddenly got up and disappeared into Giles office. That's when he was about to go in when he suddenly got very nervous and chickened out. He just stayed there watching as she exited the office with a cup of tea and went over to the computer. He watched for about 15 minutes as she sat there typing at the computer. She looked so beautiful right now. He hair was partially in her face and she had on this cute little black T-shirt with see through sleeves along with a pair of black jeans. A very un-Willow type outfit. "OK. Evil thoughts. Come on Xander your turning into one of those voyeuristic people you hear about on the news." He told himself. "Time to face the firing squad" With that he pushed open the door and tried to look as laid back as he could. He just prayed that he didn't look as stupid as he thought he did.
"Xander! Where have you been?" She asked as Xander walked into the room. "Are you OK?"
"What do you mean?" He asked as he wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans.
"Well your walking like your hurt. Are you? Did something happen? We can call Buffy if something did happen. She said if we needed anything to call. Do you want me to call?" She stopped herself once she noticed that she was babbling and turned her head towards the computer screen in hopes of hiding her now apple red face.
"Umm...nope. All fine here. Couldn't be better." He lied to both her and himself. He shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned up against the wall.
'What's wrong with me?' Willow thought. 'I should just come out and tell him what's going on.' They both looked as once again Oz ran and attacked the same spot on the book cage.
"What's with him? I thought you gave him his biscuit for the night?" He asked her. Making lame attempt to lighten the mood.
"I don't know. Giles said that after we left last night he was going crazy. Giles said that he thought he was going to have to hit him with a tranquilizer." She said ignoring Xander's joke.
"Oh. Giles did leave the gun here, right?" He asked her looking a bit nervous.
"Yep. Right where it always is. But we shouldn't have to use it. That is unless he gets out. Which we probable wouldn't be ready for so we'll most likely be dead-" She said.
"In which case we wouldn't have to worry." He said finishing her sentence. "I'm gonna go get the gun now. OK?" He didn't wait for a response as he went over towards Giles desk.
'OK. Just go ahead and spit it out.' She thought. "Xander?"
"Yeah Will's?" He said as he loaded the gun with the dart.
"OK. Look. We need to talk. Well we don't need to talk but I want to talk. And I think it would be good for us. If we talk. Can we talk?" She asked sheepishly.
"Good because I want to talk to you too." He said. Just as he got the last word out the heard the sound of metal straining to the breaking point.
"What was that?" They both said in unison. They turned just in time to see the werewolf burst through the book cage. He didn't waste one minuet but instead of running towards the two he ran towards the doors and out of them. The two of them just stood in disbelief.
"Um uh. Wh-what just ha-happened?" Said Xander after the shock of what just happened lifted a little.
"Oh my God! Oz! Quick go see if he's still in the school. I'll call Buffy and Giles." Cried Willow as she grabbed the phone off the receiver. Xander just stood still in shock. "Xander! Go! NOW!" She yelled at him.
"Yes. Going." He called as he ran out the door. Tranquilizer gun in hand.
Willow quickly dialed Buffy's number. She was glad that she answered the phone instead of Joyce. She filled Buffy in on what had happened and she promised to stay until Buffy got there. She then hung up the phone and dialed Giles's number. 'Where is Xander?' She thought. It took about six rings before Giles answered the phone and when he did he sounded bit upset.
An annoyed "Hello?" came through the phone.
"Hello? Giles? It's me. Willow." She told him.
"Ah yes. Willow. Is everything all right? You sound strained." He asked her.
"Well actually everything is not all right." She told him. Then she continued to explain to him what had happened.
"Dear God. I'll be over there as soon as I can. But Willow listen to me. I want you to stay put until I get there. Tell Buffy the same thing." Giles told her and then hung up the phone.
'Where is he. He should be back by now.' She thought to herself. She all of a sudden noticed how quite it was in the Library. Eerie quite. The only noise she heard was the ticking of the clock and that was being drowned out by her heart, which was now beating heavily.
A million thoughts where going through her head at once. Where was Oz? What had happened? Where was Xander? What if Xander had found Oz? What if Oz had eaten Xander? She was so worried that she didn't even notice when Xander and Buffy come running through the doors.
