Giles sat blankly for a moment, staring at Willow.

                “What, what exactly…  Why?” Giles said in a befuddled tone.

                “The reason I pulled through being shot was because of the Slayer part of me, it healed me,” Willow said.  “The reason I come out of anything I go through is because of the Slayer part of me.  If I transfer that to Tara, it’ll help her heal, make her strong enough to come out of her coma.”  Giles took off his glasses and brought his hand up to his face, pinching his nose with his index finger and thumb.

                “Listen Willow, you can’t just simply decide to give up being a Slayer and give it to someone else.  You were chosen to be the Slayer, it’s your duty,” Giles said in a patient voice.  Willow’s face turned into a frown.

                “Giles, I’m taking about Tara,” Willow started in a serious voice.  “This could help her.  My duty as a Slayer is to help people and this is going to help her.  I don’t see what your problem is here.”

                “Don’t you see that this could have dire results?”  Giles leaned forward towards Willow, trying hard to make his point have importance to the redhead.  “This is all just theory.  This might not work for one.  For two, it might work, but have disastrous results on you or Tara or both.  Or three, it could work and Tara still remains in a coma.  And also, do you know if Tara even would want this?  You’re making her the next Slayer Willow, do you know if she even wants this responsibility?”  Willow sighed loudly and closed her eyes, pausing for a moment.  Running her hand through her hair in frustration, the redhead opened her eyes again.

                “I’d ask her how she felt about being the Slayer Giles, but I can’t.  She’s in a coma.  And I’d also give a crap about all those reasons you just stated if it wasn’t for that fact that I’m the Slayer and I can help my friend who’s in a coma,” Willow finished.

                “And if it fails?” Giles asked.

                “Then I’ll know I did all I could,” Willow said in a firm voice.

                “And what happens if this ends with no Slayer to fight the denizens of the Hellmouth, all the coming apocalypses,” Giles said, still trying to drive his point home.

                “Then we improvise.  We’ve done it before, we can still do it now.  I’m not going to give up on her because you’re afraid of what might happen Giles,” Willow said , her tone becoming strained.

                “Willow, I care about Tara as much as you do but she is only one person.  The Hellmouth represents a threat to all of humanity, to existence as a whole on earth.”  Giles felt like all his comments were being fully ignored as he and Willow continued.

                “Giles, she’s the woman I love, I’m not going to stand here, able to help her, and watch her lay there.  I wouldn’t do that to her, or to you,” Willow responded.

                “I’d bloody well hoped you’d do,” the Englishman said, his voice raising in tone.  “I’d never want you saving me if it meant the chance the world could be destroyed or the possibility of demons running rampant through humanity.”

                “You’re not me Giles, and this is going to happen,” Willow said in a stern voice.

                “Both you and Tara wield great power but whenever either one of you is in jeopardy or hurt, the other endangers everyone to help, and one day both of your luck will run out and everyone is going to pay the price for it.  Willow please, listen to reason, you need to think this through.  Tara is important, I agree, but she can come out if this in her own time.”  Giles felt himself trying as hard as he could to persuade Willow in any way possible.

                “I don’t care,” Willow said simply.

                “I forbid this Willow.  I’m not going to stand here and simply watch you throw away the fate of humanity over this,” Giles said firmly.

                “Forbid?  Who are you to choose who lives and who dies?  When did you get the right to choose that?” Willow said, her voice becoming louder.

                “Tara’s not dead, she’s in a coma,” Giles said.

                “She’s not here with me!” the redhead yelled.  “I’d go to the ends of the earth for her Giles, and you can talk all you want but you not stopping me.”

                “Willow,” Giles began, but the redhead ignored him.  Willow picked up the book, turned her back on him, and walked upstairs to Tara’s bedroom.  “Willow,” Giles said in a defeated tone.

                The Slayer walked up stairs and headed into her friend’s bedroom and closed the door.  Sitting down on the neatly made bed, Willow cracked open the book and began rereading the spell she was hoping would help her friend, hoping with everything she could muster.  As she looked at the top of the page, she noticed a dark splotch, like a stain from some dark liquid and ran her finger across it in puzzlement, then began reading the spell again, studying it till she finally fell asleep, her mind clouding over with a dream from the past.

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