Chapter 28
"Mom?" Conner called. He slowly walked up to Buffy's still form. Angel was bent over her and cradling her head. She was still alive, but her breathing was shallow and she was losing a lot of blood.
"Stay with me Buffy. Come on sweetheart, don't you leave me." Angel said as Buffy tried to shut her eyes.
She stared straight up at the beautiful sky. All she could think was that she was going to die again and this time she wasn't ready. She wanted to talk to Angel, but the pain was so great that she had actually forgotten how to talk. She didn't want to leave her husband and her son. *It's not time! I can't go now. Angel, please stop me from leaving you all. I can't, not now!* Buffy thought.
"Angel, the ambulance is on its way." Xander said as he came and knelt next to Buffy. "Hey Buff. Whatcha doing? You can't die on us. That's not fair." Xander's voice cracked.
"Shut up Xander! She is not going to die." Angel snapped.
"I just."
"Go up front and get those paramedics back here."
"But."
"Go!"
Xander stood and left. Angel stroked Buffy's face and hair. His right hand was putting pressure on the bleeding wound. His hand was soaked with her blood. The bloodlust tried to take him over, but he pushed it back. "Buffy, sweetie, the paramedics are coming. Don't worry; I'm not going to let you die. Just stay with me. Ok? Don't leave me."
*I'm trying not to! Ow, that kind of hurts. Angel stop putting so much damn pressure on me! I'm smaller than you.*
"Mom? Dad, what's wrong with her?" Conner asked.
"She's been shot Conner. Just stay back, ok? Let me handle this." Angel replied.
*No Angel, don't push him away! He needs to be here with us. He's our son, he need's to be here when I. No I can't think that. That's bad thinking. I'm not going to. There are so many things that I want to see and do. Angel, don't let me die. Please don't.* A small tear fell down Buffy's cheek, but she barely noticed it.
"It's going to be ok. Everything's going to be ok." Angel said. Tears fell down his face, but he tried to hide them from Conner.
"Come on, back here!" Xander said as he came to the backyard followed by a couple of paramedics.
They rushed over to Buffy. "Sir, you're going to have to move. Let us take over here."
Angel got up and moved as far away as he would allow himself and allow the paramedics enough space to work. Conner came and stood beside him. Angel put his arm around Conner's shoulders.
"How long has she been like this?" the brown haired paramedic asked.
"A few minutes." Angel answered.
"What's her name?"
"Buffy, Buffy Summers."
"Are you her boyfriend?"
"No, husband."
"Ok. Can you tell me what happened here?"
"Warren, he.he came to the backyard from the gate over there and shot at us. She pushed Xander, the guy that brought you back here, out of the way and she was shot."
"Ok. Does she have any medical conditions, allergies, is she on any drugs?"
"No. Nothing."
"Pulse is 100 and weak. Lung sounds are wet. Buffy, can you hear me? Blink if you can hear me." The guy said to Buffy. She blinked. "My name is Mike. We're going to put you on a stretcher now."
They lifted Buffy and put her gently on the stretcher and then as fast as they could, rushed her to the waiting ambulance. "Sunnydale memorial, do you copy? We have a Caucasian female, 21, GSW to the chest" They got her up into the back and then Mike turned to look at Angel. "Do you want to ride with us?"
"Yeah." Angel turned to Xander and tossed him the keys to his car. "Take my car and follow us." Then Angel got in the ambulance.
Willow came out of the house, blood on her shirt. "How did this happen?"
"Warren. He had a gun." Xander said.
"Warren?" Willow asked venomously, and then she walked away.
"It went down too fast. We couldn't stop him."
Willow just walked away.
"Hey, Will!"
"Come on Xander! Mom needs us." Conner said.
"Right." They ran to the car and jumped in. Xander revved up and took off after the ambulance.
When Xander and Conner arrived at the hospital, Angel was standing outside of a window looking in on an operating room. He was staring in with frantic eyes. They walked up and stood on either side of him.
"I remember the last time we were here in this hospital." Angel said quietly. "Conner had just been born." He glanced at Conner. "She had such a hard time with you. She had to have a c-section. It was the most horrible experience of my 249 years. They wouldn't let me in to be with her. Just like now." Angel looked down.
"Hey, Angel man, she's gonna pull through this. She's strong." Xander said, putting a hand on Angel's back.
