Cander (Cordy/Xander)

Seer To The Rescue

"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.