*************LA, five hours after Kevin hurt himself*****************

"Damnit Willow, answer the phone..." Oz said, sighing in frustration. Hanging up for the eleventh time, he rubbed his temples and went outside to feed the dog. The dog had seemed alot more depressed than usual. The dog's ears perked up at the sound of his master coming outside with a big bowl of left overs from dinner. He loved left overs. He could sense his master was distressed about something, so he ignored his dinner and went up to nuzzle his master's knee. "That's a good boy," Oz said patting the dog's huge head. The dog drooled for a little while, delighted in all the sudden attention, then sniffed the air. Something was seriously wrong, at that instant. He started barking and howling at the suddenly still air. Oz looked around, obviously confused as to why the dog was so upset. It wasn't a fool moon, and the dog wasn't looking at anything in particular. "Come on Rusty. You can come inside, while I try to get ahold of Willow," Oz said pulling at the dog's tail. The dog shook his head as if to clear it of burden, then sniffed the air. The wind started moving again, and the dog looked warily at its surroundings before obliging to his master's request. He could still sense the tension.

Oz poured himself another cup of coffee, then set it down and dialed Buffy's number again. This time there was an answer on the sixth ring.

"Hello," Buffy said over the phone.

"Buffy? Where have you been? I've been calling for 3 hours. Where is Willow? I need to talk to her," Oz said relieved that someone finally picked up the phone.

"I've been at the hospital with Willow and Kevin," Buffy said exasperated.

"Hospital? Buffy what happened?" Oz asked in a panic. His voice was more demanding then usual, which was a first in Buffy's opinion.

"It's all a big blur. Willow called me from work, and told me that Kevin fell and dis-located his shoulder, and he had blood coming out of one of his ears."

"How did that happen?" Oz asked, seriously concerned with his son.

"Willow said that he was taking a bath, and apparently he didn't wait for her to come up and help him out, and he tried to get out of the tub and he slipped. He's unconscious right now." Buffy said sniffing. Oz considered the information.

"Don't tell Willow I called. I'll be down there as soon as possible," Oz said, hanging up the phone before Buffy could reply. He grabbed his tote bag, which was full of sweat pants and gym cloths, and threw it into the car. Thank god it was only an hour drive from LA to Sunny Dale. At least it was a one hour drive at the rate he was going at.

******************SunnyDale Hospital******************

"So, Miss. Rosenburg. You're telling me that you left your son in the bath tub unsupervised?" The doctor recalled.

"Yes Doctor."

"Call me Greg. Could you tell me why you did that?"

"I was in a hurry, the house was a mess, and I trusted him to stay in the bath tub until I came up to get him," Willow said.

"You are aware that you could go to jail for this. Right?"

"Yes," Willow said motionless. Her face was a mask of grief but other than that, she seemed dead.

"Now, I understand that it was just a harmless accident in his case, but your chances of staying out of jail would be much better if the father...or a family member could speak for you."

"His father is in LA. My grandmother is in a coma, and my grandfather is in Florida. My parents don't know about him.

"Oh...that's a shame."

"Is he going to be okay?" Willow asked desperately.

"He's going to be fine. It will take a month for the shoulder to heal, he has torn some cartilage, but aside from that everything else should heal just fine,"

"What about the blood in his ear?" Willow asked.

"Oh yes," The doctor said in an eerie tone. I forgot about that. Let me see..oh yes. Your son seemed to be suffering from an early ear infection. He probably just hit his head. It's very common. There was no permanent damage. He can still hear very well, and he should be awake in 24 hours.

"Okay. Thank you," Willow said, before turning around and walking back into the room where her son was resting, with a sling on his arm, and an I.V. tube in his right elbow. The sight made her want to throw up.

"Listen mam, if the boy turns out to be okay I won't report this," Greg said from the door. Willow turned around to acknowledge him.

"Thank you," Willow said quietly. He closed the door allowing her privacy with her unconscious son. "Oh god, Kevin. I'm so sorry, baby," Willow cried softly. She looked around the room for a place to sit, and she found a chair. She dragged it over next to the bed and sat next to Kevin. The sight of an I.V. tube stuck in his elbow was almost her undoing. She took special care not to touch his injured arm, then lay her head on his stomach, where she could sleep at the sound of his heartbeat.

******

"Sir can I help you?" The nurse asked the flustered man.