Angel was about to say something when they heard crashes from the operating room. Angel looked up and saw that the doctors were staring at a black haired girl dressed all in black. The doctors looked frightened.
Angel stared at the girl. "Is that."
"Willow!" Xander said.
They all ran into the room just as the doctors were running out.
"Willow! What are you doing? She's going to die!" Angel said.
"She's not going to die." Willow said walking up to Buffy. As they all watched, the bullet came up out of Buffy's shoulder and the wound closed. It looked as if nothing had ever happened to her, except for the blood staining her shirt.
The bullet floated up and Willow held her hand out where the bullet came to rest. "It's so tiny." Suddenly Buffy's eyes snapped open. She looked around confused and slowly sat up. Angel rushed over to her and hugged her, followed by Conner then Xander. Angel came back up and kissed her hair.
"What happened?" Buffy asked.
"You were. Never mind! Oh God Buffy! We almost."
"You've got to stop doing this. I mean the dying thing is funny once. Maybe twice."
Buffy looked at him a little longer. Then she realized what had happened. She looked over at Willow. "Willow?"
"Buffy, hey."
"What's wrong?"
"I'll explain, but we've got to go."
"What? Why?"
"It's time to find Warren." Willow said as she headed out the door.
"Wait! What are we."
"Come on."
Buffy hopped off the table and hurried after Willow. The rest of them followed.
Willow led them out to the parking lot. She looked around and then asked, "Car?"
"It's right over here." Xander said leading them over to Angel's car. He started to climb into the driver's seat, but Angel stopped him.
"Hey, no one but me or Buffy drives this car."
"But, you just let me."
"It was an emergency."
"Whatever." Xander climbed in the back with Willow and Conner. "So Will, where are we headed?"
"Drive. I'll tell you where to go." Willow said to Angel.
"Everybody buckle up." Angel said. Then they were off. Willow led them out to the desert.
"Faster." Willow said.
"I'm going as fast as I." Angel started, but Willow cut him off.
"Faster."
Angel jumped a little as the gas petal shot down. "Would you cut that out? If you wanted to drive."
Angel looked at Buffy and she looked back at Willow. "Willow, we need to stop. I don't like this."
"We're close. I can feel him." Willow said.
"And we'll catch him, and he'll go to jail. Believe me, I'm finding the whole getting shot very motivating. But you're using magic."
"If I wasn't, you'd be dead."
"Maybe. But this isn't right. It isn't how I want it."
"Sometimes, you don't have a choice."
"I think Buffy gets the tie-breaker on this one. She was the one on the ouchy end of that bullet." Xander said.
"And you do have a choice. This isn't good for you Will." Buffy said.
"You made the decision to stop for a reason. You promised us. And can I just ask: what's with the makeover of the damned? I mean, the hair." Angel started.
Willow suddenly shot up. "Turn. Go right!"
"Go where?"
"Over there. Go the other way. Now!"
"Willow."
"Turn!"
The wheel turned and Angel let go of it. "Fine! Fine! Puppet master wants to drive? Go right ahead!"
Suddenly they were on a highway. Willow stopped the car and before anyone could react, she was out and on the road.
"Will! Wait!" Buffy called.
Willow stood out in the middle of the oncoming traffic road. There was a bus headed straight for her. Willow focused her energy on the truck. Buffy, Angel, Xander, and Conner got out to try to pull her out of the way, but without looking at them, Willow threw a bolt of energy at them and they were all stopped in their tracks.
"Stay back." She said.
The truck came to an abrupt halt in front of Willow. "Get out."
Warren stood up and started for the doors. He was under Willow's power. As he stepped of the bus, Willow came up and grabbed his neck.
"Please, please, I'll do anything!" Warren cried as Willow started to squeeze.
"Willow! NO!" Buffy called.
Suddenly, Warren's face contorted and sparked and then his eye fell out.
"It's a robot!" Willow exclaimed.
Buffy, Angel, Conner, and Xander were suddenly able to move and they walked up to Willow.
"I could feel his essence. He tricked me." Willow turned and headed towards the car. "We'll find him another way."
"And then what?" Buffy asked.
"Then we'll kill him."
"What?" Angel asked.
"Will, stop!" Buffy grabbed Willow's arm and turned her around. "You need to calm down."
"Calm down?" Willow asked.
"You're angry. I am too. What Warren did, there's no excuse, but."
