Four Hundred Days
Just a quick post as I'm still very hung over from yesterday's Christmas celebrations! The next part of Four Hundred Days is up for your reading pleasure - as always R&R!
Part Twenty
~~~ Day Three Hundred And Fifty ~~~
Spike let out a soft sigh as he pushed open the heavy wooden doors that led to what he had come to think of as his own private world, all the while trying desperately to come to terms with the fact that others were invading it. And trying desperately not to turn around are break the Watcher’s sodding arm, which was currently training a cross bow on his back. He knew his Slayer would never let anything happen to him, and the thought made him smile, but still he was wary…and a little pissed off.
Buffy smiled softly as she took in the pouting look on her Mate’s face. He looked like a little boy who was about to have his favourite toy taken away from him, and she knew that in a way he was. Despite his attempt to hide it from her in the early days of their life here, Buffy had known just how much he had relished in the vast treasures this library held. And just how reluctant he was to part with these feelings of possession for it.
Buffy idly wondered if he’d feel as strongly about her once they got back to Sunnydale and had to face the music. The thought made her blood run cold for a moment, and she shivered. No sooner had she done so the vampire in question was at her side, his arm wrapped around her shoulder.
“Cold, love? I can go fetch you a shawl or something…”
The offer was immediate and his eyes were full of such love and devotion that Buffy felt silly for doubting him, if only for a moment. She shook her head in the negative, pressing a gentle kiss to the corner of his mouth before she turned to fully face their companions both of whom were staring at them in a mixture of shock and disgust and from the Slayer, awe.
Fighting the urge to call them on it, Spike stood a little straighter and waved his free hand out to indicate the massive room. “Well, here you have it.” He declared grandly.
Both Slayer and Watcher took a step forward, the latter in a state of what only could be described as surprised euphoria. Buffy smiled a little at his reaction, feeling a twinge of pain as she thought of how much Giles would have loved this place too.
Ackerton had not been easy to convince to enter the Lion’s Den, as it were. But when after near three weeks, which comprised of an exhaustive search of his own materials and many sleepless nights, the unlikely group had gotten nowhere in their search and with the arrival of a demon population that was going undefeated close to Buffy and Spike’s home the Watcher had little choice but to trust them enough to allow them the advantage of home ground.
“The occult section is back here.” Spike stepped forward, momentarily relinquishing his hold on Buffy as he moved over to a nearby candelabrum. He pulled it south and the grinding movement of stone against metal could be heard reverberate around the room. Immediately the Vampire was back at his Slayer’s side, hiding his grin in her hair at the fear he sensed from the other two occupants in the room.
Hey. He was still bad.
Suddenly there was silence. And then, as if by magic, the book shelves began to shift and change. Ancient tattered and worn books replaced the neat rows of hardbacks as books were swapped back and forth. Soon the change was complete and in the place of a once magnificent library was a true masterpiece.
“A-are these all…” The Watcher trailed off, barely seeing the Vampire’s nod of affirmation as his eyes swept the vast walls and chambers filled to the brim with what had to be some of the most precious and unique volumes known, and possibly unknown, to the world.
“I found this reference guide of sorts to the place. Been looking through the section that refers to time-switchers but-“
“There’s a whole section?” The Watcher interrupted in awe.
Spike chuckled at the other man’s appreciation, neglecting to tell him that he’d already been through most of it and had found nothing. “Yeah, mate. Up two floors and then second on the left.”
“May I?”
The Vampire waved his hand in acquiesce and the Watcher hastily scampered off, all reserve lost in the light of such a magnificent discovery. Spike laughed once again, and then turned to face Mary as she spoke.
“I do believe you have made a firm friend.” She said, and then smiled almost shyly at the couple who were very obviously a couple.
“If the Watcher can find a way to get us out of here, he’ll have made one too.” Spike rejoined in all honesty, squeezing his Slayer more firmly to his side.
---
Face flushed and her hands slightly shaking from embarrassment, Mary continued to pretend to be absorbed in the quaint little room that Mabel had apparently converted into a training area of sorts after she grew sick of Buffy and Spike breaking her favourite vases. Had there been a book to read, or paint to stare at while it was drying she would happily have jumped at the chance…anything to do but watch what she could only describe as an odd sort of mating dance between the two warriors at the other end of the room.
