****Part 16..18 days later.****

"Willow?" Buffy hollered. Willow had decided to go on tour with Oz while Kevin went on vacation with Tony and his parents. If all her friends were dead in the end, she was actually considering on making Tony's parents, Kevin's god father. Even though she wasn't a catholic.

"Yeah?" Willow hollered. She jogged her way down the stairs, wearing tight spandex pants, a cropped white tank top and a green and blue checkered flannel tied up around her waiste. She'd been working out with her weights, causing her arms to feel all bouncy. She jogged in place as Buffy proceeded to talk to her.

"So you wanna go to the mall tonight?" Buffy asked hopefully. She and Jesse had gotten into a fight. Apparently he wasn't ready for a commitment. The two had both agreed to move in with each other, but Jesse had insisted that she live at his place. Buffy had insisted that Jesse live at her place. So now they were picking on their best friends. Oz was stuck with Jesse all day, cruising the beach. Jesse said it was a guy thing.

"Sure. Give me an hour and I'll be ready." Willow said, jogging back up the stairs. She jogged for about another five minutes, then stopped to drink some water. She bounced into the bathroom and showered, then came out wearing a pair of light blue jeans, and a 3/4th sleeve black cardigan with a gold necklace that Oz had given her about a month after she had moved in with him. Her hair had been cut to an inch below her shoulder a week before, but was now two inches below her shoulder and set in a messy bun held up by a pale green clip. It was actually considered fashionable in the teen magazines. Than again, bleached pants and shorts and models with out underwear were in fashion as well. The thought of going with out underwear made Willow kind of nauseated. She walked back down the stairs, composed and ready. Buffy drove them to the mall. Willow had insisted that they go to the Parks Mall since it wouldn't be necessary to get on the highway to get there. The highway still terrified Willow. Whether Oz liked it or not, she thought about the baby constantly. And when he wasn't around, and Kevin was at Tony's, she would cry herself to sleep. Buffy had never mentioned anything about the accident. She could tell that it haunted Willow day in and day out.

"How are things with Oz? Haven't talked to him in a while," Buffy said, making conversation. Willow had been stairing out the window for the past 10 minutes. She snapped out of her haze and looked at Buffy.

"It's good. He's bonding really well with Kevin. A lot more than he used to...which was a lot. I think maybe he just feels guilty about me losing the baby and all," Willow pondered.

"Tell me about it. I mean..the worst thing that hospital could have done was ask Oz to terminate the pregnancy. And they did it too." Buffy said angrily. Willow was speechless for a moment. Terminate the pregnancy? Confusion was evident in her features. She let out a heavy sigh. She didn't want to give Buffy any indication that she was upset. This was Buffy's day.

"Right," Willow said quietly. She spent the rest of the afternoon, pondering on what Buffy said. Terminate? As in, the baby was still alive? It was during lunch when Buffy decided to get into her 'details' conversation.

"So...are you and Oz having sex yet or..." Willow flinched at the very thought of being intimate with Oz at the time being. All those days he had lied to her, told her that the baby was already dead. The lies kind of added up to a life time skeleton closet. She wanted to throw something cause Buffy was talking so fast. Instead, she just stared at her salad, doing her best not to cry. She kept her hands clasped over her lap. "Willow? Are you okay? You look kind of spooked. Is it something in the food? I told you that Jack in a Box would make you sick," Buffy ranted. Willow rested her elbows on the table and used her hands to support her head. She wanted to fall over. She stood up quickly.

"Oh god, I'm going to be sick." Willow said, holding her stomach as she pushed her way through the massive crowds. "Move out of my way...please," Willow said desperately as she shoved people to the side. She made it to the toilet just in time to lose her lunch. Buffy ran after her friend.

"Willow?" Buffy called. She heard a gagging noise in one of the bathroom stalls, then the sound of uncontrolled sobs as her best friend released all the tension building up in her stomach. When the noises stopped, Buffy called out to her friend again. "Willow?" Buffy asked at the stall. The door opened, and Willow stepped out, wiping at her mouth. Her skin was 10 times paler than usual, the roots of her hair were sweaty and Willow was breathing hard, tears running down her cheeks.

