AUTHORS NOTE: I love Willow and Tara. For me, they are the embodiment of true love. Before I saw the two of them on Buffy, I didn't really believe it was a thing, and I certainly had no interest in it. But thanks to Willow and Tara, I now believe in love. And should it ever find me one day, I wouldn't turn it away. Thank you for that, you two. I owe you one.

I truly believe that after the events of Buffy, Tara somehow came back, and she and Willow got the life that they deserved together. I have to believe that. Because if they don't get their happy ending, then what hope is there for the rest of us?

Anyway, here we go, my very first Buffy the Vampire Slayer fanfiction. I just knew it had to be about Willow and Tara, and since today is a rather sad day for Buffy fans, let's take a look at how things could have gone that fateful day, had the Scoobies got to Willow in time.

Sunnydale forest

7 May 2002

'Anya, which way?' Buffy shouted as they ran through the forest.

'Uh, this way!' Anya replied, hurrying off in another direction. 'I can feel her! She's already got Warren.'

Today had been a very bad day. Warren, in trying to kill Buffy, had ended up accidently killing Tara. Now, Willow was out for blood, whilst Buffy, Xander and Anya were trying desperately to get to her before she made the biggest mistake of her life. Luckily, with Anya being a vengeance demon, she was able to sense Willow's anger and need for vengeance and use it like a homing beacon.

Willow had Warren tied up with magically enchanted roots between two trees, contemplating on just how she was going to make him suffer. She decided upon her first method and rematerialized the bullet that had nearly killed Buffy.

'Look at it, Warren,' she said coldly. 'One tiny piece of metal. You wanna see how much damage this tiny, insignificant little thing can do?' The bullet started levitating above Willow's hand, flying slowly towards Warren's chest, where it started tearing through. Warren screamed. Willow smiled.

At that moment, Buffy, Xander and Anya ran up to her, only for Willow to hold them back with a force field.

'Willow, you can't do this!' Buffy exclaimed.

'She's right, Will,' said Xander. 'Much as I hate that guy, you can't do this. It's not what Tara would have wanted.'

'Tara would have wanted to live,' Willow spat, not facing them. 'But, thanks to him, she will never get to do that again!' Willow pulled the bullet out and prepared to drill it into Warren again.

'I HAVE A WAY TO SAVE TARA!' Anya cried out, making Willow pause. She slowly turned her head to look Anya in the eye.

'You're lying,' Willow said, quietly and emotionlessly.

'No, I'm really not,' Anya said, stepping forward, brushing away Xander's hand as he tried to stop her. 'Warren killed your soulmate. You wanted to exact vengeance yourself, which is all well and good, but that doesn't mean I can't offer you a vengeance wish. You can use that wish to bring her back. Tara was my best friend. I swear, I would never lie about saving her life.'

'You would do that?' asked Willow, her voice wavering.

'Absolutely,' said Anya. 'You just have to let him live.'

'What?' Willow growled.

'Willow, if he dies, your vengeance is sated, and I won't be able to grant you a wish,' Anya explained. 'I'm not saying you should let him get away with it, but you need him alive to make your wish.'

'So, all I have to do, is just wish that she lives?' Willow asked.

'Ideally, you should wish something against Warren that gives you vengeance, but as a bonus means Tara lives. That way, your wish is vengeance and D'Hoffryn won't, you know, eviscerate me for breaking the rules,' said Anya. 'What do you say?'

'I wish that Buffy had enough time to take Warren down, before he fired that gun,' Willow said.

Anya shifted into her demon face. 'Done,' she said.

1630 Revello Drive, Sunnydale

7 May 2002- hours earlier

'Buffy!' Xander cried, pulling out of their hug. Warren had entered the garden. He had a gun, and he was angry.

'You think you could do that to me?' he ranted. 'You think I'd let you get away with that?' He laughed crazily. 'Guess again.'

Warren raised the gun and pulled the trigger. It didn't work. He pulled it a few times, and nothing happened. He looked at the gun, realising the trigger mechanism had jammed, before looking back up.

'Uh oh,' he whispered, in the second before Buffy tackled him to the ground and knocked him unconscious.

Willow was momentarily thrown off guard by suddenly being back in her room.

'Oh my god, Warren just tried to kill Buffy,' Tara said, looking out of the window, snapping Willow out of it.

'Tara?' she asked. Tara turned to face her.

'Yeah?' she asked. Willow ran to her and pulled her into a hug, before pulling away to kiss her, before going back into the hug.

'Willow, what's wrong?' Tara asked. 'You're acting like you haven't seen me for a hundred years.'

'It feels longer,' Willow whispered into Tara's ear. 'I thought I'd lost you.'

'Nope,' Tara said, pulling out of the hug, and giving Willow that smile she loved so much. 'You'll never lose me again.'