By Sprout Girl
Author's Notes: I wrote it and part 1 before I knew what the gravloks were, and that the mayor had to eat them, so the story differs from the show.
Part Two "Maureen, Jordy, I present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Hanlen."
Willow couldn't help but laugh as her new Aunt Maureen started cheering and clapping, and Jordy jumped up and down. She turned to find Oz looking at her. "What?" she asked gently.
"Nothing," he whispered. "I was just thinking about how much I love you." He scooped her up in a hug before leading her to the van. "You wanted to dance under the moon, didn't you?"
Willow nodded and Oz reached in and turned on the radio. "I had this tape ready," he confessed as the theme from A Summer's Place filled the air. He took her in his arms and pulled her into a dance. They were so engrossed in each other, they didn't even hear his family drive away.
"Oz?"
"Yeah, Baby?"
"How much time until we have to be back at the library?"
Oz looked at his watch. "About half an hour. Why?"
"Well, I was just thinking," she replied, nuzzling his neck, "that just because we can't have a honeymoon doesn't mean we can't have a wedding night."
He grinned against her hair and held her a little tighter. "Oh?"
"You did say your parents had already left for vacation, didn't you?"
Oz kissed his new wife and helped her into the van. "I did say that."
** Carrying her over the threshold, Oz gently kissed Willow. As he put her down in his living room, she giggled. "I don't think you're supposed to do that unless it is *our* house."
He leaned forward suggestively. "Tonight it *is* our house. Just you and me. No parents, no vampires, no distractions."
"Well," Willow said heading up the stairs to her husband's room. "I guess we can take our time then."
Oz followed her and closed his door behind him. He lay her down on the bed, and showered her with little kisses. "I love you," he whispered against her cheek.
"And I love you," she answered, reveling in the feel of his skin on hers. As they slowly undressed each other, Willow shuddered with anticipation. She knew that tonight would be unlike any other. Tonight wasn't about hormones, or lust, or even love. Tonight was about the promises they had made to each other, and the silent promise they were making even now. "And I'll love you forever."
**** Willow and Oz walked into the library, holding hands. They were astonished at what they saw there. Xander was sharing a book with *Cordelia*? "Uh, Hi, guys." Willow said. "Cordelia, what are you doing here?"
"What? I'm not allowed to care that the mayor is going to eat us all at graduation?" she answered. No way was she going to tell Willow that she was really there for Xander. "'Cause being eaten does not do wonders for your hair."
There didn't seem to be anything to say to that, so Willow looked to Buffy.
"They've been here for the past twenty minutes, unlike *some* people," Buffy said.
"Hey," Oz replied, "I got us in under the appointed hour."
"Ah, Oz, Willow, you're back. I was just about to try using this cursed machine myself." Giles came out of his office and pointed at the computer.
"Oh, what did you want me to find?" Willow asked.
"We need to know the exact location of the Box of Kerinity."
"The what?" she asked, confused.
"The only thing that will help us stop the Big Bad Voodoo Mayor," Xander spoke up as Giles went back to his inner sanctum. "It's kind of like the one he has now, except this one is on our side."
"Oh, okay." Willow sat down and logged on. "So we've made progress?"
"Sort of," Buffy said. "The box we're looking for has bugs that will kill his bugs, if they're strong enough. We'll still need to help them, but if his bugs all die, the mayor can't ascend. Of course, first we need to know where the box is." Buffy paused, and looked at the couple. "Where did the fancy duds go?"
Willow looked down at the sweats she was wearing. "Oh, well since we were at his house anyway, we decided all night research was best done in comfy clothes."
"Oh. And just what were you two doing at Oz's house?"
Oz had moved to the other side of the table, and opened a book. "Buffy," he said warningly, telling her to drop the subject.
Willow blushed a deep red as she asked, "How do you spell Kerinity?"
"K-E-R-I-N-I-T-Y," Buffy spelled out, moving behind Willow. She watched as the hacker's hands flew across the keyboard then hovered, waiting for a response from the computer. Buffy did a double take as she noticed something. "Willow," she asked cautiously. "What's that on your hand?"
Willow hastily stuffed her left hand under the table and pretended to examine her right one. "What? Where?"
"You don't fool me, Willow Rosenburg." Buffy grabbed Willow's hand and dragged it from under the table. She shrieked when she saw the solitaire and the plain gold band underneath. "Oz," she commanded. "Let me see your hand." She sighed as he held up his right hand. "The other hand, Wolf-Boy."
Resigned to his fate, Oz held up his left hand, so everyone could see it. He heard another shriek from Buffy and a gasp from Cordelia.
"You guys got *married*?" Cordelia hit Xander on the arm. "How come you don't do anything romantic like that? Not that I care," she added, realizing that everyone was looking at her.
"Hey," Xander said, "We just got back together. I am not going to propose just because the world is ending."
Willow looked from Cordy to Xander and back again, and smiled. "You guys are back together?"
Cordelia leaned back in her chair and sighed. "Yes! Okay! We're back together. Are you happy?"
"Yes," Willow yelled, happy that her best friend didn't have to suffer anymore.