"Willow? Are you OK? Has Oz come back?" Buffy asked Willow while she comforted her with a hug.
"No. H-he just ran out of here. Almost like he knew we had the gun. Which we did, have the gun I mean, but he never knew that it could hurt him before." Willow managed to choke out before the tears started to run down her cheeks.
"I checked all over the school. No sign of him." Said Xander.
"Buffy what are we going to do? If Oz hurt or kills somebody he'll never forgive himself. And what if someone kills him when he likes this? I can't..." She cried out between sobs.
"Will. It's all right. We'll find." She told her then turned to Xander. "Xander. I want you to go call Giles and tell him what happened. Where gonna need his help in finding him before sun up." He turned to grab the phone when Giles walked in.
"WOW. That was fast. Ever think of delivering pizza?" Xander said.
"Is everyone alright? I came as soon as Willow called me." Giles said. Ignoring Xander's comment.
"That's my girl Will. Always thinking." Buffy said smiling at Willow.
She gave a weak smile back and then wiped her now red eyes. "So what's the plan?" She asked.
"I would say that we split up, locate Oz and take him down." Giles said. Then, after noticing the terror filled look in Willows eyes, he revised what he said. "What I mean is knock him out and bring him back here before he injures either himself or someone else."
"I could have even come up with that one." Said Xander.
"Xander. Now is not really the time." Buffy told him. "So how do we work this? I see one gun and four of us. I might not be that good at math but even I know that doesn't add up." She said to Giles.
"Well, Xander and I will take the gun and drive around while you-" Giles started but was cut off by Willow.
"No. I'm going." She stated firmly.
"Willow are you sure? I mean are you going to be alright?" Asked Giles.
"Yep. I have my resolve face on so don't even try fighting with me." She told them all.
"Alright. Then Will, why don't you come with me. We can take Oz's van and Buffy and Giles can take his car." Xander said.
"Are you sure walking wouldn't be faster?" Buffy joked as they got up and rushed out of the Library.
Willow was staring off into space out the window. She couldn't focus her thoughts on anything. She thought she would be more help in finding him considering that she and Oz where so close. But she wasn't doing anything other then sitting there. 'I just wish I knew that he was OK. Not that he can't take care of himself when he is like this but...' She didn't want to finish her thought. She knew what Oz was right now but it didn't matter. 'No matter what he does he'll always be my Xand...Oz! Oz! He will always be my Oz! Why did I just think Xander? It's Oz I love...in that way I mean. Not Xander. I love Xander of course, just not like that. Even when he smiles at me or makes that goofy face or when he looks at me with those brown puppy dog eyes.' She suddenly found herself getting very red so she rolled down the window in hopes of cooling herself down.
"You OK Will's? You're looking a bit funny. Anything I can do?" Asked Xander.
"No. I'm just worried, you know? About Oz and all." She told him. "Once we find him I'm sure I'll be fine.
He reached over and gave her hand a squeeze. "I'm sure we'll find him. In fact I bet you that Buffy has him already and there just waiting for us to show up." He said trying to comfort her.
"You think so?" She asked looking at him pleadingly.
"Positive. Plus it's almost sunrise. If in two minutes we don't find, big if mind you, he'll be back to his old naked Oz self in an hour." He glanced over and saw Willow giggle at the thought.
Xander looked over and saw that Willow was still giggling. 'God she looks good when she laughs.' He thought to himself. He could never stand to see her sad. He always tried to do something to make her happy again or at least smile. At the Bronze once he even went to the middle of the dance floor a continued to make a fool of himself by doing what he liked to call dancing.
He glanced down at the clock. 5:34. Just a little under an hour and Oz will be normal again. They had been driving around all night with no luck. They had gotten in touch with Giles three times only to hear the same thing. It was odd. You would think that a werewolf would be easier to find. With all the screaming and corpses and all.
After about fifteen minutes of silence he decided to talk to Willow. "So what were you going to talk to me about tonight? You know, that big important thing that couldn't be spoken in front of other people?" Willow just bit the bottom of her lip and continued to stare out the window. "Hello? Willow? Are you in there?"
"Huh? What happened?" She asked. Clearly not hearing what he had said.
