Oz bounded through the halls on his way to his first class. The box of animal crackers he had just bought was in hand. He was going to be a little early - he'd have time for a snack. He snapped his head up as he caught a glimpse of red hair duck down the hallway ahead of him. He'd know that hair anywhere. He hurried and veered left to follow her down the hall. Willow was standing at her locker, opening it.

Oz approached her cautiously. He didn't want to jinx anything. "Hey," he offered.

She jumped slightly and the book in her hands clattered as it crashed to the bottom of her locker and then tumbled to the ground.

"Oh, geez, let me get that," Oz mumbled as he stooped to pick it up. He stood again and handed it to her. < Gotta think of something to say… > "Um, cute sweater."

Willow looked down at her sweater, bearing a black terrier on a white background. "Uh, um, yeah, thanks," she replied, nervously straightening the sweater as she put the book in her locker.

"Is everything ready for tonight?" Oz asked conspiratorally, looking over his shoulder to check for imminent Buffy arrival as he spoke.

"Oh, yeah!" Willow exclaimed happily. She pointed to a bag in her locker. "I've even got little party hats."

"Cool," Oz acknowledged. "So, should I pick you up tonight, or.." he trailed off, waiting for Willow to continue the sentence.

"Oh, sure. You can pick me up." She fumbled for a pen from her purse for a moment. Finding one, she scribbled her address on a small piece of lavender paper. "Buffy's supposed to be there by 7:30. And we have to set up a little before that, so.."

"Okay, I'll get you at six thirty." Willow nodded at that in agreement. "Where's the party?" Oz asked.

"The Bronze."

"But, the Bronze is closed tonight."

Willow grinned. "Not for us it isn't."

Oz's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Willow really knows people. Oz knew from his playing experiences at the Bronze that the manager hated just about everyone and hated closing for any reason. "Uh," he began, not sure what to say at all to this recent information. He abruptly remembered the box in his hand. He shook it at her. "Monkey or hippo?"

She smiled and surprised him with her answer, "Tiger."

Oz grinned happily and shook a few cookies out onto his hand. He picked the tiger out of the menagerie and handed it to her. "I'll see you tonight then."

Willow nodded and closed her locker. Oz helped her with one of the straps to her knapsack as she shouldered it and she smiled her thanks.

< Play it cool man >. Oz firmly started walking back in the direction he came while Willow went the other way. He looked back once and watched her retreating red hair disappear in the crowd. < Tiger. Coolness.. >

Oz and Willow stood at the door to the Bronze. The sign on the door proclaimed it closed for a private party. He still couldn't believe that Willow and her friends had reserved it for Buffy's party. It was getting dark quickly, and Willow kept looking around at the shadows nervously. She raised one hand and knocked firmly, causing a slight echo sound. They waited a few seconds before the door opened.

"Willow! Hi!" A dark-haired guy greeted them. He stepped aside so they could get through. "Do you need help carrying anything?"

Willow shook her head and she and Oz plopped their bags down on a nearby table. "Um, Angel, I'd like you to meet Oz. Oz, this is Angel. He's Buffy's boyfriend." < Oooh, Buffy's got a college guy >. Oz switched the helium balloons he was holding to the other hand and shook hands with the tall man. He'd seen Angel around, but never thought much of him. The guy just seemed to blend into the shadows.

"So," Willow grinned impishly as she clasped her hands together. "We've got some work to do." She opened her bags and pulled out balloons, streamers, a 'Happy Birthday' banner and some supplies for punch. "Did you get a punch bowl Angel?" Angel nodded and pointed to the bar, where a punch bowl and cups sat waiting. Willow grabbed her bag with the punch supplies and headed for the bar.

Oz tied the helium balloons to a nearby chair. He then grabbed the bag of balloons and ripped it open. He handed a balloon to Angel and started stretching a blue one in preparation for blowing. He raised it to his lips and inflated it with a few puffs. Angel still stood there with his balloon in hand, looking at it as if it would attack him. "Uh, you've done this before, right?" Oz asked, tying a knot into the end of his balloon.

