***Just a forewarning, this chapter is mostly Spike, with only a very
little bit of Spuffy interaction. Also, I want to thank everyone for the
reviews. I appreciate them. (
Chapter 10
Buffy was curled on her side on the mattress in 'her' room. She was half in and out of sleep, drifting slowly towards one, only to bounce closer to the other. Spike was getting worried. His hunger could hold off a day or two more before it started to get bad, but the slayer, she needed water, and food.
He was becoming afraid that they would never get out of here alive, beastie or no beastie. He glanced down at the slayer, and saw that she was finally asleep. While she slept, he went about exploring the house a bit further, hoping to find something to eat, or drink, at least.
The upstairs yielded nothing to him, but on the main floor, he became hopeful that the ancient faucets would work. He quickly made his way towards the dilapidated kitchen, and tried the faucets. Small spurts of brown colored sludge came forth after much protesting, then nothing.
Growling in frustration, Spike paced the small kitchen, stopping every now and again to kick the busted wood of the table and chairs. He saw a small bag on the counter during one of his passes through, and he grabbed at it.
All that came out of it, however, was one cockroach, now dead. He paced back and forth once more, and then he quickly made his way from the room. He found his way back towards the room with the gauntlet, and half wondered if it held a prize of any sort.
Eyes gleaming in anticipation of the task at hand, he opened the door to the dangerous room. The gears had stopped shortly after they had exited the room safely before. Now, however, with the opening of the door again, they were slowly winding up to start.
He looked across the room, and saw another door, and in front of it, a box on a low table. He glanced around at the many obstacles hanging dormant in the room, and took off at a dead run. He only got a few steps before things, blades and stakes mostly, were hurled in front of him, at him, and on him. He dodged most of the weapons, though.
The stakes were the only thing that worried him. He kept his eyes peeled for those as he moved his well-tuned muscular body through the obstacles. His jacket was caught several times, but he caught it back. The shirt covering his chest was ripped in more then one place.
Blood had started to drip in little rivulets down his nearly bared chest, but he ignored it, and watched the box. Spike kept his mind open and free as he dodged, readily anticipating each move before it happened. He was getting closer now, and could feel the gears in the room speeding up.
Just as he started to move forward, a large wooden stake came sailing straight at his heart from the ceiling in front of him. Growling, he dodged it, barely, but the bloody thing had nicked his arm, putting a large tear in his duster.
Growling, he laid low, coming from the floor. His foot stepped precariously, and his hands balanced his body, keeping him from falling to the stray on either side. As he was stepping, he heard a soft ching sound, and felt blinding pain at the dagger that had come up from the floor, and embedded itself into his foot.
***************
Buffy woke with a start, her dreams fading away to give way to the harsh reality of the house. She heard the low rumbling again, and it took her a few minutes to place it.
"Spike? There's that sound. what was that sound?" She asked, but heard no response. Growing worried, Buffy stood up, and looked around. She grabbed the oil lamp off the floor, and started to follow the sound of whirring gears.
***************
Spike thought he could hear blood pumping, a racing heart, but he ignored it as he pulled his foot free from the dagger. Cursing loudly, he gingerly set his aching foot back down, and then saw it. His opening.
Not thinking, he darted forward, the speed of an animal getting him through the rest of the gauntlet quickly. He barely felt anything, even as the many blades nicked at him again, drawing more blood.
Spike stood in the front, looking back towards the door. He was smirking at the room when he noticed a soft glowing light growing brighter as it came towards the room.
"Slayer, no! Stop!" Spike called it out before he even saw her, but he knew that it was she. He could smell her.
Buffy pulled to a stop just beyond the doorway. She looked at the bloodied Spike standing at the other end, and smiled. "You made it!"
Spike nodded, but shook his head as she started to come forward again. "Luv, don't step past that spot. I don't know if the room is triggered to go off again, or not. Let it wind down, and I'll come to you." He turned after the last part, and started to dig through the box.
Inside, there was food in the form of an apple, and for water there was one bottle of water, and one tiny bag of blood. He looked down at it, and drank it quickly, wishing there was more. It was enough to stave off the hunger for now, though.
Buffy watched him, and then looked curiously at the door. "Should you look to see what's behind door number one, Spike?" He glanced behind him, and shook his head.
"Gonna bring you food, first. You need it. And water. You can't go to much longer without the water, especially after all the fighting and sweating." He tucked the apple in one pocket, and the water in the other, and glanced at the gauntlet, as though measuring it up.
"Slayer, move. I don't know if it's gonna kick in or not, and I sure as hell don't need you in the way if it does." She chuckled softly at the 'Hey- listen-to-me-I'm-the-big-bad' tone he used. She stepped out of the way and waited.
He darted through quickly, making certain to stay up on his toes to avoid setting off any triggers that might be hidden in the room. He had a feeling that both the dagger and large stake were triggers, and he had no desire to repeat those treats.
He made it across without setting the stuff off, and as soon as he cleared the doorway, it slammed shut again. With a cocky smirk on his face, he handed Buffy the apple, and water, then sat down on the ground.
"Well, that looked easy. Next time I'm hungry, you gonna go back for me?" Buffy had a twinkle in her eye when she asked, then bit into the apple quickly. She wanted to save the water for as long as possible, and she had learned long ago that the natural juices found in fruit helped with hydrating.
