Catching Up:
Buffy's body went limp in place, and her head sunk to the hard stone floor beneath her. She held her breath, waiting for the torture. Anya bent down and gently unfolded the paper from Buffy's hand. "She's in hell." Tara and Anya both thought quickly and herded the group out of Spike's crypt, leaving him to care for Buffy. Spike sighed and closed his eyes before slipping back down into the lower area. He climbed into his bed and wrapped his arms securely around his lifeless love. How long would he have to wait?
A/N: Hey guys, thanks for the reviews and such! I'll keep what you said in mind. Same as last time, constructive criticism please no flames thank you. Sorry if the characters get out of character (Spike especially, I have trouble with the way he talks…). So here it is the next chapter!
Buffy's eyes stung with tears that stained her cheeks. She had defiantly underestimated hell before. That was a mistake. Her body felt like it was burning at the core. Her skin was turning black and peeling away until all that was left was her bones. But of course, she couldn't die. She was trapped in hell. She shrieked and writhed in agony as the bones in her left leg gave way and fell into the ash that used to be her flesh. She could always change her mind then and go home. But then she couldn't be with her friends. That was the whole point in going to hell, was to be with her friends. And it was still worth it right? At that moment, when her skull burst open, she didn't care. She nearly cracked and fled back to her home dimension when the scene changed abruptly. Suddenly she was whole again, with out pain.
Buffy's relief came too soon. Just as quickly as the pain had left, it came back. Only different this time. She was back in the grave yard. I'm home already? She thought bravely to herself. The trip was faster than she had expected. She made her way excitedly over to the crypt to join her friends (if they were there, she expected at least Spike to be, since she left him the note.). She slammed the door open and nearly fell forward with relief when she saw him standing only a few feet away from where she stood herself. Only, he didn't look at her.
Spike was snarling and growling ferociously into the corner of his home. The extravagant smile that had burst across Buffy's face only moments ago vanished like it had never existed.
"NO!" She screamed horrified as Spike took a step forward.
He was moving towards Xander, one of Buffy's best friends with a look that would stop even Glory dead in her tracks.
"You stay the hell away from Buffy!" Xander was shouting at Spike. "You have no business with her!"
"No Xander it's ok, I can explain, he-" She broke off when she saw herself laying on the floor right where she had left herself.
"Make me whelp." Spike glowered.
Xander stared at him for a few brief seconds before throwing himself at Spike. Through the wave of Buffy's silent hysterical screaming he shoved a long wooden stake through Spike's chest. He fell to dust.
"No!" She sobbed.
The scene changed again. What is this? She demanded to her mind. Did the hell god send her back to watch the "man" she loved get staked? It was definitely a good means of torture. If Spike was gone though, what purpose did she have in hell? She was only there to save him, so that they could be together. She almost took herself home when she remembered Tara and Anya. She had to go on for them.
"Buffy?" A shaky voice said from behind her. She turned around and saw her little sister Dawn, sitting on the floor clinging to a large pointed rock. Bloody tears were pouring from her eyes. "Buffy help me! Why am I here?" She wailed.
"Dawn, Dawn no." Buffy started towards her sister. How could this have happened? Why was Dawn in hell? Dawn that she had tried so hard to protect, who Spike was supposed to be taking care of! No… Spike was dead. She saw him die only moments ago. Or at least, it was moments to her…
But suddenly Buffy could no longer control her body. It was moving on it's own. A sound that she didn't make herself, that came from her but she would never have made, a laugh, a laugh so evil sounding, mocking and terrible, escaped her lips. She pressed on forward towards Dawn.
"Buffy I'm here to bring you back… I came to save you. Why are we in hell Buffy?" So Dawn was going to bring Buffy home. That was a definite change in roles. Buffy meant to hug her sister and cry a long with her, but her body was still under someone else's influence.
She picked up a sharp stone that lie at her feet, and in one swift movement, whip it through Dawn's chest, exactly like Xander had done. Dawn's mouth dropped and she fell onto her stomach, blood pouring from everywhere on her body.
Buffy had to leave; she had to get out before anyone else was hurt! She had come to save the one's she loved, but they were dying. One at a time, right in front of her.
But what if it was a joke? What if the hell got was doing this to make her crack? Could that be possible? What if it wasn't a trick, what if she stayed in hell and kept watching this and went home to no one? With a deep shaking breath the scene changed yet again.
Xander walked through the grave yard, humming happily at his love returning to him. It had taken a lot of convincing though. Once they returned to the Magic Box all together, there were questions of the two being demons, (not the Vengeance demon that Anya was) but shape shifting demons out to get them while Buffy was no where to be found. Perhaps it was these to demons who were the reason that Buffy had disappeared! But no. After a lot of convincing, it was clear that the two women were back, and safe.
The pure happiness that Xander felt almost disappeared when he opened the door to Spike's crypt, but it was still there. It was covered up by disgust and the feeling of all hopes being crushed, but it was definitely there.
"Spike, Buffy's missing." He said to Spike's back.
"Is she now?" He replied in a tone that sounded more like a statement than a question. But Xander shook it off.
"Yeah, and we were wondering if you'd seen her." He gestured with his arm and shifted his position.
"Yeah I've seen her." Spike said in a matter of fact tone, without turning around to face the "whelp".
"Oh really?" Xander's eyes widened hopefully. "Well where is she? What happened to her?" She interrogated.
"She can't see you right now." He took a swig from a mug, most likely filled with cold blood.
"Oh and why is that?"
"Because you can't see her right now, get out." He turned his head as if watching to see if Xander actually would leave.
"See Spike, I can't do that. We've been looking for Buffy for days now, we're worried about her. If you know something, you've gotta tell me." He pressed, his face growing stern.
"Well she wants to be with me at the moment so if you don't mind-" He whipped around, face more furious than anything Xander had seen in his life.
"You stay the hell away from Buffy!" Xander shouted at Spike. "You have no business with her!"
"Make me whelp." Spike glowered.
A/N: Cliffhanger much? Yes. Hope you liked it! R&R please!