Life Changes Everything by LilBit

Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: All the characters from BUFFY: THE VAMPIRE SLAYER are the property of Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy, Inc.
Distribution: The Mystic Muse http://mysticmuse.net
Feedback: Of course. Please!
Spoilers: Post-Chosen.
Author's Notes: This story is a continuation of Alterations with Time and Parallel – reading those stories and the prequel, The Sacrifice, first is recommended.
Pairing: Willow/Kennedy

Summary: Kennedy and Willow face some big decisions and another Big Bad in the Big Apple.

Willow walked into the room somberly and with the quiet respect the occasion deserved. This room looked no different than others she'd been in for the same purpose. The carpet was a deep blue, the furniture cherry wood and the walls a serene textured wallpaper that complimented the other colors in the room. There were metal padded chairs lined up ten to a row on either side of the opening in the middle which led to the front of the room. The music, coming softly and gently from hidden speakers, was gospel; the pure form like that heard in Evangelical churches in the Deep South. It was the type of awe inspiring melodic brilliance that made one want to believe in the Supreme.

As she made her way slowly to the front of the room, Willow saw the numerous arrays of flowers, in all sizes and varieties, that filled the place. Along with the music, they brought a sense of real warmth to the place.

There were people sitting and standing but all were silent or softly speaking, the impact and import of the moment apparent on their faces. All the attendees were dressed in their most respectful clothes and with their saddest faces. As the witch scanned her view, she realized she knew most of the people there, considered most her friends. She quickly understood how close knit and small her extended family really was.

As she got to her destination, the redhead knew the next part would be the hardest. She closed her eyes as she walked up to the casket. She stood motionless for a few moments and then hesitantly looked inside. As if in a trance, the witch fixated on the figure before her. Green eyes saw the lifeless body of her slayer, her Kennedy, lying against the satin lining and pillow. Willow couldn't take her gaze off that image.

Then suddenly, a hand touched her lightly on her back and remained there as if to emit reassurance. Willow came out of her daze and turned her head slightly to the left, to the direction of the touch.

Willow heard the hurting and sincere voice and saw the melancholy face of Kennedy standing next to her. The witch then looked back into the coffin and saw the body of their long time fellow slayer, Rona. The redhead let out an unperceivable breath of relief.

"I know, I can't believe Rona's gone either…Giles and I were just talking about her last week."

Willow truly did have a difficult time with the slayer's death. Truth was she suffered deep remorse whenever any slayer died. The witch had always slightly felt like she was mother to all of them in some mystical, cosmic way. Because of her, they had been "born" to their destinies; because of her, some had already succumbed to the legacy of the vampire slayer.

Kennedy noticed the vacant look on her witch. The brunette knew that Willow always took it hard when a slayer died. But this death was more personal. Rona was one of the early potentials. They had all lived together and fought side by side in beating the First at the "Showdown at Sunnydale" almost four and a half years earlier. Though they weren't good friends, the couple had kept in infrequent contact with Rona and several of the other 'original' potentials such as Vi. They had remained aware of the whereabouts and happenings of many slayers through Council meetings and updates with Giles. And though slayers had been lost before, this was the first time someone from "the good ol' days" had died.

The brunette stared into the casket. "You were a good slayer," she quietly said. It was uttered with complete respect. Rona had had a difficult time in the beginning but had redirected her energy and attitude over time. She was a competent slayer even if she could still be annoying at times.

Kennedy then took Willow gently by the elbow. "Maybe we should go sit down. They're gonna start soon."

Willow nodded and let herself be led by the woman who had come to know her better than she knew herself. The two sat in the end chairs of the last row to the right of the casket. From their vantage point, they could see Rona's family, which consisted of her parents and three siblings, sitting together with uncomprehending expressions on their faces. The preacher and funeral director, long time friends of the family, were trying their best to give some comfort to them.

"They don't even know how much good Rona did in the world." Willow said the words as a spoken thought and not really to Kennedy. "They didn't even know who she was."

Kennedy took her witch's hand in her own and softly caressed alabaster skin with her thumb. "You know Rona didn't want them to know the truth…She said they never would have understood." After hearing Rona's reason for keeping her life a secret from her family, Kennedy appreciated her choice even if she would have decided differently. Rona's parents were devout fundamental Baptists, the kind that believed in fire and brimstone and a vengeful God. They believed in heaven and hell, Jesus and Satan and The Rapture. They rejected magick, demons, witches or any supernatural power that wasn't God, meaning their God. Rona knew that they could never have accepted her being a slayer; that played into the demonic spectrum of society which meant, to them, it was of the devil's doing. So the slayer never told her family about her powers, her destiny, her life. Sitting in the funeral home in Rona's small Illinois hometown, Kennedy felt a true sense of pity for her friend's relatives. Once again she thought how religion had come in the way of a family truly being a family. 'What a waste,' the brunette thought to herself.

The fallen slayer's funeral was held in Rocklin, the all too typical "Middle America" town where she was born and raised. Rona lived in that place until she was found and brought to Sunnydale. It was not where she died. The slayer had been in New York for that fateful event. She had been killed by some demon of unknown type. Part of the somber mood was due to the fact that there was a slayer killer or killers on the loose and those closest to the crime were at a loss for answers. Of course, Rona's family knew nothing of the slayer's true manner of death. They had been told that she was the unfortunate victim of a senseless carjacking and burglary.

As Willow looked around the room, she saw the many slayers and watchers who'd come to pay their respects. The Scoobies were there, of course, including Giles. He never missed a slayer's funeral; he considered it his obligation, his duty and in a strange way his honor to be present when a fallen slayer was finally put to rest from her worldly burden. Andrew was there also, sitting by himself seemingly staring off into space. The man had thought it incumbent to attend because of the time he had shared with the slayer at Buffy's before the final battle.

Buffy and James were talking to Xander and Jessica. Dawn was holding Xander's six month old son, Nathaniel. As sad as they were, the witch felt an overriding calmness and contentedness from the group.

Willow glanced around some more and saw Faith and Miguel standing by the side door. It was obvious the brunette slayer was uncomfortable being at the event. Having patrolled, of sorts, with Rona for the several months before her death, Faith had had a closer view of the events in New York which culminated in the slayer's demise. Willow couldn't tell if Faith was feeling guilty or if she just wasn't one who "did" funerals. Luckily, Miguel was by the brunette's side and the witch could see he was helping the slayer handle the scene.

Willow's eyes stopped traversing the room when they settled on Rona's boyfriend. He had walked in only minutes before and made his way to the coffin. From what Willow had heard, he'd been dating Rona for about six months and they had become "serious." He had been told about the woman's "job" and, though having problems with it at first, had finally come around and accepted it wholeheartedly. The witch watched the man as he turned and went over to Rona's family. She could see he was heartbroken, shattered. The woman he loved had been brutally torn from his life. Willow felt such sadness in her heart for him.

The thoughts of others then left her mind and the redhead turned her head so she was now looking at her hand entwined in Kennedy's. She felt such a sense of peace with just that simple gesture. Kennedy's gentle but sure grip on the witch's delicate hand was symbolic to the redhead; it was how the slayer lived her life – always protecting, always reassuring. Though Willow never took her relationship with Kennedy for granted or even lightly, there were times when the magnitude of her love for the brunette made its way to the forefront. This was one of those times.

Willow examined the bronzed hand; everything that Kennedy meant to her rushed through her mind. She remembered all the good times and also those harrowing moments when it appeared they had lost each other forever. The witch couldn't imagine her life without the slayer in it. The image of Kennedy in the casket came to her fleetingly again, and she quickly forced it from her mind. Willow had come to accept the dangers looming over Kennedy's head everyday; she had learned to turn that fear into a sense of urgency with the slayer. Willow knew to value her time with her love, and all those dear to her for that matter, for she knew that theirs were lives filled with the unexpected, things unknown and unthinkable to other 'normal' people.

All thoughts of death and the dark side were emptied from the witch's mind. Though this was a time of sadness, Willow also knew that it was a time of reflection. Rona was a slayer and the redhead was confident that she had certainly gone on to find her reward for a life well served.

Sitting there in the somber room, Willow contemplated on the pendulum swing of life's emotions. Until Rona's death, and for roughly the past year, life had never been so good for her and Kennedy. In fact, the rays of happiness had shown brightly on all the Scoobies in recent time. 'I can't remember ever being so happy,' she said to herself. The redhead meant every word, deeply.

As she thought about that further, she moved her right hand which was still holding Kennedy's left. She turned it so that her thumb and middle finger were lightly grazing the simple gold band encircling the slayer's ring finger. In synchronistic motion, with her left hand positioned in her lap, its thumb softly touched the similar gold band resting faithfully around her own ring finger.

'It all started that day of the picnic.' That memory brought a warm, small smile to the corner of the witch's mouth.

Kennedy had been in a silent panicky conversation with herself since the couple placed their blanket on the ground to begin their picnic. The slayer had been nervously waiting for this 'meal' since she and Willow discussed it three days earlier. They had quickly talked about it on the slayer's first day back to college. The brunette tried to be nonchalant even though at the time she knew how important the day would be. Kennedy thought she could keep herself together, not get anxious or nervous. She soon found out she was dead wrong.

Over the following few days, the slayer couldn't think of anything but the 'picnic.' She knew it was when she would broach the subject matter of a ceremony, a marriage in the non-legal sense of the word, to Willow. By Saturday morning in the hours before 'the talk,' Kennedy, the fearless vampire slayer, had become a basket case on the inside.

'Why the hell am I so frickin' nervous?…I'm pretty sure Will knows what's going on…I don't think she'd say no." Kennedy attempted to puff herself up. "Really, how could she say no?…I love her, I'm rich…and I'm damn hot if I say so myself.' The slayer was openly fidgeting. 'Christ, Kennedy…chill out and stop patting yourself on the back …You need to calm down or you're gonna pop a vein.'

Willow noticed that her slayer was lost in her thoughts that day. She realized Kennedy had been a little 'out of the loop' for the past several days. The redhead knew it began the day she went back to college. Willow could tell from how the girl acted that morning that she had something on her mind. The witch also knew it had to be important. Over the course of the few days following that morning, Kennedy had been exhibiting 'odd' behavior. Willow found the slayer talking to herself several times. When it happened, Kennedy would instantly shut up and get a look like a cat caught with the canary in its mouth. Kennedy was also spending a lot of time in their spare room, the make shift workout area, doing pushups and hitting the heavy bag. Kennedy told the redhead it was because she felt she was getting out of shape; to Willow it seemed like a way to get rid of pent up energy. Instead of the smooth, sensual nature commonly shown by the brunette, the girl was edgy and down right 'goofy' at times.

It didn't take Willow long to formulate her own theory on the cause of her girl's behavior. It was because of her conclusion that the redhead didn't push or prod Kennedy for an explanation as to the strange goings-on. Quite frankly, Willow thought her slayer's actions were very sweet and endearing. The redhead did nothing more than wait for their Saturday picnic to arrive. It was September 24^th, 2005 and though, over time, the exact date would fade from their memories, what occurred that day never would.

Kennedy and Willow arrived at their favorite spot in their favorite park just after noon. They placed their blanket under the sprawling old oak tree like they had many times before. This time was different in several ways. The obvious was the discussion that was to be held. However, it was also Willow's first time to the park after her return from her banishment in her parallel South Beach reality. It was the first time back to the park where, during her time away, she had almost given in to the dark magicks. As it turned out, the witch handled the reunion rather well. She and Kennedy walked around the park a bit and talked about her actions that horrible night. Once the metaphorical bad memories had been bled from her system, Willow felt a sense of relief and the couple then proceeded to have themselves a good time.

The witch and the slayer sat on their blanket and talked about nothing in particular, the tiny, irrelevant topics that are of no real significance but without which life would be too serious. They ate the sandwiches and other items they put together as they took in the beautiful fall day. The weather was just starting to turn, the mornings and nights taking on that cool crispness in the air. The days were still enjoyable with a warm, bright sun tempered by the infant fall winds, ushering in signs of things to come. But the surest signal of the approaching season was the trees. The differing shades of green on leaves were just starting to give way to that panoramic palette of fall's colors. Willow couldn't have conjured up a more glorious day.

After they were done eating, Willow noticed that Kennedy couldn't seem to get comfortable. "Geez, what is with you today?" As the redhead looked at her slayer, she also wondered silently, 'Is that sweat on her forehead?'