"Yes, I'm looking for a Kevin Rosenburg. He's my girlfriend's son," Oz said, wincing at his choice of words. The nurse lady looked through several books before sighing in satisfaction.

"He's in Room: ER 13b."

"Could you tell me how to get there?" Oz asked politely.

"Yes sir. Take that elevator at the end of the hall to 3A. Turn right at the first corner, then take a left at the second hall. His room should be at the right."

"Thank you," Oz said, before walking as fast as he could without bumping into anyone to the elevator. When he made it to the elevator, he met up with a doctor in his mid-30's, with dark brown hair and a few small spots of grey.

"Excuse me, but...aren't you that rock singer? Oz Larkin, I believe?" The doctor asked.

"Yes sir that's me," Oz said looking around the elevator. He didn't like the fact that he was in a closed space with other people. It just made him nervous.

"Well, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. My name is Greg Vishnu, I work in the ER. I must tell you, that my sister is one mighty fan of you. Got poster's all over the wall," Greg said in a slightly southern Texan accent.

"That's nice. Did you say you work in the ER?" Oz asked.

"Yes sir. Can I help you find some body?"

"Yes, I'm looking for ER 13B. His name is Kevin Rosenburg. His mother is probably in there with him," Oz said anxiously.

"Are you family?" The doctor asked.

"Yes sir, I'm his father. I just got a call from his aunt and she told me he wasn't in very good shape as of the moment. What happened exactly?"

"Ah, Mrs. Rosenburg left him in the bath tub, so she could go do a load of laundry outside, and apparently the boy didn't have enough patience for her to get up there to help him out."

"She's not going to go to jail is she?" Oz asked panicked.

"I should hope not. It is a crime, but I told her that if he comes out fine and he shows no signs of neglect then I wouldn't report it," Greg said.

"I see. Will he be okay?"

"Yes sir, he will. He's unconscious right now, but he's likely to wake up in less then 18 hours to be exact."

"That's of the good," Oz said when the elevator opened.

"Are you dating his mother?" The doctor asked. Oz glanced at him, trying to decide whether or not to answer the question.

"Not as of late. She and I have a few disagreements that we are trying to get over. I'm not sure what's going to happen. Why do you ask?"

"Oh I was just curious. She's awfully beautiful. She sort of had that aura of a single mother as well, so I only assumed that you two were divorced." Greg said in a clipped voice. Oz considered his tone for a second and soon decided to ignore it when they made it to the door. "Here is room 13B. His mother is still in there. I want to keep him here for a couple of days for observation, just to make sure there wasn't something that we missed. Please advise this to Miss. Rosenburg?" Greg asked.

"I'll be sure to do that. You take care," Oz said when the doctor started walking off. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door slowly, and peeked inside. Kevin lay on the bed, while Willow's head rested on his stomach. Her face was facing the door, and Oz could tell she had been crying, from all the flushed streaks of pink running down her cheeks. He walked in carefully, not wanting to wake her. He noticed she was wearing the same outfit that she wore in the picture that he kept next to his bed at all times. Her shoulders started to shake, and Oz assumed she was cold. Taking off his brown swuede jacket, he placed it over her shoulders, then pulled up a seat to sit on the opposite side of Kevin. His son lay there, motionless. The only comfort in seeing his son was that he was breathing. Oz crossed his legs, and eventually dozed off into a short nap while looking at his son's pale beautiful face.

Three hours later, Oz awoke. Checking his watch, he looked up to notice that Willow was still asleep. He took special care not to touch any of the machinary in the room. God only knows what would happen if one of them went off. Kevin woke up soon after, and looked around the room. His eyes rested on the strange but familiar man.

"Who are you?" Kevin asked whispering.

"My name is Oz," Oz said with a grin. This kid was cute.

"You're my dad aren't you?" Kevin asked, still whispering.

"That's what I've been told as of late," Oz said with a light grin.

"Does Mommy know you are here?" Kevin asked worried.

"Not yet. She's still kind of mad at me for something I said to her."

"She misses you alot. I think that's why she's been so cranky lately. I heard her crying the other night. She told Buffy that you two had a fight, and that she told you to leave," Kevin said softly.

"Yeah, your mom and I had a fight. But it's going to be better. I promise," Oz said with a sad smile.

