OoSooM-Ch.14

Legolas was still trying to figure out how to prise Spike away from Methos when the irritated Immortal seemingly decided that since he couldn't pull the feeding vampire off of his arm, he would try to curse him off of his aching limb.

Methos shifted slightly, glowering as Spike growled at him for that small movement. “Oh, do shut up,” he muttered.

Reaching out with his free hand, he tapped Spike on the head a couple of times to get his attention. “Excuse me, but that's my arm you're currently gnawing on.”

Spike blinked at him, not letting go, looking curious more than anything.

Methos gave him a baleful look. “If you don't let go right now, I'm going to get really brassed off!” he snapped, thumping the vampire on the head again for good measure.

To Legolas' surprise, Spike released his arm, looking at the Immortal in what seemed to be shock.

Methos cradled his chewed limb to his chest, glaring at Spike sullenly. “Thanks, everso,” he said sarcastically.

“That was an interesting tactic,” Legolas commented, helping Methos to his feet.

Methos' lips twitched as he attempted to hold back a smirk. “Well, I try,” he said, then glanced around for Buffy, sighing as he spotted her in much the same position he'd been in moments ago. “Oh, bloody hell. This is getting ridiculous,” he said petulantly, going over to the Slayer and her sister.

“Are you certain you don't need to sit down? You look a bit peaked,” Legolas told the Immortal.

Methos ignored him as he crouched next to Buffy and her sister, sighing as Dawn snarled. “What is this, a theme?”

Figuring that Buffy wouldn't appreciate him thumping her sister-vampire or not- Methos tangled one hand in her blood-caked hair and slid other hand down her chin, slipping a finger between her lips and Buffy's neck, breaking the suction at the same time he pulled back on Dawn's hair.

Dawn yelped and growled at him, her hand coming up to swat at him, drawing a whimper from her throat as she connected and the hole in her wrist from being crucified sent a wave of agony down her arm.

Methos let go of her hair, searching the girl's eyes for a sign of conscious thought. “You in there, Dawn?” he questioned, nearly laughing aloud as she gave him a look that screamed `ya think?!'.

“Good…Then you can stop killing your sister,” he quipped.

Dawn looked at him as if he'd lost his mind, then looked at Buffy, her eyes widening almost comically. “Buffy? She…She's supposed to be dead.”

“Oh, no. Even if you'd drained her completely, she'd have woken up in a few minutes. Immortal, remember?” Methos reminded her.

Dawn shook her head. “No…We saw a lightning storm when the End of Days came,” she said. “A wave of blue energy hit the house…The wall cut me in half. I don't think I'd forget something like a Quickening dropping my house on me!”

Methos blinked at her, then cursed. “Oh, hell. Cordelia faked our Quickenings,” he told her. “She tapped into mine…when she said the fallout leveled Sunnydale, I didn't think she was serious.”

The Immortal shook his head. “No. She said she'd only used a part of mine. Which makes sense, when I think about it…Kalas' Quickening danced around Paris, destroying cars and buildings left and right. And he wasn't even half my age.”

A soft moan got their attention, and they looked down at Buffy, who blinked a bit, her hand going to her neck. “Geez, Dawny. You've got grip.”

“Oh, God. Buffy, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?” Dawn asked, helping the Slayer to sit up.

“Yeah. Immortal healing and all that…Remind me to kick Cordelia's ass for not telling us what to expect when we went through the portal, would you, Methos?” she groused.

Methos chuckled. “Of course. C'mon. I have no desire to spend the night here…Rather depressing, this place.”

Buffy nodded. “Yeah…Methos and I both died during the End of Days battle. We woke up in another dimension. You'll like it there. Vamps can walk in the sun.”

Dawn bit her lip. “About that…Buffy, don't be mad at Spike for siring me, please.”

Buffy shushed her with a finger over her lips. “You're alive. That's all that matters. I'd have come sooner if I'd known how much time had passed. It's only been a year in the world we've been in. I had no idea it had been over a century for you here.”

Methos put a hand on Buffy's shoulder. “Hey, none of that. Cordelia didn't know either, remember? Something was blocking her visions. We barely made it in time as it was. No use worrying about what ifs.”

