Continued...

Willow just stares off into space, unable to process what has just happened.

"ŠThere are internal injuries, andŠa major loss of blood. It¹s bad." Willow sits on edge, finally understanding what just happened. Buffy looks at her friend with concern.

"Willow?"

Dawn fidgets her fingers, and swings her legs, very uneasy with the hospital. Remembering the last, few times they were here. Mom and Tara were entered in here, I think this place is cursed or something, I just hope Tara¹s ok. Willow exhales deeply.

"She was at your house. Waiting for me. AndŠandŠ"

Willow looks down at the dry blood on her hands.

"ŠShe was shot."

Buffy¹s mind reels back, Oooh. Willow blubbers.

"Three guesses who shot her."

Dawn and Buffy both look each other in the eyes, sadly. Buffy wonders, It could have been anyone, anyone that has a grudge on the slayerŠme. Oh god, this is all my fault.

"We don¹t know it was him, or them, it could have been anyone~"

Willow cuts Buffy off with an angry glare, and a strong heated voice. "Anyone that is Warren."

Buffy silently agrees. Willow wipes the tears from her face, with the sleeve of her blue jumper, the same jumper that Joyce had once said she liked, Dawn looks up over to the wall in front of her, and then to Willow, she asks.

"What are you going to do?"

Buffy shoots Dawn a "Shhh" face. Willow sits there, unable to form a thought. Dawn wonders, Did she even hear me?

The doctor approaches them, they all stand up, awaiting his reply to an answer, to which there was no question.

"I¹m sorry, there was too much blood loss. We triedŠI¹m sorry for you loss."

Willow sinks back into the chair, dreadfully quiet; she had thought Tara would be ok. Buffy gives the doctor a grim look. This is my fault.

"Thank you doctor."

The forty something male balding doctor grabs Buffy¹s right forearm, and shuffles her far enough so Willow and Dawn cannot hear; he hushes himself. He is the very doctor that had taken care of Joyce when she was ill; he also took care of Tara when her hand was crushed by Glory. Buffy thinks, This doctor has been there for the most important moments of my life, the doctor of death, I affectionately call him.

"I should also mention that the blood loss was inconclusiveŠ"

Buffy looks over to Dawn and Willow at her left, they are both crying in each other¹s arms. Buffy wants to console her friend; she doesn¹t want to hear what the doctor has to say. Keeping her eyes on her family, she replies. "Doctor, I really don¹t want to hear this."

She turns her attention to him, giving him a threatening glare. The doctor realises his insensitivity, and leaves in a huff. Dawn is hugging Willow very tightly, they both are crying immensely. Buffy stands meters away from her sister and best friend, she looks at them with tears in her eyes. She immediately dashes to Willow and hugs her tightly. They sit there crying and hugging one and other for what seemed like an eternity. Then Willow breaks from their grasp and stands up.

"I¹m going to make him pay!"

She hastens her exit, before her mind could be changed. Dawn sits still, blowing her nose with a tissue from the box, which had come from the glass table in the centre of the room.

"What did she mean, ŒI¹m going to make him pay¹?"

Buffy stares off in the direction her friend had walked off too. Dawn is very distraught, not keeping still. Buffy miserably replies.

"She¹s going to kill Warren."

This confuses Dawn even more. What makes her think Warren did this? "Shouldn¹t we stop her?"

Buffy exhales deeply, looking around the room; mulling things over. She then looks at her sister, and puts her hand on Dawn¹s fidgeting hands, trying to calm her down.

"What would you do if I died?"

She realises her error and roles her eyes, a little smile, at her foolishness.

"Stupid question. What was your first thought when mom died?"

Dawn holds Buffy¹s hand tightly; she looks up at the ceiling, wondering, and then returns her gaze to Buffy once she has her answer.

"At first, I couldn¹t even form a thought. Then I wanted revenge, I realised I couldn¹t have that, so I thought I could bring her back, and I did. But that¹s not what Willow¹s doing. Is it?"

Buffy takes her hand away from Dawn and rises from her seat.

"No, that¹s exactly what Willow¹s doing. I could try to stop her, but I don¹t think that¹d work, she¹s too strong for me, I couldn¹t take her down, even if I wanted to."

