Title: The First Seconded
Author: Falcon-Rider falcon_rider@hotmail.com
Website: www.geocities.com/starsightvoices
Rating: PG-13 for Agnst and ect. (Spike will have guilt and feels remorse, more on that will be touched on in later chaps)
Archiving: www.fanfiction.net, The Stars The Voices, and if you want to archive it just email and ask me. And send me a link to your site while you're at it! J
Disclaimer: I own nothing 'cept the plot and Nich. J
Authors note: Someone asked if Tara went through the Trails the answer is no she did not, the powers brought her back to aid Spike and Nich, there is a reason behind this in my overall plot that will come out in the last bit of the story. The only person who went through the trials is Spike. Does that answer your question? Oh and yes she's real, she's just like she was before she died. Oh, they do mention in Part One a bit about Sunnydale and why she's not there. J
And now to the Story!
***
Part two Learning to Breathe
141 days
The hut was empty when Spike awoke the next day. He slowly sat up noticing almost all of his bruises were gone and cuts healed. A small sliver of light drifted in form the huts entrance and fell across a small note pad next to his bed. Reaching down he picked it up and saw it was a note from the two girls that shared the hut.
~William~Nich and I went to the nearby village for supplies; we'll be back around three. There's a change of clothes for you in the chest. There's also a backpack with a towel, soup and a toothbrush (amongst other things) in there, yours is the black one with the red zipper.
There's a water hole on the other side of the oasis, no need to worry about predators the powers have made it so only the herbivores will visit it. You can clean up there.
~Tara~
PS remember to wear sun block.
Spike sat up and looked around the small hut wondering what time it was. When he finally got up he made his way across the room to the chest and opened it. There were three sections in the chest, which he guessed meant there was one for each of them. A black and red backpack set on top of one of the sides so he took it out. Beneath it was several pairs of khakis and jeans, along with several shirts of varying colors, that for the most part blue, tan, white and black. He chose one of the blue jeans and a tan shirt, he knew it probably wasn't flattering but didn't care knowing it was going to be hot outside.
Indeed it was hot outside. The sun was high when Spike exited the hut, he could tell even having not been outside for the last century it was about midday. The ex-vampire had found the container of sun block and spread it across his arms, legs, neck and face. He had slipped on the pair of tennis shoes and stepped out into the bright sun. It had taken a moment for his eyes to adjust the brightness, and then he had promptly spotted the waterhole and headed toward it.
Once there spike stared at his reflection in the water, after he had studied his reflection for about half an hour he looked away. The person he saw was different from the last time he had seen himself, his hair was shorter and white, and he was skinner and his body was toned unlike it had been before being turned. Eventually he undressed and slipped into the cool water hissing as it touched his remaining injuries. He swam for a while before grabbing the soap and cleaning the sweat and dried blood from his body. When he was finished he redressed and applied the sun block once more before heading back to the hut.
*
Nich kicked a pebble and it skidded in the dust and gravel road ahead of her. Tara and she had managed to gather some weapons, knives and a spear, from the villagers along with some fruit and herbs. The teen had scared a few of the villagers who noticed her eyes were 'demon-like' in color and shape, since they had slited pupils.
Tara hadn't said anything yet but Nich knew she probably wasn't going to be returning to the village with the witch the next time someone had to go there.
"I'm sorry about my eyes," Nich said softly. "I'll have to remember to wear my contacts next time."
"That's alright, it not your fault… sides we got all the things we needed." Tara smiled as she whipped her forehead with the back of her hand. Nich was silent again and Tara glanced over at the teen. She was worried for the girl, it seemed to her as if Nich wasn't used to being treated well, and that probably had a big thing to do with her cat-like eyes.
Nich nodded and stared ahead once more and the two fell into a silence as they walked.
*
It was about two thirty when the girls reached the oasis and Spike was nowhere to be seen. Tara headed into the hut and set the weapons, not including the spear, on a rack against the wall and pulled out the book. She sat down in the shade of the hut and began to take notes as Nich messed around.
So far Nich had managed to twirl the spear five times in a circle switching hands once before dropping it. Every time the spear fell she cursed silently jumping back. On Nich's sixth attempt the spear flew backward out of her grip. She flinched waiting for it to hit the ground once more.
"She should be careful pet, you could have broken something." Nich flinched again before she turned to face the slayer.
"Sorry, just trying to-"
"Do this?" Spike asked and began to spin the spear expertly. Nich's eyes widened and she nodded.
"How do you do that?"
"Here I'll show you," Spike stopped spinning the spear and motioned for her to come to him.
Tara glanced up and smiled as Spike taught Nich how to move her hands correctly and how to make the spear move. She let them mess around for about half an hour before she stood and brushed the dirt off her legs.
"Nich, why don't you practice that in the shade?" Tara asked the teenager as she reached them. Spike quirked an eyebrow at the blonde witch and Nich sighed as she picked up the fallen spear once more.
"So Glinda, what's on the agenda?" Spike asked her watching as Nich continued to fumble through the twists and turns the spear made.
"Control would probably be something to work on," Tara sorted through the pouch that hung from a strap on her shoulder.
"Control? Controlling what?" he asked as Tara produced a crystal. She held it between them, a rainbow appeared on the ground as the light reflected through it, Tara looked up at him.
"You haven't needed to breath for a century," Spike looked at her with an expression that told her 'duh'. Tara smiled. "So it'll be easy for you to learn to control it, or it should be."
He nodded, "Right… so where are we going to do this?"
"Sit cross-legged on the ground," Spike did as she told him, and sat in front of a small stone with an indent in the center. Tara placed the crystal in the indent and glanced over to where he was watching her. "Now concentrate on the crystal," Spike stared hard watching the light reflect over and through it creating rainbows. "Now slow your breathing-"
"Ouch!" Nich squealed startling Tara and spike. She grinned sheepishly, "Sorry… I'll just go practice at the water whole then…"
As Nich walked off Tara turned back to Spike, "All right then begin again. Focus…"
*
That night the three gathered at a fire outside of the small hut that was now their temporary home. Nich was seated on s small rock, a bowl of Tara's soup in her hands. Spike lay back in the cool sand across the fire from the teen staring up at the stars as Tara poured him a second helping.
"So, how long are we going to be here?" Spike asked breaking into the silence of the cool night, which contrasted greatly to the blistering heat of the day.
Nich glanced up from scowling at her dinner, "That's something I'd like to know too… I mean being away from civilization for more than a few days." She shuddered. "I'd miss out on… well everything."
Tara smiled softly, "We'll stay here for a m-month, after that w-we'll have to head out and find some answers." She walked over at Spike and handed him the soup bowl, "Perhaps Eng-England? We'll need to get William some traveling and birth documents, p-plus we can probably find some information about being a slayer… more than you already know that is."
Spike nodded as he sat up to take the soup, "Perhaps, perhaps I can even up one on…" He trailed off finding himself hit by a torment of emotions as he went to say his loves name "You know, get a Slayers handbook an all." He added softly.
"What do they need a handbook for?" Nich snorted. "What does it say: Place stake A into heart B of Vampire C and thus Vampire C goes all dusty?"
"Yes ma-maybe you could," Tara ignored Nich's comment and walked over to sit on another rock.
Spike stirred the soup slowly watching the meat and herbs spin in a small whirlpool. He glanced back up at the stars and sighed as he removed his spoon from the liquid and brought it to his lips.
TBC
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Next Part: William the Vampire Slayer