Author: AmberAlysonLover
Rating: R, coz of horror, blood and a little loving!
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters of Buffy, or 28 Days Later. Also Alex Garland is brilliant!

Time had passed and then the girl with brown hair spoke up.

Anya - "A man walks into a bar with a Giraffe. They each get drunk. The Giraffe falls over. The man goes to leave and the barman says, you can't leave that lying there. The man says, its not a lion, its a Giraffe."

Willow just looks at her in silence. Then Anya pulls off her mask and turns to her friend.

Anya - "She's totally humourless. You two will get along like a house on fire!"

Then the second girl pulls off her mask and Willow is blown away by her beauty. Willow couldnt stop looking at her deep blue eyes, her clear skin, her ample breasts, her curvaceous hips, her luscious lips and then Tara spoke up.

Tara - "Dont listen to her, she has no finesse"
Anya - "I have finesse! I have finesse coming out of my bottom!"

With that, Anya threw her mask across the room. The two girls then hear Willow start to giggle at the scene before her.

Tara (giving Willow a lopsided grin) - "What's so funny?"
Willow - "You are both insane"
Tara - "I would say we are quirky!"

All of them nod at each other and then the silence falls on them again. Tara studys Willow and feels herself falling into those green eyes.

Tara - "Who are you? Are you from the hospital?"
Anya - "Are you a doctor?"
Tara - "Does she look like a doctor? She's a patient, ain't you?"
Willow - "I'm a bicycle courier. I was riding a package from Farringdon to Shaftesbury Avenue, a car cut across me... and then I woke up in hopsital today. I think I am still on hard drugs coz I feel like I am hallucinating or something!"
Anya - "What's your name?"
Willow - "Willow."
Tara - "Hello Willow, I'm Tara and this is Anya. Okay, Will, we have some very bad news."
Anya - "Are you ready for this?"

Willow nods and waits for someone to speak up. Soon Tara takes a deep breath and starts to talk.

Tara - "t started as rioting. And right from the start, you knew something bad was going on because the rioters were killing the people. And then it wasnt on the tv nomore. It was outside in the street. It was coming through the windows. We guessed it was a virus, you didnt need a doctor to tell you that. It was the blood. Something in the blood. By the time they went to clear the cities, it was far too late. The infection was everywhere. The army blockades were over-run. The day before the radio and tv stopped broadcasting, there was reports of infection in Paris and New York. Then we didnt hear anything more."

Willow - "So where are your families?"
Anya - "They're dead, Willow."
Tara - "I'm sorry but so will your be."
Willow - "No... NO! I'm gonna find them. They live in Greenwich. I can walk."

She stands up and heads for the exit.

Willow - "I'm going to... to go and..."
Anya - "You'll go and come back then?"
Willow - "Yes! I'll go and be back."
Tara - "Willow, sit down please. Rules of surival. Lesson one - You NEVER go anywhere alone unless you've got no choice. Lession two - You only move in daylight unless you have no choice. We'll take you tomorrow. Then we'll all go and see your dead family together, ok?"

Willow gives Tara a nasty look. She could understand that Tara had to be tough, but this was very hard for Willow to take in right now. Even thought they just met, Willow did like Tara but didnt wanna make this worse. So she backed down and sat on the ground again.

Willow - "That sounds good."

Early next morning, Tara, Willow and Anya are walking along the Docklands Light Railway in a single file. Soon they come across a train and around it, as if spilled in it's wake, was abandoned bags and backpacks. Anya could tell Willow was still very weak and slowed down to let her catch up.

Anya - "How's the head, Willow? Still fucked?"

Willow just looks at her and doesnt give her a reply.

Anya (looks into the city) - "I know where your head is. You're looking at these windows, these millions of windows, and you're thinking - Oh Anya, Tara - there's no way these many people are dead. It's just too many windows."

Willow watches as Anya bends down and picks up a bag.

Anya - "The person who owned this bag, they cant be dead."

Anya reaches into the bag and starts to pull out everything inside.

Anya - "Oh its a woman, who drove a Nisson Micra, and had a little son and always carried comdoms with her. Well you have to be safe!"

Anya then tosses the comdoms behind her.

Anya - "Trust me, Willow. We or should I say I, wont be needin them again!"
Willow - "What do you mean?"
Anya - "Tara likes the girl on girl lifestyle."
Tara (turns to face them both) - "I fancy Britney Spears but that dream never comes too!"

Willow nods and giggles as they reach Greenwich Common. Willow points towards one of the streets on the far side.

Willow - "Down there. Westlink Street, second on the left."

Soon they reach Willow's modest Red brick, Semi detached house. They all stand outside number 43. Willow waits while Tara scans the facade.

Tara - "Willow, if there's anyone in there who isn't human..."
Willow - "I understand."
Tara - "I mean it, anyone."
Willow - "I understand, I really do Tara."

Tara nods at Willow and they all walk around to the back door. Willow finds the spare key and open's the door. They all walk in slowly and walks through the kitchen. The place is clean and newspapers are all piled up on the coffee table. Willow bends down to read one which reads: CONTAINMENT FAILS

They reach the bottom of the stairs. Tara looks up to make sure it's safe, it is and gives Willow a smile and a nod. They slowly head upstairs and right at the top, Tara sniffs the air and recoils. Willow and Anya smell it too, and Willow's eyes widen in alarm. Tara tries to stop Willow from going into the bedroom.

