Oz curled on some pillows in the corner of the large room. He'd pulled them from the couch to avoid sitting near Willow. It was a huge effort to be in the same room with her. His body ached. Sparring with Spike helped. The physical activity and the knowledge that he could use his wolf traits to advantage made a difference. The music sounded as some inane television show ended. He opened his eyes and stared out at the room.

He watched Willow, huddled on the couch. Her clothing was loose and layered, like she was wearing a sack. He missed her fuzzy sweaters, missed laughing and talking with her, missed watching her do anything other than stare sightlessly at the television as Xander and Cordelia chatted next to her.

Giles was upstairs having another serious conversation with Mrs. Summers. Their tense voices teased along the edge of his hearing. Pots clanged as she cooked. He picked up the scent of stew on the air. He thought for a moment of joining them, forcing their angry words to silence with his presence alone.

Buffy and Spike were off trying to make a difference. They had been honest about their deepening relationship with everyone though he had figured it out from their changed scents. Their mating was lovely to him, what he'd always dreamed of having with Willow. It was supposed to make him stronger and serene. Help him control the wolf. It had never occurred to him that it would be a tool used against him. He swallowed the growl that longed to burst forth.

Willow was not handling the news of their mating well. She had retreated from her friends and sat silently. Her guilt and anger were overwhelming her pain and suffering. He didn't begrudge her the strength, but it made it more difficult to go to her. The storm would break soon and hurricane Willow would rage over them all.

He closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall. Her emotions battered him constantly. His own became lost in the onslaught. He entertained the notion of trying to pretend with Willow, to give her the physical affection she craved. She didn't seem to feel him as sharply as he did her. He might be able to conceal the revulsion. It might spare the others.

She stood and started pacing. He watched her. He loved her, still. It ached inside him and he flung himself to his feet.

"Don't do this, Willow. There is stuff you don't understand. You need to step back and think." She moved closer and he stepped back, avoiding her touch.

"You won't let me touch you. You won't let me help you. I'm supposed to be happy you'll be in the same room with me." Willow screamed. "She brought this down on our heads with her great love and all that crap and now she's all shacked up with another vampire. Everyone acts like that's normal."

"I don't care if it's normal." Cordelia spat. "She's out there trying to fix it. Let her. If you had done what you were told you'd be fine. Why do you keep blaming Buffy? She's the only one with a shot at saving us."

"You didn't see her, Will." Xander rubbed Cordelia's thigh. "I've seen Buffy walk into things knowing she wasn't coming out. She never flinches, never panics. She fell to pieces before she pulled it together and got you out."

"Willow, you need to stop." Oz closed his eyes to avoid looking into hers. "Buffy has tried to help you, tried to talk with you. She is stressed out; fighting really dangerous vamps every night. She needs us to be safe."

"Oh, so this is my fault? I made Angel crazy?" Suddenly her fingers flashed with power. Oz growled and she glared at him.

"She traded one vamp in for another, guess slayers don't mate for life." Willow sneered. "Too bad wolves do. You might have been monster enough for her when this one turns on us, too."

The door to the room slid open behind her and Spike came through with Buffy. Her small hand was tight on his arm, knuckles white. His eyes flashed as he fought to remain in his human guise.

"Spike, don't." Buffy said it softly. Xander and Cordy slid back into the cushions of the couch as he growled.

"This is your home. She will not speak of you in that manner in your own home." He forced the words out, riding the edge of control.

"Well, my home isn't safe anymore, so I don't have anyplace else to say what's on my mind." Willow spat out glaring at them both.

"Have you lost your mind?" Xander asked. "Willow, she's been through hell. I don't know the details. I don't want to know. It cost her something to go back in that house and get you out, but she did it."

"Yep, that's our Buffy. She fucks up and then she fixes it with one bold act. Only this time we're all stuck hiding, and she gets to go out and make the streets safe for humanity."

"She made a mistake and she gets a mate." Willow glared at Oz. "I tried to save mine, and he can't stand to be near me for long."

"You got an easy ride with Angelus." Spike stepped to the side and pulled free of Buffy. "He was playing you. He still is. He's the one that hurt you. He's the one that tricked you, but he did it so sweetly. Easier to hate us than yourself, in' it."

Willow sagged back, but her fingers were moving. Oz felt the surge of power leaving him as she pulled energy to work the spell.

"She's casting." He growled out as he fell to his knees.

Buffy saw her fingers twitch and jumped the ten feet between them to plow her friend to the ground. The fireball hit the couch and Xander ripped his sweatshirt off and smothered the flames while Cordelia screamed.

"Listen to me, Willow." Buffy pleaded "He made it nice. It was a game to him. You were a toy. He made it nice, so you would do what he wanted. He needed you mated so he could hurt you both and drive you mad. He wants you to hate me. He wants you to hate everything. Are you going to let him win?"

Willow stared up into Buffy's face. She saw the pain in her best friend's eyes. She wrapped her arms around Buffy and sobbed. Buffy pulled her up and cradled her. She stroked Willow's hair with one hand and her back with another. Her eyes locked with Spike's as he bent to check on Oz.

Oz sat up with help and crawled across the floor to Willow and Buffy. He took Willow from Buffy's embrace, wrapping her in his arms and holding her close. Her hands curled in his shirt. He didn't notice as the others slipped away.