So here it is, my first official Twillow fanfiction.
This story is based around Adele's song 'Don't you remember' which will come into subject more in the third chapter.
Basically: Instead of Tara dying (because everyone hated that) I decided to instead, keep her alive (in one sense of the term) Enjoy.

"Hey. Clothes." Willow announced buttoning up her shirt.

"Better not get used to 'em." Tara replied with a cunning smirk.

"Yes, ma'am!" Willow smiled, grabbing hold upon the belt loops on the front of Tara's jean, pulling her into a soft yet passionate kiss, welcomed by a heartfelt embrace.

"Xander." Tara peered out of the window over Willow's shoulder.

"Okay, not quite the response I was fishing for." Willow replied walking over to her chest of drawers.

"No, he's here." Tara stated matter of factly as she pointed out the window where she could see Xander approaching Buffy in the garden.

"Think they're making up?" Willow peered up at Tara and shone a bright smile.

"Hope so, that's the best part!" Tara explained with another cunning smile before wading over to Willow and pulling her in close again, this time apologising with her eyes before their lips crashed together. They laced their fingers through each others hair, breathing in sync Tara pushed her innocent tongue into Willow's mouth and Willow greeted her with her own, groaning ever so softly. Willow withdrew from the kiss in dire need of breath and met her eyes with Tara's. She had missed this.

"I'm sorry for all my magic before, you know, the reason we broke up in the first place. I'm sorry. I missed you so much." Willow stepped back from Tara, not knowing how well she would accept this apology.

"It's fine now. You're past the worst and have come so far. My sweetness, my baby." Tara enclosed the step Willow had taken. "I missed you too, baby, us being together. I missed the feeling I had at night when I knew when you were next to me, without you all there, t-there was emptiness." Tara bowed her head slightly though in embarrassment because she revealed her heart.

Willow placed her hand under Tara's chin and raised it so that she was at eye level; she smiled before leaning in and before they knew it they were exchanging saliva again.

Willow pulled away reluctantly and kissed Tara on the forehead, Tara looked at Willow for a reason for the withdrawal, she craved Willow's lips and tongue like opium.

"I'd better get started on trying to see whether Warren hit any place else last night, try to find him." Willow stated heading for the door.

"Willow?" Tara enquired.

"Yeah?" She replied turning around to look at Tara.

"I-I love you..."

In the background gunshots rang numerous times, blood spattered upon Willow's shirt, distracted from what Tara had said and instead Willow looked down at her shirt confused.

"Your shirt..." Tara trailed off before collapsing on the carpeted bedroom floor, blood beginning to pool around her.

The reality hit Willow as she saw the blood pool around Tara grow and a bullet wound in her chest which the blood kept flowing from. Willow finally snapped out from her daze and began to apply pressure to the gunshot wound on Tara's chest; she stared at the motionless body of her lover on the floor and began to cry uncontrollably.

"Baby, come on, I need you, baby." Willow cried stroking Tara's cheek with her bloodied hand so now Tara's cheek had blood upon it.

Tara reluctantly opened her eyes and was met by a teary eyed Willow staring down at her.

"Oh thank God!" Willow exclaimed bending over and kissing Tara's forehead.

From the stairs a loud commotion thumped as though a herd of elephants were running up the stairs.

"Willow!" Xander cried out in lack of breath as he approached the bedroom. "Buffy's been..." He entered the bedroom in a rush but halted just as quickly when he saw Willow coddle Tara on the floor, all that blood made him freeze in fear.

Willow looked up at Xander, the earlier blood spots had merged into a large cluster as she continued to apply pressure, though; try as she might, Tara was bleeding out. "Phone an ambulance!" She finally screamed in panic. "Then go to Buffy and apply pressure to the wound."

Xander just stood frozen as he watched Willow desperately trying to keep the bleed under control.

"What are you still doing here? Go! Now!" Willow yelled at Xander who disappeared quickly down the stairs.

Tara tried speaking but instead began coughing up blood. Willow pulled Tara so that she had her head and her chest was above the rest of her body and rested them upon her knees still stoking whilst still stroking her face with blood covered hands.

"Baby?" Willow wiped away the blood from around Tara's mouth. Tara pulled a pained smile, revealing her blood stained teeth.

Willow cried harder, stroking Tara's blood matted hair with a free hand before applying pressure with both hands as the wound continued to leek blood like there was no tomorrow – at the way it was going, there may not be a tomorrow for Tara.