She had come to watch them spar, to hopefully pick up some tips from the Slayer and her partner, the proclaimed slayer of Slayers. However, it hadn’t quite turned out the way she had anticipated.
While she too understood the thrill the fight held, the call to the night that was contained within her strong frame; it was something that she had pushed deep down within herself. It was something she knew Jeffery would never find acceptable, and she was, in all honesty, embarrassed by it.
But this Slayer was not.
She relished in it.
She breathed it.
The power - she lived it.
And Spike obviously loved it.
The two were obviously well matched, their movements fluid and graceful, but it was the lustful flash in their eyes that caused Mary’s virginal ones to turn away in embarrassment. She and Buffy had become quite close in the past few weeks, and while she had come to terms with the fact that Buffy was from another time, and possible another world, Mary couldn’t quite let go of the manners which had been instilled into her since birth.
And even though the pair before her was supposedly married, their conduct in public towards each other was outlandish at best. And the Slayer of all things that went bump in the night found herself blushing continuously around them.
---
Many hours later…
Dark had fallen hours before, but still Jeffrey sat immersed in tomes and folklore as he tried courageously to not only help their new acquaintances but better his own knowledge in the hopes that at some point in time it could save his Slayer for one more day. Although some of what he had read over the past fifteen hours or so he had known, so much was new that he could safely assume that he had gone to heaven. Pages upon pages of dark script, of prophecy not yet upon them yet foreseen.
Buffy sighed, pushing the ancient book away from herself with a harsh agitated sigh. It was one thing to research. It was another to research without donuts. It was just wrong.
“Tired, pet?” Spike murmured, his hand moving to rest on hers even though his eyes never stopped scanning the page in front of him.
“Bored’s more like it.” She muttered as she slumped back in her chair, and noticed that the other Slayer was about to do the same thing across the room.
They weren’t made for all this reading, Slayers. They were mystical creatures, built for battle with demons, not words. And they were going out.
“Come on, let’s patrol.” Buffy nodded at Mary as she stood, letting go of Spike’s hand as she tucked the chair back under the table with a loud scrape.
Mary eagerly stood along with her sister Slayer, anxious too to be out and doing something, rather than being cooped up in here any longer.
Spike looked up at their movement, and the loss of his Slayer’s warmth against his fingers. “Want me to come with?” He asked, already beginning to get up to do just that, but Buffy’s hands on his shoulders stopped him.
“No. You stay here. Help Jeffrey. You’re better at the book thing then me.” Spike looked as though he was going to complain, but she was ready for it and gave him the patent Buffy puppy eyes and he backed down.
“Okay, pet, I’ll baby-sit the Watcher.” Spike responded, smirking at Ackerton’s snort of displeasure at his ‘position’ in the Vampire’s sentence. He reached out and tugged her down to plant a loving kiss on her lips. “Be careful, yeah?”
Buffy smiled at him, pushing her lips out to brush them over his once more as she responded. “Always.”
Spike watched as his wife and her new-found friend gathered together the usual array of Slayer weapons and with a last flirty glance in his direction left the house. He waited exactly one minute before he got up, slipping on his much loved duster over his shirt and suit-trousers.
“Where are you going? She said to stay here.” Ackerton blustered in his direction, surprise on his face.
Spike looked back at him like the man was crazy. “Gonna go watch her back.” He responded slowly in a tone that simply screamed: ‘Duh!’
Still the Watcher could not comprehend the Vampire’s actions. “But why? She is the Slayer.” Jeffery stated, as though that very fact made the situation ludicrous.
“She’s my Mate.” Spike responded simply and quickly left the library in search of his woman, leaving behind a pondering Watcher before he even had chance to voice his question.
“Whatever is a Mate?” Ackerton shook his head when he realised the Vampire had managed to leave before his mouth had caught up with his brain and asked the question. Shaking his head he made a mental note to come back to the Vampire about the subject, before putting it to rest for the moment in his mind and delving back into his research.
