Title: Three Dog Night (part 8 - New Life)
Author: Nimue
Rating: PG - 13
Feedback: Yes, please
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, etc.. Just Borrowing.
Summary: Luke takes Spike on an adventure, Buffy begins her journey to find Spike.
Three Dog Night
Spike awoke once again chained to the wall. The girl was gone, but he felt her warmth all around him, inside of him, coursing through his veins. The drink she had given him had restored his strength and her words, his fire.
Buffy was coming for him. Spike was a little put off by the fact that he needed rescuing at all, but the sheer pleasure of seeing her face once again was worth a little wounded pride.
Still, he thought, what he had seen here had mortified even his demon soul. It was killing him to think of her alone in that wasteland. Why did they send *her*? She had to be close to delivering the child. Why would they even *let* her go? Spike chuckled to himself thinking, no one *lets* Buffy Summers do anything. Only can watch her and hope for the best. Buffy had made up her mind and come here on her own. Despite the fact he knew she could hold her own, the fear gnawed at him. He could not live with himself if Buffy or the child died trying to save his sorry hide.
The Peacemaker said she would help them, Spike thought. Somehow he believed it.
"Spike!" Luke exclaimed, prancing through the door.
"Bastard," Spike responded, nodding his healing face at the monster.
"Why *you're* feisty today for a little caged beastie," Luke chirped.
"Ready for today's episode of 'Slays of our Lives'?"
"Not much in the spirit today, mate," Spike responded. "What's behind door number two?"
Luke thought for a moment. "Alright," he said suddenly, clapping his hands. Spike fell to the floor with a thud.
"Bloody Hell. Enough with the dropping!" The Vampire whined, rubbing his wrists. "To what do I owe this distinct pleasure?" Spike stood, wiping the red dust from his jeans.
"And *now* for something completely different...." Luke babbled. "Let's
take a walk, Willie."
"Where to?" Spike responded taking a wobbly step forward.
"A little tour of my humble abode. Show you all the sights La Maison Rouge has to offer." Luke hooked an arm through Spike's and Spike tore away, straightening himself. "Have it your way," he said, winking slyly.
*****
The foot that had stepped out of the sand in the playground suddenly
crunched into fallen leaves. Buffy looked down, then up, then spun just as the glowy, bluish circle disappeared. "Oh well," she said to no one in particular. "This isn't *too* bad."
Buffy had found herself in a forest. A dark, overgrown, spooky forest, but a pretty normal sight, all in all. One inconvenience, Buffy noticed while surveying her current situation, was that her sweatpants and T-shirt had been replaced by a little, white sundress and her tennis shoes were gone. "I hate travelling in a dress," she whined, beginning to trek down the path.
Buffy had no idea where she was headed; she was just following her gut.
Quite literally. When the child kicked her toward the left, she veered
little left. Right, right. Center, straight. Seemed as good a navigation system as any. Not to mention that she never lacked direction as the baby had suddenly jumped to aggravated attention as soon as they had crossed the portal.
It seemed like hours that she climbed through the underbrush, jabbing,
cutting, twisting her feet on every rock, twig, and thorn in existence.
Maybe this was Hell, she thought, sitting heavily on a log. She lifted her leg and stretched to pull a thorn from the sole of her foot, finding this task to be Herculean, but successful after several attempts. Buffy sat, staring at the unending woods. "So," she asked the air, the child, whoever might be listening, "where do we go from here?"
As if on cue, the sound of a river came roaring into her ears. Buffy
slapped her hands over them to try and quell the sound, but it was twice as loud in her head. "No need to drop and anvil on me!" The noise quieted to a subtle, babbling brook, sound. "Jeez, if I'd a known it was that easy, I would have just asked you to take me to Spike."
In the distance she heard a roar and an awful crash. The sound made her
instantly cold. Buffy hoisted herself from the log and scampered up a rise and down a bank to a vast river. This was odd, she thought. She should have been able to see or at least hear it well before she did, yet it seemed to just appear in front of her. Poof.
