Willow ran through the forest as quickly as she could. Her chest heaved and her heart thudded with such ferocity that she thought it would burst. She hoped it did. She flew into a clearing, moon light splashed onto her face and she collapsed into a heap on the ground sobbing. She couldn't take it anymore, she missed Oz and it was making her go insane.

She couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, couldn't even breath anymore without pain of missing him. It had been nearly three months and her heart was about to break so badly it would never be recovered. She felt the soft grass tickle her cheeks and wondered how she had gotten here. She'd been at Giles house researching something for Buffy when she'd overheard Buffy and Riley talking.

"Really? Graham wants to go out with her?"

"Yep. Saturday night, think you can get her to go?"

"Oh i think so. She's probably had enough time to get over Oz.. I don't see why it took her so long. I know she was hurt when he left, but I think it was the best for her. After what he did? He didn't have any right being near her."

"Yeah, I didn't know the guy all that well.. brill writer but after what he did and how Willow was acting because of him... I coulda broke his neck."

"Probably a good thing he did leave town then."

She'd run from Giles, run faster then she thought possible. They hadn't meant her to over hear them. Willow knew they were her friends and just over protective of her, but they didn't know. They didn't have any clue what it felt like to have their hearts ripped out and danced on by their best friends.

Willow had been there for Buffy through the whole Angel thing. She knew that Buffy wasn't as open about her feelings... about comforting people. Buffy was, well, a bit self centered when it came to feelings. She tried. Honestly, Buffy was her best friend but... god she didn't get it sometimes.

Willow slammed her fists into the earth pulling up the tender roots of the grass and throwing it as far as she could trying to get her frustrations out. Dirt started to accumulate under her finger nails and she felt a bolt of pain as she cut her hand on something sharp in the dirt.

Slowly she held up her bleeding hand, the cut was shallow but bleeding profusely. She dug with her other hand uncovering a knife, covered in blood. She held back the urge to vomit and dug the handle out of the earth slowly picking it up and holding it against the light. It was a hunters knife, it had been carelessly dropped. The blood on it was still slightly sticky, as if it had only been used a few hours ago.

Suddenly she heard breathing coming from the other side of the clearing and moved behind the shadow of a tree. Forgetting to drop the knife she held it closely to her and stopped her shallow gasps pushing herself against the rough bark hoping that the 'thing' didn't hear her. She had been so STUPID running off into the night!

A man moved out of the dense line of trees and moved to where Willow had been he bent down and examined the mess she'd made and stood up glancing around nervously. He turned on a flash light even though the moon had been full and was bright in the clearing he moved the light around as if looking for something. The man cursed and moved away from the area passing right by where she was sitting. She caught a glimpse of his bloody hands and looked up to see his face.

Cain.

The werewolf hunter who had almost killed Oz was back in town. He was looking for his knife.. Willow looked down at her clothes seeing her skirt had a stain where she had been kneeling in the dirt of red. There must have been so much blood to seep into the earth.

Something had been killed and dragged away from that spot. A werewolf most likely, she'd have to get back to Giles and the others and tell them about Cain they had to stop him from killing more.

She started to get up when something dawned on her, the knife. It had been covered with blood and she'd cut herself. Willow leaned against the tree her mind going blank.

Now she would get to see what Oz went through every full moon first hand. See, feel, smell, be.

~*~End 1~*~

*Oh god, oh god, oh god.* Willow thought over and over again, her mind wasn't functioning on a fully conscious level. She didn't even know she was moving until she was in her dorm room at Stevenson facing a very worried looking Slayer.

"Willow? What's wrong? What happened? Blood! Are you hurt? Willow?" Buffy was firing questions at her that Willow couldn't even comprehend yet. She tried to shake herself out of the stupor she was stuck in.

"Huh?" She mumbled and moved and sat down on her bed. Buffy followed her kneeling down in front of her, getting in her face. Willow wanted to push her on her ass to get her away. No, this was her best friend. Why was she feeling so hostile?

"... Giles and the others were so worried about you! We've been looking everywhere! That was so not cool running out of the house like that Willow. What's wrong? Willow, please, where's the blood from are you hurt?" She repeated and Willow just stared at her.

