Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2007 6:58:49 GMT 10
Title: A New Beginning
Characters: Willow and Oz were both created by Joss Whedon. They do not belong to me.
Setting: A few years after BtVS season 7 in Brazil.
Word Count: approx. 1,948 (3 ½ pages)
Rating: PG
Beta(s): Ameer and Batmite79
Author’s Notes: I really, really, really liked the Willow/Oz ship that we saw on screen – and his brief reappearance in season 4 – and they’re two of my favorite characters, so I jumped at the chance to write them. I set it in Brazil not to add Kennedy as a main focus of the piece, but because I thought Willow would like it there and be able to learn a lot. It has so much culture and quite a bit to experience that I really think she could thrive there. As for Kennedy – I wasn’t fond of their onscreen relationship, but I can’t say (as much as I’d like to) that Willow would automatically take Oz back or dump Kennedy, so I wanted it to be a Willow/Oz piece that left that aspect as open-ended as I could make it.
Portugese translations are as follows:
Posso ajudá-lo: May I help you?
Não falo Português: I don’t speak Portugese.
Desculpe: Excuse me.
The young man entered the cleanest hotel he had been able to find in Sao Paulo. He had traveled around the world doing odd jobs, learning as much as he could, and staying in monasteries, grass huts, barns, spare bedrooms, and sometimes sleeping on the bare ground, but at that moment he was looking forward to a full night’s sleep and the fresh smell of clean linens.
“Posso ajudá-lo?” the concierge asked as the man approached the desk.
“Não falo Português,” the young man said, glad that he’d picked up a few basic phrases in several languages. It had certainly made his travels easier.
“How may I help you?”
“I’d like a room, please.”
“How long will you be staying in lovely Sao Paulo?”
“I’m really not sure. A few days.”
“Your name?”
"Oz.” The man behind the desk raised an eyebrow in response, but said nothing. After filling out the paperwork, he handed Oz the key to an available room on the second floor.
He walked up the small flight of stairs to the next floor and was amused to find his room at the other end of the hall, next to the other flight of stairs. Figures, Oz thought, a smile creeping onto his face.
The room wasn’t large, but it was more than spacious enough for one person. Oz didn’t need much, as he only had two duffle bags with him, filled mostly with clothes and small presents from the people he had met and helped during his travels. He set the bags on the dresser and opened the window, taking in a big breath of the city air. He had spent so long in small villages and secluded communities that he found the smell of the city intoxicating. There was something else, though. Another familiar scent that he hadn’t smelled in years had been wafting on the breeze since he came to the city. He took one last long breath, letting the scent relax him in ways he hadn’t experienced since he’d left home. He hadn’t come here to find her. In fact, as far as he had known she was still back in Sunnydale, fighting alongside the Slayer. He wasn’t surprised, though, to find she was here. They had both known they’d cross paths again someday. This isn’t Istanbul, though, he thought, his smile growing and his heart warming.
Alone in a city of almost 18 million people, he knew he wasn’t here by chance. We’ll find each other, he told himself, tiredness sinking into his bones. We always do. Always was a bit of a stretch, though. Just her scent brought back memories that were five years old. He remembered the first time he saw her. She had been wrapped tightly in a snow-white parka, dressed as an Eskimo for their high school’s multicultural dance. He quickly found that she was very smart and funny. They had an instant connection, the start of something special. And then, well, then he left. He had seen her only once since then. His body wanted nothing more than to sink into the clean sheets and succumb to the exhaustion that had been plaguing him for days, but he couldn’t stop his mind from barreling ahead. He wondered what she was doing now, what had brought her to Brazil. He couldn’t wait to see her again, to learn what she had been doing since his last visit to Sunnydale. I’ll find her. I’m sure of it. With this, he finally let his mind and body succumb to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He woke late the next morning feeling more refreshed and alive than ever. He smiled at the concierge as he left the hotel and received a dignified nod in return. Making his way through the crowded streets, he found a way to the local market. He was inspecting some guava that he was hoping to eat for breakfast when a young lady brushed his arm. His senses, especially his enhanced sense of smell, intensified, but he gave them no thought as he had felt Willow’s presence since first setting foot in the city.
