A/N: Well, gracias to those who reviewed before, and I hope I answered some
of your questions and responded to some comments in the story. I love
Spike.
Disclaimer: Don't sue me.
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The meeting had ended over an hour ago, and Dawn and Denokas were no where to be found. Legolas had gone out looking in one direction, and Spike and Buffy had gone out to another. Both silently seemed to understand that even though they were in a dimly lit alley, where no vampires could attack, and no one was watching them...they would have no physical contact until Dawn was found. The tension was definitely building to the point of exhaustion.
"And, Sir Giles, in your home, you have many a pubs as we do?"
"In England, there are pubs of every shape and size on every corner. More so when I was young."
"Ah well, then we will drink to...to pubs!" Gimli raised his glass. "Cheers!"
"To drinking!" Giles laughed half-drunkenly.
Willow, Aragorn, and Arwen sat in a booth watching. He was obviously used to seeing men drink happily, even in the gravest of times. The petite women sat, Arwen sipping her water without much content, Willow trying to decipher Giles' words. She had only seen him drunk once before, and found it quite distasteful on his part when he was.
"So, where did you two meet?"
"We met in Rivendell. Aragorn was raised almost as my father's son, for protection. His real father was named Arathorn, though he got quite used to saying his father was Elrond."
"So he was like your brother?" Willow asked, cocking her head to one side rather rudely.
The pair looked at each other as if they had never contemplated or considered this view before.
"Not.not really, no. We never thought of it that way." Arwen said, with a hint of surprise in her voice. Arwen slipped her arm through Aragorn's bent arm resting on the crooked table, and leaned her head onto his shoulder.
"I am afraid to know why our friends have not returned. Legolas has great tracking abilities, and it seems that Lady Buffy would find her sister at any lengths. May I propose that you two head up into the rooms that have been prepared, and I will get Sir Giles and Gimli upstairs as soon as I can? Then I shall go out and look for Lady Dawn and Denokas."
"You may have to carry them." Willow sighed, pointing at the laughing Giles and Gimli.
Aragorn laughed. "That I may. But, rest well tonight, sweet ladies, for tonight may be the last night you get to sleep in a real bed."
Willow and Arwen gathered their cloaks and headed up the stairs at the back of the tavern. They walked slowly up the creaking stairs, with Arwen answering Willow's question about how Rivendell looked. They came to a large hallway, and Arwen went into one room, and Willow into another. Arwen and Aragorn would sleep in one room, Willow, Buffy, and Dawn in another. Giles and Spike would have to uncomfortably share a room, and Gimli would have to awake to the staring eyes of his two elven friends.
"Dawnie!" Buffy had found an old pub, and asked the bartender if he had seen two teenagers. He said that yes, he had sent them into the back. Buffy and Spike ran around to the back door, and Spike used his big boots to get the door down. Buffy could've easily done it in one swift kick, but it gave him satisfaction knowing he was the big macho man. There was only one light, coming from a dim spiral staircase.
"Whoa, didn't notice how much night vision actually helped, till now, luv." Spike peered around the room, but could still only see the staircase. "Well, I guess we're going up, then, pet?"
Buffy was practically at the top of the stairs by the time Spike had walked over to them. His boots and her fighting stance at the top of the stairs announced their approach, and didn't make for much of a stealthy attack.
"Buffy!"
"Dawnie? Denokas? Wait...you two are, like, on a date?"
"Yeah, we found this cute little restaurant. Isn't it nice?"
The short server cowered in fear of the intruders, and Spike found it quite amusing. Buffy went over to see what the two unharmed teenagers were eating, and Spike gave the waiter intimidating looks.
"Boo."
"Ach!" The waiter ran back into the kitchen, knocking over what was apparently the only cook. Spike found great joy in scaring people here, not many were afraid of him now at home, with his...'disabilities', as Anya called them. "Well, Anya is scared of rabbits, so I don't think she should tease me...much." Spike thought.
"Well, Dawnie, we have to go. Everyone is looking for you, so we have to tell them you're all right. And, Aragorn tells me, we have a long ride ahead of us tomorrow, so we have to get our z's in."