"I cut my hand.." she said finally holding up the small cut. "It bled a lot." Buffy just stared at the tiny cut.

"C'mon get changed.. we'll try and get the blood out of that skirt... where are your pajamas? Oh there." Buffy handed her her red flannel Pajama's. Her favorites. Willow stood up and changed quickly then gave Buffy her hand when she asked for it to clean it with a wet wash clothe.

"Willow, please tell me what happened to you? Your white as a ghost." Willow focused on her best friends face. Worry, concern, pity.

"I went for a walk, I tripped and fell down.. and.. I saw a dead bunny. It scared me." Lame. Buffy shook her head understanding.

"I'm sorry about the bunny Wills, you gonna be okay?" Willow nodded and watched numbly as Buffy placed a Band-Aid with silly smiley faces over her cut. Nothing would fix that cut, it would effect her for the rest of her life.

Finally after listening to Buffy yap about how wonderful Graham, Riley's friend, was for about a half hour Buffy let her go to sleep.

"I'm going to stay at Riley's tonight Will, if you need anything you know the number.. I'll call Xand and the others from Riley's and tell them your okay. Sleep tight." Buffy turned off the dorm room light and shut the door quietly behind her.

Willow curled up into a tight ball atop her comforter, she was hot and cold at the same time and didn't think she could stand being trapped under blankets. She closed her eyes and faces flashed through her mind.

Oz.

Veruca.

Oz.

"I know what you love. I have his scent on me right now." Veruca said tilting her head at Willow. Willow held back a snort of disgust and then flew backwards as Veruca backhanded her viscously sending her flying.

Then Oz was there.

"Don't touch her again." He growled from the doorway. He was panting.

"Come stop me. I like it rough, remember?" the blond headed bitch growled back at him.

Oz glared at her. "You wanna hurt me, hurt me. You leave her out of this."

"How can I? She's the reason you're living in cages. She's blinding you.

When she's gone, you'll be able to admit what you are." Willow shook her head trying to make herself not remember. Cages. She would have to spend her life in the cages now. The dream continued without her consent.

"You don't wanna find out what I am." Oz sounded strained. Oh god the sun was setting.

"You're an animal. Animals kill." Veruca was panting slightly now. The sun, it was orangish in the room now.

"You're right." Oz said moving forward towards her. "We kill."

Willow heard the snap of bones as Oz leaped at Veruca, heard their struggles the animal grunts and then final death cry of Veruca.

Ozwolf looked up at her with sad eyes, blood on his muzzle. "Your fault," he said in a barely audible grunt.

Suddenly she was back in Oz's room, walking in. "Hello?"

"Hi." Was her only response. It sounded so hollow.

"What are you doing?" Willow asked as Oz crossed the room and stuffed a few more clothes into the duffle bag that was fairly full.

"I'm going."

"Now?"

"Mm-hmm." Oz mumbled zipping up his bag.

"That's your solution?" Willow asked her voice trembling slightly.

"That's my decision."

"Don't I get any say in this?" Willow said quietly, tears streaming down her face. She didn't want to break down.

"No. Veruca was right about something. The wolf is inside me all the time, and I don't know where that line is anymore between me and it. And until I figure out what that means, I shouldn't be around you... Or anybody." He wouldn't even look at her.

"Well, that could be a problem 'cause people... Kind of a planetary epidemic." She was crying now, she knew it.

"I'll find someplace." Still, he wouldn't glance up at her. He was staring at the comforter on the bed.

"Well, how long?" Willow asked half through sobs.

"I don't know." He said finally and glanced up at her.

"Oz... Don't you love me?" She asked her voice wavering slightly.

"No." Willow was taken back. "Its your fault I have to leave, I'm dropping my life. I can't stand to be around you. Your fault that I had to kill because I couldn't let her kill you, your so pathetic." Oz's voice was low and hit Willow in her stomach like a sledge hammer.

"Oz.. god.. I.." She couldn't find words.

"Your sorry? Ha. That's a joke, your only sorry for yourself. You don't care about anyone but yourself." Oz growled then, his eyes black and animal. "We kill."