“Let's get Spike and get out of here before Angelus comes back,” Buffy said, standing.

“Oh, yeah. Fun side effect of blood loss. Wow…I'd almost forgotten what it was like,” Buffy quipped.

Methos laughed. “Oh, like us sparring to death doesn't refresh your memory,” he said, sliding his arm around her waist.

“Okay, you've got a point. But, hey, vampire bite. It's been a while since I've had one of those,” Buffy said, grinning.

“Hey, no big. I'll live, right? Besides, what's a little bite between you and me? We've got the same blood anyway. Swapping is no big deal,” Buffy said, trying to lighten her sister's mood.

“We're going to have to hang her between us, Buffy. She can't walk with her feet like that,” Methos said.

Buffy nodded. “That works. We'll have to do the same with Spike between you and Legolas,” she said, then frowned. “I saw his chest…no matter what we do, it's going to hurt him.”

Methos gave her a grim look. “I know. But, we're doing it for a good reason. And if we leave him here until he heals, Angelus might find him again. I'd rather not think of the consequences if that happened.”

Buffy nodded. “Okay, let's do this,” she said, kneeling and drawing one of Dawn's arms over her shoulder, waiting until Methos had done the same on her other side before they stood slowly, supporting Dawn's weight between them.

“Now, we go get Spike, and get the hell out of here,” Buffy said. “This place is giving me a major wiggins.”

A few hours, and much grumbling and cursing later, they were getting close to the portal.

“Are you sure this is the right way, Legolas?” Buffy asked, worried. She didn't recognize anything. Then again, she'd been seeing explosions every couple of minutes, so there was no telling what had happened to the scenery between the time they'd left the portal and when they'd started back.

“Yes, I'm certain,” Legolas told her patiently. “My eyesight is very good.”

“He's not joking. I watched him hit a knob on a tree from half a mile off. How the hell he managed that is beyond me,” Methos informed her.

Methos snorted. “In Middle Earth? Please. He used a bow and arrow.”

Buffy raised an eyebrow at that, looking at the elf. “Remind me never to get on your bad side.”

Legolas chuckled. “I daresay that would be a rather close fight.”

Methos shifted his grip on Spike's arm. “Gods, he's bloody heavy.”

Legolas turned to look at him. “I can carry him alone, if you'd like.”

“Alright, then,” the Immortal conceded, handing the vampire over to him.

Silence reigned for a while, then they reached the area where they'd come out of the portal.

“This is just great…we're stuck in a literal Hell, and Cordelia's not paying attention!” Methos sniped.

“I resent that,” Cordelia said, stepping out of thin air.

Cordelia grinned. “Well, I figured leaving the portal all glowy was kind of like ringing the dinner bell around here. So, hey, camouflage!”

Cordelia's face softened when she looked at Dawn, and she nodded. “Yeah. We're gone,” she told her, gesturing briefly.

None of them saw anything, but they felt a dizzying rush of movement, and when they felt the eerie spinning sensation stop, they were in Middle Earth.

Everyone but Cordelia and Legolas collapsed immediately, too dizzy to stand.

The Slayer moved quickly. “Sorry, Dawny. Are you alright?”

“I'm so sorry we didn't come sooner,” Buffy said quietly.

“It's okay. I thought you were dead. You thought I was dead. It was this whole big dead thing,” Dawn said.

Dawn scowled at her for a moment, then couldn't help but start snickering herself.

“Bloody fuckin' hell!” Spike's voice just made them jump slightly, then laugh harder.

Legolas watched them with amusement. Things were starting to look up.

*Yes, I am an evil bitch. I also will only write a sequel if I get lots and lots of feedback. So, get hoppin', people!


