Just to make things clear this story is AU and will contain traces of fluffy romance, you've been warned. Oh and this is set around the 1700's. Read on and bask in the Spuffyness!
"Shit!" Buffy mumbled under her breath as another jar of food slipped from her hands. She considered picking it up but there just wasn't time for that. Once again Holtz and his army had tracked her. She didn't know how but she knew why. She was a thief and catching her meant more money than one could dream of. Her own mother had even been taken from her for 'protection against her rogue daughter'. Her blistered feet pounded against the stones and twigs that covered the ground. The pain of running for hours on end was normal; the fear however was not. Holtz had chased her from town to town for six months and he was getting quicker. His army was growing and it was wearing her out.
"This way!" a man yelled from far behind her. Buffy turned around and saw the glow of approaching torches. She held her breath, would she be able to get away in time? Or was she about the get caught again? There was a forest just a short run from where she was but it was risky, she would no doubt be seen.
"Hurry!" Holtz's dry, ageing voice commanded. Holtz was a shady man and even if the residents saw him as the big hero, Buffy knew different. She'd seen the cruel, sadistic man behind the mask and there was no way in hell she facing it again.
As Buffy ran towards the opening in the forest she recalled the advice Angel had given her when they met during her stay in prison. 'Holtz men never check the trees, they're fast but they're stupid' he had told her from behind the bars. It was soon after they had grown so close to each other that Buffy escaped, leaving Angel behind to serve whatever punishment he talked about deserving. Finally she had reached the forest, but something felt wrong. She couldn't hear the horses anymore. Why had they stopped all of a sudden? They had been chasing her for months and they only just got tired now?
"Better late then never" Buffy said in what was barely a whisper, glancing around suspiciously, just in case. She shrugged and made her way through the forest, finding a tree she saw suitable to climb and hide in.
Meanwhile Holtz and his soldiers watched as Buffy scampered into the forest
"Well?" Holtz questioned from behind them
"She's headed towards the trees sir," the smaller soldier informed him then looked nervously from his fellow soldier to Holtz personal army. Holtz had some really talented men helping with his attempt to stop unwanted crimes. All of which he knew would have no problems killing in the name of the law.
"Should we… go after her?" the taller one asked fearfully, the last time he'd been sent after Buffy he hadn't been able to walk for weeks.
"No I have a better idea, Spike step forward," Holtz ordered. A young man of 25 at the most stepped forward with light brown hair and amazingly light blue eyes.
"Go and find Miss Summers" Holtz commanded
"I'm not your whipping boy" Spike reminded him angrily "I'm just in it for the money" he sniffed
"I don't want you to kill her," Holtz said innocently "I want you to trap her," he demanded with a coy grin on his bearded face.
"Meaning what? Put her in a little cage? Not going to work" Spike drew out his sword and waved it around a little carelessly "look, we've been chasing this bird for months, why not just off her?" he explained as Holtz gave him an annoyed look
"We're doing this my way William, if you have a problem with that then I suggest you leave"
"Just tell me what to bloody do" Spike sighed, he was sick of following this tiny mans orders, but if he wanted to get the money then he had no choice, for now anyway.
Buffy stood up in the tree she'd been hiding in, if Holtz hadn't tried to find her yet then he obviously wasn't going to. She braced herself and she used a branch to swing back down to the ground but ended up landing on someone's chest.
"Ow! Bloody hell!" Spike groaned with his eyes shut from the sudden contact, Buffy panicked and pulled out a knife she'd stolen from Holtz
"What are you doing?" Buffy questioned viciously with the knife pressed against his throat.
"What are you doing?" Spike retorted as they both looked at her legs straddling both sides of Spikes body. Buffy moved a leg and placed it on his stomach, using her boney knee to pressure his skin, he chuckled then rolled his eyes
"Look I came here to help you" he lied and she knew he was too
"Funny, I was thinking the exact opposite" Buffy said as she got up but held the knife out to show she didn't want any surprises
"Listen I don't want Holtz's army hanging around anymore than you do, but they have a plan and if you don't listen then they will kill you" Spike said as she looked around herself again, expecting people to jump from the brush
"A plan? Like sending a man to trick me?" she quipped and he ran forward and grabbed her by the shoulders
"Listen to me Summers, he's going to kill you and I can help you or I can help him, take your bloody pick," he growled
"Leave me alone" she exhaled then decided to push the offer "so what did he do to you that makes you act like the lone hero?" she questioned him
"Lets just say, he's got something of mine and I need it back"
"Uh huh, and you'd warn me why?" she crossed her arms around her white shirt. He looked at her carefully, she was wearing men's clothing and her muddy blonde hair was tied up in a mess, held by a piece of scrap leather.
"Well you look like you could use some help" Spike couldn't believe a girl could be so stubborn "after all little girls shouldn't be wandering about alone" he added giving her his favourite smirk, to his surprise she kicked a rock into his knee
"I'm not a kid, I'm 19" she corrected him furiously
"Oh" Spike didn't see that coming, she was short and in no way reminded him of a 19-year-old woman
"So are you going to give me your warning or what?" Buffy asked, she decided she might as well hear his words, she didn't have to trust him for that
"Right, yeah" he stepped closer to her and Buffy immediately took a fighting stance "head towards the stream in the middle of the forest, you'll find a house near there, they wont be able to find you" he whispered and she almost thought he meant it for a second
"Yeah and when I walk right into your trap, what then?" she replied in a whisper and Spike wished he could just hit her in the face, but that would ruin his façade
"You can't keep running love," Spike pointed out as Buffy pushed him away with as much force as possible
"I can do whatever I want, and don't call me love" she warned then tucked her knife back into its holder on her thigh
"Don't say I didn't warn you" he chuckled as he ran back towards the town. Buffy watched, not knowing what she felt. She felt angry for having a stranger talk to her like she was only 10 years old. She was suspicious, she knew Holtz never ventured far enough into the forest to know about the stream or any other hidden wonders it had. And lastly she was flustered that she had been in such close proximity to whoever the man was, it was a complete invasion of personal space and he knew it. She shook her head and stormed further into the forest. She'd find a safe spot to sleep, then she'd head towards the stream, but she'd be prepared. And if nothing happened, she'd find the man and thank him, because no one had looked out for willingly like that before… except for Angel
Short first chapter I know! But it was really just an intro to what's going on (or at least a fuzzy water colour of what's going on) I'll update within the next few days!
Reviews make updates quicker! :)
