11Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.
A/N: An AU version of the wishverse! Willow/Oz pairing. Thanks a million to Silverspoon for the beta.
…
A Wish the Heart Makes
Willow's smile was so infectious, that Oz couldn't help but smile back at her. They were in the school library, text books open in front of them as they researched the latest history assignment. Beside him Xander had his head on the table, snoring quietly, which he had been doing for the last hour or so.
The window high above the stairs showed the sky as sunset came and went, and night fell.
A crash sounded out in the hallway. Willow and Oz jumped in fright, tore their eyes away from one another and looked towards the sound. Xander gave a grunt of surprise and jerked awake. He sat up and wiped drool from the corner of his mouth.
"What was that?" he asked.
Oz was listening intently, his werewolf hearing picking up the sound of footsteps. "Someone's coming."
"Who would be at school at a time like this?" Willow asked before pausing and giving a wiry grin, "apart from us of course."
The door to the library banged opened and two men stepped into the doorway, their faces hidden in shadow. A feeling of apprehension crawled up Oz's spine but Xander didn't seem to notice as he raised a hand in greeting.
The two men walked forward and at last they could see their faces; they weren't human at all. The two vampires snarled and attacked, one heading towards Xander and the other targeting Willow.
She screamed loudly as the vampire pulled her from her chair and bit savagely into her neck. Oz, sitting on the other side of the table, yelled angrily and threw himself at the bigger man, trying to pull him away from her.
The vampire growled furiously, grabbed Oz by his arm, and threw him across the room, sending the werewolf crashing headfirst into the wall and knocking him unconscious.
With a smile the vampire raised his wrist to his mouth, bit down and carefully placed the wound against Willow's open lips. Nearly dead and struggling to breathe, she swallowed the blood automatically.
Suddenly, a cross was shoved against his back and he snarled, turning to find the librarian glaring at him, a stake in his other hand. The vampire dropped Willow on the ground and faced the librarian. Giles raised the stake. The vampire, already full and sated, saw no reason to take on the other man and backed away with a low growl. He tapped his friend on the shoulder, who dropped Xander on the floor and together they ran out of the library.
Swearing profusely the librarian hurried to Oz's side, shaking him until he regained consciousness.
"Good lord, are you alright?" he asked, his voice coloured with a strong British accent.
Oz struggled to sit up. He glanced around before spotting Willow lying on the ground a few feet away.
"Willow," he whispered quietly as he struggled to sit up. The other man put an arm around his waist and helped him until he could sit down beside her and put his fingers to the side of her neck, feeling for a pulse and failing to find one.
The other man put his hand on Oz's shoulder.
"She is dead, I'm sorry."
"Who are you?" Oz asked warily.
"I'm Mr. Giles, the librarian."
"What were those things?" Oz asked quietly, struggling to keep his emotions in check.
"How much do you believe in the supernatural?" Giles asked.
"I'm a werewolf," Oz deadpanned, "I think I can manage."
Giles blinked in surprise. "They're vampires."
Looking down at Willow's pale face, Oz nodded slowly.
"How do you kill them?" he asked stonily.
Giles looked at Oz grimly, before he got up and walked into his office. "Let's deal with your friends, then I will tell you what to do."
x x x
They buried Willow and Xander a week later. It was a small, joint ceremony for the two life-long friends. Xander's family were there, drunk and unsteady on their feet. Ira and Sheila Rosenberg stood stoic and straight, clinging to each other desperately as they lowered their daughter's white coffin into the ground. The funeral finished and it started to rain, the congregation turned and started walking back to their cars. Giles and Oz took up the rear, walking solemnly, neither of them caring about the rain that soaked them to the skin.
"I want to help," Oz said quietly, "I want to help you kill them all."
Giles looked at the young werewolf beside him and nodded his head. "Yes, I believe you could. It's been years since I've had to fight them, years since I've seen one. But they seem to be drawn to this place. I've seen more in the last few months then I have my entire life." He paused and glanced at Oz, "Thank you. I think I could do with the help."
"I know a few people I think will help," Oz added, all business now.
Giles nodded, the more the better.
x x x
Weeks passed and, together with Nancy and Larry, their little group started nightly patrols in Oz's van. Armed with stakes, crosses and crossbows, they tried to keep the streets of Sunnydale safe. Within a short amount of time they even managed to earn themselves a reputation, and the name 'The White Hats.'
The vampires didn't necessarily fear them, but they were wary. Oz and Giles were excellent shots, and Larry and Nancy were getting better every night.
They were driving down the main street one night when they came across two vampires feeding from a young family. The father lay sprawled on the ground, his neck broken as the two vampires fed from the wife and the little boy. The van skidded to a stop. Oz opened the door and trained his crossbow at the red headed vampire with her back to him. He aimed and fired but she moved at the last second, some instinct saving her unlife. The bolt lodged in the middle of her back, missing her spine by millimetres. The vampire screamed, and twisted around to snarl at him angrily.
