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. "Damn it." Spike growled. "Go, quickly."

A/N: Hey guys, just wanted to let you know that I have a second fic up if you want to check it out! I know it's a little weird and all… But it could have potential! So yeah, R&R please, and send me some ideas because – like I said before – I don't really remember where I was going with this. But I hope you like!

Close Calls.

Tara raced up the ladder into the main part of the crypt, breathing hard. She nearly had a heart attack when she ran straight into Xander who was only steps away from going down the ladder himself.

"Xander!" She shouted flinging herself into a hug.

"Tara?" He said at almost the same time. "We thought you'd disappeared too, what are you doing here?" He questioned.

"Oh, I was just – uh – asking Spike if he knew anything else about Buffy. You know, getting kinda desperate." She choked out the words.

"Oh good, 'cause here I was thinking you've gone all Spikey buddy, buddy on us." Xander replied sarcastically. "So, does he know anything?"

"He didn't tell me anything. Let's get something to eat, are you hungry? I'm starving." Tara quickly ushered her friend out of the crypt despite his various attempts to talk to Spike. No more slip ups. She told herself.

"Close call huh pet?" Spike whispered dryly against Buffy's hair. He pressed his face against her shoulder, and took her hand. It was when he felt the warm blood beneath her skin that he realized how hungry he was. He hadn't eaten in days. "I'll be back in a minute love, just getting a bit peckish that's all."

In the upper area of the crypt, Spike was massaging a blood bag between his fingers, trying to warm it up as best he could before pouring it into his mug. Cold pig's blood wasn't ideal, but it was what he had. Grimly, he took a swig and sighed contented. He didn't know whether it was the blood playing with his mind, or whether he should have been questioning his sanity, but it was almost as if he could hear a heart beating. Shrugging it off, he took another gulp.

Still hearing the sound, he stopped and listened carefully. He took a cautious step towards the door and grabbed a knife from the table beside him. If there was some little nasty out there, he was going to kill it quickly. He didn't have time for this!

But the heart beat wasn't coming from the door… It was coming from somewhere bellow him…

Buffy. He realized. His eyes went wide as he sped impossibly fast back down to where she lay on the bed. He closed his eyes when his heart gave a painful lurch – or felt like it would have had he been alive – when heart break and disappointment sunk in.

Buffy still lay motionless on the bed. Face still white, lips still a deadly shape of blue, and not a breath moving her frail body. This was so wrong! He'd rather have stayed dead than see her like this, knowing that she was suffering somewhere for him. It wasn't right; he should be the one suffering in hell. Not her! It was she who had always been so righteous and real, a protector of human kind! If she had to be dead, it should be in heaven. Not in some crazy hell. Not for him, not because of him.

"So what are we gonna do?" Xander slammed his fist down hard on the table. "We've searched everywhere, she's not here!"

"We know that Xander but there is nothing else we can do. Willow's magic has reached it's limit, and we can't just go through dimensions, not only is it dangerous but there are too many. It just wouldn't work." Giles cleaned his glasses with the edge of his shirt.

"Well we sure as hell aren't doing enough!" He was quickly losing patients.

"Well maybe Tara could-"

"No!" Tara interrupted Willow's billionth attempt at begging her to do a location spell. "I mean, I'm not powerful enough."

Xander sighed to the ceiling, Anya rubbed his shoulder.

They all sat quietly together for a few moments, none of them daring to say anything more. The tension growing in the Magic Box was almost unbearable.

The scoobies were growing steadily more restless about Buffy's sudden disappearance. Dawn stopped going to school. She refused to go when she thought about her sister out there somewhere, alone, possibly dead, not able to yell at her for not doing her geography project…

"Alright, alright, I think I've tormented you enough now right? Well it was fun while it lasted. Remember our deal. You've proven yourself already."

"Yeah, I'll remember."

The world swirled around Buffy as she was … Teleported? Back into existence. The hell god had played this trick on her before, at least this time she was ready. She would be put back in "her world" with her friends, and then they would die, and she would beg for him to release her, and then she would take it back. Same old thing. Just like when Spike died, and Dawn. She sure as hell wasn't going to fall for it again this time.

A/N: Hmm… Confused yet? Hope you liked, review please! Check out my other fic, and please send me some ideas for where to go with this one!