Chapter 4

Willow Rosenberg lay motionless under the wheels of the Mercedes-Benz.

Her friends, Tara MaClay and Dawn Summers knelt beside her holding her head and shouting her name. Tears were streaming down Tara's face as she watched her lover slowly die in her arms.

Alexander Harris walked down the main street of Sunnydale with his suitcase in hand. He had just broken up with Anya and she was devastated. He was planning on leaving her the flat and moving in with Buffy just for a few days. They both needed the company so what better company then that of each other. Xander carried on walking down the street, to his surprise it was kinda empty. where is everyone? Xander thought to himself.

Then, and only then, he realised where everyone had gone. A accident had obviously occurred because a crowd of people were gathered round a classic Mercedes-Benz.

Nice cars, nice cars.

Just as Xander was having a closer look, the ambulance pulled up. he stood there a while. Watching the ambulance men and women free the injured victim and carry her to the ambulance doors on a stretcher. She looked pretty badly hurt, Xander winced at the sight. He would hate for him, or any of his friends to go through that pain.

The paramedics were talking to two devastated friends of the victim. As Xander leaned in for a closer look he realised he knew he two young women.

It was Tara MaClay and Dawn Summers. Which meant the person under the car was either Buffy or Willow.

Xander ran as fast as his legs could carry him to the women. He had already dropped his suitcase by now. The brunette was terrified that one of his friends may be dead right now.

"Tara, Dawn." Xander said as he stopped just in front of his best friends. Both women hugged Xander and neither could speak a word.

"Willow?" Xander asked and both women gave a nod before going into another crying fit. Tears were also in his eyes at the thought of what they had driven their friend to do.

"Who are you?" Buffy asked the man lurking in the shadows in Spike's crypt. "Well okay, maybe I know who you are, but what the hell are you doing here? Your supposed to be dead!" Buffy didn't even give the man a chance to speak before she punched him in the face.

"You always reminded me of Faith. You're so alike." The man said.

"I and Faith are nothing a like." Buffy gritted her teeth. "She killed people."

"She killed one man Buffy."

"And she didn't care!"

"That was her past, you of all people should no how to forgive and forget. After all that's exactly what you did with Spike."

"Do not mention his name ever again." Buffy was now facing away from the man she once knew as the mayor of Sunnydale. She had tears in her eyes and didn't want him to see them; if he did he would think she was weak. She was far from it. She had a anger inside of her that if she let it out she probably would do something she'd regret later. She just wanted to bottle it all up and act strong for her little sis and her friends. Buffy was sick of being the strongest, whenever something went wrong everyone turned to Buffy. She hated it, she hated having to keep a brave face all the time when really all she wanted to do was sit down and cry.

"Buffy, I'm not here to defend my actions. I was wrong and I know that however much apologising I do it would never make up for It." the mayor edged closer towards Buffy, she was now facing him but still looking down to the floor. After everything that man had put her and her friends through, he didn't deserve a look in the eyes.

"Then what are you doing here?" Buffy had always been stubborn, people had said that she got it from her dad. It was about the only good thing she had got from her dad as far as she was concerned.

"I'm here to help you. You need answers Buffy, and I'm the one who's gonna help you find them."

"How?"

"you have been having a recurring dream correct?" Buffy nodded. "You need to decipher that dream in order to find you true love."

"And how do I do that?" Buffy was puzzled. Who was her true love? Had she even got one? Buffy was eager to find the answers to these questions, but not if it meant trusting the man stood right in front of her.

She had to take a risk, hadn't she? It was the only thing to do.

"Fine. I'll do whatever it takes. No strings attached right?" Buffy gave him the I'm in charge look.

"No." buffy didn't trust the evil glint in his eye, but before she could question him more, he took some gold dust from his pocket and blew it in Buffy's face.

The slayer was down on the floor out cold and having the same recurring dream she had since Spike had gone.

Xander, Tara and Dawn all sat in the hospital watching the rest of the world go by. They all anxiously waited for a doctor to come see them about their friend, Willow Rosenberg. She had been in hospital for two hours after the car accident and she had some explaining to do.

When at last a doctor came the tree friends all stood up awaiting the news. They knew if it was going to be bad because the doctor would say I'm sorry or give them the sympathetic look. He did neither.

"You're friend made it through surgery; we found some internal bleeding and stopped the leak. She should be okay in about two to three weeks."

Everyone looked relieved when he said that.

"You're friend was lucky. She escaped with a few fractures and a broken arm."

"Can we see her?" Tara was almost too eager to ask.

"Yes." Tara looked relieved that they can see her, even though they had a huge row, a part of Tara still loved Willow and hoped she was okay.

The three stood next to Willow holding her hand and hoping she would wake up.

They had a lot to say to her, but that would all wait until tomorrow, at the moment they were all happy to just have their friend back.

Willow's eyes started to open. She was greeted y three familiar, tear stained faces staring down at her. Willow's eyes shortly fell shut again as she felt a weight pulling her upwards. She knew she was dying, it was what she wanted after all.

Tara, Xander and Dawn all panicked as they was escorted out of the room their friend lay motionless in. both women fell into a crying fit into Xander's arms.

Xander stood in the one spot holding the two upset and frightened women. He couldn't believe what he had seen in the last forty eight hours. His best friend who he had known all his life had turned to magic, killed people in the process and threw herself under the wheels of a Mercedes-Benz. Xander stood crying never in his life had he been so scared for his friend.

However he was about to fin out that the night could turn out even more terrible then it already was.