Dawn thinks for a moment, and looks over to her sister, a thought coming to mind, she gets up, and looks at her sister, she has a proposal.

" I have an idea."

Buffy looks at Dawn, puzzled.

"I think you should talk to her, I mean, you¹ve got nothing to loseŠ"

Spike drunkenly slurs; he lowers his tone.

"ŠLiterally."

Xander ponders this for a moment, as he finishes the bottle of ŒJim Beam¹ that Spike had handed him a moment earlier.

"Yeah, I¹ve got nothin¹ to lose!"

Xander incompetently, gets out of the chair, he almost trips on the step at the entrance of the crypt, he turns around and gives Spike an "Oops" face. He then pulls the door open, hitting himself in the face with it. Xander staggers out of Spike¹s crypt, and head¹s towards the magic box. Spike sits and watches Xander leave, not surpassing his amusement with the vision he is seeing, Spike holds his chest, he is in hysterics.

"Money, money, moneyŠ"

Anya sings the ABBA hit while sweeping the floor of the magic box, trying to keep herself entertain from the lack of customers she appears to be having. At least this is better than doing the books. Dawn darts into the shop, the bell above the door rings, she glances around, looking for other people, there are no customers, she closes the door behind herself, and flips the "closed" sign towards the outside world. Anya turns around and screams in fright, she was in her own world, and hadn¹t heard Dawn enter. She observes Dawn, and notices the sad expression.

"Dawn, what¹s wrong? Buffy isn¹t crazy again, is she?"

Anya gives a wide smile at the last remark, but Dawn does not, now Anya is worried. Her smile fades as Dawn gloomily walks up to her.

"You¹d better sit down."

Anya takes the suggestion and takes a seat at the round table. Dawn sits opposite her, she puts her arms on the table and twiddles her fingers, she shifts uneasily, and looks up to Anya.

"Tara¹sŠTara¹sŠTara¹s dead. SheŠumŠshe died about a half hour ago."

Anya covers her mouth with her right hand, shaking her head back and forth. Tears find their way down her cheeks. In fury, Anya yells.

"Why?!"

Dawn gets up and walks over to Anya, she kneels down and looks at Anya.

"A wish could change all of this."

Anya looks Dawn in the eyes; she pulls a handkerchief from her pocket, and blows her nose.

"Yes, yes! Good idea, I could doŠ"

Anya responds, but then retracts.

"ŠBut I¹m not a demon anymore, so I can¹t reallyŠwhy are you looking at me like that?!"

Dawn is slightly amused with the way Anya tries to cover up, she sullenly replies.

"Halfrek and I have been talking since Buffy¹s birthday, she¹s been keeping tab¹s on me. And you know how good Halfrek is at keeping secrets? She breaks easily. I know you can reverse this!"

Anya nods; Halfrek can¹t keep a secret to safe her life. Dawn¹s voice had steadily risen through her frustrating conversation with Anya. Xander pushes the door open strongly enough, that it slams against the wall, but luckily enough it doesn¹t shatter. He has a foam take-out coffee cup in his hand. He enters the magic box, softly closing the door behind himself. He looks up to see Anya standing a few feet away from him, she¹s looking terribly angry with him. Xander softly utters.

"Sorry."

Dawn walks over to Xander, and takes his left forearm; she pulls him to a seat.

"Xander, you with me?"

Dawn¹s anger is rising, she cannot explain this again. Xander smiles goofily.

"I¹m a little drunk, but I¹m here."

Dawn looks over to Anya, disapprovingly. How do I say this?

"Xander. Xander look at meŠTara¹s dead."

Xander sits up from his slumped position, a look of pure horror on his face.

"No. She isn¹t! I just saw her a few hours ago! Oh, god!"

Xander gags and rushes out the back exit of the shop, he throws up. A minute later, he returns, with green spots of vomit on his coat, he takes a seat.

"How¹s Willow?"

"May I see your ticket please?"

Warren takes the ticket out of his black leather jacket and hands it to the plump blonde woman behind the counter; she inspects the ticket for a moment, and hands it back to him.