"Buffy," Willow cried. She fell into her best friends arms and sobbed openly. All her friend could do was stand there and wonder what exactly it was that triggered Willow's stomach to react that way.

"You're not pregnant again, are you?" Buffy asked worriedly. Willow let out a soft laugh as she shook her head no. "Willow, what's wrong? What happened?" Buffy asked, rubbing her back. Willow shook her head.

"I don't know. I just don't feel good right now." Was Willow's reply. She didn't want Buffy to know why she was so upset.

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked, wetting a paper towel and patting it on Willow's face. Willow nodded her head.

"I'm fine..I just..I really don't feel good right now. I need to talk to Oz," Willow replied. She wasn't dreading one moment of the upcoming conversation. This time, she was positive that she wasn't in the wrong. Of course doubt and insecurity would inevitably follow at the last minute.

"Did you want me to call him?" Buffy asked. Willow shook her head no.

"I'll talk to him tonight. When he gets home." Willow assured.

"Where is he anyway?" Buffy asked. Willow gave her a lopsided look that said...you know where he is.

"He's with Jesse at the beach. Jesse said it was a guy thing to do." Willow replied. Buffy sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Figures. I just don't get it you know. If it was my idea to move in with each other, we should use my house to do it with. Besides, it's so much cleaner. It has carpet. He doesn't have any carpet in his place. Yeah, his place is bigger and it has a pool and a garden but..it's so secluded, you know. His nearest neighbor is like half a mile away from his house." Buffy complained. "I don't know...what do you think?" Buffy asked whistfully. Willow sighed and rolled her eyes.

"If it bothers the both of you so much, maybe both of you should just move." Willow suggested. Buffy pondered it for a second, then shook her head no.

"No..I don't think so," Buffy said, waving it off.

"Look Buffy. Normally I'd be open to giving you suggestions, but I seriously doubt that you're going to listen to any of them because I truelly think that if you really want to move in with him, you need to move in with him. At his place. If you don't..then don't move in together," Willow reasoned. Buffy stayed silent for a moment. Willow's sharp attempt to help her made her a bit uneasy.

"Maybe. Um...did you want me to drive you home? Maybe we could watch a couple of movies?" Buffy asked unsure. She had a gut feeling that Willow didn't want to be here. She was hardly ever quick to dismiss her friend's problems. Willow nodded her head.

"I think that's a good idea. I'm still feeling a bit woozy." Willow admitted. Buffy nodded her head and agreed.

"Probably a good idea. Do you feel good enough to walk down the escalator?" Buffy asked. "Cause I could carry you if you needed me to." Buffy offered. Willow smiled at this.

"I'll be fine."

***four hours later***

"I love this movie so much," Willow sniffed. Tears wetted her cheeks as the credits to "An Affair to Remember" rolled down the screen. "Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. *sniff*...they're so good together." Willow said, grabbing her seventh tissue in the past 15 minutes. Buffy nodded and blew her nose.

"Why can't Jesse be that romantic?" Buffy whined. She threw a tissue at the trashcan and missed.

"Men," Willow agreed, venom coating her normally sweet voice. An image of Oz flashed in her head and she shuddered. Oh he was going to get it tonight. They cried for a few more moments, then sighed when the phone rang.

"Hello?" Buffy answered it.

"Buffy?" Jesse asked over the phone. Buffy made a disgusted face, then slammed the phone back down into the cradle.

"Who was that?"

"Jesse. That ass hole. He thinks he knows everything. He's so proud. I hate that. I hate Jesse you know that. But..then again, I love him. Does that make sense?" Buffy asked. Willow nodded her head.

"It makes perfect sense. I hate Oz and I love Oz."

"No. You don't have a reason to hate Oz. You two are crazy about each other," Buffy said.

"Well he's gonna get a beating tonight. He never told me that he terminated our child. He just said that it died. You'd think that he would have told me. I wouldn't be so mad at him if he would have just told me." Willow said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. The phone rang again. "Hello?" This time Willow answered it.

"Willow?" It was Oz. Willow made a disgusted face, then slammed the phone back down into the cradle.

"Was it Jesse?" Buffy asked, whiping her nose.

"It was Oz."

****8:30 pm****

"That barbeque was great," Oz said, opening the door with his key. Jesse nodded his head and quietly belched. Both Willow and Buffy were staring at the front door expectantly. Their arms were crossed over their chests and a scowl was set on their features. They had a resolve face. The boys winced.

