*****Part 9. One Month Later******
"Hey, how was work?" Willow asked, greeting Oz outside the cabin.
"Easy." Oz replied, giving her a quick kiss. Willow wrapped her arms around his neck, then jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waiste. Oz smiled, then gave her a puzzled look. "What about Kevin?" Oz asked.
"He's spending the night with Tony," Willow replied, referring to Kevin's new best friend. Tony was the boy five miles down the road who was only a month older then Kevin. Tony reminded her a lot of Xander when he was younger. The two were perfect for each other. They would both be starting first grade in August.
"Well that's great baby, but I've got to make a bunch of phone calls first," Oz said, giving her that look that always said, 'I'm really sorry but I promise I'll make it up to you'. Willow frowned in dissapointment, then slipped her legs off his waiste and gave him one more quick kiss before letting go of him completely.
"I haven't seen you for 14 hours, and the one day when Kevin goes over to Tony's house you have to make a bunch of phone calls? What is this, ignore Willow day?" Willow asked, sulking. Oz gave her a lopsided grin, then wrapped his arm around her waiste and kissed her temple.
"Relax baby, we've got all night. Besides, I rented some Block Buster on the way home."
"We don't have all night. It's already six a' clock," Willow groaned. She opened the door to the green house and grabbed a pitcher of water. Oz sighed, and dropped a bunch of papers at the bar, then followed Willow into the green house. He walked up behind her and rubbed her shoulders. Willow turned around, a sad look dancing in her eyes.
"I'm sorry," Oz said, wrapping his arms around her waiste. Willow gave him her best impression of a puppy dog face, then smiled when Oz leaned in to kiss her. "You are spoiled," Oz said kissing her passionately. He backed her up against the wooden wall, then broke away and started nibbling at her throat. Willow let out a low moan. Just as her knees started to buckle under, he backed away and kissed her cheek. "I got to make those calls," Oz replied grinning. Willow glared at him, then slapped him in the shoulder and crossed her arms over her chest. Oz averted his gaze to the floor when she gave him a dirty look, then jogged to the counter and grabbed the portable phone and dialed the first number. He glanced at Willow who was stomping up the steps with a bad temper, then sighed and shook his head.
When he was on his third call, he saw Willow walking down the steps in her green bikini with a black towel wrapped around her waiste. He waved her over right after he hung up with his third call, then stood up from the stool and met her half way. He stroked his calloused thumb over her thin stomach, then kissed her gently. He grabbed her shoulders and locked eyes with her.
"Give me 15 minutes, and I'll join you," Oz said smiling. Willow smiled back and hugged him. She nodded her head, then walked out the door and grabbed a lawn chair. She dragged it to where the sun was still shining on the dock next to the lake, then adjusted it until it was completely flat, so she could lie down. She sighed when she felt the sun beat down on her face, then groaned when she turned over 20 minutes later. Oz still wasn't outside. She rolled her eyes, then huffed. The sun was starting to set. Angry, due to her hormonal imbalance, she slipped out of the lawn chair and into the warm lake water. Several of the nearby fish scattered away, then edged closer when she started to swim. Her toes wriggled in the warm water, making them more enticing to bite,
"You little stink," Willow said, moving up onto her knees then punching at Oz lightly. Oz grinned, then grabbed at her hands and kissed her. Willow pouted when Oz let go of her hands, then inched closer to him until she was pressing up against his chest. Oz wrapped his arms around her waiste, then lowered her onto her back, taking care not to jolt her when her head made impact with the wood beneath her.
"Did you get sick today?" Oz asked, parting from her lips and sucking at the hollow of her throat. He ran his hand over her stomach, then found the clasp on her back and toyed with it, making Willow grow redder by the minute.
"Nope. Relatively easy today," Willow replied, bending her knee and running her foot up and down his calves. A low growel eminated from his throat, then he found her lips and planted a long, tender, heartwarming kiss.
"We've never done it outside," Oz noted, smiling.
"Well I'm all for new things," Willow retorted, holding him to her when his lips found a sensitive spot behind her ear.
*********Three hours later*********
"When do you get your next vacation?" Willow asked curiously from under the goose feathered comforter. Oz slipped under the blanket, then pulled Willow into his embrace. Her head rested on his bare chest, and his chin rested on her head. His arm was wrapped around her shoulder, and Willow was lieing on her side, her arm draped accross his stomach.
"Two months," Oz replied, a little more then dissappointed. "If I work over time, I could get my vacation in six weeks but I know how much you hate it when I work overtime so I thought I would wait it out."
"Do you want to do something?" Willow asked curiously. Oz scratched his chin with his free hand, then nodded his head when an idea came to him. It was actually an idea he had had since he found out Willow was pregnant, but he had been too worried about her physical strength to consider it.
