Title: Miles to Go

By: Ring Red

Disclaimer: I own NOTHING! (pout)

Rating: R

Note: Well, it's been forever, but I'm finally back! I had a bad spot and I'm not going to even go into explaining, but I do apologize for the wait. I thank everyone who reviewed my last chapters because they meant a lot to me and urged me to keep going with the story. So, I finally finished a few more chapters. I am posting one now and hopefully one more tonight when I get home from work. I hope you enjoy! Please let me know if you do, or if you have any questions.

Chapter Nineteen

The great river turned and the light of Lorien completely disappeared. The companions had to fight tears at the loss. The sisters, sharing one boat, looked sadly over their friends.

"I have looked the last upon that which was fairest," they heard Gimli tell Legolas gruffly from the next boat. "Henceforward I will call nothing fair, unless it be her gift."

Buffy couldn't help but grin. Gimli's unfailing devotion for Galadriel had always tickled her. Even the gruffest and toughest couldn't escape love. Her grin faded at that thought. She certainly fell hard every time, didn't she? Was she really doing this again? What the hell would she do when...

The slayer jerked. A firm surge of warmth and reassurance filled her heart. She smirked and fought the urge to look over to the next boat. 'I get the point, Pest.' She thought.

"You okay, Buffy?" Willow asked quietly from behind the slayer.

Buffy frowned. "Yeah, why?"

Dawn snorted. "Because you're leaving Mystery Elf aka The Elven Research Project behind in Lorien. We know you're being all strong for the fellowship, but that has to suck."

Oh right. Willow and Dawn still didn't know who the Mystery Elf was. Buffy had no idea how she'd kept it a secret. She'd never managed to hide her identity as the slayer this well. Maybe she was getting better at the covert thing with age. Or maybe Lothlorien was just big and her sisters had better things to do than follow her around all the time. Buffy had the sinking feeling that it wouldn't be that easy to hide from now on.

"Uh...yeah. It sucks, but you know me. I'm hanging in there." A ripple of amusement came through the soul bond and Buffy sent a wave of irritation back. Then a grin curved her lips. "I will miss some of the Elves though...especially Haldir." That earned her a spike of jealousy and her grin grew. She'd warned him about eavesdroppers.

Willow frowned. "Well, you might see Haldir again in Helms Deep, though I hope we follow the book in that one instead." The witch's mind was already occupied with what she would do if he did show up. Could she let him die? She didn't think so. She doubted any of them could. Haldir was a friend now, just like Boromir, and Willow'd already decided that Steward's Son wasn't going to fall.

The other sisters had similar thoughts. They shared a glance. Buffy nodded. "We'll deal with it, Wills."

"We don't have long on the Boromir front." Dawn lowered her voice to a whisper. "It's close now, right?" She looked up ahead at the man of Gondor's boat. He'd become increasingly quiet and broody since they left the Golden Wood and Dawn knew it would only get worse. Even Merry and Pippin, who shared his boat, were sending him worried glances. "It has him."

Buffy nodded.

"We'll talk about this later." Willow noticed how close Legolas and Gimli were. It wouldn't do for the wrong ears to overhear their conversation.

They spent the rest of that day and the next several in silence for the most part. The fellowship traveled from early morning to late evening down the river without stopping. They ate, told stories, and slept for the few hours of night left. Then they started out again bright and early. It was a grueling but necessary pace. Willow and Dawn began to play 'I spy' at some point. Buffy and Legolas sent random emotions through the soul bond trying to catch each other off guard and work on their control. Gimli moaned about his broken heart before finally joining Willow and Dawn in 'that strange sight game' they went on about. Aragorn and Boromir's boats were further up ahead, but Buffy was sure they also found some way or another to pass the time. Anything to fight away the boredom of nothing but rowing.

Buffy frowned. She wasn't sure when she noticed it, but there was definitely an underlying curiosity in her mate now. He had heard more than he needed to of the sisters' conversations. He began to understand that the sisters knew things - things that they shouldn't know. Buffy longed to just tell him - to share this burden as she now shared everything else with him - but she was also afraid. She couldn't chance screwing things up. Maybe later.

Another night came and the companions rowed to the side and began to set up camp. Buffy stood at the water's edge and stared out into the river.

"Do you see our little footpad?" Aragorn asked curiously as he walked up to join her.

The slayer didn't pretend to misunderstand. She shook her head. "He followed us earlier on a log, but I'm not sure where he's hiding now. He's close though. My spidey senses are tingling."

"It's true then?" Frodo stepped out of the shadows beside them. "Gollum still follows us?"

Buffy nodded. "He's playing his part, Frodo - just like we are."

Aragorn gave her a searching look. Buffy shrugged and turned to walk back and join the others. She had no more answers for the future king then she'd had for Gandalf. At least he didn't yet know to ask.

"A story!" Pippin bounced up and down enthusiastically. "Tell us another story, sisters!"

"Aye!" Merry agreed. "What was your next adventure?"

Dawn frowned. "We finished with Cordy almost losing her head, right?"

Willow shot Buffy a mock-pout. "Why did we have to stop that again?" Buffy choked. Dawn reached over to whap her redheaded sister. Then all three women burst into giggles as memories of Queen Bitch Cordelia floated through their minds.

"Oh!" Dawn squealed. "That puts us to Spike! You guys get to hear about Spike!"

