A/N: I haven't tried to write with this show before and posted it so for now this is a one-shot. I also don't know medical stuff so feel free to correct me so I can learn but please do so nicely.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Buffy the Vampire Slayer and if I did I sure wouldn't be broke.

"And I just don't understand…" Anya sobbed. "It's stupid and it's mortal!"

"Sometimes the hardest thing in this world… is to live in it…" Buffy and Dawn's voices echoed together.

"Your shirt…" Tara breathed.

Time froze in that moment for Willow. She'd never known a single moment to move so slowly before. The blood spread across Tara's chest as she collapsed. Willow fell to her knees in shock. This couldn't be true. Tara couldn't… not now. Not so soon.

Who did this? What happened? They were fine just a moment ago…

"Tara?" Willow sobbed. "Baby please…" she pleaded, cradling Tara's head in her lap with tears streaming down her face.

Willow hardly noticed Buffy and Xander as they came racing up the stairs and into her room.

"Oh god…" Xander paused.

"Tara?" Buffy breathed in shock. "Xander call 911. Now." She ordered.

Xander didn't move. He'd seen plenty of death over the years, but this?

"Xander! Go!" Buffy snapped, pushing him a little roughly. Xander stumbled and ran to grab the phone.

Buffy moved to Tara's other side where Willow was still sobbing and gently tried to check Tara's pulse. "Will, keep her still." She murmured.

The redhead nodded and tried to calm down, not doing a very good job of it.

"It's there… it's faint, but it's there. She's breathing. Barely." Buffy pulled her hand from Tara's wrist and moved to put pressure on the gunshot wound. She must've been lucky enough for it barely to have missed killing her. "Willow, towel."

"What?" Willow murmured.

"A towel! Get a towel! For the blood!" Buffy repeated, now in her pretending to be calm for the sake of the job mode. She could panic later. There wasn't time for that now and god this could have been her… it was for her… not not Buffy.

The blonde narrowed her eyes and snatched the towel from Willow a moment later, putting it under her blood soaked hands and returning to applying pressure. Xander was in the doorway again.

"Five minutes." He said quietly, crossing to sit with Willow who was curled up crying. She immediately clung to him, unable to watch.

"Damn it, Tara, stay with me." Buffy growled, staring the other girl down to make sure she kept breathing.

Time was passing so slowly. Too slowly. Had it been five minutes yet? It had to be. If not now then soon. What was she going to tell Dawn? Where was Dawn? Maybe she was at school. Buffy couldn't remember. She'd figure it out later.

Finally! The sirens in the distance became audible and gradually grew louder. Xander got up and ran to get the door and lead them upstairs. Willow stood, shakily, and just watched, still terrified.

The paramedics came into the room quickly and upon seeing the amount of blood on the towel instructed Buffy to keep putting pressure before they moved Tara onto the gurney and carefully moved her to the ambulance. Willow and Xander followed as they were instructed and climbed into the ambulance.

The trip to the hospital, like everything else, seemed to take forever despite only being a few minutes. A paramedic had taken Buffy's place and the Slayer was now staring down at her hands, covered in her friend's blood. She hadn't felt this powerless in a long time.

The trio was sent to the waiting room and promised an update as soon as possible, but everything felt like a blur. A bit ironic for it to be back to just the three of them again, wasn't it? Not that any of them wanted it to stay that way.

Buffy washed the blood from her hands the best she could, but her clothes were stained now, and Willow's white shirt still prominently displayed blood splatters, some of which had spread to Xander. What a mess they must look…

For now though, nothing could be done. They could only sit and wait.

A/N: well that's all I've got for now! Should I do something else with this, or write a new story? Please let me know and any constructive criticism is much appreciated!