Oz stood outside the door to Xander's apartment hesitating before knocking. He wanted to know his daughter but maybe Willow was right, maybe it was best if he just left. After all what did he know about children, what was he going to do with this little girl. Finally, taking a deep breath he raised his hand and knocked on the door.
"Hey Oz." Xander said pulling the door open.
"Hey. Thanks for doing this." Oz said.
"Not a problem." Xander said, "Less pressure here than at Will's."
"Hi Oz." Breanna said coming behind Xander, "Uncle Xander said you were gonna watch movies with us."
"Movies?" Oz said, "Oh yeah love movies."
"'kay do you want to watch Spiderman, or the Power Puff Girls first?" Breanna asked pulling him into the living room with her.
"Spiderman I guess." Oz said not sure that one choice was better than the other.
"I'll get the popcorn." Xander said, "You start the movie." He finished looking at Oz.
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"Did you know my Daddy when you were in school too?" Breanna asked Oz while Xander rewound one tape and put another in.
"Um, well I met him but I didn't really know him." Oz said.
"Cause he didn't go to school with you right?" Breanna asked, "Mommy says he's older than she is and didn't go to her school."
"Right." Xander said trying to help Oz get out of all the questions the little girl had been asking all night. "Ready for the next movie?"
"Power Puff Girls?" Breanna asked then at Xander's nod, "I love this movie, but Daddy never wants to watch it. He says they're more annoying than Aunt Buffy. Do you think Aunt Buffy's annoying?" She finished looking at Oz.
"Uh, no of course not." Oz said glancing at Xander who was obviously trying to hide a smile.
"Daddy does. But he says she's a good slayer anyway." She said settling back on the couch, "She even kicked his butt once."
"Just once?" Xander asked.
"Aunt Buffy says she has lots of times." Breanna explained. "Are you really in a band?" She said switching topics.
"Not anymore." Oz said smiling slightly relieved that they were on a different topic.
"Movies starting now." She said returning her attention to the T.V.
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"She asleep yet?" Anya asked as the credits started to scroll across the screen. "Because I don't think I can watch anymore cartoons."
Oz leaned over to peer at the child's head in his lap. "I think so."
Xander stood up moving the empty bowl, that had been sitting next to him, to the table. Then he turned and picked up Breanna carefully not wanting to wake her. After carrying her to the bedroom he returned and took his seat next to Oz on the couch.
"She sure has a lot of questions." Oz said still slightly amazed at how many things the little girl had questioned.
"She's Willow's daughter what did you expect?" Xander said smiling. "Tonight's questions weren't that bad. She can be much worse."
"Are you going to try to take her from Willow?" Anya asked bluntly.
"Anya." Xander warned. "Oz I."
"That's what we want to know right?" Anya said, "Willow and Spike are afraid Oz wants to take Breanna away from them."
"I don't want to take her." Oz said, "I don't see how I can raise a child alone. I don't even have a home. But I'm her father, I don't think I can ignore that either."
"I can understand that I guess." Xander said quietly, "But Oz if you insist on telling Bree, you're going to disrupt her whole world. Is that fair if you don't believe you can stay here and be her father."
"Spike is a vampire." Oz said amazed that everyone seemed to have forgotten such a simple fact.
"Yeah, but as much as I hate to admit it he's a great father. He loves Bree more than you can imagine." Xander said.
"I need to think." Oz said standing up and heading toward the door. "Tell Willow I'll call in a few days."
~Part: Twelve~
Oz stood in the doorway of the Magic Box watching Spike crouched in the corner between to buildings trying to stay out of the light from the setting sun as Breanna rode her bike back and forth on the side walk in front of the building.
"Oz you know I'm not a big fan of Spike." Buffy said coming up behind him, "But look out there what do you see?"
"Vampire with a death wish." Oz said watching the vampire shift further into the shadows.
"Guess you could see it that way." Buffy said as the little girl waved to them as she passed them again. "But I see someone who loves that child enough that he's willing to risk anything, even his life, to make her happy."
"Buffy."
"Oz can you honestly say that you will stay here to be her father, because if you can't you need to leave things the way they are." Buffy said, "It's what's best for everyone."
