Part Two

"Willow..."

"Xand."

He reached for his dearest, oldest and bestest friend in all the world. The redhead buried herself in his shirt. He could already feel her tears soak through the material. He didn't mind, who would at a time like this? Who could?

"Are you alright?"

"I'm not sure." He answered truthfully, he wasn't sure of anything right now.

"Are Bryony and Phedra with Buffy and An-Angel?" asked Cordelia Harris.

"Yeah," said Will pulling herself out of Xander's arms. "I picked them up at school, right away they knew something was wrong. I don't understand how..."

"Kids are smarter than they seem-" started Xander Harris, but he was cut off by Willow.

"But, they're only 10 and 7, how can they handle this? How can Buffy handle this? Her and Angel have been together since the eighth grade, they got married at 18, I don't know how she can be handling this."

"I don't think she really is." Said Cordelia. "At least not on the higher levels. To her, she just has to do it, and think about it later."

"Is that a good thing?" asked Willow.

"Everyone grieves differently. You told me that once." Added Xander.

"Yeah, but now it's Buffy. She's our friend and so is Angel. I don't know what to do." She finally said what had been plaguing her. She was Willow Osbourne, she always had a plan, knew what she was doing, what she was going to become. Everything, all that she had done in the past, her school, college, getting married to Oz, it had all been planned and thought through. But now...Xander didn't know what she was gonna do, and for some reason, that scared him.

"Hey, it's okay." Said Xander trying to comfort her. "Nobody knows what they have to do. We all went to school with Angel and Buffy too, we watched them fall in love, and now we have to watch Buffy live without him, I have no idea what I'm going to do, what I'm gonna say."

"Have you called Dawn and Cate?" asked Cordelia suddenly.

"Oh, god. No, I forgot." Said Willow, sinking into one of those real uncomfortable plastic chairs. "They need to know, I gotta-" she attempted to get up, but Cordelia pushed her back into the seat.

"Stay here while I go make a few calls. Hey, that's a good idea, I think I might just do that." Cordy promptly turned and walked down the corridor to where the row of payphones where. God, I love that woman.

Xander then felt the sting of pain of losing her, don't think about it, it's hurts too much to think about your friend being – don't think about it.

"Xander, I'm scared."

"Yeah."

"What are we going to do?"

"Just be here for Buffy, for the girls...that's all we can do."

"Is it enough?"

He didn't answer, he didn't have one.

(page break)

"When's daddy gonna wake up?" asked Phedra, as she sat in her mother's lap.

"I don't know, sweetie. The drugs have kinda made him loopy and tired. He needs his sleep."

"Okay, what drugs?"

"I don't know. Stuff to make him better."

"Okay." And the 7 year old went back to playing with the blanket the covered her father's still form. Bryony didn't say anything, but hadn't said anything for a while.

Once they had arrived at the hospital, her mother had rushed at them and pulled them into a very tight hug. She was crying, and Aunty Willow had tears in her eyes. Bryony, was the first to ask what was wrong. Then Phedra asked about ever two seconds after that until their mother took them by the hand and walked them into a room, and there lay their father on the bed, with tubes sticking out of his body, cuts on his face-

"Are you guys hungry?"

"Nah. Don't feel like eating."

Her mother looked at the ten year old as though it was the first time she had ever seen her. What's wrong with her? Dad's gonna be okay. Everything will be okay.

"You're so grown up." she whispered.

"What about me, am I grown up too?" asked Phedra, being annoying as usual.

"Yeah, you are. You're gonna be the best grown up ever."

"A lot better then Bry."

"Hey." Exclaimed Bryony. Phedra stuck out her tongue. But since Buffy couldn't see and didn't tell off Phedra, Bryony decided to take things into her own hands. "Mom! She stuck her tongue out at me!"

"Bryony, be quiet." Shushed Buffy, "you're father is asleep-"

"No." said Phedra suddenly.

"What?"

"Dad's awake." She replied pointing at the bed.

"Oh, god..." Buffy practically pushed Phedra off her and was at the bedside in an instant. "Angel, honey..." she softly prodded.

"Buffy..."

"You're awake. How do you feel?"

"Can't really tell."

"Oh, okay. Is there pain? You want me to get the doctor?"

"No, Buffy. Just stay here, I don't want you to go."

"Okay," she took his hand in hers. "The girls are here, you fell asleep before they got here."

"Really, how long I have been out?"

"About an hour, everyone's here now. They're out in the waiting room." She looked at the door, "do you want me to go get them?"

"Buffy, sit still. Stay."

She smiled at him and brushed her lips against his hand. Phedra went and stood by Bryony, she felt a rush of possessiveness towards her younger sister. Phedra lent against the side of the chair and they both watched their parents talk to each other, saying things that didn't really matter, just little things. She could tell that her mother was holding onto his hand tightly, and he holding hers the same.

"What's gonna happen?" whispered Phedra.

"I don't know." Bry answered.

"I don't know either."

Bryony looked up at her little sister, "I'll look after you."

"Who's gonna look after you?"

"Mom."

"What about mom?"

Bryony didn't have an answer, she just looked back at her parents. Nobody looked after mom and dad, they looked after each other.