The neighborhood the house was in didn't give them a lot of options regarding a sneak attack. The team waited out of sight at a distance until the cover of late night/early morning. Without knowing her security capabilities they could only hope that their movements would go unnoticed until it was too late. What they couldn't know was that inside the house warnings were already going off, and their target was going to ground - literally underground.

At the first alarm, she had practically flown down the stairs to the lab; hurriedly engaging the door seal, then ran over to the computer and began transferring her latest data to her superiors. She then began powering down the equipment to lower the risk of any signals being picked up during the invaders' search of the house. Although, once the room's emergency seal was activated very little would penetrate, she wasn't taking any chances as far as the Slayer was concerned. The whole time Oz had been watching, becoming alarmed by her change in behavior. She lowered the lights then stood in front of Oz's cage and said, "Don't move and stay quiet."

"What...?"

"I said quiet!" She snapped, steel in her voice, her eyes looking up to the ceiling as though to see what was going on above.

Meanwhile, Buffy and Riley's team burst into the house upstairs. Searching room by room they found it empty with no trace of the woman they had been watching. The house was one level with no sign of a basement. Riley's soldiers' equipment picked up nothing, and despite Willow trying a couple of revealing spells, they could find no evidence of a lab or where their target had disappeared to.

"Willow, over here." Buffy had been running her hand along one of the living room walls when her fingers noticed something her eyes couldn't see. Something that felt like a crack, or line, between two pieces of the paneling.

Willow left off where she had been looking through the meager items on the entertainment center, which was definitely lacking in entertainment. No CDs, DVDs, or videos. Nothing except an older model television, and a DVD/VCR combo player. She walked over to where Buffy was examining the wall. "What did you find?"

"See these two panels? There's a small crack between them and," she put her cheek to the wall, "I feel air."

Xander stepped over to where they were and said, "This is an inner wall there shouldn't be air coming through like that. There's got to be something behind it."

"Look." Buffy said, indicating a tiny hole no bigger than a small nail head. She leaned in, looking closer. "I think I see something reflecting, like glass or something."

Riley, having come back in from examining the sparse bedroom spoke up. "It might be an optical mechanism that's programmed to open the wall when it's triggered."

Buffy looked up at him, "What's the trigger?"

"Well, that's the question. But now that we know that it's here, we might be able to find something to wedge in the crack and open it the old-fashioned way, using leverage. Hang on, I'll go back to the van and get a crowbar."

Before trying the crowbar, Willow attempted a spell to open it, but whatever had been interfering with her reveal spell was still in effect. It took awhile, but finally after both pushing against the door and using the crowbar as a wedge, they were able to get the door to slide open just enough to get their hands in the crack then using the strength of Buffy, Riley, Xander, and one of Riley's men they were finally able to slide it open to the right. Once opened it revealed a small area the size of a tiny closet and another door directly across from them. This one was metal, set into a metal frame. There was both a numbered keypad and a slot for a key card. There would be no brute force opening of this door.

Riley went out and retrieved a small notebook computer and handed it to Willow, along with a keycard that hooked into the USB port. "The program on there is the best we have at breaking entry codes, and no matter who she is working for, I am willing to bet that their system won't be able to keep us out."

With a breath, Willow took the computer, put the card in the slot and started to work.

Downstairs, Dr. Roberts watched their movements on her computer using the cameras that were concealed within the house itself. She berated herself and her employers for not using a more sophisticated lock like those on the bands Oz wore, but they had felt the likelihood of being discovered, coupled with the need for quick access by her superiors should anything happen to her, made the need for such a lock unnecessary. Not to mention that they had hired a shaman to lay a disruption spell to prevent any use of magic in the house outside the lab, well at least that part was working... What was the saying? "For want of a nail..." She knew now that it was only a matter of time before they broke through the second door and she had effectively trapped herself. She was no martyr to her cause and didn't plan on going out in a rain of gunfire, nor did she have plans to kill Oz. Both would be pointless.

The fact that Buffy had teamed up with Finn ironically gave her a better chance than if it were the slayer and her crew alone. With Finn involved she had little doubt in that she would be turned over to the military, which meant as soon as her backers got wind of it, she would be released. Her employers had copies of all of her data and many of her samples, so once she was out that part of her work could continue at least. And, the fact that as long as Oz was alive she would have the eventual option of someday picking up where she left off was reason enough not to see him dead. She glanced over at Oz who was looking toward the top of the stairs. She knew with his hearing that he must be able to hear something of the progress they had made on the doors, but as yet was unaware of what that meant.

***

"I think I've got it!" Willow had no more said the words when the indicator light on the door turned green and they all heard the lock disengage.

"Willow, wait!" Riley put out a hand to try and stop Willow, but she had already opened the door. From her vantage point her line of sight fell directly on the cage below.

