Disclaimer- the characters are not mine.
Rating- I have a bit of a potty mouth it seems, perhaps I'll say PG13 to be safe?
Notes- I called the future Mayor Wilkins, Richard. Made life easier for me. This was pure fun! Thanks so much guys! OK, look for MY challenge to the next writer at the end Thanks to Ivy and Andra for the help!
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"Come Martin, our guests should be...resting now. It's time to begin the preparations."
Martin swallowed his sense of foreboding
as he followed his boss into the bedroom that held the two sleeping
young adults. Locking the door behind him, the servant nearly shouted
aloud when he glanced over to the bed.
"Sir. Sir!" Hissing as loud as
he dared, Martin frantically tried to get his boss's attention. When Richard
Wilkins finally turned to him, he pointed at Buffy. "She's not completely
out!"
Richard turned and casually looked at the semi-conscious Slayer. Pursing his lips, he crossed the floor and sat on the bed, next to Buffy. Lifting her unresisting head up off the sleeping werewolf's chest it was resting on, he smiled into her wide, open eyes. "It doesn't matter, does it Buffy?" He could *feel* her fear, it fed the darkness inside him. " She can't do a thing, even though her very soul is screaming for her to." Running a finger down her cheek, he cocked his head a bit and turned to look at Martin. "Such a lovely young girl, it's such a waste to have to kill her." Shrugging, he motioned to Martin. " Give me the blood. We don't have much longer. Can't have her dying just yet." He lifted Buffy higher up and switched her weight to one arm, supporting her back. Taking the blood from his servant, he smiled quite jovially at Buffy once more. "Come now dear, drink up. It's important that you be good and drink it all gone. I had it made special just for you."
The cheerful voice as the insane man tried to force the drink on her sent Buffy's fear right over the edge into absolute mind bending terror. The fear started when she fell onto the bed, the world spinning and buzzing. When she tried to talk to Oz and found that she couldn't speak or move, it went up a few notches. She *did* manage to scoot over to Oz and lay on his chest and listen to his very slow heartbeat after an hours try. The sound had calmed her enough to just lay there and wait for what she knew would come. The plan Mayor Wilkins had cooked up for them. The Mayor was bad enough, she knew he was evil, she had seen it first hand graduation day. The servant was another story. She could tell something was...off. He wasn't completely human, her spidey senses went too haywire for him to be. But she also didn't think he was totally demon either.
She still wasn't prepared for it when Richard and his servant entered the room and then began to talk about her and the blood they wanted her to drink. When he had touched her and she couldn't do a thing to fight him off, she had nearly passed out in the terror.
Richard held the goblet of blood up to Buffy's mouth, and she tried in vain to shake him off, to flex her vocal cords into a scream. Nothing was forth coming. He simply grabbed her chin in his hand and slipped his thumb past her non resisting lips, easily forcing her mouth open far enough for him to pour the liquid into her throat. He quickly closed her mouth and rubbed her neck, causing an automatic reflex to kick in and allow the fluid to be swallowed down with ease.
"There now, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Giving her an almost kind smile, he wiped the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief. "If you hadn't drank the blood, you would have died much too soon for our plans. You're a very big part of those plans my dear and we'll do all we can to keep you well until then. You just relax and take your nap." Patting Buffy's arm, he stood up and gently placed her head back on Oz's chest with a sigh. "They look so peaceful. Come Martin, let's leave them for a bit. Their last time together and all." Seeing Martin's mouth open in protest, he gave the young man a steely look, adding, "we have time Martin. Stop being such a hen."
The servant nodded, eyes downcast and the two left the room, locking it behind them once more.
A single tear slid down Buffy's cheek and the world finally faded to black.
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"Buffy. Buffy. Buffy, wake up!"
Jerking awake, Buffy tried to jump to her feet only to find herself chained to a wooden post that stood about five feet high. She began to wildly thrash against the chains that were holding her to the post when Oz's voice registered. Stilling, she glanced at him and everything that had happened came rushing back to her. Defeat deflated her and she sagged against her bonds, staring across the small four foot span that separated her and Oz, her chin just able to rest on the posts top.