Willow screamed sitting straight up on her bed. Tears fell in currents down her cheeks. It had been a dream, that wasn't how it had happened. Oz had said he loved her, he did love her. He would be back. He would.

Wouldn't he?

~*~End 2~*~

Willow made her way through the cemetery towards the mausoleum that she had vowed never to go back to. As she took a step down the stone stairs down into the crypt memories flashed back of that morning. Oz and Veruca.. on the floor.. naked.. tangled in each other.

"Willow... " Oz moved pulling on his pants. Willow was in shock.

"Oh, my god. Oh, my god." She couldn't form any angry words, none left.

"I know what you saw. It wasn't--" He finished putting on his pants and moved towards the cage door.

"I had to. I had to lock her in there with me."

"I bet." Oh here came the angry. Good.

"She's like me. A wolf." Willow shook herself out of the memory and walked into the crypt. Now she was going to be like Oz, going to be a wolf. She couldn't do this, she had to do...

"God." Blood. It was everywhere.. Someone had been in here, the werewolf that Cain had... Killed? What if it wasn't dead, it would be human now. Who was it?

She moved towards the cage, the door was ripped off its hinges and the blood was smeared everywhere on the ground the bars of the cage. There was a puddle near the corner where she 
assumed the wolf had slept while changing back. It had hid here.. hiding from Cain that's why he was so frustrated.

Willow blinked at the door, she would have to fix that before sundown. She wasn't going to risk getting caught by Cain or worse... hurting someone.

She grabbed the door and looked at the hinges, it didn't look like it would be too much of a problem. She could barrow Xander's blow torch.. put them it back on the hinges. She released the door and noticed the red flakes that had rubbed off onto her hand, there was so much blood. The beast had been smart, careful not to bleed outside so Cain couldn't follow the trail. She had always thought that Werewolves were pure animal during the full moon.. maybe she wouldn't be...

"The wolf is inside me all the time, and I don't know where that line is anymore between me and it." Willow felt hot tears slip down her cheeks. Oz had been so desperate to find something to help him get through being a werewolf. He'd had to leave his whole life.. it was her fault. She walked out of the crate and sat down her back to the door and stared at the cage. This was her future.. and now she had to make sure that it kept her the whole night. Willow left the room and hurried to Xander's hoping he wouldn't ask too many questions about why she wanted his blow torch.

~*~

T-minus fifteen minutes until sun down. Willow sat in the cage in a loose shirt that she had found, her other clothes sat outside of the cage where she could find them in the morning.

*Maybe it won't happen, it was just blood.. maybe its only through a scratch or bite..*

Wishful thinking. She knew that in fifteen minutes she wouldn't be her anymore. She'd be a wolf, like Oz. She wished he could be with her.. he would help her through this. But no. He was off somewhere, alone, by himself, probably with chains and stuff. Not with her.

A few more minutes passed, Willow was tense. She knew she was, it was going to hurt. Hurt worse then anything probably. Maybe she wouldn't remember.. Oz had always said he never remembered changing but she'd always had a suspicion he said that so that she would feel better.

She heard a shuffling at the doorway of the door. Oh crap. Somebody was going to come in... maybe it was the wolf from last night, how could they have survived? There was so much blood. Willow stood up, what if it wasn't the werewolf from last night?

Suddenly a shadow came into view and walked in. He glanced up at her with shocked eyes.

"Oz?"

~*~End 3~*~

Oz was there, he was just looking at her like she was insane sitting in a cage in only a loose t-shirt. "Willow what are you doing here? You need to... go... the sun's almost down.." Oz looked panicked and pale.

"I can't go." She said not moving.

"You have to, I'm going to change and..." Oz looked dumbstruck by seeing her here.

"Cain caught you last night didn't he? He hurt you... its your blood that's everywhere." Willow said taking in how weak he looked. He was shaking and looked like he was about to collapse.

Oz opened his mouth to say something but just nodded his head.

"Oh god. God." Willow mumbled and sat back down starring at the floor. They had about five minutes until sundown.

"Willow.. how did you know?" Oz was moving forward towards the cage. Limping slightly.