"Oz!" Willow barely had time to register what she was seeing, when she felt whatever had been blocking her magic dissipate and that was all it took. Ignoring all else, Willow gathered the now present magic around herself, and still standing at the top of the stairs reached an arm toward the cage, clinched her fist, twisted her wrist, and pulled her arm back. With a strong gust of wind the entire cage door flew off coming toward her until she slung her arm to the right, where it crashed heavily against the wall and the equipment along it. The wind continued though, and it lifted Willow up and carried her down the stairs and across the room gently lowering her to stand in front of Oz.

He looked at her. "Hey."

She looked back. 'Hey, yourself."

He looked at her for a moment more. Then hesitantly he wrapped his arms around her, burying his head against her neck as she held him.

As soon as Willow had touched the floor, the rest of the team ran down the stairs, except for Buffy who, eschewing the stairs all together, launched herself over the side of the stairs' railing and landed directly in front of the doctor.

"Hi, I'm Buffy. I don't think we've met." Buffy drew back her fist and landed a punch on the doctor's jaw, knocking her to the floor. "Now we have."

Just coming off the stairs, Riley came over in time to pick the doctor up off the floor. "Doctor Roberts."

"Riley Finn."

"So, you do know her?" Buffy asked.

"Not really, but we've met and now it looks like we get the chance to know each other a little better. Doctor, I am authorized to take you into military custody. I suggest you come quietly."

"Of course." She said, fully aware of her course of action.

Riley took out a pair of handcuffs and taking her arm started to put them on. Oz, finally able to focus on what was going on around him, yelled, "Wait!" Then, finding all eyes suddenly turned toward him, lost his voice.

Willow, guessing some of what Oz was feeling, put her hand on his arm and said quietly, "It's alright. What is it?"

Oz turned back to Willow, and found if he focused on her and pretended there was no one else there, he was able to find his voice. "These," he held his arms out, "she is the only one who can take them off."

Willow, really noticing the bands for the first time, had to bite back on her anger to stop herself from doing something she would later regret. She debated for a moment on whether or not magic would be able to remove them, but decided the risk wasn't worth it. She turned toward the others, "Riley..."

Riley looked down at the doctor. "You heard her."

"And," Buffy said, stepping closer "If you try anything you'll find out what a slayer can really do."

Ignoring Buffy, the doctor walked over to Oz, and taking his arm began removing the bands, staring him in the face the entire time. Oz, for his part, was unable to look at her at all, and found himself pressed against Willow's side before he realized what he had done. When she was finished, she turned back to Riley and Buffy and handed them the four bands. Riley took her arm, and turning her around, put the handcuffs on her.

Sam had, along with Giles and the soldiers, been taking stock of the lab. And, even with the damage done by the door Willow had flung across the room, she was able to get a good idea of what had been going on, and how difficult the road was that Oz was going to have to take before he would truly be free.

She turned to Giles and said, "There is a lot of useful information here. Information that could be used to help Oz. It could help others. What do we do?"

Giles looked over to where Oz was still standing with Willow. "I think we'll leave that up to him. For now we should gather what we can, and then later, when he's ready, we'll ask him."

Willow drew Oz over to the foot of the stairs, away from the hated cage and away from the pressing crowd of the others and quietly asked him, "Why don't you let Xander take you back to the hotel where we're staying while we finish up here?"

"You're not coming?"

"I'll be there as soon as I can. I just want to make sure nothing gets overlooked and that nothing is left behind that whoever she's with can recover. And, to make sure that they," indicating Riley's men, "don't take anything. There isn't really anyone here who can handle the computer stuff that I trust enough to do it. Unless you think I should leave it to Giles and Buffy." She said with a slight grin.

"Not unless they have really changed a lot in the last few years, or Giles has been really hiding his secret computer whiz identity." Oz said with his own slight smile.

"I promise I will be there as soon as we get everything we can. It's not that I don't trust Riley and Sam, but they might miss something."

"Sam?"

Willow turned pointing Sam out. "Riley's wife."

"Hunh, She didn't tell me that."

"She didn't tell...what does she know?" Willow asked.

"Well, I'm not sure since I didn't have a way to check, but I think pretty much everything. She's...disturbing...that way."

"So," Willow said, turning back to the subject, "you don't mind if I..." She nodded her head back toward the others.

"No, you're right. There's...things...here that shouldn't be...that just..." Oz, trailed off lost in thought, and then started again. "I'll be fine with Xander. Just...come on as soon as you can. Please."

Willow put her palm to Oz's cheek. "I will, I promise."

Taking Oz's hand and leading him back to where Xander was talking with Giles and Sam. "So, Xand, your taxi service available?"

"Always, and as always, I am extra careful with the extra special VIP passengers."