"I've been thinking for a while. That maybe, if you're feeling up to it, you, me, Kevin, Samantha, Buffy and Jesse, and Cordelia and Xander, could all go camping at Yellow Stone Park," Oz suggested. Willow widened her eyes in delight, then nodded her head excitedly.
"Oh wow, Kevin would love that. I always promised him that I would take him to Yellow Stone when I could take a vacation, but we never got the chance. God, Oz..that's excellent," Willow replied, smiling. She kissed his lips and chin several times, then rubbed at his chest, emphasizing her enthusiasm. Oz gave her a lopsided grin, then squeezed her against him.
"Good. I'll set up reservations. We won't be doing a lot of hiking and mountain climbing but it will give us a chance to spend some real quiet time together. You and I both know Samantha would die for a chance to take care of Kevin for a whole week, and the other couples will be to busy with each other to notice so.. quality time. Just you and me," Oz said, dealing out his plan.
"I like quality time," Willow replied, kissing his chest, then resting her ear above the strong thud beating against his skin. "I'll call Samantha and see if she'll go for it," Willow said, jumping up from the bed and trotting for the nearest phone in the hallway.
"Don't forget to come back this time though. Last time you were on the phone with her, you didn't come back for another two hours," Oz hollered.
"Well just for you, I'll make it three," Willow said, a coy smile playing at her lips. Oz let out a 'harumph' then crossed his arms over his chest and lay down again, resting his eyes. Willow came back 20 minutes later, then whispered in his ear, sending shocking vibes to course through his body. "She says she can't wait," Willow replied, kissing him. Oz smiled, then grabbed her from around the waiste and pulled her back onto the bed with him.
"I thought you said you'd be gone for at least three hours," Oz said in a dreamy like voice. He tugged at her neck, then kissed her savagely. She scratched his shoulders, then jabbed at his ribs, making him gasp for air. He broke away, then hugged her to him before she had a chance to escape. Willow cried out, scratching at his fingers, desperately trying to rip them away from her sensitive flesh. Oz grinned, then released her and played with the long silky red locks traipsing from her forehead. Willow crooned and relaxed, then lay at his side and breathed into his neck. Oz shivered from head to toe, unconciously purring when she ran a nail down the side of his neck.
"I thought I'd make an exception. Besides, it's after midnight in New York. I forgot about that. She's got to work tomarrow," Willow replied saddly.
"Well you can talk to her tomarrow. Meanwhile, I got a bunch of tapes from Block Buster and Carrie III is in the VCR. You want to watch it?" Oz suggested. Willow nodded her head, then looked around for the remote controls. Oz handed them to her, then wrapped his arms around her shoulder when the opening credits began to role on the screen.
******Part 10. Three Weeks Later*****
"You nervous?" Oz asked Willow. He held her hand in a death grip while they sat in the waiting room. They were about to see the first picture of their baby. Willow smiled at him, then shook her head amazed.
"Oz, it's just a picture. We probably won't even be able to see anything. Kevin was only a centimeter long when I was at two months," Willow replied, giving him her best sympathy look. Oz sighed, dissappointed with her lack of enthusiasm, then leaned back against the wall. Minutes seemed like hours to him. He jumped up when he heard the door click. Then he sat back down, shaking when he realized that they called someone else in. "Yes Oz. It's exciting. Just..don't get your hopes up because you won't be able to see it very well. It hasn't even began to grow limbs," Willow said, scratching his knuckles in an attempt to calm him down. He nodded his head, greatfully, then sighed in relief when the door opened and they called for Willow.
"Okay, Miss. Rosenburg, why don't you lie down on the bed and make yourself comfortable," Doctor Sanchez, suggested. Willow obliged, then jumped when she felt the doctor dab some cool gooey liquid on her stomach. Oz held her hand, the furrowed his brow worried.
"Is that going to hurt her?" Oz asked, looking at the thing the man was going to put on her stomach. Willow giggled then shook her head no.
"It doesn't hurt, it tickles," Willow replied, grabbing him by the collar and kissing his cheek. Oz nodded his head in relief, then wiped the hair away from her forehead. He locked eyes with her, the love shining through them like a beacon. The doctor started talking and Oz averted his attention to the TV monitor. He heard a light heartbeat, then practically melted like butter when he saw the white dot in the middle of the screen. Willow was right. It wasn't even a centimeter long. The doctor placed the scanner thing on Oz's hand so he would let him know how it felt on Willow, then glided it back over her stomach. Oz placed his hand over her stomach, then smiled when he felt a small vibration eminate from the machinery. Willow's smile widened when she saw the dot in the middle of the screen. It truelly was spectacular, even if it was only a centimeter long.