"Buffy?" Jesse said in an annoyed voice. Both girls gave him a look that could turn fire into ice. He flinched. Oz walked towards the girls and kissed Willow on the forehead. She didn't smile though. She didn't budge. Inwardly, her stomach was doing flip flops. Now she wasn't so sure whether or not she wanted to have this conversation. Oz being Oz was forgiveness alone. However, she just continued to give Jesse one of those incredulous looks. "What did I do?" Jesse asked. Buffy balled her fist into skin covered rocks.

"I hate you!" Buffy yelled. She threw a huge piece of ice at his head. It missed and hit the door and shattered to a thousand pieces. Oz decided to intervene. Buffy was going to use ice as a deadly weapon.

"You know what you two. Settle this at home," Oz said, opening the front door. Buffy stood up and walked out the door stubbornly. Jesse looked to Willow, who just raised her eyebrows and gave him a look that said...'I don't give a shit'. Jesse lowered his head and walked out the house slowly. Two cars revved up. Oz turned to Willow with a silly grin plastered on his cheeks. Willow's scowl turned into a frown. It was his smile that could make her forgive him anything. His obvious ignorance of her anger towards him. Why couldn't he just act guilty? She stood up and walked into the kitchen, her arms no longer crossed. She grabbed an apple out of a hanging basket and started to cut into it with a knife. Oz walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waiste, kissing her neck and shoulder.

"Hey," Willow said quietly.

"I missed you. I haven't seen you all day," Oz said, taking in her scent. Willow sighed when several vibes started running down her spine to her hip. She squirmed a little bit, unable to control how wired it made her body feel. Oz smiled. "I like it when you do that," Oz said, biting down on her earlobe. Willow couldn't help but smile at the way he made her feel. Then she frowned. She had to set things straight. Oz could tell how tense she was. He started to rub her shoulders. When the knots seemed to swim their way out of her back, he forced her to turn and look at him. He placed his hands on her arms and kissed her gently. She didn't pull back but she didn't respond. Oz frowned. He cupped her chin and forced her to look at him. "Bad day?" Oz asked, pulling her into a hug. Willow sighed and nodded her head. Oz rubbed his nose against her forehead and kissed her temple. "You want to tell me about it?" Oz asked, squeezing her against his body. Willow swallowed hard. She held Oz's hand and led him over to the couch. "What?" Oz asked. Willow took a moment to think. She was just going to come out and say it.

"I know that you don't like it when I think about the baby..." Willow started. Oz held his tongue. She wasn't still blaming herself, was she? "But when Buffy and I went to the mall, Buffy asked me how we were doing and I mentioned that you were spending more time with Kevin because I thought you might have felt guilty about me losing the baby. And then she brought up the fact that the hospital asked you to sign a release form to terminate the pregnancy." Willow admitted. Tears were running down her cheeks. She clasped her hands together. She looked at him. "Is it true?" Willow asked.

"Willow..." Oz started.

"Oz..just tell me. Did you tell them to..kill it?" Willow asked, knowing the answer. Oz bit his lip then nodded his head. Willow took in a shaky breath. "Why?" Willow asked, a tear dripping off her chin. Oz's eyes were moist. He tried to reach for hand but she retracted them. "Oz...tell me." Willow begged. Now it was his turn to take in a shaky breath. Bad energy was everywhere.

"When I spoke with the doctor..... he told me that you're body was medically unstable to support the baby. He told me that the baby would die eventually, but he also said that if I didn't ask them to terminate it..... you would die. And I couldn't handle that. I knew you didn't believe in abortion, but he said the baby was already dead, your body just hadn't rejected it yet. And...I love Kevin, I do...but I can't imagine being his father with out you. I couldn't stand the thought that I might have to tell him that his mother wasn't going to be living with us anymore. I couldn't. I slept on it, cause the doctor said I had a good 24 hours, and then I told him to terminate the pregnancy. He said that the sooner they did it, the better your chances were of coming out of it alive. I'm sorry I dissappointed you but...I'm greatful that you're alive. I can't live knowing that you're not here, waiting for me." Oz said, a tear rolling down his cheek. It trickled across the soft hairs growing below his lip, then fell to his lap. Willow sniffed at how honest he was being. She wanted to lean over and hug him. But one question still bothered her.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" Willow asked quietly. The look on Oz's face was one of agony.

