Comment: I
finally made this chapter fun. You'll see some, ahem,
attraction starting to build between two certain people of the
fellowship. No, this isn't a SLASH chapter, you sick people. But I
suppose things could get a little heated, so be prepared for some Buffy
action in the next couple of chapters. Review for now, tootles. ;)
Xander- 'Well, how about this? We whip out the ouija board, light a few candles, summon some ancient, unstoppable evil. Mayhem, mayhem, mayhem.'
Chapter eleven
Buffy kept bumping into people until she finally felt Legolas' strong hands grab onto her rather wet shirt, holding her smaller body closer to him. Sighing with relief, Buffy leaned back into him and waited with a held breath as Gandalf lit his staff to make the tomb, cave, mine whatever it was, more clearer to the other eyes around them. Buffy saw the dead bodies clearly now, either with an arrow through their heads or their skin still decomposing or flapping over one another.
She turned away, totally grossed out.
"So this is it then," Buffy heard Gimli, who she guessed was beside her, say. "We're going through the Mines after all."
"We have but one choice, Gimli, and that is to travel through the cold darkness of the Mines." Gandalf replied solemnly, walking forwards with his staff raised in the air. "We must use little light, for there are more fouler things than Orcs in the dark pits of Moria."
"That's encouraging." Buffy said miserably, following Legolas up the steps and towards Gandalf.
---
Who knew a four day journey would end up with Buffy's legs hurting like hell. They did not even stop once, and Gandalf kept muttering to himself as if they were lost. That didn't surprise Buffy, who knew what went on in that pointy hat of his. Trying to control the anger boiling up in her body, Buffy began to count deep breaths until she reached a high enough number. There, she controlled her anger and let Legolas lead her through the darkness. Gandalf's staff only lit the path he ought to see, and Buffy's eyes still wouldn't adjust to the darkness.
"Ow!" Pippin exclaimed, his voice echoing off the mine walls.
"Sorry, Pippin!" Merry hissed back.
"Watch where you're walking!" Sam suddenly snapped, falling into Buffy, which ended up with Buffy bumping into Legolas. "Sorry ma'am!"
Buffy glared at the Hobbits. "You're purposely making my peeing situation very difficult, aren't you?"
"You aren't the only one who has to use the… er, bathroom." Merry said defensively.
Buffy rolled her eyes and tugged at her sweaty hand, letting it fall limply out from Legolas' hand. Didn't Gandalf say Moria was going to be cold? She asked herself, quietly noting the dripping water and the air blowing out from her mouth she spoke or exhaled. And I'm hot as hell! But still, it was better than being in that cold water, almost getting swallow whole by a mutated octopus with really bad manners. Still, she didn't find the Mines as bad as she thought, because Legolas was here and he was almost as uncomfortable as she was. She grabbed onto his hand again and allowed him to lead her to her path, occasionally holding onto one of the Hobbit's hands in case they were un balanced.
They traveled a few more hours and to Buffy's relief, Gandalf halted them to a stop.
He studied their surroundings for a moment. Three different stair wells, and yet one they needed to climb down.
"I have no memory of this place." Gandalf stated simply and everyone flopped down on their bums.
Buffy sprawled down on a clearing besides Frodo and Sam, letting her legs rest out in front of her. Frodo nudged away from her, but she couldn't think of anything else that felt more better than this, but that was when Legolas approached her and held out his hand.
"What?" She sighed, not really wanting to get up.
"Did you not say you had to use the bathroom?" He asked with a smile. "Come. I will find you a place suitable."
Buffy leapt to her feet and grabbed Legolas' hand eagerly, hearing Merry call out, "Come back for me too!"
"Thanks, y'know, but I could find a place to go for myself." Buffy said uneasily.
"I know." Was his reply, and Buffy fell quiet.
When Legolas found it safe for her to go, he turned his back to her and gestured to a corner near the cliff. Blushing furiously, Buffy tried to control the odd feeling of peeing in front of an Elf, but she quickly obliged and let it out. Legolas waited patiently until she was done, and when he felt her near he whirled around and approached her.