"If you make her cry again I'll tell aunt Buffy, and she'll kill you. So don't hurt her again," Kevin said in a whispy tough kid voice. Oz's smile faded, only to be replaced by remorse and resolve.

"I'm not going to hurt your mother again. I promise. If I do, I'll kill myself," Oz said.

"I was only kidding. Buffy won't kill you. She'll just hit you a couple of times, like she does to those guys on the streets at night time and then lay the guilt trip on you." Kevin said.

"Oh..well that's real comforting. Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," Oz said nodding.

"What's it like in LA?" Kevin asked softly.

"Kind of noisy. But I own a piece of land near a lake so it isn't really that loud," Oz answered.

"Wow!!!" Kevin said in a whispy excited voice. "You live on the lake? I haven't been there since I was three.

"Oh yeah. It's real nice. Get to do all the fishing in the world. Your mom is really good at fishing. You should ask her to take you sometime," Oz suggested.

"Can you take me?" Kevin asked hopefully.

"You'll have to talk that over with your mother, but I'm sure she'll say yes. Why don't you want to go with your mother?"

"Girls don't know how to fish like boys do. My mom was telling me about how she went camping while she was in Sunny Dale and how she had to stick several fishhooks through the minnows. I was like, "So what?" They are just fish," Kevin said, his voice growing a little stronger.

"Yeah," Oz said chuckling. "Took me forever to convince her that it didn't hurt them. I mostly did the hooking. She did the casting," Oz said recalling the lovely camping trip.

"Girls.." Kevin said rolling his eyes. Oz had to stifle a laugh so he wouldn't wake up Willow. "They always do the easy stuff,"

"You're a trip," Oz said chuckling.

"My mom says that to me every day...do you still love my mommy?" Kevin asked out of the blue.

"I love her very much. Right now, she and I just aren't getting along very well..that's probably why she was crying the other night. I was crying the other night too," Oz said nodding his head in recollection.

"Guys don't cry," Kevin said in a defiant tone.

"Some times they do. Just depends on the issue at hand," Oz said, leaning forward and ruffling the kid's hair.

"Are you leaving?" Kevin asked panicked.

"No...just stretching," Oz said yawning while popping a bone in his left shoulder.

"Were you and mommy fighting because of me?" Kevin asked sadly.

"I don't know," Oz said looking at the ceiling. "I was and still am kind of upset that I didn't find out until now that I had a son, let alone that you were my son. But, I'm thinking that right now I'm just upset because she left me a long time ago and I still hold a grudge on it. I'll get over it," Oz said, sitting back down.

"She really wanted to tell you. She tried to tell you when I was like a year old, but she said that you never answered the phone....please don't be mad at her. She was only doing what she thought was best. It may not have been the right thing, but....at least now you know about me," Kevin said, quietly.

"I'm not mad at her anymore. I'm just a little upset. Mad is where I don't like your mother very much. Upset, is where I'm just really hurt by what she did. Even if she did have a reasonable explanation, it still takes time to adjust. We all go through it when we get older,"

"Are you going to wait til Mommy wakes up before you leave?" Kevin asked.

"I think so. Don't be surprised if I fall asleep though," Oz said casually.

"Don't go to sleep. There is a coffee machine outside. That will keep you awake," Kevin recommended.

"There is? Okay, I'll go get some coffee. Be back in a few," Oz said, standing up and walked out the door. Moments passed until Willow woke up with a brown jacket over her shoulders. Kevin was awake and he noticed his Mommy moving around.

"Mommy?" Kevin asked. Willow turned her head on his stomach so she could look at him. He had a bruise next to his ear, and his arm was in a sling. Aside from that he looked fine.

"Hi baby," Willow said quietly smiling. "You feeling better?"

"Yes. I'm sorry if I got you into trouble. I was planning on being really nice to you because I thought you were sick, but I ended up falling. I'm sorry," Kevin said softly.

"It's okay. Everything is going to be okay," Willow said, her head still lying on his stomach. Just then Oz walked in, causing Willow to turn her head on Kevin's stomach. She was to tired and to happy to show her surprise.

"Hi," Willow said quietly.

"Hey..you're up," Oz observed.

"I think so....What are you doing here? Did Buffy call you?" Willow asked, trying to avoid any personal questions such as: 'Do you still hate me?'. Those kind of questions.

"Actually...I called you at Buffy's house, and Buffy just happened to tell me what happened over the phone." Oz said in an understanding voice.

