Title : Fame
Feedback: PLEASE!!!! BethNirvanaChiWilliams@E-squires.freeserve.co.uk
(Please send feedback love Beth P.S there is a Sha mention! I've decided
to mention everyone that sends me nice feedback from now on in my fics.)
So far Sha and Emilie have had mentions.
Disclaimer : you know the score - I'm not associated with Joss, Buffy,
Angel or anything like that, but sure would like to be!
Spoilers: New Moon Rising - season 4 Buffy.
Rating: no clue
Category: B/O (B/W angst) (T/W-ish)
Distribution - everywhere as long as you mail me first, telling me where
it'll be. All my fics archived at http://www.gurlpages.com/tv/wbfanfiction
(eventually) and The Buffy/Oz writers Guild Site at
http://www.oocities.org/TelevisionCity/Taping/1085/

Oz groggily came to and found himself staring into the eyes of a beautiful
woman...
".. Sha"
Sha beckoned to him and Oz slowly raised himself so he was supported by his
elbows and took one hand to his painful forehead and found that he was
bleeding. He glanced back at Sha, there she was; same purple shirt and
wedge-mules, but she was morphing into something horrible. This new demon
had huge ears and a crow's nose with a ring of hair on the top of its bald
head.
"Snyder..."
Oz knew who it was and what he had to do, so he got to his feet and stumbled
across the room, trying to straighten up his ever wonky vision, but before
he got to the Snyder-beast it fell to the floor, hit from behind by a
red-headed girl.
"Willow..."
Then it all went black.

*****************************************

"Daniel Osbourne, male, 24 years old, concussion - can the medical student
take care of this?" She looked at the med student. "You know who he is,
right?"
"Yeah, O....Dan from Dingoes Ate My Baby."
"Right, remember anything he wants, he gets. Come on, let's leave her to
it."
As the two older women left the blonde girl looked down at the pale face of
her former friend and gently brushed his unshaven cheek with her left hand
murmuring his name, hoping it could all seem a little more real.
'Oz...? What happened?'
'..wha.... Buff?.....I.....uh...'
Oz opened his eyes and turned to her, unable to speak due to the large
swollen mass that he used to call his cheek.
"Shhhh, don't worry, it'll all be ok. I'll just go check on Willow..."
Oz tried to get up...
"Willow?"
"shhhh, Oz, she's ok... she's asleep in the waiting room. It turns out that
she hit you with a steel pole whilst trying to save you from some screaming
fans."
Oz rolled his eyes *I knew I was tripping.* and sunk back down onto the bed.
"I know, I know. Do you need any painkillers?"
Oz nodded and pointed to his cheek,
"I get it..."
Oz suddenly realised that Buffy was going to inject him herself; his eyes
widened and he looked increasingly worried. I mean, sure, she had saved him
from Demons on countless occasions, but everyone knew she was a fairly ditzy
babe and this didn't exactly help Oz's needle phobia.
Buffy squirted the needle to check there were no air bubbles and Oz
fainted...
"I guess you won't be needing this any more..."