“Desculpe,” she said, apologizing for bumping into him.
“No problem,” Oz answered automatically before his mind could respond to the sound of the lady’s voice. The lady, however, recognized his voice immediately.
“Oz?!?” She turned around slowly, partly in disbelief and partly to spare herself the possibility she might be wrong. But she could never be wrong. Not when it came to him.
“Hey, Will,” he replied, his mouth forming that smile that only came when he was around her. “Long time.”
“Yeah,” she said. Her brain was screaming at her to say something else – anything else. After all, there was so much to say, but she found herself unable to move or say anything else. His appearance was surprising, but certainly welcomed.
“So…Brazil.”
“Yeah, well, Sunnydale’s pretty much a big hole now.”
“Really? When did that happen?”
“A few years ago. There was a big fight. We changed the course of history. Every potential slayer became a Slayer. Spike saved the world. Sunnydale closed in on itself. That’s about it.”
“Spike, huh?”
“Yeah. He went and got his soul back, saved the world. Last I heard he’s working with Angel.”
Oz gave a small laugh as the two began to walk further into the city. “I can’t begin to imagine what that would be like.”
“Yeah,” Willow laughed, “I don’t think I’d want to deal with both souled vamps at the same time.”
“What brought you to Brazil?”
“Kennedy and I were looking for some of the new Slayers.”
“So that’s the smell,” Oz said, almost to himself, as they turned onto a side street.
“You smell it?” she asked, bewildered. “I thought, I mean, you’re still human-Oz, so…” she left her voice trail away, acutely aware of how foolish she must sound.
“You thought I’d wolf out?” he asked with a polite smile. “The wolf’s still there, just easier to control.”
“You’ve made a lot of progress,” she said, unaware she was beaming with pride.
They came to an old church tucked inside a small neighborhood and stopped to admire the architecture.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Willow asked, her eyes wide with amazement.
“Yeah, but it’s no Istanbul,” Oz answered with a playful grin.
“Well, my hair’s still red, so I think we have some time yet,” Willow laughed. “It’s so great to see you again, though,” she added, reaching over to give him a hug. The embrace sent a stream of energy up and down Oz’s spine, something he hadn’t felt in a long time. It was so good to hold her again, feel her warmth pressed against his body, her soft hair in her hands. He let himself slowly absorb the feeling.
“You have changed,” Willow said with a smile, giving his hand a slight squeeze as she pulled away. “You must have found what you were looking for.”
“Yeah, a couple meditation techniques, some soul searching, you’d be amazed at what it can do.” The look on her face suddenly changed. “Or maybe you wouldn’t,” he added, his voice soft and low, a look of concern and understanding on his face. “So, Kennedy. What’s she like?” he asked, hoping to steer the conversation in a more positive direction.
Willow stood up and continued down the narrow street. “She’s a Slayer,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “She’s back home visiting family for a while.”
“And you didn’t go with her.”
“Nah, I like it here too much. I don’t think I’m ready to go back.” Oz nodded in understanding. “And we’ve been having some issues lately, so I think it’s best we give each other some space.”
“You wanting to stay away from the slaying life for a while?”
“No, it’s not that. I know too much to ever go back,” she sighed. “But we’ve been together for a while and I think we just want different things.”
“She doesn’t see spending the rest of her life in Brazil?”
“I don’t think so. I can’t even say that I see myself staying here for that long, but I’m not ready to leave yet. She’s shown me a lot, and we’re certainly different people than we were when we first met, but I still think she has a lot to learn.”
Oz knew she wasn’t telling him something. He didn’t want to pry, but it seemed she wanted to get it off her chest. “Do you think she’s coming back?”
“I don’t know,” Willow shook her head sadly. “I wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t. I certainly haven’t been the perfect girlfriend.”
“Do you want her to come back?”
Willow stopped, hesitating, unsure whether to answer his question honestly or not. “She’s been a large part of my life for the past few years,” she answered, stepping around a circle of children playing jacks. “But after what I’ve done, I can’t say anyone should be with me.”