To Be Continued…
A/N: Thank you to those few who put my worries to rest about the previous chapter - I really appreciated your words; I hope you like this latest chapter! As always, your comments keep me posting!
Part Twenty
~~~ Day Three Hundred And Fifty ~~~
Spike let out a soft sigh as he pushed open the heavy wooden doors that led to what he had come to think of as his own private world, all the while trying desperately to come to terms with the fact that others were invading it. And trying desperately not to turn around are break the Watcher’s sodding arm, which was currently training a cross bow on his back. He knew his Slayer would never let anything happen to him, and the thought made him smile, but still he was wary…and a little pissed off.
Buffy smiled softly as she took in the pouting look on her Mate’s face. He looked like a little boy who was about to have his favourite toy taken away from him, and she knew that in a way he was. Despite his attempt to hide it from her in the early days of their life here, Buffy had known just how much he had relished in the vast treasures this library held. And just how reluctant he was to part with these feelings of possession for it.
Buffy idly wondered if he’d feel as strongly about her once they got back to Sunnydale and had to face the music. The thought made her blood run cold for a moment, and she shivered. No sooner had she done so the vampire in question was at her side, his arm wrapped around her shoulder.
“Cold, love? I can go fetch you a shawl or something…”
The offer was immediate and his eyes were full of such love and devotion that Buffy felt silly for doubting him, if only for a moment. She shook her head in the negative, pressing a gentle kiss to the corner of his mouth before she turned to fully face their companions both of whom were staring at them in a mixture of shock and disgust and from the Slayer, awe.
Fighting the urge to call them on it, Spike stood a little straighter and waved his free hand out to indicate the massive room. “Well, here you have it.” He declared grandly.
Both Slayer and Watcher took a step forward, the latter in a state of what only could be described as surprised euphoria. Buffy smiled a little at his reaction, feeling a twinge of pain as she thought of how much Giles would have loved this place too.
Ackerton had not been easy to convince to enter the Lion’s Den, as it were. But when after near three weeks, which comprised of an exhaustive search of his own materials and many sleepless nights, the unlikely group had gotten nowhere in their search and with the arrival of a demon population that was going undefeated close to Buffy and Spike’s home the Watcher had little choice but to trust them enough to allow them the advantage of home ground.
“The occult section is back here.” Spike stepped forward, momentarily relinquishing his hold on Buffy as he moved over to a nearby candelabrum. He pulled it south and the grinding movement of stone against metal could be heard reverberate around the room. Immediately the Vampire was back at his Slayer’s side, hiding his grin in her hair at the fear he sensed from the other two occupants in the room.
Hey. He was still bad.
Suddenly there was silence. And then, as if by magic, the book shelves began to shift and change. Ancient tattered and worn books replaced the neat rows of hardbacks as books were swapped back and forth. Soon the change was complete and in the place of a once magnificent library was a true masterpiece.
“A-are these all…” The Watcher trailed off, barely seeing the Vampire’s nod of affirmation as his eyes swept the vast walls and chambers filled to the brim with what had to be some of the most precious and unique volumes known, and possibly unknown, to the world.
“I found this reference guide of sorts to the place. Been looking through the section that refers to time-switchers but-“
“There’s a whole section?” The Watcher interrupted in awe.
Spike chuckled at the other man’s appreciation, neglecting to tell him that he’d already been through most of it and had found nothing. “Yeah, mate. Up two floors and then second on the left.”
“May I?”
The Vampire waved his hand in acquiesce and the Watcher hastily scampered off, all reserve lost in the light of such a magnificent discovery. Spike laughed once again, and then turned to face Mary as she spoke.
“I do believe you have made a firm friend.” She said, and then smiled almost shyly at the couple who were very obviously a couple.
“If the Watcher can find a way to get us out of here, he’ll have made one too.” Spike rejoined in all honesty, squeezing his Slayer more firmly to his side.
---
Face flushed and her hands slightly shaking from embarrassment, Mary continued to pretend to be absorbed in the quaint little room that Mabel had apparently converted into a training area of sorts after she grew sick of Buffy and Spike breaking her favourite vases. Had there been a book to read, or paint to stare at while it was drying she would happily have jumped at the chance…anything to do but watch what she could only describe as an odd sort of mating dance between the two warriors at the other end of the room.