"Whoa, what's wrong?" Buffy asked suddenly, following his eyes down the cliff. Buffy suddenly saw something move down there and she started at it. "Hey, what is that?"
Legolas clenched his hands into fists and growled, "Gollum! The sniveling creature that escaped my home!"
Gollum? Why was that name so familiar to Buffy, and why all of a sudden was she hateful of the thing? She squinted her eyes down the steep cliff and focused on the slow movement of what appeared to be a creature. His body was more bones than skin, and his eyes were round and gray, a large gleam to Buffy from way up in the light. Its body swayed from stone to stone, trying to hide itself in the shadows, but both the Elf and Buffy could see him clearly. She shuddered.
"Why's it here? What does it want?" She asked him, making their way back to camp.
"It wants the Ring, I suppose." Legolas sighed and suddenly stopped. "It had been held captive in my home for a whole week when it had finally escaped the depths of my dungeons. The- the thing, which we called it since we hadn't known of its name, was the Rings first real master. And now it is trailing Frodo's scent. He knows Frodo has the Ring."
"And does he know what's going to happen to it?" Buffy whispered, her eyes trailing back to where Gollum was.
Legolas shook his head sadly. "The Ring corrupted him. He will die trying to get it back… whatever it will take."
Buffy nodded in understanding, her eyes lowering themselves with pity at the creature. Maybe Gollum could not help trying to take the Ring, maybe Saruman was using him as a messenger and that was why the fellowship kept getting attacked by his spies. But why Gollum? Why something that once owned the Ring? And what was up with this Ring in the first place, why was it so damn special? That was one mystery that Gandalf had left her out from, and she shook her head clear of all thoughts, and when she felt him come close she was startled.
"My God, you scared the shit out of me." Buffy breathed, clutching her chest.
Legolas frowned. "I am sorry, I just thought you might want a distraction from all the wicked thoughts in your mind."
"Distraction?" She laughed bitterly. "Like anything's going to distract me from being lost, being a target, being apart of some cult, and the chances of getting killed? Nice try Legolas, but nothing, and I mean nothing, would distract me now-"
Legolas moved in quickly and before Buffy knew it, his lips had captured hers in a tender kiss, leaving Buffy baffled and Legolas shocked. He hadn't even intended on doing so, it just happened! He pulled away quickly, studying the woman's face before capturing her lips again, this time in a more pleasant, welcoming way. And she returned it eagerly, letting her arms wrap around his neck to bring him closer to her, she couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the longing for a kiss since Riley had left. His tongue felt pleasant and moist against her mouth, and it was awhile since she felt this way. So… attracted. She wanted more of him, badly, and the only way was for him to back her into the wall of the mine and press their bodies closer.
She forced herself to ignore the pain from the contact as Legolas' hands began to travel up her blouse and on her belly.
Her leg lifted in response and he leaned closer into her, taking in her scent of sweet autumn pine and… jerky? He shook his head against her mouth and let his hands travel further up her belly until he grasped the smooth flesh of her breast, and Buffy had no choice but to groaned against his mouth. He shuddered and suddenly pulled back by the sudden aroused contact.
Buffy's eyes opened immediately and she made to argue.
"What's wrong?" She whispered.
He shook his head and touched his lips. "Master Merry had requested his use of- of the usage of the, resting area, and well, I do not want to keep him waiting, we should head back." He said without skipping a beat.
Buffy touched her own lips, swollen and parted, while watching Legolas leap away quickly. "Well, thanks for the distraction, it really did help!" She shouted, but she knew he was long gone and let out a shaky sigh.
Buffy returned to the camp a little shaky and upset about the whole thing. She went because she had to pee, not because she was lonely and needed to be aroused by some very full- of- himself Elf. No, that was definitely not on the menu, but why was she angry about it ending? Sighing with frustration, she declined the food offered from Sam and stayed far away from the fellowship as possible, laying in a corner where no one could reach her.
It was better this way.
