Suddenly Xander ran into the cave. "I have the jeep ready and the ambulance will be waiting for us. Hurry!" He ran over to Willow's small and fragile body and lifted her up; he looked at Tara and saw the worry, fear and confusion in the gentle woman's eyes. "Let's get going!"
Buffy, Dawn and Kennedy ran to the jeep and cleared the back seat. As Xander and Tara got to the jeep, Tara climbed in and waited for Xander to place Willow on her lap. She noticed Xander hesitate for a second; he looked at the young woman, who had tear-stained cheeks.
Xander knew that this wasn't a time to pick who got to hold Willow. Willow needed him to be strong and he refused to let her down. He gently placed Willow's head on Tara's lap then ran around to driver's side.
Within minutes they were at the main road, but the distance felt anything but short to the 5 people who all knew that they could easily lose their friend. They traveled in silence, each one's mind still swirling with what had just happened.
Buffy, who was sitting in the middle of the front seat, couldn't believe what her best friend had just done. She knew deep down that Willow was going to do whatever needed to be done in order for Tara to live again. But she never thought that Willow would bring Tara back and then risk her own life. Buffy looked to her right, Kennedy was sitting beside her. She noticed that both she and Kennedy were covered in blood, Willow's blood. Buffy knew that she would never know how Kennedy was feeling but she did know that the young slayer's life was about to change. Especially now that Tara was back.
A part of Buffy was happy to have her friend back but she also worried that Willow may have made the wrong decision in taking the demon's offer. Not only did Willow's decision affect her life but it also affected Tara, Kennedy and everyone else's as well.
Buffy had also taken a liking to the young slayer. Kennedy had been the first one to really reach Willow when they thought that the old Willow was gone forever. It was also Kennedy who picked up the pieces of a broken Willow. Tara had no idea what Willow had been through but Buffy knew that it hadn't been the witch's fault that she had been shot. Buffy prayed that Willow survived because she knew that Willow was the only one who could fix the situation.
Kennedy simply stared straight ahead. She knew that she couldn't look into the back seat and see her girlfriend's lifeless body laying on another woman's lap. In any normal situation, Kennedy knew that she would have fought to be the one to hold the witch but Willow's life was more important to her right now than the jealousy she felt towards Tara. 'My stupid Willow. God, I love you. I know that you know that, so why did you have to do something so stupid? I mean it's Monday night; you should be sitting on our porch, reading, while I train. Now, I don't even know if that will ever happen again. I need to see your bright green eyes, smiling at me. I can't think like this. I'm a slayer and slayers never give up, especially on the ones that they love.' Buffy had taught her that. 'I'm going to be right by your side as you beat this, and I know that you can because you have more power and strength than any other being in this world. But I promise you, Willow, I'm not giving you up without a fight.'
Dawn couldn't stop shaking; she kept trying to remind herself why she volunteered to go on this mission with them. She never wanted to see Willow hurt. Willow was a second big sister to her. Dawn actually felt closer to Willow than she did to Buffy. When Buffy had died the second time, it was Willow and Tara who had stepped in, without a hesitation and took care of her. Dawn remembered the day she found Tara's lifeless body; except that day no longer seemed real because now Tara was sitting right beside her, and she was very much alive. This time it wasn't Tara who had been shot, it was Willow. For a brief moment, Dawn and Tara's eyes met. Tara looked as though she was lost, yet Dawn could see the love that the blond witch had for Willow. Suddenly something inside of Dawn, told her that it is likely Tara's love that was keeping her alive.
Tara let her fingers comb through Willow's blood-matted hair. 'My Willow, you have to keep fighting. Everyone here needs you, I need you. You just have to hold on a little while longer then the doctors will take good care of you.' Tara hoped that Willow was somehow able to hear her thoughts. She had no idea what was happening, everything felt different. Even her Willow was different. Tara knew that she hadn't just imagined the darkness that had radiated from her lover. Willow's eyes and hair had even changed to a dark black color. Tara wondered who the young woman, next to Buffy, was. 'Who is she? Why is she here? Why are we here? What happened? Why did that girl growl at me?' The questions continued to race through her head. One thing that Tara did know was that the young woman was stronger than normal, almost as strong as Buffy. All of Tara's thoughts disappeared the moment she saw the waiting ambulance.
The next few moments, were total chaos as the paramedics raced to save Willow's life. Only one person was allowed to go into the ambulance with her. Everyone looked at each other, all knowing that they wanted to be the one who stayed with Willow. Buffy decided that she was going to be the one in charge. She felt as though the others were too emotional when it came to Willow. Buffy knew that she was also emotional when it came to Willow but she also knew how to think in slayer-survival mode. And that is what Willow needed now.