"I was just asking what you wanted to talk to me about tonight." He said.
"Oh. That. It...it was nothing." She lied.
"Come on. Don't hand me that. I've known you for how many years Willow. I think I can tell by now when something's wrong. Spill." He said.
She thought about it for a moment. There didn't seem that she had much to lose from talking to him about it right now. At lest he couldn't walk off and she didn't have to look into his eyes. So she went for it. "Well lately I've just felt, sell, that we've grown apart. You and me I mean. You've been spending so much time with Cordelia and me with Oz that we just haven't been there. For each other. Like we used to. Am I sounding like a complete spaze right now?"
"No. Not at all. Not the slightest bit of spazticity anywhere." He told her. "I know what you mean. Things haven't been the easiest for any of us. I mean with Buffy running off and before that with Angelus...it just out strain on all of us. You and Oz got closer while me and Cordelia did...did what ever it is we do." He said.
"I know. It's been really hard but we shouldn't have grown apart like we did." She said.
"Hey. I would like to think that were still the same. Exactly the same but with one minor difference. We both talk to different people about things now." He explained.
"But I don't want to talk to someone else. I want to talk to you. Xander I've always want to talk to you no matter what." She said.
"Will. You know that you'll always be able to talk to me. I'll always be here for you. If anything you'll be the one going places and leaving me." He told her.
"Stop with that. You'll go places and see lots of things and forget all about me." She said quietly.
"Where is that coming from?!?" He cried. "No matter what I could never, will never forget about you. Do you understand me?"
"Well it's just that-XANDER LOOK!" She cried and pointed out the window.
Xander looked out the window to see what she was pointing at and what saw made him stop the car. Right in front of them was Oz just walking in the middle of street. Only he was in werewolf form. Oz then looked up and saw them and growled ferociously before turning and running away from them.
"Xander follow him!" Shouted Willow.
"Already on it." He told her and then slammed his foot on the gas. He didn't want to go to fast because they just wanted to follow him. Willow was on the wrong side to shoot him with the tranquilizer and he couldn't stop steering because Oz kept making sharp turns. "Willow! I want you to lean over me and try to get a shot at him. Can you?" He asked her.
"I can try." She said. Then she grabbed the gun and leaned over Xander's lap and stuck both her head and the gun out the window. She tried getting a clear shot but both Oz and the van where moving from side to side to fast. As she moved back into her seat she noticed for a split second the closeness that was between her and Xander and she blushed despite herself. "No good. Where just moving around to much." She told him.
"Any other ideas? I'm open to any suggestions." He said half jokingly.
"What about cornering him? Then we could hit him with the dart, right?" She offered.
"I don't know what's worse. Cornering a blood thirsty werewolf or that being our only option." He said mostly to himself. He then drove faster until he was right up on the werewolf.
"Be careful. You don't want to hit him." Willow told him.
"I'm not going to hit him. I just want to get close enough to him to-Hey! Where'd he go?" He said. Xander then slowed down the car till they almost stopped. "Did you see where he went?"
"I think he went to the left." She said pointing in that direction. They both sat there looking all over. They jumped when they heard a thud on the roof of van.
"I think we found or missing werewolf." Xander said. Then jumped into the back of the van, grabbed Willow and dragged her back there. "I think we should be safe as long as we can stay away from him till sunrise." Xander then noticed how close the two of them where right now. He could smell the perfume on her. So he quickly moved over and grabbed the gun from up front just in time to see Oz jump onto the hood and hit the windshield. Xander jumped back till he hit the back doors.
"Were going to die, were going to die, were going to die." Was all Willow was saying as she quickly huddled up next to Xander. She tried to remember some kind of spell that could protect them but the only thing going through her mind was that Oz was going to eat both of them.
"No we're not." He told her. Then he raised the gun and fired a shot directly at Oz's chest. The only problem was that there was still glass in between Oz and the dart. The dart bounced off the windshield and landed on the floor. "Damn it. Can't anything ever work?"
"Xander! Push the gas! Put the car in reverse and drive." She told him.
"Are you nut's? He'll kill us before we even get up there." He said.
