Hey guys! Here's the next chapter. :)

Review responses:

zayra, gaull, Kyra2, Vik, LilGreenImp, Tmctflyboy, Thank you guys so much for all of your reviews.

harmoni, this chapter gets a little fluffy, the next will be full of fluff. I just don't know if I can write it. This fic has been angsty for so long that now that it's getting to be lighter it feels a little strange. I like Oz, too. Here's hoping he's not too far out of character.

Harry2, have no fear, I won't stop writing, at least not for a while. I have waaaay too many fics in my head to stop anytime soon.

dontyousassmemister828, I haven't fully decided what to do about Cordelia, you'll just have to read and see. :) And Oz was a great character, honestly, I think he had some of the best lines in the show. I just hope I can do him justice.

organized-chaos, I'm afraid there is no snogging in this chapter, but there will be some in the next.

Water Block (ice block), yeah, I'm the teacher fanfic writer. Some of my students think I'm pretty cool about doing this too. And I try not to eat too many of my students, although they do say I'm kind of scary at times.

Slash-a-holic, I hope I continue to do Oz justice.

Honestly, thank you guys so much for sticking with me for this fic, even though my updating schedule is a little erratic. You guys are wonderful!!!

Chapter Twenty

Logan was completely unaware of the goofy smile on his face. The only thing that registered on his brain was the fact that that woman he loved wanted him to come back safe, and she kissed him.

"Wolverine! Let's go!" Scott's voice came from inside the jet.

The smile never leaving his face, Logan turned around and joined Scott and Storm in the jet. As he strapped himself in, Ororo chuckled.

"What's so funny?" He asked.

"Oh, nothing. Absolutely nothing at all." Then she threw Scott a sly wink who just grinned in response.

"Where are we goin'?" Logan asked, still a little confused.

"Oklahoma," Storm answered, suddenly serious. "There's a mutant in trouble. Some of the locals are not responding well to the news that there is a mutant in their neighborhood."

"So it's a rescue mission?"

"One hundred percent," she answered.

Logan just nodded and stared out into space. He was fairly certain that Scott would come up with a plan of action before they got there so he let his mind drift back to the quick kiss Buffy had given him.

Was he suppose to take that as some sort of sign that she was ready for a relationship? Or was she just so worried about him not coming back that it was a last minute thing? Either way he got to feel her lips against his one more time. And if he had any say in it, it was going to happen again.

scenebreak

After introducing Oz to the professor and getting a room picked out for him, Buffy began the tour of the mansion.

"Do you still have the werewolf under control?" She asked as they walked down the hallways.

"Yeah. I left Tibet because I'm able to control the change at will."

"Really?" She asked in some surprise and he just nodded. "Did Angel and Wesley catch you up on everything that happened since you left?"

"The major details. They said if I wanted more then it was up to you. Although, I'll kind of understand if you don't want to talk about it," he said, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Eh, most of the details are boring anyways. But the big news is that there's a hellmouth here," she said in mock excitement. "Apparently when one permanently closes another opens. At least, that's Wesley's theory."

"And you're immortal now?"

"Guess so," she said with a shrug. They entered the elevator that took them to the lower levels.

"And these guys fight evil mutants?"

"Yeah, although I haven't seen any evil mutants yet. But they seem to be able to take care of themselves in a fight. We've already stopped one apocalypse."

"You've been here how long?" Oz asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Little over a month. Life's never boring. At least, not mine."

They continued the tour through the lower levels with Buffy filling in most of the silence with idle chatter about the school and students. She explained how she taught a self-defense class with Logan.

As she opened the door to the demon library Oz looked around with a faint smile on his face. "Huh. Almost like old times."

"Almost," she said wistfully. Then breaking her sudden melancholy, she said brightly, "Let me show you my room, that way you know how to find me."

Buffy led him upstairs and opened the door to her room. She had been there long enough that her room reflected her personality and tastes.

Oz turned to look at her. "You and Logan, huh?"

"What do you mean, 'me and Logan'?"

"Well, your room smells like him."

"Oh, that. He's just been sleeping over for the past few nights," she said quickly. Then realizing how that sounded she added, "But there's nothing going on."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Really, there's not," she protested. At his continued silence, she said, "Ok, maybe something. I don't know. It's very confusing."

