When Tara and Dawn got to the hospital, Xander was on a pay phone. Anya was pacing next to him. A bit down the hall, Buffy was being worked on.

Dawn looked around as though waiting for someone to tell her that this was all a sick practical joke. Unfortunately, sweetie, Willow and Buffy aren't going to pop out from behind a curtain.

"How, how's Buffy?" Tara asked.

"Not good," Anya said. "Not dead, but not good. The bullet's lodged deep inside her. She's got a one in four chance."

Noticing Dawn's stunned look, Tara said, "But her healing factor should knock that percentage up a bit. So she's got good odds."

Anya shook her head. "I already factored that in. The doctors said one in ten."

Making a little strangled noise, Dawn half-collapsed into the nearest chair and began to sob.

Xander, meanwhile, was saying into the phone, "No, Cordy, you don't need to come down here. I think we can handle it --"

Anya grabbed the phone. "Like hell we can. Cordelia? Don't listen to him. We need help, and we need it now." After a second, she hung up. "They're coming."

"Good," Tara said. "This is good."

"Who's coming?" Xander asked.

"Angel and Cordelia," Anya said. "Also Giles. But it's going to take him a while."

"Angel, too," Xander said, "What with the daylight and all." After a second. "Does anyone know where Oz is?"

Dawn said, "Willow did."

"Someone needs to let him know."

"When we get home," Tara said, "I'll look up the contact information."

Xander said, "I wish whoever was coming would get here quickly."

I wonder if that would work. "Anya," Tara said, "I have a wish. A, a vengeance-related wish." Xander spun to look at Anya, the obvious question unsaid.

"Ooooh," Anya said. "Do you want me to disembowel Warren?"

"I've got that one covered," Dawn said bleakly.

"No. I wish that everyone who was coming was already here."

Anya said, "Yes. Yes, that's sufficiently vengeance-y. Done."

And Mr. Giles and two people Tara had never met popped in right in front of them. No Oz. I guess since he wasn't "coming," Anya didn't or couldn't include him in the scope of the wish.

"Whoa," the dark-haired man said. "I said we'd get down here as fast as we could, but this --"

"I suspect someone made a wish, Angel, " Mr. Giles said.

"Someone did," Tara said, "Me."

"And I granted it," Anya said.

"That can be sorted out later," Mr. Giles said. "Oh, god, Tara --" He came over to hug her, then Dawn, who ran up to him as soon as he pulled clear.

Angel and the dark-haired woman, presumably Cordelia, had gone over to press their faces against the ER window. "Who did this?" Angel said furiously, clenching his fists.

"A lowlife punk named Warren," Xander said.

"I'll kill him."

"Stand in line," Mr. Giles said. "If Buffy dies, I'll --" No. I will not let any of them kill him. That would be too hard on them. And too easy on him.

"So what?" Dawn said. "Willow's death isn't enough for you?"

"Dawnie, no," Tara said. "That's not what he meant."

"So, why are we all just standing around here?" Cordelia asked. "Why aren't we finding this Warren and pounding the hell out of him?"

Xander said, "Hear, hear."

"I'm in agreement with Xander," Angel said. "And never remind me that I just said that."

"Because our top priority right now should be Buffy," Mr. Giles said.

"Yeah, 'cause this standing around -- big help," Cordelia said.

"No!" Tara practically shouted. "No. Warren -- Warren killed the woman I love. The woman who was the center of my existence. And, and I won't have any of you sinking to his level and killing a human being. Willow wouldn't want you to do that and Buffy certainly wouldn't."

"If I promise not to kill him," Angel said, "Do you mind if I go track him down, beat him up and bring him back here?"

"No, but, but the sun might," Tara said.

"It's been a while since I made my way through Sunnydale's sewer system," Angel said, "But I think I still know my way around."

"Anyway," Mr. Giles said, "How will we know where Warren is? Or what he looks like?" After a second. "And is this the same person who built that Buffy robot for Spike?"

"Yes," Dawn said, "It is."

Cordelia said, "I think I speak for Angel and myself when I say, never give us the details."

"As, as for knowing what he looks like, I can, can handle that," Tara said, and spoke a word of power. Instantly Cordelia, Angel and Giles blinked.

Angel spoke first. "Hard to believe."

"The gun," Xander said bleakly. "It's a great equalizer."

Tara said, "And, as far as knowing where he is goes -- Anya?

"Yes?"

"I have another vengeance-related wish. And I'll have another one once we've found Warren."

"Good. I can do that. I think."

"I wish that we would know where Warren is at all times, no matter where he goes."

Anya said, "That could be used to track him down and inflict a painful vengeance upon him. Done."

It was like a map of Sunnydale had been overlaid on my consciousness. If I concentrated, I could see where he was. Right now, he was walking away from an alley somewhere, not far from a movie theater. I couldn't see him as a person; but I could home in on him wherever he was, because I could tell where I was on the map, too. I'm guessing it was the same way for everyone.

Angel said, "I can work with that. Who's with me?"

Cordelia pulled out a sword and said, "I am."

"You know how to use that thing, Cordy?" Xander asked.

"Would you like me to demonstrate?"

"Whoa, whoa," Xander said. "I was being impressed, not skeptical. But play it Tara's way. Slice him, dice him, julienne him, but leave him alive."

"For now," Angel said.

"I think I'd best stay here," Mr. Giles said. Xander and Dawn echoed the sentiment, and Tara wasn't going anywhere as long as there was a chance Buffy might need magical help to survive. I'm not a healer. But I will do what I can.

Anya said, "I'm going, too." Everyone looked at her. "Come on, people! It's vengeance. I do vengeance!"

"Right," Angel said. "Let's go." And he, Cordelia and Anya left the area.

Xander had gone back to looking through the ER window. "Guys," he said.

They all went over to look.

The heart rate monitor was a flat line.