The Saviors Of The Three Worlds

I Will Always Love You (3)

THE ENCHANTED FOREST: PRESENT DAY

After what felt like an eternity and many-many headaches curtsey of Hook's inability to keep his mouth shut for more than a minute, Buffy sighs in relief as they finally reach the top of the beanstalk.
Climbing off the beanstalk Buffy drops down onto the flat surface, almost kissing the ground in joy. It felt nice to actually have her feet on the ground after hours of climbing with a talkative pirate.

However, despite her joy over being able to walk along a stone floor, the blonde's eyes widen as she finally takes in the sight of the giant's home. The castle was huge but that wasn't what drew her attention...it was the bodies. Different skeletons were scattered all over the grounds, a mixture of human bones and that of giants. It was a full-on war zone up here and the aftermath was not pretty.

"Talk about morbid." Buffy mumbles under her breath as she steps over a body of rotting bones before glancing over at Hook with an arched brow "So you wanna explain the skeletons? Or should I just continue grave stumping?"

"It's where the final battle was." The pirate explains before his eyes land on the blood dripping down her fingertips and onto the ground "Give me your hand."

 At the sudden urgent yet almost concerned tone of voice Buffy merely tilts her head eyeing him skeptically "Huh?" She couldn't help but mumble in confusion, a little unsure of how to respond to his words "Not big on handholding no offense..."
Hook merely chuckles in amusement as she gestures to his hook before grabbing her wrist only to groan as in an instant he found himself pinned to the ground.

The second he had touched her, her body had reacted on instinct leaving her pinning Hook face-first to the ground while her knee pressed into the bottom of his spine causing him to hiss in pain.
"Bloody hell woman!" Hook exclaims before tapping the floor in surrender with his hand, she was a lot stronger than he had originally thought. Cora had clearly underestimated this one.
"Your hand..." He continues, "It's cut. I was just trying to help."
Buffy eyes him skeptically before glancing down at her hand only to wince, sure enough, he had been right. Her hand was drenched in blood from where she had dug into the thorns of the beanstalk. Reluctantly she lifts her knee from the pirate's back releasing him from her hold before backing away from him "I'll live."

Hook merely lets out a small cough as he laughs, this woman was definitely jumpy and untrusting, more so than anyone he had ever met. Pulling himself up to his feet he wipes the dust and grime from his leather before holding out his hand in surrender, now knowing better than to just reach for the jumpy woman who could kill him in a heartbeat.
"May I?" He questions gesturing to her bloody hand causing the blonde to roll her eyes in annoyance "You may not. I heal fast."

Ignoring her snarky commentary he carefully reaches out and grabs her wrist with his hook, making sure not to set her off this time. He would rather leave this place with at least his good hand "We'll until it heals."
Watching the pirate carefully as he reaches for his flask to disinfect her wound Buffy couldn't help but scoff "So now you're going to be a gentleman?"
"Giants can smell blood." Hook argues with a small smug smirk as he brings the blonde closer causing her to groan at his attempt to flirt with her "And I'm always a gentleman."

Clenching her jaw tightly, Buffy resists the urge to knock his teeth out and merely allows him to pour the rum from his flask over her wound. As he does, the pirate couldn't help but find himself watching her completely intrigued as she remains motionless, not a single wince at the alcohol burning her open wound "Now, Luv, why isn't that bothering you? Another one of your secret skills?"
"Pain and I had a good chat couple of years ago." Buffy mumbles snarkily as she watches Hook carefully begin wrapping his black scarf around her wound. However, as he uses his teeth to tighten the scarf the blonde snatches the flask from his hand and brings it to her lips, allowing the rum to run down her throat.

"Thanks." She breaths as she roughly yanks her now free hand out of his reach before tossing him back the flask. Twirling the scythe in her grasp she turns and eyes what was practically a graveyard carefully before smiling "So great plan...you're gonna be bait."
"What?" The pirate snaps out as he turns to stand beside her "No Luv, I don't play bait."
"And I'm not waiting around for a giant to have a catnap. Draw him out, and I can use Mulan's roofie to knock him out."

Despite hating the idea of being forced to play bait in an already risky plan, Hook had to admit, her idea was probably the most effective and the most likely to end up in a successful adventure "Point taken. You're a tough lass. You'd made a hell of a pirate."
Scoffing in distaste at the mere idea of her ending up as a pirate Buffy shakes her head before frowning as she spots it. The Tattoo on his arm, a heart with a name right in the middle.
She never would have figured Hook for the lovesick kind of pirate.

"Whose Milah?" She asks drawing a dark look to cross his blue eyes at the words leaving her lips.
"Someone from long ago." He mumbles as he glances away from the blonde and yanks down his sleeve hiding the tattoo from her view once again.
As she watches him Buffy couldn't help but spot a familiar look in his eyes, a look she saw reflected back into her own eyes every time she looked into the mirror.
Having lost the light in your life, the one person who you loved more than anything in life.

"Rumpelstiltskin." She breaths in realization causing his eyes to snap back to her "Taking a hand doesn't make one focus on nothing but vengeance."

Hook couldn't help but raise an eyebrow curiously at the woman before grabbing her wrist once more and pushing back the sleeve of her army jacket, revealing the tattoo of her own he had spotted earlier "For a woman who claims to have never been in love, you're quite perceptive." He argues before tapping her tattoo "Tell me, Luv, what do the heart, crown, and hands mean? Seems like a symbol of love to my eyes."
Clenching her jaw tightly Buffy grits her teeth before shoving him back slightly "One: don't touch me and two...I didn't claim anything...the person I was back then...is dead."

With that, Buffy tilts her head swinging the scythe once more before turning her back on the pirate "Let's just get this over with."

Making her way over to the large statue that would hopefully get her in reach of the giant's face without becoming giant food, Buffy pulls off her jacket tossing it to the ground before placing her scythe into her holster.

"Need a boost Luv?"

Groaning Buffy smiles sarcastically as she spots Hook wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at her. For someone out for revenge, he definitely switched back to flirt and annoy Buffy mode very quickly.
Without a word, the blonde leaps up grabbing onto the end of the statue before hauling her body up gracefully till she was stood at the top smiling down at Hook playfully "I'm good!"

Hook couldn't help but chuckle in amusement as he watches the blonde with an impressed brow "These enhanced gifts of yours are convenient Luv." He comments before grabbing a large giant bone from the ground and making his way over to one of the shields laid out on the ground.

"Ready?!" The pirate calls out as he hesitantly raises the bone ready to begin his job as a distraction, one he very much was not looking forward to.

Buffy sighs nervously before glancing back towards the home where the giant was still hidden away. She could only hope this poppy seed powder from Mulan worked otherwise Hook was giant bait and she was in no mood to fight a giant. At least not in this outfit.
Tightening her grasp around the scythe once more Buffy exhales softly before glancing back down over at Hook.

It was time.

"Now!"

With that signal, Hook finally swings the bone at the shield causing a loud metallic echo to flow through the courtyard, making its way into the giant's home.
Sure enough, the ground slowly begins to tremble beneath both the Slayer and the pirate's feet. And while Hook struggles to stand, Buffy grasps her hand tightly around the metal statue to keep herself from going plummeting face-first to the ground below.