"He killed Tara." They all looked at her stunned. "When he shot you, he hit her too. Upstairs. In my room."
"Oh my God."
"Guess that last shot was a charm."
"She's dead?" Angel asked.
"She's dead, and so is he." Willow answered.
Buffy started to cry. "No. Oh God, Tara."
"Christ Willow, why didn't you say anything?" Xander asked.
"I'm busy." Willow said. She turned and started off again.
Buffy recovered enough to grab Willow again. "No, come on. Stop."
"Don't"
"We love you. And Tara. But we don't kill humans. This isn't the way."
"How can you say that? Tara is dead."
"I know. And I. I can't believe. anything. Not what happened, not what you must be going through. But if you do this, Warren destroys you too."
"You said it yourself, the magic is too strong, Will. There's no coming back from it." Xander said.
"I'm not coming back." Willow said as she started off again.
Buffy grabbed her again, apparently the only one brave, or stupid, enough. "Don't, please. We'll get through this together."
"We won't, not your way."
"Willow."
"No. No more talking."
"But." Angel started.
"It's done." Willow shot a blast of energy their way and they were all thrown to the ground. When they looked up, dazed, Willow was gone.
It was nighttime when they got back to Buffy's house.
"Willow?" Buffy called. "Dawn?"
"Maybe she went to the hospital to find you." Xander said.
"We left there hours ago. She'd be back by now." Angel said.
They walked upstairs.
"Dawnie?" Buffy called again.
Buffy swung the door open to Willow's room. She walked in a little ways and saw Tara's body bathed in moonlight, the blood from her chest pooled on the ground and looked black in the darkness. Angel took Conner out in the hall and told him to stay.
Buffy was about to fall apart, but then she saw Dawn huddled in the corner. "Oh.God." Buffy reached Dawn and kneeled beside her.
"I didn't want to leave her alone." Dawn said.
"Dawn." She didn't move. "Hey, let's go downstairs." Still nothing. "Come on Dawnie. Let's go. Be strong, for me ok?"
Dawn looked at Buffy. "I don't understand."
"I know honey, I don't either."
Dawn started to cry. Buffy pulled her into an embrace. Angel came over and hugged both girls. Xander stood in the doorway, staring at the scene horrified.
"Mom?" Conner called. He slowly walked up to Buffy's still form. Angel was bent over her and cradling her head. She was still alive, but her breathing was shallow and she was losing a lot of blood.
"Stay with me Buffy. Come on sweetheart, don't you leave me." Angel said as Buffy tried to shut her eyes.
She stared straight up at the beautiful sky. All she could think was that she was going to die again and this time she wasn't ready. She wanted to talk to Angel, but the pain was so great that she had actually forgotten how to talk. She didn't want to leave her husband and her son. *It's not time! I can't go now. Angel, please stop me from leaving you all. I can't, not now!* Buffy thought.
"Angel, the ambulance is on its way." Xander said as he came and knelt next to Buffy. "Hey Buff. Whatcha doing? You can't die on us. That's not fair." Xander's voice cracked.
"Shut up Xander! She is not going to die." Angel snapped.
"I just."
"Go up front and get those paramedics back here."
"But."
"Go!"
Xander stood and left. Angel stroked Buffy's face and hair. His right hand was putting pressure on the bleeding wound. His hand was soaked with her blood. The bloodlust tried to take him over, but he pushed it back. "Buffy, sweetie, the paramedics are coming. Don't worry; I'm not going to let you die. Just stay with me. Ok? Don't leave me."
*I'm trying not to! Ow, that kind of hurts. Angel stop putting so much damn pressure on me! I'm smaller than you.*
"Mom? Dad, what's wrong with her?" Conner asked.
"She's been shot Conner. Just stay back, ok? Let me handle this." Angel replied.
*No Angel, don't push him away! He needs to be here with us. He's our son, he need's to be here when I. No I can't think that. That's bad thinking. I'm not going to. There are so many things that I want to see and do. Angel, don't let me die. Please don't.* A small tear fell down Buffy's cheek, but she barely noticed it.
"It's going to be ok. Everything's going to be ok." Angel said. Tears fell down his face, but he tried to hide them from Conner.
"Come on, back here!" Xander said as he came to the backyard followed by a couple of paramedics.
They rushed over to Buffy. "Sir, you're going to have to move. Let us take over here."
