~*Part 3*~

March 20, 2001

Oz was awakened at the sound of the door to his apartment being pounded on.

"I'm coming!"  He opened the door and found one of his coworkers at the door.

"Hi.  I thought I'd come by, and...  Are you working today?"  He shook his head.  "You want to go out for lunch?"

Oz sighed.  "Solace... I can't..."

She interrupted.  "Why not?  You don't have a girlfriend... Do you?"

Oz shook his head.  "No."

"Then come on..."  She grabbed his hand, and Oz felt something he hadn't felt in over a year.  "Please?"

Oz nodded.  "Okay."  He opened the door and let her in.  "Wait here."

He grabbed his uniform, and keys from the floor and made his way to his room, and bathroom.  Solace took the opportunity to look

around.  She spotted the beer bottle on the table, and then noticed that seven more were in the trash can.

*I didn't know he drank.*  She thought to herself.  *He seems so nice, really quiet.*  She smiled to herself.  *And such a cutie.*

She continued looking around, and noticed everything was clean and in its place.  Unusual for a guy.

Ten minutes later Oz was ready.  "So, where do you want to go?"  She asked him.

Oz thought for a moment.  "Wherever you want."  It was time for him to get on with his life.

******

Solace took a sip of her soda.  "So..."  What could she say?  "Where did you live before here?"

"Uh...  Sunnydale."

"Oh!  I know that town.  Isn't that the town, that mysteriously went quiet two Christmas' ago?"

Oz shrugged.  "I guess so.  I'm not sure.  I wasn't there at that time."

"Oh.  Where were you?"

Oz went silent.  "Traveling."

Solace decided not to question him any further.  It was obvious he didn't want to talk about it.  "Ready to go?"

Oz noticed he was alienating her.  But he just couldn't tell her, yet.  "Actually, you want to go watch a movie?"

She smiled.  "Sure."  She grabbed his hand, and they both went together.

******

They stood together, at Oz's front door.  "So, I had a great night.  How about you?"

Oz nodded.  "It was good.  I want to thank you for it.  For getting me out.  I had fun."

She smiled.  "That's great.  Do you want to...again tomorrow?"

"Okay."

"Well, I guess that's it.  I'll call you tomorrow.  Thanks for going out with me, Oz."  She walked down the hall, and turned around the

corner.

Oz felt happy.  For once, in a long while.  He thought he had found someone else.  Someone not Willow.