"All right." Dawn reluctantly answered. Buffy noticed, as the pair got up from the scruffy looking booth, that they were holding hands.
"That would almost be cute, if she wasn't my sister." Buffy thought to herself, but decided against saying anything out loud. Denokas noticed the waiter peering out into the room, looking around for Spike, who had gone onto the stairs to light a cigarette. Denokas waved the small coins at him, and placed them on the table, where he could see that they were paying, and the server shakily nodded. Dawn and Denokas followed Spike down the stairs, and Buffy saw the small waiter scramble out of the kitchen, grab the money, and run back in. Buffy laughed to herself at anyone being that scared of Spike.
When they were out in the alley, Spike threw down his cigarette, and put his arm around Buffy. She put her arms across her chest, and cuddled into him. He drew her closer, and, noticing she was cold, gave her his duster. "I know, true Angel action, right? Well, don't say it." Spike added, putting his arm back around her.
Buffy laughed. "Even if you tried, you could be nothing like Angel."
Spike stopped and looked down at her. He knew Angel meant the world to her, and if he was nothing like him... "What does that mean?"
"You're too manly. Angel was...not dangerous at all. He was defanged." Buffy said, appealing to Spike's ego. She saw him walk taller, and tighten his grip around her. She rested her head on his side, as the petite slayer wasn't quite tall enough to rest comfortably on his shoulder when he was walking so proudly.
Dawn and Denokas walked ahead of them, silhouettes against the moonlight. Buffy thought, "Kodak moment." Spike thought, "Gag me." He couldn't be getting all sappy now that Buffy thought he was more dangerous than Angel. "Ha," he thought, "The poof."
In five or so minutes, they had gotten back to the pub, and at the top of the stairs, Denokas kissed Dawn goodnight. It was the most awkward, awful...yet painfully cute kiss Buffy had ever seen. Spike laid down on the couch in the wide hallway, after refusing to even go into the same room with Giles, much less share one with drunk Giles. Buffy lay next to him, and they both fell asleep peacefully.
Disclaimer: Don't sue me.
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The meeting had ended over an hour ago, and Dawn and Denokas were no where to be found. Legolas had gone out looking in one direction, and Spike and Buffy had gone out to another. Both silently seemed to understand that even though they were in a dimly lit alley, where no vampires could attack, and no one was watching them...they would have no physical contact until Dawn was found. The tension was definitely building to the point of exhaustion.
"And, Sir Giles, in your home, you have many a pubs as we do?"
"In England, there are pubs of every shape and size on every corner. More so when I was young."
"Ah well, then we will drink to...to pubs!" Gimli raised his glass. "Cheers!"
"To drinking!" Giles laughed half-drunkenly.
Willow, Aragorn, and Arwen sat in a booth watching. He was obviously used to seeing men drink happily, even in the gravest of times. The petite women sat, Arwen sipping her water without much content, Willow trying to decipher Giles' words. She had only seen him drunk once before, and found it quite distasteful on his part when he was.
"So, where did you two meet?"
"We met in Rivendell. Aragorn was raised almost as my father's son, for protection. His real father was named Arathorn, though he got quite used to saying his father was Elrond."
"So he was like your brother?" Willow asked, cocking her head to one side rather rudely.
The pair looked at each other as if they had never contemplated or considered this view before.
"Not.not really, no. We never thought of it that way." Arwen said, with a hint of surprise in her voice. Arwen slipped her arm through Aragorn's bent arm resting on the crooked table, and leaned her head onto his shoulder.
"I am afraid to know why our friends have not returned. Legolas has great tracking abilities, and it seems that Lady Buffy would find her sister at any lengths. May I propose that you two head up into the rooms that have been prepared, and I will get Sir Giles and Gimli upstairs as soon as I can? Then I shall go out and look for Lady Dawn and Denokas."
"You may have to carry them." Willow sighed, pointing at the laughing Giles and Gimli.