"I love you," Oz whispered in her ear, then kissed forehead. Willow kissed his lips lightly, then held his hand.
"I love you too," Willow replied dreamily. The doctor smiled, then shook his head, reminding himself to mind his own buisness.
"So far, so good. Your baby is progressing normally. This is your second child?" Doctor Sanchez asked, reviewing the maternity sheet. Willow nodded her head yes, then relaxed and closed her eyes.
"He's five right now," Oz said proudly.
"I understand that you had a c-section when he was born. Was there any internal bleeding?" The doctor asked concerned.
"No, they did a c-section and put him on a breathing monitor because he wasn't responding well to the contractions. My contractions were coming too fast and Kevin didn't feel like he was ready to come out, so his heart rate slowed down. The doctors decided to take him out before anything else went wrong. Why, is that a problem?"
"Only if you were hemeraging," Doctor Sanchez replied. Willow nodded her head in satisfaction, then lowered her shirt when the doctor whiped off and cleaned her stomach.
"You weren't hemeraging, were you?" Oz asked worriedly.
"No. Everything went fine," Willow replied, kissing his cheek after she stood up.
"Thankyou," Oz said, outstretching his hand.
"It's a pleasure," Sanchez said, smiling warmly and shaking Oz's hand. "If you have any problems, give me a call. I'm on duty at all times."
"Will do," Oz said, holding Willow with one arm around the waiste, then walking her out of the maternity ward and out to the car. He opened her door for her, then drove her to the studio.
***********************
"Hey Willow, how did it go?" Jesse asked, hugging her when she made her way through the door. He opened up the office door for her and Oz, then pulled out a chair and and gestured for her to take a seat.
"I'm good. Baby's good. Oz is having a heart attack," Willow replied, giggling. Jesse smiled, then nodded his head.
"I believe it. You should have seen him when he accidently broke a guitar string. White as a ghost," Jesse said, holding out a seat for Oz, then sitting in his own chair next to the vending machine. "Thirsty?"
"I'll have nestea," Willow said holding up a finger. Jesse put a few coins in the machine and a bottle of Nestea popped out. He put in some more coins and a bottle of gatorade came out and he handed it to Oz.
"I didn't have a heart attack," Oz defended himself, rolling his eyes. Willow smirked, then took a sip of the tea, and rubbed his knuckles.
"It's okay Oz. We'll stop picking on you when we have something else to talk about," Willow said smiling. Oz shrugged, then turned his head when he heard someone knocking on the glass wall behind him. "Whose that?" Willow asked curiously. Oz stood up and opened the door.
"Willow, this is Marcus. He's our drummer," Oz said introducing the two.
"Is this your wife?" Marcus asked in a British accent. Willow blushed, then looked at Oz.
"She will be," Oz said smiling at her. Willow blushed an even deeper shade of pink, then looked down in her lap. Oz rubbed her shoulders lightly, then gestured for Marcus to sit down. The guy looked so much like Spike. His hair was dyed an odd purple color with dark blue and maroon highlights. "He looks a lot like Spike, doesn't he?" Oz asked knowingly. Willow's mouth turned up into a smile, then she nodded her head.
"Spike just has blonde hair. And he has a scar on his brow. The resemblence is quite remarkable," Willow noted, patting Oz's hand.
"What brings you here Marcus?" Jesse asked, getting down to buisness. He really didn't like Marcus very much. He tended to go after married women and at the moment he was looking pointedly at Willow.
"Oh, uh..Jason said that we needed to go ahead and start recording the last two songs on the CD. Your welcome to come and watch if you'd like," Marcus suggested to Willow.
"That's actually why I brought her here," Oz replied in a loving voice.
"They are going to have a baby together," Jesse said pointedly. Marcus smirked slightly at Jesse's blatant attempt to keep his interest else where.
"She's got to get pregnant first," Marcus replied. Oz snorted, then smiled.
"We're two months along. Isn't it a darling?" Oz asked, pulling out a picture of the tiny dot. Marcus frowned for a second, then smiled and feigned interest.
"It's a dot."
"It's our dot, right baby?" Oz asked, leaning over Willow's sitting figure, then kissing her gently on the lips. Willow tilted her head and played with his mustache, then pulled away and stood up, wrapping her arms around his neck in a loving hug.
"Alright, break it up you two," Jason said, walking in the room. "Hey Willow. I have to borrow your man for a couple of hours if you don't mind," Jason said, grabbing Oz by the elbow and ushering him into the recording studio. Jesse stood up and escorted Willow to the studio, pulling out a seat for her and a set of ear phones.
"You can use these to hear the music," Jesse said, handing them to her. He handed her the Nestea, then pulled up a chair and sat about a foot away with her. He set the earphones on his ears then adjusted the volume. "The volume is on the right ear. Your's is set on two so you might want to put it on four so it will sound better," Jesse directed. Willow complied, then smiled when she heard Oz strike his first chord.
