When Tara had woken up this morning and found the space in bed beside her empty she had been surprised to not see Willow. Sitting up and looking around the room she didn't notice anything out of the ordinary but her eyes fell upon a note pinned to the door. She slipped out of bed and padded across the room, taking the note down she read it and smiled to herself. Willow had gone for breakfast and she was to wait in bed for her or she wouldn't get anything.

Still high on the spirit of her birthday she almost skipped back towards the bed and settled back underneath the covers. She knew exactly where Willow would have gone, there was a small breakfast bar that opened at six am to catch all the early commuters, and they both had a love for the tea and bagels that they had on offer. It was the perfect way to start any day. It was only seven o'clock but they both had classes this morning and would need to be ready to get going by eight.

By seven twenty Tara had gotten out of bed and put some clothes on, the bar was a ten minute walk and usually had lines that didn't take longer than ten minutes to get through. Why wasn't she back yet? As she made the decision to go out and look for her, the phone rang and her stomach churned. Willow.

Buffy got to the hospital in record time, she couldn't even clearly remember leaving the house or how she got here. The important thing was that she had come; now she had to find her. They were not going to lose Willow, not now – not ever, Buffy needed her, they all needed her. As she made her way through the busy ER corridors she felt her hatred of this place grow stronger and she started to get angry. She couldn't help it; something inside of her was boiling with rage. Hospitals were not good places to be.

Later she put her anger down to worry, but at that moment she just couldn't find Willow quick enough. Finally she saw Tara sitting on a chair looking heartbroken and the anger began to fade and was replaced with sympathy, Willow was her best friend, but Tara probably felt the same, only stronger. They were lovers.

She made her way over and Tara looked up when she was about three feet away. They didn't say anything, Tara stood up and Buffy hugged her. There wasn't anything else to do, and by the looks of it Tara was alone. She had called only Buffy, the least she could do was show that she understood and on some level felt her pain.

They sat down together on the uncomfortable chairs and Tara began to cry, it was all she felt she'd been doing.

"They w-won't let me s-see her."

"Tara, what happened?"

"She was g-getting breakfast, there w-was a car, she … she didn't see … she m-must've just …" she stopped to catch her breath and calm herself down before trying to continue. "The car was a g-getaway vehicle, it just d-drove on, left her … lying on the road …"

"Did the police catch up with them?" Tara shook her head, "did anyone get a license plate number?" Tara shrugged her shoulders and looked up at Buffy through misty eyes.

"I can't l-lose her Buffy, I didn't know who I s-should call."

"What did her doctors say?"

"They haven't said anything, they w-wont tell me what's going on," Buffy looked away and then placed her hand supportively on Tara's.

"I should make some calls. Who called you?"

"Someone went through Willow's p-purse to find her n-name, she has me l-listed as her emergency contact…" her sobs came long and hard and Buffy knew she wouldn't be going to make phone calls just yet as she sat with Tara and waited for the doctors to tell them how Willow was doing.

Xander didn't remember how he got to the hospital; he just suddenly seemed to be there. His car was parked, he was looking around him and he just felt empty. Anya took his hand and squeezed it gently, he smiled appreciatively and they made their way into the building Xander had spent more time in than he cared to remember.

When he saw Buffy and Giles sitting on chairs in the corridor he'd been directed to, he put on his brave supportive face and took the hugs they each shared as a chance to recharge his batteries and remember how much they had at stake whilst Willow lay in a hospital bed.

"Where's Tara?" Buffy looked to the door that was closed beside them.

"She's talking with the doctor."

"Is she, is Willow in there?" Buffy nodded and they each took seats together. "What happened Buffy? Is she ok?"

"The doctor said there are still some tests that they have to do, things they have to check."

"What things?"

"Brain things. Things to see if she'll …"

"What?" Buffy couldn't look at Xander whilst he was upset like this, it broke her heart that even when she protected the world from demons and the purest forms of evil, she couldn't help those she loved most or protect them from life's simplest cruelties.

"If she'll wake up. She suffered a lot of damage to her head, there was bleeding. They just have to check some things out."

"But she's awake? I mean, she's sitting in there waiting to see us right?" Buffy looked up at him and felt her eyes tear up. Giles took her hand and she leaned on his shoulder. It was only when the door that led to Willow's room opened that they each stood up and waited to hear what Tara had been told.