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Spike opened the door and pulled the small bike in to the back of the magic shop. Willow was walking Breanna down the street pick up some new crayons, and pencils for school. Closing the door he leaned the bike against the wall and turned around.
"Still here?" Spike said facing Oz who was standing in the opposite doorway.
"Need to talk to Willow." Oz replied.
"Why?"
"It's between Willow and me." Oz said quietly not wanting to discuss this or anything else with the vampire he headed back into the main part of the store.
"If it's about my daughter it involves me." Spike said following behind. Oz had been spending more and more time with Breanna and hanging around the shop a lot lately, which just further convinced Spike that he wanted to take Breanna away from him.
"She's my daughter." Oz turned to face the vampire.
"Right because you've spent a couple weeks with her. Because you've taken her to the park?" Spike said angrily, "And all that will last how long? Until Willow makes you angry again, and you can't control the wolf, or what if it's Bree that's around when you lose it, then what?"
"Spike." Oz warned.
"No. I'm not dropping this, I'm not going to sit back while you destroy my life, Willow's life, and Breanna's." Spike said moving toward Oz. "You need to get it in your head that I'm her father, not you."
Before Spike realized what was happening Oz lunged at him, forcing Spike to back toward the wall. Spike swung his fist toward Oz but before his fist even connected he felt the pain overtake him. Damn, he thought, if he'd change this would be much easier. When his fist did connect with the other man's face Spike saw him back up thrown off balance by the punch. Spike stood and started forward again just as Oz lunged toward him this time Spike saw Oz's face start to change. Spike braced himself for the attack, but it never came.
"Stop." He heard the small voice yell from behind him as he watched Oz fly back and hit the wall.
"Bree." Spike said turning to see Breanna and Willow standing in the doorway behind him. Willow holding the small plastic bag from the drug store.
"Willow what the hell are you doing?" Oz's voice came from behind them. Spike turned to see him still pinned to the wall struggling to move. "Let me go."
"I-it's not me." Willow said, "I-I don't.."
"What the hell are you talking about let me down." Oz said his face shifting as he calmed himself realizing she wouldn't let him go as long as she believed he was a danger.
"Oz it's not me." Willow said kneeling down next to her daughter. "Bree let Oz down."
"He wants to hurt Daddy." Breanna said not taking her eyes off Oz. "Are you okay Daddy?"
"Yeah Princess." Spike said, "You need to let Oz go. He won't hurt me."
"I don't know how." Breanna said simply still not sure exactly what had happened, they had walked in and she saw Oz trying to hurt her Daddy and next thing she knew Oz was against the wall and Mommy and Daddy said she put him there.
"Just stop looking at him honey." Willow said trying to soothe her anxious daughter. "You just have to not want him to be stuck there anymore."
"Are you going to hurt Daddy?" Breanna asked Oz.
"No." Oz said still slightly amazed that the little girl was the one doing this.
"Okay." She said and turned her head to look at Spike. "Want to see the toy Mommy let me buy?" She said to Spike as Oz moved away from the wall.
"Why don't we go in the store and get a donut while Mommy and Oz talk." Spike suggested.
"You won't hurt Mommy?" She asked looking at Oz suspiciously.
"No I won't hurt anybody." Oz said heading into the back room.
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Spike grabbed an donut and juice for Breanna and led her to the table in the center of the store. She broke through the spell, they had all believed it wasn't going to ever happen, it had been so long, they figured she stopped fighting against it. He pulled his attention back to the little girl chattering in front of him.
"Mommy says when we get home she'll help me make a necklace for Aunt Buffy's Birthday." Breanna was explaining. "Do you think she'll like it?"
"Course she will Princess. She'll love anything you make for her." Spike assured her. "Why don't you color a picture for her, while I talk to Uncle Giles." He said getting up from the table as Giles came down the steps.
"Is everything all right?" Giles asked when he spotted Spike. "I thought I heard a commotion down here a few minutes ago."
"We have a small problem." Spike said glancing at Breanna who was busy looking for the color she needed in the large box of crayons.
"Oz." Giles began.