"He fell," Willow stated.

"I know that.....I wanted to talk to you about something, but I'm not sure if now is a good time," Oz said, a little unsure as to handle the situation. Kevin noticed that he was the reason now wasn't a good time.

"I'm asleep. Talk away," Kevin said, grabbing the covers and pulling them over his head. Willow smiled slightly and nodded towards the door. Oz nodded as well, a smile for show, playing on his features. Willow could already tell that he was just smiling as to not upset their son. The jacket fell off her shoulders and she looked at it questioningly. It seemed familiar. She looked up at Oz with curious eyes and he gestured towards the jacket with his eyes and then to the door with his head. They both walked through and quietly strolled to the empty lobby room. Willow already knew what this was leading to, so she threw the jacket over one of the empty chairs, then leaned up against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest, preparing herself for the inevitable blows.

"I know it was an accident...you know, Kevin falling? And...I'll do what it takes to keep you from going to jail, but....I want to spend time with Kevin once I'm through with the tour," Oz said, looking up from his feet and into Willow's empty, cold, tired eyes. It was obvious to the world that she wasn't exactly looking forward to this conversation. Especially after the fight from last night. She nodded her head, sullenly.

"Okay," Willow said quietly. "When is the tour over?"

"Sometime in June. I've got to go to Europe for two months next week, and I wanted to see you. I wanted to work something out before I left, because it's pointless yelling at eachother when we know that it isn't going to work out, and....this is pointless rambling on like this because I know you don't want to talk to me and I'm not exactly fond of the idea either, but..he is our son and I'm not going to ignore that," Oz said, rubbing his temples. Willow stood there, clenching her teeth, digging her nails into the side of her arms while she held herself tighter. She looked up from the ground to stair into his eyes then unclenched her teeth.

"Are we done?" Willow asked, her throat tightening.

" No, we're not. You're not going to say anything?" Oz asked, surprised. She wasn't yelling, she wasn't crying, she wasn't throwing things. She was quiet. Too quiet for his liking. Willow smiled bitterly, then shook her head, unable to form a coherent sentence with more than four words.

"Not a good idea," Willow said in a throaty voice.

"Right...uhh," Oz started at a loss for words.

"What else did you want to say to me?" Willow asked, letting out a huge breath.

"About Kevin and you...I'm still upset about what happened between us and I don't think that it is a good idea that we have anything to do with eachother. I want to see Kevin and get to know him, but I can't see you. We're just..."

"Friends?" Willow asked, wanting to die. Choking back her tears, she bit the inside of her cheek so that Oz wouldn't see her crying. Oz hesitated.

"No. We can never be friends. We've pissed eachother off too much to be considered friends. We're just aquaintences. With a son," Oz said guiltily. Willow boiled inside, not believing her ears.

"So...you don't think there is a chance that we can ever be more than aquaintences?" Willow asked in a throaty voice. Oz willed himself to shut up, take back everything he said and start it over. But he turned away as to avoid her avid gaze, then shook his head no. Willow's eyes widened in unwanted surprise.

"No. I know this is very ludicrous to say, but I am pissed. You hid something from me for five years and I can't forgive you for that. I promise, I'll stay away from you and Buffy and Xander, because I know how much they mean to you. But I do want to see Kevin and I hope that our grudge against eachother won't intervene," Oz said turning around. He frowned when he noticed that Willow was no longer there. She had been gone ever since he told her that he couldn't forgive her. Flustered, he ran his fingers through his blonde-red hair and stepped through the door in search of Willow. He glanced to his left, to see Willow walking in the direction of the bathroom a little faster then was to be expected. He sighed to himself, then walked in the direction towards Kevin's room to tell his son that he was leaving. He stepped into the room, prepared to say goodbye, then silenced himself when he noticed that Kevin had fallen back to sleep. Smiling to himself, completely exhausted, he stepped outside the room and yawned. His eyes watered, and he made his way towards the bathrooms in search of Willow. He didn't want to know she was crying. He had to admit that he was a little too direct, and he also had to admit that half of the things he said were probably just out of anger. Why hadn't she said anything? She just stood there and made him look like the bad guy. Here he was telling her what was on the top of his mind, and she was just looking at him with those cold lifeless eyes. The door opened to the ladies room and Willow walked out, her face paler than normal,

Her bangs wetted by the faucet water. Oz took a slight breath, then grabbed her by the elbow from behind because apparently she hadn't noticed him when she came out. She stopped, then held her eyes shut, knowing exactly who had grabbed her. "How much of that speech did you hear before you walked out on me?" Oz asked, ducking his head so that he could meet her eyes. "Willow why aren't you saying anything to me?" Willow shook her head angry, her face turning red, her eyes watering in frustration.