"I didn't mean to! It was just... I was so angry and the ground looked so darn happy.. so I started beating at it and I cut myself on something.. and it was a knife... and god... it was bloody! Then Cain came and he was looking for it and he didn't see me and... " she was crying now, she was so sick of crying but she couldn't help herself.

Oz was in the cage, he shut the door slowly behind him and sat down in front of her. Starring at her beautiful hair it was hanging around her face and she was looking at the ground not him.

"Willow, you cut yourself with a knife that had blood on it?" She nodded her head sadly. "He cut you didn't he? Cut you with the knife... and you ran... before he could kill you. It was your blood."

Oz just looked shocked. "So now your... going... your going to become a werewolf." He was having an expression he could tell.

"Yes! I don't know what to do! I didn't mean to... and your back! And Cain's hunting you... us... and I'm so sorry Oz... I didn't mean for it to happen... its all my fau..." Willow doubled over as her stomach seemed to split in two and then come back together. She could feel bones crunching inside of her as they shifted and she screamed in pain. She vaguely heard Oz changing with her before the wolfs brain shadowed over her own and Willow was gone.

~*~

She was hungry, she paced around the cage and glared at the other wolf there with her. He just looked at her with understanding eyes, she wanted to rip out his throat. But maybe not.. he could possibly help her get out? She hated being in this cage. No room to hunt, she wanted to hunt oh so badly. She growled at the male and ran at him, he didn't even flinch.

It was going to be a long, hungry, night.

~*~

Cain walked around in the clearing where he'd lost his knife the night before. He needed to find that damn wolf, it wouldn't be too hard. He was hurt and probably weak from blood loss. He traced the damn thing all the way across town and then lost the trail.

He was certain he'd find it tonight. There was no hiding from the animal. He heard a howl off in the distance and smiled. Good thing these things were stupid.

~*~

The male growled menacingly at the she-wolf the hairs on his back standing on end. She tilted her head at him, what? She'd only howled in frustration. She bared her teeth at him and moved to howl again, he attacked her pinning her to the ground. She snapped as his neck.

~*~ 
Xander was frantic. He'd gone over to the dorm room to talk to Willow and she wasn't home, no biggie. Sure he was only her best friend in the world.. sure he was suppose to know where she was going all the time. He wasn't bitter. She did have a life. So of course he'd done the only thing he could think of, he'd broke in.

He had sat on Willow's bed watching Sailor Moon for a half hour and then changed to Days of our lives, okay so he had a liking for soap operas? Still she didn't come. He'd waited a few more hours and then Buffy had come home and asked him where Willow was.

"You mean she didn't tell you?" he asked standing up and stretching.

"No... I was at Riley's and then I had classes all day I haven't been home." Buffy stared at him suspiciously. "You mean she didn't let you in?"

Xander's eyes got wide. "well umm, no?" Buffy glared.

"Alexander Harris!" Xander flinched. He hated when Buffy used his full name.

"Yes Ma'am?"

"Did you break in?" She growled moving towards him and shaking a finger.

"Buff, Buffy, the *Buffster* Would I do something so criminal and invade your private room.. and.. sit here for three hours watching the television and finish your last diet coke... No of course not! How dare you accuse me of such a thing."

Buffy just shook her head and set her bag down on the bed. She checked the machine, no messages. Willow usually called to tell her when she'd be home. Cause in Sunnydale you never knew.

Just then the phone rang. Buffy picked it up. "Wills?"

"No. Is Xander there? He was suppose to meet me for a little fu... he was suppose to meet me." Anya said in a less then amused voice.

"Yeah he is, hey have you seen Willow?"

"Yes. She came over and borrowed Xander's blow thing." Buffy arched an eyebrow.

"Xander's blow thing?" Xander blushed slightly dancing around wanting the phone.

"Yes. The thing that spits fire, blow thing."

"Blow torch?" Buffy threw out for her. 

"Yes, now may I please speak to Xander?" Buffy shook her head.

"Did she say why she needed it?"

"No." Anya said getting really annoyed with the blond. "Let me speak to Xander, I told you, he's mine. You can't have him... and.." Buffy handed him the phone and went to her closet grabbing her slayer bag just in case. After a few minutes of listening to Xander fight with Anya about something he finally hung up the phone looking defeated.