"Well guess what. He's going to kill us if we sit here and do nothing too. So get up there and drive." She nearly screamed at him.
He looked down at Willow and saw the terrified look on her face. He knew she didn't want to hurt Oz but he also knew she didn't want to die. "Aw screw it." He said before launching himself into the drivers seat. He Put the car in reverse and floored it. Oz went backwards a little but stayed where he was. Once he got his bearings he renewed his assault on the windshield.
Xander glanced down at the clock. 'Just a few more minutes and this will all be over.' Is what he kept telling himself until the windshield flew in at him and a hairy paw tried to use his face for a scratching post. Then all he could think of where a few curse words he never said in his life. He quickly shifted into drive and the car lurched forward. This only seemed to anger Oz and after he regained balance again he tried to get at Xander, again.
Xander steered as best he could as to find a nice, but not to soft place, to "drop" Oz off. When the werewolf got to close though Xander slammed his foot on the brake immediately bringing the van to a stop and throwing both himself and Oz out onto the street. The last thing he remembered hearing before the blackness swallowed him was a dog yelping.
Willow was thrown forward into the back of the driver seat when Xander had stopped the van. She tried to get up but her head was hurting bad and she thought she might have twisted her ankle and maybe broke her arm. "That wasn't fun at all." She said to herself.
She tried getting up and drew in sharply as the pain hit her. She lay just how she was trying to reserve her strength. After about five minutes she clenched her teeth and slowly forced herself up. Holding on to the two front seats she pulled her way to the side door. When she got outside she Xander and Oz on the ground in heaps. She ran over to Xander but only because Oz was still in werewolf form. She turned him over and stared at his bruised face. "Xander? Xander answer me. Please Xander for Gods sake answer me!" She screamed at him.
Xander opened his eyes and then shut them right away after he realized it hurt to keep the open. "Hey there...umm...you. Did we win?"
"Yeah I think so. Oz is out and it's all sunny. I would say we won." She smiled at don at him.
"Good. Because I would have to explain to Buffy about getting you killed and all." He said. He tried to get up but fell down again. "I don't think I'll try that again for a while. Like, a year! Hey look. Sun's coming up." He pointed towards the east.
"Well look at that. I guess it is." She said and then went to turn to Xander and smile again but he was getting up. "Where are you going?"
"As much as you would love it, a naked Oz is not my idea of fun." He said as he placed one of the many blankets from the van over Oz. He looked pretty banged up and they should probable take him to the hospital. "Willow. Help me get him into the van. I think we should get him to doctor."
"Is he that bad?" She asked rushing over to the pair. "Oh my God!" She cried before covering her mouth to hold in her sobs. He had cuts on his face as well as bruises all over his body.
"It's not as bad as it looks." Xander lied. "He'll be OK as long as we can get him to the hospital." He said not knowing what to do to comfort her.
Willow said nothing. She merely grabbed Oz's feet and helped to bring him to the van. She got in next to him and sat there holding his hand as Xander jumped into the driver seat and drove as fast as he could to the hospital. She just prayed that they got there in time.
Xander stood just outside the room watching Willow sitting by Oz's bed and talking to him. He had gotten in touch with Buffy and Giles a few moments ago and told them to meet them at the hospital. There he would explain everything to them later. He walked over to the coffee machine and got a cup.
He played the images of what had happened over in his mind again. After they got Oz to hospital and got him settled in with the doctors he and Willow had to be checked out. Willow had a sprained arm but despite that and a few bruises and cuts she was all right. He on the other hand had a two broken ribs, a gash running from the back of his shoulder to the mid of his back, a dislocated arm and a really really big headache.
He headed out to the front of the hospital to wait for Buffy and Giles. He didn't really feel like interrupting Willow and Oz right now. Out of the three of them Oz had the worst damage. He broke both his arm and his leg and he was unconscious for nearly an hour. He also had cuts and bruises all over his body. He felt bad for him. He really did. But he wanted to comfort Willow.
He looked up to see Buffy run in with Giles right behind her. "Is everyone all right? What happened?"
Giles took one look at Xander and his eyes went wide. "Dear God. What happened to you?" He murmured.
