By Willster
This comes between the two graduation eps. Keep in mine that I hadn’t seen the second one when I wrote this. ‘*’ or <> means thought. Please send feed back, especially the good kind :<)! This is my first fanfic so feel free to give me some hints. P.S. I know the graduation scene is kinda depressing, hang in there I promise it gets better!
Part One Willow looked up at the clock for the tenth time in disbelief. < Had it only been three hours since Buffy left to fight Faith, leaving me and Oz in charge of watching Angel? >
"Buffy,” Angel called out weakly in agony.
Willow felt the same way. She hated the not knowing, and the terror of events that were to take place in the following days. How could it be that their little world here in Sunnydale might be so close to ending? < We’ve been lucky too many times before to escape this one unharmed. > Willow thought morosely, as she stared at the sleeping Angel.
Just then Giles walked into the room to check on them. “How’s he holding up?” he inquired, indicating Angel. Willow, shook from her dark thoughts, wrang out a damp cloth and began patting Angel’s burning cheeks and forehead.
“Unfortunately not much better,” Willow sighed.
“But he’s still lucid and calling out for Buffy so that’s a good sign.” Oz added. Willow shot him a grateful look, glad to have a boyfriend who could always look on the bright side. True, it could sometimes get a little annoying, but most of the time she appreciated it.
“Yes, that is a good sign,” Giles echoed, but the disturbed look on his face gave away his plain worry. Wiping his glasses off on his shirt he walked back to the main library muttering under his breath. < i can’t take this anymore, > thought Willow. “I’m going back on the Internet to try and find something that can help us,” she announced with a resolved face. Oz nodded with understanding and took her place on the sofa to watch over Angel.
*** Willow snapped her eyes back open. The computer screen in front of her glared angrily as if to chide her for almost dozing off. Another hour had slowly crept by and she was finding it harder and harder to keep her eyes open. Rubbing her eyes, she determinedly turned her attention back to the computer. She was about to start another search when she felt a hand on the back of her neck. To tired to cry out in surprise or react in any way, she merely gasped.
“Sorry, Will,” came the familiar voice behind her. “ I didn’t mean to scare you.” Willow turned and looked at Oz. His face mirrored her tired and worried look. “Willow, we need to get some sleep, “ he said gently. “It’s very late.”
“How can you even think about sleep when Buffy’s out fighting for her life against her worst enemy, Angel’s very sick in the next room and the mayor is going to eat us all in a matter of hours?” she yelled distraught.
Oz remained silent as Willow took a deep breath and felt her shoulder’s slump. She wasn’t mad at Oz and yelling at him wasn't going to accomplish anything. ‘It’s just so frustrating,” she began again quietly. Oz’s hand began stroking her fiery red hair. “I want to help, but there is nothing I can seem to do, and being a witch hasn’t come in a single bit handy!”
“I know how you feel, Willow. “I’m feeling the same way, but we won’t be any good to anyone if we can barely keep our eyes open, let alone stay awake,” he reasoned.
“You’re right,’ Willow agreed. “ Just let me finish this search.”
Oz turned Willow’s eyes toward his own and looked into their green depth. In them he could see the pain, exhaustion, and fear that he was sure were mirrored in his own. “I’ll finish the search, you need to get some rest,” he declared firmly.
“But...,” Willow protested weakly.
“NO, buts,’ Oz interrupted. “ We can sleep in shifts. While you’re sleeping I’ll try to find anything useful on the computer and watch over Angel. I’ll wake you if anything happens or we need you help.
“Promise?”
“Promise,” Oz affirmed.
< Maybe a little nap wouldn’t hurt, and that couch has never looked more comfortable. > Willow thought. With a small nod she finally relented and let Oz lead her to the couch beside Angel’s makeshift bed.
“You look tired too, maybe you should sleep the first shift,’ she began again.
“I’m fine, Will,” Oz insisted looking down at his stubborn girlfriend. “ I have my strong werewolf blood to keep me awake at all hours of the night,” he reassured her.
“Okay, If you are sure,” she muttered as she lay down on the couch and made herself comfortable.
Oz sat down on the edge of the couch beside her and tenderly covered her with a blanket. She reached out her hand and he took it. “Wake me if you get tired, “ she mumbled. Oz gave her hand a squeeze and dropped a light kiss and her forehead.