Oz looked at her longingly. If she only knew, he thought. “I’m sure it’s not that bad, Will. It’s just not in you.”
“You never heard, I guess. There’s no reason you would have. I went to a pretty dark place, Oz. And I mean dark. Everything you and Giles tried to warn me about when I started doing magic, everything I ignored, it was so much worse. I killed someone, Oz. I tore the skin off him while he was still alive.” Her entire body started shaking. Oz put his arms around her, supporting her, as she stood there losing the battle to control her tears. Even though it had happened over 5 years ago, before the big battle, before she met Kennedy, she knew she would never be able to forget what she had done. She would never let herself forget.
“Come here,” Oz said, leading her to a nearby bench. “Come sit down.” He sat, holding her, for a few more minutes, collecting his thoughts, letting her grieve.
“We all have something dark inside us, Will, everyone of us,” he said, gesturing at the crowd of people milling around them, most of them hurrying in and out of the local merchants’ shops. “Everyone has something in their past that they’d rather forget, something they’d love to take back. The answer isn’t to push everyone away and condemn yourself. What’s more important is who you become afterward. Do you let the darkness slowly eat at you, or do you overcome it? I know you, Will. Even after all this time I know that you could never let it devour you. Don’t ever forget what you did. Don’t ever go back there. But don’t torture yourself over it. It doesn’t mean you deserve anything less than anyone else.”
She sat in silence, thinking about what he had said, then slowly stood. They walked hand-in-hand in almost uninterrupted silence for the rest of the afternoon.
“There are people who want to be with you, Will, people who will never stop loving you. Never forget that.” He stopped and looked into her eyes, hoping she would understand what he was trying to say but couldn’t. He knew it wasn’t up to him. It was a decision she’d have to make when she was ready.
“I know,” she whispered, her eyes and voice full of emotion. “I know.”
They stood looking at each other, speaking with their eyes, until the silence became too much for them to bear. “This is my hotel,” he said, his heart breaking that their time together was ending. He gave her another hug, one last time to feel her body against his, before entering the building. As he turned to close the door, he saw her following after him.
Characters: Willow and Oz were both created by Joss Whedon. They do not belong to me.
Setting: A few years after BtVS season 7 in Brazil.
Word Count: approx. 1,948 (3 ½ pages)
Rating: PG
Beta(s): Ameer and Batmite79
Author’s Notes: I really, really, really liked the Willow/Oz ship that we saw on screen – and his brief reappearance in season 4 – and they’re two of my favorite characters, so I jumped at the chance to write them. I set it in Brazil not to add Kennedy as a main focus of the piece, but because I thought Willow would like it there and be able to learn a lot. It has so much culture and quite a bit to experience that I really think she could thrive there. As for Kennedy – I wasn’t fond of their onscreen relationship, but I can’t say (as much as I’d like to) that Willow would automatically take Oz back or dump Kennedy, so I wanted it to be a Willow/Oz piece that left that aspect as open-ended as I could make it.
Portugese translations are as follows:
Posso ajudá-lo: May I help you?
Não falo Português: I don’t speak Portugese.
Desculpe: Excuse me.
The young man entered the cleanest hotel he had been able to find in Sao Paulo. He had traveled around the world doing odd jobs, learning as much as he could, and staying in monasteries, grass huts, barns, spare bedrooms, and sometimes sleeping on the bare ground, but at that moment he was looking forward to a full night’s sleep and the fresh smell of clean linens.
“Posso ajudá-lo?” the concierge asked as the man approached the desk.
“Não falo Português,” the young man said, glad that he’d picked up a few basic phrases in several languages. It had certainly made his travels easier.
“How may I help you?”
“I’d like a room, please.”
“How long will you be staying in lovely Sao Paulo?”
“I’m really not sure. A few days.”
“Your name?”
"Oz.” The man behind the desk raised an eyebrow in response, but said nothing. After filling out the paperwork, he handed Oz the key to an available room on the second floor.
He walked up the small flight of stairs to the next floor and was amused to find his room at the other end of the hall, next to the other flight of stairs. Figures, Oz thought, a smile creeping onto his face.