Legolas watched her rejection and distance from the fellowship. He wanted to go over and speak with her about the kiss, but thought it would be wise if he remained here with Gandalf, letting his mind wander to other things… like Buffy. Still aroused by the extreme closeness to this woman, he grunted in annoyance and excused himself, finding a quiet place to think. Merry approached him then, a stern and determined look on his face.
Legolas looked at him quizzically.
"Where's the rest room?"
Legolas sighed and slapped his hand over his face.
---
Bugs were everywhere, even on her arms and on her bare legs. She squirmed around, thrashing her arms and trying to rid herself of these disgusting, slimy beings. But they were everywhere. She stepped around the swamp, careful not to slip into the oozing water, and when she successfully got rid of them she found herself in the center of the swamp, the water a forest green, and when the water had calmed enough to see the bottom, something had popped out from underneath.
She fell on her ass and she frowned.
"Dead bodies." She whispered, her voice drifting off with the wind. "In the water…"
Most were men, strange golden helmets on their heads and golden brown hair falling out from the metal helms. Their eyes were closed and they had a strange, eerie light around them. She couldn't figure out why there were dead bodies in a swamp, but that was the least of her worries right now, because something touched her from behind and she turned her head slowly around. And she suddenly fell into the water, the dirty substance filling her nose and her mouth.
She tried to surface, but something was holding her down. She forced her eyes opened and she gasped in shock.
"Ma?" She asked quietly, and she was surprised she heard her own voice from underneath the water.
The ghostly figure of her mother nodded and Buffy smiled.
"Where have you been?" Buffy asked. Bubbles formed around Joyce's mouth and Buffy's smile faltered. "What are you doing?"
More bubbles and Buffy grew frustrated. Before Buffy could react, her mother's hand shot out in front of her and grabbed Buffy around her neck. A shiver ran down her body and she looked down to find out that, in fact, she was naked. Buffy gagged and turned to her mother, trying to swap at her Joyce's hands, but they kept slipping through them. Like a ghost.
"S-stop!" Buffy pleaded, her eyes watering up and her vision blurring. "I-I can't breathe m-mom, stop! Mommy! Stop!"
"I'll kill you, like you killed me!" Joyce growled, her voice manly and evil. Buffy gagged and closed her eyes, the image of her mother's dead body in the hospital wing glued in her mind like a nagging pain, earning to get out, but it was there, and Buffy was stuck with the pain and knowledge of killing her mother.
---
Buffy shot forwards with alarm and she looked around wildly. Her heart thudded against her chest and her hands shook with nerves at her lap. How long had she been sleeping? How did she end up sleeping? She wasn't even tired! Confused and feeling the after shock of the nightmare, Buffy stood shakily and leaned against the side of the mines. Her back ached from laying on such hard ground and her head was throbbing where her injury once was.
As she stood, she saw the fellowship still sitting where she left them. Obviously, to think.
Nothing changed. Everything was the same. They hadn't left her, thank goodness, and she let out a sigh of relief.
"Ah, you are up." Boromir said with a smile, climbing up to meet Buffy. "You've been sleeping awhile, Buffy."
Buffy touched her brow lightly, trying to ease the pain there. "How long was awhile?"
"An hour or so," He shrugged, holding out his hand. "Gandalf knows the way, we can now leave this place."
Buffy smiled wearily and took his arm gently, letting him glide her down the rocky cliff and towards the others. They all began to pack up their things and Buffy's eyes caught the scrutiny of Legolas' blue gaze. His eyes were narrowed as he watched her, his eyes quickly darting to Boromir. The reality of what happened came back to her with a hard hit and she turned away quickly.
Why was she embarrassed all of a sudden? Then she thought about something, and turned with a confused expression to Boromir.
"You're acting nice. It's kinda weird."
Boromir seemed momentarily insulted, then smiled crookedly. "I do not know, it might be the change in the weather."
Buffy turned away and looked down at the new set of stair cases, the steps clearer now since Gandalf had risked lighting his staff more brightly. This definitely beat holding onto the Elf and not knowing where she was going. But for some strange reason she was sad without his company, and it made her even more sad knowing that the kiss ended and that she actually enjoyed it. God, why does this always have to happen to me?