Xander took a sip from his coffee and sat down in one of the waiting chairs outside. He just sat there staring at the perfect sunny sky. He laughed to himself. "After a night like last, you would think things would look different in the morning, as if something would have changed. But it doesn't. It still looks the same. A picture perfect morning. No matter what happens I don't think that the mornings will ever look any different. Do you know how scary that is?"
Buffy looked down at him deeply concerned. "Yeah. I know how unnerving it can be." She looked over at Giles who also seemed worried about him. "But what did happen last night?" She asked taking his hand.
He didn't say anything for a moment. He just sat there staring at the sky. Sighing he took a deep breath and started to explain to them what happened after the four of them had gone off in search of Oz. "We drove down the streets looking for Oz..."
"...and then me and Xander drove you to the hospital. You pretty much know the rest." Willow ended her story of last night's events.
"WOW." Was all Oz had to say. He was hurting badly and didn't know quite what he should say. He knew that he wasn't responsible for his actions when he was in wolf mode but he still felt that it was fault. "I'm sorry for causing everybody so much trouble."
"Oz don't be silly. You didn't know what you where doing. I'm sure that if you had known then you wouldn't have done anything like you did. You would be like those puppies you see in pet shop windows. All happy and jumping around." She offered a weak smile, knowing that it wouldn't really help.
"How long are they going to let you stay?" He asked.
"The doctor said that you need some rest but that I could come back tomorrow." She told him. She saw his face fall a little when he heard that. "But I'm gonna try to sneak in later on tonight. OK?" She added with a mischievous grin.
"Very OK." He smiled. After they kissed and said their goodbyes Willow left. Oz watched her leave and then turned his head towards the window. He watched as Willow, Xander, Buffy, and Giles got into Giles's car and drove off. He looked over at the clock on the wall. Hoping night would come soon so he could see Willow again. Seeing her always made him feel better. He then started to fall off to sleep. Just like his thought, his dreams drifted towards Willow.
Willow sat at her computer. Just staring at the screen. She had gone back to the hospital to see Oz like she promised. It took a bit of convincing and a little lying to get the nurse to let her in to see him. They only had a few minutes together but they made the most of it. Plus whether it was 12 minutes or 12 hours it always felt good to see him.
She turned off the computer, got up and changed for bed. She hadn't slept for almost 2 days and was starting to feel the effects. She got into bed and pulled the covers over herself even though it wasn't all that warm. It was more of a security thing. Being wrapped up in the covers gave her the feeling of being safe and that nothing could get to her.
She had just fallen asleep when she heard a noise and stumbled out of bed. She felt around for the light and turned it on. Looking around her room trying to find where and what the noise was she heard it again. After hearing it twice more she recognized the familiar 'tink'. She ran to the window, opened and peered out looking for Xander. Except he was nowhere to be found. 'I guess it was my imagination.'
She turned to go back to bed when she heard the noise again. This time she stood there not moving until she was sure that she heard the noise again. She slowly made her way back to the window, wary of what she may find outside. So before she looked outside she picked up the largest object she could find at that moment. It was only a vase but it kind of heavy.
She went back to the window and opened it again. This time she did see something though. She couldn't tell what it was. It was by the side of the house and was hunched over looking for something. She raised the vase in her hand and threw it with all her might at the creature. It hit the side of its head and caused the thing to fall to the side revealing it's true form. Xander.
Willow rushed outside hoping that he wasn't hurt to bad. "Oh my God. Xander are you OK? I'm so sorry I didn't know that it was you and I didn't want to be eaten by something. Are you going to answer me? Please say something. Anything."
He groaned and rolled over. "Ow." He struggled to get up but only managed to fall down. "Little help?" He asked. Willow grabbed under his arm and helped to his feet.
"Xander. You're bleeding." She said surprised.
"I know. It happens when people hit you in the head with things." He said jokingly.
"Oh Xander I'm so sorry. I really didn't know it was you. I-I-" She stammered as tears filled her eyes.
"Will. Calm down." He interrupted. "It's all right. It's not that deep and it only hurts when I think. Which I don't do often so I should be OK."