"I had a feeling that you were going to hate me if I told you...and, I thought it would have been better for both of us if you never knew what I really had to go through to keep you alive. I had to tell them to take away our child. All that mattered to me was that we were together and that you were happy...and you never asked me how it died. So I never bothered to tell you. I thought we could just forget. Have more children," Oz said, gazing into her eyes. Her eyes no longer held anger or resentment. Just sorrow. She nodded her head accepting his answer. Oz sat there, not knowing what to do. Keep talking. Wait for her to say something? His thoughts were interupted when Willow grabbed his hand, then scooched closer to him to rest her head on his shoulder. He sighed in relief. He used his free arm to wrap around her waiste, then squeezed her against his body as he took in her perfume. He lowered his chin to kiss her on the back of the head. He stroked her hand with his thumb, then brought it to his lips to kiss her knuckles. Willow sniffed.

"I love you," Willow whispered. Oz's heart fluttered.

"I love you too. Always." Oz assured. He rubbed her shoulder then sighed.

"Can I still come with you? To Florida?" Willow asked uncertain. Oz smiled, a peaceful expression setting on his features.

"That would be...perfect." Oz admitted. Willow smiled.

***Part 17...Five weeks later***

"I can't wait to see Kevin," Willow bounced excitedly. During Oz's tour they'd gone to see several museums, amusement parks, water parks, drive in movie theatres and more. They had a person to drive the tour bus while she and Oz shacked up in the queen sized bed in the back. They never really did have much alone time and the few minutes they had at 2am in the morning were used for cuddling. Every moment had been precious.

"It'll be nice. I can't wait til the last concert." Oz admitted. Lately, both he and Willow had gone public when it came to dating. The fans weren't as bad as he imagined. They actually seemed to size down a little bit.

"Lot of pressure?" Willow asked knowingly.

"You could say that. More so, anticipation." Oz said.

"You do know you have a concert at 4 in the afternoon?" Willow reminded him. Oz winced. His headache was actually getting worse.

"I've got 12 hours. I don't want to think about it right now," Oz confessed. Willow nodded her head against his chest. Oz had his arms stretched out over his head, his toes wriggling in the air while Willow lay her head on his chest, doing her best to keep her boyfriend as stress free as possible. It seemed to be working. He wasn't breathing as fast and he actually seemed to be enjoying himself.

"Sorry," Willow said into his chest. "You sleepy?" Willow asked sweetly. Oz shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm tired, but...I'm so wired right now. It hurts to shut my eyes right now," Oz admitted. A mischevious smile lit up Willow's features. She sighed, then pushed her self up to her knees so she could get a better look at him. He wasn't wearing a shirt. He wasn't wearing socks. Just a set of dark blue swim trunks. Oz smiled up to her. "What have you got going in that busy sweet little mind of yours?" Oz asked, a delighted smile playing at his lips. Willow shook her head no and rolled her eyes at the ceiling. That usually meant that she wasn't sure. She placed her hands on either side of his shoulders, then leaned down to kiss him softly. He brought one hand up from over his head to play with her soft straight red hair. She smiled, then ceised his lips with another kiss. He used his fingers to rub her neck while he kissed her tenderly. Then he sighed into her mouth and circled her waiste with his calloused hands. Little bells starting ringing in his head. They hadn't a moments peace since the concert in Las Vegas. Willow's nails found their way to the sides of his rib cage. She traced tiny patterns over his skin, causing him to jump every two seconds. His thighs were practically bouncing off the bed cause he had so much energy. Willow smiled, then straddled his stomach. She peppered several kisses on his chin and neck, then bit down on his earlobe causing Oz to jerk at the slight pang. Now it felt heated and red as she blew on it.

"You know..we haven't had much time together since...what Vegas?" Willow realized. Oz nodded his head. He pushed himself up into a sitting position, causing Willow's lower body to slide down to his lap. They were face to face, no more than a half an inch apart. Their noses rubbed up against one anothers. They kissed again, tongues touching with starving hands. A moment later Oz was kissing her neck, sucking on the skin until a rather average red hickey formed just above her breast bone. She could cover it up.