"We need to find Willow, I think something's wrong. She came home with blood on her last night and she had it was from a cut from her hand... but that little cut couldn't' have done it. Something's up, she borrowed your blow torch." Xander nodded.

"I'm gonna have hell to pay for standing up Anya, C'mon."

~*~End 4~*~

Willow-wolf kicked Oz with her hind legs scratching his underside with the sharp claws on the end of her toes. He growled but didn't move from where he had her pinned. She tried to launch him off of her but had no luck. She was trapped under his weight so she did the only thing she 
could think of, she stretched her neck forward and bared her throat to him. Giving up the fight.

~*~

Buffy jogged down the slope at Willow's favorite park, they had checked everywhere they could think of that Willow would hand out and now it was panic mode time. Xander huffed a long behind her panting and mumbling about how Anya was going to kick his ass.

"Wait.." Buffy mumbled hearing a rustling somewhere in trees.

"... yup, I'm so gonna be road kill when I... ow!" Xander rubbed his arm where Buffy had smacked him.

"Shhhh."

He shut his mouth and glanced around nervously getting out the stake he had brought a long. Buffy moved forwards into the trees where she had heard the sound Xander split off from her and moved a little to the right.

Buffy heard a loud snap and a scream from where Xander had gone and then little whimpers. "Xander?" She whispered and quickly ran to where she'd last heard him. Xander was strung up by his ankle upside down on a large sycamore looking very disturbed.

"Damn cub scouts!" He hissed at Buffy and she shook her head.

"Looky who's going for somebody her age." Buffy spun around and glared, she knew that voice. "Dumped the old man?"

"Cain." Buffy spat like it was the worst obscenity. "What part of 'don't let the door hit you on the ass' Didn't you understand?"

Cain shrugged and moved forward poking Xander with his gun, Xander batted at it feebly. The blood was rushing to his brain and he was getting fairly dizzy. Cain yanked out a large knife that glinted in the moon light. Xander's eyes got huge and he tried to swing himself away from Cain only succeeding in slamming back into him. "Hold still dammit or I won't cut you loose." Xander stopped flopping around like a fish and Cain cut the rope, Xander fell onto his head with a thud and groaned.

"That' wasn't very polite... Mr... guy person..." Buffy glared at Cain.

"Your such a jerk."

"Your such a bimbo." He shot back and placed his knife back into its holder.

"Why are you back." Buffy asked shrugging off the comment.

"Been tracking a werewolf for over three months, every full moon I almost catch it, and it always gets away. Oddly enough it ended up back here and I and I'm going to finish it off tonight. I'm not waiting another month, I don't care if a super strength freak stands in my way or not."

Buffy narrowed her eyes, "Are you so sure about that?"

"Yeah I am actually." Cain growled and grabbed the barely up Xander by the hair yanking him to his feet and putting the gun at his head. "Unless you want your friends brains all over these woods."

Xander whimpered, Buffy stopped cold.

~*~

Oz-wolf climbed off of the she-wolf and looked at her warily. He should by all rights be tearing out her throat now.. or doing other things. His side hurt from where that damn hunter had stabbed him last night, usually he was healed and ready to hunt from all the things that had happened the night before. He wanted to chase rabbits or at least this she-wolf.

What was wrong with him?

~*~End 5~*~

"You don't wanna do that, Cain." Buffy said starring at him, Xander was shaking and making fuzzy eyes at her. She knew his head was probably killing him... on account he had been dropped on it.

"Why not? Because he's your friend and you'll get back at me? Ooh, I'm shaking in my boots. Sorry little Miss but you don't scare me, even if you are a freak on steroids." Buffy tilted her head.

"I should." She shrugged and scuffed her foot in the dirt. "Do you think that if you shoot my friend your going to get any farther then, oh, maybe those bushes over there before i snap your neck like a chickens?" Buffy asked holding her hands on her hips.

"Silly girl, haven't you realized yet? It's not just one of your friends on the line." Buffy crinkled her eye brows together.

"Huh?"

