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Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine, and if they were they'd still be
on the same show and not all screwed up! Unfortunately, they belong to Joss
Wheden and his messed up friends/TV station sponsor people and there are
just too many to name. Any and all lyrics ARE mine though.

Rating: PG - PG13, in parts.

Distribution: Go ahead and take it! Just link me and e-mail me, okay?

Authors Note: The author doesn't particularly watch Angel until the summer
reruns, so in my little world many parts of this season never happened.
Angel's soul IS bound ('cause, you know, my world here!) Conner does exist,
but hasn't disappeared, and Angel and Cordelia are not a couple!!!! Buffy
and Tara have just been shot, Willow did NOT get all magical yet and won't!
Tara's not gonna die in my world!!

Okay I guess I can put the story now!

~*~*~*~Part One~*~*~*~

Angel woke up suddenly. Oh God! He had to call Sunnydale, he had to call
Willow, and make sure Buffy was still alive. He'd had the worst nightmare.
He'd lost her again. He had to be there. He knew now more than ever that
he had to be near Buffy, he had to hold her, the way he'd always dreamed of
holding her. He had to relive as much of their day together as he could.

He ran out into the hotel lobby. Fred and Cordelia looked at him funnily,
but he ignored it. Hurriedly, he dialed Buffy's number. There was no
answer. Dread settled in his un-beating heart. He could feel her, slipping
away. He had to get there. He had to bring her back to him. "I'm going to
Sunnydale" he said slipping out into the sewer. He heard Cordelia call to
him.

"Angel sun? and your son? Conner? And why the sudden Sunnydale trip
Angel?" He could practically hear her eye brows furrow and her shoulders
shrug. It didn't matter. She could worry. He had too much to lose. If he
lost Buffy again sunny light wouldn't be an issue anymore. His life
wouldn't be an issue anymore.

~*~*~*~

Dawn heard the gunshots and went running. "Tara!" she heard Willow crying.
"Tara baby come back to me!" Dawn hurried into their room. She hurried to
Tara's side and gently touched the wound, not knowing quite why she did it.
Within seconds Tara was awake, Willow was looking at Dawn with shock in her
eyes. "How did you"

"I don't know. Where's Buffy?" Dawn asked worriedly.

"Downstairs, I think she and Xander were in the yard," Tara said dazedly.
"What happened? Dawnie"

She still seemed weak but she'd lived. Dawn knew those bullets had been
aimed at Buffy. She ran to the window facing the garden. Buffy was lying in
a pool of blood, blood Dawn knew was her own. "BUFFY!!!" she screamed.
There was so much blood. More blood than Tara had lost. "BUFFY!!!!" Willow
ran up behind her and saw Buffy.

"Dawn" Willow whispered. "Dawn come away from the window. Come on, we'll
go down there and see what happened."

Willow took Dawn's arm and Tara took the other. Together they led her down
the stairs and into the garden. Dawn broke out of their arms and ran to her
sister. "BUFFY!!!! NOOOOOO!!!!" Tara slipped her arms around Willow and
Dawn. Tears were streaming down Dawn's face. Xander ran out of the house.

"The ambulance is on it's way Oh God! Buffy!" he cried. Dawn heard the
sirens and felt herself being pulled into the backseat of the ambulance
with her sister, and Willow. Xander and Tara were probably in a car, or
running behind. Dawn couldn't even remember whether they actually had cars
or not. It didn't matter. They'd get to the hospital. And Angel someone
had to call Angel. Buffy would want to see him.

The ambulance pulled up to the hospital and Dawn felt herself being pulled
somewhere else again. Xander and Tara ran in a few minutes later. Buffy was
being operated on. Just like their mom had been. And mom had lived for
awhile. Dawn knew she was still crying, and she knew Buffy was still in the
operation room. After that she was clueless. Her mind wasn't focusing.
She'd forgotten everything but that Buffy was hurt. That Buffy needed her.

Almost three hours passed, Dawn figured, when the doctor came out. "She's
in serious condition, but she hasn't died in surgery. The rest is up to
her. We do have a problem, it appears there is already a death certificate
filed. Is there any way to reach her gaurdian."

Dawn spoke up. "Uh, our mom died, and she hasn't talked to our dad in
years they had some issues."

"Has she been in a serious accident recently?" the doctor asked.

"Almost a year ago," Willow said. "But she uh lived."

"That could be it," the doctor said. "I'll go change that now."

Anya came running down the hall. "Buffy! Xander! Are are they okay?" she
asked, nervously. Xander stood up and went over to her.

"I'm okay I'm here," he muttered.

"You're bleeding!" Anya gasped. "Who, what how?"

"That's Buffy's," he said. "Oh, God, An she's in there she's dying oh
God!" he started crying again. Anya slipped her arms around him. Tragedy
seemed to have brought them back together. Dawn would be happy for them,
but she couldn't feel anything but afraid.

"Xander!" Willow scolded. "Don't" she nodded towards Dawn. Dawn didn't say
anything, just stared at the door. The doctor looked at her and Tara.

"You two are her sisters?" he asked. Tara shook her head.

"Willow and I just live with them Dawn's her sister. But we're all
family," Tara told him, gesturing to the whole group.

The doctor nodded. "I understand that, but I'm afraid I can only allow you
three in. The boy and the other girl are going to have to wait outside."

Tara nodded, and led Dawn and Willow in. Willow looked almost as bad as
Dawn. Tara looked terrified, but she was being strong for them. Good,
someone had too. Xander had seen her get shot, and Anya wasn't exactly
rational. Dawn sat at her side. "Buffy? Buffy can you hear me?" she asked.
"Buffy come back to me."