"This isn't fair," Oz said, breaking away. His eyes were glazed over. Willow frowned. He gestured towards her white t-shirt covering the upper half of her body. Willow rolled her eyes knowingly, then kissed him quickly before joining his hands at the hem of her shirt. He tossed it to the edge of the bed, then his arms circled her waiste holding her chest against his while one hand played with her hair and the other played along the waiste band of her red, black, and white checkered boxers. Willow sighed as her breast rubbed against his chest and her cheeks became flushed. He bit down on her earlobe, causing her to whimper, then kissed his way down to the hollow of her throat. A strangled moan escaped her lips causing Oz to hold her tighter. With out notice, he rolled over and pinned her hands to her sides. He kissed his way down to her stomach, causing her to wriggle around while he held her arms to the side. The restraint was killing her and the sudden flash from outside the window really pissed her off. Oz groaned in frustration. He stood up and peered outside the shades where a few reporters were trying to make their way past the body guard protecting the bus.

"Just...turn out the lights. They can't see anything if you do that," Willow suggested. Oz nodded, than made his way to the dresser. He lit a coffee scented candle, then set it in a holder bolted to the night stand next to their bed. He turned off the over head light, then crawled back into his lovers waiting arms. She sighed in content, then blushed when Oz pinned her arms against the over head board. He could be such an animal.

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

Oz curled up against something soft and warm. His body spooned against it as the afternoon sun shined it's way through the closed blinds. His eyes fluttered open then closed again when she wriggled back against his body. He smiled, then buried his nose into her neck.

"Morning," Willow said.

"Actually...it's afternoon. We have to get up," Oz said annoyedly.

"Damn," Willow whispered. Oz yawned, stretched, then wrapped his arm back around her waiste and kissed her exposed neck. Willow yawned as well, then wiggled her toes and sat up under the thick red and white quilt. Oz tried to grab onto her, but his efforts were in vain. She shrugged his hands off, then stepped into a pair of loose khaki bunji chord pants and a chocolate brown tanktop that ended an inch above her waiste band. When she was dressed, she bounced over to the bed and straddled Oz's legs. She peppered his face with several kisses, then jabbed at his ribs causing him to groan out in annoyance.

"Willow, don't.." Oz pleaded. Willow smiled.

"Oz, it's 3 in the afternoon," Willow said smiling. What was a tiny fib? She was only off by two hours. Oz's eyes opened wide.

"Oh god," Oz said, jumping out of bed. He ran to the closet and shoved on a pair of black baggy levi's over his boxers, than shrugged on a dark purple silk button down flannel. Willow smiled to herself knowingly. He was kind of cute when he was in a hurry. She started laughing, then sobered up when Oz glared at her. He just saw the alarm clock. Only One in the afternoon. Willow bit down on her lip and gave him an innocent smile that a five year old would give you when she just got caught in a lie.

"What?" Willow asked, grinning from ear to ear. Oz huffed, then glanced at the alarm clock again. She followed his gaze, bit her lip, then stared at her shoes. Oz's eyes softened at the appearance she presented. It was like Xander's puppy eyes. He sighed, then shuffled towards her. He too, began to stare at his feet. His hands reached out to circle her waiste.

"Sorry. You know how I am when I wake up. I hate being in a hurry." Oz said, hugging her to him.

"It's okay," Willow said in a playful voice. Oz nuzzled her neck, than ran his fingers through her hair. Willow smiled, then squirmed as she was pinned against the wall, then thrown on the bed. Oz straddled her prone figure, then kissed her gently. Willow's hands played along the belt loops of his jeans, then nearly ripped them off after she jerked his body to her side. She sat up quickly, then turned the tables. Now Oz was being pinned and he wasn't objecting. His face flushed as something stirred below his belt.

"Oz!!" The tour director hollered. Both Willow and Oz resigned to seperating. Willow ran into the bathroom to check her image. The director banged against the door for a good 30 seconds before Oz opened it.

"Yeah?" Oz asked, a puzzled look washing over his normally passive expression.

