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." A couple of words from an ancient language, the burning of a candle, and the crushing of some crystals, the spell began to work it's magic. The spell wouldn't cast. "I – I don't know what's going on, my magic won't – I mean, I can't…" Willow looked at her hands horrified.
A/N: Alright… So… I don't really remember where I was going with this (sorry readers…) so if any of you wouldn't mind sending your ideas that would be great! Should've written down what I was gonna right huh? Well, anyways, the usual, R&R please! Constructive criticism!
Disowner: I came up with the idea and wrote it down. All else, not mine.
A snake was slithering it's way along the hot stone floor, hissing and jutting it's tongue out of it's mouth every few seconds. Buffy didn't think there would be any snakes in hell. But hey, why not? The snake was beautifully coloured. It was black and red, with extreme yellow stripes going all down it's body in rings. It reminded her of something she would have seen on a television special. But why would a creature that beautiful be in a world this terrible? She pondered that for a few more seconds as the snake neared her. She put her thin hand out to stroke it's smooth scales, but in a flash it had latched itself into the crease where her wrist began. She flung her arm trying to get rid of the snake, but it was too late. Blood dripped in a fine line down her arm, out of the holes that the snake's sharp fangs still hung from, black venom oozing into her. She made a scared kind of moan, and tried once more to pry the snake from her. The teeth tore through her skin as she ripped it away from her and flung it into a wall where it exploding instantly into dust.
Her arm began to burn, she could see the venom worm it's way throughout her body, up her veins and arteries. Soon she looked like a demon, with black veins sharply pronounced beneath her skin. She cried into her arm as she leaned onto the ground, the pain spread through her like wild fire.
Tara was pulling a brush through Buffy's hair, she was babysitting a corpse. Highlight of her year, she was a corpse' babysitter… It was alright though. Buffy needed her, she had saved her and now Tara was going to help her friend get better. The candle was still burning a day later, but she realized that she would soon need a new one. It was almost at the bottom of the wick.
She didn't think that Spike would take too much longer; he was just going to slip out and grab a couple of blood bags. Maybe he had joined in with patrolling. For a minute Tara stopped to wonder about Willow. She had taken away her magic only a day ago… Yet she seemed to be doing fine. It wasn't like she was using it anyway. She'd sworn off magic only a month or so before Tara had died. It was probably better this way.
She put the brush down on the little side table, and stared affectionately.
"Still dead?" A deep English voice sounded through the room.
"That's one way to put it." Tara looked up at Spike and clapped her hands onto her knees.
"Yeah well, that's what you get for making a deal with the devil." He slumped onto the bed with a mug full of blood. He glanced at Tara who looked doubtfully at him. "What, does this bother you?" He smirked taking a swig of the thick salty liquid.
"You don't have to play the strong one around me Spike, it's just us. We're in this together remember?" She smiled encouragingly at him.
His responding laugh wasn't humorous at all, it was hard and cold. He didn't look her in the eye. He lay down beside Buffy, and inconspicuously took her hand in his, stroking the skin on the top with his thumb. Tara laid on her other side and leaned her head against Buffy's shoulder.
"Spike?" Tara whispered into the darkness. It wasn't dark a moment ago… How long had the two been there? The candle was out. Strange. "Spike?" She tried again. No response. She felt across Buffy for the vamp's leather duster, and wacked it hard.
With a startled jump, Spike was awake. "Fell asleep did we?" He muttered mostly to himself. He moved silently across the room, and lit a few new candles. They lit up the room beautifully. "I have some food and drink here if you need." He said casually. When she just stared at him he added, "I couldn't have her starve when she woke up now could I?" He watched her dumbfound expression slowly smile at him.
He left the room for a minute, before returning with a mug full of water, and sandwich that actually looked – not that she would admit it to him – pretty good. She took them gratefully and practically inhaled them. How long had she been there?
Suddenly it didn't matter; nothing did at that moment, except the tiny little sound that she heard quite clearly. That one little word… "Spike?" The voice was slightly hysterical.
"Damn it." Spike growled. "Go, quickly." He snarled at Tara.
A/N: Cliffhanger? Ha. Ok well, Reviews please, constructive criticism, and PLEASE send me ideas! I have NO MORE. :P haha Sorry… I really did forget where this whole fic was going… :S So… Help?