AN: Hey guys, thanks for all the positive feedback, sorry it's taken me a little longer than i'd planned to get this chapter up but i'll make it up to you guys... i swear... lots more chapters soon and Willow Tara goodness... i promise.

Chapter 3

"Xand?" Xander was sitting in the first row of plastic hospital chairs, his head in his hands.

"She's in surgery" he relayed without looking up.

"You should go get cleaned up" Tara pointed to his bloodstained hands and shirt "We'll be okay here"

Xander nodded "I'll try not to take too long" He pulled Dawn against him for a moment "She'll be okay, Dawn"

"I hope so" Dawn agreed, looking doubtful.

"Come here, Dawnie" Tara offered, patting the seat next to her as Xander disappeared into the bathroom. Dawn accepted the offer gratefully and pressed her body against Tara's, the older woman smoothing the younger girl's hair down soothingly. Willow slipped onto the other side of Dawn and pressed a hand to her knee.

"Xander's right, she'll be fine. Any time now a doctor will come out here and tell us that she's doing fine and we can go see her. Just wait"

"I don't think I could handle losing her again. I mean you guys were great and everything, but she's my sister and I need her"

"We all do" Tara agreed.

"I've lost so much. I can't handle losing anything else" She buried her face in Tara's shoulder and the blonde tried to comfort her as best she could while Willow pressed a comforting hand to her shoulder, her eyes meeting Tara's over Dawn's shoulder. When Xander returned a few minutes later he took Tara's place leaving the two witches to search for some food and see if they could find out what was happening.

"You okay?" Tara asked as they rounded the corner away from the other two, Willow's eyes fixed on the gentle hand on her bare forearm, Tara's touch was just as electrifying as the first time.

"I don't know. I'm not sure if I could lose her again. She's the first female friend I ever had and apart from you she's the best. And if she dies then this time there won't be any bringing her back. She'll be gone for good." It was Willow's turn to cry, and just as she had done with Dawn, Tara pulled the red-head against her. She inhaled the familiar scent of her ex-lover, floral but not overpowering, she missed the way it mixed with her own vanilla scent on their sheets and in their clothes. God how she missed Willow.

"She'll be okay Sweetheart" Tara barely noticed as she slipped back into her old habits, the easy way pet names slipped from her lips. She felt Willow stiffen for a moment under her touch before relaxing against her again and clinging to Tara's t-shirt as if her life depended on it. For a moment Tara wondered if she was doing the right thing, if she was overstepping her bounds, but they were friends and friends comforted each other during the tough times. That's all she was doing.

Rather than subside the tears just came harder the longer Tara held Willow. "Shh baby, it'll all gonna be okay" Tara promised, before pressing her lips gently to Willow's temple.

When Willow finally stopped crying Tara reluctantly let her go, her hand lingered on the red-head's shoulder longer than was friendlier but Willow didn't care.

"We better go grab some food, we have to make sure Dawn eats something. You too, you're practically skeletal, you have to look after yourself Willow" Tara's voice was gentle and far from accusatory, it held nothing but concern for the woman she still loved.

The two wiccans were silent as they searched the hospital for a vending machine, the food might not be particularly nutritional but it would certainly taste better than whatever was in the cafeteria. As they stood beside the vending machine and tried to decide what to get Willow was reminded of another night spent in the hospital, but that night there was no hope left inside them, no hope that things would work out. Joyce was dead. Willow hoped that the day wouldn't end that way for Buffy. The pair managed to limit themselves to their known favourites, they doubted anyone would be in the mood to eat anyway, but they had to try.

By the time they got back Dawn had stopped crying and was chatting to Xander, almost as if nothing had happened, though her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. Before they even had a chance to present their purchases Xander was talking.

"The Doctor came while you were gone. She's out of surgery. They're not sure if she'll make it, they said there's about an eighty percent chance. But they're not taking into account her slayer strength, healing thing, they said we can go in two at a time, she probably won't be awake until tomorrow though. But I'll stay if you like, you three should really go home and get some rest at some stage."

"Woah, XandMan slow down, you're putting Willow to shame with that babbling" Dawn joked causing Xander to shut up and Willow to blush.