Willow turned at his voice and looked slightly mortified for a split second. She crossed the room quickly and yanked the balloon from Angel's hands. "He can't! He.. uh,.. he,… has…asthma! Yeah! And he's, um, not allowed to blow up balloons." She looked at Angel pointedly. "Right Angel?"

Angel nodded, seemingly in relief and grabbed a bag of streamers and the banner from the table. "I'll do this."

Oz shrugged and continued to blow up balloons for a few more minutes. He had a good little collection of colors when his vision began to get blurred by little purple dots. "Uh, Willow, I think I'd better stop for a few minutes."

Willow looked at him and then giggled in sympathy. She gave the punch one last stir and came to join him. Angel had two streamers crossing the room now. Willow began tying some of the balloons together with a ribbon in preparation for hanging them from the light over the pool table. There was a sudden pounding at the door, and all three occupants of the room jumped. Angel had his hands stretched over his head as he hung streamers, and Willow was juggling several balloons, so Oz moved to the door to answer it.

He opened to find Xander standing there. The school's librarian, Mr. Giles, was approaching not far behind.

"Uh, hi!" Oz said, motioning for them to come in. "Willow and Angel are inside."

"And YOU are?" Xander asked, brushing past him.

"I'm Oz. I'm here with Willow," he replied, sticking his hand out. "You're Xander, right?"

Xander ignored his proffered hand and held his hands up to his temples. "You're here with Willow?"

Willow approached Xander and lightly slapped his arm. "Yes, he's my DATE." She handed him a couple of balloons. "Here, put some hot air to good use." Xander looked like he would explode. Oz resisted the urge to chuckle.

Mr. Giles politely shook hands as he entered. "Uh, hello, Oz." < Okay, now what is the school librarian doing at a birthday party for a student? >

"Um, hi, Mr. Giles." Oz wasn't used to talking to members of the faculty in a social situation. Or, in any kind of a situation for that matter.

"You may as well just call me Giles - the rest of them do," he said, motioning vaguely to the other occupants of the room.

"Uh, okay. Giles," he said, testing it. "So, uh, how do you know Buffy?"

Giles looked at Angel for a moment and blurted out an answer. "I'm her tutor?" It sounded more like a question than an answer. < This guy's weird. And he smells like mothballs. >

"Oh," Oz replied, slightly relieved to know that a student and a teacher didn't just socialize outside of school just for kicks. "I didn't know you tutored. What subject?"

Simultaneous cries of "English!" "History!" and "Poetry!" rang out.

"Actually, I - I tutor Buffy in all three," Giles replied nervously. He bolted deeper into the room.

Oz shook his head slightly and tried to close the door. "Hey!" a loud protest rang out from the other side of the door.

"Oh, sorry," Oz opened it again to see Cordelia, juggling a box and some shopping bags. "Uh, the Bronze is closed tonight for a private party." He moved to close the door again and was repelled slightly as Cordelia forcefully pushed against the door.

"I know that, Mr. Master-Of-the-Obvious!" She thrust some bags into his hands. "I'm providing the food!" She stepped into the room and eyed him. "Nice outfit," she snorted. She set the box down on a table and opened it to reveal a birthday cake.

Oz examined his clothes for a moment before he noticed the cake she had brought. "Cordelia, what are you doing here?" Oz leaned in closer to her. "This isn't exactly hanging out with Harmony or the pep squad. Are you friends with Willow and--?"

Cordelia looked momentarily stunned. "I…I'm not… I mean… I don't hang out …usually. It's just -- sometimes I hang with them to, you know, make them feel better about themselves. Give them a role model to aspire to."

Willow rolled her eyes as she took the bags from Oz. "Geez, thanks, Cordelia."

Cordelia closed in on Oz. "What are YOU doing here? This IS a PRIVATE party."

Willow stepped in front of Oz protectively. "He's with me. He's my …date." Oz broke into a wide grin behind Willow. Cordelia opened her mouth once, then twice, and turned around to join Xander at the bar. Very few people stood up to Cordelia Chase and got away with it.

