Summary: Now they know how Buffy and Angel felt when they broke up.

Shipper: W/O, B/A.

Author's Notes: This hit me when I was talking to my friend Karen about Willow and Oz's breakup. Karen said she felt no pity for Willow, since she wanted Buffy to wallow over Angel for a week and then move on. And I said that she couldn't ask Buffy to do that, since Willow herself can't move on.

Painful Knowledge by Bella Summers

Willow watched Buffy carefully over her book. It had been a year today that Angel had left town, and Buffy was crying her heart out. The redhead shut her eyes close tightly, fighting against the desire of joining her friend on her wallowing party.

When Buffy came to see her after Angel said they were over, Willow prayed that never happened to her. Buffy was strong and managed to live without Angel once, she could do that again, but Willow wasn't. And Oz was the first man she had ever loved --- Xander didn't count, being a childhood infatuation.

But Fate hadn't listened to Willow's prayer. The witch closed her eyes tightly, recalling the night that she had seen him naked in bed with Veruka. God, she thought she could die just then. And the fact that Veruka was a female werewolf or whatsoever didn't help to ease her pain.

"I'll call him", Buffy suddenly said. Willow opened her eyes.

"Oh, no, you won't".

"Yes, I WILL!" Buffy yelled. "I need him, and if I don't say that he will believe I hate him, if he doesn't think that already".

"Buffy, you have Riley now".

"Willow, what are you, my friend or my nemesis?" She snapped. Willow looked at her, hurt. "I thought that with the whole Oz-Veruka-thing, you would understand how much it hurts! But no, you want me to move on. But you can't, right? What's different between Angel and Oz?"

"Angel is a vampire", Willow whispered. If looks could kill, she would be a corpse by then.

"And Oz has a beast inside him. That leaves his body once a month. At least Angel has control over his inner monster", she shot back.

"Buffy!"

"Look, Willow, you have the best motives, but I don't want anyone else. I want Angel, and Angel alone. Riley… Please, like Cordelia would say, Riley thinks he can kill demons with some kind of duck-hunt-gun".

With that the slayer took off with her cell phone in her hand to call her ex boyfriend. The witch stood on the middle of the room, her eyes full of tears. Was Buffy right, was she being unfair with the slayer's heartache? She bit her lip deeply, tears running down her cheeks.

Somewhere on Middle East

No one knew, but Angel and Oz were the best friends of each other. The werewolf could understand the vampire perfectly, and vice-versa.

Oz had gone for Angel's place when Willow called him telling that Angel had broken up with Buffy. The vampire was sobbing his heart out on the living room, looking at the living fireplace. The flames reflected on his wet cheeks, and Oz knew how much his friend was hurting.

Angel was a good friend. The vampire had paid Oz's trip to Middle East, and constantly called giving the werewolf news of Willow. He had stayed in touch with Giles and weekly the watcher called him with updates on Buffy, Willow and the demons that ran around.

Oz bit his lip. When he saw Angel hurting, he promised himself that he would never go through the same with his Willow.

"Hey, man", Oz greeted Angel quietly. The vampire side-looked at his werewolf friend, and Oz nearly gasped at the amount of pain in his eyes. He sat down next to angel and patted his shoulder.

Angel looked at his friend and broke down in tears.

Willow wiped her tears. Buffy was right. She couldn't ask the slayer to move on, when herself couldn't do it. It was a simple case of 'do as I say, not as I do'. The slayer stormed in, her eyes shining like two stars.

"Buffy, what's it?" She asked, her voice hoarse. The blonde opened a drawer and pulled some clothes out of it, putting them inside a backpack. "What are you doing? Where are you going?"

"L.A." Buffy replied simply. Willow stared at her wide-eyed.

"LA?"

"Yup!" Buffy nodded happily. "See, apparently Angel's soul is superglued. Not even getting the happy will loose it".

"Oh, my God!"

"My reaction exactly. So, I'm going there so we can, you know, get the happy. Bye, Wills!"

"Bye, Buffy".

As the slayer happily stormed out, Willow fell down on her bed. She knew how much Buffy hurt. Would she know how happy she was now?

Oz looked at the cuddling couple on the sofa, and smiled slightly, happy for his friends. He knew how much Angel was hurting. By experience.

And that was a painful knowledge.