Though he was usually a very laid back guy he still grew amazed at the life he was leading. It was definitely not of the norm. He glanced down at his sleeping Willow and couldn’t help but smile widely despite the horror that still lay ahead of them. Earlier tonight with her had been amazing. Willow had thought that it wouldn’t mean as much to him because he had already done it before, but she was wrong. He had never felt anything like that before. < yes, Willow is truly a special girl. > Oz thought with love.
Somewhere in the back of Willow’s mind she realized she had never heard of Oz being able to stay up all night because of werewolf blood, unless it was a full moon. < He must have been trying to make me feel better so I’d let him put me to sleep. > Now she was to far into sleep to wake up and argue with him and frankly she knew she needed the sleep. < I’ll have to remember to thank him when I get up. >
Blissfully remembering her magic night with Oz before this disaster began she tumbled into a restless sleep.
Part Two “Willow Rosenburg,” Snyder called out. She walked to the front to receive her diploma, dressed in a dignified maroon. “Thanks for all your hard work,” he intoned as he unenthusiastically shook her hand. Willow didn’t care, she had finally graduated.
Turning towards her friends, she let out an uncharacteristic whoop and hugged Xander around the waist. “I did it, I did it,” She cried.
“We always knew you would, Will,” Xander returned with a grin. Her enthusiasm was apparently contagious.
Once everyone and gotten their diplomas, the mayor walked steadily to the front to give his speech. Somewhere in the back of Willow’s mind she knew something was wrong. Something bad was going to happen, but she couldn’t remember what.
Instinctively, she looked around for Buffy, but she was no where among the sea of maroon caps and gowns. “Oz,” she whispered, tugging on her boyfriend's arm. “We have to find Buffy!”
“Relax, Willow,” Oz replied. “She’s around somewhere.” Willow ignored him and continued scanning the crowd. At the front of the audience a grinding and crunching of bones could be heard coming form the mayor. In horror, the watched him change form human to a hideous beast, larger and slimier than anything they had ever seen before.
Deep down Willow felt like she should have known about this, and couldn’t shake the feeling of deja vu. Before she could ponder her feelings anymore she realized she had to find Buffy and prepare her for this. Heading at a full sprint she looked frantically for her blond friend. She dimly heard Xander and Oz calling her back. Eventually everything became a blur and the next thing she knew was the smell of disinfectants. Looking up she discovered she was sitting in a small janitor closet inside the school. Cautiously, she raised herself up and listened, hoping everything had been a dream. Slowly she opened the door and looked out. A chilling silence met her ears, then the sound of a struggle. Following the sound, she came across Buffy battling with Faith. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion for her, and bodies littered the school grounds, most of them half eaten. Willow turned away form everything and ran blindly, unable to see through her tears.
Suddenly a hand reached up and pulled her to the ground. Willow screamed and put up her fists. “Willow?” a rasping voice asked.
“Oz?” she answered, “ Oh, Oz, it is you.” Drying her eyes she got a good look at him and gasped. Oz looked awful and was covered in blood. Willow wasn’t sure if the blood was his or someone else’s, and she didn’t want to know. She burst into tears again, unable to stop herself.
“Don’t cry, Willow, Oz said, sobbing himself. “Get out of here! Go Now!” he commanded.
“No, Oz. I won’t leave you.” she insisted stubbornly. “Willow, listen to me,” he cried painfully. “ If you don’t leave, they’ll get you too.” Willow was about to make another remark, but Faith arrived on the scene.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the the witch and the werewolf. You guys have kinda got a backwards beauty and the beast thing going on here,” Faith pointed out.
“Where’s Buffy,” Willow demanded shakily.
“Well, I’m still around so where to you think she is?” Faith inquired cruelly.
Willow’s eyes filled with understanding. “Noooooo,” she wailed.
“Fraid so,” Faith said with a smirk.
Just then Oz gasped and his body stood still.
“Nooooo,” Willow cried again in anguish.
“Don’t worry, you’re about to join him,” Faith assured as she advance menacingly towards her.
“Willow,” a voice called out form far away.
“Willow, Willow, wake up!” Oz shook her gently.
Willow cried out again in her sleep and shuddered softly. Then, slowly, she opened her eyes and looked into Oz’s with her own sleep-glazed one’s.
< Was that all a dream, > she wondered. < What a nightmare! > She shuddered again and sat up, still trying to get her bearings.
Oz’s face grew concerned. “Hey, you alright? he inquired gently. “You must not have been dreaming about me!” he joked. Willow turned her gaze to meet his and burst into tears. Oz’s smile fell from his face as he quickly gathered her into his arms.
