Trust Epilogue:
*****

The images and emotions were flashing through her awareness so fast she couldn't understand them. She saw herself trying to stake Angel, hitting Giles, kicking Willow, and, finally, throwing Oz across the room.

Then the images would shift and turn into the dark intense pleasure of the Master's feeding. It seemed to blend seamlessly into the glorious surrender of her Will to Ethan's spell. The images and feelings changed yet again back to her trying to kill her family. The pain of her the betrayal becoming unbearable to the point that she begged for insanity to come and take her away.

But the warm emotions of the man holding her wouldn't let it. Somehow he knew; everytime she felt herself sinking into the bleak darkness of insanity he would tighten his hold on her and pull her back from the edge.

Until, finally, the dreams lost their power over her because of him. For how could she be ashamed of her actions while under Ethan's thrall if 'he' wasn't? How could she continue to feel the anguish and terror at being helpless when his love permeated her being? If someone like Oz could still love and forgive her after all she did, then she could learn to forgive herself, too.

Slowly she relaxed; slowly she began to believe in the truth of the unrelenting strength of his love. And through his love she began to heal.

*****

Oz held on to the thrashing slayer with all his strength. He clung to her with the last bit of endurance keeping her from the edge with only his love.

Oz watched wrinkles in Buffy's troubled brow soothe out at the same time he felt the violent fever that had gripped her all night lessen.

He glanced up to at the vampire as he hovered in the doorway of the bedroom. Angel had been there all night keeping watch over the two lovers. Just as he had promised.

"It's over," Oz stated hoarsely. 'It was exactly like you knew it would be. We almost lost her, again."

"I know, Oz. The confusion and then the guilt of remembering…." Angel's words trailed off and his eyes clouded with remembered pain. "She's going to sleep, now, Oz why don't you try to get some too?"

Oz nodded and closed his eyes: he felt safe with the knowledge that Angel would die before he would let anything hurt Buffy again. He fell asleep with his and his true love's soul intertwined as closely as they could get.

The End
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