Authors note: My first venture into the buffy verse, aka through story rather than rp. It will also be the first on ff that will have four characters who did little interacting in the buffy world. It is said that when one dies through non magical means they are truly dead and nothing can be done to bring them back. However what if the dead could come back…and say go on a pleasing cruise while at it? Set after season 7 of buffy and a little after season 5 of Angel. Who knows who will show up.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Voyage of the united

CH.1: The voyage continues

A gun shot rang through the room and Tara Maclay stood by her girlfriend wearing a look of shock…the bullet not even registering till she began to fall. All around her darkness pervaded her body ridding her of all light…of all sight. She felt cold like everything warm and bright and beautiful was taken from her. She wanted to stay there with Willow and yet something bigger was reaching out to her. This was not how she imagined her journey would end…this was not how she wanted to part ways with Willow. Her significant other, the love of her life, now she would be alone…no…she had a feeling she wouldn't be alone forever…just for now.

She awoke and found herself on the deck of some cruise. The smell of the ocean filled her nose and as she got up she held the area where the bullet had penetrated her body. There was no pain…however the blood seeping through her sweater was still there. "W-Where am I?"

"You are on the voyage of the damned…ok just kidding you are on a cruise." The voice belonged to someone Tara had met only once before. He had gone to the same school that Willow, Xander, and Buffy had and somehow had become a superstar overnight.

"Jonathan…your name is Jonathan right?" Tara accepted his hand and was pulled to her feet. He looked so pale and yet he seemed to be having an easier time dealing with this then she was.

"You remember me…thanks…can't say many girls remember my name. And you are...?" Jonathan looked perplexed and Tara forgot they hadn't really talked.

"I'm Tara…n-nice to meet you. You say we are on a cruise…do you know where our destination is?" She asks looking over the side and seeing dark waters with nothing to see into.

"I honestly have no clue. I thought the afterlife would be more pleasant…but this just gives me the creeps all over. Wait…what are you doing here anyway?" He gave her a good hard look and she folded her arms over her chest. She remembered that Jonathan had been part of a bad group trying to prove themselves villains.

"I was shot through the window…by someone…" Tara really had no clue who had shot her as the bullet had pierced deep inside her shortening her life expectancy. She could not blame Jonathan though for whom he was friends with…even if they were people picked on most of their life. She herself had led a troubled life in school.

"Ohh…I think it was Warren that shot you. Andrew and I never got a license to carry a weapon…unless you count weapons for conventions and all in which case they weren't that deadly. I think I have felt his presence; you know like in star wars but not in the good way for Warren took a life. I was actually killed by Andrew…kind of sucks…but I guess we all have to die sometimes."

Tara noted how at ease he was…but for her she had so many plans cut short by a mortal death. Moving away from the rail she began to walk past Jonathan wondering who else had shown here. Was her mother somewhere nearby…maybe Buffy's mom; it was hard to say, death was so new to her and she had expected things to be warm and fulfilling…which it wasn't.

"Hey wait up!" Jonathan rubbed his arms and looked so small, not a play on his size but the fact he had no one here. "So do you think this is heaven?"

"Heaven would be more pleasant…this feels…stale, l-like the energy around us is stuck. If I had to take a guess I think this is the place before heaven…or hell. The cruise m-might be some sort of imagery created to keep us contained…like not go anywhere." Tara saw more people at the bow of the ship and a certain blond who was playing cards with demons.

"A royal flush…I win again…more money for me." Tara recognized her right away due to her love of money and that confidence rolling off her shoulders.

"Anya…is that you?" Tara moved closer…just in case she was wrong and then she saw the blond look up at her with that annoyed look of hers.

"Can't you see I am busy…and…if you want to sit in you can't. I'm really rolling in the money now…come back later." Anya went back to playing cards and Tara didn't know what to do. There wasn't really a lot for her to do or places to go so she walked over to one of the benches near the rail and sat.

"I can't believe I am dead. It was all so sudden…blinding pain and all I could talk about was Willow's shirt and dead…nothing more." Tara placed her face in her hands as she wept. This existence was not for her…why delay the afterlife by staying on some cruise?

"I know how you feel…death is hardly as pleasant as I thought it would be. I just wanted to go knowing I had secured a better life for myself…maybe recognized for something good I did and was surrounded by all my friends. I went on a cruise once when I was a little boy…I found it so exciting and terrifying at the same time-."

Tara lifted her head then as she heard this. "I went on a cruise once when I was little as well. It is one of my fondest memories of when my mother was still alive…I wonder…" Tara got off the bench and sat cross legged, her hands were up as she tried something.

"Spirits that be who live on the sea

I implore thee to reveal thy true face

Show what you are meant to be

Let those who travel on you to

Awaken and let the journey for which

those lost souls wonder to find a path.

I implore thee to reveal the unseen."

Tara did not know if this would work and it was an incantation she had read years ago and had never been given a chance to say. She had always wanted to go on a cruise with her girlfriend but it was hard getting away from Sunnydale.

"Is it working yet?" Jonathan asked. She had forgot he was there and she did her best to focus on the energy around her seeing or hoping for some discharge or any sign the spell worked.

"I-I don't know…it is the first time I have done something of this level." Tara had a good level of magic under her belt as her mother had a lot of power but she had commented on the fact that Willow had more power than she did. Perhaps she said it wrong.

"I win again…and your money goes in my pockets-." Suddenly a strong wind blew across the deck of the cruise liner and Anya's winnings were swept up and away.

"I feel cold…am I supposed to feel cold?" Jonathan looked around and Tara was about to answer when she noticed the fog that had been there was lifted and the dark ocean didn't look so unwelcome…almost pleasant. However up ahead she felt her heart sink as she noticed their destination was not any pearly white gates but something far worse.

"Your destination is set for the lot of you have sinned. Yes that is right you are going to hell if anyone wishes to pray now is the time." Tara turned and looked up seeing a man in preacher clothing, his hand resting on a bible.

Anya rose up and was about to give her a piece of her mind when she noticed the guy. "Oh great the guy who stole my Xander's eye…Caleb…or are you the First?" Anya joined her and Jonathan and she remembered Buffy mentioning the first a while back.

"Anya…always a pleasure," he said with a southern like gentleman's charm, "please do what you need to do to seek forgiveness…for our destination does not allow speaking to the man above once inside. Thank you for your time."

Tara realized then some spell had indeed been placed on the cruise…to keep people in the dark about where they were heading. The question was…how did they get off?

Authors note: Caleb showing up on a cruise…talk about a bummer there. The incantation I made up, hope you enjoyed that. Little fun note, Tara is my favorite character on buffy…so you can imagine me bumming out when they killed her. Also liked Jonathan, my favorite nerd. And Anya, well, she had a soft spot in my heart somewhat…and I didn't really agree with her death in the series finale. Anyway more fun ahead.