"But it's clear enough for you to sleep with him?"

"We're just sleeping!" She insisted. "That's it! No smoochies or anything!"

"I can smell him on your skin."

"Did anyone ever tell you that the werewolf smelling thing was kind of creepy?"

"Actually, yes. Cordelia told me."

"She would," Buffy muttered. "So, you hungry?" She asked, trying to steer the conversation to less confusing topics.

"I ate before I came here."

"Watch some TV?"

At his nod, she led him to the empty common room. They took a seat on the couch and she turned on the TV.

"But you do like him," he said after a few minutes of watching her flip through the channels.

"Huh?"

"You do like him."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Did Angel send you here to check up on me?"

"No. I just came to visit."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," he said slowly.

"Ok," she said simply and turned back to the TV.

"But you do like him."

"Maybe... I think so... It's complicated, Oz," she said with a sigh.

"Feelings are not complicated," he said evenly, studying her. "You either have them or you don't."

Buffy opened her mouth to reply but realized that there was nothing she could say to refute it, then closed her jaw with an audible click. Then her eyes narrowed suspiciously again. "Did Fred set you up to this? Because I know she got close to 'Ro and Rogue while she was here and they were just on me today about this. Did she?"

"No. I was just making an observation," he said blandly.

She stared hard at him to see if he was lying or not. But Oz had always been good at keeping his thoughts and feelings close to the chest, making it damn near impossible to read him. She also knew, however, that he wasn't one to deceive people so she took his words at face value.

"I don't know," she said finally, tucking her feet up under her. "I just don't know anymore. I'm not even sure he likes me."

Oz smiled at her. "I think you underestimate him and yourself." Then he turned back to the TV.

scenebreak

It was nearly five am when Logan wearily walked through the mansion back to his room. Smelling Buffy and Oz in the common room, he took a small detour to find the two asleep on the couch with a snowy TV in front of them.

The two were doing nothing more than sleeping. They weren't even touching each other, but he still felt an urge to claw the boy. But Logan knew that Oz was a friend of Buffy's from back home and she had so few of them left that he was unwilling to act on his jealous instincts.

Instead, he gently shook Oz's knee. The redhead blinked his eyes several times and looked up at the mutant standing over him.

"Why don't you go up to bed, kid?"

Oz nodded and moved to wake Buffy, but Logan stopped him. "I'll get her." Oz studied him for a minute, then nodded and stood.

Logan easily scooped Buffy into his arms and followed Oz up the stairs. The werewolf kept going to his room while Logan stopped and entered Buffy's room. He set her down in her bed and tried to leave.

"You came back to me," she murmured, holding him tight.

"Told you I would, darlin'."

"Then where are you going?"

"No where," he assured her. "I'm just taking off my boots."

"Mmkay. How was the mission?" She sleepily asked.

"Rescued a kid. Damn scary. She's able to blend into her surroundings like a chameleon."

"I can see where people would be upset with that."

"You knew?"

"The professor filled me in." As he climbed into bed, she asked, "Did you and Scott behave yourselves?"

"Yes, now go back to sleep." "Sleeping," she murmured before drifting off.

He smiled to himself and pulled her to him before falling asleep.

scenebreak

"It was cool of you guys to invite me out," Oz said as he stood next to a pool table with Scott and Logan the following night.

"Ah, we've got to confess, we had an ulterior motive," Scott said.

"To check me out. Discover my intentions towards the X-Men and Buffy," Oz said while selecting a cue.

"Well, that was secondary," Scott admitted. "You're actually here to act as a buffer between Logan and I."

"If you two don't get along, why go out to a bar together?"

"Buffy's on a mission. She wants us to get along," Logan said as he lined up his first shot. "Personally we think she's crazy, but..."

"You'd do anything for her," Oz finished for him.

"It's kind of hard not to," Logan agreed, knocking the nine ball into the pocket.

"So how long have you known Buffy?" Scott asked.

"Since her junior year, my senior - well, my first senior year. I started dating Willow and she was Willow's best friend."

"Willow was the witch?" Scott asked while Logan move around the table to make another shot.