Kennedy responded as calmly as possible. "Umm…well, I got a…umm…kink…in my…neck…Yeah!…a pinched nerve or something." Kennedy was kicking herself; she knew she sounded completely unbelievable.

"Well, com'ere then and let me see if I can work it out." Willow wanted to do anything to try to calm her slayer down. In fact, Willow had started to get nervous wondering if she was right in her assessment about Kennedy. The witch was also a bit on edge hoping that she hadn't made a fool of herself thinking she knew what the picnic was really about. Willow saw helping Kennedy as a way to also calm her own nerves.

Kennedy crawled over to the witch and sat between her legs, the slayer's back facing the witch. Willow began to massage the brunette's neck and shoulders. As soon as those delicate hands touched her, Kennedy knew that all the weirdness she'd been exuding the past several days was worth it. Every feeling she'd had that seemed so unlike her, the nervousness and the uncertainty, was all because she wanted to give Willow as happy and perfect a life as possible. It was what she wanted too.

Willow stopped her caressing and put her arms around the brunette. "That better, baby?"

Kennedy felt the warmth from her witch's voice on her neck and the love from her embrace. "Perfect," she replied.

The two remained like that for a short while until they saw a couple walk along the path ahead and to the left them. The man and woman looked around forty and were nonchalantly walking holding hands.

"That's sweet," Willow commented about the couple. Kennedy nodded and they continued to watch as the two went over to a shady spot and sat down. "They seem happy," the witch commented again.

Kennedy was getting ready to make a similarly nice comment when the couple began to kiss… passionately…and then grope at each other like there was no one else in the park. It quickly took on an NC-17 rated quality.

"Oh…uh…I'd say they're very happy…Yikes!…They need to get a room." Both women had gotten uncomfortable from the sight across the pathway. The "Kodak moment" they thought they were seeing had turned into something "Debbie Does Dallas"— middle age style.

Willow, being the more modest of the two by a long shot, let out several very loud coughs. The couple heard the noise, took the hint and stopped. Within a few minutes, they were on their way again along the path.

"Betcha they're gonna go find some find some secluded place…like the bushes…or a bathroom." Kennedy couldn't help but laugh as she made her prediction. Willow swatted her on the arm. "Ow!…What was that for?…I'm probably right."

Willow said sarcastically, "Be nice. They were probably 'celebrating' something."

Kennedy turned her head and looked at Willow with raised eyebrow. "Or just a horny old couple."

"Is that all you ever think about?" Willow tried to say it like it were true which it wasn't, for the most part.

Kennedy was still for a moment then moved around so that she was now kneeling back on her own legs facing Willow. She had an expression of dead seriousness. "No…Actually, I've been thinking a lot about us…about our future."

Willow's lighthearted demeanor also vanished. She concentrated on Kennedy as the brunette continued to speak.

"We've been together for over three and a half years…and we've got this amazing life…and…I…umm…well…I mean if we were a straight couple.…"

Kennedy smiled and then chuckled. "Yeah, right…that wouldn't be good…way too many penises for my taste."

"And one of us would also probably have a hairy back." Willow made that comment for no other reason than she was getting nervous again and didn't know what to say.

Kennedy smiled once more but realized the conversation was veering. "Also not good…but we're getting off the point…" Kennedy Prescott, the woman who never wanted for words, who could handle any situation, didn't know what to say. So she took a different approach. "Did you ever think about the usual straight girl stuff…you know, before you realized you were gay?"

"I'm not sure what you mean." That was true. Willow felt like Kennedy had derailed the talk they were having.

"You know…I mean the whole deal…love…marriage…" The last word trailed off.

Willow thought for a moment. "Yeah, I guess…I mean there was a time when I was positive Xander and I would get married…" Willow smiled to let Kennedy know she was joking. "…Then he spit on my peanut butter and jelly sandwich and it passed…We were seven."

Kennedy gave a quick laugh and then got serious again. "No, I'm really asking…Did you see yourself doing all the things that straight people do?"

Willow could see this was important to Kennedy. "Umm…yeah…I did…but then it changed…no guy…no reason." It was Willow's turn to ask. "What about you?" Willow wondered what Kennedy's answer would be since the brunette had known since age five that she was gay.

"No, I never did really. You know I'm not too fond of a lot of what 'society' says is right and wrong…And like the way Julia is…loves my Dad…thinks I'm some deviant…I never wanted to be part of that. The potential thing put me in a different place than most people to start with…being gay got me out there even farther…so I figured why care about their stuff…It's so guy oriented on top of everything else…" Kennedy took Willow's hand. "That was how I felt anyway…until I met…you…I mean, now it's different…you know?"

Green eyes gazed at the slayer. Willow knew exactly what she meant. "Yes, I do…I think about Xander and Jessie sometimes, and what they have…What's so different about them other than Xan's not a girl…although he does act like one at times…" Willow felt herself heading for Willow babble and quickly reigned in her thoughts. "We deserve to have as much as anyone else, the good and the bad…Gay people should be able to do or have whatever they want, just like everybody else…I've been thinking about that too, lately."

Kennedy could feel her nervous tension easing. She knew Willow understood what she was about to say and she was certain of the witch's response. "Will?…You know how I feel about you…and I was thinking…It wouldn't be legal, obviously…but…umm…What do you think about…you know… making us official?"

Willow smiled adoringly at her slayer. She knew this had to be one of the toughest things the brunette had ever done. She had never seen her girl stammer so much in the entire time she'd known her. "Are you asking me to enter into a completely symbolic and totally non-binding commitment with you?"

Kennedy scrunched up her nose as if she'd smelled rotten eggs. "Well, if you say it like that, it sounds worse than dental surgery…How 'bout this?…Wanna get married?"

Willow bent forward and gave Kennedy a warm hug and then leaned back so she was looking directly at her. "If you put it that way…Yes."

The two women had smiles the size of Texas. They embraced and shared a gentle kiss. That led to another…and another with a more 'intimate' quality. The witch and the slayer were absorbing one more of the truly joyful moments in their relationship.

At the moment the women heard those words shouted, their tender moment was disrupted by a slobbering Irish setter trampling on their blanket and sniffing through their food basket. A trail of dog phlegm was left behind on everything it touched. The dog quickly proceeded to dart away and set its sights on a big stick on the ground several yards away. The owner of the dog came running toward it, leash in hand and red-faced from the exertion. The dog, by this time, had concluded the stick held no importance and ran back to the women. This trip, the creature decided that it was Kennedy's backside that was worth "investigating." Willow saw Kennedy quickly sit up startled and her eyes widen as the setter's nose, and accompanying mouth drool, got a little too friendly with that particular body area. Willow couldn't help but laugh.

The man finally caught up with dog and was able to leash the inquisitive animal. "I'm sorry…He gets a little rambunctious at times," the man said as he was putting the clip to the dog's collar. Then the owner actually looked at Kennedy and Willow and saw the intimacy of their position and the big wet smear on the slayer's pants. The light bulb went on. "Oh!…I'm…way sorry…umm…I'll just get…Rex outta here…" The man mumbled he was sorry again and pulled a very uncooperative dog away saying "Bad dog!" the whole time.

"Now that was a way to end a proposal," the witch said in between laughs. Kennedy fell on to the blanket and gave a disgusted look after she felt the seat of her pants.

"Could this whole thing have been anymore unromantic?…So not how I thought this was gonna go." Kennedy kept shaking her head as she laughed.

"What…you were planning on two dogs and one of them puking on us?" Willow toppled down next to the slayer. They both giggled for a while longer until they were able to catch their breath. Then Kennedy shifted to her side and took Willow's hand and entwined their fingers. She looked at the redhead with a slightly disappointed expression.

"This was supposed to be alot…nicer. I had it all planned in my head…but…I got… I don't know…stage fright or something." Kennedy let out a deep sigh. "Not exactly one for the story books, huh?…Being proposed to in between two old people dry humping and a dog with its nose up your girlfriend's butt."

Willow got on her side facing Kennedy. She pulled their hands close to her. "Kenne…it was perfect."

The brunette gave the witch an unbelieving look. "I shoulda gone with my first thought. Fly us to Paris and propose down on one knee…with a ring." Kennedy felt she had to explain why that didn't happen. "That just seemed so hokey…and the whole ring thing is such a one way deal…I always think of us as a team…I wanted this to be both of us deciding, you know?…not just me saying I'm ready, let's do it…Does that make sense?…I shoulda gotten a ring though, you think?…Are you disappointed?…Because we can go get one right now…But that's probably tackier than not getting you a ring…"

Willow couldn't let her poor slayer suffer from the Kennedy version of Willow babble any longer. She leaned in and stopped the verbal train wreck with a soft kiss. It worked.

"Baby, you do remember who you live with, right?…I'm not exactly traditional gal either. I come from parents who got engaged while they were being arrested at a pro-choice rally. You know my mom and dad don't wear wedding rings…It's because they believe…" Willow acted like she was reciting a memorized speech. "…rings are visual signs of an outdated, patriarchal system that subjugates women to the detriment of all society." She let out a small laugh. "How do you think I got named Willow?…My parents are a little on the non-traditional side of thinking." The redhead brought Kennedy's hand to her mouth and gave it a small kiss. "I don't expect…or want some big production…and I don't need an engagement ring to prove anything…I don't need Paris…All I need is you…and the rest…we'll do the way we want."

Kennedy relaxed with the sentiment from her witch. 'Everything did turn out perfect,' she thought. She took Willow in a strong embrace. Softly said, in the witch's ear, "I love you, Willow." The brunette could feel the redhead's smile when she nuzzled her face in the slayer's neck. She felt her lover's lips say their reply. "I love you too, Kennedy."

"I'm waiting for something else to ruin the moment…Figure it'll be a tree falling on us this time."

Not too much later, the couple decided it was time to go. The realization of what they had just done sunk in and they started to get that feeling it was time to "celebrate." As they picked up their belongings, the women had trouble keeping their desires in check. Every accidental hand touch or stray glance only served to stroke the fire. "We need to get home soon, Red, or we're gonna be looking for some bushes."

The women finally gathered up everything and started back to their car. They walked taking in the surroundings so that they could remember each little detail about the day.

"So…Do we let everyone know right away?" Kennedy didn't know what would be considered appropriate lesbian engagement etiquette.

"Why don't we wait til after Xander and Jessie's wedding…Let them have their fifteen minutes of fame." Kennedy nodded in agreement. She was always amazed at how unselfish Willow could be.

The witch and slayer slowly made their way to their waiting vehicle. They placed their items in the car, got in the front seat and started home in silence. As they wound their way through the wooded park exit, Willow placed her hand over Kennedy's which was resting on the center console.

While still looking straight ahead, the witch said only half jokingly, "A honeymoon in Paris would be kinda nice though…"

It wasn't until after six when Willow and Kennedy got back to their hotel room after the funeral and gathering at Rona's parents' house. Many of the out of town people were staying at that hotel or another one nearby. The Scoobies were all in the same place and had agreed to meet later that evening. Until it was time to go to the lounge, the couple remained in their room. They shed their respectful black garments for more comfortable ones, khakis and a white long sleeve blouse for Willow and black cords and a deep green sweater for Kennedy. They sat on the bed and engaged in light conversation while they watched television. They'd had their share of the heavy burden of sadness and just wanted to take a breather from the seriousness of the day.

Seven-thirty finally came and the witch and slayer met the other Scoobies in the hotel lounge. From there they went to dinner, knowing that it would be a somber gathering. They chose an upscale restaurant with separate rooms, for the privacy. This was one assembly where the general uproar of a chain restaurant would not be agreeable. They all sat around the large rectangular table and revisited the old times as they ordered then ate dinner. They paid homage to Rona and the other slayers who had tasted the slayer's legacy. Each person at the table had, in the last year, grown as a person; they had all landed in a place that brought each happiness and comfort.

Upon assisting Kennedy in getting Willow back from her parallel world experience, Buffy entered another phase of her relationship with Jimmy Petson. The two realized and expressed their mutual love. After their return to Cleveland, the slayer and watcher acted like teenagers run rampant with puppy love. They were always together and usually all over each other. It had gotten to the point that the others were beginning to make jokes about it. Buffy didn't care; she was finally in a real relationship and truly happy for the first time in a very long while. By October of 2005, the two had moved in together. Buffy gave up her room at Slayer Central and moved into the watcher's condo. The couple slid into their cohabitation quite easily. They were already practically living together before the Florida incident. By the time of Rona's death, Buffy found herself feeling safe and at ease in her life with Jimmy.