"You're late! You were supposed to be in wardrobe two hours ago. Get your shoes on and get outside. You've got two minutes." The director ordered. Oz nodded his head than shut the door. Willow walked out and gave him a knowing smile.

"Don't worry. Only one more week," Willow said, sitting on her knees behind Oz who was now sitting at the ledge of the bed. His back was slouched over. Willow cracked her fingers, stretched them, than used them to knead the knots out of his shoulders while Oz put on his shoes. "Okay stand up," Willow commanded. Oz complied. He was much more relaxed now.

"Thanks. I needed that," Oz said, moving into kiss her on the forehead. The director started banging on the door again.

"Move it!"

***********

"Listen Oz, I really think you should be more responsible." The assistant director advised to him. She was in her mid-50's and she reminded him a lot of Natalie Wood with white hair. She must have been a real beauty in her times. She didn't have a rinkle on her face except around her eyes.

"I know, I know. I'm just...I'm anxious, you know? I don't like tours. Too much pressure. At home...I can go into the studio when ever I want. It was flexible and I got to spend time with my family. Now that I'm on tour, I'm listening to a jack ass who thinks that perfection must be obtained," Oz said, running a hand through his white hair with purple frost on the top. Rogue smiled knowingly. The director was an anger ball. She held a clip board to her chest, then patted Oz on the back.

"Well if you're having so much trouble balancing your career with your home life, maybe you shouldn't go on tour anymore. It's not the end of the world. Do a local concert every now and then but...don't do it if interferes with your family." Rogue suggested.

"I knew there was a reason I liked you so much. Have you met Willow? You two would totally click." Oz said smiling. She smiled back as well.

"Stranger things have happened, but I'd love to meet Willow. You speak so highly of her with Jesse. Tell me...how long have you two been dating?"

"Well, I met her in highschool when I was 18. We broke apart when I was 22 because her parents didn't approve of me. Then we got back together about 10 months ago." Oz informed her. She smiled.

"That's how it was with my husband and I. We met in highschool, broke apart about five years later, then we got back together and three months after we started dating again, he proposed. Oh, he was so sweet." Rogue said, bouncing in her flat heals. An old man in his late fifty's walked up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Rogue?"

"Oh, Daniel! Oz, I want you to meet Daniel. This is my husband," Rogue said proudly.

"Nice to meet you," Oz greeted. The two shook hands.

"Like wise. Listen, I'd stay and chat, but Docker is looking for you," Daniel said, referring to the director everyone hated so much.

"Oh well okay. Be on set in 10 minutes, okay Oz?"

"Got it." Oz said, waving as he turned around. He jogged back to his dressing room and opened up a drawer with a lock on it. He grasped the velvety box in his hands and nodded his head. "One more week. Just one more week." Oz reminded himself

***Part 18. One week later***

The arena was packed. Willow and Jesse were sitting in the front row, throwing popcorn at each other while Oz waved at them from back stage. Sting Ray was opening for him. It was the final concert on the tour and Oz was breathing harder than ever. He pulled a bit on his tight leather pants that clutched at his crotch. His inner thighs were actually chafing because he was so hot. He was wearing a second skin. He shrugged a bit until his shoulders felt more adjusted under the huge black leather jacket that Docker insist he wear. He was hating every second of this. Only four more hours and he was through. Soon, Sting Ray's number was up and 30 thousand fans were roaring to life. Calling him.

"Oz! Oz! Oz! Oz!" It was a loud chant. It sounded more like "Ra, Ra, Ra, Ra!" At least that's how it sounded to Oz.

"Good luck man," One of the stage directors hollered. He made his way out onto the huge dry platform. From afar it was black and shiny. From up front it was dull with bright light shining on it with a few nails sticking out of the boards. The crowd's screams muted in his ears as he waved to his girlfriend. Everything was in slow motion. He bent down to grab his guitar, then struck the first chord. The crowd roared.

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

"Excellent Oz," Jesse said, patting him on the back. It was the after concert party and several little boys and girls with back stage passes were lining up to get his autograph. He searched the crowd for Willow. The stage crew, the directors, the producers, and the other opening bands were all there but he couldn't see Willow. Suddenly a pair of soft white hands covered his eyes from behind him. He smiled.

"Guess who?" Willow said sweetly.

"Jesse?" Oz said teasing. Willow pinched him. "Ow!"