The room wasn’t large, but it was more than spacious enough for one person. Oz didn’t need much, as he only had two duffle bags with him, filled mostly with clothes and small presents from the people he had met and helped during his travels. He set the bags on the dresser and opened the window, taking in a big breath of the city air. He had spent so long in small villages and secluded communities that he found the smell of the city intoxicating. There was something else, though. Another familiar scent that he hadn’t smelled in years had been wafting on the breeze since he came to the city. He took one last long breath, letting the scent relax him in ways he hadn’t experienced since he’d left home. He hadn’t come here to find her. In fact, as far as he had known she was still back in Sunnydale, fighting alongside the Slayer. He wasn’t surprised, though, to find she was here. They had both known they’d cross paths again someday. This isn’t Istanbul, though, he thought, his smile growing and his heart warming.
Alone in a city of almost 18 million people, he knew he wasn’t here by chance. We’ll find each other, he told himself, tiredness sinking into his bones. We always do. Always was a bit of a stretch, though. Just her scent brought back memories that were five years old. He remembered the first time he saw her. She had been wrapped tightly in a snow-white parka, dressed as an Eskimo for their high school’s multicultural dance. He quickly found that she was very smart and funny. They had an instant connection, the start of something special. And then, well, then he left. He had seen her only once since then. His body wanted nothing more than to sink into the clean sheets and succumb to the exhaustion that had been plaguing him for days, but he couldn’t stop his mind from barreling ahead. He wondered what she was doing now, what had brought her to Brazil. He couldn’t wait to see her again, to learn what she had been doing since his last visit to Sunnydale. I’ll find her. I’m sure of it. With this, he finally let his mind and body succumb to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He woke late the next morning feeling more refreshed and alive than ever. He smiled at the concierge as he left the hotel and received a dignified nod in return. Making his way through the crowded streets, he found a way to the local market. He was inspecting some guava that he was hoping to eat for breakfast when a young lady brushed his arm. His senses, especially his enhanced sense of smell, intensified, but he gave them no thought as he had felt Willow’s presence since first setting foot in the city.
“Desculpe,” she said, apologizing for bumping into him.
“No problem,” Oz answered automatically before his mind could respond to the sound of the lady’s voice. The lady, however, recognized his voice immediately.
“Oz?!?” She turned around slowly, partly in disbelief and partly to spare herself the possibility she might be wrong. But she could never be wrong. Not when it came to him.
“Hey, Will,” he replied, his mouth forming that smile that only came when he was around her. “Long time.”
“Yeah,” she said. Her brain was screaming at her to say something else – anything else. After all, there was so much to say, but she found herself unable to move or say anything else. His appearance was surprising, but certainly welcomed.
“So…Brazil.”
“Yeah, well, Sunnydale’s pretty much a big hole now.”
“Really? When did that happen?”
“A few years ago. There was a big fight. We changed the course of history. Every potential slayer became a Slayer. Spike saved the world. Sunnydale closed in on itself. That’s about it.”
“Spike, huh?”
“Yeah. He went and got his soul back, saved the world. Last I heard he’s working with Angel.”
Oz gave a small laugh as the two began to walk further into the city. “I can’t begin to imagine what that would be like.”
“Yeah,” Willow laughed, “I don’t think I’d want to deal with both souled vamps at the same time.”
“What brought you to Brazil?”
“Kennedy and I were looking for some of the new Slayers.”
“So that’s the smell,” Oz said, almost to himself, as they turned onto a side street.
“You smell it?” she asked, bewildered. “I thought, I mean, you’re still human-Oz, so…” she left her voice trail away, acutely aware of how foolish she must sound.
“You thought I’d wolf out?” he asked with a polite smile. “The wolf’s still there, just easier to control.”
“You’ve made a lot of progress,” she said, unaware she was beaming with pride.
They came to an old church tucked inside a small neighborhood and stopped to admire the architecture.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Willow asked, her eyes wide with amazement.
“Yeah, but it’s no Istanbul,” Oz answered with a playful grin.
