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. Oh and a few others…
Authors note: Many reasons I haven't posted… lets blame it school and on my new Inu Yasha obsession…nani? The shows great! A hanyou who likes a miko and has the miko's reincarnation in love with him… he also likes the reincarnation… he's violent, a jerk at times, caring, half inu demon, wears red and has white/silver hair… what's not to like? So what if it's only anime…
Falcon gets a cold bucket of ice water splashed on her face! I'm up! Here's the chappie!
***
Part Thirty Seven
Familiar Dreams
8 days
"Mommy?" Her small voice echoed into the large house, her small hand twisted the golden doorknob slightly letting the linen closets door crack open slightly. "Mommy, I waited."
The little girl stared out into the dimly lit hallway before gripping the bottom of the shelf her mother had placed her on before telling her to be silent and to wait for her to return. Her long blonde hair framed her golden face as her yellow eyes adjusted to the darkness.
The hallway brightened in front of her and she giggled as she stared at the wall across from her. Carefully she slipped from her perch and landed lightly on the carpeted floor.
"Mommy!" She called out into the quiet house a smile on her pink lips. "Daddy tried to paint the wall again!"
~
She giggled smiling at her aunt as the woman attempted to juggle her stuffed animals. The brunet dropped the stuffed dog but it didn't hit the floor, instead it was caught by her Uncle.
"Hey Nichy," He knelt down before her. "Is Auntie making a fool of herself again?"
The toddler reached out and grasped a strand of her uncle's long hair causing her aunt to laugh.
"Maybe you should get a hair cut dear!"
~
"Mommy, why does Grandpa look younger than daddy?"
Her mother turned to face her and smiled slightly.
"Uh plastic surgery," her father supplied from across the room. He then received a glare from both her Mother and Grandpa.
~
Her young mind registered the dark color over the cream colored walls as the paint her father had attempted to use in the bathroom to 'brighten' it up from the brisk white color it was just last week.
She giggled as she touched the dark liquid smeared on the wall. "Daddy made a mess!" She called out.
She smeared the liquid across her new rose colored jeans she bit her lip. Her mom wasn't going to be happy that she ruined the brand new pants.
Her lips turned into a pout as she glanced around the darkened hall, "Mommy?" She called out her high voice a squeak. A little bit of light drifted from the door to her parent's bedroom.
"Mommy!" She called out again as she walked towards the color splattered door.
~
"Mommy is that me?" Nich asked pointing to the picture just out of her reach.
"Yes honey it is," Her mother answered off handedly.
"Why are my eyes blue?"
~
She past by several dark smudges on the carpet and a thick gold band that had rolled out from the guest bedroom which door was only slightly open.
Pushing open the door to her parents' room she smiled softly at her mother. The telly was playing, it's flashing lights played out into the dark room. Her mother leaned against the foot of the bed faced toward the small box. The television played a scene over and over.
On the screen her mommy and daddy kissed in front of a tall man holding a book. Her mom was dressed in a long flowing white dress a veil over her eyes and her daddy in a dark tux.
"Mommy?" she asked as she walked over to her mother. She sat down next to her mother whose head rested against the dark comforter of the bed.
Her mother didn't answer so she pulled her legs up against her and stared at the television screen. She leaned her head against her mothers shoulder.
She didn't even notice the dark wood that pierced her mother's heart, or the blank stare that filled her mothers normally sharp and pointed green eyes.
Her young mind was oblivious to the death and despair that filled her world.
She remained there leaning up against her mothers body for several hours till her aunt and uncle found her there.
*****
Nich bolted upright in bed as she was awakened by hands shaking her. She breathed deeply trying to calm herself down before looking into her worried brother's face. Her nightmare had been intermingled with better memories, and faces she could barely remember and hardly make out.
"Are you alright? You screamed."
She nodded, "Just a nightmare."
There was a pause before her adoptive brother spoke, "Want to talk about it?"
Nich sighed and stared toward her window, "I was reliving my how I found my mom."
Spike watched her, he wanted to ask her what had happened but didn't. She was talking to him about her life and he didn't want to interrupt her.
"I was just a little kid, four probably." She wrapped her arms around her legs. "I don't remember much from back then, just bits and pieces."
Sighing she glanced up at him, "She was murdered and I didn't know. I curled up next to her and watched TV for hours… she was dead the whole time."
"It wasn't your fault," He murmured.
"How do you know? I'm half vampire that's got to be a reason enough to come after me. She told me to hide and I did, and she died."
After a few moments pause Spike spoke up, "When I was alive, originally, I had a wonderful Mum. She was the only person in the whole world that actually liked my poetry, other than the great poof." Spike laughed slightly and earned a grin from Nich. "Now, she was sick with Tuberculosis and was dying slowly when I was turned. I loved her so much I…I turned her."
"What happened?"
"She wasn't the same anymore; she insulted me and acted like I was the cause of all the bad in her life." Spike shrugged. "So I staked her."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Nich asked softly.
"I blamed myself for her death, for the fact she was dying in the first place," Spike smiled sadly. "There was nothing I could have done to prevent it though. I probably even spared her a great deal of pain in the long run."