*****Back at the cabin. About Seven at night****
"It's been a long time since I've heard you play," Willow whispered into his ear. She was on his back, her arms wrapped around his neck and her legs were wrapped around his waiste. He was doing his best attempt to give her a piggy back ride. He wasn't doing to well and he was losing energy fast.
"Willow, baby you're hurting my back," Oz said in a strangled voice. Willow frowned and let go of him quickly.
"I'm sorry," Willow said rubbing his shoulders. Oz grabbed at one of her hands, then turned around and walked backwards up the steps, leading her to the living room. Kevin was at Tony's for the night again. Apparently the two were really hitting it off. They hadn't fought once in the five weeks they had met each other. It was a blessing indeed. Oz led her to the soft plush synthetic animal fur rug next to the fire place.
"Sit down. I'll be back in a second," Oz commanded in a gentle voice. He ran for the refrigerator, then pulled out a tray of fresh cut pineapple, strawberrys, and pears. Those were the fruits that Willow was aloud to eat according to the doctor so he had them specially arranged for her. He grabbed the whipped cream, then pulled out a long bottle of white grapefruit juice. The doctor said that as long as it was in juice form, it was harmless. He walked back to the rug, then set it next to her. Willow smiled, then licked her lips hungrily. Her mouth watered at the very site of the fruit sitting there with juices seeping out. Oz picked up a slice of cut pear, then brought it to her lips, allowing her to nibble at his fingers while she munched on the fruit ever so slowly. Oz fed her another pear, three slices of pineapple and six strawberrys, meanwhile digging into the rest of the pears and pineapples. She sipped the grapefruit juice slowly, taking care to not cough on the bitter taste. She wiped her mouth, then burped quietly when she was through.
"Thankyou," Willow said, lieing on her side, her head propped up by her elbow.
"You deserve it," Oz said, leaning down and kissing her. Willow licked his lips, tasting the juices lingering on his tinted skin, then bit his lip lightly, eliciting a low moan to rip from his throat.
"I can't wait til we go camping," Willow said, sighing when Oz pulled away to play with her throat. She could never understand what it was about her throat that attracted him so much, but she often ignored it in an attempt to enjoy the moment.
"Five weeks," Oz said, entwining his fingers with hers, then bringing them above her head.
"Don't count down. It makes the days go by slower."
*******Part 11. 9 weeks Later******
"I can not believe I let him convince me to go on that camping trip with you guys," Cordelia said, rubbing calomine lotion over her legs and arms. "It was a total nightmare. Xander, honey, go upstairs and get me some more calomine lotion," Cordelia said politely. Xander nodded, and jogged up the stairs, leaving Cordelia and Willow to themselves. The entire time they were camping, all Cordelia could do was gripe about how bad the mesquitos were this year.
"He's whipped," Willow said grinning.
"I wouldn't have it any other way. Crackers?" Cordelia offered. Willow grabbed a few from a wooden bowl, then munched on them quietly while she and Cordelia waited for Xander to come back down stairs.
"Thankyou," Willow said greatfully. Her stomach was constantly making her sick the entire time they were camping. Stress really did do numbers on a person when they were pregnant.
"You're doing pretty good today. Haven't seen you vomit once," Cordelia said, turning on the Tv with her remote control. Xander came back down the stairs with a huge bottle of the calomine lotion, then walked into a room adjacent to the living room. He picked up Katlin who was whining quietly, then brought her into the living room and sat next to Cordelia on the couch.
"So how long you going to hang with us today, Wills? I was thinking that maybe we could all go see a movie if you're interested in waisting time until Oz gets here," Xander suggested. Willow shrugged then nodded her head.
"Just let me eat something to settle my stomach. Then we'll go," Willow said, her face paling slightly. She was getting better at controling her gag reflex, but none the less, there were times when it was wise that she didn't try.
"You want some juice?" Xander offered.
"Uh...sure...you know..milk is probably better," Willow said, letting out a deep breath when her stomach stopped churning momentarily. She stood up, bracing her hand on the arm of the couch, then proceeded to walk to the kitchen slowly. Xander stood up and stopped his friend.
"Willow, go sit back down. I'll go get it. Besides you don't need to be walking when you feel this sick," Xander said, supporting her back while he escorted her back to the couch. Willow nodded.
"Thankyou," Willow said quietly. She held her hand out to Katlin, then pulled the tiny toddler into her lap. "She's such a sweety," Willow said, smiling at Katlin who was taking her pacifier and dropping it on the floor continuously.