As far as work was concerned, Jimmy kept teaching the slayers as he had since his arrival in Cleveland. That was his calling; it was the profession for which he trained and excelled. Buffy was still a guidance counselor at one of the local high schools. However, because of the pinch of state and local budget restraints, her job had been reduced to part time. She could have taken on a wider school zone and gotten back to full time, but the blonde chose otherwise. Her outing with Kennedy in South Beach had given her a renewed sense of responsibility to her slayer destiny. She wanted to devote more time to the newer slayers and the slayer network in general. So she gladly accepted the reduced hours. Buffy knew that she'd be able to spend more time doing her duty; even when she had to give fighting evil more time than expected, the blonde wasn't worried. Her absence from her job always went unnoticed; she was only there some hours anyways. The blonde slayer had found a balance between her slayer side and her "normal" side that she had never known in her life before.

Part of Buffy's happiness was also knowing that Dawn had blossomed into a beautiful and smart woman. The little sister had gone from high school to college. Buffy couldn't believe that she was already a junior at Boston College. She had pleaded to go to there. Dawn, though she loved her sister and the rest of the Scoobies, had a desire to strike out on her own for awhile. She didn't want to desert her involvement with slayers and the fight against evil, just put it on hold for a short time. She had seen how Buffy's young adult life had been dictated by her slayer obligations and the impact that had had on the big sister. Dawn wasn't a slayer so she knew she wasn't compelled to fight. But, she was more than just a "regular" girl. The impressive ability with languages of extant demon and ancient civilizations, Dawn gave to her initial form as the "key." There was something mystical about her she knew even if she couldn't explain it. That knowledge was what made Dawn want to stretch her wings. She felt in the back of her mind that she would eventually feel the pull to help the cause for Good. Until then, she planned on living like a typical young woman.

Buffy was pleased when Dawn told her she wanted to go away for college. The slayer had spent so many years trying to keep her sister from the life she lived. The blonde knew the extreme danger that lurked around every corner. Sparing Dawn that, even if for just a few years, meant the world to the slayer. Buffy's hope was that Dawn would never come back to the Scooby way of life. Like a worrisome mother, the blonde prayed that she would meet a nice boy, get married and live the American suburban dream…or be President. Either was fine by her. In the end, Buffy and Dawn came to understand that, much like everyone else, "little sis" would live her life to suit her own dreams.

The dinner continued, and the friends kept discussing their lives and the status of the Slayer Network. Giles and Andrew were particularly vocal concerning the state of the Council and the overall health of the network. After his trip to the United States to see Willow upon her return, Giles went back to England. In the four years since he reformed the Watcher's Council and set up the International Slayer Network, business was "booming." Giles was able to infuse new blood and thinking into the ways of the Council. The multitude of slayers forced a new mindset which was for the betterment of all affected. The fight against evil had become a well oiled machine thanks to the Englishman. His efforts didn't go unnoticed. Slayers and watchers alike praised the man for his hard work. The new regime had become his child, born from the horrifying events of the First and the attempt to extinguish the slayer line.

Andrew for his part had actually become quite an asset to the organization. Gone were his days of mischief and his awkwardness, at least when it came to his professional life. The man had moved into a position dealing with electronics and warfare paraphernalia against demons and such. To Andrew, it was like being in his own little Star Trek adventure on a daily basis. He wallowed in it. Of course, when it came to social skills, the man was still a jittery boy. His "goofiness" never left him, although with his new found business acumen, it came off more as the "absent minded professor." It seemed to appeal to a certain type of woman…and man. That was a part of Andrew's life that the other Scoobies knew the least about, and truthfully liked it that way.

Overt changes were not only relegated to the ex-sci fi nerd. Faith, despite her continued outward appearance of the "hard ass" had also gone through adjustments. She and Miguel moved to New York for the Thanksgiving holiday in 2005. Other than taking a short break to have a traditional turkey meal with all the trimmings, a first for Miguel, the two spent the entire holiday weekend moving into their Brooklyn apartment. Miguel started an import business using his contacts in Brazil. Faith spent her time patrolling the streets of New York. The brunette did one other thing no one ever knew about. She got her high school GED. Only Miguel knew that her abandonment of school nagged at the back of her mind. Faith never thought she was stupid, but lacking even a high school diploma always made her feel like that was a label forced on her. Miguel helped her study and within a few months, Faith, the ex-rogue, ex-prisoner, was a high school graduate. She was very pleased with her accomplishment. She never told anyone and swore Miguel to secrecy also. This was something done just for her.

After patrolling for several months, Faith decided that she needed more. She was not the only slayer in New York, although she was the main and most feared one in the city. However, things weren't like they were in Sunnydale when it seemed as if every other day there was an apocalypse to stop. The answer to Faith's predicament was to take a page out of Angel's game book. The brunette started to do more than just hunt vampires. She began to help those in distress. Usually, it was someone coming into contact with the side of evil. However, when evil came in the form of a thug or mobster, Faith was also there to give a helping hand, or more rightly a strong clenched fist. Miguel assisted her as he was able. They had quite the operation by the time Rona came to give assistance.

The slaying was not the only change in Faith. Unbeknownst to most of the Scoobies, because they weren't in New York, Faith had begun to "calm down." Even though she lived in the Big Apple, the city that never slept, the brunette found herself more and more able to spend quiet nights home with Miguel instead of partying like an animal until the late hours. That's not to say that the wild side of the woman had vanished; it was still there, and when it wanted to play, it played hard. It was just that the constant night in and night out search for the thrill, be it from hard drinking, erotic dancing or fast driving, was not her focus any longer. She was no longer the roaming she-cat. The brunette was quite happy to have wild sex with the man who had finally figured her out. Faith knew she loved her "Mickey." Gone were the days of the one night stand; she didn't need them any longer nor want them. Miguel satisfied her in that regard and made her feel wanted and loved in a way no one in her life beforehand ever had.

Finally, the Scoobies ended their meal and it was time to go back to their hotel. All were leaving in the morning. Giles and Andrew back to England and Faith and Miguel to New York. Dawn had a very early flight to Boston while the remaining Scoobies were destined for Cleveland.

As they started to get up to leave, Willow watched as Xander took his son out of Jessica's arms and put him back in his baby carrier. She saw how careful her friend was with the child. What she noticed the most was the complete look of love the man gave his child. Of all the Scoobies, Xander had gone the farthest and received the most.

Xander Harris and Jessica Hunter were married in a small ceremony in Cleveland at the end of September after Willow's return. The man would have had a large wedding if that had been Jessie's wish, though he was privately thankful she didn't. He was in no rush to undergo the challenge that he had once before attempted. Even though Xander knew that this time he had no doubts, it still eased the man's mind that he didn't have to worry about hoards of relatives…or demons.

Unless one knew, no one would have thought that Jessica was almost four months pregnant. She looked stunning in her wedding dress. Buffy commented to Willow how she'd never seen their friend with such a big smile as when he saw his bride walk down the isle. It was a great day for all and the ceremony and reception went off without a hitch and without any demon showing Xander a fake tortured future. For once in his life, Xander Harris knew he was a winner. He had a beautiful wife and a baby on the way…and neither were a demon.

Xander's good fortune continued in his professional life also. His consulting work went so well he was able to start his own company. He obtained his general contractor's license and soon had several fulltime employees on his payroll. Things were certainly looking up for the hard luck boy from high school.

The greatest day of his life though came on March 29^th, 2006 when Nathaniel Robert Harris was born. That seven pound, twelve ounce baby boy came screaming and wiggling into the world and straight into Xander's heart. The man adored his son and loved being a father. As much as Buffy and Willow joked about how immature Xander always acted, they knew that being a father was one thing their friend took seriously. They saw how good he was with the boy. Xander was giving to his son all the things that never passed between him and his father. Xander had promised himself that he would do better, be better for his Nate.

There was one other change in Xander that Willow had a hand in bringing about. Xander's lack of sight in one eye, from his run in with Caleb, had been an ongoing medical concern. He hadn't actually lost the eye; it was still sitting in its socket. However, what the madman clergy had done was to tear and rupture the ligaments, blood vessels and optic nerve to the eye. It was only because of surgery that Xander was able to keep it. The doctors were able to re-attach enough of the life giving blood vessels to keep an adequate flow to the eye to prevent atrophy of the sphere itself. There was no sight in the eye but it kept the integrity of his facial components, both exteriorly and internally.

However, over time, the oxygen blood flow had begun to diminish to the point that the doctors were having to consider taking the eye. That course was not wanted because they had hoped to perform new experimental surgery on Xander which had the possibility of giving him some vision back. Xander had kept his hopes up when he was told of the possible "latest technological" operation. When he got the bad news of his eye's deterioration, he became depressed.

Upon seeing the distraught nature of her oldest friend, Willow decided to see if there was something she could do. Ever since the incident with Caleb, Willow had contemplated and researched and studied to determine if there was a way to magickally give Xander's sight back. Despite the crazed nature of Caleb, he was still a man and had wounded Xander in a human, albeit horrible, way. The repairs to Xander's eye were actually more involved than fusing Kennedy's spinal cord in Sao Paulo. There were physical parts of Xander's eye that were completely missing. It wasn't just a matter of making nerve endings mend. The witch spent sleepless nights trying to find an answer for her dear long time friend. Ultimately, Willow had to resign herself to the fact that she could not bring sight back to him. That realization put the witch in a gray mood for days.

When Willow heard of Xander's latest medical development, she once again went into research mode. This time there was better luck. Xander's condition was a different matter by this time. Now it was a matter of making what was there just work "better." After satisfying herself that she could help her friend, Willow went to Xander and told him of her offer. She could do a spell that would hopefully keep his eye functions at an acceptable level so that removal wouldn't be necessary. She laid out the plan in detail and left the decision to him and Jessica.

Xander jumped on it. He told his wife about how powerful Willow was and all the seemingly impossible things she'd already accomplished. "Do you trust her?" was all that Jessie asked the man. When he said yes, she replied, "Then let's do it."

The spell was done and it worked. It worked very well. In fact, the eye actually had a significant increase in function. Xander's doctors were at a loss to explain the improvement between visits. It appeared that the eye was actually starting to rejuvenate some vessels previously thought lost. Within a few months, function was exceptional and Xander was able to undergo the very tricky, completely experimental surgery. Every one held their breath the day that he went under the knife, or laser more aptly put.

On the day his child was born, when Xander saw him for the first time, he looked upon the tiny man with both eyes. One gazed as it normally would have; the other was aided by a specially designed one of a kind synthetic cornea and partially grafted optic nerve. Though his "new" eye saw things a bit hazy, Xander Harris had never seen anything so wonderful in all his life. The man knew he would be eternally grateful to his gentle witchy friend.

The Scoobies ended their sad evening by saying good night to each other in the lobby. Everyone headed to their rooms. Willow and Kennedy walked into theirs still silent from the mood that hung over the gathering all night. They didn't feel like they should be laughing or joking. They had lost a friend. The women quietly got ready for bed.

Once under the covers, Kennedy turned off the light. This was not a night for mediocre TV. The couple instinctively held on to each other, knowing that they were lucky to have one another.

As she lay there, Willow kept having flashes of Kennedy being the one in the coffin. As soon as they would enter, the witch would sweep them away with the feel of her girl in her arms. Willow hated the thought of losing Kennedy. The woman had had such a profound affect on the witch. There were times when Willow was certain that all she'd attained as a witch and person was only possible because of the support from the brunette. She couldn't imagine her life, didn't want to imagine it, without the feisty brunette. Their life in the last year had been a whirlwind of events. It had also, at the same time, taken on that comfortable, steady routine that happens when people are together long enough.

Their life had been cruising in overdrive. Besides the big happening in their life, their "marriage," the couple had enjoyed the bliss attained from everything falling into place. Kennedy had finished college and was spending her time patrolling Cleveland and helping to better train the newer slayers. The demon activity on the Hellmouth was about the same as that seen in Sunnydale and they'd had their share of scary moments. After the South Beach return, Kennedy kept vigilante with her slayer responsibilities. Luckily, there weren't any apocalyptic events. In fact, Willow and Buffy commented on how the activity in Cleveland had become much like Sunnydale in the earlier years. Every week, there seemed to be a different vampire or demon hell bent on taking out a slayer or trying to usurp power to take over the underworld. As sure as the sun came up every day, those evil bringers were promptly defeated. Some times by one slayer, other times by the concerted effort of a well thought out slayer plan of attack. Overall, Kennedy and the Cleveland slayer division were handling things quite well.

