[Reviews - 732]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 5940 times

- Text Size +




"Oh, thank the good Lord! It sounds as if the fighting has stopped!"

Buffy gave Lord Rupert a thin smile. Despite the fact that she was glad to no longer hear cannon fire—and for the fact that they didn't appear to be sinking—Buffy couldn't share his enthusiasm. Something seemed off. "Do you believe the captain is all right?" she asked, the question out of her mouth before she could even realize she was speaking. What surprised her even more than the involuntary speech was the genuine fear behind the question.

"I dare say I hope not," Lord Rupert replied. "A creature such as that… The world would be a better place without the scoundrel in it. I would hope instead that this ship's attackers were the Royal Navy, and that they are taking him to be hanged."

Buffy paled at that last word. She had not previously considered that a possibility. What if Lord Rupert was right? She felt tears spring to her eyes at the thought of Spike being hanged, and hoped more than anything that he would soon walk through the cabin door and let her know he was all right.

Lord Rupert grew silent again, and Buffy chose not to speak as well. Instead, she sat stiffly on the bunk, wringing her hands as she waited for Spike to come for her. He'd have to. She couldn't accept the idea of things happening any other way.

*** *** ***

"This is a nice ship ye have here, William my boy." Angelus paced the deck, smiling even as Spike and his crew glared at him with outward hostility. "Not as nice as mine of course, but…"

"That's my bloody ship, Angelus—not yours," Spike snapped, the words coming from his mouth unbidden. Still, somehow he knew he spoke the truth, at least within the boundaries of this world.

Angelus only grinned more. "I claimed 'er fair enough."

"Fair enough! You mutinied against me!"

Angelus approached Spike and clapped his hand on his back. "That I did, boy, but as weak a captain as ye were, I figured ye were givin' 'er to me."

"Well, I wasn't, you git, and if you think…"

Angelus cut Spike off with a loud laugh. "Come now, you're not actually going to dwell on the past, are ye?"

Spike glared as a mixture of memories of the Angelus he'd known and images of a fabricated past with the version here now mixed to fuel his anger. "I want you and your crew off this ship."

Angelus leaned down, a cold gleam in his eye that Spike found all too familiar. "Ye forget, William, that I have the bigger guns."

"Drusilla always said otherwise," Spike growled. Again, his speaking was beyond his control, but this time it was something he was more than happy to say.

Angelus pulled up, as if attempting to intimidate Spike with his superior height. "I'd watch my tongue if I were you, boy. Especially since I hear ye got precious cargo on board."

Spike's eyes widened. Did he mean Buffy? Spike frowned as he realized of course he did. After all, if this really was a romance novel they were trapped in, who else would the villain be after but the heroine? Spike was really starting to dislike this whole thing. "I've got nothing on this ship for you, Angelus."

"Oh, but I think ye do. Show me to the lass, Willie. Knowing you, ye probably haven't even been man enough to properly welcome her aboard."

Angelus's crew laughed raucously behind him, and Spike used every bit of strength he could muster to keep from hurting the man in front of him. As much as he was itching for a good brawl, he also knew it wouldn't help Buffy. Angelus had a larger crew and more weapons. Any fight as things stood would most likely not end well for Spike. He needed to keep himself in one piece in order to protect the currently-powerless Slayer. "You're not touching her," Spike growled.

"And how exactly do ye plan to stop me? Ye always were the weak one, William." Angelus snapped his fingers and two burly pirates came around and grabbed Spike, holding him back.

"Search the ship for the girl!" Angelus bellowed. "Kill anyone who stands in yer way."

Spike struggled against the men who were holding him, but without the supernatural boost to his strength being a vampire gave him, he was helpless. His stomach turned at the thought of what Angelus could do to Buffy. "You hurt her, Angelus, and I will make you regret it."

"And how exactly do ye plan to do that? You're pathetic, and ye always have been. Besides, what sort of gentleman would I be if I left the girl in the hands of a rogue like you?"

"Let go of me! Get your filthy hands off of me right now!"

Spike turned sharply at the sound of Buffy's voice. He watched as one of Angelus's crewmen dragged her onto the deck, pulling on her arm so hard Spike was surprised it managed to stay in the joint. He swallowed hard, wanting nothing more than to go to her, protect her. She looked up at him, the fear and helplessness he saw in her eyes something new to him. It made his heart ache.

"Take the lady and the captain back to the ship!" Angelus barked.

"What about the rest of the crew?" a man beside Angelus asked.

"Leave 'em to rot," Angelus sneered. "We got what we came for."

Buffy and Spike both struggled as they were brought over to the other ship, but it was no use. Buffy watched the man who looked so much like her former love and shuddered. The look in his eyes told her this was not Angel, and she felt the cold fear rise in her at the thought of being at his mercy. She glanced back at Spike, meeting his eyes. There was a sense of determination there, and she felt a twinge of hope. If he hadn't given up, neither would she. He'd get her out of this.

She held her head up high, deciding not to give Angelus the satisfaction of seeing her fear.

*** *** ***

Giles woke with the distinct feeling of being watched.

And he was—by a very confused looking Dawn.

