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Changing Hearts Series - Cold Truth -- by Ruby
Rating: PG-13
Description: Oz doesn't have a secret anymore, sequel to Arrival.
Note: Spoilers -- Wild at Heart, The Initiative.
Disclaimer: Joss owns all.
Oz scrambled to his feet as the curious stares of the others in the room traveled between him and the young woman near the door. Anya's eyes, sparkling with gleeful wickedness, caught Spike's for the briefest of moments before moving on to Ivy.
"I--Ivy," the wolf stammered softly.
The pretty brunette smiled shyly at him, "I know I should have called first, but I didn't have a number--"
"We haven't met," the slayer said brightly and gestured as she introduced her friends, "I'm Buffy. This is Riley, Xander, Anya, Willow, and that's Spike. I take it you know Oz pretty well. Where did you meet?"
The brunette's eyes rested briefly on Anya as she recognized the name of her secret ally. None of the others seemed to notice the surreptitious exchange, and she quickly returned her gaze to Buffy. Oz was at her side in two strides, curling his hand around her upper arm, "I think we should talk alone--"
"Nonsense," Buffy interrupted. "You're more than welcome to stay. Come have a seat."
Oz groaned inwardly, his desperate eyes following the two women as Ivy was led to an armchair. She smiled as Willow offered her one of the cans of soda from the coffee table.
"I think it's probably a little warm," the redhead apologized.
"I'll get some ice," Riley spoke and went to the kitchen.
"So, how do you know Oz?" Xander asked.
"We met a few weeks ago. I live in a little town, not too far from San Diego. He stopped at the restaurant I work in--"
"San Diego?" Willow asked. "You met him before he came back to Sunnydale?"
She nodded, "He told me he'd been traveling around for awhile. We spent some time talking, and--"
Oz shifted his weight from one leg to the other, "I don't think they're really interested in hearing about--"
"How did you even know where to find him? How did you know he was here?" the slayer's questions drowned out Oz's protest. Anya tensed imperceptibly at the unexpected inquiry and shot Spike a frantic look as Ivy, also rattled by the question, blinked in silence as Riley came back into the room.
"Probably that flea-trap of a van he drives," Spike suggested with casual sarcasm.
The brunette latched onto the excuse and nodded her head, "He told me he lived in Sunnydale. I drove around for a bit and saw his van parked across the street."
"You came all the way here to see him, after a conversation in a restaurant?" Xander asked.
"It was more than just a conversation. We--"
"Ivy," Oz barked. "I don't think you should--"
"Why not?" she pushed herself up off the chair. "I'm not ashamed of what we did, and don't even try to tell me that you are! That night at my apartment was special--to both of us! These are your friends! Why shouldn't they know?"
"He spent the night at your apartment?" Willow asked, her voice low and steady.
"Yes," she nodded, having no idea who she was addressing. "It was wonderful. But when I woke up in the morning, he was gone. He's all I've been able to think about."
The redhead rose to her feet, eyes blazing, as she rounded the coffee table to glare at the wolf. "You bastard," she hissed. "All these weeks you've been driving me out of my mind! Going on and on about how sorry you were! How it would never happen again!"
"Willow, it's the truth! I--"
"Liar," she snarled. "All that time, you were trying to make me feel sorry for you, trying to make me believe how alone you had felt--"
"Wait a minute," Ivy spoke. "She's the one? She's the girlfriend you left behind?"
"That's me," Willow nodded and turned her eyes back to Oz. "Let me see if I've got the timeline straight. You screwed her. Snuck off in the morning. And headed straight back to Sunnydale to tell me how much you missed me. How'd I do, Oz? Is that about right?"
"Willow, please," he reached for her arm, but she stepped back and grabbed hold of Spike's hand as he came up beside her.
Oz took a step toward her, and Buffy placed herself in his path and gave him a shove, "Stay away from her."
"This isn't any of your business, Buffy," he told her.
"Like hell!" she snarled. "You weasled your way back into our favor. You actually had us believing we could trust you again, that you were sorry for what you did!"
"I am sorry!" he insisted.
"Like hell. You're sorry you got caught," Xander spoke. "You left Willow right after you got pelvic with one woman, and then you show up and try to get Willow back right after you got pelvic with somebody else!"
"He left you because he cheated on you?" Ivy asked Willow.
"Yes," she nodded. "Not that I give a damn, anymore."
The brunette looked scathingly over at Oz, "You told me you both needed time to sort things out--to figure out what you wanted. You never told me you left because you'd screwed around on her. I thought what happened between us meant something! Even though we'd never met before, and it was just that one night, you were so sweet and so careful, and you made me feel like somebody. But that isn't what it was at all, was it? It was nothing to you! I was just a convenient body, just another free lay. Bastard. You ought to be neutered."
Spike snorted at the unintentional double-entendre the young woman had hurled at the wolf. Oz's eyes moved from one angry face to another, lingering on Willow who was now leaning against Spike's back, his arms wrapped around her. The wolf turned on his heel and stomped over to the door. He flung it open, and Buffy growled and took off after him. "Where the hell do you think you're going?" she demanded as she followed him out onto the porch.
"I've heard enough," he snapped back.
"You haven't heard anything," she informed him coldly.
"But you're about to."
The End
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