"Ok, sir. Everything seems to be in order. Your bus will be leaving in ten minutes from bay thirteen."

"Thank you."

Warren hurries towards the bus, quickly getting aboard, and takes his seat. He sighs, relieved, He rests his eyes. Buffy spots Willow in the distance, getting on the very bus, that she had seen Warren just get on a moment earlier. Buffy runs as fast as she can to the bus. But it¹s too late; the bus has already pulled away. She glances around the bus terminal. I have to stop her. She could be in Cellblock D, the next time I see her.

"There¹s got to be a way."

Buffy immediately spots a small yellow school bus nearby; she gets in. Feeling very fortunate that Sunnydale people don¹t think to take the keys out of the ignition. She starts up the bus and speeds after Willow.

Willow takes a seat next to her enemy.

"So how¹s freedom treating you?"

Willow sarcastically demands. Warren jumps from his seat, with his eyes wide open. He is now frozen in his seat. Willow continues, not expecting a response.

"You know, I¹d probably be doing the same thing; except you weren¹t quick enough."

Warren spasms in pain. While Willow just stares blankly at her prey. "I owe you pain!"

Willow¹s eyes roll to the back of her head and when they return they are as black as night. A flickering emits from her hands, the bus swerves, out of control, more sparks are produced in the steering wheel of the bus. The driver tries with all of his might to keep control, but it is not a good enough effort, the bus crashes into a dirt trench. The door of the bus twirls open, the passengers flee wildly out of the bus, screaming for their lives, as the bus catches on fire.

"Slow and steady."

Buffy stops the bus rapidly, almost giving herself whiplash. She exits the bus forgetting to put it in park. It rolls into the ditch, a few yards from the other bus, which is slowly burning. Buffy thinks, Oops, I think Dawn was right.

She hurries over to her best friend, stopping a few feet away, not wanting to get hurt in the process of saving the scum of the earth.

"Willow, don¹t!"

Willow¹s black eyes are fixed on Warren; her revulsion of him is overwhelming.

"Why?! He deserves to suffer for what he did!"

Willow shouts, anger boils inside of her. Warren is cornered off in the middle of the road, Buffy on one side of him, and Willow on the other. He glances back and forth from Buffy and Willow.

"Don¹t I get a say in this?!"

Warren pleadingly yells to them. Both Buffy and Willow glared at him, and in unity.

"NO!"

Warren stands motionless between them, just like a small animal would, when it is in the path of a moving vehicle.

"So can you do it?"

Dawn enquires, while examining a very recognizable necklace, in her right hand.

"Well, this isn¹t really my thing~"

Dawn stops Anya, with another question.

"But you can do it!?"

Dawn almost yells, urging Anya to just say yes. Anya gives Dawn a serious look.

"I should be able to, yesŠ"

Anya makes sure Dawn has every bit of information, before they even think about making a wish.

"ŠMake sure you word it right, before you put on the necklace."

Dawn nods; I know what to do. Xander just looks on, confused.

"We shouldn¹t be doing this, this is wrong. Even Tara would agree with me on that!"

Xander flails his hands about, his face going red; he then sits back down, Stupid hangover. Dawn glares at Xander thinking, She would agree. Anya glides over to Xander and puts her index finger to his lips.

"But you¹re forgetting. We¹re not bringing her back, we¹re going back to fix it so it doesn¹t happen. Understand?"

Xander nods and takes Anya¹s hand from his face, he holds her, not wanting to let go. Dawn looks on sympathetically.

"He deserves pain!"

Warren begins to convulse, he is then is lifted into the air, two metres up. He then strikes the concrete. This happens Repeatedly. Willow is showing no emotion towards her victim.

"Stop! Stop! Please stop!"

Warren screams, which Willow seems to enjoy. Buffy watches in horror. "Willow stop! You¹re killing him!"

Buffy steps closer to her friend; trying to reason with her. Willow turns her attention to Buffy, dropping Warren to the ground.

"Buffy. SheŠshe¹sŠTara is dead. And he killed her!"

Willow represses crying, and strolls over to a crawling Warren and starts kicking him.