"Tara, baby, I need you. I can't do this without you!" Willow leant down to kiss Tara's forehead again, this time staying there a little longer as she uncontrollably began to break down at cry, again.

"Willow?" Tara sounded barely a whisper.

"Tara, Baby?" Willow stared at Tara through glass pebble eyes as she watched Tara trying to fight the pain.

"I-I love you, b-baby." Tara smiled. Willow allowed her emotions to swallow her whole as another wave of deep tears sprang from her eyes. Willow grabbed hold of Tara's hand with one of her own and raised it to her lips, letting it linger there for a moment, kissing it tenderly; before letting Tara's hand guide across her face. Finally Willow held it close to her heart, every beat was for Tara for she needed to live.

Tara's lips began to move but nothing seemed to extinguish from them, Willow leant in closer and brought her ear next to Tara's lips.

"Sorry." Tara managed barely a whisper.

"Baby? What for, what are you sorry for?" Willow's cry deepened as Tara's hand fell limp in her own. The damp spots on her t-shirt kept growing as fresh tears kept spilling over her cheeks, the sensation of salt tingled her lips barely as her body became numb and weak.

"Baby? Tara? Come on, baby. Please, you can't do this, not now, not after everything we have been through. Baby?" Willow shook Tara lightly but there was no hope, as far as Willow could see, she was gone.

Willow sat numbed for a good ten minutes, she ignored the world around her and didn't notice Xander enter the room until he was waving a hand in front of her wanting her attention.

"Willow?" He beckoned.

"Huh?" Willow muttered vacantly. "Why aren't you with Buffy?" She glared at him.

"Buffy is with paramedics, Will. How you holding up?" Xander placed a hand on her shoulder.

"She's gone Xander. Tara, s-she's g-gone." Willow began crying again, the world a hazed blur of neglect as she stared down at Tara.

Xander got onto his knees and pulled Willow in close so that her head was on his chest, listening to the faint yet constant beat of his still very much alive heart. She just cried and he just listened, rubbing her back to know her was still with her.

The stairs creaked as the paramedics approached with their gurney. A youngish paramedic approached the lifeless Tara lying on the ground and placed two fingers onto her neck.

"Ben! In here now! We got a faint pulse; we need to get her to the hospital ASAP!" The paramedic yelled to his companion paramedic. "She's lost a lot of blood." He continued.

"Hear that, Will. She's still alive." Xander said trying to comfort Willow.

"S-she is?" Willow removed herself from Xander's chest to look at the paramedics cutting off Tara's shirt so that they could get to the wound. Willow shuddered as the paramedic applied what seemed to giant cotton pads on the bullet wound but they only seemed to hold for twenty second or so before they oozed red.

"We need to get her to the hospital, now." The paramedic presumed to be Ben uttered. The other younger paramedic nodded and pulled the gurney close to Tara. They slid a board under Tara and hoisted her onto the gurney. Willow just sat there frozen.

"Can I come with her?" Willow finally uttered to the paramedics.

"Are you her sister?" The younger paramedic asked.

"Her girlfriend." Willow simply stated.

"Sure, come on." The paramedic replied ushering Willow downstairs.

There were two ambulances parked out front as Willow, Xander and the paramedics with Tara exited through the front door. From behind them Willow could hear another gurney, presumed to be carrying Buffy, enter through the back door into the kitchen. As the first set of paramedics set Tara up in the ambulance Willow held back so that she could see how Buffy was doing. As the paramedics approached with Buffy, Willow could see that Buffy was still conscious though there was an oozing bullet wound in her chest just above her left breast.

"T-Tara, how is s-she?" Buffy asked sluggish, the pain penetrating her quiver.

"She has lost a lot of blood but – they say that she has a faint pulse." Willow grabbed hold of Buffy's hand. "How are you doing?"

"I-I'm just peachy." Buffy looked and rolled her eyes slightly.

"Ma'am! We need to leave now!" Ben hollered from the ambulance Tara was in.

Willow gave Buffy's hand one lasting squeeze before she headed toward the ambulance.

The ambulance journey to the hospital lasted about ten minutes but for Willow it seemed to last a lifetime. From the moment she entered the ambulance Willow never let Tara's hand go, not one single inch of the way would Willow part her hand from Tara's afraid that Tara would slip away from her.

Both ambulances arrived together and as Willow got out of one, Xander got out of the other.

"How is she?" Xander asked Willow with pure concern on his face.

"No change." Willow began to weep slightly.

"Awh. Will. It is going to be okay." Xander comforted Willow by pulling her in for a friendly embrace, Willow just broke down and cried again.

