Title: Can I Have A Minute?
Author: AllytheVamp
Email: Marie_214@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: Joss Owns these characters!! Not Me!!
Author's Note: This is a story about a tragedy. This is sad and hard but it has some Willow/Oz bonding. They search for the answers they need.

Part Four


I had to get out of there. The sadness was killing me. I didn't want to cry anymore. I was through with crying. I needed to be alone with my thoughts. She had said it wasn't my fault in the letter, and I knew she was right. I felt even more guilty. Here I was using my boyfriend while I knew all along that it wasn't me. I just needed to blame someone. Who better to blame then me? I shook my head. I heard footsteps behind me and Oz spoke up:

"You're running away Will." I stopped. "What's wrong? Why aren't we in there?"

"What do you mean?" I asked even though I knew.

"Willow your friends are in there hurting and crying and in any other situation you'd be in there helping them! Something has been wrong ever since it happened. And it's more than grief Will. Was there something you didn't tell me? The thing about the stake? She said it wasn't you! Is there something that happened? Did I do something?" Oz looked almost hysterical. It was scary. He rarely showed this much emotion even lately.

"Oz no it wasn't you," I told him quietly. "You've been amazing. You stuck by me through everything and I love you even more for it. There was the thing with the stake but (I choked up here) I knew it wasn't me. I just needed to place blame and I did it on myself because...everything seemed so...I'm sorry!" I started crying openly. I furiously wiped my eyes. "I used you for comfort. I just needed someone and I didn't mean to dump it all on you. I just feel so terrible! I don't know what to do!"

Oz came forward and kissed me slowly. He wrapped me in his arms and pulled me close to him as the kiss became more passionate. My knees felt weak. I realized it had been almost three months since I'd kissed him, like this. With this hungry longing that we had always had. It made me feel like it was only him and me in the world. No one else had ever existed.

He released me as slowly as he had begun the kiss and brushed my tears away. "I forgive you. Forgive yourself."

It's funny how when life seems to kill you inside, you dump on someone else. I had done that but Oz even though he was spent, frusterated and sad had forgiven me. I loved him so much. It wasn't fair to him that he had to stay with someone as angst-y as me but I just couldn't let him go. She had told me to hang on to Oz and I was going to do it.

"There's something I wanted to do for the longest time." he said seriously. "Can I have a minute?"

I nodded tears shining in my eyes.

When he got down on his knees I thought I was going to faint with happiness. I could scarcely believe what he said.

"Will these past few months have been hell, seeing you so sad. I never want you to hurt that way again. I never want anyone else to hurt you. I want to protect you with my life. I also want to spend my life with you. When I wake up, I want you to be the first thing I see, and I want to look forward to coming home to you everyday, knowing that I have you forever. Will I never loved anyone this deep. It's hard for me to say but...will you be my wife?"

In earnest he held out the sparkling ring. I took it and put it on my finger gently. I nodded unable to speak. Oz started to cry softley then. He looked down at my hand and then swept me into his arms and kissed me as his tears wet my face. When we parted I wiped his tears away.

"I think you said it perfectly."

FIN