Willow turned and smiled at him. He focused on her lips as she prepared to speak. < Willow just told Cordelia that * I * was her date. I am on my first date with Willow Rosenberg .>. He wanted to sigh with contentment. Willow's voice broke his train of thought, "Uh, I'm just gonna put these munchies in bowls and then we're pretty much ready. Could you hang those balloons from that light over there?" She pointed at the balloons in question and the light she wanted.

"Sure," Oz replied softly. He was more than happy to oblige any request she had. He successfully tied the balloons to the light, jumping as one popped unexpectedly. Xander laughed at his misfortune.

"It's almost time!" Willow exclaimed, bouncing in excitement. "Should we hide now?"

"Must we?" Giles asked. He accepted the noisemaker she gave him with a sigh.

Willow snapped a party hat to her head and offered one to everyone. Xander took one and tried to put it on one of the balloons he had blown up. He just succeeded in getting hideous squeaking noises from the balloon. Angel finally yanked the hat from his hands, much to everyone's relief.

"Do you hear something?" Angel asked. He stepped behind a column while Willow motioned for everyone else to hide behind the pool table.

They waited for a minute in silence. "I don't think you heard anything," Xander whispered to Angel.

Angel popped his head around the column. "Where is she?"

Willow raised her head for a moment and listened. She could hear something outside. "Shh. I think I hear her coming."

They waited for a few more seconds before they heard distinct clattering coming from outside the west window. Oz was about to ask what was going on when Buffy and some guy unexpectedly crashed through the window.

Oz joined the rest of the group as they hurried to the broken window. They walked closer in open-mouthed amazement as Buffy stood up and assumed a fighting stance. He watched in disbelief as Buffy planted a solid kick into the guy's chest. That's when Oz saw his face - all bumpy and unreal. And the teeth on this guy! He watched, unable to tear his eyes away, as Buffy grabbed a nearby drumstick and thrust into the guy's chest. As she pulled it back out, the guy exploded into a cloud of dust.

"Surprise!" Oz heard Cordelia yell from behind him.

Oz fought to think. To comprehend what had just happened. < That guy turned into DUST! 'Surprise?' Cordelia had said .> Out loud he agreed, "That pretty much sums it up."

Buffy stepped off the stage as Angel approached her. < Buffy made that guy turn into DUST >.

Angel lightly stroked Buffy's arms. "Buffy, are you okay?" he asked.

Giles stepped closer to the pair. "Yes. What happened?"

Buffy pointed in the direction behind her towards the window. "Uh. There were these vamps outsi--.." She stopped in mid-sentence and looked around at the party decorations. "What's going on?"

Oz's head started to swim. < BUFFY made that guy turn into dust. WAIT! Did she just say vamps? >

Giles stepped up to Buffy to answer her question. "Oh. Um. A surprise party." He blew on the noisemaker, making it unfurl at Buffy, and then threw it over his shoulder.

Cordelia stepped forward, "Happy birthday."

< Okay, let's review here. Buffy stabbed that guy with a drumstick and he turned to dust. > Oz shook his head slightly in disbelief. Maybe that punch was spiked with like, acid or something. If not, Willow and her friends were involved in a dangerous business.

Buffy smiled widely at the collected group. "You guys did all this for me? That is so sweet."

"You sure you're okay?" Angel asked, concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied emphatically.

Willow turned to Oz. "Are you okay?"

Oz broke out of his stupor and looked at her. < Sure, I just need confirmation that I'm not insane. > "Yeah…. Hey, did everybody see that guy just turn to dust?"

Willow sounded panicked for a second as Oz stared at Buffy, desperate for a reasonable explanation. "Uh, well…uh... sort of."

Xander took a breath and drawled, "Yep. Vampires are real. A lot of 'em live in Sunnydale. Willow will fill you in." He continued to move past Oz to the small crowd now clustering around Buffy.