"Maybe its not your friend, but that werewolf I've been tracking? Its the one that I almost had before." Buffy's eyes widened slightly. "Oz."

"Yeah, whatever. He'll be dead around Sunrise tomorrow. So if I kill this dope here.. and the wolf boy dies tomorrow.. that's two friends.. and if I don't get my pelt well, lets just say, there's always another werewolf out there to hunt. Maybe you'll get infected next."

Buffy was trembling with but held back, she had to get more information before she could hurt him badly. Oz was back, and Cain was going to kill him?

"Why is Oz going to die?" she asked trying not to sound too interested about it.

"Silver poisoning. I almost had him last night, got my knife into his side real good. He got away but.. my knife is lined with Silver all around the blade. Little slivers of it are floating around in his blood now, should start to be excruciatingly painful soon, eventually they will pump into his heart and he'll die. Usually takes about 36 hours, at most. Its a little insurance in case they kill me."

That's when Xander jabbed Cain in the stomach, the gun went off, and the initiative attacked from behind. All Hell broke loose.

~*~

The she-wolf circled around in the cage quietly, avoiding the big male. He didn't seem at all interested in her and she didn't feel like messing with him. She was too intent on breaking out of this cage, she hated being caged up and wouldn't let it be any more. She wanted out.

Oz-wolf grunted quietly in his side of the cage, he was tingling and it wasn't a good tingle. It was that tingling when your foots been asleep and it wakes up, that needles and pins feeling that if you move it you almost want to scream. He felt that every time he breathed.

The she-wolf looked over at him questioningly and he just looked at her, he felt a connection with her and wished he didn't feel so horribly. They would be a magnificent pair. He doubled over when the tingling hit his stomach and became so intense his eyes nearly crossed with pain.

~*~End 6~*~

Buffy went down hard as Riley tackled her. They were all decked out in their commando gear and Buffy wanted to scream. Had Xander been shot?

"This one's dead." She heard somebody say and Riley pulled her to her feet.

"Sorry Buffy, I didn't recognize you." She growled and glanced around. There was a tight knot of Military guys blocking her sight.

She shoved past Riley, "Xander?" The command's blocked her view.

"Move it men, let the lady in." Riley said in a loud authoritative voice. The men parted for her like the red sea.

Xander was laying on the ground in a puddle of blood looking stunned. Buffy dropped to her knees next to him tears streaming down her face. "Oh Xander..."

~*~

Ozwolf whimpered low in his throat and buckled down to the ground panting. His insides felt like broken glass was swimming around inside of him and ripping him apart. The she-wolf looked over at him, giving him a odd look.

*Sick?* she thought, her mind just barely grasping the concept. She gave a longing glance at the front of the crypt silver moonlight was streaming in through the door, she wished she could be outside running in it. Feeling it come over her body like water and soothe her. There would be time for that later.

She walked over to where Oz was and nuzzled him slightly, he turned her head and stared at him with sad eyes. She snuggled down next to him careful not to jolt him too much. She'd keep him warm and maybe he'd be better later on. Then they could hunt.

~*~

Anya was upset. Xander had stood her up for sex. Xander did *not* stand up sex for anything, unless... could Buffy have stolen him? No. She shook her head and dismissed that, she loved Xander and Xander loved her. He wouldn't do that, not to her, not to anyone.

Although... he'd done it to Cordelia...

She slammed her quickly threw open the door to Giles apartment, it slammed into the wall and a picture came crashing to the ground. Anya quickly stepped over it when she heard a curse and moved towards the little kitchen where Giles was in yellow plastic cleaning gloves with a big pink sponge in one hand and holding his head with the other.

"Knocking is nice, dear." He said and glared at the former demon.

"Something's wrong with Xander, he stood me up for sex." Giles flushed slightly. "He was with Buffy, he was coming over. Something's wrong, I can feel it."

"Yes.. well.. perhaps they got side tracked getting donuts or something of sorts?" Giles offered taking off one of the gloves and laying it on the cupboard.

"No. Let's go." Giles gawked at her.

"Where?"

"To find them. If Xander's dead I'm going to kill him."

~*~End 7~*~

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