	Sunnydale, California 121 years after the End of Days (Sunnydale time) Legolas was still trying to figure out how to prise Spike away from Methos when the irritated Immortal seemingly decided that since he couldn't pull the feeding vampire off of his arm, he would try to curse him off of his aching limb. Methos shifted slightly, glowering as Spike growled at him for that small movement. “Oh, do shut up,” he muttered. Reaching out with his free hand, he tapped Spike on the head a couple of times to get his attention. “Excuse me, but that's my arm you're currently gnawing on.” Spike blinked at him, not letting go, looking curious more than anything. Methos gave him a baleful look. “If you don't let go right now, I'm going to get really brassed off!” he snapped, thumping the vampire on the head again for good measure. To Legolas' surprise, Spike released his arm, looking at the Immortal in what seemed to be shock. Methos cradled his chewed limb to his chest, glaring at Spike sullenly. “Thanks, everso,” he said sarcastically. “That was an interesting tactic,” Legolas commented, helping Methos to his feet. Methos' lips twitched as he attempted to hold back a smirk. “Well, I try,” he said, then glanced around for Buffy, sighing as he spotted her in much the same position he'd been in moments ago. “Oh, bloody hell. This is getting ridiculous,” he said petulantly, going over to the Slayer and her sister. “Are you certain you don't need to sit down? You look a bit peaked,” Legolas told the Immortal. Methos shot him a look that stopped him in his tracks. “Simply an observation,” the elf said innocently. Methos ignored him as he crouched next to Buffy and her sister, sighing as Dawn snarled. “What is this, a theme?” Figuring that Buffy wouldn't appreciate him thumping her sister-vampire or not- Methos tangled one hand in her blood-caked hair and slid other hand down her chin, slipping a finger between her lips and Buffy's neck, breaking the suction at the same time he pulled back on Dawn's hair. Dawn yelped and growled at him, her hand coming up to swat at him, drawing a whimper from her throat as she connected and the hole in her wrist from being crucified sent a wave of agony down her arm. Methos let go of her hair, searching the girl's eyes for a sign of conscious thought. “You in there, Dawn?” he questioned, nearly laughing aloud as she gave him a look that screamed `ya think?!'. “Good…Then you can stop killing your sister,” he quipped. Dawn looked at him as if he'd lost his mind, then looked at Buffy, her eyes widening almost comically. “Buffy? She…She's supposed to be dead.” “Oh, no. Even if you'd drained her completely, she'd have woken up in a few minutes. Immortal, remember?” Methos reminded her. Dawn shook her head. “No…We saw a lightning storm when the End of Days came,” she said. “A wave of blue energy hit the house…The wall cut me in half. I don't think I'd forget something like a Quickening dropping my house on me!” Methos blinked at her, then cursed. “Oh, hell. Cordelia faked our Quickenings,” he told her. “She tapped into mine…when she said the fallout leveled Sunnydale, I didn't think she was serious.” Dawn gaped. “That wasn't your real Quickening?” The Immortal shook his head. “No. She said she'd only used a part of mine. Which makes sense, when I think about it…Kalas' Quickening danced around Paris, destroying cars and buildings left and right. And he wasn't even half my age.” “Oh.” A soft moan got their attention, and they looked down at Buffy, who blinked a bit, her hand going to her neck. “Geez, Dawny. You've got grip.” “Oh, God. Buffy, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?” Dawn asked, helping the Slayer to sit up. “Yeah. Immortal healing and all that…Remind me to kick Cordelia's ass for not telling us what to expect when we went through the portal, would you, Methos?” she groused. Methos chuckled. “Of course. C'mon. I have no desire to spend the night here…Rather depressing, this place.” “Portal?” Dawn blinked at her sister. Buffy nodded. “Yeah…Methos and I both died during the End of Days battle. We woke up in another dimension. You'll like it there. Vamps can walk in the sun.” Dawn bit her lip. “About that…Buffy, don't be mad at Spike for siring me, please.” Buffy shushed her with a finger over her lips. “You're alive. That's all that matters. I'd have come sooner if I'd known how much time had passed. It's only been a year in the world we've been in. I had no idea it had been over a century for you here.” Methos put a hand on Buffy's shoulder. “Hey, none of that. Cordelia didn't know