Author: Claire
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me, it all belongs to Joss etc.
Authors Notes: I wrote this to sustain my craving for Oz after he left in Wild at Heart, this is how I thought he should come back.
*****
While looking up at the beautiful almost full moon Willow's overused mind started to wander and it was no surprise where to: Oz. "Where have you locked yourself up tonight?" she thought to herself. "If only I could be there when you woke tomorrow, maybe, just maybe you'd come back to me."
*****
Meanwhile on the other side of the campus Buffy was, as usual, fighting a vampire. "You guys just don't get it," she said between kicks. "This is my college, if you come here you'll just get staked." as she said this she plunged a stake into his heart and poof, he's gone.
"You know really I think our method is better," Riley said pulling himself out of the bush he had watched half the fight from. "We don't actually kill them."
"What you're forgetting that they are already dead. You think it's safer having un-dead guinea pigs than totally dead vampires?"
"No, but at least we can find better ways to stop them killing or maybe even a cure."
"You can't cure being dead." Recently Buffy and Riley had been fighting a lot about how they should handle vampires. "For thousands of years they have been killed like I kill them," Buffy exclaimed. "God, you've got me sounding like Giles!"
"Maybe we should call it a night?" suggested Riley.
"For patrolling or fighting?"
"Both" and with that they both turned towards the dorms, holding each other's hand.
Just then there was some rustling in the bushes and Buffy turned around. "What is it?" asked Riley but Buffy just held a finger to her lips. All of a sudden an animal jumped on Buffy. Riley quickly got out a knife to stab it when Buffy shouted "No!" With that she pushed the beast off her and it ran away.
"We should kill it," Riley said with a movement towards the direction it ran.
"No, we need a tranquilliser gun," Buffy said starting to jog in the other direction.
"But why? I thought you said it would be safer if it was dead."
"I know, but that's Oz!" as she accelerated to full
speed towards Giles' house.
*****
"Are you sure it was Oz?" enquired the puzzled ex-watcher.
"Yes. I've seen him enough times in wolf form to know when it's him. Anyway we'd have to get him whoever he his."
"This may be just me but I thought Oz was human. It's been a while but he didn't have that much hair." Riley tried to joke his way out of the serious atmosphere in the room.
"Oz is a werewolf, please tell me you've heard of one. I mean you hadn't heard of me, but there's been two here. They once tried to attack Professor Walsh." Buffy said sarcastically.
"I've heard of them but only in myths, but then you were a myth and you came true. If he is then can't we wait 'til morning and find him in human form?"
"And just hope he doesn't kill anybody? No, I have to go now! Giles the gun?"
"Over in the trunk," Giles said pointing to the weapons trunk in the corner of the room. "What about Willow?"
"We better not say anything until we are sure. Riley, go with Giles and set up a cage, it's early and I don't know how long these things last, we'll need it for tomorrow anyway," instructed Buffy as she walked towards the door.
"Tomorrow? But isn't tonight the full moon? Wait no, that's tomorrow, huh?"
"Explain to him Giles." And they
left.
*****
In town Xander was sitting in his car. "Why couldn't he of walked? Lazy vampire. Ooh I'm Spike, I need blood now, drive me. God, why didn't we let him stake himself?"
"Xander, why have you locked the car?" asked Anya through the open passenger window.
"Hoping Spike can't get back in."
"Well open it, I need to get in. This stuffs melting you know."
"Just like you to find the only 24 hour icecream parlour in town. Wait a minute it's stuck. Lousy car." Xander pulled off the inside cover, which came off with surprising ease, to look at the lock. There seemed to be a sort of cheese wedged into the lock.
"Er Xander? There seems to be some kind of wild animal out here. Could you let me in now?"
"Tell Spike to walk home, he's wedged a piece of cheese in my lock."
"It's not Spike. Come look." Anya was starting to sound worried.
"If it's a bunny I'm not . . . . it's a werewolf. Get in my side. Don't show fear, it can smell fear."
"I think it might of already smelt yours." Anya said clambering over Xander into the passenger seat and rolled up the window just as it pounced on the car. Xander quickly turned on the engine and drove away.
"What about Spike?"
"Forget him, he can walk."
"Isn't your friend a werewolf?"
Xander spun the car towards Giles'
house.
