I press the side of my body into Buffy's as we walk, arm-in-arm, down the dark streets of downtown Sunnydale, nearing the Magic Box.

I love the warmth that emanates from her body, much warmer than a normal person's body. I giggle at the memory of taking care of Buffy when I thought she had a fever.

I clutch Buffy's right hand with both of my hands, making sure she won't let go.

Anya and Dawn lead the way down the street, surprisingly without bickering.

"There," Anya says, pointing at a group of vamps wearing red bandanas.

"Is that it?" Buffy asks.

"No, there's more, that's just one corner," Anya explains.

"Are others usually close by?" Buffy questions.

"Not usually. Each gang is broken down into smaller groups, and each group controls a specific area. Also, gangs tend to avoid each other, except when they're feeding on humans from other territories."

"How do you know all this?" I ask suspiciously.

"I'm a vengeance demon, remember?" Anya exasperates.

"Does that make you all-knowing somehow?" I ask.

"No, it means I got connections. Now let Buffy slay the vamps for me."

Buffy looks at me worriedly.

"Will, I'll be done in a few. Will you be okay until then?" Buffy asks, holding my hands in her own.

I nod that I will.

"If something happens, shout," Buffy says, before hugging me, and then walking off to do battle.

"What do we do?" Dawn asks, watching as her sister trots off to meet the small group of vamps.

"Watch your sis exterminate the vermin," Anya says gleefully.

"Okay," Dawn shrugs, as she leans against the side of a building.

I watch as Buffy gets right down to business, skipping the usual banter, and staking them right off the bat. A couple of vamps get away, but she quickly chases one down and stakes it from behind. She manages to throw a stake at the other one that's fleeing, hitting it in the leg.

It's enough to slow the vamp down. As Buffy catches up to it, I feel a cold hand on my shoulder, and freeze up.

I turn around and see the cold eyes of a blue-bandana vampire.

I squeak, and Dawn and Anya turn around. There are 3 more vamps behind the one I'm staring at.

The other three quickly grab Dawn and Anya.

"Get off me!" Dawn screams.

"I'm a vengeance demon, damn it!" Anya protests.

I begin hyperventilating, but manage to scream one thing first.

"Buffy!!!"

The vampires all look at me like I'm crazy.

"Will!" I hear her shout, before she runs to our aid.

"Get away from them!" Buffy screams.

The vamps just laugh.

"What are you gonna do about it, little girl?" The one holding me says.

"I'll tell you what I'm gonna do about it," Buffy growls, gripping her stake.

The vampire holding Dawn suddenly strikes from the side, catching Buffy with a punch in the ribs.

Dawn tries to help, but the vampire holding Anya attacks Dawn from behind.

All of a sudden, the vampire holding me drags me into an alley, and I can't see what happens next.

"Well, well, well. Looks like it's just you and me, missy," The vampire smiles evilly, as he pushes me up against a wall.

"You don't know who you're dealing with," I growl.

"Looks like I'm dealing with a hot little redhead, that's ready to be drained."

"No, you're dealing with the baddest Wicca that's ever walked this earth." I stare threateningly into his eyes.

"Like I haven't heard that line before."

"Only this time it's true," I say before I place my hand to his chest and begin chanting, but something feels wrong.

All of a sudden, a massive pain blasts throughout my body and I fall to the ground. I clutch my side, and I'm beginning to bleed again.

"What the hell?" The vamp looks down at me. "God, I didn't even touch you and you're bleeding like it's my birthday." He grins.

I try to crawl away but it hurts too much.

"Buffy," I manage to say, just above a whisper.

"Unless, your friend's got good hearing, she ain't gonna hear ya," He laughs.

"Buffy," I try again.

The vamp is about to lean down when Buffy appears at the entrance of the alley, stake in hand.

"Get away from her!" She shouts.

"Hey," The vamp puts his hands up, "I didn't even touch her and she started bleeding. Is it my fault that I wanted a taste?"

"No, but is it my fault that my job is to slay demons like you?" Buffy smirks.

"Your job?" The vamp looks at her with horror.

"Yup. Slayer," Buffy smiles before she leaps at the vamp, and in one swift motion, stakes it through the heart.

The dust ends up covering both of us, and I choke on it.

"Buffy," I cough. "I'm bleeding."

"Damn it," Buffy cries. "Dawn! Anya!" Buffy shouts at the top of her lungs.

Dawn and Anya are here in a flash.

"What is it?" They both ask, but they realize what the problem is when they look at me.

"Oh, God, Willow," Dawn says, before she kneels down and checks my wound. "Buffy, you have to heal her," Dawn cries.

"I can't," Buffy states, shaking her head.

"What do you mean, you can't?" Dawn questions.

"Wait, you can heal her?" Anya asks.

"Yes," Buffy admits, "But Giles says I shouldn't."

"Why not?" Dawn questions.