"No," Willow cooed.

"Willow," Oz said smiling.

"Right," Willow said uncovering his eyes. She turned him around and kissed him on the lips, wrapping her arms around his neck. A couple of the young kids waiting for his autograph said ewww. Willow laughed into his mouth and bounced in his arms. "Congradulations," Willow said excitedly.

"Thankyou," Oz said kissing her cheek. He pulled away and wrapped an arm around her waiste as he went around and signed his name on several pictures that resembled his face.

"Cocktail?" Jesse offered as they went to sit at the huge party table. Oz took it thankfully, then sat next to Willow at the far end of the table. He grabbed her hand and kissed it, then offered her a glass of red wine which she sipped carefully. She rested her head on his shoulder as 150 people awaited his toast. He stood up with grace. His dark blue hair appeared green to several of the guest as the light beamed off of it.

"I want to thank you all for coming here. I never really imagined that there would be this many people that I could respect and care about. Thanks to your gracious donations, you've raised 236 million dollars towards The Youth of America foundation. Children with hepatitis, aids, Parkinsins, Glucoma, Anemia..all of this money...236 millon dollars will go to the children in need of a cure." Oz announced. Everyone smiled. Willow was so proud of him. He waited a moment to take in their smiles. "Cheers," Oz said, holding up his wine glass.

"Cheers," Everyone said at once. They all started clapping when he sat down. He blocked out the noise as he turned to stare at Willow.

"I love you," Oz whispered in her ear. Everyone leaned in to hear what he was saying. Willow smiled and whispered back.

"I love you, too," Willow said, kissing his cheek. They shared a warm smile, then broke apart when they realized they were being stared at. He glanced at Jesse.

"I need to talk to you," Oz said, standing up. He kissed Willow's hands and made his way to a corner. Jesse took a small bite of his steak, then stood up and followed him.

"What's up?" Jesse asked, smiling. Oz took a moment to speak.

"I'm...retiring." Oz replied. Jesse's smile fell to a frown of confusion.

"What? Why?" Jesse asked, not at all angry. He just sounded like it.

"Look Jesse, I'm sorry..." Oz started.

"No, no, no...it's okay. I'm not mad, just curious. What happened? Things were going so well." Jesse asked. Oz shook his head.

"I don't know. But...just being on this tour...I don't know it just made me hate music. All the pressure. Having to be in wardrobe six hours before the concerts. It just drove me mad...and...I'm going to ask Willow to marry me. And..I want to start a family. And I can't do that while traveling at the same time. It just doesn't click with me. I love her Jesse. She deserves better than this. And I want you to be my best man." Oz said in a serious tone. Jesse was awestruck. All this, coming from Oz?

"The more power to you." Jesse said smiling. "Of course I'll be your best man." Jesse added excitedly. He reached out and hugged his best friend around the shoulders. "Did you tell Willow?" Jesse asked, pulling away.

"I will. After the dinner party." Oz replied. Jesse looked at him in awe again.

"You're sure about this?" Jesse asked, grinning from ear to ear. Oz smiled back and nodded his head.

"She's my life." Oz stated. Jesse nodded his head in understanding. He gave Oz a small pat on the back.

"Best wishes." Jesse said, before the two made their way back to the dinner table.

"What was that all about?" Willow asked, holding his hand under the table. He leaned in closer.

"I'll tell you later," Oz said, placing a tiny discreet kiss behind her ear.

****11pm. Three hours later****

"It feels so good to be home," Willow said, slipping off her shoes. She ran up the stairs and showered, than slipped into a pair of black satin pajama pants and a matching satin long sleeved button down top. She heard the shower running again so she assumed Oz was in there. "Oz?" Willow hollered, knocking at the bathroom door. The shower turned off.

"Yeah?" Oz said, drying his hair with a towel.

"I'm down stairs, okay?"

