Chapter. 9

"Courtin, it's okay." Willow said as she walked around him. "Hi Oz."

For a couple of minutes, Oz was speechless as he couldn't believe the fact that Willow was really standing in front of him and that it wasn't just a dream.

Willow began to grow worried the longer that Oz remained silent. "Oz, are you okay?"

Oz suddenly snapped out of his own thoughts as he noticed the worried expression on Willow's face. The last thing that he wanted to do was worry her, especially when there was nothing for her to be worried about. He was just amazed that she was standing in front of him and that she was talking to him. Oz had feared that she would be angry with him for not staying in touch after he had left Sunnydale for the second time. "I'm okay." Oz knew that he had to tell Willow about the danger that her daughter was in. But he also knew that he didn't want Willow to fear for her daughter's life. He refused to allow anything to happen to that little girl, especially now that he knew that she was special and not only because she was a werewolf but because she was Willow's daughter. Something inside of Oz melted every time he saw Leila and for some reason, one that he did not understand, he instinctively felt the urgent need to protect her with his life. "We need to talk."

As soon as the words left Oz's mouth, Willow's fear rose. She wondered if he already knew that he was Leila's father and the reason that he was so silent was because he was upset with her about not telling him, herself. 'What if he was quiet because he was trying to restrain the werewolf part of himself?' But as quickly as the thought appeared, it was dismissed. 'Wait. Oz has never been very talkative person.' Even though Willow knew that she was being ridiculous, a part of her still feared that he could end up hurting her again by leaving or even worse, by taking Leila away from her. It was Willow's worst fear, she was afraid that he would find out about all the bad things that she had done in her past and use it as a reason to take Leila away.

"Can we talk?" Oz asked. Now he was the one who began to worry. Willow hadn't answered him the first time; she had just continued to look back and forth between Leila and him as if unsure what to do.

Willow knew that she had to talk to Oz except she knew that now wasn't the time. "Oz, right now isn't a very good time. Today's my daughter's birthday. Can we talk later tonight?" She replied nervously.

"Tonight is okay. Did you want me to meet you here?" Oz knew that what he needed to tell Willow was important but that it could possibly wait a few hours. He vowed to himself that he would keep a constant eye on Leila until he was able to warn Willow.

Willow was about to reply to Oz's question when she realized that everyone was still standing around her and Oz as they talked. "Guys, can Oz and I have a moment? Xander, can you put the cake on the table and then help Kennedy set up the sound system?" Xander nodded in response as he lowered the cake onto the table before following Kennedy backstage. Willow then turned to Courtin and asked: "I think that I heard the Slayer bus pull up. Can you go out there and help Buffy and Anya organize all the slayers and the rest of the wolf pack in decorating teams? I'm just going to talk quickly to Oz, but I'll be out there in a few minutes, to help with the decorations."

Courtin, who still carried Leila, pulled Willow into a hug with his free arm and gently kissed the top of her head. "Alright, but I'm taking Leila with me."

"That's okay with me." Willow stood on her tips of her toes and kissed her daughter on the cheek before Courtin carried the little girl out of the club.

Oz wanted to follow the large man as he left with Willow's daughter but he knew that he couldn't do anything, the man could possibly be Leila's father. It made sense to Oz due to the fact that Leila carried a werewolf-like scent and Courtin was clearly a werewolf. But there was still something about the guy that made Oz feel uneasy.

Once Willow was sure that everyone was occupied with something other than watching her and Oz, she turned back to the first love of her life. "Oz, I agree with you that there's a lot we need to talk about. How about you come by my house, tonight around 9pm. The house shouldn't be too difficult to find, my daughter and I live in Buffy's old house."

"I remember where she used to live. I'll be there." Oz asked as a part of him wanted to pull Willow into his arms. But the other part of him knew that his main concern had to be keeping Leila safe.

"You're welcome to stay for the party. But if you have other plans, that's okay too."

Oz had a feeling that Kennedy hadn't informed Willow that she had already asked him to play guitar for her. But he was happy that Willow, herself, had invited him to stay, it made it a lot easier for him to keep an eye on Leila and also on Willow. "I'd like that. Do you need any help?"

"I think that Kennedy and Xander might need some help with the sound system." Willow replied.

"I can do that. I've really miss you, Will." Oz admitted as he turned and walked back onto the stage, towards Xander and Kennedy.

"I've miss you too." Willow replied as she watched Oz walk away.

-- --

As Kennedy sang the final notes and the small crowd of party guests applauded, Oz was still unable to take his eyes off of Willow and Leila. It proved to be more difficult than he had expected. Willow was dancing with Xander and Anya while Leila ran laps around the Bronze. He couldn't believe the energy that the little girl possessed; she had only stopped a couple of times to stare up at him. Oz became aware of the fact that every time his eyes met with her's; he felt a slight pressure on his brain. He didn't understand the cause of it but knew that it was something he wanted to mention to Willow.