While Kennedy was fighting the good fight, Willow was taking a more internal journey. When she returned from her banishment, she decided not to return to her job. Instead, and with the full support of her brunette, the witch began an intense study of witchcraft. She took several months and focused and dissected many of the spells and potions and lessons in the books that had become her trade in stock. Willow's time in the parallel reality made her realize that there was still so much of the non-worldly dimensional existence she knew nothing about. The fact that she had been trapped from her reality for five months without a clue as to escaping for most of that time truly bothered the witch. So Willow buried herself in the scholastic and hands on application of her craft. If the witch was brilliant and amazing before, she completely stunned everyone after her endeavor. Though she didn't flaunt her newly acquired insights, that she had them was evident when she did help out with the bad guys.

Willow had also become a sort of mentor to many witches throughout the United States and the world. She would often receive phone calls or emails asking for her expertise in numerous magickal areas. The redhead was always pleased to help. Kennedy had once joked to her that she should go into tutoring witches because she'd be able to make "one helluva living at it." She had also become a regular tutor. Buffy told her one day about several students at her school who were having problems and really could use help. Willow volunteered her scholastic expertise. That led to a few paying tutoring jobs. Willow was doing the two things she was best at – magick and teaching, and she loved it.

The one thing Willow didn't participate in to any real degree was fighting. She'd had her share of physical combat those five lonely months away. Though she knew that if needed she could defend herself, the witch now chose to let her slayer be the brawn in the family. Willow had concluded her forte and main strength was her brain not muscles. So she had adopted a more serene, meditative life which allowed her the contemplative time to gain a greater insight to the workings of magick and the infinite expense of the universe.

The witch and slayer had spent the last year constructing their "life"; they were a harmonious blend of yin and yang. They both complimented and mirrored each other; the two were distinct individuals that fit together perfectly like the workings of a finely crafted Swiss watch. The result was a year of "walking on the clouds" happiness.

It was that overwhelming sense of bliss that filled Willow as she embraced her lover in the dark hotel room. Though it was usually the brunette that took the lead, that night it was the witch. Willow was behind her girl spooning her tightly. A feeling of immense need built up in the redhead. She never wanted to be without Kennedy. The thought that she could easily lose her girl to some undead being sent a rush of fear through her. She held onto her slayer tighter. The need to keep her brunette close to her, to show her how much she meant to the witch enveloped her. Kennedy was alive and Willow had the unstoppable necessity to keep her as alive and real as possible.

The witch's hand which had been resting on the slayer's stomach began to trail its way to the hem of the brunette's night shirt. It gently went underneath and grazed skin as it slowly inched its way back up. Willow's hand softly cupped the slayer's breast and started to massage it. She felt the instant reaction from Kennedy as the slayer leaned into her hand. Willow's touch soon became more urgent and she kneaded the breast more firmly as she felt the erect nipple brushing against the palm of her hand. The witch could feel her slayer's intensity building inside. As she heard Kennedy's breath become deeper and more labored, Willow added the touch of her lips to the mix. She planted light kisses along her lover's neck and across her shoulder. Willow smiled when she heard the soft moaning elicited from that action.

At that moment Willow needed Kennedy. She had to touch her, kiss her, be inside her. The witch had this unyielding want to be as close, as intimate, with the woman as possible. The redhead stopped her action and shifted so that she was now pushing Kennedy on her back with her hand. The slayer willingly complied. Willow moved on top of Kennedy, straddling her hips. The witch gazed at her brunette, her eyes long before having adjusted to the darkness. Willow could just make out the silhouetted features of her lover's face. She could see that brown eyes were capturing her view. Willow thought about how those chocolate eyes could mesmerize her. One look and she was at the brunette's mercy. Never had anyone so captivated her. Kennedy had more power over her in that regard than the strongest of magicks.

Looking at the brunette, Willow couldn't hold back. Without speaking a word, she placed a finger on Kennedy's chin and gingerly trailed it down her neck and chest. She wove a lazy pattern on the way, paying special attention to snake around and over the slayer's breasts. She could tell her actions were affecting her girl in a very positive way. Kennedy kept arching her back into the touches. With her other hand, Willow lifted up the slayer's shirt exposing the firm skin and supple breasts she had come to worship. The redhead bent down and took one of the brunette's nipples in her mouth. A gasp was the slayer's response. The witch caressed the flesh with her tongue, swirling and flicking, the exact motions of which Willow had mastered long before. The witch's mouth kept at its mission while she shifted herself so she was now outstretched on her girl. One hand accompanied her on her assault of Kennedy's breasts while her other hand hungrily dipped underneath the slayer's silk shorts. With the first touch, Willow could feel her girl was already waiting for her. The redhead felt the woman's undulating motion beneath her. Initially, Willow's fingers grazed over her lover causing the twitching of muscles and moans of expectant relief. When those sounds turned to pleas of sexual anguish, Willow's fingers plunged inside causing renewed gasps from the slayer. The redhead then brought her girl over the edge, the attack from stroking fingers and a mouth that had worked its way up and was now devouring the slayer's mouth.

Kennedy's orgasm rocked her to the core. The slayer had long ago realized that Willow could make her feel things she never thought possible. She always smirked to herself when friends talked about the sweet, timid Willow. 'If only they knew,' she would say to herself. It didn't take knowing Willow long to recognize she was a passionate woman. She was shy and reserved but what she cared about she did with fervor. Whether it was learning, magick or relationships, Willow put her heart and soul into it. Her fall into near darkness after Tara's death was because the redhead felt so deeply. That intense passion was now given whole heartedly to Kennedy. And the slayer was as grateful as a death row inmate set free. Kennedy loved that side of Willow, the sensual, take charge tigress. It was a side unknown to others. Outside their bedroom, Willow was still the shy, sweet beauty everyone knew and loved. At times like these, when the witch's needs stirred up without notice, Kennedy could do nothing but indulge. She was defenseless to the wanton actions of her witch; she wouldn't have stopped them even if she could.

This night, Kennedy understood from where her witch's desire came. Rona's death shook them all and she knew Willow was feeling scared about it. Kennedy recognized that Willow needed to take control of her fear, needed to control Kennedy in this way, if only to prove there was some part of the slayer's life that the redhead had power over.

When Kennedy's tremors had ceased, Willow moved to the side and once again took the slayer in her arms. She pulled her close and took her hand. Willow knew she had Kennedy in her life for as long as both had a beating heart. The dread was gone and replaced with calm. This night was not about mutual gratification. Willow didn't need sex; that wasn't what her actions were for. She had given of herself to her slayer to show they were real and would stay that way.

The witch entwined fingers, left hand to left hand. Willow felt the tranquil feeling of her life with Kennedy return. All was good again; the sun would shine bright tomorrow. She and her slayer would continue their "married" life as they had been. Her spirit lifted and a smile came to her face.

"Looks like the honeymoon isn't over yet," the witch chided, the worry from the day's event chased away like an unwelcome stray cat.

"Definitely agree…We should get married every year." It was the first words Kennedy spoke since Willow's barrage on her body.

"And go through that ordeal again?" Willow tightened her grip on Kennedy's hand.

The women each silently thought back to their "wedding." They both started to laugh at once.

Their amusing attitude was justified. Had they really thought that the first official joining of a witch and a slayer would take place without a hitch?

"Will?…Sorry but the first floor bathroom is backed up, too." Xander was talking to his best friend wearing his best blue suit with the sleeves rolled up. He had a plunger in one hand and a big wrench in the other. "I wouldn't let anyone go in there right now…It's not a pretty sight."

It was one hour before the ceremony and Willow and Xander were standing in the main study on the first floor of Slayer Central. The redhead's hair and make-up were done but she was still wearing regular clothes. She could hear Xander's baby boy crying in the background. The poor thing was starting to teethe and felt miserable. The witch had just helped Jessie find some baby Tylenol to ease the pain. Just as Willow was about to respond to Xander, Kennedy came walking in.

"I think I made a mistake inviting both of them…They haven't seen each other for almost twenty years…What if they freak out and start fighting?" Kennedy was mindlessly pacing around the room as she jabbered away. She was oblivious to the presence of Xander. Her mind was occupied with the monumental event that was about to occur. Her mother and father would be in the same room…they'd probably have to talk to each other. In the time since she had reunited with her mother, Kennedy never really heard the woman talk about Jackson Prescott. There was the occasional polite question but never any legitimate probing. The same was true of her father. Kennedy's only explanation was that each still harbored strong feelings for the other, whether they were feelings of love or hate, she didn't know.

Willow watched as her slayer nervously walked around. "Kenne, your parents will be fine. They are adults…I think they can manage a few hours together in the same room. Stop worrying." Having solved her girlfriend's problem, the witch turned her attention back to Xander, the one with the issue that really was a concern. "Are you telling me that the bathrooms on both floors are unusable?" The redhead dreaded the answer.

Xander looked apologetic. "Yeah…Sorry…But there's still the one on the third floor." The man hoped that little gem would offer some relief.

"Great!…Everyone can traipse up the stairs…or I guess we could just tell people to use the restrooms at the 7-11 down the street." Willow had reached her tolerance level. "What the hell is going on?…Did someone put a curse on this day?"

The tone of the witch's voice made Kennedy come out of her self imposed state of panic. She rarely heard her witch speak in that tone and when she did, it was because the redhead was being inundated with pressure. The brunette went over to her witch and put her arm around her shoulder. "It's ok, Willow…Don't get upset…We'll get this straightened out…This is our day and everything will work out." With that, Kennedy looked at Xander with an expression that begged the man to help.

Xander let out a small sigh. "Don't worry, Will…let me go take another look…There might be something I can do." The man hated to see his friend all worked up. He'd had a wonderful wedding; he wanted nothing less for his oldest friend. He nodded his head to Kennedy, who mouthed 'thank you' to him, as he left the room.

"See, Xan's gonna get the plumbing fixed and we'll be pee ready before you know it." Kennedy caught Willow's glance and smiled. The witch smiled back and then noticed that Kennedy hadn't even started to get ready.

"Kenne?…You plan on changing any time soon or you gonna do this in your blue jeans?"

That edge was returning to the witch's voice. "Nope, babe…I'm on it right now…Within one hour, I'll be so gorgeous that your tongue'll hang out." Kennedy grabbed Willow and took her in a strong embrace.

The witch couldn't help but laugh; her girl was anything but modest. "Fine, then go now…I'll prepare myself to be dazzled."

As Kennedy was leaving the room, Dawn entered. She looked at both women. "Hey? You got any pain killers around here?…Giles fell on the ice walking in and he thinks he pulled his back out."

Willow got a look of sheer panic and frustration. Kennedy quickly grabbed Dawn by the arm and started to lead her out of the room. "Sorry, Dawnie…Will needs to get ready…Come on, let's find Buffy…She gets to handle this one."

When all had left and Willow was by herself, she stood there shaking her head while she chuckled. "This seemed like an easy thing to do…When did it turn into a Saturday Night Live skit?"

After the picnic proposal, the couple waited several weeks to tell their friends of their decision. It was a few weeks after Xander's wedding, while they were all at a Scooby meeting when the big news was spilled. There was a part of Kennedy that didn't know if saying they were getting "married" was the right term. The country was in such war over that little word as it applied to gays. It certainly wasn't a civil union since what they were doing had no legally binding affect. "This ain't New Hampshire," the slayer chided. In fact, Ohio was one of those states that had legislatively defined marriage as between one man and one woman. It was probably that fact that put the women over the top; Kennedy was already there and Willow soon followed. "Damn them for thinking they can shove their religious belief on me." Willow was furious; Kennedy really got a chance to see the Rosenberg liberal indignation at its best. From that moment on, the couple was getting "married" and having a "wedding" regardless of what the rest of the country wanted to call it.

Upon hearing the news, everyone was ecstatic for the couple. "It's about damn time," was Buffy's response. "So when's the big day?" was Xander's only question. The couple responded that they hadn't picked a date yet or even thought about the specifics. "Good…I'll get to help then." Buffy couldn't wait to assist her dear friend plan her wedding.

Shortly after their announcement, while lying in bed, Willow and Kennedy took on the challenge of deciding on 'the day.' "Well, do you want to wait till after the holidays?" Kennedy asked.

"That would work but then the weather's really unpredictable and if anyone flies in, that may be an issue." Kennedy knew the witch was already expecting her parents to come.