"How do you know for sure though?"
"That's the sad part, you don't," He moved a stray lock of hair out of her face. "You never know for sure Kat. There are probably an infinite number of things that could have happened but what happened did, you can't change that."
Nich glanced at the clock and sighed, "It's almost one."
He nodded, "You going to be able to get some sleep?"
"Probably not," she shook her head then grinned. "Want to play Twisted Metal II?"
"Well since tomorrow is a Saturday and all… on one condition."
"What?"
"You are not going to be Grasshopper."
"Why not?" Nich grinned stretching as she stood. "She's my favorite character."
"She's a bloody homing missile!"
"And it beats you every time," Nich grinned and exited her room.
*****
Faith punched the vampire in the gut and slammed the stake into its heart, "Dammit!" The slayer cursed as the stake dissolved along with the vampire. "I hate it when that happens."
She dusted off her dark blue shirt and stretched her arm above her head. Pausing mid stretch she frowned and dropped her arm slowly to her side, "Who's there?"
"You've got style," a voice replied from the dark. "I like that in a girl."
Faith spun toward him and saw the young man off to the side. "Who are you?"
He shrugged and walked foreword a few feet, "I don't really feel like telling you Faith."
"Do I know you?"
"No, but I'm the reason you're here… or rather my master is."
She stared at him, assessing him. "You're a vampire."
"Yes, yes I am."
"Why aren't you attacking me?"
"Because I have a proposition for you slayer… one that hopefully you'll agree to," he answered.
"And if I don't?"
"Well, that's the thing isn't it," He smiled at her his human mask was on and his teeth gleamed a brilliant white.
*****
Buffy stared at the mirror in her room as she held an old outfit in front of her. "What do you think?"
"Blah," Dawn made a face. "Get rid of it. Sides when was the last time you wore it?"
She nodded and put it on the small pile of clothes near her feet, "What was I thinking when I bought this?" She asked pulling out a horrible green thing.
"That would be your bridesmaids dress for Anya and Xander's wedding," Dawn reminded her.
"Oh," Buffy placed it on the pile. "Have you seen Anya lately?"
"Not much," Dawn replied picking up a white top. "She's been setting up the shop and visiting England so much I think she may even have an apartment in London or something. Do you want this?" The teenager eyed the slightly worn and torn shirt.
Her sister took it from her hands and nodded, "Its… special." She smiled sadly remembering the night she and Spike spent together in the old house. "So yes... England huh? Wonder what she's been doing there."
"Maybe she and Giles are going to get together," Dawn pulled out another shirt, this time a soft green one. "Can I have this?"
"Sure," Buffy nodded placing the white shirt back into the closet.
Dawn frowned and pulled a black coat from the far side of the closet. "Isn't this Spike's?"
"Yah," Buffy nodded and smiled. "I'm keeping it till I see him again."
"You don't want to burn it or something after what he did to you?" Dawn looked up at her.
Buffy reached over and took the leather duster from her sisters hands and shook her head, "It was a misunderstanding Dawnie, he didn't mean to hurt me."
"He didn't mean to rape you?"
Buffy's head shot up, "What? He didn't… attempt for a minute yes. He was upset and hurt and it was my fault. I hurt him a lot more than he hurt me last year. I used him Dawnie."
"Xander said he raped you."
"Xander doesn't know what he's talking about half the time," Buffy took her sisters hand and sat on the edge of the bed. "After I came back it was hard. I couldn't- I just couldn't be around you guys."
Dawn tilted her head to look at her sister's face.
"Being here after being in heaven, it was rough. You guys expected me to be the old me though and I-I just couldn't be her."
"No Buffy we didn't…" Dawn shook her head but Buffy silenced her.
"Maybe not you but Xander and Willow, even Giles and Anya did," She laughed slightly. "Everyone thought I should be happy and I just couldn't stand it. I couldn't feel the pain was so numbing. So I went to him, the only time I could feel at all was when I was with him. But I didn't know what I felt. I couldn't remember what it was like to feel anything but the extreme bliss that Heaven was."
"Oh God," Dawn murmured. "I'm so sorry Buffy."
"Don't worry about it, last year was rough but I got through it," Buffy smiled slightly. "I think I finally realized what I want and what I felt."
"What was that?"
Buffy shrugged and stood, "Doesn't matter now does it? He's gone. Side's Dawnie you should get some sleep I didn't realize it was so late."
"I don't need sleep," Dawn insisted. "I mean I do, but tomorrow's a Saturday so we can talk a while longer."
"I know, but I want to sleep," Buffy told her. "I need sleep; do you know how long this afternoon was? I think shopping after two classes and work really makes it the 'shop till you drop' scenario'."
*****
To be continued in: What about me?
Author Note: Thank you so much everyone for the reviews, and sorry this is so late… I'm having problems writing a certain chapter… which is why putting this up was on hold. Also I just finished a play I got persistently asked to be on crew for and homework's been a bitch. Anyway once I get that certain chapter finished since I have the infamous writers block on it this fic should start coming out really fast… Thanks everyone for sticking with me and the meeting is what… 2 chapters from now? At most 3 ;).
Review Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ^_^ I love reviews!