Oz's eyes widened in horror.
"Willow?" he whispered in disbelief.
The vampire's face shifted until he was looking at his former girlfriend's beautiful, human face. She smiled, but it wasn't the sweet loving smile he knew, it was sadistic and terrifying.
"Oz, baby. I missed you," she purred.
The vampire beside her dropped the little boy to the ground and lifted his head; it was Xander.
"Hey man, long time no see," he said as he licked the blood from his lips.
"No," Oz muttered to himself. "No, it can't be."
"It is," Willow said, ignoring the raised crossbow and taking a step forward, seeming unconcerned about the bolt in her shoulder blade. She smiled again and showed her fangs. "Don't be sad, this is the best thing that's happened to me."
Oz pulled the trigger. The crossbow bolt flew through the air between the two vampires and smashed into the wall behind them.
"Get out of here!" he shouted, "or the next bolt will be buried in your heart."
Willow and Xander growled at him but turned around and melted into the darkness.
"Good lord," Giles said from the seat beside him. "Was that…"
"Yeah," murmured Oz. "It was."
x x x
Not long after he found out that Willow and Xander were now vampires Oz ran into a very unusual fellow. He was tall with dark hair. He was a vampire but acted unlike any vampire he had met before.
"I have a soul." The vampire explained quietly as they stood at the end of an alley, sizing each other up. "When you become a vampire the demon takes your body, but it doesn't take your soul, that just goes. It's an easy way to live, no conscience, no remorse."
Oz stared at this man, who was a walking contradiction. He wasn't sure what to think. A vampire with a soul- it sounded like those lame jokes you'd find in a Christmas cracker. Neither funny, nor well thought out.
"So what happened? How did you get your soul back?" He asked quietly since it was obviously a touchy subject.
"I fed on the wrong girl. Dumb as a post, but a favourite among her clan."
"Her clan?"
"Gypsies. They found the perfect punishment for me. They restored my soul. You have no idea what it's like to have done the things I've done, and to care. I haven't fed from a living human being since that day," the vampire said regretfully.
"Tough break man," Oz said sympathetically.
Angel stared at him for a second before he gave a dry chuckle, turning his head away to look into the darkness.
"Yeah, I have a lifetime of bad luck, several actually." He muttered, just loud enough for the werewolf to hear.
"So what brings you here? Sunnydale isn't exactly a tourist attraction," Oz asked.
"I'm waiting for someone," Angel said slowly, "she should be here soon, we need to stop it."
"Stop what?" asked Oz.
"Him," the vampire said cryptically, which Oz was beginning to realise was his M.O.
Oz frowned in confusion, but nodded.
"Yeah ok," he said before he indicated he had to go.
Angel turned and disappeared into the darkness.
"Don't do anything rash," his voice sounded from the shadows before he walked away.
x x x
A month later an earthquake rocked the town and that night The Master, a feared 800 year old vampire, was freed from the church tomb he had been imprisoned in since the early 1930's. He took over the town within days. In the weeks that followed over half the population was dead or vampires. Only Oz, Giles and their small band of followers had any chance against them. They warned everyone they came up against but it wasn't easy warning people about myths and legends. By the time people realised they weren't crazy, they were dead or would soon be.
But Angel's words had left a thought in his head, a glimmer of hope in his heart that wouldn't go away. What if he could find a way to give Willow back her soul? Every night he lay awake, seeing her face, her smile and wanting to hold her in his arms. To kiss her and wrap his arms around her.
A soul would make that possible again.
x x x
Angel had disappeared, Oz couldn't find him. He wasn't sure if he should be worried or relieved, considering the things the vampire had said to him before. He asked around, and nobody else had seen him either. A few of the girls were particularly sad about that.
He asked Giles about the curse, but the former Watcher just gave him a strange look and shook his head, he didn't know what he was talking about. So Oz explained what Angel had told him, and the plan he had for Willow.
Giles eyes widened, and he looked interested.
"A curse to restore the human soul? Good lord, the possibilities are endless. I wonder why I haven't heard of this before?"
Oz shrugged his shoulders. "Seems like the people who did this are pretty secretive, he said they were gypsies, in Romania."
"Romania? Well that's a cliché and a half," Giles mused, causing Oz to snort in amusement.
"Do you think it will work?" he asked quietly. "I'm not a witch, I don't even know magic. If we find this curse, will I be able to do it?"
Giles scratched his chin thoughtfully. "A spell to restore a soul would be difficult, requiring strength and knowledge, and of course power. Power that comes with years of practice. However, the purpose of the spell is vengeance, a powerful motive in itself, with rules and guides of its own. Vengeance doesn't care who it ensnares." He looked at Oz intently, "I don't think you'll have anything to worry about."
