PART FOUR The silence set in quickly after Giles left.

Willow glanced uneasily over at Oz, who's gaze was once again fixated on the wall opposite him. She didn't know what to say. She had no idea what they were going to do. She was terrified. But as hard as it was on her, she knew Oz was taking it the hardest. The seconds went by slowly, as she stared at her boyfriend, lost in his own thoughts.

"Oz?" She asked, softly. He nodded, not looking at her. She took a step towards him. "Are you... okay?"

He pursed his lips slightly, closing his eyes very briefly. When he didn't answer, she sighed shakily, and moved so that she was standing in front of him.

"Oz, I..." She trailed off, touching his shoulder gently. "I'm not mad at you."

For the first time since that morning, they locked eyes.

"Okay." He said, heavily. Willow then moved a bit closer, and wrapped her arms around his neck, squeezing him tightly.

"Oz, it's... it's going to be okay." Her voice shook, slightly, and she buried her face in his neck. He stood still for a moment, before wrapping an arm around her waist. They were silent for several moments, holding eachother.

"How?" Oz asked, his voice soft, his breath against her neck. She pulled back to look at him, stroking a hand across his cheek.

"It will be! We'll... we'll make it okay. I mean... if you did... you didn't mean to and .. and so..." She trailed off, knowing that her words weren't comforting either of them any. She continued anyway. She didn't know what else to do. "I'll get Giles to do a blood test... if that could tell us even anything it would, well, it'd be better than nothing. Maybe I can find a cure. I've never really looked, I mean... I've *looked* but not in the sense that I got into heavy-duty researching... there has to be something." She stopped talking when he sighed and turned his head away.

"Will..." He murmered.

She sighed breathily. "I'm sorry. I just... can't help... Oz, please look at me." Her plea came out more as a question as she gazed at him uncertainly. After drawing what felt like all of his strength, he caught her eyes. "We can't get through this alone..." She told him. "I mean... I can't. I don't... I know this is hard, but... please, just..." Willow was losing any cool she may have retained that morning quickly.

"I'm not going to bail." He told her, skillfully keeping his voice even. "Not in a long-term sense anyway. I need to think, though. Attempt to deal."

She nodded. "I understand. Really, I do." With that, she grabbed his hand. "I just don't like seeing you like this... it's... hard."

Oz flinched when she touched him. He looked down at their joined hands for a moment before gently pulling away. "I'll drive you home."

Willow nodded, her throat becoming raw as she followed him out of Giles' apartment. She was frustrated and scared and he was afraid to touch her. Things really couldn't get much worse.

He drove her back to campus and then walked her as far as the door to her room. He stared at her for a moment before he left.

"I'm sorry." He said, before walking back down the hall. Willow watched him go, wondering exactly what he was apologizing for.

*********************

"Poor Buffy." Willow said, as she and Oz walked out to his van. He just nodded solemnly, opening the passenger side door for Willow before striding over to his side and climbing in. He turned to her as he started up the van.

"Angel's place?"

She nodded. "Yeah. We gotta watch him while Giles goes and does his thing. I guess we're supposed to expect... well... bad."

Oz glanced over at her. "You think this could have happened at a worse time?"

Willow managed a tiny smile. "Probably not. Let's just hope we can heal him before we have to go and die at graduation tommorow."

Oz placed his hand over Willow's as he drove the van down the sleepy back streets of Sunnydale. "We won't die." His voice was soothing, calm, even amongst all the chaos. She was grateful for that.

"I hope you're right." She breathed, lacing her fingers in his. He glanced over at her, and gave her a small smile, squeezing her hand.

Willow gazed at Oz, her mind, which had been on overdrive for the past two hours finally slowing down. She remembered his breath against her neck and his hands on her as he kissed her... She squirmed slightly in her seat, and then winced. Oz noticed this, and looked at her, concerned.

She smiled, blushing slightly. "I'm ... I'm just a little sore." She explained, casting her eyes down, suddenly a bit shy.

Oz ran his thumb over her knuckle as he slowed the van at a red light. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah!" Locking her eyes with him, she gave him a soft smile. "I'm good. Except... achey."

He nodded, untangling their fingers and reaching up to stroke her hair. "I'm sorry." His voice was gentle. "It'll fade."

Willow's heart was racing. Everytime he touched her it seemed to send her back to her bedroom, just hours ago. He gently moved his hand down onto her knee, rubbing it soothingly, obviously trying to divert her attention from her aching. Her face grew hot and she closed her eyes, practically purring for a moment, amazed at the sensations he created even with the innocent caress. "Oz..." She forced her eyes open. "Please don't."

His hand slid away from her knee, and she took it in her own again. "It's not... I mean..." She took in a deep breath. "We have to help Angel and... Buffy we can't... I mean, I'm going to have to be concentrate girl." A slow grin appeared on her face. "You're making it less than easy."

He smiled crookedly, before his expression turned serious. He stroked her cheek, and cupped it lightly in his hand. "I am sorry. That I had to ..."

"No! It's... it had to happen. You were..." She blushed again. "Good. About, and I mean not just about it but... oh." She cut herself off from a potentially embarrassing babble.

He supressed a grin, stroking her hair, gazing at it, amazed by how it shimmered under the streetlights. "Will," He murmered. "I'd never hurt you."

***************

Oz's eyes snapped open and he forced himself into a sitting position. He rubbed his temples, trying to will the pending headache that he could feel in his eyes away. He glanced at the clock beside his bed. It was almost five. He and Willow were supposed to be back at Giles' by seven, so he could get the blood sample and take it to his friend who worked at the local clinic.

The afternoon had passed slowly. He'd gone back to his own room and tried to think. It was nearly impossible, given that he felt physically sick everytime he imagined the red scratch on Willow's upper back.

< I'd never hurt you. >

Oz frowned. He wasn't sure he could handle it if Willow was a werewolf. He wasn't sure he'd be able to live with himself.

The sound of his phone ringing interuppted his thoughts, and he was almost grateful. He reached for the phone. "Yeah?"

"Hey, Oz, it's Xander."

---

Continues
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