Just as suddenly, a boat appeared in front of her, bobbing lazily on the
shore. Shortly thereafter, a dog appeared in the boat. Buffy looked at the dog curiously. It was large, possibly the largest dog she had ever seen. What was really stood out about the pooch was its two extra heads. "This can't get any weirder," she mumbled, walking towards the boat. The baby suddenly landed a right hook against some imaginary foe and Buffy stumbled.
"Need some help?" a husky, pleasant voice said. Buffy straightened, looking around. "Well, I know you don't belong here, so, I ask again, need some help?" the voice repeated. The dog. To be precise, the middle head.
"Uh...uh..." Buffy stuttered in reply.
"Girl like you in a place like this," the right head commented, wagging back and forth.
"'Specially in your condition," the left chimed in.
"You're gonna need some help," middle head continued.
Buffy's blonde locks bounced as if she were watching Wimbledon. Finally, the middle head addressed her, looking at her dead on. The creature's eyes were strangely human. "Where to, pretty lady?"
"I'm looking for a blond guy. Well, Vampire really. About this tall, " she said gesturing, "Long black coat, talks you to death, English, blue eyes, great cheekbones...."
"Haven't seen the likes of that," right head said. Buffy's heart sank.
"But if he's a demon, probably went a more direct route. Skipped the whole Forest of Despair," left head said.
"How about a guy named Luke?" Buffy asked. "Big red house?" She crossed her arms, tapping her foot as the heads muttered amongst themselves.
"Pretty lady doesn't want to go there. How bout a trip to Purgatory?
Really not that bad this time of year..." middle head said.
"The red place," Buffy insisted. All three heads shrugged on one set of
shoulders.
"Climb aboard," they all said, holding out one enormous paw.
*****
"So, what *exactly* do you plan to show me?" Spike complained, hopping up the steps behind his well-dressed host.
"Oh, all that my little casa has to offer."
"Little late for hospitality, mate," Spike quipped. They reached the
landing and turned right onto a red carpeted hallway. The walls were
mirrored and Spike noticed, as he passed the first wall, that he did indeed have a reflection. He stopped in his tracks looking at a man he had not seen in over 120 years. God, I'm pale, he thought.
Luke laughed, watching the Vampire spin, checking his sides, turning and
lifting his duster, then craning his head over his shoulder. "Yes, you have a lovely arse," the hellgod chuckled as Spike dropped the coat with
indignation.
"I wasn't..."
"Sure you weren't," Luke replied, winking. "Plenty for that little Slayer bi**h to love."
"You should *not* be calling her names," Spike hissed, puffing himself,
stepping toward Luke.
"Please," Luke said. "That's half of got you whipped to start with. The game. The dance. Part of your mating ritual. A little demon in you both if you ask me," he mused. "Not that it matters now since she's about to become very *dead*."
Spike stared at Luke for a moment, his blood boiling in his veins.
"I know she's coming," Luke griped, "I'm not *stupid*."
"You'd be best not to even *try* and hurt her," Spike said, his face
suddenly feeling tight, hot.
'No matter what you see...no matter what you hear..' the soft voice
whispered in his ear. A calm rushed over the Vampire.
"Wouldn't underestimate the Slayer, mate," Spike retorted almost cheerfully. "She's taken out bigger bads than you."
Luke spun on one heel and began again down the long hallway. Spike smiled to himself, thinking for the first time that this just might work.
*****
The boat pulled up against a rocky shore. All red and gray and utterly
devoid of anything remotely familiar. "This is it," middle head said,
lending Buffy an enormous paw and helping her out of the boat.
"Sure we can't interest you in a tour of the Netherworlds?" right head
asked.
"Nah," she answered smiling. "Got work here." She was silent a moment.
"Hey, I don't have anything to give you for the ride."
"This one's free," middle head replied, "but I never want to see you down here again."
"Deal," Buffy said, shaking the outstretched paw.
The boat scooted off the shore and Buffy began to trek up the rocky incline to the equally rocky plain. "Buffy?" left head called as the boat floated off. Buffy turned around toward the boat. "Make peace," it barked. She cocked her head, looking at the creature oddly. The boat disappeared just as strangely as it had appeared.