Oz's head spun as images and thoughts fell into place in the space of an instant. < Okay, vampires are REAL. That guy was a vampire. Buffy killed him. Emily was not as drunk as I thought. Buffy fights vampires. Buffy's is therefore stronger than your average girl. So, Buffy's mom's boyfriend must have been a vampire. Or at the very least a really bad guy. It all makes sense! BUFFY FIGHTS VAMPIRES! > He looked at Willow as she stared at him, concern in her eyes.

Willow moved closer and spoke softly to him, "I know it's hard to accept at first."

Oz wanted to break into a grin. He settled for a slight smirk. "Actually, it explains a LOT."

Oz's attention was torn from Willow's worried face to Ms. Calendar coming through the door carrying a large box. "Can somebody give me a hand here?" she asked, struggling with the weight.

Angel and Giles quickly moved to take it from her. They set it on a nearby table as Ms Calendar pointed at the box. "Those creeps left this behind."

Buffy approached it cautiously. "What is it?" She turned to Giles as if he might know.

"I have no idea," he responded to her unanswered question. "Can -- can it be opened?"

Willow and Oz inched closer in curiosity.

Buffy ran her hand over the box before answering. "Yeah. This looks like a release right here." She undid the latch and opened the box. Oz couldn't see what was in the box, but he saw expressions of confusion mingled with disgust cross Buffy and Giles' faces. Without any warning, an arm shot out of the box and grabbed Buffy by the neck.

Oz immediately squashed the urge to wig, right there, right then.

Instead, he stepped protectively in front of Willow, intending on preventing whatever else was in that box from getting to her.

Buffy grabbed the arm and tried to force it to release her neck. She began choking as her air supply was cut off. Angel added his strength to hers, and between them they managed to get it to let go. Angel forced it back into the box quickly as Giles slammed the lid shut. Buffy, wild-eyed, moved a few steps away from the box and sat on the edge of the stage. She tried to catch her breath.

"Well, clearly the Hellmouth's answer to 'what do you get the Slayer who has everything?'" Xander quipped. Oz stared at him in confusion. Slayer? Was that Buffy's title or job description or what?

Giles stepped closer to Buffy, concern written all over his face. "Good heavens. Buffy, are you all right?"

Buffy coughed and choked a little as she struggled to get the air to answer his question. "Man, that thing had major grip."

"What was that?" Willow asked.

"It looked like an arm," Oz replied. Did this sort of thing happen around Buffy a lot? Did Willow spend every night hunting down bad evil things that were only supposed to exist in nightmares?

Angel suddenly spoke in a soft voice, the tone of which chilled Oz's spine. "It can't be. She wouldn't."

"What, uh, vamp's version of 'snakes in a can', or do you care to share?" Xander asked, sarcastically. Oz got the feeling that they didn't like each other very much. Or at least, Xander didn't like Angel.

"Angel?" Buffy prompted, trying to get him to answer Xander's question.

Angel spoke slowly, softly, as if still digesting his idea. "It-it's a legend. Way before my time... of a demon brought forth to rid the earth of the plague of humanity. Separate the righteous from the wicked. And to burn the righteous down. They call him the Judge."

Giles' face distorted in surprise. "The Judge? This is he?"

Angel looked grim as he answered the question. "Not all of him."

Buffy raised her hand and waved to get their attention. "Um, still needing backstory here."

Giles gazed at Angel for confirmation as he answered. "Um... He-- he couldn't be killed, yes? An army was sent against him. Most of them died... but, uh, finally they were able to dismember him, but ... not kill him."

Angel continued the tale. "The pieces were scattered. Buried in every corner of the earth."

"So all these parts are being brought here?" Ms. Calendar cautiously prompted.

"By Drusilla," Buffy supplied. "The vamps outside were Spike's men."

"She's just crazy enough to do it," Angel mused.

"Do what, reassemble the Judge?" Willow asked, her voice small and frightened. Oz had the sudden overwhelming urge to protect her from all this - stuff.

"And bring forth Armageddon," Angel concurred, meeting Buffy's eyes across the space between them.

The implications of the word Armageddon were beginning to penetrate the haze of surprise in Oz's head. Everyone in the room assumed an air of serious contemplation as they considered the possibilities. Except Cordelia. "Is anybody else gonna have cake?" she asked, moving over to the cake she had brought. < She never was the sharpest pencil in the box > Oz thought sighing.