"Ok, we can do it right away…like Xander and Jessie…except without the shotgun reason for it being so quick."

"But you have your classes…I don't you to have to help put this together and do your classes, too."

Kennedy saw Willow's point. A wedding was a bid deal and she didn't want some paper on the "Tone Comparisons of Central American Dialectics" to get in the way. Then a thought hit her. She got out of bed and went into the kitchen. She came back a minute or so later with a calendar in her hands. She got back on the bed, sitting beside the witch.

"I've got it…Right here…This is when we get married." Kennedy had her finger pointed to the first Saturday in December.

Willow knew the reason for the choice. "Are you sure?…What about your classes?"

Kennedy shook her head. "No…It's fine…My exam in Jacobson's class is the Wednesday before and I can get my lab and independent study projects done ahead of time…This is the day, Will…Can't you feel it?…It's supposed to be this day."

Willow looked at the date where her slayer's finger rested. It was the day that Kennedy first arrived at Buffy's house four years earlier. The redhead knew this was fate. She lifted her head to meet the stare of her girl. "Ok, we got a date…Now, where?"

They discussed several options. Their conversation was metered by the fact that neither wanted a large gathering or even a traditional one. The couple agreed that the whole church, reception and bouquet throwing were aspects of a wedding they could do without. They wanted a simple ceremony with a small gathering of family and friends. There would be no wedding march, bridesmaids or professional photographer pestering everyone to get those "moments to last a lifetime." They didn't want a band or DJ. "My parents got married on a beach in their bare feet and then started graduate school the next day." Willow's perception of acceptable arrangements was thankfully skewed by the history of her parents. "They didn't have a traditional wedding…except the Rabbi part…and look at them, they're still together." Kennedy had been to numerous lavish and expensive weddings growing up. They were all pretentious and "most ended up in divorce a few years later." To the brunette, a small, quiet affair was perfect. Besides, she knew their lives weren't like most. She didn't want the Press possibly delving into the events of the daughter of one of the country's richest financiers or it unintentionally stumbling onto the slayer network.

The witch and slayer next finally decided to have the ceremony at Slayer Central in the early afternoon. They confirmed that it would be ok with Jimmy. At first, Kennedy suggested an outside wedding at their favorite park. "Are you crazy?…In December?…We'll freeze our nibbies off." Willow put the kibosh to that idea right away. The slayer house was a wise choice. It really was a magnificent example of fine American craftsmanship. It had a large room which was perfect to hold the actual ceremony and the get together they wanted afterwards. The guest list was small, immediate family and of course all the extended Scooby gang. Several slayers to whom they were very close with were also to be invited. It wasn't that Willow and Kennedy wanted to keep others away; it's just that they wanted an intimate event.

With all the preliminary matters decided, the couple started to notify the invitees. Again, there were no lavish over the top announcements. They handled the matter with understated yet elegant stationary. Willow had actually thought just to call those invited. That's what her parents had done. Kennedy, however, put a stop to that. "Will, you know I love your parents…but when it comes to a wedding, maybe they're not the best example of how to do it…They were pretty out there." The slayer admired the progressive liberal mindset of her girl's parents. But she wanted something more for her and Willow's day. She may have thought that the weddings she'd experienced went over the top but the slayer didn't want the event just to seem like another regular Saturday.

Willow could see her brunette actually did want some of the 'sappy' traditional flare to their day. She happily got in line. As a result, there were invitations, and there would be flowers decorating the room along with a buffet, and music playing over the sound system in the house after the ceremony.

As soon as Willow's mother got the good news, she instantly asked if she could help. "We've got it covered pretty well, Mom…We're keeping it nice and small." When given the details the couple had put in place already, Sheila Rosenberg knew there was one thing she could do. She told Willow not to look for someone to do the actual ceremony. A few days later, Sheila called her daughter with the names of a minister and rabbi, in Cleveland, who led places of worship that believed in the equality of all people before God – gay or straight. They gladly agreed to perform the commitment ceremony. "Not all religious people believe like the ones you always see on TV," the mother said. Willow was impressed with her mother's obvious connections. She never realized the woman had such a networking system.

The decision to actually have religious figures conduct the ceremony was another issue discussed by the two women. They knew what they were doing was a symbolic gesture. The actual right of marriage was denied them by a society blinded by the fears of the unknown and strangled by the grip of over reaching religious zealots. In fact, there was a short conversation the two had about having the ceremony in Massachusetts or even Canada and really getting married. But America was their country and Cleveland their home, for good or bad, and they decided they wouldn't run away from that. They were two strong, intelligent women with definite views on the value of their worth. Their ceremony in Cleveland would be a polite "screw you" to all those who thought gay marriage, or gay anything for that matter, was wrong.

As it does with the planning of any wedding, the issue of money also came up. Willow's parents had said that they would gladly pay for the whole thing. "You're our only child…Besides this is the one Jewish tradition we don't mind keeping." Willow politely and sincerely said no. The event wasn't going to be that big and she and Kennedy had been used to taking care of their affairs by themselves. They'd been living together for well over four years. But the redhead's parents pushed. "Don't make me use the Jewish mother's guilt on you." Finally, Willow and Kennedy agreed that they could pay. Kennedy felt strange since she knew there was plenty of money in her accounts to handle this wedding.

That whole matter had actually brought about another issue. Kennedy's mother and father also wanted to assist financially. Kennedy let her mother know that Willow's parents were taking care of the wedding. She really didn't want her mother to spend her money. Gabriella got another idea. "There is something I could do…but only if you and Willow want to…" It was known to only a handful of people that Gabriella Gonzalez carried the mastery of sewing as her mother did. The woman had learned the delicate and intricate art of hand and machine sewing from the best. Her hand made dresses were works of art. Kennedy's mother offered to make the witch and slayer's wedding dresses. It had been decided that gowns were another tradition both could skip. After talking to Willow, the two eagerly agreed. "That would be perfect, Mom." Gabriella made several trips to Cleveland to pick out the design and materials. The trips also included fittings and refittings. In the end, Kennedy and Willow had two one of a kind dresses for their nontraditional wedding.

Jackson Prescott also got his hand in the mix. Since Kennedy's visit home after Sunnydale's implosion, the father-daughter relationship took on a different dimension. The brunette was no longer Prescott's indulged little girl; she was a headstrong woman. He treated her like the adult she was. Her relationship with Willow didn't do anything but deepen the man's conviction that Kennedy was truly a good person. His daughter shined because of the redhead. Jackson Prescott respected her conviction to her slayer destiny and her devotion to Willow. He was able to get over the initial misgivings he had about his daughter being gay. The man had never seen her so happy as she was with that wisp of a redhead. He decided that was the only thing that mattered. Of course, his wife was still another matter. She continued to hold the belief that what Kennedy and Willow had was "a sin." The thing that was different now with Jackson Prescott was that he refused to remain silent when his wife uttered her position. "Julia…She's my daughter and I'm not going to put up with you talking like this…If you really feel that way…keep it to yourself…I don't ever want to hear you saying those things again to me." Julia Prescott had been duly warned.

When he was informed of his daughter's "marriage," Jackson didn't now what to make of it. Though he accepted his daughter's lifestyle, he'd never been party to a gay ceremony. If it wasn't legal, he really didn't see what the point was. The man was nothing if not pragmatic. But Jackson Prescott knew it meant the world to his daughter so he put aside his own view. His little girl wanted this, so he wanted to make it a wonderful experience. When he found out that Willow's parents insisted on paying for the wedding, Jackson then offered to pay for the "honeymoon." The couple hadn't thought about that yet. After some discussion with her father, Kennedy knew exactly where she and Willow should go. After some more discussion, her father told her it would be his pleasure to give that to them as their wedding present. "Let me talk to Will, Dad. I can't make a decision like this without talking it over with her."

The discussion of their honeymoon actually turned out to be the tensest conversations the couple had concerning their wedding. Some hidden demons came out and revealed their ugly heads once again.

"Your father can't pay for two weeks in Paris." Willow said standing in their kitchen stirring a pot of sauce.

"Why?…You don't want to go there?…I thought you said Paris would be nice?" Kennedy had told Willow of her talk with her father and his offer soon after her phone call with the man ended.

"It's not that I don't want to go, but that's way too extravagant." Willow was once again getting nervous over the issue of Kennedy's family's money.

"Not for him it isn't. Remember?…My family does have money." Kennedy had gotten used to Willow's desire to keep the brunette's 'richness' out of their life as much as possible. Sometimes, however, the woman thought her redhead took it to extremes. "What?…It's ok for your mom and dad to pay for the wedding but my dad can't do this?"

"Kenne, you know the wedding isn't gonna cost that much and that's the only reason I said ok to it…But two weeks in Paris?…You know your dad will only pick the best places…This is just too much."

Kennedy was now getting a little frustrated. "No, it's not…I'm sorry Will if my family is rich, but we are…and this isn't going overboard to us, my family spends money like this all the time…Besides this is our honeymoon, so don't I get a say on how I'd like to have it?"

Willow knew Kennedy had a point. She always had trouble with the issue of Kennedy's money. The redhead had never come into contact with anyone possessing so much wealth. But that was how she viewed it; the money was Kennedy's; it was a part of their life separate from her. She'd never grown up in such luxury or opportunity even if her parents led what would be seen as an upper middle class existence. She understood that she had to try to stop dropping onto Kennedy her own issues of the financial inequality.

"I know what you're trying to say…and of course you get to say how you want our honeymoon to be…It's just…you know…even after all this time you and your family's money still kinda wigs me out."

Kennedy heard the apologetic tone in her redhead's voice. "Well, you really gotta stop worrying about that…It's just not me and my family's money anymore, Will. It's our money…You know that. What I have is yours…My dad just wants us to be happy and have a good time." She looked in her witch's eyes. "So?…Is that a yes? The trip to Paris is ok with you?"

Willow gazed into those deep brown eyes that had captured her heart so long ago. She never could say no to that look. She wouldn't deny her slayer now. "It's a yes…but ask your dad not to go too crazy." Kennedy nodded as she smiled and took her redhead in an embrace. "Ok, Red, I will."

The next time Kennedy talked to her father she told the man that his offer was accepted. "It took some wrestling, but I got her to say yes."

"Oh, nothing really. Will just has a hard time with the whole rich stuff…I keep telling her she's part of it now, so she just needs to get used to it."

"Some people have trouble with the other one in the relationship being better off financially." In his line of business, Kennedy's father had seen lots of couples struggle with that issue.

The man let out a deep breath before he spoke. "Do you honestly believe you and Willow are equals financially?…It seems Willow sees this clearer than you do."

Her father saw he was going to have to teach his daughter an adult lesson. "Kenny, Your money is exactly that…yours…and Willow knows that. You were receiving your inheritance before she was ever in the picture. If something were to happen to you, where would that leave her?…If you and her were to split up…and I'm not suggesting you will…but if you did, you'd go right on in the same financial condition…but Willow?…She wouldn't be able to live in the kind of place you do now…Would she have the same expensive car?…or even be able to pay her bills?" Jackson Prescott stopped his lesson and listened. He heard silence on the other end of the line. The banker ended his point with something for his daughter to consider. "Money is a very powerful thing, it holds the key to lots of doors…I suspect, knowing how decent and levelheaded Willow is, that she's struggling with trying to keep from being too dependent on an income that she had nothing to do with or will ever have."

After her father was done, Kennedy said nothing. She'd never thought about it in that way. It was easy for the brunette to tell Willow not to worry about money. It was hers and she knew she'd always have it. Willow had no stake in her family's wealth; the witch had no part in making, keeping or protecting it. After several moments, Kennedy let out an "Hmmph" and told her dad that maybe she needed to do some thinking.

Before the couple knew it, that first Saturday in December was upon them. Willow's parents came in the night before and they took the couple out to dinner. Kennedy's father, half sister and step mother flew in that morning. Kennedy couldn't believe that Julia came, but her father told Kennedy that despite Julia's "beliefs" she still felt that it was right to be there. They were, after all, family. Kennedy's mother had flown to Cleveland several days early to make sure the dresses fit perfectly.

The days leading up to the wedding had gone smoothly and Willow made the comment the day before that the event itself was going to be "a piece of cake." Xander cringed when he heard those words. Willow looked at him bewildered by his reaction. "That's what I said that day we went to see that crazy Condolenza guy…then all hell broke loose."