"Because, it's complicated," Buffy breathes. "Giles wants you to take care of it," Buffy explains to Dawn.

"How?" Dawn asks.

"Buffy," I plead, as the pain intensifies.

"Will?" Buffy kneels down in front of me, but she doesn't touch me.

"Buffy, it hurts," I cry. "I need…I need…"

"Will, I can't." Buffy cries, her eyes tearing up, as she reluctantly stands up.

"Buffy, please," I beg, reaching out to her. "I need you."

"For God's sake, Buffy, heal her," Anya shouts.

"I can't. I can't." Buffy says, before running out of the alley and out of sight.

Dawn races for her, shouting Buffy's name.

"Are you going to die?" Anya questions matter-of-factly, but I can hear that she's sincere in her own way.

"I need Buffy," I answer.

Anya takes off her jacket, kneels down, and places it on my wound.

"Thanks," I manage to say.

"Do you want me to get Buffy?" She asks.

"Please."

"Are you sure you want me to leave you alone."

"I… need… her."

With that, Anya races off.

"Buffy…" I breathe, hoping she can hear my plea.

I feel cold, and then suddenly, it all turns black.

******

"Will?"

I hear my name, and someone's cradling me in their arms.

"Willow?"

There's my name again. I rub my eyes, and everything slowly comes into focus.

Buffy's holding me in her arms, on the couch. Dawn and Anya are standing over us.

"Buffy?" I ask, unsure if this is real.

"Yes, it's me," Buffy cries happily. "Are you okay?"

I touch my side and the pain is gone.

"What happened?" I ask.

"You passed out," Buffy answers.

"Yeah, because of Buffy," Anya says, rolling her eyes.

Buffy glares at Anya before turning back to me. Her head's downcast, and she can't look me in the eye.

"She's right," Buffy admits somberly, clutching my hands between her own. "It was all my fault."

"How did I heal when I was unconscious?" I ask.

"I don't know," Buffy replies, bringing my hands to lips and placing a soft kiss on the top one, "I picked you up and when I was carrying you home, you healed on the way."

"That's some spell," Anya says dryly.

"It is," I agree, my body shuddering at the softness of Buffy's lips against my skin. "I'm sorry, Buffy. I know Giles asked you not to heal me anymore."

"No, I'm the sorry one," Buffy says, brushing a strand of hair from my face and tucking it behind my ear. "You could've died, because I didn't want to heal you."

"That's not true," I counter. "You did want to, that's why you came back."

"I should've healed you right away. I should never have listened to Giles. I promise, I won't do that again."

I reach my hand up and cup her cheek.

"I'm glad you disobeyed your Watcher." I smile.

"Me too." Buffy smiles back at me, closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.

I rub my thumb lightly across her lips and a gasp escapes them. I pull my hand away like it's been burned, blushing madly, as Dawn and Anya begin looking around the room.

Buffy's cheeks redden too, as she coughs.

"You okay?" I ask.

"Yeah, just some vamp dust."

"Gets everywhere, huh?"

"Unfortunately," Buffy answers. "Do you wanna get cleaned up?"

I look down at my clothes and notice the dust covering them.

I nod okay.

In one swift motion, Buffy picks me up in her arms and carries me towards the stairs.

"I think I can walk, you know?" I say, as Buffy crosses the living room.

"I know, but I don't want you to hurt yourself trying. Besides, I carried you home. I think I can carry you up the stairs."

"How romantic," I tease.

Buffy blushes and looks away. She carries me up the stairs quietly, then nudges the door open to her room.

"Here's the threshold, want me to keep carrying you?" Buffy smirks.

"I'm your bride, am I?"

"Only if you want to be."

"Who wouldn't?"

Buffy blushes, but that doesn't stop her from carrying me inside, and then into the bathroom.

"So, how do you want to do this?" I ask nervously, as she lets me down.

"Do this?" She looks at me funny. "Oh, you mean?" She points to the bathtub.

"If you don't want to, I understand," I say shyly.

"No, it's okay. I mean, it's not like I haven't seen you, unclothed."

"Yeah, and, well, there is a good reason for it," I add.

"Plus, we can't have you walking around the house, all dusty."

"Good point."

"So it's settled. We'll take a shower together," Buffy says confidently.

"Together? I thought you were just going to help me bathe."

"Bathe you? Oh, that's what you meant?"

"Um, no?"

"It's okay, Will, I can bathe you, if that's what you really want."

"I would never ask you, if you didn't want to."

"I want to. I mean, I want to under the circumstances. I just thought, that since I need to shower too, and that we have to stay close, it might be faster, if we did it together."

"I never thought of that," I admit. "Maybe, we should… sh… shower… together."

"Great," Buffy breathes. "We're going to shower together. Not in a sexy way though, right?"

"No, no sexy. Just regular, showering."

"Yes, regular showering, so we can stay close together, so you won't start bleeding again."