"You just don't know when to shut up, do you?" Willow asked in a cold throaty voice.

"Excuse me?" Oz asked more confused than hurt.

"Just stop it, okay? You've won. We're over. You can see Kevin when ever you want, just don't rub it in my face," Willow replied angrily. Tears started flowing fluently down her powdered cheeks.

"Willow...I never meant to...." Oz started, then stopped when he saw the expression on Willow's face.

"You meant to. I pissed you off and I'm getting what I deserved. We don't love each other anymore especially if we have to know one another as an aquaintance. Do you know how much I hate this? I have to lie to Kevin every day and tell him that his mother and father are getting along just fine. That we still love each other, and that we're just going through some rough times," Willow replied angrily, no longer able to sustain her fury, her hurt, her temper. Oz grabbed her by the shoulders trying to calm her down. Willow struggled as if he were a vampire and Oz was soon met with a hard slap to face. He had a cut at the side of his right ear, and an open mouth that conveyed his shock.

"Willow," Oz started. Willow looked at him the same way he looked at her the day he found out about Kevin. She looked at him as if he were Angelus.

"No! I never want to see you again. You can see your son, and you can be friends with our friends but aside from that I don't want to have anything to do with you. You have insulted me in every possible manner. Now that you know that you have a son, you've hated me since day one and I still love you. I don't want your help. I don't want to talk to you over the phone, and I don't want to talk to you in person. I'll be there when you want to see your son, but other than that...you're dead to me," Willow replied coldly. She gave him one last glance, then turned away and walked down the hall towards Kevin's room, doing her best to avoid the curious gazes from all the nearby MDs'. Oz stood there, unbelieving. She slapped him, she insulted him, she told him that she loved him, and then she told him that he was dead to her all in two minutes. He stood there in a haze, then blinked and surveyed his surroundings. Everyone had apparently gone back to their usual business, leaving him to make a clean exit. It felt like all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't think, he couldn't feel.

"I gotta get out of here," Oz said, sighing to himself. Making a quick path to the elevator, he tossed his cup of coffee into the trash can, then butted his head against the elevator door when he found himself isolated in the moving mechanism.

Meanwhile, Willow remained lifeless in an uncomfortable chair next to Kevin's bed. Her eyes were green pools staring into empty space. To an observer they could say she was a sane mental patient. The kind that are put in a hospital because their depressed, not crazy. Her tears had stilled minutes ago, the entire time, she willed Oz to run after her and tell her that she was wrong and that he still loved her, but he hadn't come. He just stared at her, not saying a word, trying to make her feel like the bad guy. Why was he being such an asshole? He practically rubbed their break up in her face, and then he had the nerve to ask her why she walked out on him? How dense could a guy be. She knew he hated her, she knew he didn't want anything to do with her, and he knew she knew that he was rubbing it in her face. And still, he proceeded to hurt her. And even after she had stood up for herself and told him what was on her mind, she still felt terrible. The doctor stepped in the room, five minutes later awakening her from her haze.

"Miss. Rosenburg?" Greg asked from the door.

"Yes?" Willow asked in recognition.

"I'm sorry to say this to you but you'll have to come back tomorrow morning. Visiting hours are over. You can come back around one in the afternoon," Greg said sullenly. Willow nodded, quietly.

"Thanks. If he wakes up and he's looking for me just tell him to call me at this number," Willow said gesturing towards her cell phone number.

"Yes mam," Greg said, showing her out of the hospital. "Just take the elevator to the first floor and turn right and you should find your way out from there.

"Thank you," Willow said before the elevator door closed. Sighing to herself, she leaned against one of the bare walls and butted her head against the smooth marble. "I need some fresh air," Willow said to herself.