*****
Spike, loaded down with blood, sucking one of the bags as he
went, got to where the car was parked. "Bloody hell, he left me. Probably
thought it was a great time to go shag Anya. I'll just have to pay a visit
to Giles." as he turned the werewolf jumped on him spilling some blood.
"You spilt my blood! You'll bloody pay for that." He turns his face vampish
and they got into a brawl on the floor. Buffy runs in holding the gun and
aims for Oz. She shot at the fighting pair and Spike got the dart
right in his arse. "Bloody hell!" before he totally passes out. Buffy
quickly reloaded the gun and shot the wolf.
*****
In the cemetery Giles had found the cage Oz used to lock himself up and had tried his hardest to explain to Riley.
"So Oz is a werewolf three nights in a month, the full moon and the two surrounding?" asked Riley.
"Yes. You've got it. Now can you help me fix this door back on, they'll be here soon, hopefully." Giles said lifting the heavy door with difficulty, which was hanging from half a hinge.
"Hey could somebody give me a hand up here?" shouted Buffy down the doorway. "Don't bother," She threw Spike into the room. "I can handle it," She said coming down the stairs with Oz over her back.
"You got Spike? I can't blame you, but tranquilliser darts are not cheap," joked Giles, but his joke was wasted on Buffy.
"They were fighting, I missed first time," Buffy explained seriously.
"Are you sure those darts are safe on humans?" inquired Riley.
"Oz is very strong in wolf form," Buffy stated.
"I meant Spike,"
"Spike!?" Buffy then realised that Riley didn't know Spike was a vampire. "Nothing could kill Spike, he's very strong." Buffy placed the wolf carefully into the cage. "He's gonna need some clothes. Riley?"
"I was gonna fix this door."
"I think I can handle it," Buffy replied sarcastically.
"I'll be back soon," and he left.
*****
Riley went to his room, picked up some smallish clothes (as Riley was very tall and Oz is very short), and was making his way back out of the campus. Willow was however on the same path walking in the opposite direction. They soon met. "Willow, what are you doing up, it's like one o'clock in the morning?" asked Riley.
"I guess coz you're a guy you get to decide when I'm asleep or not!" shouted Willow.
"Are you ok?" asked a puzzled and slightly scared Riley.
"I'm sorry, I'm fine, it's just...it's just, er, the full moon." Willow tried not to link it to anything supernatural.
"Oz, huh?" Riley said without thinking.
"Oz? Did Buffy tell you anything about Oz and the full moon?"
"No, why should she? It's your business."
"Then how did you make the link?"
"What link?"
"Exactly, there is no link."
"Ok, then." They both tried desperately to keep secrets from each other.
"So what's with the clothes?" asked Willow.
"They're for a friend."
"Who'd need clothes in the middle of the night?"
"Nobody."
"Then who are they for?"
"They are for the morning."
"For who?"
"Somebody who needs clothes."
"Riley what do you know about me?"
"You are Buffy's best friend?"
"No, about me?"
"You are really intelligent?" Willow's facial
expression told Riley that she knew exactly what he wasn't telling her.
"You'd better come with me." and they continued walking
together.
*****
Back at the cage Giles and Buffy had securely locked Oz up as he was beginning to stir. Spike however was still completely out cold exactly where Buffy had dropped him. Riley and Willow then walked in. Willow went straight to the cage and sat on the floor. Buffy threw Riley a glare and the only response he could give was "You know I'm useless at telling lies around you guys."
"You weren't going to tell me" stated Willow looking up, Buffy could see the tears forming in her eyes.
"I wanted to be sure it was him. And then it was really his choice, there was no point getting your hopes up so he can just break your heart again." Willow just turned back to Oz.
"I think we should leave them" suggested Giles. "And
you should get some sleep." Giles, Buffy and Riley left. A few moments of
silence passed, then Riley came back in swinging Spike on his back and left
Oz and Willow alone.
*****
They arrived back at Giles' to find Xander and Anya outside. "It's about time! I really think that if you are going to lock your house when you go out you should really give me a key."
"However hard it is to resist that temptation, I will endeavour to do so and not give you a key to a place you already spend too much time."
"Is that a no? What did you do to Spike?" He said excitedly. "Is he dead?" realising then that Spike was not a pile of dust. "It's probably best you forget I said that."
"What are you doing here?" Giles asked impatiently as he let everyone in.
"We were attacked!" Anya said a little too gleefully.
"Werewolf?" asked Buffy seriously. Anya nodded.