"See that you are." Willow gave him a definite Willow smile, and then turned back to Oz, her tone more serious, "It'll be ok."

Xander looked at Oz, his tone matching Willow's. "Are you ready?"

Oz briefly looked around at the place that had been his prison for so long now and answered. "More than."

As they walked back to the staircase they had to walk past the doctor. "Oz." She said.

Two years of conditioning made him stop and look back at her. She looked at him, then around at the people who were his friends, then back at him again. "Don't screw it up this time."

Oz gave a slight nod and turned away.

He put his hand on the railing at the foot of the stairs and looked up. As much as he wanted out, wanted this place and everything it held behind him, he couldn't shake the feeling that something would happen to him if he climbed those steps. That she hadn't told him everything, that there was something up there that would stop him. He felt a slight touch on his elbow and looked down to see Xander's hand lightly resting on his arm. Not pressing, just letting him know that he was there, and maybe it really was going be ok. He took a breath and didn't let it out until he was at the top and through the double doors. It was a strange feeling, not just being out of the lab, but to see the camouflage of

normalcy that had been hiding everything below. Xander paused with him as he looked around, fingers still brushing Oz's arm, letting him take his time. With a nod Oz let him know he was ready to continue.

Xander led him to the outside door and Oz felt a sudden tightening of his chest, but didn't stop. In just seconds they were out. In the time since the team had entered the sun had rose, and even at its weakest, the light was still too much for eyes that hadn't seen their rays in so long. Oz had to close his eyes and shield them with his hand. Never taking his hand from Oz's arm, Xander stepped slightly back over the threshold to where a couple of Riley's men were keeping watch. Seeing sunglasses hanging off one of the soldier's shirt pocket, Xander asked,"Can he have those?"

The soldier handed them over and Xander gave them to Oz. The glasses helped, but Oz still squinted against the light. Xander quashed down the darkly humorous thought of the half-blind leading the half-blinded and helped Oz into one of the vans.

The ride to the hotel was surreal. Oz still didn't feel like any of this could be real, and Xander was uncharacteristically quiet, not knowing what to say and ashamed for it. By the time they reached the hotel, Oz could add carsick to the list of weird feelings he was experiencing.

Xander lead Oz up to the room that they had already set aside for him, and broke the not quite uncomfortable silence. "We got you some clothes, I hope they fit, we haven't seen you in a while, obviously; so it was guess work. They're in the drawer over there." He pointed at a small white bureau.

"The bathroom's over there." He said, pointing again. "Do you want me to stay, or..."

Oz spoke for the first time since leaving the lab. "No, if it's ok, can I be alone, just for a little while?"

"Sure, man." Xander replied. He noted the slight uncertainty and almost placating tone to Oz's voice and had to careful school his reaction, not wanting Oz to feel any of the anger he was holding toward that bitch that had done this to his friend and think it was directed at him. Xander was almost through the door when Oz spoke again.

"Hey, Xander. Thanks."

Xander nodded and closed the door.

After Xander was gone, Oz walked over to the bed and sat down. He was alone. For the first time in more than two years, he had the choice to be alone and, if he wanted, he had the choice to open the door and call Xander back and not be alone. He sat for a moment more than walked over to the bureau and found the promised clothing. He chose a tee shirt and jeans. (He chose!) He went into the bathroom and shut the door. (He shut the door!) He turned the shower on and that's when it truly hit him. He was free.

He felt his legs weaken and he slid down the wall to the floor of the shower and sat there, letting the hot water run over him. He stayed that way for as long as he felt he would be able to without someone becoming worried and coming in to check on him. Getting dressed he went back into main room where he sat back down on the bed. He was suddenly very tired, and lying back on the bed he went to sleep.

Sometime later, he awoke with a jerk. Momentarily disoriented, and the unaccustomed height of the bed making him feel suspended and up too high, it took him a moment to figure out what had woken him. It was a slight knock at the door, followed by Willow's voice. "Oz, it's me. Can I come in?"

Oz now fully awake, quickly walked over and opened the door. "Willow." Suddenly Oz felt very awkward. "Come in."

Willow walked through the opened door already talking. "We've gotten everything we could, but it looks like she has already pretty much sent everything she had to whomever she's working for. We are working on tracing it back and seeing if we can figure out who that is."

She walked over to the bed and sat down, Oz coming over to sit beside her. "Oz, I am so sorry that we didn't know. That we couldn't have done anything sooner."

"Willow," Oz said, taking her hand, "there was nothing you could have done. No way that you could have known. I am so grateful that you came. But…can we not talk about it yet? Later, I promise, but not yet. Tell me what I've missed. She...she told me a lot, and," he said suddenly remembering, "You have to warn Buffy, She seems to have found out a lot from one of the other Slayers. That's sounds weird. Other Slayers... I don't know anything other than that, I mean she didn't say anything that told me for sure one of the slayers, but I just have a feeling."

