The book lay open on the counter between them. It had been a stupid thing to do. Oz had walked away to get a soda. He hadn't even closed it. Somewhere deep inside he must have wanted to be caught. No other explanation would fit.

So there scrawled across the page in Oz's too cool to care about penmanship were the words: "I saw her again today and it's hard not to love her. Living the way we do, fighting side by side, I'm surprised I didn't realize it earlier. I'm in love with Nancy."

Oz sighed. "Just say something."

Nancy tried to think of something to say. What did one say in a situation like this? She had fallen back on watching her Daytime Drama's since she found out it was literally kill or be killed in Sunnyhell. She attempted to say something but the words wouldn't come out. "Its.. new?" was all she could think to say *Stupid stupid stupid*

Oz sighed. When Devon had found him half drained by a vamp too lazy to finish what she'd started, Nancy had been there to patch him up. When the three massacres had wiped out most of the people Oz knew, Nancy had cried with him. "Not for me." He sighed. It had been too much to hope for in hell. 

Nancy bit the inside of her cheek, she should probably stop doing that 
when she got nervous. She had two choices, blow this off and crush Oz or go 
with it. She took a half step towards him, "Oz.." She trailed off wondering 
for half a second which way she was going to go. Then stopped mid step. 

"Yeah?" Oz's heart skipped a beat. The night was falling and they could die tonight. Patrol was not an easy job. Living in Sunnydale where the cops didn't arrest anyone was hard. It was all he could do to wait for her answer. 

Staring down at the page on the table, Oz tried not to hope. Giles said 
hope wasn't important anymore. Faith wasn't either. The only thing to believe in was 
the beating of your heart. It was real. It was solid and if it stopped you 
were dead. No games. No second chances. "I think it will stop." 

Nancy stared in confusion. 

Oz backpedaled. "I don't want to make you say things." 

"Your not. I'm just trying to think of a way to handle this its.. A lot." Nancy sighed "How do you want to deal with this? Because IM not going to say I don't feel anything, cause I do. I think. I've just been to busy with the trying to stay alive thing to sort of realize y'know?" 

Oz blinked. "You have you. . .You feel." Oz was at a loss. Words were the enemy. Out of his mouth they were always clipped. He concentrated. "I want to ah." Oz stared at Nancy, desperate not to say the wrong thing and scare her off. "Talk about it?" 

"There really isn't anything to talk about is there?" Nancy asked. She 
moved forward and kissed him. What else was there to do? 

Oz was surprised. Things were moving forward in time and space. Things as normal as wanting to be kissed and having Nancy come so incredibly close to him. 

He breathed in her scent and pressed his lips carefully against hers accepting the kiss as a million thoughts burned down into one: This is incredible. 

Nancy kissed Oz with all she had. This was cool. It was normal, it was..perfect. And then who had to burst into the library? "GUYS.. gu.." Larry said and stopped dead in his tracks. Nancy nearly tripped over her own feet pulling back from Oz. 

Oz was surprised. But he shouldn't have been. Larry never knocks. He grinned at the two of them. "Cute. No time. There are vamps everywhere outside. They'll be here any minute. We gotta arm ourselves." 

Oz smiled for Nancy and stepped into the book cage. There were weapons of every kind in that small cage. Oz opened the chest and handed out stakes. 

Nancy grabbed a stake "Better get the cross bow." She said and headed for the stacks to watch that door She didn't have time to react as two vampires grabbed her from behind a bookshelf. 

Larry rushed to catch up with her. Oz had to climb on top of the chest to get to the crossbow. Giles was a tall guy and he had hung it high. Then Oz heard the cage door slam. Turning slowly he saw the vamp turn the key. He was an ugly bastard in full game face. 

"I'll have her." He slurred. 

Oz threw himself against the cage. A stake wouldn't fit through unless 
the vamp crouched down beside the book return slot. Oz was trapped. 
"Nan! Larry! Run!" 

Nancy cried out in horror as she watched a red headed bitch snap Larry's neck and turn to her "Oh I'm sorry was that your friend?" She asked, "He just made such a nice sound.." 

Nancy kicked at her. The vampire holding her slammed her back with a fist to her face. She crumbled against him as they dragged her down the steps. 

"God! Nancy! God!" Oz was rocked. He watched Larry hit the carpet and 
he couldn't get out! Oz slammed his hand through the slot and reached 
for the lock. It was inches away. 
"Get away from her!!!" 

"Yeah cause that always works," Xander said seeming to appear behind 
Willow and wrapped his arms around Willows waist. She was grinning like 
a maniac, Nancy was near tears as she struggled against the vampires bending her 
arms painfully back, forcing her watch Oz as he desperately tried to get out 
of the cage. 

Another inch and he'd have it. One more inch and he'd kill them. She'd be safe and he'd have just one more kiss. One more. 

"Aww look at him Xander, I almost feel bad. Oh wait that's pleasure." 
Willow said and shoved the vampire that was holding Nancy out of the 
way. She grabbed Nancy. Snatching the brown curls, Willow pulled Nancy's head 
back and exposing her neck. "Mmm tasty," She said and sank her fangs into Nancy's neck. 

His heart stopped as tears exploded and ran blood warm down his eyes, 
matching the twin trails down hers. His hands scrabbled as his vision 
blurred and he focused on her chest moving. As long as it moved she was alive. As long 
as her heart beat she was okay. No faith. No hope. Fact. Her heart beating. 

His hand slid against the lock. Oz redoubled his efforts. Watching her 
breathing. Then the movements slowed. And stopped. Oz fell against the 
cage. Sliding to the ground he wept. 

Willow let Nancy's body slide to the ground "Aww look we broke him." 
Willow pouted. Xander gave her his patented *Im a badass in my leather outfit who cares about the mortals* look as she walked over to the cage. 

"Might wanna tell the Librarian he should start training his white hats 
better" She tisked following Xander out of the library. With a snap of 
her fingers, the other Vampires stopped starring at Oz like dinner. 

The room cleared and Oz's hands finally reached the lock. With a harsh 
click he tumbled out of the cage. Crawling to her, Oz grabs her head and cradles it in his lap. Her eyes were open, unseeing. Blood marred her pale flesh and Oz cried until dawn. 

Then he did what he had to do. And when the flames claimed Larry and 
licked at Nancy's still form, Oz tossed the book in to burn with her. 

The tears burned him worse than any fire and he knew there was no room 
for faith. No room for hope of a better life. No room for love. His body 
was filled with the cold beating of a heart that had nothing left but it's own 
rhythm. 

--The End-- 
3:52 PM 7/7/00