Title: The First Seconded

Author: Falcon-Rider falcon_rider@hotmail.com

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

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

Authors note: this Is my, I've been busy… went to my high school homecoming game, the WSU game… which I was in a section their mascot Butch climbed up into… so fun… anyway both My highschool and the Cougs won so mesa happy… I loved the Angel ep and since I loved it so much I have taken some creative liberties and am using it to break my writers block and there is going to be some slight similarities with that ep starting in chapter 21 but don't worry just acouple of things… like connor being with Ginn and fred still and Lilah and Wesely together. After that not so much… oh Justine will be tied up but NOT by Wesley so don't yell at me when I get to that part. Err… did I mention I like to ramble?

Oh and I think I may have read the 'Have a bad night T-shirt thing in another fic… so its not mine and it belongs to the person who origanly wrote it… whoever you are!

Oh and I was soo sad to hear about the guy that played Timmy!

I love my school! Todays a late start… and I have 14 minutes left on my buffy 7x03 download!

 TO THE STORY!

****

Part Nineteen

Buying time

43 days

Nich laid her suitcase out across her bed in the small hotel room and sighed as she stared blankly at the dark black casing. Her stomach was just starting to settle down from its upsetting airplane trip. Unlatching the clasp on the end she reached around the side and pulled the zipper from one end of the case to the other then slowly opened the lid. Fumbling through the various clothing items she found a pair of flare blue jeans and a 'Have a nice day' tee-that had been childishly marked on and re-written to say 'Have a horrible night' then on the back a evil smiley had been drawn with 'MWA HAHAHAHA!' Scrolled under it.

The bathroom door clicked and swung open as a freshly showered and shaved Spike exited it. Walking across the room he passed Nich as she headed to the bathroom and eyed her shirt with a bemused look.

"Does that smiley have ridges?"

Nich opened the shirt so he could see and smiled broadly as he looked it over critically. "Like it?"

He laughed and shook his head. "I have told you you're insane before right?"

She nodded before continuing to the bathroom, "Yep, that and I have the wickedest bite."

"I doubt I used that wording," Spike muttered as the door closed. He walked across the room to his bed and sat down grabbing the remote off the Television as he went. "Time to see what Timmy's been up to…"

*

Nich slipped her shirt over her head and the towel that was still wrapped around her still wet hair. She quickly removed the towel and secured her hair into a long braid before exiting the bathroom to find her surrogate big brother sitting on his bed a frown marring his features.

"What's up?"

"The actor that played Timmy died."

"Who?" Nich frowned; she had absolutely no idea what he was talking about.

"The actor that played Timmy, on passions. He died."

"Passions? The soap?" Nich asked sitting next to him.

"No the number one vampire movie of all time. Of course the soap!" Spike said the first bit sarcastically. Nich frowned and looked at him weirdly.

"You watched soap operas?" She shook her head as she walked back over to her own bed. "You must have been one messed up Vampire."

"You have no idea," Was the muttered reply.

*

"Oh shoot," Dawn grumbled as she glanced at her watch. Picking up her pace from a walk to a Sprint she hurried toward the Newly built gym that Dance team try-outs were taking place in. The teen had considered Trying out for cheerleading but had decided to try a venue not traveled yet by a summers.

She entered the Gym and slowed to a walk as she rounded the corner to the padded area in an off to the side area of the gym where nine other girls were stretching. Dawn heat fell slightly as she realized there would be no competition for a spot on the team, and that everyone that had shown up would most likely get a spot. She smiled awkwardly as she set her bag down and found a place near the back of the group next to a girl with violet and black streaked hair.

"Hi, I'm Echo," The girl smiled a bit. "You're Dawn right?"

"You've heard of me?" Dawn frowned as she spoke.

Echo laughed, "Don't worry about it. My cousins Janice… she has a picture of you in her scrap book."

"You're Janice's cousin?"

Echo sighed and nodded, "Not by choice."

"I get what you mean." Dawn laughed leaning down over her knee in a hurdler stretch. "She's not the funniest person to hang around with anymore."

