Title: Beer Very Bad
Author: Golden Waffles
Rating: T. For occasional mentions of sex. But not in this chapter.
Disclaimer: This is a fanficiton site. It's so obvious that I don't own the characters or settings of Buffy the Vampire Slayer that I only continue disclaiming it because it's in the template. But this writing is my own. Please request permission before posting elsewhere.
A/N: Welcome to THE PLOT. We've done it. We've made it. I'll level with you, I'm not 100% satisfied with this chapter (or even like 90%) (more like 45% or something), but I don't think it's anything that 20 more rounds of editing will fix, so I'm just going to move on. Blegh. Next chapter flows a little better. In the meantime, welcome to "The Beginning of the End."

Chapter 40:
Him Again

"So I got a little collar today. A-and some little bowls for food," Tara said, smiling like sunshine itself. They were walking towards Giles's house, their joined hands swinging between them with each step.

"We're really doing this, aren't we?" Willow asked, nearly bouncing on her heels at the thought. A week ago, Tara had begun dropping hints that she was thinking about getting a kitten and keeping it hidden in her dorm room. She had clearly been testing the waters, trying to get Willow's opinion on the matter. Willow had been a little hesitant at first, but it was clear that Tara had her heart set on the idea, and her enthusiasm was contagious. "Or, you, I guess. She'll be your cat."

"She can be our cat," Tara said, practically glowing. "If you want."

At the thought of them co-parenting an adorable kitten, Willow's heart grew three sizes, and she fought to keep her grin at a reasonable level.

"I mean, I'll be more of a step-parent, or maybe a cool aunt. But yeah, I'd like that."

"Cool. I thought maybe next week we could go to the shelter and start looking."

Willow gave a small, excited hop as they cleared a curb and felt Tara squeeze her hand.

"This is so cool! I was only ever allowed to have fish at my parents' house. And then Angel killed all of them as some kind of weird Godfather-y power move."

"Buffy's vampire ex killed your fish?" Tara asked, quirking one eyebrow. Over the past weeks and months, she had heard more than her fair share of strange stories, and still there always seemed to be more to tell. Willow gave her a teasing smirk.

"By now, you've got to be getting used to that kind of story."

Tara playfully bumped her shoulder against Willow's.

"You would think so…"

They reached Giles's door and unlinked hands automatically, and Willow held the door open to let Tara inside first. The rest of the Scoobies, already sitting around the room, each called greetings. Tara waved and gave a small 'hey,' hesitating as she chose a spot to stand. Willow could tell that she was more comfortable around the others now, but she could also tell that nineteen years of chronic shyness wasn't so easily overcome.

With a touch on her arm, Willow led her over to sit on a pair of stools by the breakfast bar. Buffy was standing next to the desk where Giles was seated, and Xander was sitting in an armchair, with Anya perched in his lap.

Buffy and Giles launched the meeting urgently, with the devastating news that absolutely nothing was happening. There were hardly any demons or vampires around, and they hadn't had to avert an apocalypse in weeks.

"I've started bringing homework on patrol because otherwise there's nothing to do. It's like everyone's left town or something," Buffy complained, looking at each of them like she was waiting for them to share her outrage.

"Um… I know I'm n-new to this, but… isn't that… a good thing?" Tara asked, hesitantly, after a few seconds of silence. Anya perked up at the suggestion.

"Yeah, no demons means… great job, Slayer! You got them all!" The ex-demon attempted a cheerful tone and a victorious swing of her arm.

"No, that's not how it works," Buffy groaned, clearly frustrated.

"Yeah, Ahn, Slayers need to hit their slaying quota," Xander said, shifting Anya a little on his lap. She shrugged and leaned against him, looking like she was waiting for them all to get to the point. Willow, to her own horror, watched them both with some jealousy, wondering if she and Tara would ever feel that comfortable in everyone else's presence. If it would ever feel normal to kiss or cuddle in front of their friends, or if there would always be that double standard.

"So, what, all the baddies went hitchhiking to Cleveland? Or what?" Buffy huffed, almost sounding offended.

"It does seem unlikely," Giles admitted, contemplating the issue. "I will look into all possibilities, of course, but in absence of any relevant prophecies or celestial alignments, I suggest we all just… enjoy the time off." He sounded surprised to even be saying such a thing.

"Great, so class dismissed?" Xander suggested, looking eager to get back out and enjoy the day.

"Yes, I suppose so," Giles said. "Unless anyone else has relevant-"

He was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. Buffy was on her feet instantly, but froze, wide-eyed, when she saw the intruder. Willow followed her line of sight and felt all the air leave her lungs in a rush. It wasn't a demon or vampire or other mystical danger.

Not unless you counted werewolves as mystical dangers. Even short ones with spiky hair and baggy clothes.

"Oz," she breathed out, and heard Tara's breath catch beside her, reminding her that there were still other people in the room.

"Oz," the blonde whispered under her breath. Willow's brain chugged in circles, struggling to process a world in which Oz and Tara could exist in the same room. It just didn't compute.