Aragorn laughed. "That I may. But, rest well tonight, sweet ladies, for tonight may be the last night you get to sleep in a real bed."
Willow and Arwen gathered their cloaks and headed up the stairs at the back of the tavern. They walked slowly up the creaking stairs, with Arwen answering Willow's question about how Rivendell looked. They came to a large hallway, and Arwen went into one room, and Willow into another. Arwen and Aragorn would sleep in one room, Willow, Buffy, and Dawn in another. Giles and Spike would have to uncomfortably share a room, and Gimli would have to awake to the staring eyes of his two elven friends.
"Dawnie!" Buffy had found an old pub, and asked the bartender if he had seen two teenagers. He said that yes, he had sent them into the back. Buffy and Spike ran around to the back door, and Spike used his big boots to get the door down. Buffy could've easily done it in one swift kick, but it gave him satisfaction knowing he was the big macho man. There was only one light, coming from a dim spiral staircase.
"Whoa, didn't notice how much night vision actually helped, till now, luv." Spike peered around the room, but could still only see the staircase. "Well, I guess we're going up, then, pet?"
Buffy was practically at the top of the stairs by the time Spike had walked over to them. His boots and her fighting stance at the top of the stairs announced their approach, and didn't make for much of a stealthy attack.
"Buffy!"
"Dawnie? Denokas? Wait...you two are, like, on a date?"
"Yeah, we found this cute little restaurant. Isn't it nice?"
The short server cowered in fear of the intruders, and Spike found it quite amusing. Buffy went over to see what the two unharmed teenagers were eating, and Spike gave the waiter intimidating looks.
"Boo."
"Ach!" The waiter ran back into the kitchen, knocking over what was apparently the only cook. Spike found great joy in scaring people here, not many were afraid of him now at home, with his...'disabilities', as Anya called them. "Well, Anya is scared of rabbits, so I don't think she should tease me...much." Spike thought.
"Well, Dawnie, we have to go. Everyone is looking for you, so we have to tell them you're all right. And, Aragorn tells me, we have a long ride ahead of us tomorrow, so we have to get our z's in."
"All right." Dawn reluctantly answered. Buffy noticed, as the pair got up from the scruffy looking booth, that they were holding hands.
"That would almost be cute, if she wasn't my sister." Buffy thought to herself, but decided against saying anything out loud. Denokas noticed the waiter peering out into the room, looking around for Spike, who had gone onto the stairs to light a cigarette. Denokas waved the small coins at him, and placed them on the table, where he could see that they were paying, and the server shakily nodded. Dawn and Denokas followed Spike down the stairs, and Buffy saw the small waiter scramble out of the kitchen, grab the money, and run back in. Buffy laughed to herself at anyone being that scared of Spike.
When they were out in the alley, Spike threw down his cigarette, and put his arm around Buffy. She put her arms across her chest, and cuddled into him. He drew her closer, and, noticing she was cold, gave her his duster. "I know, true Angel action, right? Well, don't say it." Spike added, putting his arm back around her.
Buffy laughed. "Even if you tried, you could be nothing like Angel."
Spike stopped and looked down at her. He knew Angel meant the world to her, and if he was nothing like him... "What does that mean?"
"You're too manly. Angel was...not dangerous at all. He was defanged." Buffy said, appealing to Spike's ego. She saw him walk taller, and tighten his grip around her. She rested her head on his side, as the petite slayer wasn't quite tall enough to rest comfortably on his shoulder when he was walking so proudly.
Dawn and Denokas walked ahead of them, silhouettes against the moonlight. Buffy thought, "Kodak moment." Spike thought, "Gag me." He couldn't be getting all sappy now that Buffy thought he was more dangerous than Angel. "Ha," he thought, "The poof."
In five or so minutes, they had gotten back to the pub, and at the top of the stairs, Denokas kissed Dawn goodnight. It was the most awkward, awful...yet painfully cute kiss Buffy had ever seen. Spike laid down on the couch in the wide hallway, after refusing to even go into the same room with Giles, much less share one with drunk Giles. Buffy lay next to him, and they both fell asleep peacefully.