Like Buffy, Oz was chained to a post with thick, small linked chains. Unlike Buffy, his back was tied to the post, leaving his hands useless and pinned to the post behind him. The duo also had a single chain that ran down from their hands and bound their feet at the bottom of the post. Buffy's hands were just as useless, just pinned in front of her and the post.
Oz watched in near dismay as Buffy once more gave in to her fear and frustration and wildly thrashed against the bonds that held them both. He had done so himself when he had first woke in confusion some time ago, as his bloody wrist showed; but it did no good, the chains were made to withstand a lot more than a Slayer or werewolf. When, once more, she calmed, he gave her a small smile and spoke to her softly. "It's ok Buff. They put us here some time ago. Most likely even a few days. Uh, we seem to have been without a bathroom, the cycle of the wolf as passed it's three days, and as sore as I feel, I'm guessing that the few days is a fair estimant. At least for me. You, maybe not so long."
"I'm going to kill that bastard and eat his fucking liver for a snack."
"Sounds fair." Though his voice didn't reflect it, Oz was rather impressed with the snarl she made that fact of statement in. She sounded much like he had to during the change he went through three nights a month.
"Do you know how gross I am right now? This is too much, not to mention that I have to go to the bathroom again but now that I'm awake, well, I'd rather not. You know?" Buffy was glad that she was tied with the front of her body hidden behind the post. She *so* didn't need Oz seeing her state of bathroom embarrassment. Just having him know about it was too much.
"Yeah, I know. It's good to see you up though. I was worried."
Buffy grimaced a bit and nodded. "Yea well, they made me drink the blood from a demon's heart, so I'm kinda glad to see me up too." Looking at their surroundings, Buffy thought the room seemed a bit familiar. It was small and smelled... almost familiar, the walls had been freshly painted, though not with a solid paint. More of a white wash her grandma used to do to her cellar. Someone was obviously a candle freak, or had a major master wanna be issue and had lit over a hundred candles around the place. Turning her gaze back to oz, she offered him a lopsided grin. "A really dumb question, how long have I been asleep and where the hell are we?"
"That's two."
"Huh?"
"You said a question then asked two." He chuckled at her glare and relented. "I think you've been asleep for three days but have only been chained up for one. I also think we're back where we started from and to answer your most likely next question, I'm fine and have been chained for three days. The wolf as made his presence. They must have known who or what I am because they had me locked up before the first full moon." He watched the emotions flit across her face and thought again, that even in bad situations, she managed to look utterly beautiful.
"I was afraid of something like that. I'm also afraid what they have planned for me isn't too good and they didn't mention a plan for you so....." She let the sentence drop, not wanting to put into words what she knew in her heart. She wouldn't go without a bloody battle and she sure as hell wouldn't let them take Oz without one hell of a fight as well.
Looking at his shackled feet pointedly, he raised a brow at her, saying dryly, "I'm screwed huh?"
"Screwed is such a strong term." Pretending to ponder something, she nodded a few times and gravely added, "but yea, we're BOTH pretty much screwed, without a kiss at that."
Oz shrugged and closed his eyes for a brief second. The time he had spent with Buffy had been great, but it was not enough. It probably never would be. Opening his eyes, he swallowed hard and tried speaking. When his voice cracked, he flinched and tried again. "Ok then. Buffy, would you like to go out with me some time?"
Shocked rocked Buffy for all of two seconds. He had never let on, or even hinted that he felt that way, but she had been fighting the feelings herself for so long that she almost giggled in glee. Smiling hugely, twin spots of pink in her cheeks for the first time since their capture, she nodded. "Where to?"
He carefully hid the relief and outright delight and said casually, "Oh, how about dinner and a movie?"
"Umm, the actual going out to dinner and then seeing a movie at the theater or staying in and catching the show 'Dinner and a Movie' on TV? Either one is fine, I just want to get an idea on what to wear."
Oz nodded sagely, laughter barely hiding beneath the surface, "Actually? Both has it's merits." Cocking his head to the left, he stated, "on the one hand we have the going out in public thing. Which does two things at once. It shows the general public we're trying things out and it keeps us from feeling the need to totally depend on the other for talk, making the awkward moments less." Point said, he then cocked his head to the right and added, "on the other, the second option offers us the time to try an us out in private and also lends a more intimate setting. Your call."
