Big thanks to my lovely reviewers - you guys make my day!

Chapter Ten

It felt good to be back at the research and computer. This was Willow's element, her comfort-zone; it always had been. For most of her life, the social intricacies of school had eluded the shy student. She was content to stay under the radar as much as possible, avoid Cordelia and Co's sniping, and hang out with Xander and Jesse. She didn't get people; they were mean or they ignored her. Technology she could understand – it talked to her. Then Buffy came; the gorgeous popular new girl, and she wanted to know the no-one that was Willow. Friendships bloomed, minds opened up and suddenly the hacker was using her skills to help save the world and her friends' lives. It was incredible. Willow frowned softly; she suddenly wasn't sure if she had ever told Buffy how much everything they had shared had meant to her.

Willow shook her head and brought her mind back to the task. After trawling through the heavy volumes on Giles's desk for a few hours, she had found scarce helpful mentions of the Guild book his notes had pointed to. From what she did manage to glean from the obscure passages, it was the sort of 6th century demon hunters' handbook. She wondered what relevant information Giles was hoping to get from it. Was the Master really that old? Willow shuddered at the thought.

She had since moved onto the computer that sat on the edge of his desk, having first cleared a swamp of papers off the keyboard. It was a new addition to his office; usually Giles left the modern machine behind the counter, out of the way of his books. Maybe it was Miss Calendar's influence.

Her fingers moved with rhythmic taps as she sped through familiar occult web-sites. Eyes sharp and focused as they skimmed the pages of information, searching for key words to jump out.

"Hey."

Willow nearly fell out of her seat as she jerked around. She had been so ensconced in the research, she hadn't heard anyone enter the office. Her heart rate didn't slow down any as she saw who was leaning in the half open doorway.

"Hi."

Her voice sounded breathless to her ears, and Willow ordered herself to get a grip. Oz tilted his head slightly over his shoulder.

"Giles said you were in here. Thought maybe you'd be missing food."

Willow looked dumbly at the wrapped sandwich he handed over. "Um, thanks. That's really n-nice of you." She smiled shyly at him before quickly returning her attention down as she began to peel back the cling-film. She tried to think of something else to say. It shouldn't be this difficult – this was Oz. Why couldn't she talk to him?

"So, do you have a free period now, then?"

"Lunchtime."

"It is?" Willow looked up in surprise before checking her watch. It was one already. "Boy, time really flies when…when you're not finding anything helpful," she finished lamely, her shoulders slumping.

Oz leant back against the wall across from the desk, hands deep in the pockets of his black trousers. "No luck with the research then?"

Willow sighed. "Not really. I mean, any references in the main occult books about this Guild, are pretty generic. I've been searching the web but so far all I can tell is that it was last seen somewhere in Asia in the 8th century, and even that I haven't been able to verify yet."

Oz nodded in silent consideration. Willow took a bite of her sandwich. "Chicken salad," she noted with a smile of approval before digging into the meal. She hadn't realised how hungry she was.

"Best the school canteen leftovers have to offer." She glanced over at him and his mouth twitched in an almost smile. "We don't get out much."

Willow felt her stomach tingle; he always seemed to have that effect on her. It was incredible how Oz was still Oz, no matter what reality.

"So, an alternate universe huh?"

Willow swallowed and watched him apprehensively. His manner was laid back as he studied her across the small room. He actually sounded kind of amused. Willow flashed a nervous smile; only Oz could take something as wacky as inter-dimensional travel in his stride.

"Yeah. Kinda freaky I guess?"

He shrugged. "Just another day in Sunnydale if you ask me; meet and greet centre for the unexplainable."

Willow giggled. "I suppose so. Not many people can say that, can they?"

"Life's certainly never boring."

They shared a friendly smile. Willow felt a heat creep into her face the longer their eyes met. She broke away and looked down. This was hard! She didn't know how she was supposed to act around him. Every part of her was longing to reach out to him; to bury herself in his arms; to feel his beating heart against her chest; his hands in her hair; to know that they were truly together again…yet she stayed in her chair.

"So, how long have you been helping Giles?"

"Not long after the Master rose. Was kinda hard to miss something bad was going on. I wanted to do something." Oz pushed off from the wall and wandered over to the desk, looking down at the open pages laid across it. "Giles is a good guy. He helps people."

Willow cast a side-long look at the quiet boy. As usual, there was so much more unsaid but she didn't push it. She played with the bread of her half-finished sandwich. "Did-did you ever meet me? Th-the other me, I mean. Before…y'know." She sensed Oz look over at her, but didn't raise her eyes.

"No."

His answer was quiet, softly apologetic. Willow nodded tightly, still picking off the sesame seeds.

"You said you knew us. In your Sunnydale."

"I knew Giles; he was Buffy's Watcher. And Miss Calendar was a teacher in school there too. And…you. We-we were friends."

She met his eyes briefly before turning back to the computer screen, setting down the half-eaten roll. Appetite all but gone in the sudden twisting of her stomach. Betraying tears threatened at the edges of her vision. How could she ever tell him the truth? Would he even want to know? She stared at the flickering screen but didn't see the blurry words. They had never even met here. How could she ever hope he would feel the same way about her again?

"You miss them." It wasn't a question. He leant against the edge of the desk, watching her carefully with an unassuming gaze.

"Yes," Willow whispered, hastily wiping at the gathering tears. She couldn't do this. Not right now. Not in front of him.

"I'm sorry."

She could only shake her head, her hands coiling into fists in her lap. His voice was gentle and sincere. How could it hurt so much? She was distracted as another head popped around the door.

"Oz man, class."

The boy gave a silent nod. Mike's eyes rested on Willow for a moment, before he disappeared back into the library. Oz stood up from the table. "See you later."

Willow made a last effort and managed a bright smile as she looked back at him. "Yeah. And thanks - for lunch."

He nodded in response before moving away to meet Mike, who was waiting at the doors.

o0o

"Giles said to gather in the library as usual. Annie's meeting us there. Is your van alright?"

The two boys walked down the sparsely populated halls of the high school. Mike was eying the older boy with a slight frown.

"Yeah, I fixed the side door. We're good to go."

In truth, Oz was only half-listening to the conversation. He couldn't seem to shake the oddly unsettled feeling that had followed him out from the brief meeting with the new girl. The new Willow. A faint frown touched his face for a moment. It felt like something was drifting at the back of his mind; hardly there but there enough to distract him. And the boy didn't think it was totally to do with the strangeness of having staked her vampire double.

"Oz? You alright?"

He looked over at the boy next to him, sharp hazel eyes that were watching him closely.

"Yeah. Just thinking. See you back in the library."

"Uh, okay."

The two parted ways at the entrance to Oz's senior class, leaving Mike to carry on towards his own; concern over his friend nagging at his thoughts.

AN So here it is - the first real Wishverse Willow/Oz interaction, as promised! Reviews are little gold nuggets of inspiration!