Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer, nor do I own Battlestar Galactica. They are owned by Joss Whedon and Ronald D. Moore respectively. I merely play with their toys while they're away. Also, this series entirely ignores anything not directly mentioned in Battlestar Galactica, so ignore anything from Caprica. This was conceived before that, so I'm not letting it hamper my creativity.

Set me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thine arm; for love is strong as death, jealousy is cruel as the grave; the flashes thereof of fire, a very flame of the Lord. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it
-Nign fun-Nignen 8:6-7a, Mithrasarian poetic text

Several fortnights ago

"Zippo."

Buffy sat down on Giles' desk, and looked back up at the Scooby gang around her, before continuing, "Patrol's been totally uneventful. My kill count's way down."

Willow and Tara were sitting on stools at the counter between Giles' kitchen and living room, alongside Anya on Xander's lap in a third stool. Giles was behind them, cleaning in the kitchen, while Buffy's boyfriend, Riley, standing over by the couch, more in the living room, closer to Buffy.

Willow spoke quietly to Tara, "She means there's been less bad guy activity."

"Well," Giles said, responding to Buffy, "we, unfortunately, know what that often indicates."

"Buffy doesn't make her quota," Xander said, shaking his finger at Buffy, "Bad slayer!"

"Well, I wish it were that innocuous, Xander," Giles said, "but with Deucalion around, I feel he's involved somehow."

Willow spoke, in the same quiet tones, "When things get slow, it's usually because there's some extra evil brewing."

Tara nodded as the Scooby meeting continued, and Riley took the floor.

"Except, the weird thing is, we've been busy at the Initiative. Our squads are pulling a lot more captures. We got demons coming out our ears."

Willow talked quietly again, "That's a metaphor."

Tara whispered back, "I got it, thanks."

"I'm overhelping, aren't I?"

Tara laughed quietly at Willow.

Giles was coming out of the kitchen, and stood in the front hall, in front of the door, and continued speaking, "So the activity's shifted, but not stopped. That's fascinating."

Anya interrupted, "To an extremely bored person, maybe." Giles gave Anya a very annoyed look, as she continued, "Well, that was a thrilling hour," and everyone started to stand up, including Giles, who spoke.

"You know, I really don't appreciate your snide remarks, Anya!"

Anya and Xander both looked at Giles, in shock at the outburst, as Giles continued, "Now, I have a great deal of experience in these matters and, if I say there is a matter of some import brewing I - I - "

Giles turned around, to look at the door, which had opened midway through his diatribe, and which the attention of the entire Scooby gang had now turned. Tara and Riley looked in confusion, and the remaining Scoobies looked in surprise at the figure in the doorway,

"Oz," Willow said, in utter shock, as a look of understanding came on Tara's face. "When- when did you get back?"

"Pretty much now."

The tension was powerful as Xander stepped up past the Scoobies toward the werewolf, "Oz, man. Hate to sound like grandma, but - you don't call, you don't write,"

"Yeah. Sorry."

Buffy now spoke, "So - are you here-here, or are you just passing through?"

Giles recovered his voice, "Well, um, let's not, uh, bombard the poor chap with, uh, questions right off. Can I get you something, Oz? Tea?"

"I'll pass, thanks."

The group was silent for several seconds, before Oz spoke again, "Look, I'm going to Devon's to see if he's got a place I can crash. But," he hesitated, "I was hoping that we could talk, Willow. Later. Tonight," he clarified.

"Uh," Willow tried to hold herself together, "I guess so."

"I'll come by your place?"

Willow was silent for a few seconds, "Okay."

Oz smiled, "It's great to see you guys again. Really."

He walked back, closing the door behind him. There was utter silence in the room for a while, before Anya broke it, bluntly,

"Everyone's uncomfortable now."

Buffy touched Willow's arm,

"Will? You okay?"

"I-"

Tara suddenly spoke, "I-I, j-just- um, I-I realized, um, I-I'm-I'm late for a st-study group."

"Tara, wait!" Willow said, before Tara continued,

"N-no, it's okay, Willow. You - you should be w-with your friends and - and I-I should go."

She walked quickly, almost ran, to the door, opening it and closing it behind her, as Willow called out quietly,

"Wait-"

"Oz," Willow said, as they walked outside on the campus of UC Sunnydale, late at night, "This is all so weird."

Oz stopped, looking at her, and fidgeting with something in his hand, as Willow continued, "I, I feel like this isn't really happening. Like it's a dream - or-or something."

"It's real," Oz said, "Look up."

"What?"

Oz smiled, "Look at the sky."

Willow looked up, seeing the stars above. She could pick out Ragnar from here, and, just barely, Canceron, and Romo, one of the brightest stars in the Caprican sky – around which, according to scriptures, Kobol, the homeworld of humanity, orbited.

Then, she looked again, realizing what it was, in shock.