"H-how do you know?" Willow blubbered.

"It's Tara will, she's strong, and you know that more then anyone. You just have to be strong for her." Xander rubbed her back trying to hush the crying.

From the second ambulance the paramedics brought Buffy out, she was still conscious and stared around as paramedics brought Tara out of the other, she was still unconscious and covered in blood. Willow stepped back from Xander's embracing arms and walked by the side of Tara as they entered the hospital. As soon as they were through the door, doctors came rushing around Tara, shining lights into her eyes and checking her vitals, it tore willow apart, knowing that she could not do anything to help the love of her life. She couldn't help Tara even as she walked hand in hand with death.

As they approached the OR the doctors ordered that Willow stay in the waiting area as they needed to operate in order to remove the bullet. Not a minute passed before Buffy was rolled into the OR, Xander trailed behind them. Willow and Xander sat in the waiting room for half an hour in silence before Xander finally stood up and broke it.

"You want anything, Will? A coffee or even perhaps a small snack?"

"I-I can't – my stomach hurts too much." Willow replied staring blankly at the wall.

"I understand, Will." Xander replied sitting on the chair next to Willow and put a comforting arm across her shoulder.

Willow and Xander reluctantly closed their eyes for what only seemed like moments, only to be awoken by an old-ish doctor with greying hair.

"Excuse me? Buffy Summers is now out of surgery now." He cleared his voice and spoke in monotone.

Xander shot himself upright and in the process awoke Willow. Willow wiped some drool from her lip and stared intently at the doctor, hoping for some news about Tara.

"The surgery went swimmingly; she is in recovery as we speak. Although it took a little longer then we expected, there is every possibility that she will pull through." He spoke again.

"Thank you, doctor." Xander exhaled deeply.

"What about Tara? How is she doing?" Willow asked now standing up.

"Tara is still in surgery. We are doing all we can to suppress the bleed, however; there is a high chance that she may not pull through this." The doctor replied bluntly and stalked away.

Willow fell back into the chair and more tears began to cascade down her face, she was surprised that her tears had not yet dried up. She leant forward and leant her elbows onto her knees followed by her head flopping into the hands, a heavy cavalry of tears still spilling over. Xander pulled Willow in close again so that her head was leaning on his chest.

"I'm sorry, Will." He said stroking away the tears which fell down her cheeks. "Just remember, this is Tara we are on about here, she is strong willed, and she will pull through this." He tried to reassure her though there was a hidden tint of uncertainty in his voice.

"I hope you're right, Xander. I can't live without her, she is my life." Willow replied burying her head deeper into Xander's chest.

The minutes elapsed when another doctor encroached them, Willow still clung tightly around Xander's chest.

"Buffy Summers is beginning to wake up." He simply stated. "Would you like to see her?" He asked.

"Sure. Will you tell us any news which comes through about Tara Maclay?" Xander asked.

"Certainly." The doctor retorted.

The doctor led them down a long corridor white corridor and at the end to the right was a room where Buffy was laid in bed. As they entered in the room, Xander and Willow wandered either side of the bed and both grabbed hold of one of Buffy's hands which lay at her side. Buff opened her eyes sluggishly and smiled at half a smile.

"Hey." She whispered with a rasp.

"Hey." Both Willow and Xander whispered together.

"How did it go?" She asked in a whisper.

"You'll live." Xander exclaimed.

"How's Tara?" She enquired.

"S-she is still in surgery." Willow announced. "They say that they are trying to stop the bleed, it-it's really bad. They-they even say she may not pull through after surgery." Willow blubbered slightly.

Buffy squeezed Willow's hand with remorse whilst Willow stared down at Buffy blankly.

"She is strong, Will."Buffy finally announced in a rasp breaking the silence.

"So everyone keeps telling me." Willow retorted.

Xander and Willow sat in chairs situated at either of Buffy's bedsides as they waited on the news which would eventually come about Tara, but all they could do was to try and remain strong on Willow's behalf.

Silence hit the hospital room and lingered there for about ten minutes, neither Buffy or Xander knew how to comfort Willow because they did not know the outcome for Tara yet, the condition she was in sounded severe and they did not wish to build up her hopes if, god forbid, Tara was not going to pull round. Both sat helpless wanting so bad to lend Willow a comforting hand but neither was willing to crush her glass like hopes, afraid they would shatter.