Xander- 'Well, how about this? We whip out the ouija board, light a few candles, summon some ancient, unstoppable evil. Mayhem, mayhem, mayhem.'
Chapter eleven
Buffy kept bumping into people until she finally felt Legolas' strong hands grab onto her rather wet shirt, holding her smaller body closer to him. Sighing with relief, Buffy leaned back into him and waited with a held breath as Gandalf lit his staff to make the tomb, cave, mine whatever it was, more clearer to the other eyes around them. Buffy saw the dead bodies clearly now, either with an arrow through their heads or their skin still decomposing or flapping over one another.
She turned away, totally grossed out.
"So this is it then," Buffy heard Gimli, who she guessed was beside her, say. "We're going through the Mines after all."
"We have but one choice, Gimli, and that is to travel through the cold darkness of the Mines." Gandalf replied solemnly, walking forwards with his staff raised in the air. "We must use little light, for there are more fouler things than Orcs in the dark pits of Moria."
"That's encouraging." Buffy said miserably, following Legolas up the steps and towards Gandalf.
---
Who knew a four day journey would end up with Buffy's legs hurting like hell. They did not even stop once, and Gandalf kept muttering to himself as if they were lost. That didn't surprise Buffy, who knew what went on in that pointy hat of his. Trying to control the anger boiling up in her body, Buffy began to count deep breaths until she reached a high enough number. There, she controlled her anger and let Legolas lead her through the darkness. Gandalf's staff only lit the path he ought to see, and Buffy's eyes still wouldn't adjust to the darkness.
"Ow!" Pippin exclaimed, his voice echoing off the mine walls.
"Sorry, Pippin!" Merry hissed back.
"Watch where you're walking!" Sam suddenly snapped, falling into Buffy, which ended up with Buffy bumping into Legolas. "Sorry ma'am!"
Buffy glared at the Hobbits. "You're purposely making my peeing situation very difficult, aren't you?"
"You aren't the only one who has to use the… er, bathroom." Merry said defensively.
Buffy rolled her eyes and tugged at her sweaty hand, letting it fall limply out from Legolas' hand. Didn't Gandalf say Moria was going to be cold? She asked herself, quietly noting the dripping water and the air blowing out from her mouth she spoke or exhaled. And I'm hot as hell! But still, it was better than being in that cold water, almost getting swallow whole by a mutated octopus with really bad manners. Still, she didn't find the Mines as bad as she thought, because Legolas was here and he was almost as uncomfortable as she was. She grabbed onto his hand again and allowed him to lead her to her path, occasionally holding onto one of the Hobbit's hands in case they were un balanced.
They traveled a few more hours and to Buffy's relief, Gandalf halted them to a stop.
He studied their surroundings for a moment. Three different stair wells, and yet one they needed to climb down.
"I have no memory of this place." Gandalf stated simply and everyone flopped down on their bums.
Buffy sprawled down on a clearing besides Frodo and Sam, letting her legs rest out in front of her. Frodo nudged away from her, but she couldn't think of anything else that felt more better than this, but that was when Legolas approached her and held out his hand.
"What?" She sighed, not really wanting to get up.
"Did you not say you had to use the bathroom?" He asked with a smile. "Come. I will find you a place suitable."
Buffy leapt to her feet and grabbed Legolas' hand eagerly, hearing Merry call out, "Come back for me too!"
"Thanks, y'know, but I could find a place to go for myself." Buffy said uneasily.
"I know." Was his reply, and Buffy fell quiet.
When Legolas found it safe for her to go, he turned his back to her and gestured to a corner near the cliff. Blushing furiously, Buffy tried to control the odd feeling of peeing in front of an Elf, but she quickly obliged and let it out. Legolas waited patiently until she was done, and when he felt her near he whirled around and approached her.
"Whoa, what's wrong?" Buffy asked suddenly, following his eyes down the cliff. Buffy suddenly saw something move down there and she started at it. "Hey, what is that?"