*************************************************

Oz awoke to three beautiful women in his room, one red-head, two blondes.
"Shit... hey I got my Sh's back!"
The curse was due to Tara being there, the celebration due to the fact that
the swelling in his cheek had gone down.
"Maybe I sh..sh..should g..g..go."
"Yeah Tara, maybe you should"
Oz was surprised by the nasty tone of his own voice.
"Look, I'm sorry, I guess I didn't mean it, any ...uh.. friend of Willow's
is a fr...acquaintance of mine."
"Wife."
Oz looked at Willow..
"huh?"
"She's my wife Oz, we got married six months ago."
Oz's mouth fell open and his eyes filled with tears, he looked to Buffy for
support.
"Uh, guys, visiting hours are over.... you'd better go."
Willow and Tara left the room, holding hands, without saying a word. Oz was
deep in thought, tears falling down his cheeks.
"Oz.... I, uh, I'm sorry."
"I always thought there could be something, sometime, in the future for
Willow and me. I never gave up hope for her to come back into my arms, you
know...?"
"I know, been there..."
Buffy sat down onto the bed next to him, Oz tried to change the subject, but
was interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Dan, you ok, babe?"
A middle-aged woman with long blonde hair and way too much make-up on walked
through the door. Buffy looked at Oz for an explanation.
"Oz?"
"Buffy, meet Lola, Dingoes' agent."
"Oz? Who's Oz?"
"A childhood nickname, Lola. Uh, this is Buffy an old friend of the
Sunnydale gang."
"Right, Buffy... you know, you could model.... with the right lighting..."
She cut to the chase "Would you like to be in the Dingoes next video for the
song "Pain"?"
Oz looked embarrassed;
"Lola, she's a med student, I don't think she'll be interested in playing
Dev's girlfriend for one of our videos."
Buffy squirmed at the thought, but Lola carried on regardless
"Devon's? No, not Devon's...yours. She's your height, beautiful and you're
already friends, she's perfect. Come on Dan, we've been casting forever.
No-one else is beautiful and your height. She's perfect."
Oz looked at Buffy and started shaking his head...
"It'd be too weird......"
"I'm not taking no for an answer Daniel... Buffy, here's my business card,
call me or drop in with Dan sometime. I'm sure you've heard of The Dingoes."
"Who hasn't?"
"I'll see you soon then. Oh, one more thing, will Dan be out by tomorrow
evening? It's just they're playing in Las Vegas...."
"...Classy..." Oz murmured
"....and he needs to be there."
"Uh, we'll see what we can do Lola."
"Also, I would step up the security here, Daniel's a big star among the
teenagers and the rock chicks. You never know what might happen."
Oz turned a deep shade of purple, knowing it was the truth, but embarrassed
at the thought of Buffy treating him like a star.
"Sure Lola, I'll look into it."
Buffy winked at Oz, and he played along.
"I could do a tour of the Children's wards, you know, kissing babies and
stuff...."
"I shall arrange that for later on today. Is your pillow plump enough Mr.
Osbourne?"
"Oh no, please call me Daniel! Yet, Nurse Buffy, the plumpness of my pillow
is not adequate, please be careful about that or I may have to throw this
television through the window."
Lola raised her eyebrows..
"Okay, okay, you kids sort it out, and get better soon honey, ok?"
Oz smiled at his agent,
"Sure, thanx Lola."
Lola took one step out of the door, and two steps back in, talking on her
mobile.
" 'Alex, I think security may be needed at this point, there are about 20
pubescent girls outside his door with Dingoes' posters.' Look Dan, honey, I
know you don't want to be affected by all this fame stuff, but you need
someone here. I'm sending Alex down okay?"
"Okay, send him, but all they want is my autograph.... I'm not exactly
doing anything else..."
Buffy shook her head,
"Uh, uh, uh... you are prescribed a LOT of rest, Oz, ok?"
Oz looked up at her with a scowl.
"Okay, I'll sign some posters when Buffy brings them to me. Bye Lola."
"Chow."
Lola left for the second time, and a few wails of "Daniel" floated through
the door.
"So, *Daniel*, huh?"
"Yeah, after the whole Willow thing I thought I'd go back to my roots."
"Right, I get it. So how's your life? I mean, Dingoes are massive, how did
it happen?"
"I have no idea at all, we released a record and all of a sudden we were on
Letterman, and got to Billboard's No.1."
"I've seen you on TV, still laconic though, huh?"
"Why change the habit of a lifetime?.... plus it's in my contract. I'm the
shy one, who's looking for love, commitment and ..."
"... a life?!"
"Pretty much."
"Are you happy?"
"I guess.... I mean, I have money, sex when I want it, gorgeous women
everywhere all the time, good friends, hash......"
"You didn't answer my question, Oz..."
".....I don't know, my life's kinda a blur, I get up, smoke dope, do some
shows or record some shit, smoke some more, go to bed."
Buffy placed her hand on his shoulder.
"I never really saw you as a dope-smoking kinda guy.."
"Me neither, I didn't think I was stupid, but after Tara and Willow I needed
to distract and distance myself. I really just...."
A tall broad-shouldered man walked through the door, he had a goatee,
moustache and dark glasses.
"Oz-man, I'm here for the girls!"
"Look, man, you're supposed to protect me, not encourage them!"
Buffy stared at the guy....
"Xander?"
"Buffy?"
He took his glasses off and enveloped the petite girl in a tight hug.
"What are you doing working here?............. Not that I'm complaining,
'cos you look damn hot in that uniform!"
"I needed to do something. You know, I was just sleeping all day, slaying
all night, so I thought I'd get a shift here. What are YOU doing?"
"Oh, I bumped into wolf-boy here about two months ago, trying to get out of
The Bronze without being crushed. I took my sunglasses out of my pocket,
adopted a deep voice and ker-ching! Lola told me I was his personal
bodyguard!"
Buffy raised an eyebrow and looked at Oz;
"Really?"
"Yeah, that was pretty much it."
"So do you think Lola was serious about me being your girlfriend?"
Xander looked confused