"I never understood why baby's do that. It's frustrating all the time. When we're trying to get her to eat, she'll grab the little spoon, then lean over the eating chair and watch it fall to the ground," Cordelia said, leaning down and picking up Katlin's pacifier. Willow gave her an odd look.
"She's just learning. I remember when I took psychology at the university in NewYork, Professor Martin said that when they drop something from their high chair and watch it fall..they're learning. I'm not exactly familiar with how that's classified as learning, but...none the less, the professor is more experienced in the field then I am," Willow reasoned. Cordelia nodded.
"I took psychology for a while. Decided it just wasn't my thing. That was Xander's kind of work. So I got into cosmotoligy. Speaking of which, I want you to see this new hair style I've been working with. Wait here," Cordelia said, jogging up the stairs and opening a door that produced the profile of a clay head. She grabbed the wig she had been working on, then the clay head and walked back down the stairs to see Willow drinking the milk that Xander had recently handed her. "See.." Cordelia said, gesturing towards the wig on the head now. It was a natural shade of dark brown and red put together. There were six tiny strips at the top of the wig, three on each side of the part. They were twisted, then weaved through out the hair like one of those paper machet lamps. Then all six strands met up with each other at the bottom of the waiste length hair. "You like?" Cordelia asked, showing Xander her work. "What I'm going to do with the six weaves is dye them a strawberry blonde color. Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock, Michelle Pheiffer, and Alicia SilverStone think it's to die for. I'm going to be their hair dresser for that new movie they're in. It's about the four sisters who congregate together and become the witches of some small country. It's supposed to be similar to "The Craft" only these are supposedly good witches," Cordelia explained. Willow nodded her head.
"I can ask Oz or Jesse about it. They're pretty high in the movie buisness. Maybe Oz can get you an audition in one of the movies. You want me to ask him?"
"Could you? That would be so sweet. I need something to do. Besides, I do want to get Katlin into the movie acting buisness. If I can make it big there is probably a really good chance that she'll make it too," Cordelia replied.
"What time is Oz picking you up?" Xander asked, butting into the conversation. He didn't want to think about Cordelia getting into the acting buisness. He saw what kind of life Oz led. He didn't want Cordelia nor his daughter getting involved.
"Uh..about three hours from now. He's only working a half day for the next two weeks because I'm going through something called a critical period during the pregnancy and he wants to make sure I get through it alright," Willow said, grinning happily. Xander shook his head and rolled his eyes.
"He's whipped," Xander said, standing up. "What do you say we go see The Darcy Brothers? It's supposed to be a comedy with Steve Martin, Robin Williams, and John Cusack," Xander explained.
"Oh, I've been wanting to see that. The one where one brother is kind of crazy, the other one is horny, and the other one is a stuck up snob and they all come together because their father dies and they're after his fortune. God, that's gonna be funny. It's the same person that directed "There is something about Mary," Willow said, her index finger shooting in the air in acknowledgement.
"Right," Xander said excitedly. "It starts in half an hour and we can catch it at the good theatre if we leave now," Xander said, holding Katlin and dragging Cordelia by the arm and out to the mini van. Cordelia hopped into the front seat, then unlocked the back door from the inside so Willow could step in.
********About three hours later. Five in the afternoon.********
"Oz!" Willow hollered from the open window of the van. He was walking up to the door just when they pulled into the drive way. He smiled and waved, then welcomed her with open arms when she bounded out of the van and into his warm embrace.
"I missed you. I tried to call from work, but no one answered the phone," Oz said, kissing her cheek and neck. Willow crooned and hugged him around the neck, holding his head to her shoulder. Oz smiled, then rubbed his nose against the cotton shirt covering her shoulder. He placed his hand over her belly, then rubbed it a bit and kissed her.
"I hate to interupt but uh...are you two going to stay for a while or are you gonna leave and enjoy the time alone without Kevin around?" Xander asked curiously.
"I'm gonna go ahead and drive her back home. She needs to rest," Oz said lovingly. Willow smiled at him, then nodded her head into his neck.
"Bye Xander. Thanks for the movie. Bye Cordelia. Bye Katlin," Willow said sweetly. Oz escorted her to the jeep he brought this time, then helped her up into the vehicle. He started the engine and drove her home in a peaceful silence.
He turned off the engine, then opened the passenger door for her, then cradled her sleeping body against his chest and carried her up the patio, in the cabin, then up the newly furnished spiral stair case and into their bed. He turned down the covers and set her down, then slipped under the covers and wrapped his arm around her waiste. Willow moaned something inaudible, then stirred slightly and snuggled closer to his chest. Oz sighed in content, then rested his hand on her stomach and carressed it avidly with his thumb. He winced when he felt the slight sting of a guitar string cut on his right thumb. For some reason one of the guitar strings broke while he was playing it, and it managed to cut into his thumb. It was going to leave a small scar.
