Title: The First Seconded

Author: Falcon-Rider falcon_rider@hotmail.com

Rating: PG-13 for Agnst and ect. And CD

Disclaimer: I own nothing 'cept the plot and Nich.

Authors note: SO SORRY On the late update! Erm its all from Buffys POV if ur confused. And Im going to update once or twice a week from here on out

 TO THE STORY!

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Part Fifteen

Times up.

59 days

A young girl sat at the dining room table as she walked into the room. The room normal, nothing different about it except for the teenager that sat completely still except for her hand which dropped two dice onto the table in front of her.

The teenager leaned forward and tilted her head to read the numbers on the dice. She glance up at Buffy as the female slayer walked forward to stand at the opposite side of the table. Twin gold slitted eyes met hers and Buffy frowned.

The girl looked back down at the dice as Buffy reached out and pulled them to her. The dice were twins each a brilliant multitude of swirling colors, bright-lived colors changed into darkness and swirled in a vortex.

Twin numbers stood out, one in white one in black.

Three dots each.

The dice shifted and melted and sand fell through her fingertips causing Buffy to jump back as the gritty substance fell from her hand. She glanced up and found herself before a fire. A flickering familiar image stood before her.

One moment a primal creature, the first Slayer.

 The next her deceased Wiccan friend Tara.

"Death, is the gift one brings… all can give it, few chose it."

A sound broke her gaze away and she turned her head and saw a familiar face.

"Spike?"

The blonde Vampire lifted his head toward her from where he knelt. His voice was hoarse and his bright blue gaze filled with sorrow.

Buffy's walked toward him but only a few feet from him found herself up against an invisible wall.

"When one dies another is called."

Spike turned his head toward the side as a young woman wrapped her arms around his shoulder and held a cloth over his face. Buffy felt dread and worry and sorrow pass through her as the woman spoke.

"Don't worry dearie it will all be over soon. All the pain will be gone."

Buffy shot up choking and spitting up water as Xander drew back from her his gaze filled with worry. Buffy sat up and glanced around at the dismal cavern as the scene changed again. Buffy walks to the front of an alley she stops as she hears a familiar voice behind her.

"What do you think you're doing?"

She replied quietly.

"The right thing for once."

She starts to walk foreword but the screen shifts and this time he's standing in front of her in Game face after she had thrown him into the boxes after he had told her that he loved her.

"You're not throwing your life away over this." He growled.

"It's not your choice."

"Why are you doing this to yourself?"

"A girl is dead because of me."

"And how many people are alive because of you? How many have you saved? One dead girl doesn't tip the scale."

"That's all it is to you isn't it? Just another body."

"Buffy."

She flung herself at him punching and screaming. She knocked him to the ground and continued her assault. Suddenly she glanced at him shocked. She was staring down into his face; a face she had beaten till it was bloodied and broken.

She drew back and ran from the alley.

The scene changed and she found herself standing in her bathroom. Spike entered and closed the door.

"Get out."

"We need to talk."

"I really don't"

"This isn't just about you -- as much you'd like it to be."

"You spoke. I listened. You leave."


"I'm sorry. Not that it matters now. But I needed you to know that."

"Why?"


"Because I care about you."


"Then you might want to try the not sleeping with my friends."


"That's not... I didn't go to Anya for that. I was looking for a spell."


"You were going to use a spell on me?"

"It wasn't for you. I wanted something -- anything to make this feeling stop. I just wanted it to stop. You should have let him kill me."


"I couldn't."


"Why?"


"You know why."

"Because you love me."


"No. I don't."


"Why do you keep lying to yourself?"


"I'm not saying I don't have feelings for you. I do. But it's not love. I could never trust you enough for it to become that."

The scene changed and she found herself walking into Spikes crypt.

"Oh, it's the Slayer. For a second there I was worried." Spike notices Joyce and Dawn who stand of to the side near Buffy. "So, what's with the family outing?"

"I need your help."


 "Great. I need your cash."


"I'm serious. You have to look after them."

"Well, that's a boatload of manly responsibility to come flying out of nowhere."

Buffy turns around and finds she facing Spike in her living room. His hair is ruffled and the gel almost completely gone leaving it in its natural curls.

"We're not all gonna make it. You know that."


 "Yeah." Spike nodded. He turned back form the weapons chest a walked toward her. "Hey. Always knew I'd go down fightin'."

"I'm counting on you ... to protect her."


"Till the end of the world. Even if that happens to be tonight."

"Do you even like me?"

Spike asked softly from right beside her beneath the rugs in his crypt.


She glances at him and smiles softly.

"Sometimes."


"But you like what I do to you."

Buffy can't reply and after a few seconds he lifts a pair of handcuffs up between them.

"Do you trust me?"

Buffy staring at a hurt broken spike, his face is bloody and his shirt is torn.

"Why did you let that Glory hurt you?"


"She wanted to know who the Key was."


"I can tell her! Then you won't –"


"No!" She turned and faces Spike once more and he looks her in the eye. "You can't ever… Glory never finds out. Full stop."

"Why?"


"Buffy - the other… the not-as-pleasant Buffy. Something happened to Dawn it'd destroy her. I couldn't live, her being in that much pain. I'd let Glory kill me first. Nearly bloody did."

Buffy stares below her at a broken Spike after she had beaten him up in the alley near the police station and left him for dead.

She turns the corner toward the Police station and stares at the scene before her. Spikes Body lying crumpled on the floor of an office. His eyes wide and empty. The plasticine woman folding the hanker chief and placing it in her pocket.

Buffy's heart wrenches as Tara walks up to stand behind Spike staring down at his empty face. She slowly looks up and as she does her face and body changes to that of the first Slayer


"Love. Give. Forgive. Risk the pain. It is your nature. Love will bring you to your gift."


"What? I'm sorry, but I'm just not getting this. I'm full of love. Which is nice to know. And then… love will lead me to my gift?"


"Yes."


"I'm getting a gift? Or do you mean I have a gift to give to someone else?"


"Death is your gift."

*

Buffy screamed as she shot up into a sitting position. Her hands clenched the damp sheet tightly as she took deep breaths murmuring 'oh god, oh god' over and over again. A soft knock on her door brought her out of her catatonic state and she glanced up as her sister poked her head around the door.

"Are you alright?" Dawn asked her voice filled with concern.

Buffy nodded dumbly and brought a small shaky smile to her lips, "Yah, I'm fine… just a night mare."

"Alright, if you need anything I'll be in my room," The younger summers told her as she pushed a bit of her hair behind her ear. The highlighted sections of the brunette's hair had brightened her new do, which went a few inches past her shoulders.

Buffy smiled genuinely, "Go back to sleep Dawn."

Once her sister had retreated to her room Buffy laid back the images of her dream replaying in her memory. Trust and Death. Both played a big part of it… and another big part seemed to be centered around her and Spikes relationship… the one they hadn't had. He had hurt her physically and emotionally. Another part of her mind, a smaller slightly dimmer voice argued, not any more so than she had hurt him.

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Author Note: Cliffhanger! Arg!… this wasn't supposed to be this long but I had to many points to get across… so here you go! ^_^ anyway next chap Nich, tara, giles, spike…prolly next Monday or Thursday… I now am a part of dance and a co-ed soccer team so theres even less time to be had computering.

To be continued in: Duties

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