"Oz," Buffy stated.
*****
Sunrise was beautiful that morning. Willow had decided to watch it to respect Oz's privacy. A few moments passed and she went back down. Oz was climbing into the rather clown like clothes but stopped still when he saw Willow. "Big," he said in his non-committal way.
"Yeah, they're Riley's, he's rather a lot taller than you," Willow replied with almost as little emotion as Oz. He continued dressing and let himself out of the cage. "You remembered the code?" Willow asked referring to the lock.
"Your birthday," he said without looking up, he seemed to be staring at the floor. Willow followed his gaze, it was a tranquilliser dart.
"Buffy?" he asked.
"Yeah, you attacked her."
"Oh," he replied with no emotion.
"What are you doing here?" she tried to make it innocent but it came out aggressive.
"Don't know," Oz seemed to show no reaction to her abruptness.
"What do you mean you don't know! Why did you come back?" Willow was now almost in tears, she need a reaction, or at least an explanation.
"I wasn't here last night, I must of come wolfed out" Oz was very confused by Willow didn't notice, she wanted him to say he'd come back to her, but he didn't. She broke into tears. Oz sub-consciously went to hold her but she pushed away.
"You haven't come here for me!" and she run out. Oz
was left standing alone. He felt no use in chasing her.
*****
Willow
basically ran all the way back to her dorm. She sat on her bed and cried. She
wanted more than ever to be alone but there was that urge to tell Buffy
everything and cry into her shoulder. But her first wish was granted, Buffy
was with Riley in his dorm. Willow was alone, she had been alone too long,
she needed her Oz, but not because he just happened to
be there.
*****
Oz walked to Sunnydale UC, he was not going to
Willow's, it was too soon and he was confused. He was going to Devon's to get
some smaller clothes. He had already almost tripped over his trousers five
times. But when he got there no one was in. "They're out on a gig," said a
passing stranger. "Ain't you Oz? Used to be lead guitar?" Oz nodded. "You
need to get back, their temp guy sucks." Oz decided to go to
Giles'.
*****
"What happened to your own place?" Giles asked Spike.
"No electricity," Spike said without gazing away from the television.
"Of course, how silly of me, you can't live without televisions and refrigerators, but weren't you actually alive before their invention?" Giles replied sarcastically.
"What's your point?" but before he could answer there was a knock at the door. Giles answered it.
"Come in Oz." Oz came in and looked at Spike.
"You do realise Spike's watching your TV?"
"Yes," Giles replied.
"Ok," Oz said without another thought.
"How can I help?" Giles asked.
"Can I hang until the moons up?"
"Why here?"
"Where else?"
"Willow's?"
"No."
"Why?"
"She needs time," just then Buffy and Riley come in.
"Oz," Buffy said as a greeting.
"Buffy," he replied.
"Where's Willow?"
"Dunno."
"What happened?"
"Go to her, she needs you," and Buffy left.
"Those clothes really are big on you," Riley said.
Silence filled the room.
*****
"Willow are you Ok?" as Buffy burst into the room.
"He didn't come back for me, he doesn't even know why he's back," Willow replied in sobs.
"I'm sure there's a reason," Buffy said hugging Willow.
"But not the right one!" as Willow broke down to
tears again.
*****
"So you're not good, you just can't be bad?" Oz said to Spike getting his head round the situation.
"Right," he replied.
"Oz, time," Giles called from the Kitchen.
"See ya," and Oz left for his cage.
*****
The
full moon rose high in the sky and Oz was restless. He banged against his
cage door so hard that it flew open. He sped right out of the cemetery and
stopped. He seemed to sniff the air. He turned and ran towards Sunnydale
UC.
*****
Oz came crashing through the doors of Stevenson but then quiet.
He slowly made his way up the stairs and along the corridor until he got
to room 214. He nudged the door a few times before the latch clicked, he was
in Willow and Buffy's room.
*****
When Willow rose that morning, eyes tired from a night of crying, she got up to go to the bathroom. Half way across the room she stopped. Turning to Buffy, she woke her gently. "Look," she said pointing to the foot of her bed. Buffy rubbed her eyes and focussed on a very naked Oz who seemed to have guarded Willow in her sleep. Willow went and placed a blanket over him. As she did this he woke. "What are you doing here?" Willow asked. The only answer he could make was
"Animal instincts."
The End