"What happened to your thumb?" Willow asked quietly. She was awake. Sort of.
"Guitar string broke on it," Oz whispered. Willow winced at the thought.
"Makes my fingers hurt just thinking of it," Willow mumbled.
"Well don't think about it. Just sleep," Oz said, caressing her face and neck with his good hand.
"Mmkay," she mumbled again.
"Do you want to go to the mall tomarrow?" Oz asked, whispering in her ear.
"Sure. Kevin is with Samantha for a whole week. We can do what ever we want and not have to worry about him walking in on us," Willow said quietly. She opened her eyes and looked at him, then kissed him and ran her hand up and down his muscled arms. Oz wrapped his arms around her body and kissed her back.
"My body guard is coming so we'll be safe when we go up there. Reporters won't tackle you."
**********Part 12.***********
"I don't see a parking space," Willow noted.
"I've never seen the place this busy before," Oz commented. He peered out, driving the jeep at a steady five miles an hour, then sat down and pressed on the pedal when he saw a tiny parking space three rows ahead.
"Oz, sweety, you think you could slow down a bit?" Willow asked in a panic. Her fingers clung to the black leather seating beneath her, while Oz high tailed it to 40 miles an hour to a pathetic parking space that left no more then three inches of space between her door and the car next to her.
"Sure thing," Oz said, coasting into the tiny spot.
"How much space do you have over there?" Willow asked curiously.
"A couple of inches or so. That's okay though. I can get out from the back. You?"
"A couple of inches or so," Willow replied. Oz grimaced, then unbuckled Willow's seatbelt and helped her stand up on top of the seat. They stood up and walked to the back of the jeep. Willow stood there while Oz jumped a good 3 feet down, then held out her hands to him so he could help her down. Sure, three feet didn't sound like a far jump, however Willow was pregnant and all pregnant women required special care.
"You okay?" Oz asked, his hands steadying her at the waiste. Willow nodded her head, then kissed his cheek and grabbed his hand, walking the good 100 feet from the jeep to the mall entrance. The automatic doors opened, and a loud robotic voice announced "you have entered sector 1 of Redford mall." Willow eyed it with a skeptical eye, then shrugged and surveyed her surroundings. None of the clothing stores looked very enticing. She sighed and looked towards Oz, who was gazing at her quietly.
"What do you want to do?" Willow asked quietly.
"I thought we'd walk around a bit. You could try on some clothes. I could buy them for you. We could get some lunch, check out a movie or two, then maybe grab some ice cream and shop around a bit more. Sound good to you?" Oz asked lovingly. Willow smiled sweetly at him, then stood on her toes and gave him a quick loving kiss. Oz's eyes glassed over, a somewhat dreamy expression played at his lips.
"Lunch?" Willow inquired. The only thing that truelly stood out to her was one word..lunch.
"Yeah, lunch. It's already two in the afternoon. I'm surprised you didn't chew the rubber of the tires. With your appetite and all," Oz said shrugging.
"Khakis?" Willow suggested. Oz nodded his head, then wrapped his right arm around her waiste and walked along side her until they reached the resteraunt with a very short waiting line. He kissed her temple once, then marveled at her choice of clothes for the day. He loved it when she would dress up in her blue jean overalls and wear one of her white cotton shirts underneathe it. She looked so innocent when she wore them. She looked 10 years younger when she wore them. Which was why he loved them.
"Two?" The waitress asked politely. Oz nodded his head. "Smoking or non-smoking?"
"Non-smoking please," Oz said politely.
"Right. If you will just follow me," The waitress said, beckoning the two to follow her around the long extensive corridor. She seated them at a booth, placing one menu on each side. "My name is Regina if you need anything. Can I get you something to drink?" Regina offered.
"Yes, I'll have tea," Willow stated. Oz gave her a look, then ordered a coke. Regina high tailed it back to the kitchen, leaving the couple in an akward silence. Willow sighed. "What?"
"The doctor said you couldn't have any caffeine Willow," Oz warned her.
"No, the doctor said I couldn't have any caffeine with in the first three months of pregnancy. I'm four months pregnant Oz. Don't worry about it, it's just tea," Willow reasoned. Oz shook his head, then leaned back against the booth, and whiped his forehead. Sweat was trickeling down the smoothe pores on his forehead.
"Is it hot in here?" Oz suddenly asked, looking pointedly at Willow. Willow bit her lip and nodded her head.
"Scorching," Willow admitted. She took the menu she was reading, and waved it in front of her, trying to create some form of wind. The waitress walked by and set two glasses on the table.
"Are you two burning up?" Regina asked, concerned. "We have a ventilation system next to each and every one of our booths. Yours is right....here," Regina said, flipping a switch. Suddenly a blast of cool air blew out of no where, slightly mussing Willow's hair. Willow smiled greatfully.
