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 three 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.
Goddess, give me the strength . . .
X X X X X
Tara said, "Mr. Giles, Xander, give me your hands. Dawnie, don't touch us."
Mr. Giles took her left hand, Xander her right.
She began chanting in Latin. Mr. Giles, once he realized what she was doing, added his voice to her own. He wasn't a witch, but every voice helped. Tara could only hope that Xander wouldn't join in -- now was not the time for a humorous mispronunciation.
Fortunately, Xander didn't try.
What Tara was doing was dangerous -- to her, and somewhat less so to Mr. Giles and Xander. But it was the only way she could think of to help keep Buffy alive. I know they'd be willing to do this if I took the time to explain. But I don't have that. And while Dawnie would volunteer too I don't want to drag her into it. Buffy and Willow would never forgive me if I did.
The heart-rate monitor resumed beeping -- Buffy's heart rate was now as strong as it could be under the circumstances. But they weren't done yet; if they stopped chanting, Buffy's heart would stop. Tara needed to keep this going until she was out of danger.
They kept chanting.
X X X X X
Angel said, "If I concentrate I seem to be able to turn this power of location on and off."
"Yes," Anya said. "I did it that way on purpose. No need seeing where he is once he's been brutally disembowelled. He'll kind of be stuck in the same location for the rest of eternity. Or many different locations, depending on the scavenger activity."
"Anyway," Angel said, "I'm thinking maybe only one of us needs to actually be paying attention."
"I'll do it," Cordelia said.
"Good. So, we're coming up on an intersection. Which way do we go?"
"Straight ahead."
"You're not completely human," Anya told Cordelia.
"Neither are you."
"I was just curious. Xander always described you as the only normal person he'd ever dated."
"Xander described me as normal?" Cordelia asked.
"Well, he did say it was a relative term."
"Now that's the Xander I know," Cordelia said.
"Another intersection coming up," Angel said.
Concentrating, Cordelia said, "Right. And he's moving."
"In what direction?"
"Roughly northwest."
"So," Anya asked, "What happened to make you not completely human?"
"Is this really the time for casual conversation?" Angel asked.
"I'm not asking casually," Anya said. "I loved Willow and I love Buffy and I have a hard time grasping what this death thing is and what it means to be mortal. So right now to avoid having a nervous breakdown I'm asking questions. Lots of questions. Because if I ask questions then for just a second I stop thinking that I'll never be able to talk to Willow again or watch her research or hear her babble in that annoying way that seems to charm everyone else. If I ask questions then maybe Buffy will be okay and making wisecracks about killing vampires again. Do you understand me?"
"Actually, amazingly, yes," Cordelia said. "I get visions from a group of beings called The Powers That Be. A while back it was discovered that the visions were slowly killing me . . . "
X X X X X
Warren was royally pissed at Rack, but there wasn't much he could do. The warlock could have caused him major damage if he'd been so inclined; instead, he was content to clear out of the neighborhood.
But just because his best chance for magical help had turned coward didn't mean he was completely screwed. He considered contacting that Amy Madison woman who'd "treated" Willow to some kind of magical effect back in January, but wasn't entirely sure where her loyalties lay. The Magic Box was probably unguarded, but the two magic experts of the bunch were currently locked in jail. Warren was sure the place had items of great power, but didn't want to risk mistaking a hand of glory for a mummy hand.
Maybe he didn't have as many options as he thought. Right now, what he had was a pistol and one clip of ammunition.
He wandered by the last lair the Trio had had before that damn Slayer had stolen his superpowers and thwarted his armored car robbery, but the police had apparently already been by; the place was covered in crime scene tape.
He ignored it and went inside, but everything obvious of value had already been taken. Had they found the secret panel?
No.
Unfortunately, the only thing left behind the secret panel was a robot Warren had had made of himself. It wasn't programmed for combat -- he'd wanted it to be realistic, but he might be able to get some use out of it. And he found another clip of ammunition for his pistol.
So he'd be leading from the rear while his robot led from the front. He could deal with that.
One more go-over of the place netted him nothing useful.
He ordered the robot to follow him and he headed back for the demon bar.
His army was waiting.
X X X X X
Fifteen minutes later they were still chanting.
Dawn had come up and tried to grab Xander's hand, but at a headshake from Tara he shook it free. Giles did the same. I’m so sorry, sweetie. I know you want to help. But I can’t let you.
Inside the surgery room, the doctors were trying to remove the bullet from Buffy’s chest.
And, Goddess, I’m running out of energy. I was never as powerful as Willow was. Please, Goddess, give me the ability to do this. Let me save Buffy where I couldn’t save Willow.
Where Tara got the strength, she didn’t know. But it came from somewhere.
Then she saw them take the bullet out and gestured for Xander to let her hand go.
He did so and staggered backwards.
Buffy’s heart rate remained strong.
She gestured for Mr. Giles to do the same thing. He stopped chanting and released her hand.
Closing her eyes, Tara uttered one more silent prayer.
Then she stopped chanting.
Buffy’s heart continued to beat.
Tara had done it.
Thank you, Goddess.
“That was a terrible risk you took, Tara,” Mr. Giles said.
“I had, had to take it,” she said. “And, and I’m sorry I dragged you into it.” Her voice was hoarse.
“Don’t concern yourself there,” Mr. Giles said.
Xander asked, “What risk?”
Mr. Giles said, “The spell Tara cast and we helped in preserved Buffy’s life -- but at a cost to our own. We essentially lent Buffy some of our life essence to assure her survival.”
“Mostly mine,” Tara said.
“She’s alive,” Xander said. “That’s the important thing. But -- in practical terms --”
“It means I borrowed from our lifespans,” Tara said. “We, we will now all die a bit sooner than we would have otherwise. A few weeks, maybe a month.”
After a second he said, “It was worth it.”
Mr. Giles added, “Yes. Now, with any luck, her Slayer healing factor should kick in. Let us just pray there are no emergencies until it does . . “
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