"Hypothermia. We need to get her out of the wet clothes and try to find some heating pads. When she wakes, we can try to get her to drink some warm tea or cocoa." Willow heard a male voice come from somewhere above her. Giles, she thought.
"Will she be okay?" Said an anxious female voice. Buffy? Tar- not Tara. It wasn't Buffy. Faith? Why would Faith be worried up about her?
"She'll be fine. It'll take a lot of rest but she will live. Minor head damage - no brain damage. We're lucky. Faith, you couldn't have thought of another way to stop her?"
"Listen G-Man, you weren't there. It was scary. I did what I had to do."
"But you- wait, I think she's awake. Willow?" Giles asked. Willow's eyelids fluttered and the light hurt her eyes. She felt the dark slayer's hand rest on top of hers. When their hands touched, a jolt of electricity went streaming through Willow's body. She could barely remember the last time she responded that much to a simple touch. Not since.. Not since Tara.
"It's okay Giles, I can take care of her."
"Faith, are you sure?"
"I've got it G-Man." Faith assured him. Willow felt Faith slowly begin to take Willow's clothes off. Willow's eyes slowly opened. "Whoa, uh, Red, didn't know, I mean, I thought you we-"
"Faith?"
"Yeah?"
"I can undress myself." Willow smirked.
"Okay hypo girl. Go at it." Faith tried to hide a blush.
"Hypo girl?"
"Hypothermia."
"Faith?"
"Yeah?" .
"Could you turn?"
"Turn?"
"I need to change."
"Oh. Right." Faith turned, blushing even harder. Willow shakily changed and then lay back down. As Faith turned back around she said, "I need to take your temp." She pulled out a thermometer which Willow dutifully put in her mouth. 82 F. "Whoa, you're way to cold Red." Faith grabbed some more blankets and piled them on top of the woman.
"I d-dont feel cold. Just kind of numb."
"That's not good. Do you think you could drink some warm tea?" Willow nodded shakily. "Okay, I'll also grab some heating pads."
"Faith?"
"Mm?"
"Why are you being nice to me?"
"What?"
"I always thought you hated me in high school."
"I did. I hated.. I hated the way you made me feel." Faith turned away, her eyes cold.
"What do you mean? Faith?"
Faith had gone. When she came back she didn't say a single word. She handed Williw the tea and heating pads and then retreated to the basement where she threw darts as hard as she could. One actually went through the dart board and hit the beam in the wall.
"Faith?"
"Not in the mood for chit chat B."
"I'm not Buffy." Dawn Summers stood in the doorway.
"Oh hey Junior." Faith sent another set flying.
"You've been taking care of Willow." Dawn crossed her arms.
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Why?"
"Why are you taking care of her instead of Buffy or Xander or Giles? You barely know her and last time you guys met, you almost killed everyone." Dawn glared.
"Whoa, it's no big." Faith put her hands up in mock surrender.
"You can't replace her you know." Dawn took a step forward.
"Replace who?"
"Tara. Willow will always love her more than anyone else. They were soulmates." Dawn's bottom lip trembled.
"I know that."
"You can't just come waltzing in here in your combat boots expecting her to love you!" Dawn yelled.
"I'll have you know, I saved her life!" Faith put her hands on her hips.
"You don't deserve her! Youre just a crazy murderer!" Dawn shouted
"Whoa! Calm down! I'm not replacing Tara! Willow doesn't feel that way about me, even if-" Faith stopped herself abruptly.
"Even if you feel that way about her?" Dawn growled.
"That's none of your business kid."
"I'm not a kid!"
"Listen, I don't want trouble."
"She has a girlfriend you know! Kennedy!"
"I see. And you like her?" Faith crossed her arms.
"Not really, but she's better than you!"
"But you don't like Kennedy? And Willow acts like she does?"
"I guess so."
"Isn't that strange?" Faith frowned.
"You're just jealous." Dawn crossed her arms.
"I want to meet this Kennedy." Faith turned so her back was to Dawn and the door.
"And I would like to meet the woman in love with my girlfriend." A defiant voice sounded from behind Faith. Faith spun to see a very pissed off potential standing in the doorway.
"And where were you while I was taking care of your girlfriend?"
"I was patrolling. What's wrong with Willow? Did something happen?" Kennedy frowned.
"Yes, something happened." Faith sneered.
"Well? Is she alright?" Kennedy demanded.
"She'll be okay. Giles says she had hypo.. Hypo.. Hypo something." Dawn said.
"Hypothermia." Faith said.
"How did she get hypothermia?" Kennedy crossed her arms.
"She fell. Into a river. Unconscious." Faith shrugged.
"Why?!" Kennedy yelled.
"She was possessed by a rogue demon. I had to knock her out, the cops were onto us. We jumped."