"You got black listed as well?"

Dawn nodded, "Yep, all cause I wouldn't steal a purple prada back pack to fit in with her 'clique'."

A whistle blew dissolving all conversation between the groups as their dance coach jogged up.

"Alright team this is try out week, and from the looks of it most if not all of you will make it onto Sunnydale Highs first Dance team," Faith glanced around at the teenagers in various stretching positions before her. "I am Miss Wilkins and I'll be your coach… Yes?"

"Will we be running laps if we get in trouble?" A short girl dressed completely in brand name clothes asked worriedly.

"You'll be running laps even if you're not in trouble," Faith turned her gaze toward Dawn and Echo. "You will all have to be in shape to stay on the team. If you get lazy, don't run when we're running, or skip practice without a legitimate reason than you will be removed from the team."

Dawn bit her lip and hoped that slaying wouldn't get in the way of her staying on the team. As much as she wanted to save lives she had always wanted to dance. She had even taken ballet dances when she was still in LA but not long after she had moved to Sunnydale the local dance studio had not only been burned down but the person who ran it had 'fallen on a wedge of glass' from a mirror and bled to death.

"The sign up sheet is right here… please fill out every category and place your release forms in a nice neat pile next to it," Faith glanced around. "You have seven minutes and then we will be running a mile around the brand new track."

The comment on the mile run was met with groans from several of the girls in the front of the room.

"All right then," Faith smiled. "You will all run two miles… as a team. You will begin and end within fifteen seconds of each other, understood?"

"Yes Ma'am!" Echo replied smiling broadly as she groaned inwardly at being stuck with the rest of the team.

"We're going to be here all night." Dawn mumbled to her.

"This sucks." Came the reply.

*

"-Saturday night? At the bronze?"

Buffy at the college student in front of her, "Sorry I'm busy."

"Oh come on! I know you're not dating anyone. I asked you sister if you were and she said-."

"Look you're a great guy but I'm definitely not the person for you… plus I recently got out of a relationship and I'm just not ready to move on yet." Buffy gave him a small smile as he nodded slightly.

"I understand… see you Monday in class then." As he walked off Buffy leaned back heavily against the wall.

"Why does he have to be in both my phsych class and my self defense class?"

"Because your luck is rotten and you're the slayer… or is it you're the slayer therefore the luck s rotten?"

Buffy smiled and stood up straight, "Hey Dawnie. How was dance?"

The teen smiled broadly, "I am so far second place on the team do to the fact she's leaving spot one open till we either start competing or find more people to try out."

"The team isn't that big is it?" Buffy asked as she leaned down to grab her bag.

Dawn shook her head and sighed, "Sadly no. It's still the first year we have a team so you can't accept a whole lot so soon. Oh, I met this girl at practice, Echo, and I wanted to know if I could show her around town tomorrow with some of my friends since the magic box is closed and I don't have school."

"She just moved here huh?" Buffy bit her lip trying to decide if she should let her sister go or not.

"Come on Buffy, I'll be careful!" Dawn pouted as they walked out of the gym. "Please? Its not like I'm going slaying, it will just be a tour of the town in the daylight and then a bit of bronzing and maybe afterwards a sleep over?"

"Alright-"

"Yes! Thank you so much!" Dawn let a large smile cross her face as she jumped slightly and locked her hands together.

"On one condition, you will be home by eleven and in bed by one."

"Eleven?" Dawn protested but faltered at Buffy's look. "Alright, I promise. Home at eleven, bed at one."

"Good." Buffy smiled. "The last thing I need is for you to get hurt or kidnapped, again."

****

Author Note: I actually wrote a drum part to a song… now I have to write the bass guitar part… and the guitar and… watch me change hobbies in a flash… ^_^ Any way I LOVED Beneath You and can't wait till ten minutes from now… and I LOVE Firefly and have ½ the pilot on my computer… (dances) The Joy of Mirc and KaZaA. ^_^

Hmmm…!

To be continued in: Relatively Alright

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