Sitting in the study, Willow now shook her head thinking about that while she made her final preparations for the wedding. Buffy had come in the room to help the witch get ready after she found a place for the ailing Giles to sit. "I found some muscle relaxants…He'll be feeling no pain in about ten minutes."

When she was finally done, the witch got out of the chair and turned to Buffy. The blonde just stared. "Will…You are absolutely stunning." Kennedy's mother had created a dress for each woman that fit their essence perfectly. Willow's dress was a delicate, off the shoulder Peruvian cream silk piece with sparingly placed small natural pearl beads. The neck and hem lines were adorned with the finest of French lace piping. She had matching shoes. Her hair, which she let grow out some since her South Beach return, was pinned up and she wore nothing but a pair of dangling natural pearl earrings. She was elegant and angelic, the perfect mix.

There was a knock on the door, and Xander came in after Buffy opened the door. He took one look at his oldest and dearest friend and could do nothing but gaze in awe. He went to the witch and gave her a careful hug. "I hope Kennedy knows how lucky she is." Then he let her go and looked at Buffy. "To think this coulda been mine if I hadn't been so dense all those years ago…" He thought a second then added, "…and if Will hadn't turned gay." The three were silent for a second then started laughing.

Buffy looked at her watch. "Will? It's time. We should get out there." The three started to leave when Xander slapped his open palm to his forehead.

"Almost forgot…Bathrooms are fine…Everyone can pee anywhere they like…Well, in the bathrooms of course."

All the wedding guests were sitting and waiting in their seats. Willow was just outside the doorway waiting for Kennedy to come down the stairs with her mother. Gabriella had been helping her daughter prepare while Buffy and Willow got ready. Kennedy's mother came down the stairs and as she passed by Willow she gave her a hug before going to her seat. There was no best man or woman, no maid of honor or fathers giving away their daughters. This, like so much of how the two women planned this day, was just them. They would enter together side by side like they had been for the last four years.

When Willow saw Kennedy come down the stairs, she literally lost her breath. There had been an initial impression by the Scoobies that Kennedy had a "no dress" policy. At Buffy's, she'd only ever wore jeans and khakis and such. The brunette actually had no problems with dresses or skirts. In fact, she knew quite well enough how "hot" she could look in the right outfit. Once the final battle was over and everyone got to act more like themselves, Willow and the rest started to see more of that side of the brunette slayer. So the dress worn by Kennedy for her wedding came as no surprise. It was as appropriate for her as Willow.

The brunette's wedding dress made her look like a goddess to the witch. Willow had never seen any sight so beautiful in her life. She was amazed that such a stunning creature took less than an hour to create. Willow was once again humbled by her slayer's natural beauty. Kennedy's dress was an eggshell white Brazilian silk. Her dress was completely strapless, fitting the slayer's form, her every curve. It looked like the wearer's heritage was sewn into every seam. The color brought out the slayer's honey toned skin. Kennedy also chosen to wear her hair, which the slayer grew out over the last year, pinned up; something that brought out her Latin features even more. She too wore matching shoes and stud diamond earrings. Her butterfly necklace shone brightly around her neck.

Willow smiled. "Consider me dazzled." She leaned in and gave her intended a light kiss on the lips. "So, you wanna get married?"

Kennedy gave a look like she was thinking, then nodded. "Well, we do have these fantastic dresses…It's either that or go bowling."

The witch and slayer looked at each other, took a deep breath and walked into the room.

"I knew you'd cry, you woos." Faith was pointing at the younger slayer. "And Buffy owes me ten bucks… cha ching…She said you'd be all 'stone face and tough.' That girl ain't got a fucking clue."

Kennedy tried to ignore the slayer. "Wait til you and Miguel go through it…We'll see who the big softy is then."

The women continued to chat as the post ceremony party got underway. Despite the nerve wracking morning, the day settled down and the couple's ceremony was touching. There were no crying babies and no other missteps, except for Xander forgetting to take the rings out of his pocket to give to the minister and rabbi. As the words of unity and togetherness were spoken by the officiators of the event, the faint sounds of joyful crying could be heard. Willow and Kennedy had been through so much in such a short time, everyone in that room had nothing but the highest of hopes and best wishes for the couple. As the witch and the slayer each said their vows to the other, their spoken declaration of everlasting love and devotion, each felt a new piece of themselves open up. They were joined in yet another way.

The rings they placed on the other's hand stood for the continuity and unbreakable fusion of their souls. Each ring, traditional gold bands, held a special symbol. Each woman had the ring she was to place on her partner's finger inscribed. The words were for them alone, no one else was allowed into this their most genuine and sincere of thoughts.

After several hours, the reception came to an end. As it turned out, Kennedy's mother and father were not only able to be in the same room, but were able to talk. It seemed that time had healed all wounds. Each was happy for the other and wished only the best for one another. Willow's parents were just as happy for their daughter and their new found second daughter. They were also pleased to meet Kennedy's parents. All in all, it was a great nontraditional lesbian wedding. The newly married couple wasn't able to stay for all of the conversations; they were getting on a plane that evening for France.

The couple had changed and were saying good bye. As they were preparing to depart in a limo for the airport, another 'present' from Kennedy's father, the guests took turns saying good luck and bon voyage. As Buffy said good bye to Kennedy, she gave a big smile. "I'm so happy for you, Kenn…for both of you."

Kennedy smiled back. "Thanks to Will, a slayer can do this stuff now…Ok , granted the gay witch and slayer may be a unique twist…but, none of us need to be alone anymore."

Buffy understood what the younger slayer was saying impliedly. Because of Willow, there was no "Chosen One" any longer. Never again did one girl have to sacrifice her future, her life, to protect the world. The slayer spell had done more than just awaken the slayer in all the potentials; it had given them a chance. It had given Buffy another chance at life. As Kennedy and Willow left out the front door, Buffy turned and looked at Jimmy and felt that chance holding her hand.

The light of happiness was shining on everyone that day, especially that wisp of a redhead and her confident slayer.

Willow and Kennedy returned to their Cleveland condo by noon the day after Rona's funeral. There was still a sad blanket over their mood. Losing a slayer was always hard, having it be someone they knew so well made it even worse. Plus there was the mystery behind the slayer's death. Faith had told the brunette about a cryptic message left by the woman on Faith's cell phone just hours before she was murdered. The older slayer hadn't had the time yet to seek out Giles or anyone else's opinion as to its meaning. The couple knew that there were endless possibilities and until they could talk further to Faith it was pointless to even guess.

One thing the couple knew that neither they nor anyone else had to worry about was seeking out and finding the new "Chosen One" called due to Rona's death. The slayer spell that Willow performed with the scythe the day of the battle against the First in Sunnydale had put that "tradition" to rest.

Shortly after the slayer spell, once the episode with the Trudeiro was over, Giles began to contemplate what the spell actually meant to the slayer line. In a short amount of time and with the help of other watchers and coven witches, Giles had narrowed the affect down to three possibilities. The first was that Willow's spell had awakened all the slayers in the world and because of that there would be no other ones – ever. In effect, the spell "shot the wad" as far as slayers went. If this were true, once all the existing slayers were gone, there would never be another. Vampires and all other evil in the world would have an open season on the innocent.

A second possibility was that the spell awakened all the girls that were already potentials at the time of the spell. Under this theory, the actual slayer line continued as before. As time went on, more potentials would be "born." Also as before, no new slayer would be called until an existing slayer died. Under this theory, there would be many slayers for a long time, but eventually the legacy would revert to as it had been for thousands of years – one girl, the vampire slayer, chosen to protect the innocent. Only upon her death would another rise.

The third option was that Willow's spell had altered the legacy at both the slayer and potential levels. They knew that all girls who were potentials at the time of the spell became slayers. But, despite researching to exhaustion all known information on them, no one knew where or how potentials came to be. It was not known if those girls were born potentials, something in their DNA, or if sometime during their lives the powers-that-be infused the slayer potential in them. Because of this, it was possible that, even after the slayer spell, there might be new potentials. Under the third option, because of the cosmic change on how slayers were "made" due to the spell, potentials wouldn't need the death of a slyer to be "called." Under this theory, at some point in time, a potential would just turn into a slyer, much like a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. Of course, the number of potentials that would exist and how and when they would "graduate" was as much an unknown as the rest of the theory itself.

As a result, for a long time after the spell, after the awakened slayers had been found and the international slayer network set up, Giles and the others in the Council watched and waited. They knew only time would tell which of the theories was correct. During the first year after the slayer spell, nothing happened. There were no reports of new potentials or slayers. But, there had also been no slayers killed. There was a morbid side to the waiting in that many thought that until a slayer did die they would never get an answer. The correct theory was finally made known just into the second year after the spell was performed by the gentle witch.

At each of the slayer facilities established around the world and in other strategic locations, Giles required a coven member or witch doctor be assigned in order to "sense" new slayers or potentials. There were people in place whose job it was to scan the energy forces and ethereal planes in order to identify a new slayer or potential. These were highly sensitive, sharply trained individuals hired expressly for this position. What they found was critical in unraveling the slayer spell mystery. The string began to untangle in Fall River, Massachusetts.

Heather LaGrasse was a seventeen year old, second generation All-American girl. Like many others from that area, her mother was of Portuguese descent and her father French Canadian. She had lived in Fall River her entire life. The city was like many others in New England. It was a deeply Democratic town, filled with hard working, blue collar workers and the so called "liberal elite." The city itself was rich in history. Its citizens were devoted to the Catholic Church and the Boston Red Sox, just barely in that order. At the turn of the twentieth century, Fall River was the world leader in textiles. The red brick warehouses throughout the city bustled with activity. However, as is the story most times, cheaper labor and raw materials eventually sprang up elsewhere and the city soon lost most of its manufacturing. It stayed an important, if not overly vibrant, city sitting at what is considered the mouth of the Cape Cod section of the Bay State.

The city's fame came not only from its business history. It was also known for its whaling ships of long ago, the seat of the Catholic Archdiocese, and most importantly the home of the infamous Lizzie Borden. In fact, Heather LaGrasse had heard second hand versions of her great grandmother's stories of walking to Catechism and crossing the street at a particular block just so as not to walk directly in front of the house where Lizzie allegedly did her horrendous deed.

Like so many other teenagers of that area, Heather spent most of her summer vacation working to help her family make ends meet. On the day in question, she was helping out at a local seafood market. Her job was to carry the bushels of freshly caught crabs to the holding tanks and separate them by size. Heather hated the job; it was hard, wet and smelly, but it paid well. She was lucky enough to have it because her father knew the owner. Three days a week, Heather strained to lift those cartons, all so that she could afford to buy new clothes for the upcoming school year.

The girl was about half way through her shift when "it" happened. She couldn't explain it and at first thought she'd been the recipient of a miracle. While she was toting a crab bushel to a tank, Heather suddenly felt a tingle over her entire body. It felt like that quick shiver one gets from the blast of cold air just after pulling back the shower curtain on a cold winter's day. The teenager stood still for a moment and then, deciding that nothing had really happened, resumed her work. As she got to her destination, she heaved the bushel up and flung it like she'd done a thousand times before. It was the only way to get it over the lip of the tank and the crabs safely inside in one motion. However, this time, the bushel container went sailing through the air and landed some twenty feet away spilling the crabs all over the warehouse floor. Heather was stupefied. After some thought, she went and picked up the crabs and placed them back in the container. She noticed when she picked up the bushel, she did so effortlessly.

Heather continued to experience strange things that day. She felt stronger; she knew she was. She could hear people talking even though she was yards away from them. When it came time to go home, she ran instead of taking the bus like she usually did. She beat it home by fifteen minutes. By the end of the day, Heather LaGrasse knew that something had happened to her. What she didn't know was whether it was a good or bad thing.

On the day that Heather LaGrasse was discovering a monumental change in her self, a coven witch in Boston, Massachusetts was identifying a change in the energy field in the southeastern part of the state. The witch honed in her senses and was able to pinpoint the location and the source – a new slayer. She immediately called Giles.