Angel got up and moved as far away as he would allow himself and allow the paramedics enough space to work. Conner came and stood beside him. Angel put his arm around Conner's shoulders.
"How long has she been like this?" the brown haired paramedic asked.
"A few minutes." Angel answered.
"What's her name?"
"Buffy, Buffy Summers."
"Are you her boyfriend?"
"No, husband."
"Ok. Can you tell me what happened here?"
"Warren, he.he came to the backyard from the gate over there and shot at us. She pushed Xander, the guy that brought you back here, out of the way and she was shot."
"Ok. Does she have any medical conditions, allergies, is she on any drugs?"
"No. Nothing."
"Pulse is 100 and weak. Lung sounds are wet. Buffy, can you hear me? Blink if you can hear me." The guy said to Buffy. She blinked. "My name is Mike. We're going to put you on a stretcher now."
They lifted Buffy and put her gently on the stretcher and then as fast as they could, rushed her to the waiting ambulance. "Sunnydale memorial, do you copy? We have a Caucasian female, 21, GSW to the chest" They got her up into the back and then Mike turned to look at Angel. "Do you want to ride with us?"
"Yeah." Angel turned to Xander and tossed him the keys to his car. "Take my car and follow us." Then Angel got in the ambulance.
Willow came out of the house, blood on her shirt. "How did this happen?"
"Warren. He had a gun." Xander said.
"Warren?" Willow asked venomously, and then she walked away.
"It went down too fast. We couldn't stop him."
Willow just walked away.
"Hey, Will!"
"Come on Xander! Mom needs us." Conner said.
"Right." They ran to the car and jumped in. Xander revved up and took off after the ambulance.
When Xander and Conner arrived at the hospital, Angel was standing outside of a window looking in on an operating room. He was staring in with frantic eyes. They walked up and stood on either side of him.
"I remember the last time we were here in this hospital." Angel said quietly. "Conner had just been born." He glanced at Conner. "She had such a hard time with you. She had to have a c-section. It was the most horrible experience of my 249 years. They wouldn't let me in to be with her. Just like now." Angel looked down.
"Hey, Angel man, she's gonna pull through this. She's strong." Xander said, putting a hand on Angel's back.
Angel was about to say something when they heard crashes from the operating room. Angel looked up and saw that the doctors were staring at a black haired girl dressed all in black. The doctors looked frightened.
Angel stared at the girl. "Is that."
"Willow!" Xander said.
They all ran into the room just as the doctors were running out.
"Willow! What are you doing? She's going to die!" Angel said.
"She's not going to die." Willow said walking up to Buffy. As they all watched, the bullet came up out of Buffy's shoulder and the wound closed. It looked as if nothing had ever happened to her, except for the blood staining her shirt.
The bullet floated up and Willow held her hand out where the bullet came to rest. "It's so tiny." Suddenly Buffy's eyes snapped open. She looked around confused and slowly sat up. Angel rushed over to her and hugged her, followed by Conner then Xander. Angel came back up and kissed her hair.
"What happened?" Buffy asked.
"You were. Never mind! Oh God Buffy! We almost."
"You've got to stop doing this. I mean the dying thing is funny once. Maybe twice."
Buffy looked at him a little longer. Then she realized what had happened. She looked over at Willow. "Willow?"
"Buffy, hey."
"What's wrong?"
"I'll explain, but we've got to go."
"What? Why?"
"It's time to find Warren." Willow said as she headed out the door.
"Wait! What are we."
"Come on."
Buffy hopped off the table and hurried after Willow. The rest of them followed.
Willow led them out to the parking lot. She looked around and then asked, "Car?"
"It's right over here." Xander said leading them over to Angel's car. He started to climb into the driver's seat, but Angel stopped him.
"Hey, no one but me or Buffy drives this car."
"But, you just let me."
"It was an emergency."
"Whatever." Xander climbed in the back with Willow and Conner. "So Will, where are we headed?"
"Drive. I'll tell you where to go." Willow said to Angel.
"Everybody buckle up." Angel said. Then they were off. Willow led them out to the desert.
"Faster." Willow said.
"I'm going as fast as I." Angel started, but Willow cut him off.
"Faster."
Angel jumped a little as the gas petal shot down. "Would you cut that out? If you wanted to drive."
Angel looked at Buffy and she looked back at Willow. "Willow, we need to stop. I don't like this."
"We're close. I can feel him." Willow said.