She had come to watch them spar, to hopefully pick up some tips from the Slayer and her partner, the proclaimed slayer of Slayers. However, it hadn’t quite turned out the way she had anticipated.
While she too understood the thrill the fight held, the call to the night that was contained within her strong frame; it was something that she had pushed deep down within herself. It was something she knew Jeffery would never find acceptable, and she was, in all honesty, embarrassed by it.
But this Slayer was not.
She relished in it.
She breathed it.
The power - she lived it.
And Spike obviously loved it.
The two were obviously well matched, their movements fluid and graceful, but it was the lustful flash in their eyes that caused Mary’s virginal ones to turn away in embarrassment. She and Buffy had become quite close in the past few weeks, and while she had come to terms with the fact that Buffy was from another time, and possible another world, Mary couldn’t quite let go of the manners which had been instilled into her since birth.
And even though the pair before her was supposedly married, their conduct in public towards each other was outlandish at best. And the Slayer of all things that went bump in the night found herself blushing continuously around them.
---
Many hours later…
Dark had fallen hours before, but still Jeffrey sat immersed in tomes and folklore as he tried courageously to not only help their new acquaintances but better his own knowledge in the hopes that at some point in time it could save his Slayer for one more day. Although some of what he had read over the past fifteen hours or so he had known, so much was new that he could safely assume that he had gone to heaven. Pages upon pages of dark script, of prophecy not yet upon them yet foreseen.
Buffy sighed, pushing the ancient book away from herself with a harsh agitated sigh. It was one thing to research. It was another to research without donuts. It was just wrong.
“Tired, pet?” Spike murmured, his hand moving to rest on hers even though his eyes never stopped scanning the page in front of him.
“Bored’s more like it.” She muttered as she slumped back in her chair, and noticed that the other Slayer was about to do the same thing across the room.
They weren’t made for all this reading, Slayers. They were mystical creatures, built for battle with demons, not words. And they were going out.
“Come on, let’s patrol.” Buffy nodded at Mary as she stood, letting go of Spike’s hand as she tucked the chair back under the table with a loud scrape.
Mary eagerly stood along with her sister Slayer, anxious too to be out and doing something, rather than being cooped up in here any longer.
Spike looked up at their movement, and the loss of his Slayer’s warmth against his fingers. “Want me to come with?” He asked, already beginning to get up to do just that, but Buffy’s hands on his shoulders stopped him.
“No. You stay here. Help Jeffrey. You’re better at the book thing then me.” Spike looked as though he was going to complain, but she was ready for it and gave him the patent Buffy puppy eyes and he backed down.
“Okay, pet, I’ll baby-sit the Watcher.” Spike responded, smirking at Ackerton’s snort of displeasure at his ‘position’ in the Vampire’s sentence. He reached out and tugged her down to plant a loving kiss on her lips. “Be careful, yeah?”
Buffy smiled at him, pushing her lips out to brush them over his once more as she responded. “Always.”
Spike watched as his wife and her new-found friend gathered together the usual array of Slayer weapons and with a last flirty glance in his direction left the house. He waited exactly one minute before he got up, slipping on his much loved duster over his shirt and suit-trousers.
“Where are you going? She said to stay here.” Ackerton blustered in his direction, surprise on his face.
Spike looked back at him like the man was crazy. “Gonna go watch her back.” He responded slowly in a tone that simply screamed: ‘Duh!’
Still the Watcher could not comprehend the Vampire’s actions. “But why? She is the Slayer.” Jeffery stated, as though that very fact made the situation ludicrous.
“She’s my Mate.” Spike responded simply and quickly left the library in search of his woman, leaving behind a pondering Watcher before he even had chance to voice his question.
“Whatever is a Mate?” Ackerton shook his head when he realised the Vampire had managed to leave before his mouth had caught up with his brain and asked the question. Shaking his head he made a mental note to come back to the Vampire about the subject, before putting it to rest for the moment in his mind and delving back into his research.
To Be Continued…
A/N: Thank you to those few who put my worries to rest about the previous chapter - I really appreciated your words; I hope you like this latest chapter! As always, your comments keep me posting!