"Mom? Giles? Care to explain why you're both down here sleeping on the couch?"

Giles blinked, trying to find an answer in his sleep-fogged brain. Then it all came back to him. Buffy was missing, and after a futile search for her, he'd returned to check on Joyce. They must've fallen asleep. He wondered what sort of Watcher he was to allow himself to sleep when his Slayer was MIA.

Joyce stretched from her seat beside Giles, trying to comb her hair with her fingers. "We were waiting for Buffy. Did she never come home?"

"I didn't check, but I don't think so," Dawn replied, frowning. "Did you guys check with the Scoobies?"

Giles took off his glasses for their first cleaning of the day. "We had them looking for her as well last night. Did they not…"

Before Giles could finish his sentence, the front door burst open, and Anya, Willow, Tara, and Xander walked in. "No sign of Buffy," Anya announced. "We looked everywhere. She's probably dead."

Joyce paled at Anya's statement, and Giles moved quickly to comfort her. "I'm sure she isn't dead, Joyce. She's just…somewhere we haven't thought to look."

"Well, I don't know where that could be," Anya said, ignoring the looks Xander was giving her. What was the point of sugar-coating things anyway? "Oh, and Spike's missing, too."

"Spike?" Dawn asked.

"We went by his crypt," Willow explained. "We thought maybe he'd seen Buffy when she was patrolling. But he wasn't there. Tara and I stayed there for a while and waited for him, but he wasn't back before sunrise."

"Dear lord," Giles said, still wiping his glasses. "You don't believe Spike has something to do with her disappearance?"

"Spike wouldn't do that!" Dawn exclaimed. "He wouldn't hurt Buffy!"

"Dawn, he tried to kill her. A lot," Xander pointed out.

"But that was before!" Dawn replied. "Besides, he can't, remember—chip."

"Maybe he got the chip out, and he and Buffy had a big fight to the death," Anya suggested. "Or they could just be off somewhere having sex."

"Anya!" Xander snapped. "Buffy is not dead, or having sex with Captain Peroxide."

Anya shrugged. "They're the two most logical conclusions, Xander."

"Only in your world, honey."

Giles stood. "I think it best that no one jump to any conclusions. Let's go to the Magic Box instead, see what we can come up with. Tara, Willow—can the two of you perform a locator spell?"

"Of course," Willow replied. She frowned. "And now I'm sorta wondering why we didn't think of it before…"

"Yes, well, we'll do it now," Giles said. "Joyce, it would be for the best if you stayed here in case Buffy returns home. We'll call you if we hear anything."

"And I'll do the same," Joyce replied.

Giles gave her a nod and the Scoobies filed out, leaving Joyce and Dawn alone in the house. Dawn went to the couch, sitting next to her mother. Joyce put her arm around the girl and kissed the top of her head. "Buffy will be home soon," Joyce said, comforting herself as much as Dawn.

*** *** ***

Angelus had Buffy and Spike brought to the lower level of his ship. Spike was thrown into a small cell, the door shut and locked behind him before he had a chance to fight it.

"What are you planning on doing with us?" Spike asked.

"Well, seems there's quite a pretty reward for the girl," Angelus replied. He grinned widely at Spike. "And another one for ye, too—once yer hangin' in the gallows."

"And what, you think they're just going to hand you that money? Come on, Angelus, you're a pirate same as me. They'll hang you, too."

"That's where you're wrong. See, it seems the good Admiral Finn knew that catchin' ye would be a bit of a…difficulty. But not fer me—I knew ye, William. I knew just how to find ye. Finn knew I would. That's why we made this nice little deal. I bring him his sweet morsel of a fiancée, and the man who took her of course, and I get to leave with the money, free as a little birdie." Angelus approached the cell, his hands gripping the bars as he looked into Spike's eyes. "But just so ye know, I didn't do it just fer the money. I did it so I could watch your body swingin' in the wind."

"I'll never give you that satisfaction, Angelus."

"I'm afraid ye don't have a lot of say in the matter, boy. Now if you'll excuse us, the lady and I have some quality time to spend together." Angelus grabbed Buffy by the arm, ignoring her as she hit futilely at him.

Spike rattled the bars of the cage, his anger rising to new heights as he saw Angelus touching Buffy. "Leave her alone," he growled, even though he knew it was useless.

"What, is she yers, Willie? Did ye make this sweet little girl into a woman? She is wearin' yer clothes after all." Angelus brought Buffy in front of him, holding her tightly against his body. "Still, she'll need a proper seein' to, and I plan to make sure she gets one. Ye best think about that while yer waitin' to go to yer death."

Spike glared. "I will kill you, Angelus."

"Promises, promises, boy." Angelus laughed darkly as he dragged Buffy up the stairs and out of Spike's sight.

Spike shook the bars of the cell, letting out a frustrated roar. This was not going very well at all…

*** *** ***

Seeing as I'm posting this on my birthday and all, how about the cheapest present you can give me—reviews. lol Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far, and for all the support I got concerning my last author's note. It means a lot to me that you're all so understanding, and that you're enjoying the story. Thank you!!!





You must login (register) to review.