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. Anyway, Kris and Echo are mine as well.. but they aren't in this chappy… as for previous chap Faiths friends belong to me as well!

Authors note:  I planned to post this in the morning BUT I ended up sending the update email instead of saving the draft of it so I could send it in the morning, anyway happy veterans day! And thank you veterans! Can anyone tell I'm running on no caffeine (for once) and 1 hour of sleep?

As for where this is going: Just Ask and I'll check ur site out…and for those ppl who I've said I would email them the parts w/o my author notes so they can post them… their coming soon!

I'm gonna sing the doom song now! ^_^

Dooom….. doooom….. dooooom…. Now to the story.

***

Part Twenty-Five

Puzzle Pieces

42 days

"Angel is your Father." Nich said frowning as Connor bolted up and stared her straight in the eye.

"My father is dead. Angel murdered him, sucked the life right out of him. He had the bite marks to prove it." Connor growled at her.

Nich looked up at him unfazed, "Really and how did you know it was Angel that killed him and not some random vamp, or even someone with a fork?"

"He had a bite mark on his neck, two neat holes and there was a witness." Connor narrowed his eyes. "A young woman named Justine helped me get back at Angel."

Nich rolled her eyes and stood up, "First of all, you wanna be bad guys all talk way to much. But I'm getting off subject here so I'll lay down the facts like this. Vampires bite with all their front teeth not just the sharp pointy ones on the side, so whoever killed your 'Father,'" She made air quotes with her fingers. "Was not a vampire."

"And Justine is an evil bitch that ganged up with Holtz." Fred said suddenly from where she was watching the scene. "She tricked Wesley into giving you to her and Holtz for safe keeping, when Wesley found the fake prophesy that said Angel was going to kill you, and then she slit his throat."

Connor froze. He could hear the heat beat of everyone, including himself in the room. And the pieces of the puzzle that had been laid out in front of him flew together to form the whole picture.

The picture that had been jumbled for quite some time.

*

"So here we are, on a boat in the middle of no where in the middle of the night," Gunn muttered to himself. "Not that I haven't gotten used to doing things like this what with the killing Demons thing and everything."

Spike raised his eyebrow and glanced at Gunn from where he stood off to the side. "You enjoy working with peaches?"

Gunn looked up and frowned, "Who?"

"Angel, the magnificent poof," Spike turned toward the Demon Hunter. "Do you enjoy following him into battle against the 'forces of darkness'."

Gunn shrugged, "It's life. Its what I've been doing for years, even sold my soul for it at one point." He murmured the last part under his breath.

"Sold you soul for it, me I can imagine doing that but, why?"

"Didn't think I'd live long enough to have a life or fall in love, so I sold it."

"For what?"

"My truck," Gunn expected Spike to burst out laughing but he just nodded.

"I can sympathize, I have a car, a black Desoto," Spike smiled as he thought about it in the storage cubicle he had purchased just for it. "God I love it, can't picture myself without it, it's been so long."

Gunn raised an eyebrow, "Long? You can't have been driving for anymore more than ten, maybe twelve years."

Spike laughed, "I'm older than I look."

*

Anya turned on Willow, "What did you do?!" She screeched at the red head witch.

Willow drew in a deep breath and tried to stay calm as she was assaulted verbally by the vengeance demon with hurtful accusations.

"And Giles how could you let her?" She turned toward the older man her eyes sparkling with tears. "How could you let her create something that… to replace Tara."

"Anya!" Tara hissed finally able to speak.

Willow bit her lip as small specs of water began to drizzle down her check and sparkle in the lamplight.

"How could you let her use her magic that way-" Anya was cut off as Tara's hand connected with her check. Anya stumbled back shocked into Giles arms. The old man rubbed his hands gently on her upper arms.

"Shh… It wasn't Willow, and that is Tara," Giles told her softly staring into Anyas eyes.

"That's impossible!" Anya protested weakly. "How?"

Tara rubbed her hand and smiled weakly, "I'm sorry I hit you Anya… to answer your question it was the powers."

Tara glanced at Willow who was trying to stop the tears. She reached out and gently took her lovers hand in hers. Willow smiled and mouthed her thanks. The brunette/blonde (which is she?) witch nodded in reply and turned back to the couple still embracing slightly.

