Chapter 2

Xander Harris struggled to view the motorway through the monsoon running down his windscreen. All evidence of other travellers had disappeared as they neared the final stretch into Sunnydale.

"Come on Xander! I'm gonna be going back before we even reach Sunnydale."

"I'm trying but since this storm set in it's hard to tell what's what." Xander spared a look over at the exasperated teen in his passenger seat. Dawn was paler than he'd ever seen her, and her light brown eyes had lost their usual sparkle.

"We're in an off-road 4x4! These things are designed to drive through swamps, let alone highways!"

"Alright, alright." Xander pressed the accelerator slightly, moving up to 40mph. "We're almost there Dawnie. You wanna give Buffy a call and tell her?"

"Yeah ok." Dawn leaned forward to take Xander's mobile from by the radio, when the car suddenly lurched and dipped down on one side.

"Shit!" Xander pulled over and slammed the steering wheel with his hands.

"W…what was that?" Dawn asked, fear creeping into her voice.

"We've got a flat", replied Xander. "And I don't have a spare."

"Great! I'll call Buffy." Dawn fumbled with the phone. "What's the number again?"

Back in Sunnydale, the phone rang twice before Joyce picked up.

"Harris and Summers residence, Joyce speaking."

"Auntie Joy?"

"Dawn? Dawn are you ok? Are you with Xander?" Joyce was panicking, not knowing what was going on out in the storm.

"C…can you put Buffy on?" Dawn was now sounding scared, and Joyce quickly handed the phone over to Buffy.

"Dawnie? Sweetie are you okay? Are you on your way home?"

"We were, but the tyres gone flat, a…and there's no one else around, and Xander left the spare at home."

Trying to calm the teen, Buffy motioned to Joyce to get Willow from the kitchen. "Ok honey, Will and I are going to come get you. Can you put Xander on the line for me?"

There was a muffling sound as the phone was handed across, then:

"Buffster?"

"Xander. Are you both okay?"

"Ye…who'd of thought an off-roader could get a flat on the frickin motorway!" The line cracked up as Xander laughed down the phone.

Buffy couldn't help but smile at Xander's offhand view on the situation. "Xander you're breaking up. Me and Willow are going to come with the spare okay? We won't be long."

"No worries. Over and out Buff."

The line went dead, and Buffy grabbed her coat as she quickly briefed Willow and Joyce.

"I told you we couldn't trust Xander with the responsibility. He never carries a spare!" Willow joked, trying to lighten the mood.

The windscreen wipers on Willow's red beadle were having no effect on the buckets of rain been thrown from the road and sky around them.

"Did Xander have any idea how far out they were?" asked Willow peering out into the dark.

"No, but they can't be far if they set off early from the motel."

Buffy looked out at the growing storm that had wiped out the usual dusty Californian landscape surrounding Sunnydale. Willow's mobile began ringing in her pocket. Quickly unzipping it, Willow threw it across to Buffy.

"It's Xander," said Buffy studying the number. "Hello?"

"Buffy! You two better look out, a station wagon just passed at full speed. It looked out of control!"

"What? O god."

Hearing the panicked voice on the other end of the phone, Willow waved for the phone. "Will, apparently there's an out-of-control wagon coming for us."

"What!" Willow dared a look a look over at Buffy as she took the phone, fear edging her dark eyes.

"Look, don't panic guys it could be a false alarm, just be careful." Said Xander struggling to hear through the terrible signal. At the other end he could hear them panicking and then a shout before the line went dead.

"What does he mean out of control!" asked Willow, her voice rising to a squeak, as she tried to concentrate on the road.

"I don't…Willow look out!"

The large tank hit them side on and sent the small careering into the ditch. Buffy's vision went black.

"What's happened? Has something happened?" asked Dawn, studying the blank expression on Xander's face as he got back in the car, soaked through.

"Dawn…I…" Xander looked at the scared little girl, hiding behind Dawn's tough exterior. He knew very well that they'd been hit. They were his best friends, he knew everything. " Buffy's coming."

Groaning Willow pulled herself upright, hitting her head sharply on Buffy's window. Rubbing her head Willow looked around, panic rising as she realised the car was on its side, and a blonde head was in her lap.

"Oh God! Oh God, oh God. Buffy wake up. Please wake up!"

Putting two fingers to her neck Willow felt a pulse and gently tried to raise her head up. Buffy groaned and her eyes fluttered open.

"Willow?" Remembering what had happened Buffy sat up and looked at her cousin. "Are you ok?"

"Yes, at least I think so. A bit bruised."

Rubbing her neck, Buffy examined the door above her, before giving it a sharp punch. The door flew open, and Buffy pulled herself out into the rain before reaching back in for Willow. Stretching herself out, Willow looked around and remembered the other driver.

Buffy leaned back into the car and retrieved the remains of Willow's phone. Throwing it back into the wreak, she turned as Willow solemnly walked back from the wagon.

"The driver is dead. Broken neck."

Buffy consciously rubbed her own neck, before looking back at the red head. Willow gave her one of her half smiles, before they both turned and headed up the road.

Xander sat with his head in his hands. He hated been there, he wanted to be out helping them. Keeping Dawn happy was to be his main priority, it was what Buffy would have wanted.

"Xander…I think I'm seeing things." Dawn's voice piped up from next to him.

"Dawnie.." was Xander's muffled reply.

"Really," she strained to see out into the dark. "There are. There's two people walking towards us."

"What?" Xander sat up and looked out to see two shadows coming out of the rain. Leaping out of the car he shouted out, "Buffy, Willow?"

At the sound of his voice, the two figures sped up, and suddenly the two women came flying out of the rain and into Xander's arms.

"Buffy!" Dawn leapt out of the jeep and into her sister's embrace.

Xander examined his sister and cousin. Willow had a large cut down her cheek, and he could see blood coming from under the arm of her coat. Buffy had had a slight limp, and a large gash across the top of her chest.

"What happened to you two?" Dawn asked, watching her sister rub her neck again.

"Err…well the car is kind of…"

"Broken?" Offered Willow.

"Yeah. I hate to say it but we're all stranded. The spare tyre was crushed in the car, and there's some guy lying dead in his truck about 10 minutes down the road."

"What!" squeaked Dawn.

Xander quickly hustled them all into the car and put the radiator up full blast, before turning to Buffy.

"I think Mr Giles is our best bet?"

"Mr Who? Had how did you..?" Xander asked her in shock.

"It was written on your face. Giles is our new history professor – he said he'd help with any problems."

"And you just happen to know his number?" piped up Willow from next to her. "And hadn't we better phone mum?"

"Phone Joyce. She can get the number off my mobile."

"Right, ok…" said Xander, typing in his home number. "Ma? Hey there's been a slight delay…"

As Xander explained to his mother all that had happened in the past hour, Buffy leaned forward to look at her little sister curled up in the seat in front of her. She had lost all the colour in her complexion, and her mascara had started running from been out in the rain.

"Right. Mum is phoning Mr Giles and asking him to pick us up. She's also phoning the police about the crash." Xander reported cheerily, trying to keep everyone's hopes up, despite shivering violently himself.

20 minutes later a black convertible pulled up next to the jeep. Buffy jumped out but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the driver.