Coma: Chapter 1
by Wolfkin
AN Hey guys. I hope you enjoy it, and, as always, if you do like, please review. Heck, if you don't like, review and tell me where I went wrong, ok?

Oh, and this is set between Storyteller and Lies My Parents Told Me. All events up to the start of the story happened exactly like they did on the show. All characters are, of course, property of Joss and Mutant Enemy. I'm just taking them for a little drive.


Coma

Chapter 1

Late afternoon sunlight spills through open drapes and across the carelessly splayed out books and papers on the dining room table at 1630 Revello Drive. Alternating typing and reading, Willow intently watches the screen of her laptop as she tries, yet again to find more direct or indirect references to the First. Her sources had pretty much been exhausted weeks ago, but, still, she had to keep looking, had to contribute something. Ever since the last time she'd tried to use magic to help out had failed so spectacularly, she'd been research girl day and night.

Well, days, anyway. Kennedy insisted on her leaving the computer to eat and sleep and had, on more than one occasion, shut the computer off in her face to get her to leave it for a few hours. She'd been furious the first time, and it had taken her new girlfriend quite a while to calm her back down. It was a good thing she was so damned sexy, Willow had thought at the time. Kennedy repeated the trick twice more, with the redhead just sighing, then grinning at her girl the last time, knowing she was right. That she needed to take a break sometimes, but was obsessing and not paying attention to herself, so, the brunette did it for her.

Willow smiles when she thinks of the potential Slayer. She still wasn't sure how she'd done it, but the beautiful, dark eyed girl had quickly wormed her way into her heart and the witch recognizes all the signs that she's falling for the SiT. Falling fast, if passed experiences are any indication. She thinks the younger girl feels the same, though neither of them has had the nerve yet to say anything.

The hacker returns her attention to the computer screen as yet another fruitless search comes back. Sighing, she looks up and toward the back door, her eyes unfocused as she tries for the thousandth time to rephrase a question that can't be answered.

Movement in the kitchen attracts her attention and her mind returns to let her see what it is. She smiles when she sees Kennedy, Vi, Rona and several other potentials coming in from their latest training session. Willow's smile gets bigger and she stands, catching Kennedy's eye as she does.

The brunette looks into the dining room and smiles at her girl, breaking off from the others and heading into that room. Willow moves toward her and the couple meets in a tight embrace and soft kiss.

Pulling away, slightly, Kennedy grins and teases, "Hi, honey. I'm home!"

Willow scowls playfully and swats at her, then laughingly kisses her again quickly. "Do you have to patrol tonight, or do I have you all to myself?"

Kennedy smiles broadly, clearly excited. "Nope, no patrolling tonight. I was thinking we have a picnic for dinner, then maybe got to the bronze, dance a little, maybe?"

Willow's smile gets as happy as her Slayer in training's. "That sounds so great!" She hugs her girl tightly, but swiftly. "Where do you want to go? For the picnic, I mean."

"Well, with the bringers and ubervamps around, I was thinking we probably should stay close, so that back left corner of the backyard? In case we need help?"

Willow is a little impressed. Usually, Kennedy prefers to take the chances and show everyone how tough she is. "Yeah, uh, that would be good. Perfect, in fact. And, Buffy wouldn't worry so much about us."

"It's settled then." The dark haired SiT kisses the redhead's lips chastely. "I'll go get everything ready. Say, half an hour?"

Willow nods and smiles. "That would be just right. I could finish one more thing with my research, then I'm all yours!"

Kennedy gives the wicca her sexiest smile and leans in, placing her lips near her girl's ear. "Like the sound of that," she teases, bringing a little blush to Willow's cheeks. Chuckling at her witch's reaction, the potential presses one more kiss to the redhead's lips, then goes back into the kitchen.

Willow watches her leave, her mind racing ahead and she shivers in anticipation. 'Soon,' she thinks to herself. She wants to make love to her girlfriend so badly, but, every time she manages to conquer her fears about losing control and going evil again, something happens. Their room gets a bunch of girls dumped in there to sleep, or a normal Scoobie emergency happens and has to be dealt with, or she just simply looses her nerve and gives in to her fears. She knows it has to be getting to Kennedy, but the brunette hasn't said anything, not really. Oh, plenty of flirting and suggestions, but she's respected Willow's wishes completely.