"Thankyou."
"Oh you're welcome. We just had them installed about six months ago. I take it you two aren't from around here?"
"We just got back from New York," Oz replied for the two.
"Ah, yes indeed. I see why the LA conditions could be so rough on the two of you. Have you seen anything you like? We've got Fettucinni alfredo and...."
"I'll just have one of your half pound burgers, mustard, cheese, and lettuce only. Well done," Willow pointed out. The waitress nodded her head and wrote it down, then looked at Oz. Oz beamed off a sheepish smile, then shook his head slightly.
"I'll have the same," Oz said, grabbing Willow's menu and handing it to the waitress.
"Alrighty. Your food will be ready in a moment," Regina declared. She trotted back to the kitchen with their order in hand, then bounced excitedly once the kitchen door was closed.
"Calm down child. What bug be biting you?" An old woman in a rocking chair asked, holding her cain out to steady herself while she stood up.
"Oh my god Aunty Abigail, you will not believe who just walked into our resteraunt," Regina said excitedly. She was holding the piece of paper with shaky hands.
"Someone walked into our resteraunt? Isn't that supposed to be a good thing?" Ringo asked from behind the cooking counter.
"Oz Larkin. The Oz Larkin. Don't tell me you don't know who Oz Larkin is. Rock star?" Regina said warningly. Ringo held his hands up in the air and shook his head.
"I'm sorry darlin, but I've been in South America for the past 12 years. The last rock singer I remember was Carlos Santana. Oh boy he was a good one," Ringo stated. He punched his fist into the air, did a 360 turn around, then grabbed the paper with Oz's order and proceeded to make two hamburgers, well done.
"Oz Larkin is only the hottest, richest, funniest rock star that ever lived. Oh, he's so dreamy. I don't know what he would be doing with that scrawny red head out there. Well, she is rather pretty and all, but I mean...she's probably just after his money, right? I give em two weeks," Regina stated, waving her tiny hand out in front of her. She admired her finger nails from afar, then jumped when she heard the bell ring. "Do you think he likes me?" Regina asked hopefully. Ringo rolled his eyes.
"I don't give a damn if he be in love with you. You're 16 years old Regina doll. Baby, the man is at least 10 years older then you. It's against the law in LA. You wouldn't want to get the nice man in trouble now would you? You wouldn't want to get grounded now would you?" Aunty Abigail reasoned, her last question ringing with venom.
"Now come Aunty Abigail, you can't be serious? Don't you want me to be happy?"
"Yes, she does want you to be happy, she just wants you to be happy with someone your own age. Now go out there, deliver their food, and move on to the next table. I don't need you causing anymore trouble Regina. Keep your mouth shut, and your ears open. If they ask you to get them something, you better damn well come in here and get it. Don't just stand their and gawk at him until the man feels uncomfortable," Ringo stated. Regina glared at him.
"Whatever," Regina tossed over her shoulder. She grabbed the two plates, then bumped her hip up against the kitchen door and walked stead fast over to the two who were talking avidly about some odd computer firm. She placed their orders about an inch away from them, then stomped away, clearly unsatisfied when all Oz did was smile and say thankyou.
"What's her deal?" Willow asked curiously.
"I don't know," Oz admitted. He looked at their adjoined hands on the table, then smiled. "You were saying?" Oz asked, stroking the silky skin covering her bones. Willow squeezed his hand, and laughed, clearly intrigued that Oz was being so loving in public. They had done this before, but today it seemed as if he had a motive. A surprise at that, which he wasn't willing to tell her just yet.
"Oh..uh...I forgot," Willow admitted softly.
"You were saying something about how the computer software backfired, but you couldn't figure out why, but then you noticed that the cables were missing an STC in the computer write up and you're hoping that that was the problem," Oz stated. Willow looked at him in shock. He remembered their conversation, word for word. Oz blushed at her scrutinizing gaze. Then grabbed a french frie and munched on it. "What?" Oz asked smiling. Willow was smiling and shaking her head at the same time.
"You remembered all of that?" Willow asked amazed. Oz sighed, and shuffled his feet against hers.
"I remember everything you say," Oz admitted. Willow blushed, then looked down at their joined hands and smiled again.
"Good," Willow said in a smug tone. She looked down at her barely touched plate, then grabbed for the silver ware and cut the burger in half. Oz released her hand, and proceeded to do the same.
"I like this," Oz declared, pointing down at the sauteed onions oozing out the sides of the burger. They had put all of the vegitables on the side, just incase their guest had changed their mind. Willow nodded her head after closing her eyes.
"Me too."
******Three hours later*******
"Please??" Willow begged.
