"Hey.""Hey."
"I'm surprised you, you know, agreed to talk to me. I-I thought you wouldn't."
"Why not?"
"Well, you know, it's been a long time. . ."
"I don't know, but that doesn't sound like the real reason, Wills."
~Sob~ "I screwed up, Oz. I ruined everything."
"Sure you're not exaggerating?"
"I mean it. I ruined everything. Tara left, Buffy hates me, Spike hates me and I use to be the only one he liked. I . . .think even Dawnie hates me."
"So what do you want me to do?"
"I. . .I don't know. I" ~sigh~ "I think I just wanted to talk to someone."
"You don't sound sure."
"I'm not. I'm not sure of anything anymore, not me, not my magic. Not anything."
"Go get a tissue, Wills. I'll wait."
"Oz?"
"Here, Willow."
"What's that playing in the background?"
"Oh, um" ~pause~ "the new Garbage album. Someone's playing it next door. Time to go back now, Wills. We haven't left start yet."
~Watery laughter~ "I just don't know what to do."
"I'm sorry, I can't help you."
"Actually you can!"
"Can I? *Hey, turn that down?* Sorry 'bout that. You were saying I can help. I'm not exactly near Sunnydale."
"That doesn't matter. See there's this spel--"
"Willow!"
"What?"
"Isn't that what got you here in the first place? Isn't that how you supposedly lost everything and why you're calling me now? So you're just using me."
"NO! Oz, no!"
"Yeah, Willow, you are. All of this is empty and so are you. I don't know how to fill you up again or what to do it with but you're like this . . .this black hole reaching out for something none of us have for you--"
"No. . ." ~moan~
"and maybe not even Sunnydale has for you. You need to talk to someone, Will--"
"I'm talking to you!"
"about this problem you have but doing another spell isn't the answer. I don't think I can pull you out of the quicksand if you won't help yourself. Nobody likes being used. They just feel empty. You can't fill your emptiness with more emptiness. Doesn't fill that way."
"Please, Oz, I just--"
" 'Bye, Willow. Whenever your ready . . .for something whole, to hold onto the rope, I'll be here. I can wait."
"But--"
" 'Night, Willow."
~Click~
"Oz? Oz? Please, Oz. *Please, please . . .*"
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