"Did you find something?" Giles poked his head out.
"No, sorry."
"Giles! Willow and Oz got married!!" Buffy announced.
"What?"
"It's true," Oz told him, gauging his reaction. Giles always seemed so stuffy, but Oz knew that he loved Buffy like a father, and by extension loved all her friends. He didn't know how Giles would take this news, though. Would he be like Keith and Maureen, and be happy, or would he admonish them that they are too young?
Giles, for his part, was distinctly aware that all the young people were watching him, waiting for his reaction. His first instinct was to tell them not to be ridiculous, that they were too young, and all that. But the more he thought about it, the more he knew it was the right thing. All these kids grew up way too fast, which meant that age was nothing. Oz and Willow were ready for this step, and he would be the first to admit it. He stepped forward, and hugged Willow. "Congratulations are in order."
"Thanks." Oz moved over to stand next to Willow, who looked a little wigged by the hug. But she turned to smile at him and take his hand. "I've never seen Giles so emotional," she whispered. "Except when I was a vampire."
Giles took Oz's left hand and placed it on Willow's, so that their rings were touching. Then he took their hands in both of his. "There is an ancient belief that a happy occasion is always followed by a disastrous one. There is also a blessing that was believed to counteract this curse: May the bearers of these rings
Be protected forthwith
From the blackest of all kings
That shadow of Death""They're going to need that tomorrow," Xander piped up from the table. "I can't find anything on the Box of Kerinity."
"Well, I haven't even started to look on the net." Willow turned from Giles to look at Xander. "Don't give up yet." She sat back down at the computer and started searching. "Hey, I found it!"
"Just like that?" Giles asked, surprised.
"Just like that. Let's see…The box is being held in 'the one spot on the Hell Mouth that will never be destroyed by man.' Where's that?"
"When was that written, Willow?" Giles asked.
"Let me see…1637. Why?"
"What structure is still here that was here in 1637?"
"The cemetery," Buffy shouted. "Its the only thing that hasn't been developed over. Besides, in this town, it keeps growing."
"So how are we going to find this box in such a big cemetery?" Xander asked.
"Well, it isn't *all* that old. We just have to find the part from around the seventeenth century," Buffy told him. "Any other clues, Will?"
"'The angelic hands lead to my ever unchanging spot.' That's all it says."
"Wait," Cordelia asked, "Isn't there a really ancient angel statue in the middle of the cemetery?"
"She's right." Xander stood and walked to the cage. He pulled out shovels and picks. "Let's go."
*** "Well that's a bust." Cordelia sighed. Her one good idea, other than the hell hounds attacking fashion wear, was wrong. Everyone stared up at the statue of the angel. Its arms were outstretched, pointing in two different directions. Neither of the hands pointed to a building or mausoleum. "So now what?"
"Somebody give me a boost," Oz said. Buffy kneeled down and made a cup with her hands. With his small stature, Oz was easy to lift. He climbed into the angel's lap and looked up. "Whoa. There's a fissure that runs all the way from shoulder to shoulder. This isn't the original statue. Or the head's the same, but they changed her body." He climbed down to see Giles thumbing through a book of Sunnydale's history.
"I seem to recall…. Yes, here it is. A picture of the original. She's holding a harp, and her hands are pointed…" Giles turned, trying to get his bearings. "There," he pointed.
"Great. The only thing there is a tree." Buffy looked again. "An evergreen tree. 'An ever unchanging spot.'" She ran over and examined the tree. "How could anything be hidden here? It isn't hollow." She circled the tree, looking for an answer. She jumped up and climbed onto its branches. "Well, hello."
"What is it, Buffy?" Giles asked.
"A niche carved in the middle of the tree. Hold on." The others watched as her head and shoulders disappeared into the tree. "I got it!" came the muffled triumphant shout. And then, "Mmph, Giles, can you give me a hand here?"
"Yes, of course." Giles trotted over to the tree, and pulled on Buffy's legs, giving her the leverage she needed to drag the box out. She dropped it on the ground, and everyone ran over to look.
"It sure doesn't look like much," Xander said, looking it over. The box was covered in mud, rust, and spiders.
"Well it *has* been there for over three hundred years," Oz told him. "What were you expecting?"
"*Not* bugs," Cordy informed them. "Look at them. They seem to be drawn to it." Just then, all the bugs scattered and crawled over everybody's feet. "Eew!" When everyone had calmed down, they noticed that the box had moved a couple inches. "I am not touching that."
"I got it." Buffy leaned over to pick it up, but it was surprisingly heavy. "A little help here?"
Xander picked up the other end. "Whoa. Oz, Giles, time for manly work." It took all five to carry the box to the Giles-mobile.
"So what does this thing do, exactly?" Willow asked from the back seat.
"The inhabitants of this box are mortal enemies of the inhabitants of the mayor's box. They will fight to the death tomorrow, distracting the Gravloks from their part in the ascension."
"Oh. So we just open the box at graduation tomorrow, and the bugs do our work for us?"
"Not exactly," Buffy said, turning in her seat to face Willow. "These bugs might not win. We have to help them. We still have to fight."
"Darn."
Continues
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