He just groaned and covered his face.
****Hmm. wonder what could be behind the door.
Chapter 10
Buffy was curled on her side on the mattress in 'her' room. She was half in and out of sleep, drifting slowly towards one, only to bounce closer to the other. Spike was getting worried. His hunger could hold off a day or two more before it started to get bad, but the slayer, she needed water, and food.
He was becoming afraid that they would never get out of here alive, beastie or no beastie. He glanced down at the slayer, and saw that she was finally asleep. While she slept, he went about exploring the house a bit further, hoping to find something to eat, or drink, at least.
The upstairs yielded nothing to him, but on the main floor, he became hopeful that the ancient faucets would work. He quickly made his way towards the dilapidated kitchen, and tried the faucets. Small spurts of brown colored sludge came forth after much protesting, then nothing.
Growling in frustration, Spike paced the small kitchen, stopping every now and again to kick the busted wood of the table and chairs. He saw a small bag on the counter during one of his passes through, and he grabbed at it.
All that came out of it, however, was one cockroach, now dead. He paced back and forth once more, and then he quickly made his way from the room. He found his way back towards the room with the gauntlet, and half wondered if it held a prize of any sort.
Eyes gleaming in anticipation of the task at hand, he opened the door to the dangerous room. The gears had stopped shortly after they had exited the room safely before. Now, however, with the opening of the door again, they were slowly winding up to start.
He looked across the room, and saw another door, and in front of it, a box on a low table. He glanced around at the many obstacles hanging dormant in the room, and took off at a dead run. He only got a few steps before things, blades and stakes mostly, were hurled in front of him, at him, and on him. He dodged most of the weapons, though.
The stakes were the only thing that worried him. He kept his eyes peeled for those as he moved his well-tuned muscular body through the obstacles. His jacket was caught several times, but he caught it back. The shirt covering his chest was ripped in more then one place.
Blood had started to drip in little rivulets down his nearly bared chest, but he ignored it, and watched the box. Spike kept his mind open and free as he dodged, readily anticipating each move before it happened. He was getting closer now, and could feel the gears in the room speeding up.
Just as he started to move forward, a large wooden stake came sailing straight at his heart from the ceiling in front of him. Growling, he dodged it, barely, but the bloody thing had nicked his arm, putting a large tear in his duster.
Growling, he laid low, coming from the floor. His foot stepped precariously, and his hands balanced his body, keeping him from falling to the stray on either side. As he was stepping, he heard a soft ching sound, and felt blinding pain at the dagger that had come up from the floor, and embedded itself into his foot.
***************
Buffy woke with a start, her dreams fading away to give way to the harsh reality of the house. She heard the low rumbling again, and it took her a few minutes to place it.
"Spike? There's that sound. what was that sound?" She asked, but heard no response. Growing worried, Buffy stood up, and looked around. She grabbed the oil lamp off the floor, and started to follow the sound of whirring gears.
***************
Spike thought he could hear blood pumping, a racing heart, but he ignored it as he pulled his foot free from the dagger. Cursing loudly, he gingerly set his aching foot back down, and then saw it. His opening.
Not thinking, he darted forward, the speed of an animal getting him through the rest of the gauntlet quickly. He barely felt anything, even as the many blades nicked at him again, drawing more blood.
Spike stood in the front, looking back towards the door. He was smirking at the room when he noticed a soft glowing light growing brighter as it came towards the room.
"Slayer, no! Stop!" Spike called it out before he even saw her, but he knew that it was she. He could smell her.
Buffy pulled to a stop just beyond the doorway. She looked at the bloodied Spike standing at the other end, and smiled. "You made it!"
Spike nodded, but shook his head as she started to come forward again. "Luv, don't step past that spot. I don't know if the room is triggered to go off again, or not. Let it wind down, and I'll come to you." He turned after the last part, and started to dig through the box.
Inside, there was food in the form of an apple, and for water there was one bottle of water, and one tiny bag of blood. He looked down at it, and drank it quickly, wishing there was more. It was enough to stave off the hunger for now, though.
Buffy watched him, and then looked curiously at the door. "Should you look to see what's behind door number one, Spike?" He glanced behind him, and shook his head.
"Gonna bring you food, first. You need it. And water. You can't go to much longer without the water, especially after all the fighting and sweating." He tucked the apple in one pocket, and the water in the other, and glanced at the gauntlet, as though measuring it up.
"Slayer, move. I don't know if it's gonna kick in or not, and I sure as hell don't need you in the way if it does." She chuckled softly at the 'Hey- listen-to-me-I'm-the-big-bad' tone he used. She stepped out of the way and waited.
He darted through quickly, making certain to stay up on his toes to avoid setting off any triggers that might be hidden in the room. He had a feeling that both the dagger and large stake were triggers, and he had no desire to repeat those treats.
He made it across without setting the stuff off, and as soon as he cleared the doorway, it slammed shut again. With a cocky smirk on his face, he handed Buffy the apple, and water, then sat down on the ground.
"Well, that looked easy. Next time I'm hungry, you gonna go back for me?" Buffy had a twinkle in her eye when she asked, then bit into the apple quickly. She wanted to save the water for as long as possible, and she had learned long ago that the natural juices found in fruit helped with hydrating.
He just groaned and covered his face.
****Hmm. wonder what could be behind the door.