either, remember? Something was blocking her visions. We barely made it in time as it was. No use worrying about what ifs.” “Let's get Spike and get out of here before Angelus comes back,” Buffy said, standing. Methos caught her arm as she swayed. “Dizzy?” “Oh, yeah. Fun side effect of blood loss. Wow…I'd almost forgotten what it was like,” Buffy quipped. Methos laughed. “Oh, like us sparring to death doesn't refresh your memory,” he said, sliding his arm around her waist. “Okay, you've got a point. But, hey, vampire bite. It's been a while since I've had one of those,” Buffy said, grinning. “Sorry,” Dawn mumbled. “Hey, no big. I'll live, right? Besides, what's a little bite between you and me? We've got the same blood anyway. Swapping is no big deal,” Buffy said, trying to lighten her sister's mood. “We're going to have to hang her between us, Buffy. She can't walk with her feet like that,” Methos said. Buffy nodded. “That works. We'll have to do the same with Spike between you and Legolas,” she said, then frowned. “I saw his chest…no matter what we do, it's going to hurt him.” Methos gave her a grim look. “I know. But, we're doing it for a good reason. And if we leave him here until he heals, Angelus might find him again. I'd rather not think of the consequences if that happened.” Buffy nodded. “Okay, let's do this,” she said, kneeling and drawing one of Dawn's arms over her shoulder, waiting until Methos had done the same on her other side before they stood slowly, supporting Dawn's weight between them. “Now, we go get Spike, and get the hell out of here,” Buffy said. “This place is giving me a major wiggins.” “It's probably just something you ate,” Methos drawled. A few hours, and much grumbling and cursing later, they were getting close to the portal. “Are you sure this is the right way, Legolas?” Buffy asked, worried. She didn't recognize anything. Then again, she'd been seeing explosions every couple of minutes, so there was no telling what had happened to the scenery between the time they'd left the portal and when they'd started back. “Yes, I'm certain,” Legolas told her patiently. “My eyesight is very good.” “He's not joking. I watched him hit a knob on a tree from half a mile off. How the hell he managed that is beyond me,” Methos informed her. “Sniper rifle?” Buffy questioned. Methos snorted. “In Middle Earth? Please. He used a bow and arrow.” Buffy raised an eyebrow at that, looking at the elf. “Remind me never to get on your bad side.” Legolas chuckled. “I daresay that would be a rather close fight.” Buffy blushed. “Thanks.” The blonde elf nodded. “You're welcome.” Methos shifted his grip on Spike's arm. “Gods, he's bloody heavy.” Legolas turned to look at him. “I can carry him alone, if you'd like.” Methos arched an eyebrow at him. “You sure?” Legolas nodded. “I've carried much heavier.” “Alright, then,” the Immortal conceded, handing the vampire over to him. Legolas carried Spike like he was little more than a child. Silence reigned for a while, then they reached the area where they'd come out of the portal. “Um…where is it?” Buffy said, looking around. “This is just great…we're stuck in a literal Hell, and Cordelia's not paying attention!” Methos sniped. “I resent that,” Cordelia said, stepping out of thin air. Buffy frowned. “Okay, that was freaky.” Cordelia grinned. “Well, I figured leaving the portal all glowy was kind of like ringing the dinner bell around here. So, hey, camouflage!” “Can we just go? I want out of here,” Dawn said quietly. Cordelia's face softened when she looked at Dawn, and she nodded. “Yeah. We're gone,” she told her, gesturing briefly. None of them saw anything, but they felt a dizzying rush of movement, and when they felt the eerie spinning sensation stop, they were in Middle Earth. Everyone but Cordelia and Legolas collapsed immediately, too dizzy to stand. Dawn whimpered. “You're laying on my hand, Buffy.” The Slayer moved quickly. “Sorry, Dawny. Are you alright?” Dawn was silent for a long moment. “No. But, I'll live.” “I'm so sorry we didn't come sooner,” Buffy said quietly. “It's okay. I thought you were dead. You thought I was dead. It was this whole big dead thing,” Dawn said. Buffy giggled, she couldn't help it. Dawn scowled at her for a moment, then couldn't help but start snickering herself. “Bloody fuckin' hell!” Spike's voice just made them jump slightly, then laugh harder. Legolas watched them with amusement. Things were starting to look up. *Yes, I am an evil bitch. I also will only write a sequel if I get lots and lots of feedback. So, get hoppin', people!