Summary: Set in S6 of Buffy before “Seeing Red”. A certain brunette comes to town and tries her best to help out.
A/N: Tara doesn’t die.
It was a beautiful day, as Buffy and Xander hugged.
Inside the house, Willow and Tara were talking about magic. Tara thought Willow was addicted to magic. Willow stood in front of the window.
Buffy and Xander let go.
Suddenly, Warren walked into the yard and shot Buffy. He then started shooting like crazy. That’s when a brunette grabbed his wrist to try and twist the gun out of Warren’s hand. All Xander could do was stare at his ex. It was amazing. She was back in town and trying to save lives. That’s when he realized how much she had changed.
Meanwhile, Willow fell to the floor after getting shot and the house caught on fire.
Back outside, Buffy lay on her back also shot, Xander knelt beside her.
“Buffy. Oh God.”
He applied pressure to her wound, trying to stop the bleeding.
The Seer tossed the gun, making it land by a faraway table.
“Go away, Warren. If I see you again, you’re going to wish you were never born. Got me?”
He nodded, her glaring sending chills down his spine.
“Now get out of here.”
He did as she said, running away.
She knelt by the Slayer and felt for a pulse on the side of her neck.
“She’s gone,” she told him, hand to her side.
He moved to her side.
“You’re hurt.”
“Shot to be exact.”
“I’ll get you some help.”
He knelt behind her, ready to pick her up.
She leaned back, resting her head on his shoulder.
He looked into her eyes, as she tried to do the same. She was unfocused, though. He could tell. He was determined not to lose her, though. He couldn’t lose his Princess. Not like this. He also knew that she was looking to him to save her life like he used to. Her hazel eyes shoe it dimly.
He rushed into the basement where he and Anya lived, carrying an unconscious Seer in his arms. He layed her gently on the bed and then took the kit from under it, as he applied pressure to stop the bleeding, praying for her not to die on him. He lost Buffy twice.
He couldn’t watch his Princess die. It would break his heart into a zillion pieces.
A few minutes later, her wound was taken care of.
He checked for a pulse on the side of her neck.
“I’m alive,” she said.
He took his fingers away.
Half an hour later, they rushed into the Summers’ residence.
“Xander, go check on Tara. I’ll check on Willow.”
He did so.
She rushed to and knelt by the good witch, whom lay on her side, eyes closed.
“Willow. Oh my God.”
She gently rolled her onto her back and pulled her into her arms.
She immediately realized that the witch was dying. She was knocking on Heaven’s door.
“Wills, I’m sorry. Will, I forgive you of that kiss in senior year.”
She stroked her hair and then kissed her forehead.
She could only watch, as she took her last dying breath and went limp in her arms.
She looked up at the ceiling.
“PTB, please take care of her. You know how much she meant to us all.”
She gently layed her down.
She stood up and looked around, searching for the others. Then she saw them. Xander was knelt by an unconscious Tara.
Avoiding the fire, she rushed over and knelt beside Tara. She felt for a pulse on the side of her neck. Alive.
“Xander, go find Dawn. I’ll stay with Tara.”
“Where’s Willow?”
“Dead. I’m sorry. Now go. Please.”
He did as he was gently ordered.
“Tara, can you hear me? Sweetheart?” she called, as she felt her wrist, as she counted. “Come on. Wake up. We have to get out of here.”
She felt around to see if she was hurt.
“Cordelia?” Tara murmured, coming to.
“Hey. You’re awake. And, um, there isn’t any easy way to say this, but Will is dead, Tara. I’m sorry.”
She helped her to her feet and they walked hand in hand, avoiding the fire, which made the witch feel better.
They stopped by Xander and Dawn.
Xander was knelt by her.
Dawn was hurt. Not bad, though. But she was injured. She had a bleeding left leg.
“Xander, get Dawn out of here. We’ll meet you at the shop. I’m going to make sure Anya wasn’t in here when the fire started.”
He did as he was told, carrying Dawn out.
Twenty minutes later, they found her in the kitchen, back to the door, a knife by her, blood by her hands.
“Tara, get me a dish towel.”
She knelt by her.
Tara came up and gave a clean one to her.
“Is she going to be alright?”
“I don’t know yet. I’m not sure if she’s alive or not. I need to check.”
She gently rolled her onto her back and felt for a pulse. She then checked her breathing.
“We have to get out of here. She’s barely alive.”
“Will she die?”
“If we don’t get a first-aid kit she will.”
“Tara, I need you to get her to the shop. I’m going to see if Spike is in the basement.”
Tara did so, putting her arms under hers.
Cordy came downstairs and turned on the light, a blanket in hand. It was evening, but she wasn’t sure when the sun would set. And he was a vampire. He would turn to ash in the sunlight.
“Spike?”
There was fire downstairs, too.
She held onto the railing at the bottom, coughing.
He slowly came to and saw there was fire everywhere. He also saw Cordelia. He got to his feet and briskly walked to her side.
“What’s wrong, pet?”
“We have to get out of here. The shop.”
“I meant you.”
“Dizzy and weak.”
He draped the blanket over himself and put an arm around her.
She did likewise with her own arm.
“Let’s go, luv.”
They walked up the stairs at her pace, her head resting on his shoulder.
She stumbled into the hallway by the front door and he caught her.
“Easy, Princess.”
She coughed some more.
It was eight that evening when they half walked, half stumbled in.
He once again caught her from falling.
Tara came up and wrapped an arm around her.
“You got her, luv?” he asked Tara.
“Y-yeah.”
He let go.
She helped her sit in a chair.
“Water,” Cordy managed through coughs.
Anya was much better now and spoke.
“Spike, you better go get Willow from the house. She’s dead, but we need to bury her.”
Spike left.
Xander gave her a bottle of water and Cor slowly drank it.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” he replied.
The next day, they had Buffy and Willow’s funeral.
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