My eyes flutter open.

I see Willow's face, all serene and quiet. Her eyes are closed and her dark red hair flows just to her shoulders.

I smooth my right thumb over the top of her left hand, gently caressing her creamy smooth skin.

Willow is still meditating, drawing upon my strength to heal her wound. My eyes fall to the wrapping around her waist. The blood there has dried, and I can feel that she's already healed.

At first, the amount of strength she drew from me jolted my body, but I didn't say a word. I knew she needed it, so I endured the pain. Now there's no more pain. She's done drawing upon my strength, but now she needs to heal her mind.

I give Willow's hands one last squeeze, before I kick up my legs to turn and slide off the bed. Willow needs to rest now.

Her hands fall to her lap, and she remains in her meditative state.

I smile, and silently step out of the room.

I finally have Willow back, and I know things are going to be okay. I just know it.

******

"How's Willow?" Dawn asks me, as she pours herself a glass of OJ.

"Good." I flash Dawn a genuine smile, happy that I had a part in Willow's healing.

"Were you two meditating or something?"

"Yeah, how'd you?"

"I kinda walked by and saw you two on the bed, holding hands. I wanted to check on Willow too, but you beat me to it." Dawn smiles, taking a sip of her juice.

"I needed to know she was okay," I confess, sitting down in a chair.

"Want some juice?"

"Read my mind." I breathe, desperate for some energy to replace the energy I'd given away.

I watch Dawn skip over to the counter, grab a glass and pour me some OJ. She happily hands me the full glass of OJ and I gulp it down greedily. I finish the entire glass easily, and hand it back to Dawn.

"Seconds?" Dawn grins at me.

"Read my mind again," I answer, feeling my energy level pick up again. "Must be psychic."

Dawn quickly pours me another glass and I gulp it down just as greedily as the first. Wow, giving Willow my strength took more out of me than I thought.

Dawn pours and hands me a third glass.

"Wow, thirsty much?" Dawns teases.

"Mostly tired," I reply, letting the condensation on the glass cool my hand.

"I thought meditating was supposed to rejuvenate you."

"It is, but we were meditating together."

"How is that different?"

"I was lending her my strength to help her heal her body."

"You can do that?"

"Apparently."

"Wow, maybe you can lend it to me sometime?" Dawn asks hopefully.

"It's not gonna make you a slayer, if that's what you're thinking."

"It wouldn't hurt to try, right?"

"It might hurt me."

"You mean it hurts?"

I avert my eyes, not wanting Dawn to see the truth.

"Buffy, did it hurt?" Dawn asks, walking up to me and placing her hand on mine.

"Kinda," I admit ashamedly.

"Why did you keep doing it then?"

"Because." I pause, "It's Willow. Besides, it doesn't hurt that much," I lie half-heartedly.

"Buffy, you have to tell her. You can't let her take your strength if it hurts you."

"It's okay Dawnie, I can take it. Anyway, she's not taking anything. I'm giving it to her. It's my choice."

"Are you sure?"

"More than sure. If it was you, I'd do the same."

"It was me like a hundred times, but you never gave me your strength," Dawn teases.

"That's because we didn't know before. Now we do."

"So if I like bruise my knee, you'll heal me?"

"If it's a bruise, you can heal yourself," I poke Dawn in the arm.

"Fine, but if I get like major injured, you will heal me, right?"

"Of course," I smile and tuck a strand of Dawn's hair behind her ear.

"Buffy!" The scream resonates through house. It's Willow. I instantly jump out of the chair and fly up the stairs to my old room.

Willow's lying back against the pillows on the bed, clutching her stomach. Red. All I see is red pouring onto the bed.

I rush over, and put my hand over Willow's, desperately trying to stop the bleeding.

"Will, what happened?"

"I don't know," Willow cries. "I opened my eyes and you were gone, and I was bleeding, and then it was all red," Willow sobs. "It was all red."

I pull Willow into my arms, careful to avoid her wound. I know she must be having flashbacks. This much blood is too much blood.

Dawn stands at the door, frozen in fear. I can see the shock in her eyes. I know she must be having flashbacks too.

"Dawn," I shout, too loudly. "Dawn," I repeat again, softer this time. "Can you get some towels?"

Dawn nods her head, and walks back out into the hallway.

I hold Willow against my body. I can feel every shiver, every sob, and every tremble that racks her body.

"It's going to be okay, Will," I soothe, hoping that I'm telling the truth. Because, honestly, I don't know.

"Don't leave me Buffy," Willow cries desperately, clutching at her stomach with her right hand, and throwing her left arm around my body. "Please, don't leave me."