The idea of talking to Willow caused butterflies in his stomach. Oz was still mesmerized by Willow's beauty, her long dark red hair flowing freely as she danced and laughed with her friends. Oz understood that Xander and Anya's loyalty was to Willow, but he couldn't understand why they would keep her daughter's identity from him, especially if they had figured out that he was talking about Leila. Oz thought back to his conversation with Xander. The moment that he had mentioned needing to find the little girl, who had been at the Magic Box, the night before, Xander had instantly become agitated. But he had still refused to tell Oz that he knew who the little girl had been. Both Xander and Anya had lied to him, which made Oz wonder why there was so much secrecy surrounding Leila. It also made him wonder if Willow would be as secretive about her daughter as well.

Oz quickly turned his focus back to the little girl as he scanned the room, in search of her. Buffy and Dawn sat at one table, surrounded by a large group of young women, who Oz now knew were the next generation of slayers. The moment that he heard Leila's laughter, his attention was instantly drawn to the other side of the room. The little girl laughed hysterically as she was thrown into the air and caught by the man named Courtin. Oz had learnt from others at the party that Courtin was the Alpha for the local werewolf pack. Something inside of him instantly viewed Courtin as a threat as he watched him play with Leila. Oz tried to justify his dislike for a man that he hadn't yet formally met. The only explanation that Oz could come up with was that it must only be his animal instincts. 'It has to be because he's Leila father and that means that he's been with Willow. My Willow.' He thought to himself as he walked off of the stage, following Kennedy as she walked towards Leila and Courtin.

"Court, hand over the little one." Kennedy said as she approached the large werewolf and Leila. She was glad that her gift to Leila had gone over well and everyone including Leila seemed to have enjoyed it. But during the whole song, Kennedy had noticed that Oz had rarely taken his eyes off of Leila. She could tell by his eyes that he wasn't happy when Courtin had picked up Leila and she understood how he felt. Ever since Courtin had entered their lives a year earlier, he had slowly but surely inserted himself into her relationship with Willow. A part of Kennedy felt as though Courtin had somehow influenced Willow's decision to end their relationship. Willow hadn't admitted to it but Kennedy knew that she wouldn't have put it passed him. Kennedy agreed with Willow that Leila needed to have the influence of a man in her life, and it make perfect sense to Kennedy, why Willow had chosen Courtin, now that she knew that Leila was part werewolf. But with Oz's return, she knew that Courtin was about to get a taste of his own medicine and Kennedy swore that she would ensure it happened.

Before Courtin could refuse, Leila held her arms out towards Kennedy. "Kennedy! You sing my song!" The little girl cheered.

Kennedy took Leila into her arms and turned towards Oz. She didn't see a problem in Oz meeting Leila, now that Willow and Oz had already spoken. Even though Oz still didn't know that Leila was his daughter, something told Kennedy that the way that he looked at Leila, lovingly, wouldn't change once he did find out.

She adjusted Leila onto her hip and turned towards Oz. "Leila, have you met my friend Oz?"

Leila looked straight at Oz for a moment then turned and hid her face in Kennedy's shoulder.

"Leila, don't be rude. Say hi." Kennedy said.

"It's okay, she's shy just like her mom." It pained Oz that Leila seemed afraid of him. Something in him just wanted to take Leila into his arms and protect her from everything bad in the world. But he knew that as Willow's daughter, she must have already seen a lot of strange and probably terrifying things in her short life. "Kennedy, I'll talk to you later. I think that I'll go find Xander." Oz continued as he turned and walked away from Leila, Kennedy and Courtin. He didn't want to leave Leila but he felt safer leaving with her in Kennedy's arms as opposed to Courtin's.

As Oz approached the table, where Willow sat with Buffy, Dawn, Xander and Anya, he overheard their conversation.

-- --

Xander wrapped his arms around the two most important women in his life, his wife Anya and his best friend Willow. "So what are our plans for tonight, ladies?"

"I just need a night away from all of those new slayers. Those girls are really starting to drive me crazy." Buffy chimed in.

Willow laughed as she duck out from under Xander's arm and stood up from her seat. "Well I guess that it's a good thing then that we're having a midnight barbecue at my place tonight. I just have one stop to make before I head back to the house but everyone at this table has a key to the house, so if you get there before I do, just let yourselves in."

"Aren't you talking to Oz, tonight?" Anya asked Willow.

"He is supposed to stop by, later. But I think that it will be easier for me to talk to him with everyone nearby." Willow knew that she needed the love and support of her friends, her family, in case Oz reacts negatively to the news.

"In case you chicken out and don't tell him?" Anya added.

Willow knew that it wasn't unlike Anya to make weird and possibly rude comments at inappropriate times, but it still angered her. "I'm going to tell him about Leila. I just feel more comfortable knowing that everyone will be nearby in case he goes all wolfy."

"So you want us to have the tranquilizer gun ready?" Xander inquired.

"I'll grab one from the school tonight before I go over. I also have to make sure that the girls, who are patrolling tonight, have theirs too. Willow, I know that Courtin and the pack haven't caused any problems but it has only been a year. Things could still go wrong." Buffy answered for Willow could answer the question, herself.