"We need to get this out of town," Giles said unexpectedly.

"Angel," Ms. Calendar murmured, in thought.

"What?" Buffy asked.

Ms. Calendar answered as if she hadn't heard Buffy. "You have to do it. You're the only one that can protect this thing."

"What about me?" Buffy suggested, eager to take on the challenge.

"What, you're just gonna skip town for a few months?"

"'Months'?" Buffy echoed hollowly.

"She's right. I gotta get this to the remotest region possible." Angel moved to Buffy and the two of them stared at each other.

"But that's not months," she protested.

Angel gestured vaguely. "I gotta catch a cargo ship to Asia, maybe trek to Nepal."

"You know, those newfangled flying machines really are much safer than they used to be," Buffy interrupted.

"I can't fly. There's no sure way to guard against the daylight. I--I don't like this any more than you do, Buffy. But there's no other choice."

< Avoiding daylight? Why? OH .> Oz took a subconscious step backward and a little bit in front of Willow, protectively.

"When?" Buffy asked quietly, searching his face. Her voice had a tremor to it that Oz could tell she was trying to hide.

"Tonight. As soon as possible," Angel replied.

"But, it's my birthday," Buffy said, the tremor growing until she was on the verge of tears.

"I'll drive you to the docks," Ms. Calendar offered, approaching the pair slowly.

"Thanks," Angel accepted, reaching over to grab the locked crate from the table.

"So, that's it, then? You're just gonna go?" Xander asked, stepping up to Angel.

"I have to. I don't want to, but I have to."

Xander almost smiled. He patted Angel on the shoulder. "Have a good trip, man."

Cordelia began packing up the food, trying to avoid looking at the rest of the group.

Willow approached Buffy and gave her shoulders a squeeze. "Are you gonna be okay?" she asked softly, almost so that the others wouldn't hear. Oz's heart twisted as he watched Willow try to comfort her friend. Buffy nodded uncertainly, her gaze cast down at her feet, and Oz heard an audible sniff. Willow wrapped both arms around Buffy and gave her a tight hug. "Oh, Buffy." Oz watched as they clung to each other for support for a long moment. "We'll meet you at the library in a little while, okay?"

"Yeah," Buffy agreed, her voice no more than a whisper. She broke the hug with Willow and went to open the door for Angel as he carried the box. Ms. Calendar followed quickly. The door slammed loudly behind them.

"Well," Giles began. "That didn't go as well as I'd hoped." He examined the worried faces of the remaining people in the room. "I suppose I had best get to the library and look up all I can find on this Judge character."

"Do you need any help?" Willow asked, still staring at the closed door they had gone through.

"Well, yes, I probably will require someone to help research. But it is late and I know you have school tomorrow, so maybe it would be best-"

"No, I'll be there in a little bit," Willow interrupted. "I want to be there when Buffy comes back."

"Me too," Xander chipped in.

"Yes, well, I'd best get going. I'll see you shortly." Giles moved to the door and left.

Willow looked at the uneaten food and sighed. "Well, this was kind of a bust." She looked at Xander. "Wanna help clean up before we head over to the school?"

He nodded and began to climb on a table to remove the balloons from the light Oz had tied them to earlier.

"I, uh, have to go," Cordelia said, glancing at her watch. Oz was surprised at the tone of her voice. She sounded almost ….apologetic. "But I'll come by tomorrow and get the scoop." Cordelia put on her jacket and began to gather her belongings.

"Uh, oh," Xander said, from his vantage point on one of the table. He looked at Willow. "Sorry Will. Cordy's my ride."

"Oh," Willow said softly. She looked from Xander, to Oz, to Cordelia, before starting the circle again. She looked like she was at a loss for words.

Oz stepped forward. "I can give you a ride, man. I'm going to drop Willow off at the library anyway. It wouldn't be any trouble."

Oz thought he was being polite and charitable. Xander apparently didn't feel the same way. "Oh no, I wouldn't want to impose on your DATE."