Sam frowned. "What about a spike?"

"What kind of spike?" Pippin questioned.

Slipping into storytelling mode, Buffy sat down beside the fire to face them. She leaned forward with wide surprised eyes. "You mean you've never heard of Spike?"

The three hobbits all shook their heads and said no.

Playing along, Dawn frowned. "But how can that be? We're talking about The Big Bad here. You have to have heard of Spike!"

The hobbits shook their heads again.

Willow smirked at Buffy. "More like The Little Naughty."

Buffy reached over to poke her witch sister before shaking her head sadly. "Everyone's heard of Spike, guys. Where have you been living? The Shire is obviously out of the loop." Her two sisters nodded their agreement. Buffy heaved a sigh. "Well, I guess we'll have to fill you in."

Dawn smirked. "It's our duty."

Willow just grinned as she saw Gimli come jogging up to the fire from whatever he'd been doing out in the dark. The dwarf frowned at the sisters and the hobbits. "What'd I miss?"

"Spike." The three hobbits answered together.

A giggle escaped Dawn's throat. "We're just starting, Gim. You haven't missed anything yet."

"Wait for me!" Frodo smiled and hurried over to join them. Listening to the sisters' tales allowed the ringbearer to push away his own increasing worries for a while. These sessions were a savored treat.

Aragorn and Legolas moved closer to the group as well but stayed back in the shadows. The future king split his attention between the story and keeping watch. Legolas wanted enough distance to observe his mate without alerting her sisters to his interest.

And Boromir sat alone. He opened his ears to the distraction of the tales, but kept his tortured eyes turned to the darkness.

"Well, it all started when a new vampire came to town." Buffy told them dramatically. "His name was William the Bloody, but I always knew him as Spike." She pursed her lips and leaned back as she got into her tale. "Now Spike was an interesting character even for a vampire. In fact, he got his nickname from torturing his victims with railroad spikes."

"What's a railroad spike?" Merry asked eagerly.

"The railroad was a form of transportation back on our world. Railroad spikes were big metal spikes they used to hold the railroads together." Willow explained as simply as she could. The companions probably didn't truly understand, but they got the big metal spike part so they nodded anyway.

"He was also known for killing two slayers." Buffy continued. "And he was all set to make me number three."

The hobbits gasped. Gimli chuckled at their reaction. The sisters fought to remain serious. They gave solemn nods to their little friends.

Buffy nodded for Dawn to pick up the tale.

Dawn pulled on her most devious grin and leaned forward. "Spike was bad. He'd always been bad...and he liked it."

Willow clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle an escaping giggle. She covered the sound with a loud hacking cough. The hobbits frowned at her concerned. Dawn was very put out. Buffy just smirked. Willow shrugged. "Sorry. Something got caught in my throat." She smiled sweetly at Dawn. "Carry on."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Anyway, where was I?"

"This nasty fellow liked being bad." Pippin supplied.

"Right." The youngest sister nodded. "He did. You could almost say Spike made being bad into an art form. He didn't even follow the vampire rules. Vampires, as a rule, avoided the slayers. Spike sought them out. Vampires stuck to tradition and rituals. Spike would run you over with a car - or cart to you guys - if it would get you out of the way." Now Buffy turned away to fight a laugh. Dawn reached over to whap her, but continued on anyway. "He was the first serious threat Buffy'd come across since killing the Master. He could have been the one to finish her off for good. Spike had arrived and the Hellmouth would never be the same."

Willow nodded as she took her turn. "But Buffy faced another fate even more terrifying than fighting Spike to the death." She shivered and looked from face to face with fear-filled eyes. "It was horrible...it was inevitable...it was..."

The three sisters all grinned. "Parent Teacher Night."

"And then he lifted the two by four above his head." Buffy's voice shook for effect. "I stared up at him helpless. He smirked and then..."

"BAM!" Dawn jumped in. "Spike goes flying across the hallway onto his bloody British bum. Mom steps up in front of Buffy holding an ax and says 'Get the hell away from my daughter!'"

The hobbits cheered while the other companions chuckled.

Willow grinned. "And Spike tucked his tail between his legs and ran away. Spike THOUGHT he was bad, but he didn't even know true fear until he stared down Mrs. Summers across that hallway."

Buffy and Dawn shared a sad smile and nodded. "Never mess with the Summers women." Buffy whispered. Dawn leaned over and hugged her older sister.

Willow's heart squeezed for her sisters. She smiled and tried to lighten the mood. "I still say I got the bad end of that night."

Buffy and Dawn pulled apart. Buffy lifted a brow. "How so?"

Willow smirked. "Well, Joyce found out what a weasel Snyder was and forgave you. She stopped riding you about school for the next few weeks. Xander did get used as bait, but he still came out okay." Willow crossed her arms over her chest. "No, it was me who got stuck locked in a closet and forgotten with Cordelia Chase for the rest of the night. Not to mention," she shot Buffy a telling look, "I drank your sugar-less lemonade."

Buffy tried to look repentive, but snickered and ruined the effect. Dawn giggled and eyed her redheaded sister with sympathy. "You poor, poor dear. Don't you know better than to EVER eat or drink anything Buffy fixes?"

"I do now." Willow winced.

The group of companions collapsed into tension-relieving laughter.

End of Chapter

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I hope to hear from some of you soon!

Ring Red