Disclaimer: Still don't own anything
Chapter 7
"Deliver me, out of my sadness. Deliver me from the all of the madness" Sarah Brightman
The Next Morning:
Buffy sat against the wall of her new cell in the basement of the majestic arena of Gannax Prime staring at the strange non-talkey hermit man across from her. She rubbed her arm where her new tattoo was as it was now a dull ache that marked her as his. Thank goodness for Slayer healing, as she noticed at breakfast that morning with the other inmates that some of their tattoo's looked infected and raw. She really didn't like this, having the whole situation taken out of her hands. What possibly made her choose him over the others, and why did his eyes seem to look right into her. She couldn't even tell if he was attractive under his long knotted hair and beard. He wore baggy clothes, and looked like he had lived in the wilderness for years considering his feet were covered in grime. It was hard for her to gauge if he was healthy or not or if he'd need an undertaker soon due to his long brown robe that covered his baggy white tunic.
So now here she was stuck being bound to a man who looked like Grizzly Adams and smelled like death warmed over mixed with dirty socks. She didn't know how this bond thing worked as she didn't feel any different but knew being bound to anyone would be a bad thing. She could almost hear the Doctor in her head telling her the pros and cons of this situation, hell she could even hear Giles cleaning his glasses and going into one of his spiels about getting oneself into the situation in the first place and that the Slayer must be ever vigilant of her surroundings. It not her fault she didn't hear the person sneak up on her until it was too late.
"So do you have a name or should I just call you Grizzly?" She asked trying to get a rise out of him as he hadn't uttered a word since arriving in her cell but grunted in her general direction.
"Mmpff" he grunted and stared at a spot in front of him refusing to make eye contact.
"The guard said we'd be fighting, do you know how to fight or can you even understand what I'm saying?" She asked, trying to get a gauge on his physical prowess, and intellect to see whether she'd have to save him in a fight or if he could hold his own.
He just nodded curtly and wrapped his arms around his knees bringing them up to his forehead, and turning his head to look out the bars to his left as if trying to hide away from her penetrating gaze.
Sighing Buffy looked away and turned and looked up to the window above her and leaned her head back against the rocky wall trying to see anything up above them and fighting the stinging sensation of tears wanting to come forth. She noticed the sun was shining yet she couldn't feel any warmth.
"Great, I'm stuck with someone who hates me. Figures, at least Drusilla would be muttering about the stars, this guy just makes grunts" she muttered picking at the threads in her khaki pants.
Feeling sleep want to over take her, she laid down on her cold mat and closing her eyes she felt the whisper of someone's warm hands all over her skin that seemed to get more real as she laid there. Snapping her eyes open she looked around and saw her cellmate Grizzly was still sitting on the far end of the cell away from her. Closing her eyes again and turning her back toward him she felt the hands gently stroke her arms. As she went deeper in sleep she succumbed to slumber and when she opened her eyes in her dream she found her mysterious guy lying next to her on her mat stroking her arm back and forth lazily.
"Bout time you woke up sleepy head." He said with a sad smile "was beginning to think you hated me and were pretendin' to be asleep so you'd not have to look at this old face." He said with a small smile.
"Why would I hate you? And I love your face." She said raising a hand to cup his cool cheek which he leaned into. "I thought you hated me."
Shaking his head, "I don't hate you, far from it really, just not good at expressin' my feelings that's all" he said resting his forehead against hers and staring into her eyes. His right hand coming up to cup the back of her neck holding her still.
"Then why don't you talk to me?" She said looking down at his hand so he wouldn't see the tears in her eyes.
"Been alone for so long I don't know how, no body wants me. Don't blame them either. Not the best person to be around."
"I want you, and I hardly even know who you are" she said curling up against him and leaning her head against his shoulder.
"Please don't…" he started.
"Huh? Why?" Buffy asked tilting her head up so she could make eye contact.
"Don't want to get close to you; they all leave me in the end." He said shying away from her contact.
"Who leaves? I won't leave" she said defiantly. "How do I prove to you that I won't leave you?" she asked starting to panic.
"Don't die" he said seriously.
"I won't die, trust me" Buffy replied squeezing his hand.
"Yes you will!! No one survives, they all die. How many times do you think I've been bound to someone?" He said eyes blazing and his lips in a thin line.
"How many times?" she asked.
Getting up and pacing back and forth he stopped in front of her and starring down at his wrist he rubbed it gently and looking up met her eyes.
"Too many" he said grimly, " I don't get close because you'll fight by yourself first and the person I end up bonded to never comes back. Please promise me you'll come back. Not sure I could handle losing another bond, alm'st killed me last time." He said kissing her forehead and turned walked away and faded into nothingness. He heard her whisper "I promise" as he woke up.
Waking up in a start she felt completely alone once again, and thankfully hadn't moved from her position so he wouldn't see her reaction to the dream.
Looking over at her sleeping form the man on the other side of the room felt wave after wave of sadness roll off her after the dream they both had shared. He rubbed his tattoo gently and prayed she'd be the golden angel that could save him from this hell he was in, that is, if she survived the fighting. He may just be a clone, but he hoped she'd survive to see him as more.
"WHERE IS SHE?!" The Doctor bellowed slamming both hands down on the top of the Mayor's desk making him and Jack wince.
"Like I said Doctor, I don't know who you are talking about" the Mayor said leaning back in his chair.
