Oz awoke and gazed at the unfamiliar ceiling above him.

"Oz?" Xander's voice spoke from beside the cot.

Oz turned his head, his features coming as close to surprise as they
ever had, "Xander? What the hell--"

"Spike," his friend wrapped the entire explanation into a single word.

Oz sat up on the cot, "Willow's here. Did you know that?"

Xander nodded, "She's with him."

"Did you arrive alone?" Wesley asked from a rather rickety-looking chair
by the wall.

"He got you, too, did he?" Oz said. "Yes, I flew solo."

"Does Buffy know where you are?" the watcher asked.

"No one knows where I am," Oz told him.

"It would have been advantageous for you to have told her," Wesley
scolded him.

"Is that right? Maybe you should take your own advice, next time," Oz
snapped.

The watcher retreated into defeated silence.

"Have you spoken to her?" Oz returned to the conversation with Xander.

"Yes, but it didn't do any good. Our Willow isn't there anymore," Xander
replied.

"I can't believe that," Oz stated.

"You will," Xander promised.
***
Oz's discovery and subsequent intrusion into the house had been a lucky
break. Spike had felt fairly certain that her former boyfriend was the
one member of the slayer's little army that Willow would have difficulty
duping. Now, that problem had taken care of itself.

Spike wandered into the bedroom to find Willow brushing her hair in
front of the mirror. He pulled her back against him and placed a kiss on
her neck.

"Is he okay?" Willow asked softly.

"He's fine, baby," Spike told her.

"He's the only one who never hurt me," she told him.

"Aside from perpetual disapproval for not living up to his
expectations," he replied.

"I hurt him," she said.

"Sweetheart, it's not as if you were screwing around on him!"

"Even so, he felt as if something had been stolen away from him. He
deserved better. He always tried to make me feel good about myself. He
never expected anything from me except--me," she explained.

"Would he approve of you now?" Spike asked.

"No," she conceded.

"Let's not argue about this, luv," he suggested.

"Agreed. Just don't hurt him, please?" she turned in his arms and looked
at him imploringly.

Spike sighed and pulled her close, resting his head on hers, "I won't
hurt him unless I have to."

"Thank you," Willow whispered and wrapped her arms around him.

"Come to bed, baby," Spike urged. "I need you."
***
Oz looked up with interest as Willow stepped down into his prison. She
looked like the same familiar Willow, except for the hardness in her
eyes. And even that softened as she met his gaze.

"Hello, Oz," she said.

Realizing Oz needed space to be alone with Willow, Xander grabbed Wesley
by the arm and hauled the nosey watcher to the far side of the room.

"Willow," Oz pulled her to him and held her tightly. "I've been so
worried about you. You're all I've thought about."

He felt her body stiffen in his embrace and drew back to look into her
eyes.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Oz," she answered, removing his arms from around her and
taking a step back.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"You can't be near me. You can't hold me. I'm not yours," she said.

"You're not telling me you're his!" Oz's eyes glanced up to the door at
the top of the stairs.

"That's exactly what I'm telling you," she confirmed.

"I don't believe you. You can't want him," he stated.

"I do. All the time," Willow asserted.

Oz was stunned into silence. He had known a side of Willow that no one
else had even bothered to look for, but he didn't know this woman
standing in front of him. He turned away from her.

"I'm not what you hoped for," Willow spoke. "I'm sorry, Oz."

"Are you?" he asked. "Maybe you are, in your own way, but it isn't
enough."

"I didn't expect it to be," sadness cut through her words.

He refused to face her.

"I really am sorry, Oz. I do care about you, just--not like before.
Spike has promised me he won't hurt you, if that means anything at all,"
she told him.

"Thanks," he muttered tonelessly.

Willow hesitated a moment, as if there were something more she needed to
say. She shook her head slightly and turned back to the stairs.

"Goodbye, Oz," she said softly.

"Goodbye, Willow," he replied in a whisper he knew she'd never hear.

End.

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