"All right. Put in a movie," Oz said, drying off his legs, arms, and..other parts. :-)

"All right. See you soon," Willow said, walking down the steps after rubbing lotion into her feet and bare legs. She sat down on the plush white soft fluffy couch and turned on the TV. She'd make Oz push the tape in when he came down. That way they could enjoy the credits together. She bit into a cookie resting in a cookie tin on a nearby table, than stood up to get some milk from the kitchen. Oz walked down the stairs silently in a pair of blue nike sweat pants and a white short sleeve flannel opened at the front. He heard Willow wriggling around in the kitchen. She was pouring herself a glass of water since they didn't have milk anymore and she was neglecting the popcorn she had started about six minutes ago. Oz walked over and turned off the stove. Willow turned around when she no longer heard the gas running, then smiled as she enveloped her boyfriend in a warm loving hug.

"We get to see Kevin tomarrow," Oz said, squeezing her around the waiste.

"I can't wait to see Kevin," Willow said with a smile that could pass her off as an angel. There was a long moment of silence. She was too tired to know what to say. Oz closed his eyes at how warm he felt. How dizzy he felt.

"Guess what," Oz said.

"What?" Willow asked quietly.

"I told Jesse that I'm retiring." Oz replied. Willow flinched slightly.

"What?" Her face was a mask of confusion. Oz took a moment to speak. He placed his hands on her shoulders, then slid them down to her hands where he played with her fingers.

"I told Jesse that I didn't want to be in the music buisness anymore," Oz said, staring into Willow's eyes. Willow held her breath.

"Why?" Willow asked. She looked upset. Why was he giving up his dream?

"Because I've had my fill of the music industry...and...I want to be here with you and Kevin." Oz said quietly. Willow peered at him silently. She couldn't read his face, however he was far more serious now than he had ever been before. She stared at their hands for a few moments. She could feel him staring at her but she didn't know what to say to him.

"But you love music," Willow said quietly. Oz shook his head no.

"I love you," Oz said, centemeters from her ear. Willow flushed slightly. Her heart rate was racing a million beats a minute. She struggled to find her voice.

"I lo...." Willow started but was suddenly interupted by a sensual kiss aimed at her lips. He broke away and put a finger to her lips. He moved closer to her body, pinning her against the counter. Willow wrapped her arms around his neck. Oz bent down and lifted her with ease as he cradled her body against his chest. He set her on the couch.

"Stay," Oz demanded. After she nodded, he ran up the stairs. He retreated about two minutes later. He ran back to the couch and sat at the tip of the cushion seat.

"What are you...?" Willow asked. Oz silenced her with another finger to her lips. Her eyebrows furrowed in wonder. He gestured for her to sit up. She complied and rested her back against the cushion while she set her feet on the floor. With that, Oz maneuvered his legs until he was kneeling down in front of her. Willow's eyes misted over when she saw Oz reach behind his back to present a velvety box with a rose embroidered with silver and gold thread. She looked at him knowingly. Oz took a shuddering breath. Then spoke.

"Marry me?" Oz pleaded. Willow's heart stopped. She never knew how good it would feel to hear those words. She opened her mouth to reply, but she couldn't reach a note. Oz blushed under her scrutinizing gaze. Instead of speaking, she smiled, then leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. Oz hesitated as she leaned in to kiss him. She found herself sitting on her knees on the floor in front of him. Oz bit his lip. She inched closer to him, then grabbed his chin and coaxed him to look at her. She could tell that he was scared. She hadn't replied. At least not verbally. He looked at her, his eyes red with unfulfilled desire. She hadn't spoken. She kissed his cheek, grabbed his hand, then sat back on her knees.

"You're serious?" Willow asked, smiling brightly. Oz nodded his head, his eyes serious. Willow bit her lip at that, then nodded her head. Oz smiled in relief.

"That's a yes?" Oz asked, wanting nothing more than to scoop her up, carry her to the bedroom, and make love to her until dawn. Willow nodded her head faster and forced herself to breathe.

"Yes, yes, a thousand times yes," Willow said happily. She bounced up and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him to her. She peppered his face with thousands of kisses, then sighed when she felt Oz relax under her grasp. She kissed his lips once. "Yes." She kissed him again. "Yes." She kissed him again, but before she could pull away, Oz grabbed her neck and held her to him.

"I think I get the picture." Oz said smiling. Willow nodded, then held him and kissed him again, nearly crushing the breath out of him. "Ow!" Oz breathed out. Willow released her grip.

"Oh I'm sorry. Are you okay?" Willow asked, concerned. She kissed his forehead.

"I'm still breathing."