It wasn't hard to figure out who had come for them in the end.
Giles's murmured "Jenny?" as he looks in glazed longing at the end of his hospital bed. Buffy holding his hand on one side. Willow holding the other and a now wheelchair-bound Xander rolled up as close as he was able on Willow's other side holding her free and like Dawn was for Buffy. Faith lounging on the window ledge that pulled out to bed for any single visitor who wanted to stay the night. The night before had been her turn to keep vigil at the former watcher's side.
Xander was next to leave them his was a much softer whisper of "An?" that the others had to really listen to be able to catch.
Faith after him with all the snarky flare she'd had in her youth with a rasped "Five by Five" and a teasing wink before her eyes closed that final time.
So when the last of the more 'original' Scooby gang filed into what was now Buffy and Willow permanent room at the Sunnyside Rest Home just up the road from Dawn's apartment building and less than a block away from the hospital where she worked so the remaining trio was never too far from one another to find what for two of the three of them was a blank envelope carrying an equally blank index card propped up on Willow's pillow it once again wasn't hard to realize who would be next in line to leave.
"What's it say, Wills?" Buffy probes while she watches her grey-haired best friend cover her mouth with a shaking hand as she reads over words only she can see once Dawn had helpfully pulled the card out for her once they noticed Willow's hand was shaking too much to do the job herself.
"She remembered our anniversary." Willow sniffed pressing the blank card against her chest like it was something precious.
"But that's tonight." Buffy remembered turning her head to look at the calendar Dawn had thought to helpfully tack onto the wall.
Today's date already marked with a single cobalt blue heart. "because that was the color of the jacket, she was wearing that night"
The night all those years ago in Sunnydale an entire town had lost their voices.
The night the Gentlemen had come calling.
The night Willow had first met Tara.
"Your girl has something special planned I bet." Dawn smiles fresh tears already pooling in her eyes as she pulls Willow cat, Miss Kitty Fantastico, the fourth into her lap.
Willow was already nodding a giddy smile on her lips "She says she'll be waiting for me in our spot."
Buffy and Dawn shared a puzzled glance between them until Dawn put the pieces together for them both. "Oh, so you ladies are going to have another late-night date night barricaded in the laundry room again?"
Willow's cheeks colored up almost as red as the former color of her now silvery-white hair.
"But how will I manage that? After what happened with Faith and that rat, they've tightened curfew for the whole floor."
Buffy's joints pop painfully as she pushed herself from her bed to join Willow on hers wrapping her arms as tightly as her aged body would allow as she rested her chin against her pouting friend's shoulder. "Don't worry Wills. Between the two of us Dawn and I can find a way to sneak you down there." the former slayer vowed
"Wait. Wait. Wait. We took our pills for the night right Buff?" Willow worried as she redoubled her grip on Dawn's hand as the trio crept down another flight of steps. The slayer in front keeping a tight white-knuckled hold on the railing of the steps as in her other hands she holds a shaking Mr. Pointy as she peeks around the corner to check the hallway was clear. She already knew it was having had a whispered talk with a few of the friendlier nurses many of them either former slayers themselves or children of that worked the late shift at the senior home.
"You took them, Will, promise." Dawn soothes over to pull up the slipping sleeve of the cobalt blue jacket she'd found not so stealthily hidden under Willow's pillow while she'd been helping the fussing Wicca dress for her date.
After all these years and no doubt, multiple handlings in the in-between Dawn found it still smelled like its original owner.
Vanilla pancake mix, sage, and something she couldn't name but always associated with Tara herself.
"Tara was wearing that when we first met you know." Willow had told her having caught Dawn cradling it between her fingers "She looked so beautiful in it." She sighed dreamily lost in memories of happier times.
"I think you should wear it tonight." Buffy offers "Give it back to her."
Willow had pouted immediately at the very thought "but I don't want to give it back."
"But remember the laundry get cold at night Wills." Dawn steps in holding out the jacket with a tentative smile "Tara wouldn't want you getting cold while you waited for her, would she?"
The wistful smile replaced the sulking grumpy one at the comment. "She's so sweet like that." Willow hums running the brush through her hair one more time before setting the thing aside and turning away from the mirror to reach out for the soft bit of clothing.
"Yeah, she is." Dawn agrees
"Well….here we are…." Willow says nervously now as they stop just outside the laundry room door.
"Here we are." Buffy echoes tears in her eyes as she wraps her arms around Willow's shoulders.
"I'm coming back Buff." Willow giggles but returns the sisterly hug anyway when Buffy only clings on tighter "Just need a little alone time with my other best girl first." She whispers like some closely guarded secret.
"Tell her I say hi alright?" Buffy sniffs stepping back to give Dawn her chance for one last hug and a watery-eyed "Me too." Of her own.
"Sure thing." Willow smiles giving one last self-conscious pat to her hair before nodding in thanks when Dawn opens the door for her.
Willow was so hyped up on her own giddy nervous excitement as she steps over the threshold, she missed Buffy's broken "Goodbye Wills." As the door clicked closed behind her.