Her thoughts then turn darker as she wonders, not for the first, or even the hundred and first time, what would have happened to her had the beautiful, headstrong girl not pushed her way into her life and heart. The witch shudders and forcibly shoves those thoughts aside and thinks of Kennedy, the little things she does to show she cares. Like the picnic, Willow thinks happily. It's the kind of romantic gesture she's slowly coming to expect from someone she's learning is far more complex than she'll ever show anyone. Anyone but her, that is.

Willow herself has discovered depths to Kennedy and her personality that anyone else who ever met the gruff, plain spoken girl would laugh at her for even mentioning. That's ok, though, because that just makes Kennedy more hers.

She shakes her head, smiling and moves back to the table to restart her web searches once more, but the phone picks that moment to ring. Sighing, she picks it up. "Summers residence, hello."

A tired sounding female voice is on the other end. "Yes, hello. I'm trying to reach a Mister Rupert Giles. Can he be reached at this number?"

Willow gets a little concerned. She knows the voice of everyone who knows Giles is in this country and this one is new. "Yes, he can, but he's not here right now."

"This is the long term care ward at Sunnydale Memorial. Mr Giles left several contact numbers with us, but this is the only one that was still active. Can a message be left for him at this number?"

'The hospital?' Willow thinks, starting to panic. 'Who-I mean, there's no-I thought everyone was-' The internal babble almost overwhelms her, then she gets control as she realizes that everyone is here and ok, at least as of this morning. 'It must be someone Giles knows.' She feels relief over this thought, then remorse that she is happy that someone Giles knows is ill.

"Yes, I can give him a message. He kinda lives here and will be back tomorrow."

The redheaded wicca listens intently as the hospital person starts their message, then the blood drains from her face and she goes so pale, if anyone saw her, they'd swear she was dead. In a deadly quiet, trembling voice, she asks, "Who? Who did you say?" Her voice is filled with terror. Terror that she's heard wrong. Terror that she's heard correctly.

Kennedy walks back into the room just as Willow pales even more. The SiT sees the beautiful green eyes she loves to stare into roll up and watches in horror as Willow drops.

"Willow!" she screams, dashing forward, trying to catch her before she hits. She half makes it, cushioning her girl's head before it can hit the hardwood floor.

Her yelling attracts Buffy and she enters the dining room at a run. Looking around, she takes in the scene she finds at a glance and turns instantly to Kennedy. "What happened?" Her voice is harsh as she flashes into Slayer mode without thought.

Kennedy looks at the Slayer, her eyes worried as she absently strokes Willow's hair, shaking her slightly. "I don't know! I was in the kitchen, fixing us dinner. The phone rang and I came in to see what was going on. She looked like she was seeing a ghost, then she fainted." She looks into her redhead's face, then back up at Buffy, unshed tears in her eyes. "She won't wake up."

Buffy hears the words, but her protective instincts fully aroused, she only processes the word phone. "The phone? Give." She holds out an imperious hand and Kennedy retrieves it and tosses it to her before returning her attention back to Willow.

"Who is this?" the blonde demands of the person on the telephone.

"Oh, hello!" the hospital person says, sounding relieved. She'd heard a little of what was going on and was on the verge of hanging up and sending the EMTs. "This is the desk in the long term care ward at Sunnydale Memorial. I was trying to reach a Rupert Giles and the other young woman said he could be reached at this number."

Now Buffy is confused, and, in her current mood, getting angry. "The hospital? Fine. He'll be back sometime tomorrow. What's the message?"

"He asked to be notified if Miss Maclay awoke from her coma. She did last night."

The Slayer is shocked from her anger, her own face paling. She feels her eyes widening, her breathing speeding up. She couldn't have heard right. "Could you repeat that? The name."

"A Miss Tara Maclay."

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