"Yeah, but she was more than that," Oz said with a faraway look on his face. "She was smart, funny, beautiful, and had this tendency to babble."

Logan caught the wistfulness in Oz's voice and the scent of deep sadness. He knew at that moment he had nothing to worry about. Oz was a one-woman kind of guy and he had already found her.

"I kind of got involved with the demon slaying that way," Oz continued.

"And then you became a werewolf," Scott said.

"It wasn't Buffy's fault. I was visiting my little cousin what happens to be a werewolf. He doesn't like to be tickled so he bit me."

"If you loved Willow so much, why'd you leave?" Logan asked after missing a shot.

"It's a personal story," Oz said, watching Scott choose a shot. "But I came back several months later to find out she was in love with someone else. Normally I'm a pretty calm guy, but there was something about Willow. I couldn't stay around her while she carried another's scent - I would lose control. So I left again."

Logan nodded in understanding. "She was essentially your mate. It enraged your wolf to have someone invade your territory. Wait... you could smell the other guys' scent in human form?"

"The other girl's scent actually. It's one of the side effects - heightened sense of smell," Oz said, eyeing Logan carefully.

The mutant's eyes narrowed. "And you can smell other people's scent on others?"

"Yeah." "So you know...?"

"I know that you and Buffy are really attracted to each other. At least, I know she's attracted to you. That's all I got out of her."

"She's... she's really attracted to me?"

Scott laughed. "I never thought I'd see the day when Logan was unsure of himself."

"Shut it, Cyke," Logan growled.

"Hell yeah she likes you," Scott continued as Oz went to make a shot. "Not just any girl would throw her arms around you and give you a goodbye kiss before leaving on a mission."

"She did. Didn't she," Logan said softly.

"Why haven't you asked her out?" Scott asked.

"Don't want to push her."

"There is such a thing as waiting too long," Oz said, missing his second shot. "You wait too long and she might think you're not interested and start looking elsewhere."

"You don't think she'd... Cause I would... Cause... Shit," Logan said. "I need a beer," he grumbled as he walked away.

"So who set you up to this?" Scott asked after Logan was out of earshot. "Was it Storm and Rogue?"

"Nah. Could see it and smell it for myself," Oz said with a shrug. "I was thinking about sticking around and helping Buffy with the hellmouth. Life will just be easier if they got together."

scenebreak

"Well this is a nice change of pace," Buffy said, walking into the common room after patrol. Logan was stretched out on the couch watching the TV, waiting for her. She smiled and sat down next to him.

"Oh, hey darlin'," he said haltingly.

She tensed up. "What's wrong? You didn't kill Oz or Scott did you? 'Cause that would be bad."

"No, it has nothing to do with them. I just wanted to talk to you about something."

Suddenly nervous, Buffy rose and began pacing. "You're leaving aren't you? I knew it. It was just too good to be true. You start to let someone in and they just up and leave ya."

"No, Buffy! It's not like that," Logan said, moving to stand in front of her. "I'm not leaving you."

"Then what's wrong? You look like someone's died?'

"I was just going to ask if you wanted to go on a date," he nearly yelled, then he froze when he realized what words had left his mouth.

Buffy looked up at him in surprise. "A date? You mean like a real date where we dress up and go out to eat and maybe someplace else, stay out real late, and there's not slaying involved? You mean that kind of date?"

"Well, yeah, that kind of date."

"And that is the cause of the look of sheer terror on your face?" She asked, a little hurt by it.

"Yes.. I mean, no. Well, sort of. I wasn't sure how to ask or what your answer would be," he explained lamely.

"Oh," she said and she stared at him while she contemplated her decision. Saying yes would mean admitting out loud that she felt something for him. She had been denying the attraction for so long and it was getting harder to do so. The thought of finally admitting it was almost like a relief to her. And really could she say no to someone who cared so much about her that he exhibited great patience towards her and their relationship.

She was taking so long to respond that Logan began to worry. "I understand if you don't want to go. I mean..."

The tiny blonde placed two fingers over his lips. "I'll go. Saturday night?" She asked.

He mutely nodded. It was like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders and he could now fly. He could hardly believe that she said yes.

"Great. Now let's get some sleep, I'm tired." She said with an impish grin as she led him up the stairs.