Smiling she said, "Oh shut up and let me get you inside." It took them a little bit to get inside because every few steps Xander would trip over something. Once they did get inside though Willow made him sit down on the couch while she got some antiseptic and a bandage. Dressing a wound had become second nature to all of them since they had been introduced to what their small town really was.
"Thanks." He said after she was done patching him up. "What was it that you threw at me anyway?"
Willow looked around sheepishly. "My glass flower vase." She said softly.
Xander's eyes seemed to grow twice-there size. "You threw that big heavy vase at me?"
"Well I thought that you were some creepy thingy that the Hellmouth spit out. What were you doing there anyway? Why were you creeping around like that?" She said defensively.
"I was looking for more rocks. I distinctly remember there being a lot more rocks when we where younger." Xander said as he got up.
"Yeah. I think we threw them all." Willow said smiling. "So why are you here?"
"Well besides my fetish for getting hit upside the head with large blunt objects..." He said before getting to dizzy and sitting down again. "...I had wanted to, you know...talk."
Willow looked at Xander and smiled. She couldn't help it. He looked so cute right now. He was blushing slightly as if he had been caught doing something wrong. "We could have waited till tomorrow ya know? I mean not that it's bad that you want to talk but after all that just happened I just figured that we could, oh I don't know, sleep!"
"Yeah, I know it's late. I was just lying in bed thinking and I just had to come over." He said.
"Well what where you thinking about?" She asked sitting down near him.
"Well it wasn't so much as a what as it was a who." He told her moving slightly closer.
Willow noticed the familiar redness and heat creep up her neck. So she quickly shot up in order to escape the embarrassment she was sure would come. "Would you like some tea? I would. I think I'm gonna go make some tea. Because I am tired and some tea could keep me up. So I don't fall asleep and stuff." She then hurried into the kitchen leaving a very confused Xander in tow.
Xander noticed that Willow had gotten extremely embarrassed. But he decided to go on with it. If he backed out now he would never get himself to do it. "Do you want to know about who?" Asked Xander with a grin.
"That all depends. Do you think I should know?" She said after putting the water on.
"Well I wouldn't have said anything if I didn't want you to now. Now would I?" He said still grinning and turning a slight shade of red.
"Alright but if it's another one of your dreams about Buffy I'm gonna be pretty upset with you mister." She said with a mock threat.
"Well two things. One, I told you before I don't have those dreams anymore. And two, shut up." He playful smacked her arm. "Well I was going to go to sleep when I started to think about everything. The fact of the matter is, is that I have been thinking about this thing and this someone for quite awhile." He cast a quick glance at Willow to see if she had picked up on anything that he was saying. But all he saw was the back of her head as she readied her teacup.
"This person that you've been thinking about. Do I know her?" Willow asked.
"Who ever said that it was a her?" He said defensively.
"Well I just assumed that with you being a guy and all..." She said teasing him.
"Didn't I ask you to shut up? I believe I did." He said jokingly. Xander looked at her. Seeing what he wanted, what he yearned for and knew that he could never have. His chance had come and gone but he would settle for something that he wanted even more. Their friendship back.
Willow was happy again. Xander had gone home around two in the morning and they had talked all night. Everything seemed to be back to normal. As she climbed the stairs up to her room she smiled to herself. Everything was starting to go back to normal. They had talked about everything and she had felt herself return. Almost as if she had lost something and she had just gotten it back.
She went into her room and felt more tired then before. 'I guess getting your best friend back does that to a girl.' She thought happily. She got into bed and tried to sleep. She knew that sleep would come if she could just calm down. But unfortunately she was too giddy to sleep. It started as a giggle and ended as an all out non-stop hysterical laugh. Even after she got tangled up in her sheets and fell off her bed she still laughed.
As he started off to his house he heard her. Her laughter echoed through the quite street and reaching his ears. He stopped and turned around and saw her through her window as she got up and untangled herself and couldn't help but smile. She was just to adorable for words with the way she struggled to get out but wound up only getting herself more entangled because of her laughter. He laughed softly to himself as he turned and continued his journey home. For some reason, home seemed farther away. He told himself that it was because it was late and it was tired. But what he knew, deep down inside that it was because he had found something. He had found his best friend again but more importantly he found where he wanted to be and he never wanted anything more in his life.