As it turned out, the watcher's third hypothesis had come to pass. Heather LaGrasse became the first slayer "born" after Willow's slayer spell. Upon being told that there was a new slayer, Giles contacted all branches of the slayer network to see if any slayer had died. After a few days of checking, he was informed all known slayers were still all very alive and well. The fact that LaGrasse was sensed as a slayer intrigued the Englishman. There had been no identification of the girl as a potential. It was as if she just turned up as a slayer. After much investigation and research, the Council concluded that Willow's spell had fundamentally changed the slayer legacy. There were no more potentials. A girl was a regular person one minute and a slayer the next. Those involved couldn't explain the phenomenon. They didn't know if it meant that the potential aspect was still inside and somehow now undetectable or if it was gone altogether. Now, becoming a slayer was kind of like puberty where one second a walk down a beach only meant looking at shells and the next a whole sea of attractive bodies called out for attention. Now, a girl was nothing special one heartbeat and on the next she could bring down a hoard of stampeding elephants. It happened that quickly. One thing was certain. It no longer took the death of a slayer for another to "arrive."

That fact meant contacting new slayers was a top priority. Heather LaGrasse, and then later other new slayers, was promptly contacted by the local slayer network and told of her legacy. As was decided when the new Watcher's Council was formed, Heather was given the choice to fight or remain in her life. The teenager, like most others, chose to fight for Good. By the time of Rona's death, new slayers were put through a mini slayer school and then given an assignment. They were paid from Council funds. Slaying had become much like a job at Wal-Mart, but with health insurance.

One interesting fact that came out during the whole potential issue was the fact that there were very few girls around the world who had in actuality known they were potentials. Kennedy and a dozen or so others were the only ones. More interesting was the fact that only Kennedy and a couple other girls had "become" potentials at such an early age. Slayers were usually sixteen or seventeen when they were "called." Of the girls that had been potentials, most had found out when they were fourteen or fifteen. Only Kennedy and two others were younger when they knew; Kennedy had been the youngest. Though there was never an explanation given or a cause to think that something would come of it in the future, Kennedy held the fact with pride. She likened it to the Marine slogan – "The Few, The Proud."

Upon returning to their home, Kennedy and Willow tried to get into their regular routine. Willow mentored aspiring witches and tutored kids in science and Kennedy helped out at Slayer Central while also patrolling. The couple had fallen into a routine and were happy in it. A few days after the funeral, Faith called.

"Listen, I know you guys have a life there, but I could use some help." Willow could hear the concern in the older slayer's voice. "I've hit a wall with the stuff Rona left and I'm starting to think she stumbled onto something big…and bad…There's some weird shit going on here and I think maybe it's what got Rona killed."

"We'll be there in two days, Faith." Willow said supportively. She and Kennedy were close enough to Faith to know something had to be very wrong for the slayer to call. Faith was, if nothing else, a lone wolf when it came to slaying. She had a way of getting the job done, even the most difficult of job, by herself. The witch and slayer knew that the one wrong assumption made by most who had heard of the "Rogue Slayer" was to think her ignorant. Faith wasn't, by a long shot. She was as honed to her slayer instincts as any slayer could ever be. For her to ask for help meant that there was evil brewing of immense proportion.

Willow and Kennedy looked at each other. "Well, Red…seems we have another crisis on our hands…Ready to give your witchy mojo a real workout?"

The redhead gave a nod of approval. "With everything else we've got on our plate, what's one more thing?...even if it is probably gonna turn out to be some soul sucking demon from the bowels of Hell."

"Heh…Is that any way to talk about my stepmom?" Kennedy chided. They both started to laugh.

Then Willow hugged Kennedy. "Ya know…Sometimes, I wished we had stayed in Paris."

"Hey Will?…Wake up babe. We're landing in a few minutes." Kennedy lightly placed her hand on the witch's arm. They were fifteen minutes from landing at Charles DaGaulle Airport. The slayer smiled at the sleeping redhead. 'She seems to be getting used to flying."

Willow moved slightly and then opened her eyes. "Hey, we there yet?" she said in between a yawn.

The redhead got a quirky smile on her face. "I thought that's what you did to me last night."

Kennedy tried to look shocked. "You brazen little hussy…You'll fit right in here."

The couple couldn't have picked a more glorious place for their honeymoon. Despite the stories heard from Americans about how the French are rude and even ruder to Americans, Paris, France is still the most romantic spot on the face of the earth. In the two weeks that Willow and Kennedy spent there, they were able to find out for themselves just how true that statement was.

The witch and slayer's honeymoon started like most. They had to wait too long in customs and then survive the ordeal of baggage claim. "Even in French, this sucks." Kennedy's opinion of that aspect of traveling hadn't change. After the bags were claimed, the two newlyweds hailed a cab and were taken to their hotel. As directed by his daughter, Jackson Prescott tried to reign in his spending on the Paris trip. He did not book them into the Ritz Carlton nor give them a chauffeured limousine during their stay. Of course, he told his daughter if she needed or wanted a driver, she only had to call a local number and one would be at their hotel within fifteen minutes. The man did insist, though, on making two reservations for the couple. On their first and last nights in the city, Jackson Prescott made plans for the couple. The first was for dinner and the last for the opera. "Trust me…To truly know Paris, you must experience these two things." His cryptic statement before they left Cleveland had the women curious. All they knew was that they needed to be ready at a certain time and that they would be picked up at their hotel. Other than that, the women were clueless.

"This is incredible." Willow was finally able to say those wordshumbly after being left speechless from the view at the top of the Eiffel Tower.

After checking into their hotel room, a very nice four star establishment on the Rue de Champs-Elysees, the couple headed straight for the most recognized structure in the world. They had slept on the flight over and with the time change were anything but tired. It was early evening by the time the elevator dropped them off at the top of the Eiffel Tower. The sun was low in the horizon but the view of the city was still clearly visible. It was breathtaking. The entire magnificent city was laid out before them. As Willow stood there, it finally sunk in that she was in Paris. The place that millions of people only ever dream about visiting was sprawled out in full view before the witch. It was such a poignant moment for the redhead. Only a few years earlier she never would have imagined that her life would turn out as it did; a few years earlier she was contemplating whether she deserved even to be alive. The woman holding her hand and staring also into the Paris evening was a big part of the reason her life had become as close to perfect as humanly possible. Standing there with Kennedy, Willow knew that flicker of a moment in time would be a memory she would carry with her always.

After their Tower walk, the couple made their way back to the Champs-Elysees and strolled down one of the most famous streets in the world. The place was bustling with people. They eventually ended up at the Arch de Triomphe and scaled its steps for yet another breathtaking, if not brief, view of the area around them. They knew they had lots of days to catch all the sights including the Tower again, but still the women had the need to experience them as soon as possible. After that itch was scratched, they headed back to their hotel for the first of Jackson Prescott's planned events.

The outing was a late dinner, only considered late by American standards, at a secluded restaurant on the River Seine. They could see Notre Dame Cathedral like it was a stone's throw away. The place picked by Kennedy's father was a traditional French restaurant, one not visited nor known by many tourists or foreigners. The food was exquisite and the wine even better. The cultured way of the French seeped into the ambience of the place. Though not as good as her Spanish or Portuguese, Kennedy had mastered enough of the French language to keep their presence from being touristy. As a first meal in Paris, Kennedy's father could not have picked a more appropriate setting.

After dinner, the limousine drove the couple back to their hotel. The richness of the food and the quality of the wine had put the two women in a state of heated desire to get their "honeymoon" underway. It was a good thing that the two were alone in the elevator that took them to their fifth story room. Although, the way the newlyweds were feeling, it probably wouldn't have made a difference. As soon as the hotel room door shut behind them, Willow urgently pushed Kennedy up against it. She immediately attacked the slayer's mouth with her own. She leaned into the brunette, pressing her leg in between the slayer's thighs.

In the years that they had been together, Willow had become more open and aggressive about her sexual desires. With Oz, the redhead had never really been the initiator. With Tara she was much of the time only because the blonde witch was even shyer than she was. Initially with Kennedy, Willow felt 'out sexed' by the brunette. Kennedy wore her sexuality and sensuality on her shirt sleeve. That both captivated and scared the witch. Never had Willow seen anyone so bold, except for Faith, which wasn't exactly a rousing endorsement for that type of behavior. However, the longer the witch and slayer were together, the more comfortable Willow became with that aspect of herself. She knew part was due just to maturing and becoming more at ease in her skin. But, she also knew that it was partly due to the brunette who dared her to let that inner 'wild girl' out, who wanted that creature out. With Kennedy, she had a different self image and it showed in her sexual confidence. Tara had made the redhead feel beautiful; Kennedy had made her realize she truly was. The result was an often wanton Willow; a woman who, from nothing more than thinking about the feel of her lover's skin on her fingers, could bubble over in a rage of sexual desire in mere seconds. Kennedy was only too happy to be the recipient of such fervor.

Such was the case on their first night in the City of Lights. Willow forcefully kissed her slayer, probing her tongue inside the brunette's mouth, caressing over the steel piercing that still could cause unexpected shivers down the redhead's spine. The witch's kisses were deep and long. While her mouth lingered on the brunette's, Willow's hands were pressing over her lover's sides and breasts. The witch massaged one heaving peak while her other hand grazed its way down the slayer's form and rubbed against her center.

Kennedy's reaction to her partner's actions was one of pure ecstasy. With the first touch of Willow's lips, the brunette's body started to go into overload. Her skin tingled with each of the witch's caresses and she instinctively arched into the touches in order to produce more contact and a greater sensation. The brunette pressed one hand onto the door and the other against the witch's back as she took in the sensations caused by the woman. Kennedy wasn't a slave to Willow's actions at these times. That implied a captured soul that longed to be free. The slayer never wanted to be rid of her witch; she willingly gave up every ounce of free will when it came to Willow. The redhead wasn't her master; she was the air that the brunette breathed. She loved Willow's urgent touching and grasping; it made her feel like in some way she was also indispensable to the redhead. Kennedy stood there, pressed against the door and let Willow have her way. She couldn't hold back the moans and sighs that went along with the assault by the witch. Willow was taking her for a ride and she leaned back to enjoy every minute.

Willow kept attacking Kennedy's mouth, her neck, her chest. She grasped at the linen covered breast with her teeth and lightly bit at the cloth. Willow realized her desire was running rampant and she needed to 'touch' her slayer. Her need was too urgent to waste time on clothes. As she renewed her attack on the brunette's mouth, Willow's right hand reached down and grabbed some of the material of Kennedy's dress. Fingers began to gather up more material until they caught the hemline. Willow's hand then went under the garment and quickly searched out Kennedy's center. The redhead firmly rubbed against the slayer's panties. But Willow knew that wasn't enough. She grasped the light material and pushed it down just enough to let her hand touch the thing for which she longed. The witch's movements were urgent yet performed with the expertise of someone who'd done the same thing often. Willow knew Kennedy loved it when she "took charge." The lovers' bodies were now pressing and rocking against one another. Their breathing was ragged. Kennedy waited in frenzied anticipation for the feel of Willow inside her. It came unexpectedly after only a few moments of Willow's fingers teasing her. The plunge made Kennedy gasp and lose her breath. Willow then pumped her fingers while she kept her other hand massaging her lover's breast and her mouth kissing her girl's neck.

Kennedy's orgasm thundered through her. This was not one that built up slowly so that she could feel it radiating from her core. This release howled out of her like a mushroom cloud. Her entire body jerked in violent spasms. She had to grab onto the door knob and Willow just to keep from knocking her and the redhead over onto the floor. Her incessant panting and outcries of "Oh Will…oh…it's…uh…it's…Ahhhh…" told the witch exactly how well received her actions were.

It took a while for the slayer to regain her faculties. Until she did, she hung onto the witch ever so thankful that she had met the woman who had become everything to her.

Once recuperated though still slightly out of breath, Kennedy looked her witch in the eyes. "You are incredible…I was so smart to marry you."

Willow smiled and laughed slightly as she grabbed her lover's backside with both hands. "I'm sorry to tell you, baby, but I didn't just marry you for your brains."

Kennedy got an innocent look. "You didn't?…What other reason could there possibly be?…" The look turned seductive. "Maybe this?" With that, the slayer lifted Willow into her arms and carried her over near the eighteenth century four poster bed. She let her down to stand just long enough to unzip and remove the witch's dress along with her undergarments. One thing Willow had always been impressed about with the brunette was her ability to quickly defrock the redhead of her clothes. The girl was Houdini when it came to bra clasps. Kennedy laid the witch on the bed so that her legs dangled over the edge. The slayer then took off her own clothes. "We certainly won't be needing these for the rest of the night" she said as she tossed them on a Louis IVX chair.