To be contd.
Author: Nimue
Rating: PG - 13
Feedback: Yes, please
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, etc.. Just Borrowing.
Summary: Luke takes Spike on an adventure, Buffy begins her journey to find Spike.
Three Dog Night
Spike awoke once again chained to the wall. The girl was gone, but he felt her warmth all around him, inside of him, coursing through his veins. The drink she had given him had restored his strength and her words, his fire.
Buffy was coming for him. Spike was a little put off by the fact that he needed rescuing at all, but the sheer pleasure of seeing her face once again was worth a little wounded pride.
Still, he thought, what he had seen here had mortified even his demon soul. It was killing him to think of her alone in that wasteland. Why did they send *her*? She had to be close to delivering the child. Why would they even *let* her go? Spike chuckled to himself thinking, no one *lets* Buffy Summers do anything. Only can watch her and hope for the best. Buffy had made up her mind and come here on her own. Despite the fact he knew she could hold her own, the fear gnawed at him. He could not live with himself if Buffy or the child died trying to save his sorry hide.
The Peacemaker said she would help them, Spike thought. Somehow he believed it.
"Spike!" Luke exclaimed, prancing through the door.
"Bastard," Spike responded, nodding his healing face at the monster.
"Why *you're* feisty today for a little caged beastie," Luke chirped.
"Ready for today's episode of 'Slays of our Lives'?"
"Not much in the spirit today, mate," Spike responded. "What's behind door number two?"
Luke thought for a moment. "Alright," he said suddenly, clapping his hands. Spike fell to the floor with a thud.
"Bloody Hell. Enough with the dropping!" The Vampire whined, rubbing his wrists. "To what do I owe this distinct pleasure?" Spike stood, wiping the red dust from his jeans.
"And *now* for something completely different...." Luke babbled. "Let's
take a walk, Willie."
"Where to?" Spike responded taking a wobbly step forward.
"A little tour of my humble abode. Show you all the sights La Maison Rouge has to offer." Luke hooked an arm through Spike's and Spike tore away, straightening himself. "Have it your way," he said, winking slyly.
*****
The foot that had stepped out of the sand in the playground suddenly
crunched into fallen leaves. Buffy looked down, then up, then spun just as the glowy, bluish circle disappeared. "Oh well," she said to no one in particular. "This isn't *too* bad."
Buffy had found herself in a forest. A dark, overgrown, spooky forest, but a pretty normal sight, all in all. One inconvenience, Buffy noticed while surveying her current situation, was that her sweatpants and T-shirt had been replaced by a little, white sundress and her tennis shoes were gone. "I hate travelling in a dress," she whined, beginning to trek down the path.
Buffy had no idea where she was headed; she was just following her gut.
Quite literally. When the child kicked her toward the left, she veered
little left. Right, right. Center, straight. Seemed as good a navigation system as any. Not to mention that she never lacked direction as the baby had suddenly jumped to aggravated attention as soon as they had crossed the portal.
It seemed like hours that she climbed through the underbrush, jabbing,
cutting, twisting her feet on every rock, twig, and thorn in existence.
Maybe this was Hell, she thought, sitting heavily on a log. She lifted her leg and stretched to pull a thorn from the sole of her foot, finding this task to be Herculean, but successful after several attempts. Buffy sat, staring at the unending woods. "So," she asked the air, the child, whoever might be listening, "where do we go from here?"
As if on cue, the sound of a river came roaring into her ears. Buffy
slapped her hands over them to try and quell the sound, but it was twice as loud in her head. "No need to drop and anvil on me!" The noise quieted to a subtle, babbling brook, sound. "Jeez, if I'd a known it was that easy, I would have just asked you to take me to Spike."
In the distance she heard a roar and an awful crash. The sound made her
instantly cold. Buffy hoisted herself from the log and scampered up a rise and down a bank to a vast river. This was odd, she thought. She should have been able to see or at least hear it well before she did, yet it seemed to just appear in front of her. Poof.