Legolas clenched his hands into fists and growled, "Gollum! The sniveling creature that escaped my home!"
Gollum? Why was that name so familiar to Buffy, and why all of a sudden was she hateful of the thing? She squinted her eyes down the steep cliff and focused on the slow movement of what appeared to be a creature. His body was more bones than skin, and his eyes were round and gray, a large gleam to Buffy from way up in the light. Its body swayed from stone to stone, trying to hide itself in the shadows, but both the Elf and Buffy could see him clearly. She shuddered.
"Why's it here? What does it want?" She asked him, making their way back to camp.
"It wants the Ring, I suppose." Legolas sighed and suddenly stopped. "It had been held captive in my home for a whole week when it had finally escaped the depths of my dungeons. The- the thing, which we called it since we hadn't known of its name, was the Rings first real master. And now it is trailing Frodo's scent. He knows Frodo has the Ring."
"And does he know what's going to happen to it?" Buffy whispered, her eyes trailing back to where Gollum was.
Legolas shook his head sadly. "The Ring corrupted him. He will die trying to get it back… whatever it will take."
Buffy nodded in understanding, her eyes lowering themselves with pity at the creature. Maybe Gollum could not help trying to take the Ring, maybe Saruman was using him as a messenger and that was why the fellowship kept getting attacked by his spies. But why Gollum? Why something that once owned the Ring? And what was up with this Ring in the first place, why was it so damn special? That was one mystery that Gandalf had left her out from, and she shook her head clear of all thoughts, and when she felt him come close she was startled.
"My God, you scared the shit out of me." Buffy breathed, clutching her chest.
Legolas frowned. "I am sorry, I just thought you might want a distraction from all the wicked thoughts in your mind."
"Distraction?" She laughed bitterly. "Like anything's going to distract me from being lost, being a target, being apart of some cult, and the chances of getting killed? Nice try Legolas, but nothing, and I mean nothing, would distract me now-"
Legolas moved in quickly and before Buffy knew it, his lips had captured hers in a tender kiss, leaving Buffy baffled and Legolas shocked. He hadn't even intended on doing so, it just happened! He pulled away quickly, studying the woman's face before capturing her lips again, this time in a more pleasant, welcoming way. And she returned it eagerly, letting her arms wrap around his neck to bring him closer to her, she couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the longing for a kiss since Riley had left. His tongue felt pleasant and moist against her mouth, and it was awhile since she felt this way. So… attracted. She wanted more of him, badly, and the only way was for him to back her into the wall of the mine and press their bodies closer.
She forced herself to ignore the pain from the contact as Legolas' hands began to travel up her blouse and on her belly.
Her leg lifted in response and he leaned closer into her, taking in her scent of sweet autumn pine and… jerky? He shook his head against her mouth and let his hands travel further up her belly until he grasped the smooth flesh of her breast, and Buffy had no choice but to groaned against his mouth. He shuddered and suddenly pulled back by the sudden aroused contact.
Buffy's eyes opened immediately and she made to argue.
"What's wrong?" She whispered.
He shook his head and touched his lips. "Master Merry had requested his use of- of the usage of the, resting area, and well, I do not want to keep him waiting, we should head back." He said without skipping a beat.
Buffy touched her own lips, swollen and parted, while watching Legolas leap away quickly. "Well, thanks for the distraction, it really did help!" She shouted, but she knew he was long gone and let out a shaky sigh.
Buffy returned to the camp a little shaky and upset about the whole thing. She went because she had to pee, not because she was lonely and needed to be aroused by some very full- of- himself Elf. No, that was definitely not on the menu, but why was she angry about it ending? Sighing with frustration, she declined the food offered from Sam and stayed far away from the fellowship as possible, laying in a corner where no one could reach her.
It was better this way.
Legolas watched her rejection and distance from the fellowship. He wanted to go over and speak with her about the kiss, but thought it would be wise if he remained here with Gandalf, letting his mind wander to other things… like Buffy. Still aroused by the extreme closeness to this woman, he grunted in annoyance and excused himself, finding a quiet place to think. Merry approached him then, a stern and determined look on his face.
