Chapter 6
Spike held his hand out, and after studying it for a moment, she reached out to take the hand. He pulled her up, and studied her for a moment.
"So, now that the nasty is gone, what do you want to do, luv?"
"For starters, I want you to STOP calling me love! I'm not your love!" She dusted her pants off, and turned to walk out of the room. They had explored everything up here, so what that left was the main floor. And possibly a basement, she added in her head as an after thought.
Spike chuckled as she walked away, then bent down to pick up two swords. No way was he going to go in unprepared if it happened again. He picked up her scent after she left the upstairs, and quickly found her going through a large empty room on the main floor.
The room appeared to have at one time been a living room, but now, it was nothing. Buffy sensed the moment he came into the room, though he was silent, and held no light source. She could feel him, which unnerved her without her slayer sense to alert her. It meant she knew him, and could feel him, as a human would sense another human.
Shivering at the thought of knowing him on what seemed an intimate level, Buffy moved through the room, ignoring his presence. Spike moved into the room, and leaned against the wall, watching her. The swords both dangled from one hand at his side, and the other was fumbling for a cigarette.
Buffy was satisfied there was nothing in this room, and moved towards another open door on the opposite end of the room. She went quickly through it, not waiting to see if Spike followed or not. It was when she was alone in the room that she heard something that sounded deep, guttural.
It echoed through the large empty house, beating down like an exotic rain dance would pound on the earth. Spike stopped, and cocked his head to the side. Frowning, he ran for Buffy, the unlit cigarette lying on the ground. He held a sword up in both hands, and dove for Buffy when he saw her.
She screamed and dropped the oil lamp, which thankfully extinguished itself, rather then igniting all the spilled oil. Spike lay on top of Buffy for a moment, and the sound was all but forgotten. He breathed in her scent, smelled the blood on her, and he was filled with a longing he hadn't felt in years.
The sound got louder suddenly, and Spike recalled just where he was. A large blade came swinging from the wall, dipping lower and lower as it swung out. Gritting his teeth, Spike pulled Buffy with him back out of the room. The swords were laying in the open door.
Inching his hand forward, spike grabbed them just as another blade came down, slamming the room shut, like a doorway. Buffy sat up in the safe room, breathing hard. She couldn't see anything, and she was freaking out.
"Spike, what the HELL was that?!" She tried to look around for him, but saw nothing.
"It was a gauntlet, love. Nothing to fear, we survived it. That room, however, is no longer an option. We should try to find another oil lamp, though, so you can see where we are going."
*************************************
Tavers grumbled, and glared at the screen. He had hoped to have them, or at least one, stuck in the blade room. Now, he needed to unleash another evil. He really hated this part of the job at times. Now, however, wasn't one of those times.
*************************************
Spike slowly led Buffy through a maze of other rooms, and they came to what must have been the kitchen. In it, they found 2 more oil lamps, and several candles. Along one wall, was a large fireplace, which was used for cooking many years ago. With wood still in it, Spike lit the fire up, shedding a fair amount of light on the room.
"Burning my weapons again, Spike?"
Smirking, Spike answered with, "You know it, pet."
Buffy found a rickety old chair, and sat down. After the gauntlet, she was shaken, and hated feeling so helpless. She also hated that for some reason, she was relying on Spike. That was very unsettling for her.
Brushing her hair back from her face, Buffy took a few deep breaths, and stood back up. Spike had lit both oil lamps, and he handed one to Buffy now, while keeping the other for himself.
"Ready to move on, pet?" Spike watched her. He knew she was freaking out, and that wouldn't do them any good if anything more were to come from this house of horrors. "Slayer. Buffy, love. Take a deep breath, and calm down. I can hear the blood rushing through you at the speed of light. You won't do either of us any good if you freak out now."
Spike's words were tossed out carelessly, and had the desired effect. She was pissed now. "What the hell do you care if I'm any good to you? All you want to do is fillet me! Hell, I'm surprised you haven't killed me yet. Must be getting awfully hungry. We've been here for hours!" She glared at him, and then stomped out of the room.
Smirking, Spike followed along. "I am getting hungry, but I would prefer that you beg me to eat off your delectable skin. Don't worry, before we leave here, you'll let me eat." He nearly laughed at the loud howl she gave off as she stomped down the hall.
*************************************
Tavers listened to the exchange with some interest. This could work out to his benefit. What if the slayer did indeed allow this beast to feed from her? He could yet full fill the ancient prophesy he had been trying for 20 years to full fill.
Could she be the one it would happen with?
