The night before Life Goes On

She's sitting on the roof sneaking a smoke by the chimney checking out the moon and city lights. He takes off his flannel shirt and drapes it around her shoulders. He slides up behind her and holds on tight. She says I don't want this night to end. Why does it have to end?

Flash back: You are leaving? That's how you handle problems? You think you can just run away from this… from me?"

Oz walked over to Willow and put his hand on her shoulder "I'm not leaving just yet. I'll be here for the next two weeks." Willow pushed his hand away "So you think that just because you are here for two weeks longer…"

Willow's anger melted when she saw the pain in Oz's eyes. The tears that she had been holding back now poured down her face. Oz lightly kissed her cheeks "Let's take a walk. I have something I want to show you." End flashback:

Willow now sat on her bed watching Oz pack. Tears filled her brown eyes but she didn't want to cry anymore. Oz saw her shinning eyes "Listen I don't have any other choice. I could hurt someone… I could hurt you. That's not something I can face… not now not ever. When I get things in order I'll come back."

Willow didn't say anything she just took off up the stairs that led to the roof. Once she reached the top she sat down and cried. Once she had stopped crying she stared up at the moon and the bright city lights. Just then Oz came up from behind her "Willow its freezing out here. Here put this on."

Willow put the flannel shirt on and leaned into Oz's arms. Her head rested on his bare chest and she tried not to start crying again. Oz felt her body tense up and kissed her hair. Willow sniffled "Oz why does tonight have to end? Why does the sun have to rise? I hate this."

Oz sighed, "Willow I know this is hard but in truth its better this way. You'll be safe and can fall in love again. No don't cry. Willow I can't stand it when you cry. You'll meet better guys, better none werewolf guys. It'll be ok Willow."

Willow didn't say anything she just burst into full out heart wrenching sobs. Oz silently rubbed circles on her back telling her to take breathes. Once she had control of herself she sniffed, "Only thirteen more days. I don't know if I can do this."

Tomorrow she'll be rolling down me –ten Baton Rouge L S U. Eighteen years in her rearview. He's got a Friday paycheck lined up down the block at daddy's shop. It isn't much but it's a job. They've been dreading this moment all summer long the night before life goes on.

The next morning Willow woke up to find Oz wasn't in the bed next to her. Tears fell silently down her face. Buffy touched her arm "Will? Willow? Are you alright? So what did you and Oz talk about last night? I know he was talking about leaving. Did you get him to stay Will?"

Willow sadly shook her head gasping for breath "No Buff. He's not staying. He's leaving in two weeks. I've made a choice though. As soon as he leaves I'm going to transfer schools. I know I've lived in Sunny Dale for the past eighteen years but Buffy. You were right though I should go to Yale or Harvard. It'll be good for me. It'll hurt but help me forget. I'm going to miss him so much. Buffy what am I going to do?"

Buffy put a comforting arm around her friend's shoulder "Switching schools is maybe a little drastic don't you think. There is a better way to figure this out."

Xander walked into the room "Oh hey girls. So to slay or not to slay that is the question? What'll it be Buff? Oh it looks we are short one werewolf."

Willow buried her face into her pillow. Tears fell on Oz's side of the bed soaking the mattress. Buffy frowned at Xander "Honestly would you think before you speak? Oz is only going to be here for two weeks. Willow is having trouble… coping. She wants to transfer to another school."

Without lifting her head Willow sobbed "It still smells like him. Buffy can you run a load of laundry? I need to forget the smell… if he's really going to go then… I can't remember."

Buffy nodded slowly and then passed the load of sheets to Xander. Then she sat on the stripped the bed and hugged her friend close "Willow, you can't mope forever. Moping isn't productive. I'll give you three days to mope but that's it. Then you are going to get up and go to class. I'll get you notes. They aren't as good as yours but it'll be something. Now get some sleep. You can sleep on my bed. It actually has sheets on it."

After Buffy went to class Oz knocked on the door. He slowly opened it and stared heart brokenly at Willow "I'm leaving tonight. My dad got me a job. It's just a small job at his store but its something… I need to have a job and I need to have money… I'll miss you but you're going to be ok. I promise you Willow."

After pressing his lips softly to her forehead he breathed "Ok I'll stay one more night but then I have to go. I heard someone is going to Harvard. I'm so proud of you. Willow you can do anything and go anywhere as long as your heart is in it."

Willow nodded her head slowly "Yeah I'm transferring over and it'll be fun. I've always wanted to go to Harvard even when I was small. Education has always been a big deal in my family. The only thing I'll miss is you Oz."

A tear falls off her cheek. Right when it hits his arm he says come on baby lets get out of here. They take one last drive around town. Man it already looks different. He bangs the wheel and says life isn't fair. This growing up stuff man I don't know. I just don't want to let you go.

Willow started to sit up before Oz could see her cry. He wasn't fooled though and pulled her back into his arms "Hey, don't cry. Why don't we go somewhere just the two of us? Just take one last drive around Sunny Dale; remember all of the things we did together."

Willow nodded and allowed Oz to wipe a tear from her face. They were half way to the high school when Oz banged on the steering wheel and screamed "This isn't fair! Everything looks different now! Everything is changing!"

Willow touched his shoulder gently "Change isn't all bad… I mean look I'm transferring into Harvard. That's a big change and you… you are taking a job out of state. Yes it's tearing us apart but it can be good. You just have to have a little faith?"

Oz put the car in par and hugged Willow close to him "The moon is about to rise. I should head back. God I don't want to let you go. When I do let go promise you'll be safe?"

Willow swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to talk around it "I'll be safe. I just don't want you to let go. You'll be safe to right? I mean no weird attacks that can't be explained. I guess we should get back. I love you."

That's what my momma told me. Just like those kids I didn't want to listen to no one. There's nothing you can do. There's nothing you can say. I know how it feels when love goes away. They've been dreading this moment all summer long. Now here it is they don't have long.

When they got back Oz gave Willow one last hug before she put him in the cage. She took a deep breath "Oz I can't lie to you. This is breaking my heart. My mother warned me that falling in love with you was a mistake. I just didn't want to listen."

Oz hugged Willow close to him and sighed "Will, I'm doing this for you… to protect you. I couldn't live myself if I ever hurt you. This is the way it has to be. Now get away from the cage."

After Willow left she burst into tears and ran into the dorm. Buffy saw her tears "Willow. What happened? Did you two fight?"

Willow sniffled "No I just told him how much it was really killing me. He keeps feeding me this excuse that he's doing this for me. He's afraid of hurting me. I think that's all a bunch of bull crap! He's leaving tomorrow. He's in the middle of his cycle and he's leaving. What if there's an attack or something? What if he slips and kills someone? I can't face that!"

Buffy pulled her friend up from where she had fallen to the floor. Then she spoke gently "Nothing is going to happen. I know how it feels to find out the one you love isn't good for you. I know what that's like. Remember Angel? He left me in a pretty bad place and it hurt but I got through it. I know I ran away and went to Hell but I got through it. If something does happen though you are going to have to let me do my job. I know it sucks and there's nothing I can say to make it better. The truth of the matter is Will you have to be the one to make it better. Xander and I can't nor will we try to make that choice for you. Transferring to Harvard isn't to have you missing Oz any less. Think about your choice before you make it. Now let's get some sleep."