Legolas looked at him quizzically.
"Where's the rest room?"
Legolas sighed and slapped his hand over his face.
---
Bugs were everywhere, even on her arms and on her bare legs. She squirmed around, thrashing her arms and trying to rid herself of these disgusting, slimy beings. But they were everywhere. She stepped around the swamp, careful not to slip into the oozing water, and when she successfully got rid of them she found herself in the center of the swamp, the water a forest green, and when the water had calmed enough to see the bottom, something had popped out from underneath.
She fell on her ass and she frowned.
"Dead bodies." She whispered, her voice drifting off with the wind. "In the water…"
Most were men, strange golden helmets on their heads and golden brown hair falling out from the metal helms. Their eyes were closed and they had a strange, eerie light around them. She couldn't figure out why there were dead bodies in a swamp, but that was the least of her worries right now, because something touched her from behind and she turned her head slowly around. And she suddenly fell into the water, the dirty substance filling her nose and her mouth.
She tried to surface, but something was holding her down. She forced her eyes opened and she gasped in shock.
"Ma?" She asked quietly, and she was surprised she heard her own voice from underneath the water.
The ghostly figure of her mother nodded and Buffy smiled.
"Where have you been?" Buffy asked. Bubbles formed around Joyce's mouth and Buffy's smile faltered. "What are you doing?"
More bubbles and Buffy grew frustrated. Before Buffy could react, her mother's hand shot out in front of her and grabbed Buffy around her neck. A shiver ran down her body and she looked down to find out that, in fact, she was naked. Buffy gagged and turned to her mother, trying to swap at her Joyce's hands, but they kept slipping through them. Like a ghost.
"S-stop!" Buffy pleaded, her eyes watering up and her vision blurring. "I-I can't breathe m-mom, stop! Mommy! Stop!"
"I'll kill you, like you killed me!" Joyce growled, her voice manly and evil. Buffy gagged and closed her eyes, the image of her mother's dead body in the hospital wing glued in her mind like a nagging pain, earning to get out, but it was there, and Buffy was stuck with the pain and knowledge of killing her mother.
---
Buffy shot forwards with alarm and she looked around wildly. Her heart thudded against her chest and her hands shook with nerves at her lap. How long had she been sleeping? How did she end up sleeping? She wasn't even tired! Confused and feeling the after shock of the nightmare, Buffy stood shakily and leaned against the side of the mines. Her back ached from laying on such hard ground and her head was throbbing where her injury once was.
As she stood, she saw the fellowship still sitting where she left them. Obviously, to think.
Nothing changed. Everything was the same. They hadn't left her, thank goodness, and she let out a sigh of relief.
"Ah, you are up." Boromir said with a smile, climbing up to meet Buffy. "You've been sleeping awhile, Buffy."
Buffy touched her brow lightly, trying to ease the pain there. "How long was awhile?"
"An hour or so," He shrugged, holding out his hand. "Gandalf knows the way, we can now leave this place."
Buffy smiled wearily and took his arm gently, letting him glide her down the rocky cliff and towards the others. They all began to pack up their things and Buffy's eyes caught the scrutiny of Legolas' blue gaze. His eyes were narrowed as he watched her, his eyes quickly darting to Boromir. The reality of what happened came back to her with a hard hit and she turned away quickly.
Why was she embarrassed all of a sudden? Then she thought about something, and turned with a confused expression to Boromir.
"You're acting nice. It's kinda weird."
Boromir seemed momentarily insulted, then smiled crookedly. "I do not know, it might be the change in the weather."
Buffy turned away and looked down at the new set of stair cases, the steps clearer now since Gandalf had risked lighting his staff more brightly. This definitely beat holding onto the Elf and not knowing where she was going. But for some strange reason she was sad without his company, and it made her even more sad knowing that the kiss ended and that she actually enjoyed it. God, why does this always have to happen to me?