Just as suddenly, a boat appeared in front of her, bobbing lazily on the
shore. Shortly thereafter, a dog appeared in the boat. Buffy looked at the dog curiously. It was large, possibly the largest dog she had ever seen. What was really stood out about the pooch was its two extra heads. "This can't get any weirder," she mumbled, walking towards the boat. The baby suddenly landed a right hook against some imaginary foe and Buffy stumbled.
"Need some help?" a husky, pleasant voice said. Buffy straightened, looking around. "Well, I know you don't belong here, so, I ask again, need some help?" the voice repeated. The dog. To be precise, the middle head.
"Uh...uh..." Buffy stuttered in reply.
"Girl like you in a place like this," the right head commented, wagging back and forth.
"'Specially in your condition," the left chimed in.
"You're gonna need some help," middle head continued.
Buffy's blonde locks bounced as if she were watching Wimbledon. Finally, the middle head addressed her, looking at her dead on. The creature's eyes were strangely human. "Where to, pretty lady?"
"I'm looking for a blond guy. Well, Vampire really. About this tall, " she said gesturing, "Long black coat, talks you to death, English, blue eyes, great cheekbones...."
"Haven't seen the likes of that," right head said. Buffy's heart sank.
"But if he's a demon, probably went a more direct route. Skipped the whole Forest of Despair," left head said.
"How about a guy named Luke?" Buffy asked. "Big red house?" She crossed her arms, tapping her foot as the heads muttered amongst themselves.
"Pretty lady doesn't want to go there. How bout a trip to Purgatory?
Really not that bad this time of year..." middle head said.
"The red place," Buffy insisted. All three heads shrugged on one set of
shoulders.
"Climb aboard," they all said, holding out one enormous paw.
*****
"So, what *exactly* do you plan to show me?" Spike complained, hopping up the steps behind his well-dressed host.
"Oh, all that my little casa has to offer."
"Little late for hospitality, mate," Spike quipped. They reached the
landing and turned right onto a red carpeted hallway. The walls were
mirrored and Spike noticed, as he passed the first wall, that he did indeed have a reflection. He stopped in his tracks looking at a man he had not seen in over 120 years. God, I'm pale, he thought.
Luke laughed, watching the Vampire spin, checking his sides, turning and
lifting his duster, then craning his head over his shoulder. "Yes, you have a lovely arse," the hellgod chuckled as Spike dropped the coat with
indignation.
"I wasn't..."
"Sure you weren't," Luke replied, winking. "Plenty for that little Slayer bi**h to love."
"You should *not* be calling her names," Spike hissed, puffing himself,
stepping toward Luke.
"Please," Luke said. "That's half of got you whipped to start with. The game. The dance. Part of your mating ritual. A little demon in you both if you ask me," he mused. "Not that it matters now since she's about to become very *dead*."
Spike stared at Luke for a moment, his blood boiling in his veins.
"I know she's coming," Luke griped, "I'm not *stupid*."
"You'd be best not to even *try* and hurt her," Spike said, his face
suddenly feeling tight, hot.
'No matter what you see...no matter what you hear..' the soft voice
whispered in his ear. A calm rushed over the Vampire.
"Wouldn't underestimate the Slayer, mate," Spike retorted almost cheerfully. "She's taken out bigger bads than you."
Luke spun on one heel and began again down the long hallway. Spike smiled to himself, thinking for the first time that this just might work.
*****
The boat pulled up against a rocky shore. All red and gray and utterly
devoid of anything remotely familiar. "This is it," middle head said,
lending Buffy an enormous paw and helping her out of the boat.
"Sure we can't interest you in a tour of the Netherworlds?" right head
asked.
"Nah," she answered smiling. "Got work here." She was silent a moment.
"Hey, I don't have anything to give you for the ride."
"This one's free," middle head replied, "but I never want to see you down here again."
"Deal," Buffy said, shaking the outstretched paw.
The boat scooted off the shore and Buffy began to trek up the rocky incline to the equally rocky plain. "Buffy?" left head called as the boat floated off. Buffy turned around toward the boat. "Make peace," it barked. She cocked her head, looking at the creature oddly. The boat disappeared just as strangely as it had appeared.
To be contd.