“It was so aw...awful,” Willow sobbed, as she buried her head in his shoulder. “I couldn’t find Buffy, and I tried to help, but the mayor and Faith were to strong!” She took another gasping breath. “They got you and were coming after m.. me! It was so vi..vivid. I don’t wa..wanna loss you Oz, I just want to graduate and have everything go back to normal. Well, maybe not normal, but at least back to the way things used to be!” Unable to continue, she clutched oz and wept quietly.
Oz felt something being torn inside of him. It killed him to see Willow so upset. He hated the helpless feeling he had grown so accustomed to lately.
“It’ll be okay,” he whispered as he dropped light kisses onto her fiery red hair. “Everything is going to be okay.” But deep down he was not as confident. Oz knew this was the worst mess they had to face, but more than anything he wanted to make all the pain disappear from Willow’s tired eyes.
He felt her finally relax and slowly stop crying so he released his tight hold on her. Oz drew back to look into her eyes once more. She adverted her gaze and wiped her face free of tears and attempted a weak smile. She hated crying in front of Oz because he was so used to seeing her cheerful and upbeat, and it made her feel weak. He never seemed to care though and even seemed grateful to be the one she went to for a shoulder to cry on, literally.
“What’s going on around here, did I miss anything?”
“Xander’s watching over Angel, don’t worry he got some sleep,” Oz hastened to add upon seeing the concerned look on her face.
“I think Giles is going through every single book in the library, except of course the normal ones.”
“What about you,” Willow asked softly.
“Me? I’m holding up, I guess,” he flashed her a quick smile, trying to convince her as well as himself that he was more wake than he really felt.
“I think you should try to get some rest,” Willow insisted and began to get up from the couch. Oz pushed her back and shook his head.
“I can sleep on the floor,” he stated quietly.
“No way,” Willow said. “Besides, I’m not going to be able to get any sleep after that awful nightmare anyway.” Willow’s face must have betrayed the fear the after affect of the dream was having on her because Oz quickly pulled her back into his lap and wrapped his arms around her.
“We’re both tired,” Willow sighed unhappily. “Oz will you stay and sleep with me?” Quickly she rushed on. “I might be able to get some sleep if you did,” she explained, as a rosy blush appeared on her cheeks. Oz felt a wide grin spread across his face and didn’t bother to hold it back.
“Well, If it will help you sleep,” he reasoned still grinning as he kept his emotions under control. Finally daring to look at him, Willow grinned in return.
“Thanks,” she whispered quietly and raised her face for Oz’s light kiss. Oz leaned his exhausted body down onto the soft cushions, pulling her down with him. Happily she rested her tired head on his chest, and smiled contentedly as he wrapped one arm around her and brought the other up to gently stroke her hair. Willow pulled the blanket up around them, but couldn’t help the tense feeling overtaking her.
“What’s wrong, Will?” Oz asked feeling her tense up.
“I’m just waiting for the phone to ring with some horribly news like it did last time!”
“It won’t.” Oz declared strongly and tightened his hold on her.
His words were so reassuring that Willow finally dared to relax and snuggled into his warmth.
“You make a nice pillow,” she remarked sleepily.
Oz chuckled into her hair, “Thanks, I think. Good night, Willow.”
“Good night, Oz.” His hand slowed on her hair and his breathing deepened.
< Geez, he was tired. > Willow thought affectionately. So was she. She was surprise to discover a calm feeling of safety enter her as she listened to Oz’s breathing. < How long has it been since I’ve truly felt safe? > she wondered. < Long before this how mess with the mayor at least. I guess that’s what love is, the world’s in peril, yet I feel protected just being near Oz. > A warm feeling of gratitude and love surged through her and she hugged her sleeping boyfriend tightly. < Somehow we’ll get through this. Didn’t the good always win in the end? I’m sure that’s a written rule somewhere. > Willow decided.
“Everything will be okay, “ she repeated Oz’s earlier words softly trying to keep herself calm. Somehow Buffy would kill Faith, Angel would get better, and the mayor would be defeated. And Willow? Willow would always have the love and support of her close friends. Proof of that was snoring quietly right beside her. Her thoughts finally turned to peace, at least for the time being, and lulled by the gently rise and fall of Oz’s chest, Willow drifted of into a safe, sound and dreamless sleep.
The End.
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