"But I don't want vengeance," Oz said.
"Don't you?" asked Giles quietly.
x x x
He spent day's searching though the stacks in the library, searching for a curse that would restore a vampire's soul. When that proved fruitless, he sat down at the computer, searched through the occult internet chat rooms, and asked for help. He had almost given up hope when he got a reply from the other side of the world, in Romania. The poster told him her ancestors had been the ones to use the curse in its original form, and she was more than happy to give him a copy.
He saved and printed the spell, and then stood and stared at the words that danced across the page, hardly daring to breath. Finally, he would be able to save the woman he loved.
x x x
He made his way to the factory, getting caught by the Master's minions and locked in the cage with the other humans. He could smell the fear that clogged the air- the humans were rife with it. Bunched together, they looked terrified. He ignored them, and walked to the front so he could peer out at the vampires. He could see Willow and Xander up the front with the Master.
His eyes roamed the factory. The vampires looked eager, all of them waiting patiently, gazing up at the Master with wonder in their eyes. He glanced towards the other end, where a stack of crates and boxes hid the entrance to a hallway. In the shadows he could see a small blonde with a dangerous expression and… Angel.
The souled vampire's sudden appearance momentarily distracted Oz, and he stared at them as Angel stopped beside the blonde and leaned forward to listen to what she was telling him. The blonde held out a stake and Angel took it slowly, holding it carefully in his hand.
Together Angel and the girl crept through the crowd, and Oz saw the small crossbow she carried effortlessly in her hand. They were going to try to kill the Master, he suddenly realised.
When the cage door opened and the human's pushed their way out, he ran towards Willow. She spotted him the same time he saw her, and rushed towards him with a snarl on her face.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Angel get hit with a crossbow bolt and turn to dust. He felt a momentary sadness for the vampire he could have known.
Willow growled, showing her fangs as she grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pushed him away.
"You think you can kill us?" she said, her yellow eyes narrowing angrily. "We will always be here, you can't win."
Oz, keeping his own growl in check attacked, hitting her in the shoulder, causing her to stumble back. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small pistol that was armed with a tranquiliser dart. He only had one. One shot to get it right.
A few feet away, she stood up and stared at him, baring her teeth, "Go on, do your worst."
He grinned and rushed forward, taking her off guard. She twisted out of his way, but Oz had planned it that way. As she turned around he aimed at her back and fired quickly, hitting her just below the shoulder blade. She growled and swiped at him with her nails, drawing blood, before she slumped to the ground unconscious.
He looked down at the vampire at his feet. He looked around before bending down and hoisting her body onto his shoulders. With a last glance around the factory, he walked quickly out the door and into the night, the chaos inside providing the perfect distraction for his exit.
x x x
He took her to the library and locked her in the book cage before setting up the spell outside at the table. The irony was not lost on him; it was the same table where he had last looked into her eyes all those months ago.
A few minutes later, Giles ran inside, Larry right behind him, both of them puffing and out of breath. Willow began to stir from inside the cage.
"Quickly!" yelled Giles hurrying over to Oz and helping him to light the last of the candles. When they had finally set up the last of the spell ingredients, Larry and Giles stood on either side of him, facing each other. Oz picked up the paper with the curse on it and started to chant.
From inside the cage Willow started to growl and threaded her finders through the cage door. Rattling the door as hard as she could, yelling insults all the way. The three men ignored her, engrossed in the magic that swirled around the room. Giles and Larry started taking up the chant in English as Oz suddenly switched to Romani, the words flowing out of his mouth without any conscious thought. He didn't even know what he was saying. They could all feel the pressure in the room change as the spell started to grow in power.
Willow fell silent, letting go of the bars of the cage and backing up a step as the Orb of Thesulah glowed a brilliant gold before fading. She gasped and fell to her knees. Suddenly the worst pain she had ever experienced ripped through her body and she screamed shrilly, collapsing on her side as the pain finally faded.
Giles put his hand on the table and leaned forward, exhausted, as Larry steadied him. Oz rushed towards Willow and cautiously he opened the cage door and knelt down beside her. He put a stake down on the floor beside him before reaching out and touching her shoulder lightly.
"Willow?" he whispered.
She moaned and opened her eyes, looking up at him in confusion, "Oz?"
"Yeah," he said, relief washing over him.
Her face crumpled and pain washed over her features. She burst into tears and put her hands over her eyes, "Oh Oz, what have I done?"
Oz leaned forward and gathered her in his arms, holding her to his chest as she cried. "It's gonna be ok, you're back now. That's all that matters."
He kissed her forehead.
"It's gonna be ok," he repeated.
A/N: Well there it is, my version of an AU. My first attempt at writing a Willow/Oz story, I love both characters but have never really had any inspiration to focus on them before. I hope you liked it! Please leave a review and tell me what you thought, I love getting feedback.