Giles was reading yet another medical book behind her. They had two hours to sunset. Two hours make the cage impenetrable, and two hours to get Oz back.

Xander bounded down the stairs, coming to check on her progress.

"Aren't you supposed to be watching Willow?"

He nodded towards the stairs. "She's okay for now. He moved."

Giles stood quickly, putting his glasses back on. "Moved?"

"Moved his hand, while she was talking."

The smile from Giles lit up the whole basement. "Yes. Good." A short laugh escaped his lips. "Good," he repeated. "Soon then, I hope." The guilt he'd been carrying began to evaporate in the idea that Oz might be okay after all.

Xander threw him a funny look. Poor guy was under a lot of pressure. He stepped over to the cage and checked out the new lock. "Nice," he whistled. "Shop class wasn't wasted on you."

"And who'd've thunk I would've learned something about welding while I used the lathe to make stakes all class?"

"Apparently not Mr. Fisher, from the D he gave you," Giles answered.

Buffy pouted. "He just doesn't appreciate the beauty of a good stake."

Xander moved back to the stairs. "I'm going back up now. Just wanted to give you guys an update."

Buffy nodded, closing the welder's mask and striking up the torch once again.

Giles looked past her to Xander. "Soon."

Willow gazed past Oz to the window. She could see cars moving up and down the street as people went on with their lives. "They have no idea," she whispered to herself. They had no idea what lived under their town, what lay waiting in the dark, and no idea that there was a slight musician who owned her heart fighting for his life in this quiet house on an ordinary street.

Her gaze traveled down to Oz. She still gripped his hand tightly, reasoning that he wouldn't want her to let go.

It would only be a couple of hours before sunset. Then he would change again.

Her eyes welled up. She didn't think she could make it through another night of silence. She would give anything to hear Oz howl and yelp with the pain of the change - it would mean he was alive, awake, and aware of things. She sniffed. Ironic how just twenty four hours ago she would have given anything for change to be silent.

"Be careful what you wish for," she murmured.

Xander knocked on the door, revealing his presence. "You need anything?"

She shook her head.

"Would it be okay if I--?"

"Oh, Xander! You haven't slept!"

"Well, only a little, here and there," he acknowledged. "I just want a quick nap before tonight. Buffy's probably gonna need to crash soon too. Slayer stamina only goes so far."

She pointed a little to the left. "Spare bedroom."

He held up his hand. "I know where it is. Call if you need anything."

"I will. Thanks, Xand."

He disappeared from her view, and she let her eyes wander Oz's room slowly. She took in all the familiar sights. His guitar in the corner. The books on his desk. The handmade quilt from his grandmother draped over the chair Xander had been in minutes before.

She looked back to Oz, now no longer pink with fever, but rather very pale. "You have to come back," she said. "You still have so much to do. With me."

She stood and leaned in to kiss his lips softly, savoring the feel even though he was unresponsive. "I miss you."

She lay her head on his chest and closed her eyes, content to listen to his heart.

Oz floated in the nothing. It was quiet, and good for thinking, so he didn't mind. He had to find a way to get back to Willow. Problem was, he didn't know how to do that. He tried to listen for her, but couldn't hear anything. He started to imagine chipping his way through a brick wall with a hammer. That's how it felt to be in here, alone, knowing there was someone on the other side waiting for him.

Then he stopped. Although he still couldn't hear her, she was there again.

He could feel her lips on his, and more than anything, he wanted to kiss her back. But his body wouldn't obey his commands.

'Willow', he thought in frustration. He just wanted to talk to her, kiss her, be with her, but this damn fog wall was in the way. So he concentrated, trying to find some weakness in the ether around him. If he could feel her, there must be a way through. She was waiting, he knew.

He kept thinking her name, chanting like a mantra in his head.

"I miss you."

He pushed though, feeling more and more alert with the effort. He was close, he could tell. Just a little further…

The light seemed to shine like a beacon through the haze. His vision blurred, and then cleared. There she was. Right in front of him. Her eyes were closed as her head rested on his chest. He would never mistake the look on her face as sleeping - she looked tense and worried, her brow knitted even as she rested a little. He took a second to reacquaint his heart with her pale skin and beautiful face before he spoke. "I missed you, too."

Her green eyes flew open. She sat up with the suddenness of a thunderclap and then opened her mouth, trying to say something, but no words were coming out.

"Hi," he said, offering her a half-smile.

She threw herself into his arms and burst into tears that he hoped were happy ones.

"You're alive!!" she cried. "You're alive!"

"Was that an issue?" he asked.

"You're awake!" she continued. "And moving, and … Alive!"

"You said that," he replied, patting her comfortingly.

She drew back and looked at him. She searched his eyes and then touched his face, as if reassuring herself that this wasn't a dream. He took her hand from his face and kissed her palm.

"Willow! Are you o-?" Xander appeared in the doorway, shirtless and breathless. He took in the scene before him quickly. "Awake. He's awake." He took off down the hall, giving excited whoops. "Giles! Buff! We have awake! I repeat, Oz is AWAKE!"

Oz looked back to Willow, and amused smile toying with the idea of gracing his lips. "This seems to be a big deal."

"It is," she answered softly, capturing his lips with her own. He let her explore him, tentatively responding to the pressure when she smiled against his lips.

Giles burst into the room, nearly tripping over his own feet in his haste to get to them. They were kissing. He grinned. He couldn't help it. Xander and Buffy filed into the room after him. Giles straightened his glasses, and cleared his throat a little awkwardly. "I, uh, see you're awake, Oz."

Oz broke apart from Willow and stared at her eyes as he answered. "Yeah. Awake. I hear it's a big thing."

Giles' smile widened and he lay a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You have no idea."

Buffy broke through and happily hugged Oz. "Glad to see you're back."

Oz smiled at her. "I didn't take any photos while I was gone, sorry."

She laughed and leaned in to hug Willow. They all shared silly grins and nervous laughs, glad the ordeal was over.