************30 minutes later***************

"Damnit, damnit, damnit, damnit!!!!!" Willow screamed stomping her foot on the side of the highway. Her jeep had recieved a flat tire in her haste to drive 20 miles over the speed limit and over a broken bottle of beer. Turning on her cell phone, she dialed Buffy's number. No one picked up. Then she dialed the tow truck company. The phone on the other end rang three times, then her phone beeped signaling that her phone was low on batteries and it would take up too much energy to find the signal. "Shit," Willow said to herself. She scavanged around the back to find a battery for her phone, then kicked the bumper of her car when she failed to do so. She tried Buffy's again, but there was no answer. In her anger, she threw the phone as hard as she could against the neatly paved asphalt, then groaned in stupidity. Taking her keys, she locked up the jeep, then proceeded to walk back towards a gas station she saw about 10 miles back. Willow pulled her jacket around her shoulders tighter, when the wind started blowing again. She was surprised the wind hadn't lifted her up and knocked her over. She looked up when the wind started to ease up and she heard a car driving up behind her. Willow began to walk faster, not wanting to become one of SunnyDale's latest rape victims. Then she heard someone calling her name.

"Willow," Oz hollered, rolling down his window. She stiffened at his voice, but continued to walk. "Willow!!" Oz hollered again. Willow stopped this time, then faced the person she was hoping she wouldn't have to deal with for another 30 years. "Get in the car Willow, I saw your jeep a while back. I've got a spare tire," Oz said trying to convince his stubborn, angry, ex-girlfriend to get in the car.

"Oz, just keep driving. It's not that far from the gas station," Willow said stubbornly.

"I'm not going to leave you to walk 10 miles in SunnyDale at night time, and especially when you're on the highway," Oz said determined.

"Well I am most certainly not going to get in a car with you, so that doesn't give you much of a choice," Willow said walking faster, while kicking at the gravel.

"Fine then. I'll pull over and walk with you. That way the conversation will last longer and you can slap me as much as you want!" Oz hollered, emphasizing the last few words with sarcasm. He pulled over to the side of the road, then jumped out of the car, running after her retreating figure. Willow groaned to herself, then started to run, not wanting to deal with him at the moment. Her face turned red and her eyes watered as her tired limbs began to work over time. She could hear Oz's footsteps grow nearer. She switched into a full sprint mode hoping that eventually she would wear him out and he'd stop chasing her, but her efforts were fruitless. He only increased his speed eventually falling into step about 15 feet away. Another minute or so of running Oz was finally running close enough to grab her by the waist. Willow let out a defeated cry, then collapsed on the thick gravel on her knees. She sobbed uncontrollably, doing her best not to hyperventilate. She started breathing hard, unable to release some of the unneeded oxygen in her system, but to no avail and she grew somewhat dizzy.

Oz could see the blood rushing to her face and he rushed to help her. Kneeling in front of her, he took her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers, blowing carbon dioxide into her very needing lungs. Willow let out a harsh pant, then Oz pulled away, took a breath then pressed his lips to her's again, proceeding to blow the carbon back into her lungs. Willow's breathing calmed eventually and her mind went blank when Oz pressed his lips against her's again. Oz brushed a tear away with one of his calloused thumbs, then caressed her neck and shoulders when he pressed his lips to hers again. What seemed to be a harmless kiss turned into an earth shattering embrace. Their actions slowed and her sobbing quieted while the nerves in their stomachs did flip flops as they brushed their lips against one anothers. Oz's arms circled her waist and Willow's long fingers scratched at his scalp while the others played at his mustache. Willow couldn't help but cry in relief. The kiss grew heated and Oz's teeth grazed her bottom lip. Willow shuddered at the sensations his touch presented, her heart in her head, and her nerves centered around her stomach making it hard for her to breathe. Oz's hands rubbed her back for a moment, then he calmed and pulled away slowly, hugging her closer to his body. Willow sniffed into his neck, taking in the pleasant scent of his cologne. Oz placed a chaste kiss at the skin over her jugular, then held her tighter.

"Oz?" Willow asked, confused. She thought he hated her. But from what the last five minutes presented, it was...most certainly not hatred.

"Ssshhhhhhh," Oz whispered, running his fingers through her hair. He breathed into her ear, causing Willow to squirm and flush. "Willow, let me take you home. Please? We'll come back for the jeep tomorrow," Oz said pulling away to look her in the eye. Willow nodded her head sleepily, then shifted her eyes, confused. "Come on," Oz said, helping her stand up. It took them at least half an hour to get back. "I really wish you hadn't run back there. It wouldn't have taken us so long to get back to the car," Oz said tiredly.