Oz frowned, puzzled by his behavior. What did Willow ever see in this guy? "No really, it's fine. I'd be glad to do it."

Xander looked for an instant like he might hit Oz, then he turned away suddenly. "Fine. I'm going with them," he told Cordy, jerking a thumb in Oz's direction.

Oz's eyebrows shot up at the venom in his tone, but he remained silent. Cordelia nodded and left silently. Oz began putting the remaining food in some containers that had been left on one of the tables. He stacked the containers neatly on the bar. Xander began wordlessly pulling down the streamers and balloons. Willow had emptied the punch bowl and was rinsing it in the small sink behind the bar.

"Where do you want this stuff?" Oz asked, gesturing to food.

Willow shrugged. "Angel was going to take care of it. I guess we can just leave it here for the staff."

Oz pointed to the open window behind them. "We can't just leave the window like that. Anyone could get in." Oz began turning on more lights. "We gotta find a board or something to put there."

Xander crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Let's see, fight the Judge and stop Armageddon or find a board? Oh, gee, which should we choose?"

"Xander," Willow said threateningly. "Oz is right. Now c'mon and help us find something."

Willow went into the kitchen and Oz ducked into one of the back hallways. Near the end of one he found stairs leading to the basement. He fumbled for the light switch and then went down the stairs. He found a large board in the corner near the base of the stairs that would do nicely. He grabbed it with both hands and hissed as a sliver imbedded in his palm. He carefully picked it out before trying again. < This has to be the weirdest first date ever. > He tested the weight, making sure it wouldn't re-injure his arm before he lifted it and began ascending the stairs again.

He came to a stop as he heard voices arguing.

"So what if he's in a band?" he heard Willow challenge.

"C'mon Will, band guys, you know. Conquests, groupies, drugs, sex, and rock and roll!" he heard Xander exclaim.

"Xander, you don't know him. Oz is a really nice guy. You're not even giving him a chance! What's wrong with you?"

Oz dropped the board as she called him a nice guy, unintentionally announcing his presence. He felt pleased that Willow was defending him. She was so amazing. He quickly adjusted his hold on the board and carried it into the hallway, where he was met by Xander.

"Oh, you'd better give me that. It's almost bigger than you," Xander said.

Oz's eyes narrowed and he offered Xander an end of the board.

Xander grasped his end and cried out in pain. "OW!"

"What is it?" Willow hurried forward. Oz felt suddenly jealous as he watched her rush to his aid.

"Sliver," Xander whimpered pathetically, extending his hand for her to see. Willow examined it closely for a moment. She seemed to find something and began pinching his skin. Xander wailed and flinched as she worked to get the sliver out. Finally she held her hand up and showed him the tiny speck.

"Is this it?"

"Well, yes, but it went RIGHT in. I'm sure it was resting against a nerve ending or something."

"Uh huh," Oz agreed. "Can we go now here?"

Now Xander narrowed his eyes at Oz. The two of them quickly carried the wood to the window and forced it into the open spot.

"I couldn't find any nails or a hammer," Oz began, turning to Willow. She was pushing at various spots on the board, testing for weak points.

"It's okay. It seems pretty tight." She turned and smiled at Oz. "It was a good idea. We should get going." She gathered her purse and the remaining bags of party supplies. Xander was already waiting at the door.

"Do you have a key for the Bronze too?" Oz asked, attempting to lighten the mood.

Willow smiled. "The door locks automatically. See?" She showed him the latching mechanism. "Come on." She led the way out of the Bronze and Oz hurried ahead of her to open the van for her. He opened the passenger door for her and stood there, open-mouthed as Xander bounded into the passenger seat.

"Thanks man," Xander said.

Willow stood patiently beside Oz, eyebrow raised while she waited for Xander to clue in. Oz cleared his throat loudly. Xander looked at the couple for a split second before he became clear with the situation. "Oh right! You guys date, me backseat." He scrambled into the small backseat, and Oz helped Willow into the van. He took her bags from her and secured them beside Xander before closing the passenger door and crossing to his own side of the van.

Continues