Title: Missing

Author name: Nicola

Email Address of Author: Nicolat@comcast.net

Warnings: post season seven ficlet.

Pairings: Willow/Oz

Summary: Short piece of fluff I had floating around in my head. Someone comes back to the Hellmouth, to find it no longer there.

Disclaimer: Jos owns all. I just borrowed Willow and Oz for a little while.

Distribution: Please ask me first.

Rating: PG13. If you watch the show, you can read this. There is some suggestion of sexual situations, but nothing worse than anything seen on the show







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He stared at the gaping hole in the ground. He hadn't believed it when he had heard it on the news.

Sunnydale was gone.

Wiped from the face of the Earth

The news had claimed an earthquake was responsible.

He was sure that the real reason had little to do with earthquakes, and more with "gangs on PCP."

His town, his home, was gone.

Yeah he had been gone for years, but Sunnyhell would always be home.

And what of its residents? Did they escape?

Were the scoobies' bodies at the bottom of this pit?

The news had said that the town had been deserted weeks before the actual quake, but he knew the Slayerettes. They would have fought to the last.

They had to survived, though.

All the things that they had gone through in the past, all the apocalypses they had stopped? There was no way a little earthquake, even so obviously mystical, could have killed them.

They were probably settled in at another Hellmouth, saving the world again and again with no thanks.

He regretted not coming sooner. He had been in China, studying with the head of a werewolf pack, when he had the news.

He had rushed back.

He had to.

No matter how far he went, he was always dragged back.

It was like part of him had always stayed in Sunnydale, and he needed that part.

"It's not Istanbul, and I don’t have blue hair, but I'm still waiting."

"Willow?"

She smiled. "Oz"

"You all survived?"

A cloud of sorrow passed over her face. "Most. We lost Anya. And Spike."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. There's nothing you could have done."

"I could have been here, helped-"

"Died?"

"Willow."

"I missed you."

"I missed you too."

"What was it you said? Our lives are not like other people's"

He smiled. "You remembered."

"You said that the night we.."

"Most kids only dream of blowing up their school."

"You said that too."

"You make it sound like I say a lot."

She smiled, laughing softly.

"I missed that. Us, just being."

"Me too. I wish I could have been here, but I needed to-"

"The whole wolf thing, I know."

"I've gotten better. I have some control while I'm in wolf form, and I remember afterwards."

"That's good."

They had been creeping closer and closer as they spoke. There were almost touching now.

"It's getting dark. My van is parked a little ways away. Do you want to... talk?"

"Yeah. I told Buffy I'd be back tomorrow."

They sat in the front of his truck for almost an hour, just sitting, each enjoying the other’s company.

Finally, Willow couldn't take it anymore.

She reached over and took his hand.

This was what he was waiting for.

He drew her into his arms, and gently led her into the back of the van. There was a mattress there. It was obvious that this was Oz's home.

He drew Willow to him, gently kissing her.

She responded, deepening the kiss.

He trailed kisses down her body, slowly undressing her.

Later, Oz lay there, his girl in his arms, her asleep, and him, perfectly content.

He wrapped his arms around her, listening to her soft, steady breathing.

He had found the part of him that was missing, and he would never let go of it again.



~fin