"But it was worth it...in the end...right?" Willow asked, in a haze. Oz eyed her warily, then took a deep breath, exhaled and changed the subject.

"Come on Willow. Let's get in the car, so I can get us home," Oz said, opening the door for Willow. Willow nodded sleepily, then plopped into the passanger side. She usually wasn't one to hide her emotions until now. Because she knew Oz was uncomfortable with what had happened a while ago. She wanted to ask him what was wrong, besides him being uncomfortable, but she couldn't find it in her heart to stretch their current situation any further. Oz revved up the engine, then sped away back onto the highway. They arrived at his house in LA about 90 minutes later. He could hear Rusty barking as he came up the drive way with a half asleep Willow, supported on his shoulder. Rusty ran up to the two and sniffed the new comer. Willow looked at it with agitated eyes, then petted his snout so he would go away. The dog then nuzzled his master's knee, causing Oz to stumble as to not step on the dog. "Rusty! Go up to the front porch and I'll let you in. Go on," Oz said, slapping the dog on the butt to get it moving. Rusty obliged willingly, then opened the screen door with his nose for his master. Oz thanked the dog, then unlocked the door letting the dog in. Rusty jumped on the couch, making himself comfortable, daring his master to put the stranger on his spot that he so proficiently proclaimed. "I know Rusty. I'm not going to put her on the couch," Oz said, hefting Willow back up further on his shoulder. She was soon too heavy for him to support her with one arm, so he bent over, cradling her knees with one arm and her back with the other, making it easier for him to carry her up the stairs. He kicked open the door to his room, then pulled back the covers so he could lie Willow underneath them. Willow's head went limp and it dragged to the side and she rolled over. Oz looked at her, remorse evident on his features. He didn't know what he was going to do. He walked towards the door, then jumped when he heard a loud thud from behind him. He turned around, then smiled at the sight of Willow passed out on the floor, the blanket and sheets wrapped haphazardly around her waist. Her mouth opened wide, and she began to snore. Oz swooped down to lift her up again, then knelt on the bed to make sure she reached the middle of the the bed, so that she might not fall out. Oz wrapped the blankets around her lithe form, then tucked the sides of the sheets tighter into the mattress so she wouldn't have a chance to roll around unless she woke up and removed them. When he was through, he walked out of the room and shut the door quietly. He turned around to meet Rusty at his side, obviously interested in the new stranger.

"Maybe in the morning Rusty," Oz said, walking down the steps. The dog looked after him with sad brown eyes, then circled a spot on the small rug, and lie down in front of the door. He whimpered a few times, wanting to go inside the room, then quieted down when he learned that his master wasn't going to let him in.

Oz walked towards the bar, then grabbed a beer. Something was definitely bothering him. Ever since that kiss, he had been depressed. Not the way he was depressed when he found out Willow lied to him, but the kind of depressed when he realized that this time Willow was the one who was going to get hurt this time, instead of him. His heart throbbed painfully, while he thought of what he was going to say to her in the morning. She had obviously gotten the wrong idea on the highway. The incident on the highway was a mistake. An act of depression that came from withdrawal. That's what it was. He wanted her to feel better about the situation, so he thought, but he most certainly wasn't planning on that. Even if the kiss was great, he could tell that something was missing. Maybe not on Willow's part, but it felt like something was gone. Something he needed. It was just raw passion. Something he hadn't felt in days. He remembered that feeling when he kissed her at the wedding reception, but he didn't think anything of it. But now that he knew he had a son, it was just as if the spark they used to have between each other had disappeared. It killed him to think it, but he didn't know how else to explain it. He wasn't in love with her anymore. How else was he to explain it? It was as if the anticipation of seeing her caused him to feel feelings for her that he thought still existed, when all along he just wanted to know why she left. But if he wasn't in love with her, then why did it feel like his heart was in his throat? Why was he finding it so difficult to breathe? Why did he dread telling her that the kiss on the highway was a mistake? Did he love her? Was he just feeling guilty? He knew Kevin wasn't a mistake. He really did love her, five years ago. It was as if he kissed her out of obligation. He wanted her to stop crying, and forgive him for what he said to her, but that kiss...that kiss went to far, and he hated himself for it. He could only wait....

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