"Well, obviously Dawn should be allowed to go in first" Tara said suddenly, distracting the other two adults from their embarrassment.

"No question" Willow agreed "You can go with her if you like Xander, unless you'd prefer one of us" Willow added turning to Dawn for her opinion.

"I don't really mind. I love all you guys"

"Okay" Xander agreed "As long as you're sure Willow. I mean she's your best friend" he asked feeling unsure.

"Yours too" Willow reminded, plus the idea of leaving Tara when she didn't have to, in fact any chance to mend their fragmented relationship, was one she intended to take full advantage of. Xander nodded and disappeared down the hallway with the youngest Summers leaving Willow and Tara once again alone.

"Here Will, eat these while they're gone" Tara attempted to hand Willow a bag of candy snakes, but the young witch refused.

"I'm really not hungry"

"You have to keep your strength up Will, Dawn needs you to be the strong one. At least have a few" Tara begged "For me"

"Okay" Willow relented, Tara tried not to remember the movie nights they used to have in her dorm room. Back when everything was still new, when they weren't doing magic they'd lie on Tara's bed a bag of snakes between them while they watched whatever movies they could find, or borrow from Xander and see which of them could tie knots with their tongue on the most snakes. Willow would always win, it was supposed to be a sign of kissing ability, and Tara didn't doubt that it was true, Willow definitely had an extraordinarily gifted mouth, and not just when it came to kissing. She watched as Willow dug through the bag searching for the red and yellow snakes, she'd always hated the others, not that Tara minded.

Xander and Dawn returned a few minutes later indicating that it was Willow and Tara's turn, before they headed to the room Tara chucked the rest of the snakes to Xander and a bag of M&M's to Dawn "Eat something while we're gone" she instructed "Xander, make sure she eats"

Buffy looked terrible, as pale as the sheets that she lay on. Her body was completely lifeless.

"Oh god, Tara. She looks so bad. What if she doesn't make it?" Suddenly Willow's lip was quivering again and Tara knew that there was a possibility they could help her chances of survival, but she'd need Willow's help and she wasn't sure if the woman was that strong yet.

"Will?" she asked tentatively "We can help her, we can help heal her. But I'd need your help. I won't ask though unless you can promise me you're up to it" she couldn't believe she was even suggesting magic to the recovering addict, especially because she knew Willow wouldn't be able to say no.

"I think I can control it. If you're with me." God, she seemed so unsure of herself, Willow used to be so confident in her abilities, how dare anyone take that away from her.

"I'll be here" Tara assured "There's things I can teach you, afterward" she added "About how it all works, and how to control it."

"There are?" Willow seemed surprised, they'd only really ever talked about casting spells, how did Tara know so much more than her.

"Yes"

"Oh, why didn't you teach me before?" Willow asked confused.

"You didn't want to learn" Willow nodded, Tara was right, all she'd wanted before was power, now all she wanted was love, but she did miss doing magic.

"Okay, if you'll be there then I can do it" Tara smiled when she saw the Willow resolve appear. Tara could have performed the spell by herself but by adding Willow's help she was able to increase it's power ten fold. Although neither of them were powerful enough to entirely heal Buffy's injury by the time they'd finished the slayer had a little colour back in her face and they had to hope that her slayer healing would be able to do the rest.

As they were heading back to the waiting room Willow stopped suddenly and Tara doubled back to find out what was wrong.

"Can you stay with me tonight. I mean me and Dawn. You can have Buffy's bed, I'm not thinking anything you know more than friendly, but we could really use you there. I mean you're the strongest person I know" For a moment Tara searched Willow's eyes for a hint that there might be more than she was letting on, but she found nothing.

"I guess. But only because of Dawn, okay, don't get any ideas"

"Just because of Dawn. Got it." Tara smiled, it was a step, albeit a small one. But Willow Rosenberg had actually asked for help and Tara could never deny her anything, especially not that which she had been so willing to give and waiting desperately for Willow to accept. Tara saw hope, perhaps Willow had changed, maybe she'd even be able to trust her again... one day.