"We will. Warn Buffy, I mean, but right now, don't worry, just let me tell you a story."

Several hours later Willow and Oz were reclined on the bed, leaning back against the headboard, side by side, bumping their feet against each other. And although the provided clothing had included shoes, Oz was still bare-foot. Willow having woven the tale starting from the last time she and Oz had seen each other had just finished telling Oz about her visit from Tara.

"I still miss her everyday. I know I always will." Willow said.

"I wish I could have gotten to know her, if things had been different..." Oz looked at Willow before continuing. "And not just because she's saved me twice. First by telling the guys the Initiative had me, and now this time... If she hadn't came to me, hadn't led you to me...I don't know what I would have done. I think I was ready to give up."

"When she came to me," Willow said, "I didn't believe it at first, that it was really her, I was afraid it was the First coming back, but then I realized it really was Tara." Willow's look became focused far away a slight hint of tears in her eyes. "She told me you needed me. When I lost Tara, I can't even begin to explain what happened, what I became. It changed everything. I became a murderer. Worse than a murderer. I tried to end the world." She repeated it quietly, "I tried to end the world. I couldn't control myself, I let the power take over. Even before Tara died it was a problem." She looked back at Oz. "I know you always worried about me too. Me with the magic. And you were right. You were so right. You both were."

Oz took her hand as she continued. "Then after...after I was...stopped...I was afraid of it, of the power, of how much of it I had and what I could do with it, until Buffy really needed me, needed my help to activate the Potentials." Willow looked again at Oz, her eyes shining, but with wonder not tears. "Oz, it was the most amazing thing. It was right somehow, and I realized that that was what I had been missing. That's what was wrong before. Most of the magic I used before was for was selfish use, and I kept taking and taking. I thought I understood; I thought as long as I can control it, it was ok to use it however I wanted, for whatever I wanted. And even the times I thought I wasn't being selfish, when I thought I was helping people, there was still a part of me that was still being selfish. I was all 'this makes me special, this makes me powerful, people will notice me now' and the more I got, the more I wanted. And I pushed and pushed. And I grabbed and grabbed.

"And it was wrong. So wrong. Giles had tried to warn me, Tara tried to warn me, and you tried to warn me. And when I lost Tara... It was awful. I was awful. But, what I did with the scythe, it was so different. I approached it differently, with respect and I was so afraid. I never once thought about what I would get out of it, or how powerful I was to be able to do this. And the power that the scythe was connected to was so old... I've finally learned a lot. It's not just about spells, and it's not about power. I really get that now."

"I'm sorry that I wasn't there." Oz said. "And I am so sorry about Tara, really, and I am glad that you had her. When Tara came to me, she told me that I needed to stop trying to solve things by myself. I used to think that it was the wolf that had kept us apart, that the wolf had messed everything up. That it was entirely to blame for everything that happened with Veruca, and that the only way things would get better was if I found a way to control the wolf - to control myself, and I thought that finding a way to control the wolf was the only reason I left Sunnydale the first time. And then when I left the second time, I even blamed the wolf as the reason that you and Tara were together. That was so stupid. I know now how much you loved each other. And I know now that the reason I let things happen with Veruca and why things went wrong with us was me. Not the wolf, not really, but me, Oz. I was afraid." Oz gripped Willow's hand tighter looking at the wall instead of her face.

"I was afraid I would hurt you, or that I wasn't good enough for you. And I was afraid that I would lose myself in the wolf. I was afraid to ask for help when things started to feel out of control. And, when I started feeling things that should have belonged only to the wolf coming out other times, like hearing things and smelling things I shouldn't have been able to and how I felt around Veruca, I should have talked to you. I should have talked to somebody, but I shut everyone out, especially you. It took the ghost of the person who had more of you than I ever did and a crazy scientist with a werewolf fetish, to finally make me realize it."

Oz closed his eyes. "I thought I needed to handle everything alone, and I thought that I wasn't doing enough to make sure you didn't get hurt. And, now I realize that I should never have shut you out." He opened his eyes, looking at her. "And, I also realize that I am really glad that you and Tara found each other. I know now that she was able to give you something that I wouldn't have been able to. I know now that there was no way that I could have stayed. Not because of the wolf, but because of me. I couldn't accept the wolf, so I didn't believe that you could accept it, me, either, and I wasn't willing to give you the choice. I needed to learn to accept help." Oz took her other hand in his, so that he was holding both and turning slightly so as to look her fully in the face. "Willow. Will you help me?"

Willow squeezing his hands and laying her forehead against his, simply said, "Yes."

~End