Willow didn't like the idea of having a gun, even a tranquilizer gun, near her daughter at any time. But Willow also understood that she didn't know what the wolf pack and Oz were truly capable of. She felt as though she knew who Oz was when they dated but not now that almost 5 years had past. Willow was aware of the fact that she was no longer the same person she was during their relationship. A lot of things had occurred in her life that had a deep influence on the person she now was; one of those things being Leila and the others being Tara and her death.

"Just make sure that you keep it out of Leila's reach. You know about her fascination for all things slayer." Willow replied as she quickly checked her watch, noticing that she only had another hour until sunset. There was still one more place she had to bring her daughter, before the day ended. "Thank you for coming, guys. But it's time for Leila and I to leave."

"Where are you going?" Xander asked curiously.

But once again, someone else answer for Willow. Dawn. "She's going to go visit Tara."

"Oh, yeah. I'm sorry, Will. I guess I wasn't thinking." Xander apologized. He knew that Tara's death still remained a difficult subject for Willow. A topic that often made Willow start to cry, it pained Xander to see his best friend still in such pain. He could never imagine living his life without Anya.. There had been a time, after their first attempt at getting married, when he feared that he would never have Anya in his life again. But after defeating The First, they had managed to fall in love again. But Xander knew that Willow would never have the chance to have her happy ending with Tara. Xander only hoped that maybe with Oz's return to Sunnydale, Willow would have a second chance at finding love and happiness.

Willow knew that as time wore on, her friends would forget about Tara but she knew that she couldn't, even if she had wanted to. That was part of the reason that Willow was so attached to the Summer's house. It had been where her and Tara solidified their family; their small family with just them and Leila and their larger more extended family that consisted of the Scoobies and Spike. When Buffy had offered her the home, Willow gladly accepted. She felt as though by still living in the house, she was keeping a part of Tara with her and Leila.

She didn't want Leila to ever forget that she had another mother who loved just as much as Willow did. But she had a feeling that Leila would always remember Tara, even though she was so young when Tara died. Willow was aware of the fact that her daughter had her own magical abilities but there were things that her daughter would sometimes say that would make the hairs on the back of Willow's neck, stand up. Leila would sometimes find Willow and tell her things that only Tara knew, this gave Willow reason to believe that Leila was somehow seeing or connecting to Tara's spirit. Knowing that Tara was watching over Leila, gave Willow the piece of mind to leave her daughter with someone else.

"It's okay, Xander. I know you didn't mean it. Leila and I should get going before it gets dark." Willow finally replied after a few moments of silence.

Oz, who stood just out of view from Willow and the other Scoobies, was confused. He had been under the impression that Willow and Tara were no longer together, until Dawn mentioned the fact that Willow and Leila were going to visit Tara. But what confused Oz even more was the fact that Xander had apologized for not knowing where Willow was headed. Oz decided that he would follow Willow to Tara; he knew that for his own peace of mind, he needed to know what the relationship now was between the two women. He wanted to make sure that he didn't allow his feelings for the witch to grow, if her heart belonged to someone else.

-- --

Oz had been following Willow and Leila, for a few minutes, when he noticed them entering the Sunview Cemetery. He wondered why they were going to the cemetery when Willow had told everyone that she was going to go visit Tara. Oz knew that he had to get closer to them if he didn't want to lose them in the maze of the cemetery.

It sudden hit Oz, the reason why they were in the cemetery. The only reason that Willow and Tara were no longer together was because the blond woman must have died. His heart broke for Willow, knowing that she had must have truly loved Tara, in order to be visiting her tombstone.

From behind the tree where Oz stood, he was unable to tell exactly when Tara had died but he was able to identify the year, 2002. He watched as Willow sat cross-legged facing the grave; while Leila sat quietly next to her, playing with a small teddy bear that she had brought with her, from the party. This had been the first time that Oz was able to get a really good look at the little girl, even if it was only from the side. As he looked at Leila, he was able to identify the fact that she looked quite a bit like Willow, expect for one thing. Leila had large blue eyes while Willow's were green. This made Oz wonder how much Leila looked like her father but if her father was Courtin, Oz didn't see any resemblance. This made Oz wonder who Leila's father really was. The man's identity still haunted Oz. He knew that he wanted could easily love Willow's daughter as his own but he also knew that it would only happen if Willow allowed him to.

Even from where he stood, Oz was still able to hear what Willow was saying. At first he thought that she was talking to Leila until he took the time to listen carefully.

"Hi Baby. A lot has changed since I was last here. But I do want to thank you for your letter; I think that it's helped a lot with my decision about Oz. He needs to know and I think that I'll tell him tonight." Willow said quietly as she took the time to trace each of the letters of Tara's name, which were engraved into the stone.

'What is she talking about? What is she going to tell me?" Oz asked himself.

End of Chapter.

Author's notes: The big moment is about to happen... Will she tell him or will Willow decide that it would be better for everyone if Oz didn't find out? Please take the time to review and let me know what you think about the direction of this story.