Spike held his hand out, and after studying it for a moment, she reached out to take the hand. He pulled her up, and studied her for a moment.
"So, now that the nasty is gone, what do you want to do, luv?"
"For starters, I want you to STOP calling me love! I'm not your love!" She dusted her pants off, and turned to walk out of the room. They had explored everything up here, so what that left was the main floor. And possibly a basement, she added in her head as an after thought.
Spike chuckled as she walked away, then bent down to pick up two swords. No way was he going to go in unprepared if it happened again. He picked up her scent after she left the upstairs, and quickly found her going through a large empty room on the main floor.
The room appeared to have at one time been a living room, but now, it was nothing. Buffy sensed the moment he came into the room, though he was silent, and held no light source. She could feel him, which unnerved her without her slayer sense to alert her. It meant she knew him, and could feel him, as a human would sense another human.
Shivering at the thought of knowing him on what seemed an intimate level, Buffy moved through the room, ignoring his presence. Spike moved into the room, and leaned against the wall, watching her. The swords both dangled from one hand at his side, and the other was fumbling for a cigarette.
Buffy was satisfied there was nothing in this room, and moved towards another open door on the opposite end of the room. She went quickly through it, not waiting to see if Spike followed or not. It was when she was alone in the room that she heard something that sounded deep, guttural.
It echoed through the large empty house, beating down like an exotic rain dance would pound on the earth. Spike stopped, and cocked his head to the side. Frowning, he ran for Buffy, the unlit cigarette lying on the ground. He held a sword up in both hands, and dove for Buffy when he saw her.
She screamed and dropped the oil lamp, which thankfully extinguished itself, rather then igniting all the spilled oil. Spike lay on top of Buffy for a moment, and the sound was all but forgotten. He breathed in her scent, smelled the blood on her, and he was filled with a longing he hadn't felt in years.
The sound got louder suddenly, and Spike recalled just where he was. A large blade came swinging from the wall, dipping lower and lower as it swung out. Gritting his teeth, Spike pulled Buffy with him back out of the room. The swords were laying in the open door.
Inching his hand forward, spike grabbed them just as another blade came down, slamming the room shut, like a doorway. Buffy sat up in the safe room, breathing hard. She couldn't see anything, and she was freaking out.
"Spike, what the HELL was that?!" She tried to look around for him, but saw nothing.
"It was a gauntlet, love. Nothing to fear, we survived it. That room, however, is no longer an option. We should try to find another oil lamp, though, so you can see where we are going."
*************************************
Tavers grumbled, and glared at the screen. He had hoped to have them, or at least one, stuck in the blade room. Now, he needed to unleash another evil. He really hated this part of the job at times. Now, however, wasn't one of those times.
*************************************
Spike slowly led Buffy through a maze of other rooms, and they came to what must have been the kitchen. In it, they found 2 more oil lamps, and several candles. Along one wall, was a large fireplace, which was used for cooking many years ago. With wood still in it, Spike lit the fire up, shedding a fair amount of light on the room.
"Burning my weapons again, Spike?"
Smirking, Spike answered with, "You know it, pet."
Buffy found a rickety old chair, and sat down. After the gauntlet, she was shaken, and hated feeling so helpless. She also hated that for some reason, she was relying on Spike. That was very unsettling for her.
Brushing her hair back from her face, Buffy took a few deep breaths, and stood back up. Spike had lit both oil lamps, and he handed one to Buffy now, while keeping the other for himself.
"Ready to move on, pet?" Spike watched her. He knew she was freaking out, and that wouldn't do them any good if anything more were to come from this house of horrors. "Slayer. Buffy, love. Take a deep breath, and calm down. I can hear the blood rushing through you at the speed of light. You won't do either of us any good if you freak out now."
Spike's words were tossed out carelessly, and had the desired effect. She was pissed now. "What the hell do you care if I'm any good to you? All you want to do is fillet me! Hell, I'm surprised you haven't killed me yet. Must be getting awfully hungry. We've been here for hours!" She glared at him, and then stomped out of the room.
Smirking, Spike followed along. "I am getting hungry, but I would prefer that you beg me to eat off your delectable skin. Don't worry, before we leave here, you'll let me eat." He nearly laughed at the loud howl she gave off as she stomped down the hall.
*************************************
Tavers listened to the exchange with some interest. This could work out to his benefit. What if the slayer did indeed allow this beast to feed from her? He could yet full fill the ancient prophesy he had been trying for 20 years to full fill.
Could she be the one it would happen with?