"You knocked her out? And she jumped.. While she was unconscious?"
"I did what I had to do! I saved her life at least twice last night!!"
"But I'm guessing you also put her in danger. At least twice."
"Listen here bitch-" Faith started.
"You stay the hell away from my girlfriend!!" Kennedy yelled, slamming the door behind her.
"Wow. I have to say, not my favorite." Faith groaned, hitting the wall with such force that a dent formed in the wall.
"Whatever Faith. As far as I'm concerned, neither of you deserve Willow." Dawn shot one more look at Faith before leaving.
Xander looked up as Kennedy came bursting into Willow's room. "How is she?!" She demanded, looking at her girlfriend who lay still and pale in the bed.
"She's doing better. Her temp rose a good five degrees in the past hour." Xander said. "Ill leave you two for a while. If she wakes up, have her drink some tea." He stood to leave.
"Hey Xander, what happened to her head?" Kennedy peered at the bloody bruise on Willow's head.
"She was possessed by some demon. Faith had to knock her out." Xander said.
"Mm. Faith. She's the dark slayer right?" Kennedy asked. "Wasnt she a bad guy?"
"She's changed. She saved Will's life." Xander said.
Kennedy nodded and turned back to Willow who hadn't stirred. Xander left, closing the door behind him. Kennedy looked down at her feet, not sure what to do. "Mm.." Kennedy looked up at the noise from Willow.
"Will?"
"Tara..?" Willow murmured, her voice barely a whisper. At this, Kennedy slammed her hand down on the bedside table, startling the hell out of Willow. She opened her eyes all the way. "Kennedy. Sorry, Kennedy, of course."
"I'm not Tara." Kennedy growled.
"I-I know, I'm sorry. I was dream-"
"Dreaming about her? Again?" Kennedy yelled.
"Kennedy, please. You know me. Blabbering like usual, I didn't mean to-" Willow started.
"Stop. Just.. Just stop." Kennedy muttered. "Its fine. Really. Want some tea?" She stood up.
"Kennedy.."
"Everything's fine, I promise. Here, tea." Kennedy handed her a mug.
"Thanks." Willow whispered.
"Yeah." Kennedy said. "Listen, I should go. Slayer business."
"Of course." Willow nodded, her hands shaking. Kennedy was already gone. A few minutes later Buffy poked her head in the room.
"Hey, what happened? Kennedy didn't look happy." Buffy frowned in concern.
"Nothing, nothing." Willow said.
"Will.."
"I called her Tara." Willow confessed.
"Oh, that's not good." Buffy sighed. "I'm sorry. Think she'll come around?"
"Honestly, I don't even care if she does. I've been meaning to break up with her actually." Willow looked down.
"Oh thank god." Buffy grinned.
"What?" Willow frowned.
"Sorry Will, it's just.. Xander and I never liked her." Buffy looked sheepish. Willow laughed softy. "Feeling any better?"
"Actually, I'm feeing kinda cold. Like more than earlier." Willow shivered and sipped her tea.
"That's actually good. That means your body responding again. It's better that you feel cold instead of numb." Buffy handed Willow another blanket. She took it gladly, "So what do you remember from when you and Faith were driving?"
"Well.. I remember that we were talking. We were talking about Tara." Willow paused, looking down. "And I remember being upset. Really upset. And then.. I remember falling and falling and falling. Then we were.. I remember being wet. And I couldn't breathe. And I remember screaming. I was screaming for you and Xander and Faith. And for.. Tara." Again, when she said Tara's name, she paused and looked down, as if even saying it was to much for her. "And then it was dark. Everything was completely dark. And from the darkness I could hear Faith yelling for me a-and crying. And the. It was light again. And Faith picked me up.. And the next thing I remember was seeing you." Willow finished.
Both of them were completely silent for a moment. Buffy put a hand on Willow's thin shoulder. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you as much as I should've been."
"No, Buff, it's okay."
"No, it's not. I'm your best friend and after all you've been through, I should've-"
"Buffy, it's not your fault. Things have been hard and complicated." Willow sighed.
"But-"
"No, I'm not going to let you blame yourself for anything!!" Willow cried. "It's no ones fault! Life isn't fair, it's never fair. Tara shouldn't have died. You shouldn't have died and I shouldn't have brought you back. You and Faith shouldn't have to protect the world. All those potentials shouldn't have to deal with this. But here we are." At this point, there were tears streaming down both of the girl's faces. Willow sat up and opened her arms and Buffy embraced her, trying to warm her body, trying to warm her heart.
"I'm so so sorry. So sorry." Buffy sobbed.
"Me too. For everything." Willow's whole body shook with tears.
The two stayed like this for what seemed like hours. Eventually Willow fell asleep but Buffy didn't leave. She stayed there with her for an hour.