"Maybe, but possibly much worse." Spike said then explained the confrontation between himself and Oz and what happened when Breanna came in.
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"What the hell just happened in there Willow?" Oz said as soon as Willow closed the door. "You're teaching her magic after everything that happened to you."
"No." Willow said angrily, "I didn't want her to ever know magic. I did everything I could to keep it from her. Until a few minutes ago I thought it had worked."
"What?" Oz said none of this making any sense to him.
"Magic isn't all learned Oz. It's always there, some people just never tap that power never learn to use it." Willow explained, "Breanna was born with an incredible amount of power, enough that people were after her because of some prophecy about tapping that power at birth. Then when she started showing signs of using that power we found a way to stop it. We can't remove it all we could do was bind it."
"So it didn't work."
"Until today it did." Willow said sitting down on the couch, "She hasn't shown any sign of fighting the bond in years. We thought it was over. Then I guess when she thought you were going to hurt Spike."
"Can you do the spell again?" Oz asked, it couldn't be good for such a little girl to wield that kind of power.
"Could probably try but I doubt it would work." Willow said quietly, "She fought it as a baby, she's going to be a lot stronger now, they won't be strong enough to do it, and I can't risk trying it myself."
"So what do you do now?"
"Oz do you see what you're doing. You keep saying you want to be her father, but now that something potentially bad is happening you act like it doesn't involve you." Willow said looking at him with tears in her eyes. "This is why I don't want her to know who you are. You can't deal so you leave."
"Willow, I just meant. I don't know anything about." Oz started to explain.
"As for what I'm going to do." Willow interrupted, "I guess Spike and I explain what happened today to her, and how her powers work, and how to control them. As she gets older teach her how to use them responsibly."
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"Daddy how did I make Oz move before?" Breanna asked walking over to the counter where Spike and Giles were talking.
"Well Pet, uh," Spike began.
"I think we should wait for your mom to talk about this okay." Giles said smiling at the girl, knowing what happened must have scared her.
"'kay." She said, "Can I move other things too?"
"Bree, thought we were waiting for Mommy?" Spike said not sure how much Willow wanted her to know.
"But I think it would be cool if I could get stuff I want without having to get up." Breanna said seriously.
"Too much time with Uncle Xander I think." Giles mumbled. "But your mom will be out shortly."
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"You think I should just leave don't you?" Oz asked already knowing the answer.
"Before I didn't think it was necessary but now I don't see any other way." Willow said, "Her emotions are going to trigger her power Oz. She sees you as a threat to Spike, which as you see makes her very angry."
"But I'm."
"Her father." Willow finished, "What more proof do you need that in all the ways that matter you aren't. You obviously aren't going to be able to be around here and keep control of the wolf, I could see when we came in you were turning. I won't let you be alone with my daughter anymore. I won't risk her life for you."
"Mommy!" Breanna shouted as she pushed the door open. "I want to know if I can move things and Daddy says I have to wait for you to get done talking to Oz." Then turning and looking at Oz, "Why don't you like my Daddy?"
"Bree!" Willow said shocked at her daughter's bluntness.
"I can't be your friend anymore if you don't like my Daddy." Breanna said before walking back out of the room.
"Oz, I'm sorry." Willow said turning to face him. "She didn't."
"I think she did." Oz said, "I've gotta get out of here." He finished and left through the back door, none of this was going as planned.
~Part: Thirteen~
"So what did you tell her?" Buffy asked following Willow into the kitchen.
"The truth." Willow said, "At least as much as she could understand. That she has magical powers but it's wrong to use them unless it's an emergency."
"She understands that?" Buffy asked grabbing a soda and sitting at the table as Willow grabbed one for herself and followed.
"Kind of." Willow said shrugging, "She still wants to learn how to move things on purpose. She hadn't really meant to move Oz it just happened."
"Gonna teach her?"
"Yeah. Spike and I talked about it and decided that she will probably control it better if she knows more about what she's doing." Willow explained, "Where's Spike? He came back with you didn't he?"
"Yeah. He went to see Bree." Buffy said. "You sure teaching her how the magic works won't make her more likely to use it in front of people she shouldn't."