"I guess you stopped keeping track of 'em after I left."

"Full moons," Willow said, in shock, trying to make it register in her mind.

"Full moons." Indeed, Amalthea and Makara, Caprica's twin moons, were brightly shining in the sky, Amalthea's blue seas and green pastures, and the reflective white of Makara shining down on the Saloniki Valley.

"Full moons, but - but how? I mean," she smiled, "you did it! How, how did you do it? Where did you go?"

"It's a long story."

Willow looked over Oz again, as though checking for signs of him changing, and then launched herself into him, hugging, "Oh my gods, Oz!"

Suddenly, she pulled back, away from him, no longer smiling, and no sound of joy in her face, as her face filled with confusion,

"This is - I mean, it's wonderful for you."

Oz spoke, "I talked to Xander, and he said you didn't have a new guy."

"No," Willow said, hesitating, "No new," she hesitated, slightly, "guy-"

Oz smiled, taking Willow's hand, "I know what I put you through, and I'm not gonna push. But I am a - different person than when I left. And I can be what you need, now."

Willow looked with some dismay, as Oz continued, "That's what I want. That's why I'm here."

Willow was sitting in her dorm, silently in long thought while holding a stuffed animal, when Buffy came in,

"Hey."

"Hey," Willow responded, "You okay?"

Buffy rubbed her neck, "Yeah, I just - I don't wanna talk about it. I wanna talk about you and Oz! You saw him, right?"

"I was with him all night," she said, with little emotion, still staring forward.

Buffy raised her eyebrows, "All night?" she said, grinning and sitting on Willow's bed next to her, "Oh my gods! Wait. Last night was a wolf moons, right?"

"Yup," Willow said, smiling.

"So," Buffy said, "Either you're going to tell me something incredibly kinky, or-"

"No kink," Willow interrupted her friend, "He didn't change, Buffy. He said he was going to find a cure, and he did. On Sagittaron."

Buffy smiled, "Oh my gods. I can't believe it," she looked over at her friend, who was again without expression, staring at the wall and holding her stuffed animal, "Okay, I'm all with the woohoo here, and you're not."

"No," Willow said, "I mean, there's 'woo' and there's 'hoo'. But there's 'uh-oh' and 'why now?' and - it's complicated."

"Why complicated?"

Willow steeled herself, and managed to say it aloud, "It's complicated, because of - Tara."

Buffy frowned, "You mean Tara has a crush on Oz? No-"

Willow looked at Buffy with wide eyes, and it hit Buffy like a fyarl demon to the head, Buffy exclaiming "Oh! oh!"

Buffy stood up, quickly, "Oh, um - well, that's great! You know, I mean, I think Tara's a-a really great girl, Will."

"She is," Willow said, "And - there's something between us. It - it wasn't something I was really looking for, but - it's just powerful. And totally different what I and Oz have," she stopped, hesitating, "had."

"Well,"Buffy said, "There you go! I mean, you know, you have to," she searched for words, "you have to follow your heart, Will. And that's what's important, Will."

"Why do you keep saying my name like that?"

"Like what, Will?"

"Are you freaked?"

"What?" Buffy said, "No, Will, n-" she stopped, putting herself together. "No, absolutely no to that question. I mean, Faith was bi," she winced, "and that's a totally bad example and I'm sorry, and, I know gay people," a vague look came in Buffy's eyes, "Gods, do I know gay people."

Willow looked at her friend skeptically, as Buffy shook herself, and continued,

"I'm glad you told me. What did you say to Oz?"

"I was gonna tell him, but then we started hanging out, and, you know, I could just feel everything coming back. He's Oz, ya know?"

"Yeah, I know."

"I don't wanna hurt anyone, Buffy…"

Buffy sighed, rubbing her best friend on the back, "No matter what, Willow, somebody's gonna get hurt. And the important thing is - you just have to be honest. Or it's gonna be a lot worse."

Willow knocked on the door loudly, and Tara opened it before her.

"Hi."

Tara responded to her, "Hi." Tara stood back, indicating, and Willow came in,

"I can only stay a minute. I have class."

"Me too. I, I-I have class too."

"I just want you to know, what you saw this morning, it wasn't-"

"No, it's okay. I-I always knew if he came back-"

"We were just talking. Nothing happened."

Tara smiled, hopefully, "Oh. Really?"

Willow nodded, "But, you know, it was intense. Just talking. We have a lot to talk about," she frowned, "I kinda feel like my head's gonna explode."

Tara struggled for a moment, before speaking, "Whatever, you know, happens - I'll still be here. I'll still be your friend."

"Of course we'll be friends!" Willow exclaimed, "That's not even a question."

Tara was getting a little upset, "But I'm saying, I kn-know what Oz means to you.

