A Friend In Need is A Friend Indeed

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Summary: Oz has another dark secret, apart from being a werewolf, and Willow finds it out…Set in season 2, Angel has lost his soul.

Distribution: Sure take it, just e-mail the url afterwards.

Disclaimer: Not mine lol I wish they were, Especially Willow lol

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Willow couldn't believe it, she just couldn't believe it. Oz had ditched her again!

He had mumbled to her something about band practice and then left. The band only just had practice, they didn't suck that badly! Willow stormed around her room furiously, kicking away teddies and clothes that dared to block her rampant path. 'Perhaps he's found someone else and just can't break it to me yet.' That depressing thought made her stop in her tracks. 'No, that couldn't be it, could it? It's a lot more plausible than him being inconsiderate like this. Oh goddess, what if he has got someone else?'

Tears started to well up and threaten to spill over, but she blinked them away furiously, ignoring the images that flashed through her brain of Oz with various busty, blondes and long legged brunettes. 'How can I go around accusing him like this? These are just 'what-if's' he may not be cheating on me at all. Pull yourself together Rosenberg! What I should do, is see him. Get this all straightened out before I convince myself he's doing anything else than just band practice.' With that decision in mind, Willow put on 'Resolve Face' and went to look for some clean clothes.

'Maybe it would help if I dressed prettier….' The hacker wondered, she knew Oz wasn't a typical guy like that but it couldn't hurt to try, right? Willow grabbed a short black skirt which Buffy had given to her, one of her many failed attempts to try and make Willow dress 'sexy'. The Bronze was a cover story for why she was all dressed up, if he asked. She grabbed a green strap top which curved at her breast shape, it was sexy yet simple, and then she put on a pair of nylon stockings and her knee high boots. Willow caught a glance at herself in the mirror; she couldn't believe it was the same person! She looked so much more…sophisticated. Her hair was a problem though; she could never do anything with it.

'Hang on, I'm a Witch right?' The redhead smiled and thought of a hairstyle she saw once which she really liked. Hey presto, it was done! Willow now had a black headband around her head, keeping up the mass of deep red curls that framed her face. Now she looked like a different person! 'Okay, cover story…The Bronze. That means I have to call Buffy and ask her if we're going.' Willow grabbed her phone and quickly dialled Buffy's number; she knew it off by heart.

"Hello?" Buffy's voice was as perky as usual, though Willow could hear that sad note behind it. That sad note hadn't left Buffy since Angel had lost his soul.

"Hey Buff, it's me….Willow."

"Oh hey Will, what's up?"

"Are we going to The Bronze tonight? I have this big urge to go see them." Willow wouldn't mind actually going to the Bronze in her new look, perhaps she was changing, getting more confident.

"That's strange; Oz isn't even playing tonight, is he?" Buffy teased, Willow could hear the smile in her voice. "Um, yeah sure, I wouldn't mind going…it'd be nice to get out of the house for a while."

"Okay," Willow grinned into the phone, she was really excited. She checked her watch, it was 8pm. "Okay how about in two hours, can you get ready that fast?"

"Hey I'm the Slayer babe, I have super powers. I can change like Superman!" giggled Buffy.

"Ah but Superman was sloppy, he always got his tights and underpants mixed up!" laughed Willow, she enjoyed having these silly girly chats with Buffy. Ever since the Angel thing, Buffy hasn't really been up for talking much either.

"Ahhh so very true, my friend. Okay so how about you come here first? Then we can set off together. I'll call Xander and see if he wants to go."

"Great! Okay I got to run now. I'll see ya soon." Willow said, impatient now to see Oz since she had such little time to do so.

"Okay, Bye Wills."

Willow put the phone down and quickly seized her keys and her purse from the pine table. Hurriedly, she ran out of the door, slamming it behind her. 'Oh crap, I haven't thought of an excuse to why I'm seeing him!' She thought, on her way to his house. 'Okay, I'm just letting him know that we all will be at The Bronze tonight –if he wants to come along when he's not busy.' Willow nodded to herself; that was a good enough excuse.

Oz's house was near the woods, which made it a lot more convenient for him and his Werewolf self. It was quite secluded but very cosy, as she liked to think of it. She always felt at home there. The house was about 15 minutes away from hers, which wasn't too bad, but then again most things in Sunnydale were only 15 minutes away from her house. It wasn't a very big town. Willow arrived at his house at around 8:30pm, which was only because of her damned heels; they slowed her down so much. Quickly, she checked herself in the window and then knocked on the door. She could hear the band mates laughing and joking inside, a wave of doubt over what she was doing suddenly hit her and just as she was about to run away….the door opened.

"Um…wow, Hi." Oz said, stunned at the way Willow looked. 'Wow, she's so beautiful! Goddamn it. Why now?' Standing there with his arms folded, he made sure she couldn't see in. "What's up? Anything wrong?" He was sure he told her the band was practising tonight. 'Please don't let her want to come in. Please. Now really isn't the best time…' He prayed silently as he waited for Willow's reply.

"Can I come in?" She asked tentatively, Oz was looking shifty and there was a weird smell coming from inside the house.

Oz mentally cursed, 'Damn it. Why do you never listen to my prayers, God? You useless son of a bitch.' Quickly he tried to think of something to put Willow off. "Um no, there's…a lot going on in there and the guys may not like it." Oz winced at Willow's hurt face, 'Idiot! Now look at what you've done. Moron!'

"No look Oz, you were acting this way when you were hiding the fact that you're uh…" Willow lowered her voice, "…a werewolf. So what are you hiding from me this time? Is there someone else? Is that it? Because, if it is, I'm a big girl Oz – you could have just told me you wanted to break up."

Oz just stared at her in amazement; did she really think he wanted to break up with her? That was so silly? Why would he ever want to do something like that? 'Well…I better tell her the truth or we're finished for sure.' Oz hung his head and mumbled, "Okay, I got something to show you. Promise not to freak out on me. I didn't tell you before because I don't think you'll like it very much and I couldn't risk losing you…" Willow was getting nervous, it sounded really serious!

"Um…okay…" Her voice was shaky, her stomach were twisted into knots. For Oz to act like this, it had to be bad. He grabbed her hand and brought her to the living room. Her eyes bugged out of her head when she saw what they were doing, suddenly it was like the last piece of the jigsaw fell into place. She understood him now, completely! Willow rushed to the kitchen to get a drink, Oz followed after her worriedly.

"About what you saw…" Willow interrupted him by bursting into peals of laughter,

"I should have known! It was so obvious, just staring me right in my face the entire time! My boyfriend is a…stoner!"

tbc....