"Willow, we barely watched the first movie, so whats the point of going to see another movie when we're probably going to do the same thing again?" Oz asked her.
"I promise I won't bother you while the movie is going. I promise. Please??? I promise," Willow stated innocently. A mischevious smile played at her lips. Oz took one look at her, and shook his head.
"I don't think so," Oz said, grabbing her hand and leading her towards the escalator.
"Why not? You make it sound as if it's a bad thing," Willow stated.
"I just...have other interest right now. Lets go shopping for a little while. You can try on some pretty dresses or something," Oz suggested. Willow pouted. Oz led her down a long flat corridor, passing several stores on the way, then stopped in front of a large jewelry store. "You see anything that could be remotely interesting?" Oz asked curiously. Willow surveyed her surroundings, then shook her head no.
"I'm sorry. It's just...nothing looks appealing to me," Willow admitted. She shrugged, then burried her nose into his shoulder. Oz's hand rubbed up and down her back, then ceased when Willow started bouncing. He turned to look in the direction she was gazing at, then chuckled.
"What kind do you want?" Oz asked, placing his hand at the small of her back, guiding her towards the Dippin' Dots' stand. Dippin' Dots' was what everybody considered as the ice cream of the future. Where ice cream was in tiny dots.
"Mint-chocolate," Willow replied. Oz nodded his head.
"Two large Mint-chocolates'" Oz said.
"That will be 7.50 sir," The lady behind the stand said. She handed him two large plastic cups of mint chocolate ice cream dots, and Oz handed them to Willow while he fished through his wallet for a 10 dollar bill. He handed it to the lady, and he escorted Willow to the nearest coffee table. Willow ate the ice cream quietly, then smiled when the cool milk made its way down her throat.
"Lets walk," Willow said, standing up. Oz held her hand while they made their way through the mall, taking care to pass by several of the jewelry stores, several times. Willow looked at him. It seemed as if he were trying to hint at something. They stopped in front of a tiny Jewelry store and sat on the bench. Oz had just about given up all hope. His plan was going askew.
"How about that movie?" Oz asked. Willow smiled, then nodded her head. "Okay. You stay here, and I'll go get the tickets," Oz said, squeezing her hand once, then kissing her forehead.
"Alright," Willow agreed. Oz left quickly and jogged down to the ticket booth. Willow stood up, feeling a bit uncomfortable that several people were passing by her, and she no longer had her companion to comfort her. She averted her attention away from the seat, then decided to occupy herself with the beautiful hand set jewelry in the display case. Her eyes wandered over to a tiny gold ring with a dark green emerald heart in the middle of it, with three tiny diamonds resting on each side of it. She tilted her head to look at it from another angle, then smiled when she saw the sunset glittering off of it.
"Hello mam, couldn't help but notice that you were gazing at one of our rings. Care to try it on?" An Irish man asked, fingering the calculator in his pocket. Willow's mouth opened.
"Oh no, I couldn't possibly. I was just looking," Willow admitted. She started to walk away.
"Oh no, I insist. Come on, what harm could it do? Every lady should have the right to try on a peice of jewelry now and then," The Irish man asked. He was clearly in his late 20's, and Willow felt her resolve wearing thin. She gazed at the ring again, then shrugged.
"I don't have any money, so don't expect me to buy anything," Willow stated.
"Not a problem here," The Irish man stated. He pulled his hand out of his pocket grudgingly, then pulled out the porcelain hand that he assumed she was staring at. "Which one?" Willow's lower mouth quivered a bit.
"The emerald," Willow pointed out. The irish man, smiled.
"Of course. This is one of our best collections." He grabbed Willow's hand, then placed the ring diligently on her ring finger. "The green heart stands for love and vitality. The six diamonds show the sign of balance and maturity, and the tiny little 8's engraved on their sides, represent infinity. Or eternity. It dates back to the early 50's. Marilynd Monroe wore one exactly like it. No it's not the original but it's awfully lovely," The man admitted.
"It's overwhelming," Willow stated. She looked at it lovingly.
"Do you see something you like?" Oz whispered in her ear. His arms wrapped around her waiste, and he rested his chin on her shoulder. Willow smiled.
"I insisted that she'd try one on. It's remarkeable, isn't it?" The Irish man asked. Oz nodded his head. Willow rested her back against his chest. Willow looked down to check her watch.
"Oz what time does that movie start?" Willow asked, doing her best to break out of her haze.
"Six," Oz answered. Willow's eyes flew open. They had seven minutes to get there. She shook out of his embrace, and pulled the ring off of her finger.
"Thankyou, but we've got seven minutes to make it to the movie," Willow said yanking at Oz's hand. Right before he budged however, he whispered to the Irish man.
"Put it on hold."