"That's going to be a problem. But she understands that not everyone knows about some of the things she knows." Willow said, "You know like Daddy being a vampire. And her aunt being the Slayer."
"Okay guess the secret thing isn't new to her is it." Buffy said.
"And the most she can really do right now is move things." Willow said, "We both know the people in this town are more than capable of rationalizing things they see anyway."
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"Hi daddy." Breanna said opening her eyes when she heard Spike open her door.
"Why are you still up?" He said coming and sitting down on the bed next to her.
"Heard you come in." Breanna said sitting up and hugging him. "And I couldn't sleep."
"Something wrong?" Spike said feeling her head for a fever. "Want me to get Mommy?"
"I'm not sick Daddy. But Mommy said I can move anything I want. And she said she'd teach me how, but it has to be a secret, like you and Aunt Buffy." Breanna said, "And I can't do it unless it's important, 'cause to much magic is bad."
"She did uh?" Spike said smiling and lowering the little girl back to her bed as he stood and pulled the covers over her. "Well now it's very late and you need to get some sleep so you can go to school tomorrow." He kissed cheek and stood to leave.
"Night Daddy." She said turning over to face away from the door.
"Night Princess." Spike said closing the door quietly on his way out.
~Part: Fourteen~
Willow picked up the toys scattered around the living room. Breanna was getting better at using her powers every day. They had been working on it for two weeks now. Unfortunately working on this particular skill always resulted in a huge mess, she thought picking up another of the stuffed animals she had been trying to make dance tonight. It had been a relatively peaceful couple weeks though. No big bad to fight, and she hadn't heard from Oz since that night in the shop, she wasn't sure if that last part was good or bad because if she didn't hear from him she really had no way of knowing what he was thinking or what he was going to do.
"Luv maybe you should consider teaching her to use her power for cleaning up her own mess instead of making toys dance." Spike said walking into the room.
"But that's not as much fun." Willow said throwing the last of the toys into the toy box. "She sleeping?"
"Yeah finally." Spike said, "She's so excited about going shopping with Buffy and Dawn tomorrow."
"I know she loves the idea of buying Christmas presents for everyone." Willow said.
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Willow walked into the apartment, closing the door behind her. Spike was walking Breanna over to Buffy's so she figured she'd check the mail and finally look at the credit card bill she was dreading, knowing Spike's penchant for over spending on gifts for Breanna. As she sifted through the pile of cards and bills she spotted a plain envelope addressed to her. Sitting at the table she set the other mail aside and opened the envelope. It was from Oz.
Willow,
You've probably already figured this part out but I left again. I realize I shouldn't have stayed as long as I did. You were Right I can't be her father, not the way Spike is. Telling her Would be wrong. I guess I could have stayed and let her know Me as another friend, like Xander, but it was just too hard. Not her not knowing who I am, but seeing you and Spike everyday. Seeing Spike being her father. So I did what you said I always do. I left.
I'm not coming back this time. It's not fair to Breanna. It's not fair to you. Hell, it's not even fair to me. Tell everyone I said good-bye. If you need me for anything, you know how to get a message to me. I hope both you and Spike can forgive me for the trouble I caused you.
Oz.
He's gone, Willow thought, he really left again. He's not going to take Breanna. She knew it was all for the best. Still a part of her would miss Oz, part of her was upset that he was gone for good this time. He wasn't ever coming back.
"Willow." Spike said coming through the door.
"Kitchen." Willow answered.
"Something wrong?" Spike said walking in the room and seeing the tears in her eyes.
"No." Willow said smiling and holding out the letter, "Everything's great."
Spike took the letter she held out and read it quickly. "He just left?" He finally asked, "That's it he won't fight for Breanna?"
"Says he won't." Willow said, "If he's says he won't then he won't." She finished hugging him.
"Bree won't be back until tomorrow afternoon." Spike said tightening his arms around her waist and lifting her up as he lowered his head to kiss her.
"Uh uh." She said returning his kiss.
"Celebrate?" He asked as he carried her out of the kitchen.
"Oh yeah." She said as they headed for the bedroom.
The end.