“Well, my hair’s still red, so I think we have some time yet,” Willow laughed. “It’s so great to see you again, though,” she added, reaching over to give him a hug. The embrace sent a stream of energy up and down Oz’s spine, something he hadn’t felt in a long time. It was so good to hold her again, feel her warmth pressed against his body, her soft hair in her hands. He let himself slowly absorb the feeling.
“You have changed,” Willow said with a smile, giving his hand a slight squeeze as she pulled away. “You must have found what you were looking for.”
“Yeah, a couple meditation techniques, some soul searching, you’d be amazed at what it can do.” The look on her face suddenly changed. “Or maybe you wouldn’t,” he added, his voice soft and low, a look of concern and understanding on his face. “So, Kennedy. What’s she like?” he asked, hoping to steer the conversation in a more positive direction.
Willow stood up and continued down the narrow street. “She’s a Slayer,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “She’s back home visiting family for a while.”
“And you didn’t go with her.”
“Nah, I like it here too much. I don’t think I’m ready to go back.” Oz nodded in understanding. “And we’ve been having some issues lately, so I think it’s best we give each other some space.”
“You wanting to stay away from the slaying life for a while?”
“No, it’s not that. I know too much to ever go back,” she sighed. “But we’ve been together for a while and I think we just want different things.”
“She doesn’t see spending the rest of her life in Brazil?”
“I don’t think so. I can’t even say that I see myself staying here for that long, but I’m not ready to leave yet. She’s shown me a lot, and we’re certainly different people than we were when we first met, but I still think she has a lot to learn.”
Oz knew she wasn’t telling him something. He didn’t want to pry, but it seemed she wanted to get it off her chest. “Do you think she’s coming back?”
“I don’t know,” Willow shook her head sadly. “I wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t. I certainly haven’t been the perfect girlfriend.”
“Do you want her to come back?”
Willow stopped, hesitating, unsure whether to answer his question honestly or not. “She’s been a large part of my life for the past few years,” she answered, stepping around a circle of children playing jacks. “But after what I’ve done, I can’t say anyone should be with me.”
Oz looked at her longingly. If she only knew, he thought. “I’m sure it’s not that bad, Will. It’s just not in you.”
“You never heard, I guess. There’s no reason you would have. I went to a pretty dark place, Oz. And I mean dark. Everything you and Giles tried to warn me about when I started doing magic, everything I ignored, it was so much worse. I killed someone, Oz. I tore the skin off him while he was still alive.” Her entire body started shaking. Oz put his arms around her, supporting her, as she stood there losing the battle to control her tears. Even though it had happened over 5 years ago, before the big battle, before she met Kennedy, she knew she would never be able to forget what she had done. She would never let herself forget.
“Come here,” Oz said, leading her to a nearby bench. “Come sit down.” He sat, holding her, for a few more minutes, collecting his thoughts, letting her grieve.
“We all have something dark inside us, Will, everyone of us,” he said, gesturing at the crowd of people milling around them, most of them hurrying in and out of the local merchants’ shops. “Everyone has something in their past that they’d rather forget, something they’d love to take back. The answer isn’t to push everyone away and condemn yourself. What’s more important is who you become afterward. Do you let the darkness slowly eat at you, or do you overcome it? I know you, Will. Even after all this time I know that you could never let it devour you. Don’t ever forget what you did. Don’t ever go back there. But don’t torture yourself over it. It doesn’t mean you deserve anything less than anyone else.”
She sat in silence, thinking about what he had said, then slowly stood. They walked hand-in-hand in almost uninterrupted silence for the rest of the afternoon.
“There are people who want to be with you, Will, people who will never stop loving you. Never forget that.” He stopped and looked into her eyes, hoping she would understand what he was trying to say but couldn’t. He knew it wasn’t up to him. It was a decision she’d have to make when she was ready.
“I know,” she whispered, her eyes and voice full of emotion. “I know.”
They stood looking at each other, speaking with their eyes, until the silence became too much for them to bear. “This is my hotel,” he said, his heart breaking that their time together was ending. He gave her another hug, one last time to feel her body against his, before entering the building. As he turned to close the door, he saw her following after him.