"And we'll catch him, and he'll go to jail. Believe me, I'm finding the whole getting shot very motivating. But you're using magic."
"If I wasn't, you'd be dead."
"Maybe. But this isn't right. It isn't how I want it."
"Sometimes, you don't have a choice."
"I think Buffy gets the tie-breaker on this one. She was the one on the ouchy end of that bullet." Xander said.
"And you do have a choice. This isn't good for you Will." Buffy said.
"You made the decision to stop for a reason. You promised us. And can I just ask: what's with the makeover of the damned? I mean, the hair." Angel started.
Willow suddenly shot up. "Turn. Go right!"
"Go where?"
"Over there. Go the other way. Now!"
"Willow."
"Turn!"
The wheel turned and Angel let go of it. "Fine! Fine! Puppet master wants to drive? Go right ahead!"
Suddenly they were on a highway. Willow stopped the car and before anyone could react, she was out and on the road.
"Will! Wait!" Buffy called.
Willow stood out in the middle of the oncoming traffic road. There was a bus headed straight for her. Willow focused her energy on the truck. Buffy, Angel, Xander, and Conner got out to try to pull her out of the way, but without looking at them, Willow threw a bolt of energy at them and they were all stopped in their tracks.
"Stay back." She said.
The truck came to an abrupt halt in front of Willow. "Get out."
Warren stood up and started for the doors. He was under Willow's power. As he stepped of the bus, Willow came up and grabbed his neck.
"Please, please, I'll do anything!" Warren cried as Willow started to squeeze.
"Willow! NO!" Buffy called.
Suddenly, Warren's face contorted and sparked and then his eye fell out.
"It's a robot!" Willow exclaimed.
Buffy, Angel, Conner, and Xander were suddenly able to move and they walked up to Willow.
"I could feel his essence. He tricked me." Willow turned and headed towards the car. "We'll find him another way."
"And then what?" Buffy asked.
"Then we'll kill him."
"What?" Angel asked.
"Will, stop!" Buffy grabbed Willow's arm and turned her around. "You need to calm down."
"Calm down?" Willow asked.
"You're angry. I am too. What Warren did, there's no excuse, but."
"He killed Tara." They all looked at her stunned. "When he shot you, he hit her too. Upstairs. In my room."
"Oh my God."
"Guess that last shot was a charm."
"She's dead?" Angel asked.
"She's dead, and so is he." Willow answered.
Buffy started to cry. "No. Oh God, Tara."
"Christ Willow, why didn't you say anything?" Xander asked.
"I'm busy." Willow said. She turned and started off again.
Buffy recovered enough to grab Willow again. "No, come on. Stop."
"Don't"
"We love you. And Tara. But we don't kill humans. This isn't the way."
"How can you say that? Tara is dead."
"I know. And I. I can't believe. anything. Not what happened, not what you must be going through. But if you do this, Warren destroys you too."
"You said it yourself, the magic is too strong, Will. There's no coming back from it." Xander said.
"I'm not coming back." Willow said as she started off again.
Buffy grabbed her again, apparently the only one brave, or stupid, enough. "Don't, please. We'll get through this together."
"We won't, not your way."
"Willow."
"No. No more talking."
"But." Angel started.
"It's done." Willow shot a blast of energy their way and they were all thrown to the ground. When they looked up, dazed, Willow was gone.
It was nighttime when they got back to Buffy's house.
"Willow?" Buffy called. "Dawn?"
"Maybe she went to the hospital to find you." Xander said.
"We left there hours ago. She'd be back by now." Angel said.
They walked upstairs.
"Dawnie?" Buffy called again.
Buffy swung the door open to Willow's room. She walked in a little ways and saw Tara's body bathed in moonlight, the blood from her chest pooled on the ground and looked black in the darkness. Angel took Conner out in the hall and told him to stay.
Buffy was about to fall apart, but then she saw Dawn huddled in the corner. "Oh.God." Buffy reached Dawn and kneeled beside her.
"I didn't want to leave her alone." Dawn said.
"Dawn." She didn't move. "Hey, let's go downstairs." Still nothing. "Come on Dawnie. Let's go. Be strong, for me ok?"
Dawn looked at Buffy. "I don't understand."
"I know honey, I don't either."
Dawn started to cry. Buffy pulled her into an embrace. Angel came over and hugged both girls. Xander stood in the doorway, staring at the scene horrified.