"I didn¹t kill her...Neither of us did, well neither of us, that is alive anyway." Willow frowns, not understanding.

"You won¹t be alive for long!"

She uses her telekinetic powers, and continues smashing Warren on the concrete. Buffy runs over to her friend and as softly as she can; she tackles Willow to the ground. Willow¹s focus comes off Warren, and an earth-shattering thud comes next, along with what sounds like a car backfiring. Willow stands up, her eyes back to normal, she looks down at her friend, and then over to Warren, with morbid curiosity. I killed him.

Warren begins to crawl along the ground, he finds that he isn¹t gaining any distance, so he stops and rolls onto his side; wires are sparking from his face.

"Warren¹s a robot? Decoy ofcourse, we took the decoy. Hook, line and sinker."

Buffy is revolted at her lack of knowledge, ofcourse he¹d send a decoy, this is only the same guy that created the BuffyBot. Willow walks over to the WarrenBot, her feet beside his chest. She looks down at his face, with a heartbreaking look.

"You killed my baby."

WarrenBot¹s jaw clicks as he speaks, his right leg is convulsing, as if it doesn¹t have a will of it¹s own.

"No, that¹s where you¹d be wrongŠheŠheŠ"

Willow doesn¹t want to hear any excuses. And without another word, Willow narrows her eyes in aggravation, making Warren explode; his limbs soar in different directions. Willow collapses onto the ground, weeping. Buffy is disgusted as well as in tears. She walks over to Willow, and sits next to her, she hugs her, they rock back and forth. Buffy toughens herself for what she is about to say.

"No magic."

Willow¹s expression hardens.

"I had to."

The both stare off, still rocking back and forth in each other¹s arms. As the Bus Willow had entered explodes from the fire, a siren can be heard in the distance. But they do not move an inch, replaying the horrible hours they have had.

Xander looks over to Dawn concerned, while handing Anya a coffee cup, something he had made himself, with Giles¹ tea-set, that he left behind.

"Here."

He stands beside Anya, She takes the cup.

"Thanks."

Xander sits across the table, looking back and forth, from Anya to Dawn.

"Will this work?"

Xander looks to Dawn, who is reciting words, her lips are quivering but no words are coming out, Anya turns away from Xander.

"It will."

She replies, but her face tells another story. Anya¹s gaze returns to Xander.

"I¹m sorry for what I¹ve become."

Anya looks back to Dawn. Xander is obviously wounded, but he tries to cover up his sadness and anger.

"It¹s who you are."

Dawn sits up; and smiles.

"Ready."

She declares, Anya puts the empty coffee cup onto the table, and walks over to Dawn, whom is sitting on the floor at the stairs to the entrance of the magic box. Anya takes the necklace out of Dawn¹s hand, walks behind her, and fastens the necklace around Dawn¹s neck. Xander decides to do something, rather than stand around like an idiot, so he walks over to the woman, and sits on a step in front of them. Anya, whirls around to face Dawn.

"Ok, these words have to beŠ"

Dawn nods.

"ŠOk. When you¹re ready."

Dawn crosses her legs, in a yogic position. Xander and Anya look on apprehensively.

"I wish, that the grievance of our hearts was altered, to go back twenty four hours, and

be given the chance to change it, this will be repeated until our hearts are mended, and our loved ones are with us, a chance to alter these events is our aim, for once this is over, we will know it in our hearts to be true." Anya smiles at Dawn¹s cryptic that actually made sense; she turns to Dawn, her party face on. Xander looks to Anya, and smiles. God, she¹s beautiful.

In the morgue, the forty something balding male doctor, who had previously been Tara¹s Doctor, begins his autopsy on her. He uncovers her naked body; he then pivots back to get a scalpel, he shifts back around to face his cadaver. Only she¹s not as dead as he once thought. She looks at him mischievously, he face distorted, fangs protruding from her mouth, she grabs him by the neck, and sinks her teeth into him. After a good long moment, of devouring the man, she drops him to the floor. Standing naked in the morgue, with blood dripping down her jaw, she utters.

"Magic."

In the magic box, silver light surrounds Dawn, Anya and Xander. Anya smirks.

"Done."

ŠTo be continued.