Giles managed to calm Anya down and the woman turned with a small smile and apologized to Willow, "Sorry about the blaming and all, it was just you did go crazy with Magic and we wouldn't blame you, or we would, if you did it again. Plus you missed Tara so much, it wouldn't surprise me if you brain washed Giles just to…" Anya trailed off and turned to Giles. "Oh my God, she didn't brain wash you into believing she was good or that bunny's are the best thing in the entire world did she?!"

Giles sighed and smiled, "No Anya."

"Good, cause that would be horrible," She shuttered and then glanced around the room before turning back to her lover. "So do you like my hair?"

*

"This is the coordinates," Wesley announced as he exited the main cabin. "At least the ones Justine gave us."

Justine sighed from her position on the edge of the boat, "I gave you the correct coordinates so don't go thinking I'm pulling a fast one on you." She stood and stretched in her wet suit. "Sides I'm the one your forcing go down there and hook the contraption up-"

She was grabbed around the throat by a strong hand.

"You run off and I will find you," Spike growled just so she could hear. "And I will torture you. I find its something that I still have a slight liking for, especially if someone hurts the people I care about."

He dropped his hand and she reached a hand slowly up to massage her throat. "Right, I guess I better get going then… where's the chains and equipment I'll need?"

*

"Dawn?" Xander asked. "What are you doing here?"

Dawn spun around and nearly ran into him, "Hanging with my friends, why?"

"Oh, fun." Xander glanced around. "You do realize it's after midnight right?"

"Oh shoot."

*

Xander shook his head as he watched Dawn gather her friends, a guy and girl he didn't know, up and head toward the exit. Dawn was going to be in some serious trouble unless Buffy wasn't still out patrolling.

"You want something to drink?" The bartender asked him.

Xander turned back to the man and shrugged. "One beer please."

"One beer coming right up."

Xander sighed and took out his wallet and payed for his drink. Staring into it he hadn't even taken a sip when a female voice caught his attention from behind him.

"Hi, is anyone sitting here?"

*

The water was cold, freezing cold and dark. The only thing that lit her path was the flashlight that Wesley had connected to her suit. Taking a deep breath Justine swam even deeper into the cold, murky water.

After a few more minutes she reached the sandy bottom floor after working her way through a scared school of small fish. She turned slowly, trying to get a good look of her surroundings.

The beam from her flashlight reflected off something in the distance, not to far away though. She kicked up and swam in the direction of the object.

*

Turning the doorknob Buffy sighed and yawned loudly. The house was dark except for the soft glow of the television in the living room.

"Buffy, your back." Dawn smiled sleepily from the coach.

"Mmm-Hmm, and your grounded."

"What?" Dawn feigned shock suddenly wide-awake. "But I…"

"I saw you while you were walking home Dawn. About half an hour ago," Buffy shook her head tiredly. "Don't worry its only two days for a first timer… and you can still go to dance. Next time it's a week and no dance." Buffy yawned and pulled Spikes coat closer around her.

"Fine," Dawn sighed and turned off the television. "By the way I love the coat." She added darkly before turning and heading back up the stairs.

Buffy frowned as she watched her sister hurry up to her room and to the comfort of her warm bed. What made Dawn so mad at the thought that she was wearing Spikes coat. And since when was she worried about if someone thought she and Spike weren't good together. The thought of Spike and her together made her cringe inwardly, what if he never came back?

*

"So, you're together?" Willow asked glancing between Anya and Giles. It was weird, thinking that Giles and Anya were… but not so weird as some of the things she had seen in her life.

"Yep," Anya smiled broadly. "Giles makes me very happy, and he gives me many orgasms."

Giles coughed and removed his glasses.

"Good for you," Tara smiled trying to hold back laughter as Willow bit her lip to keep her own giggles in.

"So, Tara how is the coming back to life thing going? Buffy never gave me a straight answer and I would really like to know," Anya glanced the witch over scrutinizing.

"Um, well, good?

---

'Maybe the wildest dreams are all but the needful preludes to the truth.'

– Alfred Lord Tennyson

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Author Note: Next update either Wednesday or Saturday depends on when I have time this week. Hey look I added a quote! I'm also trying REAL hard to fit SD in a bit so I don't have to write straight LA chaps cause that would be really confusing since I have to jump around from time to time a lot… which is why Xander was placed in the fic, and the fact he kind of has gotten left out drastically since he's really not my fav character. So if I leave him out of important group scenes later please tell me!

To be continued in: No Baloney

Review, I love to have feedback!!

^_^  Please?