He was wearing a familiar T-shirt under a worn jacket, and his hair was gelled up the way it always was, and it was like being dragged back in time against her will. Willow barely breathed. For a long, charged moment, he just stood there, existing. She knew that everyone was waiting for her to react, but her brain only seemed capable of a single thought.

Why now?

Step by careful, deliberate step, he approached her, until he finally reached out and took her hand. His touch was so familiar and so strange at the same time. Soft, but firm. Cool, but warm. The second the contact was made, there was a rush of movement beside her as Tara bolted to her feet, and Oz took a surprised half-step back, breaking the contact.

Snapping back to her senses, Willow slid to her feet as well and crossed to Tara's other side, putting some much-needed distance between her and Oz. His face lowered slightly in the suggestion of a frown, but he didn't follow her except with his eyes. Tara just stood, partially between them, arms crossed, jaw locked, and an unreadable clash of emotions in her eyes.

Willow imagined this must be what the inside of a pressure cooker must feel like.

The tension was broken by the resident expert tension-breaker.

"Well, this is awkward," Anya said, surveying the situation from her perch on Xander's lap. Willow tried to shoot her a glare on instinct, but her face felt immobile, blank with shock. Spurred into action, Xander cleared his throat and rose to his feet, bringing her with him. He strode towards the cluster, hand outstretched.

"Hey there, Oz, old buddy. Long time no see. And I mean that literally. It's been a long time." He kept his voice light and jovial, but Oz lowered his head almost imperceptibly at the words.

"Yeah," he agreed shortly, shaking Xander's hand. He turned his attention back to Willow, who still felt frozen in place, brain racing uselessly.

It's Oz, she thought, and couldn't tell if the thought was a happy one. It was like her emotions had suffered a power surge and needed time to reset. He came back.

But why now?

He opened his mouth to say something to her, but this time Buffy interrupted, stepping forward. Willow saw her gaze flicker to her and Tara before returning to Oz, staring him down.

"Well, I guess this is the part where we all say welcome back. I mean, we could have planned a party or something if we'd known you were coming." The words were nice enough, but her tone was chilly.

"Yeah," he agreed, a little warily. "I didn't know when I'd get in."

"Are you staying long? Or just passing through?" Buffy asked, crossing her arms. Willow's mind reeled anew at this new concept, unsure which option was worse. That he was back permanently, or that he would vanish again, just like before.

Why now?

"Not sure yet," Oz said. His voice was soft and careful, wary of the cool reception. "Figured I'd play it by ear."

Buffy didn't respond except to stare harder, as though trying to convey a warning from across the room— the mental image of a shovel. Oz met the gaze for a moment, then looked away, returning his attention to Willow. Willow, whose brain was still a smoldering tangle of sparking wires. A blue screen of death.

Why now?

Why now why now why now?

"Willow…"

He stepped towards her.

Willow instinctively retreated a half-step, and was surprised to see Tara shift protectively in front of her. She uncrossed one of her arms and stuck out her hand for Oz to shake.

"I'm Tara," she said, in a voice as solid and unwavering as a stone column. Oz looked a little thrown by her sudden step forward, and equally thrown by the proffered handshake, but gripped her hand after a second of hesitation.

"Oz," he said shortly. He frowned at her slightly, thoughtfully, like he was waiting for her to explain why she was here, and why she was introducing herself.

"I heard." She didn't step aside. Instead, she looked over her shoulder, meeting Willow's eyes with a dozen unspoken questions.

What now?

Willow forced her brain back into action. Crashing. Rebooting. Overclocking. Grasping for stability, she made herself focus on Tara. Shy, nervous Tara. Brave, strong Tara. Tara, standing in front of her. Her girlfriend shielding her from her ex-boyfriend.

She felt a surge of pride. And love. And that was enough to bring her back to her senses.

Willow reached out and gently touched Tara's back, hoping to reassure her, and stepped out from behind her to face Oz herself. Oz, who was scruffy and quiet and funny. Oz, who had cheated on her and left her and forgotten her.

She met his eyes, and formed her first question.

"What are you doing here?" Her voice was small, but steadier than she had dared hope. Her hand still rested on Tara's back, and she drew strength from the connection. She felt a tremble in her fingertips, but wasn't sure if it was her own hands that were shaking or if it was Tara.

Oz, under his mask of nonchalance, looked a little relieved that he was finally able to address her directly. He looked up at her, his head still slightly bowed. It gave him a somewhat penitent look.

"Can we talk?" he asked. Willow couldn't think of anything she wanted less that to be alone with him right that second. He must have sensed that, because he continued. "Tonight, maybe? I could meet you in front of your dorm."

She felt Tara's muscles grow tense under her hand at the suggestion, and she pressed her palm flat, rubbing gently. She didn't respond to Oz's question right away, but she could sense Xander and Buffy both on the verge of jumping in, and felt the need to head them off.

"Okay…" she said finally. For the first time since he walked through the door, Oz's face relaxed into a slight smile.

"Cool. I'll come by around seven then?" She nodded, and his eyes brightened. "Awesome." He cast his gaze around the room one more time. "It was nice to see you all again." His eyes slid to Tara briefly. "And to meet you."

And, as though he hadn't just walked through the door and upended Willow's entire life, he simply, casually walked back out.