Willow knocked on Jared's door later that night, not even able to take a deep breath to steady herself before he swung the door open to let her in.

She looked him over and let out a soft whistle at his new-looking jeans and forest green t-shirt that hugged his body in a way that made her heart race. He smiled at her, taking in her jeans and hoodie, pausing on the hoodie.

"Is that mine?" he asked, and she glanced down at the too-big soft gray hoodie that she'd absolutely stolen out of his trailer on set.

"Yep," she told him casually, walking past him and plopping down on the couch.

"I think... I think I like you in my hoodies," he told her, smiling as he sat beside her.

"Yeah, well, that's good because you don't have a choice. Having a girl around in any capacity means having her steal your much-better boy clothes," she told him, and he laughed.

She leaned towards him, placing her head on his shoulder. He put his head on top of hers and she sighed deeply, wondering how the hell he made her feel more comfortable and at home than anyone else ever had. No matter the situation, if Jared was there, she knew she could make it through it. She didn't even really know what it was about him; he was just... so calming for her.

"Are you hungry?" he asked her, and she shrugged.

"Yeah, but let's just sit here for a while," she replied, and she felt him nod.

"Okay," he whispered, adjusting so that he was more sunken into the couch. Adjusting with him, she picked up his arm and placed it around herself, cuddling into his side. He laughed quietly, holding her tightly.

"I'm so glad I met you," she whispered, the words tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"I'm glad I met you too. You're my best friend, Wills," he responded immediately, and Willow's heart felt like it might burst out of her chest.

"You're my best friend, too," she told him, tilting her head so that she could look up at him. He looked back at her, his eyes sparkling and filled with just a twinge of some emotion that Willow couldn't quite pinpoint.

Before she even realized what she was doing, she was craning her neck upwards until their faces were inches apart. She stared into his eyes and he stared back, smiling at her.

"Am I doing this?" she whispered and he choked out a laugh.

"I don't know. Are you?" he asked her, and she closed her eyes, thinking.

Finally, she nodded just slightly and then their lips were pressed together, kissing each other in a way that Willow wasn't sure she'd ever been kissed. His arms snaked around her and pulled her up until she was all the way in his lap and her hands knotted into his hair as she held him, kissing from his lips, along his jaw, down his neck, and then back up. He gasped lightly as she sucked on the tender skin of his neck and she smiled into his throat, mesmerized by the deep sounds that were escaping him.

A moment later, her phone rang from the coffee table in front of them and she glanced up for just a moment to see that it was her brother's cast mate and best friend, Dom Sherwood.

"Jared, I... he never calls me. I've gotta see what's going on," she breathed, and Jared nodded, letting her go just enough so that she could reach for the phone and answer it.

"Dom?" Willow said his name into the phone, still breathless in her position in Jared's lap.

"Wills?" Dom questioned, his voice sounding ragged. Immediately, Willow pulled herself out of Jared's grasp and stood, pacing across the room.

"What's wrong, Dominic?" she asked him, the suspense of his pause killing her.

"It's Jackson... he had an accident, Willow."

"What kind of accident?"

"He was doing a stunt on set and he fell and broke a few bones and hit his head pretty hard."

"Where is he? Are you with him?"

"Yeah. We're at the hospital downtown. Can you come?"

"Of course. I'll be there in ten minutes," she told him, hanging up quickly and turning back to Jared.

"I have to go," she told him, pulling her jacket back on and grabbing her handbag and car keys off the coffee table. She started toward the door, tears flowing freely from her eyes. In a second, Jared was stepping in front of her, blocking her way to the door.

"Willow, what happened?" he asked, concern thick in his tone.

"My brother is in the hospital. I have to... I have to go," she told him, and he nodded.

"Okay. Let me drive you. You're in no state to drive," he told her, and she knew he was right. Her eyes were so blurry with tears that she could barely see across his apartment. She nodded and he left for just a moment, telling her he was going to shut the stove off.

"C'mon, babe. I've got you," he said quietly, taking her hand firmly and reaching across to support her with his other arm. He led her out of the building and into his car quickly, taking off toward the hospital right away.

"I'm... J... I..." she gasped the few words out as they went and he could immediately tell she was having what seemed to be a panic attack. He glanced over at her in the passenger seat to see her huddled up into a ball. He offered her his hand and she squeezed it tightly, holding it up against her lips. He could feel her quick breaths on his skin and glanced at her again.

"Listen to me, Willow, okay? I'm here and everything is going to be okay, alright? Jackson is going to be just fine. You need to breathe for me though, okay? I just need you to breathe and remember that I'm here and I love you so much and I'm going to keep you safe no matter what, okay? You're going to be okay, sweet Raven," he soothed, doing his best to keep his voice slow and calm.

She continued to squeeze his hand and he felt her breaths slow as he continued to speak to her. He took a deep breath, the thumb of the hand she was holding tracing wide circles on the back of her hand.

They pulled into the hospital parking lot a few minutes later and she continued to grip his hand firmly as they made their way inside.