Tara - "No, Willow, dont go in there!"

But Willow pushes past her and opens her parents bedroom door. The smell becomes worse and Willow has to cover her nose and mouth with her hand. Then slowly Willow walks into the room and inside, there is two decomposed bodies lying side by side. Hugging each other. On the bedside table, there is an empty bottle of sleeping pills and a bottle of red wine. In the hands on her mother, a picture of Willow lies. Tara rubs her eyes and reaches for Willow's arm. Anya bows her head and then leaves the room. Willow looks at her parents and pulls the bedcover over them, and then goes into the bathroom.

Once inside, Willow breaks down and takes a look at her picture. On the back her mother had written: Willow - With endless love, we left you sleeping. Now we're sleeping with you. Never wake up. xxxxx

Once Willow had stopped crying, she went downstairs and joined the girls. They have a cup of tea and Willow looks dazed and lost. Her eyes her dead. Tara watches Willow with an expression of love and worry.

Tara - "They died peacefully. You should be grateful."
Willow - "I ain't bloody grateful! I wake from a coma to find the world has been infected by vampires and my parents are dead! So I cant be grateful!"

Willow's words hang in the air for a moment. Then Anya starts to talk, simply unemotionally, matter of fact throughout.

Anya - "The roads out were all jammed. So we all went to Padington Station. We hoped we could get a train to Heathrow, we wanted to get away from hell. My dad had sold his business and empty his bank out. The whole place was surging, I then lost my grip on my sisters hand. I remember the ground felt soft, when I looked down, there were dead bodies underneath me and people were walking over them. The infection was taking over so fast and I had to get myself on top of a kiosk. Then I saw it. I saw my dad's face, he had become infected. I watched him attack my mother and sister."

Anya stops talking and gives Willow a look

Anya - "Tara's right, you should be grateful!"
Tara - "It's late. I think we should sleep here tonight."
Willow - "You both can have my room, I'll sleep on the sofa."
Tara - "No, let's sleep in here. It will be safer for us."

Soon both Anya and Tara were fast alseep. Willow did get some sleep but then had nightmares of her parents dying. Around 3am, Willow found herself watching Tara sleeping. Tara looked so peaceful and beautfiul too. Willow knew she was falling for this Irish beauty. Then Willow wanted a drink so she headed into the kitchen. Yet something court her eye, a shadow from outside. Before she knew what was happening, the back door powerfully smashed in. It files open and hangs, loosely held, by the bottom hinge. Standing in the doorway is an infected man. Willow yells as the man jumps at her, they both fall to the floor. Soon the large window smashes in and a teenage girl is half way into the house. All Willow can do is try to fight off the man and yell for help.

Willow - "ANYA! TARA! HELP ME PLEASE!"

Sudddenly, Tara is there, holding her machete. The blade flashes down on the back of the man's neck. He's blood gushes out. Willow rolls the infected man off her, while Anya is fighting with the girl. Anya bring her knife down into the girls head and neck, the blood is all over the place! Now Willow is hypeventing, just looking at the body on the floor.

Willow - "It's Mr Bridges..."

Tara turns to face Willow. She is also breathing heavy, but is still calm and in total control.

Tara - "Were you bitten?" Willow - "He lives 4 doors down..."

Then Willow turns to look at the girl. Anya is still fighting her to death.

Willow - "That's Kate, his 14 year old daughter!"
Tara - "WILLOW, were you bitten?"

Willow looks at Tara, who has her machete at the ready.

Willow - "No... NO! I wasnt!"
Tara - "Did any blood get into your mouth?"
Willow - "NO! I'm fine, I think."

So then Willow and Tara turn to look at Anya.

Tara - "Anya, are you ok?"

Willow watches as Anya wipes off the girls blood on her arm - Off the skin - Where a long scrach or cut wells up fresh blood. Soon Anya looks at Tara, Anya starts to panic and looks into Tara's eyes.

Anya - "Tara, please, wait!"

But Tara is now cleaning her machete. Anya lifts her arm instinctively, defensively, and the blade sinks into her arm. Tara immediately yanks it back out.

Anya - "DON'T! TARA, PLEASE STOP!"

Tara swipes again and the blade get's the side of Anya's head, which kills her. Anya falls to the floor. Willow watches, scrabbling backwards on the floor from them, as Tara brutally finishes Anya off. Tara stops attacking and looks at Anya's body for a couple of seconds, then lowers the blade. She picks up a dishcloth from the skin and throws it to Willow.

Tara - "Let's clean this up." Willow picks up the rag and wipes the infected blood off her body. All the time, her eyes never left Tara.

Tara - "Do you have any clothes here?"
Willow (dazed and also frightened) - "I dont know. I think I would."
Tara - "Then get them. And get dressed. We have to leave, NOW!"

With top speed, Tara pulls open the cupboards, pulling biscuits and cans of drink out and into a bag. Willow is still standing there, watching Tara move around the room. The girl just killed a friend and it seems it doesnt even matter. Tara can feel Willow's eyes on her and turns to face her. Their eyes met.

Tara - "Willow, more infected will be coming. They always do."