"How about for our first date, we do the public thing then for the second, we do the in?" Her voice shook, but they both ignored it.
"Cool. So is next week good for you?"
Buffy choked back a sob and nodded. "OK, sounds great."
Her small choked whisper broke Oz's heart and he did something he hadn't done in since he was a kid. He prayed.
"Well gosh Martin, that sure was touching. Didn't you think?" Entering the room fully, Richard and Martin made their presence known to the couple. Nodding to Oz then Buffy, the Mayor smiled. "Good to see you kids up and talking. I hope you aren't too uncomfortable in the settings we picked out for you."
Buffy's nostrils flared in indignation. She never did like this asshole, no matter what time frame she knew him in. "Bite me... Dick."
Richard clicked his tongue at the Slayer before turning his cold gaze to Oz. "Martin, get the boy. His time has come I'm afraid."
Buffy began shouting as Martin made his way over to Oz and began to unshackle his feet. Fighting against her chains, she watched in terrified frustration as the servant raised up to undo Oz's hands. She looked up at Oz, wanting- needing him to see her, to know that somehow, some way, this wasn't the end. When she looked Oz in the eye, he motioned to Martin, then to his feet and finally to her hands left at her front. Catching on, she nodded slightly.
Oz quickly brought his feet up and caught Martin in the chest, sending him back into the Slayer's direction. Martin tripped over Buffy's chains and fell against her, allowing her to grasp his neck and snap it in one fluid motion. She dropped his body to the floor. She felt bad knowing that while he was half demon, he was still half human too. The fact that he was going to kill Oz made her know she'd be able to sleep in peace at night.
Richard clapped his hands, gaining the attention of the ragged couple. "I'm sorry you did that, now I'll have to make you sorry too." Before he could cross the room to them, they watched in astonishment as he crumpled to the floor.
Buffy whipped her head up and stared in shock at Richard's wife.
Edna-Mae patted the shoulder of
the rather scary looking demon that held the mallet used to knock the Mayor
unconscious.
"My Richard thinks I don't know
a thing about his doings and Ivan helps me keep it that way. Don't you
Ivan?" Mrs. Wilkins turned to the big demon that stood beside her. He reminded
Buffy and Oz of Lurch, from the 'Addam's Family'. Judging from the
look he gave Edna-Mae, he was completely devoted to her and would do anything
asked. No matter what it was. "I know Richard makes these plans to
ensure that I'm always provided for, but I fear he goes too far sometimes.
I'm terribly sorry. As is Ivan. When he came to tell me of my husbands
plans..." Sighing, she smiled at Ivan and added, "he
still doesn't know about you, isn't that right dear? Makes thing much easier."
"Yes , Madam." Skulking over to Buffy, the giant freed her from the chains with one huge jerk, nodding to her with a small grunt before crossing to Oz and doing the same.
Buffy tried to hold the giggle back, but it bubbled forth. At everyone's questioning look, she haphazardly waved one hand at Ivan and the other at the small room itself. "Oh, in about 70 years or so, this will all read like an episode of Addams Family, complete with Lurch." Seeing the two eldest people looking at her with confused expressions and Oz's slightly worried but still amused look, she sighed and dropped her hands to her side. "Ignore me. I'm feeling a little slap happy I guess."
Oz shook his head and reminded himself to have a talk with Buffy about her timing later. Looking at Edna-Mae and Ivan, he narrowed his eyes asking, "So, will you two be ok after we're found missing and the Mayo- uh Richard wakes up with a nasty on his head?"
The lovely woman smiled brightly,
her eyes shining with pure light, making Buffy and Oz both wonder, yet
again, why she was with someone like Richard Wilkins. "Aren't you
the sweetest boy! To think Richard planned..." shaking the thought from
her mind, she reached out and grabbed the young man's hand, holding them
between hers. "I shall be just fine my dear boy. You just take real
good care of this young lady. Treat her right. Now get going, the portal
will open shortly and you won't get another chance."
***
End Part 9.