Another hour passed and Willow kept checking the time. She had realised that when she and Xander had fallen asleep they had actually fallen asleep for two hours, which mean that Tara had been in surgery for at least three hours by now. Willow was so fragile inside yet she tried to remain strong on the outside, however at any moment she was ready to shatter like a delicate sheet of glass, her life would end up splintered.

Finally after so long waiting a doctor entered Buffy's room with news on Tara, as soon as he entered, both Willow and Xander stood up whilst Buffy lay in the bed staring in anticipation.

"Tara is in a stable yet still serious condition, as a result; she will need constant observations'. During the surgery we encountered a little trouble when it came to stopping the bleed, however; we did manage to stop the bleed and extract the bullet from her chest. Need I repeat the fact that she is still in a much serious condition and is not yet out of the woods, for the time being it is getting her through the next few days which are crucial and our main priority." The doctor announced matter of factly.

"Thank you, doctor." Xander retorted. "When can we see her?" Xander articulated again; although; this time he spoke for Willow due to the fact she was frozen, her eyes welling up with tears.

"She may take a few hours to come around, but; if and when she does, there is a high chance she will be very disorientated, that is normal." He replied.

"Thank you again, Doctor." Buffy now spoke for Willow.

With a half secluded smile he exited the room, leaving Willow, Xander and Buffy alone with their wondering thoughts.

Xander finally broke the silence as usual. "That's good news though, right?"

Willow just sat down in the chair again staring vacantly at the floor.

"Of course it is." Buffy replied staring at Willow. "Isn't is, Will"

Willow simply shrugged and the tears began flowing down her cheeks once more. "He said 'if she wakes up' that means that they are not sure themselves whether she will be okay. That is how bad it must be." She let her face fall into her hand once again and began to cry silent tears, however; before either Buffy or Xander could try and comfort her she stood up and waded over towards the door. Without turning around she simply uttered. "I'm going to see Tara. I would like to be left alone for the time being." And that was it; she opened the door and exited without another sound.

As soon as Willow exited the room she wandered over to the reception and stared vacantly at the nurse behind the desk.

"May I help you?" The nurse asked softy.

Willow just stood in front of the desk, staring into the corners of her own unfathomable mind, not truly seeing anything which lay in front of her. Only until the nurse behind the desk began frolicking her arms across the place did Willow finally snap out from her daze.

"Oh – erm – I'm looking for Tara Maclay. The doctor said that she is in – recovery and that I could visit her." Willow finally spoke.

"Right, certainly. Are you a relative?" The nurse asked.

"I am her –um- fiancé." Willow lied, although bending the truth only slightly knowing that only relatives and people like that could visit in these critical times.

There was an awkward pause from the nurse. "Um – Okay. Follow me please." She finally managed to utter to Willow before she walked around from behind the desk and sauntered down the corridor with Willow on tow.

Willow followed the nurse down two long, narrow corridors when she finally turned into a private room. "Here you are, sweetie." The nurse moved aside to let Willow enter before turning around and walking the corridors again.

Willow stood at the door staring at the unrecognisable human which lay on the bed. Tara had a blanket pulled right up under her armpits and her arms lay over the top by her side, her face was so pale and pasty that for a second Willow doubted whether there was any life left at all in Tara, slipped away without anyone noticing, but there she saw it, small as it was; a light breath. Willow exhaled slightly, although Tara was not out the woods yet, seeing Tara alive gave Willow hope in her heart and that was all she asked for. Willow pulled a chair up beside Tara and held her hand captive within her own; not letting go of the last fragments of Tara, hoping that somehow holding onto her hand would root her to the earth and stop her from slipping away.

The hours passed slowly that Tara had not yet come around; Willow was becoming anxious and once or twice Xander had popped in to check that Willow was okay and to see whether she needed anything, and every time Willow would reply with 'I'm fine.'

Finally 6 hours after she initially went into the surgery Tara began to come to. Clasping onto Tara's hand Willow could feel it twinge and move.

"Tara, baby?" She hollered hoping for another response and with that Tara squeezed her hand.

Willow stood up and looked at Tara's face to see her eyes beginning to open slowly but surely, she was alive.

"Tara, baby. I've missed you so much." Willow began crying again, but only this time they were the tears of joy as she began stroking Tara's pasty cheeks.

Slowly Tara began to open her eyes fully after she adjusted to the bright white room she was in. She stared up to the red headed beauty above her and whispered.

"Do I know you?"

So Twillow fans, what do you recon? Angsty enough for you?
Please review with what you felt about this story so far and the idea behind it.
The next chapter will include a flashback to when Tara and Willow first met... more?