"Whoa, she's hiring you a *girlfriend*. Man, you aren't that desperate are
you? I mean, you have a different girl for every day of the year!"
Oz tried to silence Xander with a look, Buffy caught it and giggled.
"Xander, it's for their new video, you know for 'Pain' ."
Xander looked even more amazed....
"Man, you have no idea what you've let yourself in for. Have you seen any of
the other 'Dingoes' videos?"
Buffy shook her head.
"Of course you haven't, they're all pretty much X-rated! I do NOT know what
you are going to have to wear....... phwoar..."
Oz reassured Buffy;
"Devon usually comes up with ideas for the videos, but I won't let him make
you do anything you don't want to okay?"
He took her hand and squeezed it.
"Deal. So, uh, what have you had in your videos?"
Oz squirmed...
"Well, it usually revolves around pretty much naked girls, pleasuring Devon
with us in the background playing instruments. I'm surprised he's actually
letting me have a girl with me this time. It's probably 'cos I wrote the
song and he feels guilty for taking all the credit."
Buffy looked uncomfortable...
"Don't worry Buffy, it's all acting. They won't, like, ask us to, literally,
have...... sex........ or...... anything..."
She looked him in the eyes and they stared at each other for a minute...
"Uh, I'm gonna go outside and guard you, okay?"
Xander destroyed the moment and Oz and Buffy looked embarrassed...
"Sure, just don't let those two fat nurses in here okay?"
"Whatever, I'll say ' No-one comes in, no-one goes out.' in my manly voice."
Buffy smiled,
"Very manly, now go guard."
"Look after yourself, Oz-man."
"Will do."
Xander took up his stance outside the door and Buffy turned to face Oz
again.
"So, this dope thing... is that all you do?"
"Yeah, I don't wanna do anything else you know. I mean I was tripping when
this damn thing happened; I thought I saw an ex-girlfriend, and then she
turned into Snyder and then it all blacked out..."
"Riiighht. You have a problem, you know that?"
"Yeah, I know. I can't stop though, I need it. I get lonely and then I think
about Will and then you and........"
"Wait, backtrack, you think about me?"
"Of course I do, you're every guy's fantasy: beautiful, blonde, smart and
can kick anyone's ass."
Buffy grinned;
"Really? Thanks, you're doing wonders for my colour."
Oz looked embarrassed;
"No problem, anyway, I escape through the hash, Buffy, it makes everything
clearer. Marijuana was one of the things that the monks and warlocks in
Romania and Tibet gave me for my wolf-out thang. It kinda progressed from
there."
"I understand, I guess. just try to cut down okay? For me?"
Oz nodded.
"Sorry that I let Tara in here, it's just Will's still my best friend and
I've kinda got to know Tara recently. She's okay, if you get to know her."
Oz looked down,
"I don't doubt that. It's just hard, you know. Her being of the female
gender and that. How can she make Willow feel the way that I made her feel?"
"I don't know Oz, I can't explain it. Well, I can, there's adult toys and
stuff...... Willow loves her though, and no-one can change that."
Oz took Buffy's hands in his.
"I kn... What the f**k?"
There was a flash from the window.
"What floor are we on, Buffy?"
"The ground floor, why?"
"We've just made the papers. I'd shut the blinds if I were you."
Buffy jogged across the ward to the window and shut the blinds, as Oz
shouted.
"Xander, photographers, outside!"
"Oakally Dokally, little man. I'm on it!"
Buffy was back at Oz's bed.
"What can he do?"
"Well, he can seize the camera and film from him, or nothing, and you and
me'll be lovers by morning.....hypothetically."
"But they can't prove anything!"
"We were holding hands and looking meaningfully at each other. That's enough
for them."
Buffy smiled;
"I guess.... I don't care though, because I am now officially asking you
out...."
Oz looked at her oddly, Buffy restated the question:
"On a date."
"Me... why? I mean, I have nothing to offer you. I'm a drug addict in a
leading rock band that do dirty videos."
"But you're Oz."
"That I cannot deny. Look, I'd love to, really, but I'll have to clear it
with Lola, can you pass me my mobile?"
Buffy reached for it,
"You have to clear it with your agent?"
Oz dialled the number,
"Yeah, it's in my contract, it's shitty, really..... Lola? It's me; Dan. I
was wondering what you'd say to me having a girlfriend...... she'd have to
be long term...."
Buffy nodded in agreement
".......Buffy Anne Summers........ yeah that's her........ hang on a sec.
Buffy, she wants to know if you'll be in our video?"
"Tell her yes I will, as long as I get paid !!!!!"
"........that's fine Lola, as long as she gets paid....... yeah, wouldn't
you want to be paid for getting off with me.......that was a rhetorical
question Lola........okay shhh now!...... statement?....uh: We're high
school friends who recently met up and are very happy..... she's 23, 5'3",
long blonde hair and hazelish eyes.... yes they have a picture already, okay
I have to go now....bye.."
"Ok?"
"Ok. I can't believe you asked me out...... it's unbelievable, I had no idea
at all. Have you liked me for long, or am I just tripping here?"
Buffy smiled;
"You know in high school, when I got turned into a rat, and then you saw me
naked? Well I've fancied you from then, 'cos you were such a gentleman about
it. You never said anything to anyone, it was always just between you and
me."
Oz grinned;
"Oh, believe me, I thought about it.... a lot. Willow and I weren't doing
anything so it fuelled my fanta.... but this is about me being a gentleman."
"Oh and then when I looked after you in wolf-mode and you changed back and
were asleep....... I sneaked a peek at the good stuff!"
"*What?* Shit, Buffy, that's what the towels were for."
"Oh come on, Willow put them up, they never covered anything if you looked
hard enough, and sometimes I didn't exactly need to look hard, if you know
what I mean."
Oz was blushing behind his ears and Buffy smiled...
"Look, baby we're gonna help each other through all our collective troubles,
okay? I need you, Oz just like I know you need me. I'm never going to let
you go. I promise."