"LIAR! I know for a fact that she is here on the premises, so you tell me Sir where… she… is." The Doctor said his eyes turning almost black with rage.
"Did she have collar, marking her as yours?" the Mayor asked ignoring the Doctor's question crossing his arms and quirking an eyebrow at the Doctor's tirade.
"Wh…What?" The Doctor sputtered.
"Did…she…have…a…collar?" The Mayor said as if spelling it out for a 4 year old.
"No, but why should that matter?" The Doctor said crossing his arms and staring at the Mayor.
"It specifically states in Article 15.5L of the Gannax Laws that any non-collared female on the planet will become the property of the highest official who will do with them as seen fit." The Mayor said rattling off the law as if stating it was warm today.
"What exactly will this highest official do with these females? Knowing full well, that Buffy is among them?" Jack asked upholstering his gun and pointing it at the Mayor's head.
Looking at the gun, and then between Jack and the Doctor he audibly gulped and took a deep breath before answering.
"Article 15.5M States that all non-collared females on Gannax Prime will be bound to a clone and will fight to the death…they…" He stopped when he found himself lifted up off the ground by the Doctor whose eyes had gone completely black.
"If you are binding and killing innocent women and clones then you are in violation of the Shadow Proclamation which is punishable by death!" The Doctor hissed dropping the Mayor unceremoniously on the ground.
The Mayor sat there stunned grabbing his throat to try and stop the pain. The Doctor walked over and standing over him "When, not if I find Buffy and whoever she is bound to, I'll make sure you feel the entire wrath of the Oncoming Storm."
The Doctor then turned around and strode from the room leaving Jack holstering his gun and following shortly behind him. As they exited the building, Jack reached forward and grabbed the Doctor's arm to stop him.
"What are we going to do Doctor, if Buffy is to fight to death we may be too late. You and I both know she's in no capacity to fight." Jack said looking back at the building they just exited.
"I know, Jack. I know. We'll find her and I know exactly how to find her too." He said with a manic grin.
"Let me guess…Sonic Screwdriver?" Jack said a slight mischievous glint in his eyes.
Pulling out and waving the screwdriver the Doctor punched in a code and watched as it blinked in one direction and pointing it in another the light stayed solid. Smiling wildly he tilted his head in the direction the light stayed on solid and both Jack and the Doctor ran in that direction.
After about 15 minutes they found the cell with Buffy in it. The Doctor crouched down, and whispered into the room.
"Buffy?" He whispered and looking up met his eyes and jumped to her feet.
"Doctor?" She said looking up at his smiling face.
"Oh, Buffy, I'm so sorry I got you into this. It's entirely my fault." The Doctor said with a sad look.
"How is it your fault? I'm the one who got drugged, I wasn't paying attention. I was just stupid and…"
"No it's my fault I'm the one who didn't know the rules of the planet and should have had you stay on the TARDIS while Jack and I talked to the Mayor" he said looking over to the man in the corner of the cell.
"Is he who you're bound to?" the Doctor asked noticing the man in the corner was watching them warily.
Looking over her shoulder at her cell mate she sighed and nodded afraid to meet the Doctor's gaze.
"Buffy I promise you, I'll do everything in my power to get both of you out of this situation, we'll deal with the bond later. Right now I'm just glad you're safe" he said smiling down at Buffy.
"I'm as safe as I can be. Just figure a way to get me out from the outside, I'll figure out a way to get out from the inside and hopefully we'll meet in the middle." Buffy said with a smirk.
Nodding his approval, Jack knelt down and smiled at her, "Hey there beautiful, how is it in there?"
"Well it's not the Ritz, but I'm surviving" she said when a rush of emotions washed over her, the most intense of them being severe jealousy. Turning around quickly she saw the dark look on her cell mate's face and looking back up at the Doctor and Jack saw they noticed her distress.
"Are you okay Buf?"
Looking up at Jack she shook her head no. "I think the bond just took hold. Seems Mr. Grumpy-pants over in the corner is jealous of you two. At least that's what I'm experiencing."
"Well just stay safe, and between you and me, we'll figure this out" the Doctor said reaching down his hand.
Reaching up and taking his hand, she smiled sadly, and nodded. Letting go, she watched them stand and walk away. She stood silently there until she couldn't hear them crunching the gravel underfoot anymore. Turning around she looked over at her cellmate and sitting down on her mat brought her knees up to her chin and contemplated what the best course of action would be to get herself and her cellmate to freedom.
The next morning, the guard came into the main hallway to make an announcement. All the fighters in the different cells got up and walked to the bars of their cells to hear what the new announcement was from the Mayor of Gannax.
"Attention, due to some unforeseen circumstances there will be only one fight to the death this week; the warrior who will fight is Buffy Summers. Apparently an alien called the Doctor pissed off the Mayor and the Mayor wants to see you die slowly." The Guard said spitting at her feet where she stood near the bars.
She glanced down at the man sitting at her feet and kneeling down grabbed both sides of his head and brought it up so she could make eye contact. She held him still as he tried to fight her grip.
Leaning her forehead against his she whispered "I don't know if it's you I'm dreaming about, but I promise you. I won't die." She said leaning her head to the side so he could see the bite mark on her neck. "See this?" pointing to the scar, "even a Master Vampire couldn't kill me properly."
Kissing his forehead she stood up and walked over to the door and the guard led her down the hallway. She stopped and looked over her shoulder at the man in the cell she just left and smiled at him.
TBC