-- --
Xander couldn't believe that he could lose his best friend, only months after losing his own soul mate. He resented the fact that Willow was the cause of all this, if she just hadn't taken the demon's offer, everything would be normal. No one's life would be in immediate danger. He wished that the ambulance would drive faster as he followed it to the hospital. The tension in the jeep grew as the time past. Most of it was coming from the person in the passenger seat. Kennedy. He could tell that she was about to blow and he only hoped that they could make it to the hospital, in one piece, before she did. And it was obvious to whom the tension was towards, Tara, who had remained silent in the back seat. Dawn had decided to stay at the school with the young slayers, in order to keep them occupied until they had more news on Willow. Xander knew that the school was likely in an uproar because of what had happened, especially since Willow was so loved by everyone.
Xander's attention was suddenly drawn to his right as he watched Kennedy as she punched a hole into the stereo. "Ken, your hand okay?" He asked softly, breaking the silence.
Kennedy just glared back at him. "Shut up and drive, Xander. The music was pissing me off."
"You could have just turned it off." Xander replied.
Kennedy continued to glare at him.
"Okay, okay. I'll shut up now. But she'll be okay, she has to be." Xander finished.
Tara watched the interaction between Xander and the dark-haired woman. He had called her 'Ken'. Was that short for something, Tara wondered. Who was she? Who was she to Willow? She must be important enough to Willow, that Xander and Buffy allowed her to come, instead of leaving her back at the house with Dawn. The house, Tara thought. They weren't in Sunnydale anymore. Tara had no idea where they were, but she could tell that the Scoobies had been there awhile, there had also been a lot of other people at the home, as well. She had felt that similar Buffy-like power coming from all of the young women that she had briefly seen. The feeling was intoxicating.
Tara began to pray to the Goddess, she prayed for her to watch over Willow. Tara wanted nothing more than to see Willow again, she needed Willow to explain everything to her. Tara knew that she had to stay strong for Willow, Willow needed her right now. She had to believe that everything would be okay. But there had been so much blood. Tara didn't know how so much blood could come from Willow's tiny body. She wondered how Willow could still possibly be alive, after losing that much blood. Tara smiled softly as she realized the reason why; a combination of love and magic. Tara had always known that Willow was an extremely powerful witch but it had been that same power that tore them apart. It was Willow's inability to see how dangerous magic can be, that ended their relationship. But after five months of emotional torture, they returned to each other. Both women knew that they could never be whole without the other. Willow had given up magic for their love. Except that wasn't what Tara had seen in the cave. That Willow had been consumed with dark magic.
Tara's thoughts where broken when she realized that they were pulling into the hospital parking lot. As soon as the jeep was stopped, the dark haired woman jumped out and took off, with great speed, to the emergency room entrance. Tara climbed out of the back seat, and saw Xander waiting for her. They walked in silence towards the doors, Xander had his arm around Tara lending her support, and she didn't trust her legs not to just give out on her.
Once inside the emergency room waiting room, they noticed Buffy and Kennedy arguing in the corner of the room.
"How can you leave her alone in there?" Kennedy yelled.
"I had to! The doctors need to work on her." Buffy replied calmly.
"How is she?" Xander asked.
Buffy lowered her head, and softly answered. "We almost lost her once on the ride over here, but the paramedic was able to get her heart beating again. I think that she's stable now but the doctors want us to wait in here until they have further news."
Tara needed to sit down. She couldn't believe what she had heard. They almost lost Willow. She knew that she wouldn't be able to live without her Willow tree. Tara had to keep reminding herself that Willow was still alive and that needed her to be strong. Once she was sitting down, she was joined by both Buffy and Xander. Tara looked up at the young woman, who was now pacing at the other end of the hall, she reminded Tara of a caged animal.
Buffy took Tara's hand into her own. She watched as Tara slowly lifted her head and removed the hair from in front of her eyes. Their eyes met. Buffy could tell that Tara was worried but she also saw great confusion. Tara's eyes kept darting between Kennedy pacing and the blood on her own hands. "Tara…" Buffy began softly. "Tell me what your thinking."
Tara's pulled her hand away from Buffy's as she began to examine to blood that covered her clothes. "There is just so much that I don't know. Why did all this happen?"
Kennedy heard Tara's reply and answered. "This is happening because of you, if you hadn't died. Willow would still be here. If she dies, it is your fault…."