"How can you," Willow said, her eyes watering up "when I'm not even sure? I mean, I - frak. I know what he meant to me. But he left, and," she hesitated, "everything changed. I changed, and then, we -" tears began to drip, "and you're a big part of that. And here comes the thing I wanted most of all and," through the tears, she forced it out, "I don't know what to do, I-I wanna know what to do, but, but I don't-"

Willow put her head down, and Tara wiped the tears from her cheeks, "Do," she stopped for a second, "do what makes you…h-happy."

After a small adventure, Oz had turned on Tara, and then Oz had been taken by the Initiative. Riley had tried to release Oz, only to be captured himself, and now, Buffy, Xander and Spike had liberated the werewolf and commando alike from the secret Fleet base under UC Sunnydale. Willow was now sitting in Oz's old van, with the werewolf in question,

"This thing looks pretty good, considering you drove it around different Colonies."

Oz didn't look at her, "Well, it broke down on Amalthea, and I traded my bass to have it fixed and garaged." He paused for a minute, "I shouldn't have come back, now. I just thought I'd changed."

"You have changed," Willow smiled, "You can stop the wolf from coming out. I saw it."

"But I couldn't look at you," he still couldn't look at her, "I mean, it turns out - the one thing that brings it out in me is you. Which falls under the heading of ironic in my book."

"It was my fault - I-I upset you."

"So, we're safe then, because nobody will ever do that again," Oz said, looking at her with a small, sardonic smile. "But," he hesitated, "you're happy?"

"I am. I can't," she stopped, "can't explain it-"

"It may be safer for both of us if you don't try. It was stupid to think you'd just be waiting."

"What are you going to do?"

"I think I'd better take off."

"When?"

"Pretty much now."

Tara sat in the darkened dorm room, as Willow opened it, holding a candle in her hand, and Tara stood up and looked at the fellow witch.

"No candles? Well, I brought one. It's extra flamey." Tara was silent, and looked down. "Tara, I have to tell you-"

"No, I-I understand." Tara said, "You have to be with the person y-you love."

Willow smiled, "I am."

"You mean-" Tara said, hopefully.

"I mean. Okay?"

"Yes."

"I feel horrible about everything I put you through, Tare. And…and I'm gonna make it up to you. Starting right now."

"Right now?" Tara said, smiling.

Willow smiled back, and nodded, and Tara blew out the candle, putting the room back in darkness.

Present

Willow kept indicating, "This way, people, this way. Down this way, turn left, and set yourselves up in Bay 1. Someone will come to take your names and information soon. This way."

"Excuse me, miss," an older woman said, "Is there any news from Virgon? My daughter's on Virgon, and I don't know what's happening-"

"Ma'am!" Willow interrupted, "I'm sorry, I don't have any information about what's going on. Just keep going on, to Bay 1. Someone will update you as soon as we know anything. I promise."

"Thank you, miss. Thank you."

Willow saw the man with wings on his shirt, "Excuse me, you're Captain Eya?"

"Yes, I am," the man said, "Rayko Eya."

"Great. Um, Secretary, that is, President Roslin will want to see you. She's on the main deck."

"Thank you, Miss-"

"Willow Canaan."

"Miss Canaan."

As the captain walked away, Willow heard a cry from the person on the other side of the airlock,

"WILLOW!"

Willow looked up, and saw one of the best sights she'd seen since leaving Caprica -

"XANDER!"

They ran to each other, Willow encompassing her best friend in a hug, "Oh my gods Xander you're alright and you got away from Caprica and you escaped and have you seen Buffy or Dawn or Giles and are you alright-"

Xander released her, "Whoa, slow down. We're alright."

Willow saw, and grasped, hugging Anya, thoroughly shocking both of them, "How did you get away?"

"It was Wesley."

"What?" Willow said, releasing Anya and looking back to Xander,

"Yeah, the watcher. He told us Cordelia had had a vision, and told us to get away early. We managed to get to the Saloniki spaceport, got on the ship before it took off. How's Tara?"

Xander had been more shocked than anyone else when Willow had revealed her bisexuality to the Scooby gang – he'd never noticed any signs, and he'd known her since kindergarten. She knew it had weirded him out completely, but at least he was adapting.

"She's okay. She's over, directing some other evacuees in the other ro-"

"WILLOW!"

Willow looked over, and 'eep!'ed as a 5'3" blonde projectile smashed into her, hugging her deeply, for several seconds before Willow could protest, "Ack - air air airairAIR!"

Buffy released her, "Willow! You're here! And Xander!" she said, hugging Xander fiercely as he went "Gah! Slayer strength!"

"Oh my gods," Buffy said, releasing Xander, "I can't believe you're all here. It's - amazing, I,"

Dawn, Tara and Giles had come over, and everyone was exchanging various hugs (except Giles, of course; with the exception of forced affection from Willow).

Willow came to Buffy again, and, this time, hugged her fully, tears in her eyes, "Thank the gods, you made it. You made it - you're alive."