Kennedy knelt on the floor in between Willow's legs. She caressed the silky alabaster skin of her wife's legs, then hips and then stomach. Whenever her hands left an area, it was replaced with her mouth. The brunette worked her piercing until she could feel Willow writhe beneath her touch. She went near but never on the one place that was starting to throb in the witch. Kennedy then got up slightly and worked her way up the witch's torso. She could hear Willow's breathing deepen; she could see her chest rise and fall more dramatically. Kennedy covered one of Willow's breasts with her hand and started to massage it at the same time her mouth captured the other. She sucked on it, teasing the hardened nipple with her piercing. The effect was an arching back and fingers desperately raking through her hair. If there was one way to stroke the redhead's fire to a blaze, Kennedy knew it was through her breasts. That drove the witch wild. When one side had been dutifully satisfied, mouth and hand switched and Willow's other breast was treated in like fashion.

It wasn't long before Willow's little sounds of delight became vocal. Kennedy could hear them grow louder as the witch's body rocked harder. That's when the slayer started her southern descent. She licked and kissed perfectly smooth skin on her way. Kennedy brushed her cheek across Willow's aching center. That only brought more moans from the girl. When the redhead was at the height of her sexual frenzy and want, Kennedy placed her hands under the witch's hips and dove into her reward. Willow cried out Kennedy's name and thrust her hips into the slayer's face as she gripped the bedspread with one hand while the other instinctively settled onto brunette tresses. Kennedy worked her magick on the witch's center. There were times when Willow couldn't imagine ever wanting to make love any other way; the feeling was indescribable. What Kennedy could do to her was unfathomable. Willow sometimes wondered if straight women ever got to this feeling; she knew she never had with Oz.

Kennedy kept stroking and sucking and probing until she could feel Willow's orgasm start. It went through the witch like an earthquake, starting at her core's epicenter then rippling its way outward. As her release hit, Willow tightened her legs around her slayer keeping the contact as long as possible. She let out a slow moan and rode the release until she lay limp on the bed.

The slayer extricated herself from in between Willow's legs and lay down beside her witch on the bed. After a few moments, Willow's breathing was slowed enough so she could speak. She glanced over to the woman beside her. "See…I told you I didn't just marry you for your brains."

The couple eventually made it under the covers but their night was far from over. This was their honeymoon and they were determined to do the term proud. They went a few more rounds until they were finally too spent for further action. They fell asleep in each others' arms after what could only be described as a great first honeymoon day.

The rest of the newlyweds' honeymoon went much like that first glorious day. They went to museums, historic sites and many of the best restaurants at which they'd ever eaten. They saw the Mona Lisa at the Louvre. "Gee, Kenne…I thought it would be a lot bigger." Kennedy slowed her walk when she came to the spot under the Louvre's exterior pyramid referenced in the book "The DaVinci Code." 'Huh…wonder if the Holy Grail really is there?' she thought. They visited Napoleon's Tomb, the Luxembourg Gardens and the military museum. From Rodin's museum to the Musee D'Orsy to the catacombs under the city, the witch and slayer saw it all. They went to brasseries to eat and shopped the street markets in the city. They marveled at the sight of Notre Dame and were in complete awe with the grandeur of Versailles. The witch and slayer ate cheese and baguettes and drank wine with the Eiffel Tower as their backdrop. The couple did every touristy thing they could think of. They took in the night life until they worked themselves into a heated fury and then went home and made love until exhausted.

Their stay was not relegated to the city alone. They were chauffeured to vineyards outside the city and went to the beaches at Normandy. Once again, the couple marveled at the nonchalant attitude given by Europeans to their "situation." The respect, meaning the seemingly oblivious attention, given to gays by Western Europeans made the two women understand just how "up tight" America was when it came to homosexuality. Their honeymoon was more enjoyable they knew because they were able to hold hands and embrace freely without feeling like disapproving eyes were searing at them.

Being young and in love, Willow and Kennedy kept up a non-stop itinerary. They even visited Giles. "Since we're so close, we could just go over and say hi." Kennedy could never deny her witch. So after a call to make sure the man would be home, the couple took the Eurostar through The Chunnel and dropped in on their long time friend. "I feel flattered that you would take time out of your honeymoon to visit." They stayed a day and a half and decided that England was a place that was definitely on their vacation spots in the future.

The two weeks were over before they knew it and Kennedy and Willow found themselves waiting once again for a chauffeur to take them to the opera. This was the other event scheduled by the slayer's father. Neither had been to the opera and from what they had heard about it, it was snooty. The opinion changed after seeing one. The most important aspect of their experience was that the event took place in the Paris Opera House, the original building where kings and queens for centuries took in their entertainment. The place was stunning with gold and marble statues everywhere. Though they couldn't say that they'd become opera fans, the experience was one more thing that truly made them feel they were in Paris.

On the way home from the opera, Kennedy made the driver stop on the Pont Neuf, the famous bridge, over the Seine. The weather was brisk but the women were clothed to keep out the cold. They leaned against the bridge's side as they took in the sparkling view of Paris at night.

"Me, too," Willow replied as she took Kennedy's hand. Then she felt something being put in the palm of that hand by Kennedy. The witch held onto the thing and brought her hand up. It was a small square box – a ring box. She looked at Kennedy surprised and confused.

"I know we said we weren't gonna do presents to each other…but I felt so bad I didn't get you a ring…You don't have to think of this as anything other than a Hanukah present or an early birthday present…You can wear it on your right hand if you want." Willow saw pure love in the girl's eyes.

"Aw, baby…You didn't need to do this." Willow had realized early on in their relationship that Kennedy was the type of person who'd surprise her with gifts. When Kennedy gave, she gave with everything she had. She fought with all her might, stood by her friends until the end and loved unconditionally and with her entire soul. Willow knew the girl would spend her life trying to make the witch happy. As much as the slayer acted tough to others, she was at heart a romantic.

Willow opened the box to reveal an exquisite ring. The center stone was a deep, rich red garnet in a solitaire cut. Encircling the red gem were eight small but perfectly symmetrical and flawless pearls. The entire setting was inlaid into a gold ring. The stones glistened in the night light. Kennedy watched as Willow stared at the piece. "Garnet is your birthstone and I found out its powers include healing and strength…all the things you've done for me…The pearls are my birthstone…They're for love, security and protection…Things I hope I give to you…that I'll always give you…"

"Of course I do." Willow hugged the girl and kissed the side of her neck. She softly whispered in the brunette's ear, "Je t'aime." Willow couldn't see her brunette smile with that spoken declaration of love. As far as Kennedy was concerned, those were the only words Willow ever needed to know in French.

The redhead finally let go and placed the gift on her right ring finger. It looked like it belonged there, like it had been there forever. Willow leaned in again and gave Kennedy a tender kiss.

The witch and slayer wrapped their arms around each other's waist and continued to take in the Paris view. They savored the minutes knowing that their fairytale honeymoon was about to end. Though they might have been heading back to their regular life in the morning, at least for a few more hours they knew they still had Paris.

It was raining the day Willow and Kennedy arrived in New York City. Faith picked them up at JFK Airport and took them immediately to Miguel's office which doubled as her place of operation. The building was in a commercial part of the city down by the Port Authority. It was low key and under the radar, a perfect setting for the launching point for fighting evil. Between the Brazilian armoires and Chilean bookcases, one would occasionally see a broadsword or dual chamber crossbow. If ever questioned by a potential buyer or seller, Miguel would say that he was getting into the collectable weapons market. "Americans love their weapons and they'll pay out the nose for the right ones."

"Listen, I know you probably want to drop your stuff off at the hotel, but I really thought you should see this first." The couple could hear the concern in the older slayer's voice.

"Don't worry about it, Faith…This sounds big. It's better we get started right away." Kennedy calmed her friend as she took them to a back room in Miguel's building.

The slayer opened the door and led the two others in; Willow and Kennedy stopped as they looked about the room. It was a decent sized space, about fifteen feet on each side with no windows. There was a small metal desk on the far side from the door which had nothing on it but a regular phone, a cellphone and a mass of papers. The thing that disturbed the couple was that the wall behind the desk and the one to the right of it were covered in papers and maps and photos. It looked like the scene out of a movie about the FBI searching for a serial killer. The pictures were of different people, the maps appeared to be of differing parts of New York City. Upon closer inspection, the papers were outlines of gathered information. The wall to the left of the desk had but one sheet taped to it. The only thing on the sheet was written in big black magic marker. It read:

"Not exactly like Angel's place was, huh Red?" Faith knew her "business" was a fledgling endeavor but she was proud of it nonetheless.

"Seems like you've got a lot going on, Faith…What is all this?" Willow was taken aback a little by what she saw. Even though she knew Faith had turned her life around, she never took her for the entrepreneurial business type. She quickly thought to herself that Miguel must have been having a very strong influence on the woman.

"Yeah, Faith…Does this all have to do with Rona?" Kennedy was intrigued and could start to see why they had received the slayer's plea for assistance.

"Unfortunately, I can only say I think this has to do with her murder…There's been some fucking weird shit going on here lately and I've got this feeling that it's all connected…I just can't make heads or tails of some of it…That's why I called." There was a slight tone of resignation to the woman's voice.

"Well then, let's see if we can do anything to help," Willow said supportively. "Tell us what you've got here."

Going over to the wall to the right of the desk, Faith held her hand up to a photo of a woman that appeared to be about forty years old. "This is Amber Scott. She and her mother were looking through shops in Greenwich Village when she mysteriously disappeared." Faith took a step over to the next picture. This one was a Hispanic man. "This is Carlos Jimenez and he disappeared…" Faith continued to tell the disappearance stories of Carlos and four other people. They had all been taken within the last six months; averaging roughly one a month. Each was found dead three days after his or her vanishing. "The cops say that they were all dead about two days before they were found. The weird shit is that they all had one puncture wound in their femoral artery…They all had blood drained but not all of it." After finishing, Faith stared at the photos. "Fuck." She then turned to the couple. Her anger was on the rise again. "What kinduv bastard is doing this?"

Kennedy looked at the photos also. She was just as enraged as Faith. Whoever was doing this kept the victims alive for a day before the kill. The brunette wondered how terrified the people were for those horrible twenty-four hours. Then the obvious hit her. "How come we haven't heard about this on TV?…I haven't seen or heard one thing about all these people being missing…Have you, Will?" The witch shook her head no. Like the others, Willow had trouble taking her eyes off those faces.

Faith let out a snort. "Wanna know why you ain't heard shit?…Look at them…Whattdya see?…They're all minorities and poor people…All of them were from dirt poor families who lived in the shittiest part of the city…If you don't have a wad of cash in a bank account or pretty white skin, you don't matter." Faith knew how cruel the great United States could be to the impoverished. She'd come from a poor childhood; she saw first hand how much of society cast the poor to the side like used garbage. It was one reason she'd decided to help those in trouble because more often than not it was the poor, the fringe of society that evil attacked. The big bad knew that those were the people that went unnoticed.

"Ok…Where were the bodies found?" Willow couldn't handle looking at the faces any longer. She wanted to know the rest of Faith's information so she could start working on an answer. She didn't know what had taken those people but she wanted to find out so whoever or whatever it was so that it could be killed.

"In different places. I couldn't see a pattern in any of it." The dejected voice showed Faith's fear that she might never decipher the killer's code.

Willow said calmly, "With demons, it's so easy not to…They don't work the same way we do." The witch didn't want her friend to think that she wasn't smart enough to get the answer. She moved on to another topic. "Faith, What's all this other stuff?…the maps and all those papers?"

"Ok, the maps show the locations of where the people lived…where they disappeared…the routes…" Faith went on to describe to Kennedy and Willow all the footwork she'd done concerning the disappearances. She became aware of the matter when the second person's mother came to Faith for help. The old woman had known about the slayer because her friend's daughter had had trouble with a very violent ex-husband that Faith was able to rectify. As soon as the slayer investigated that disappearance, she found out about the first. Several weeks later the third occurred. Despite her harsh manner at times, the slayer could be persuasive when needed. Her style made her friends at several local police departments and hospitals which kept her informed of any new events happening.

Faith had every detail she could think of concerning the disappearances and the victims themselves. There were detailed maps, family histories, timetables, dossiers on relatives and friends of the families. She had lunar charts and graphings from area witches showing energy flows and spikes in the prior six months.

Willow was impressed the amount of data the slayer had accumulated. "This is a lot here…You really did a thorough job."

Faith nodded her head slightly. "Yeah…that's the weak link…It's more hunch than anything concrete right now…You see, Rona was helping me with this whole mess…Now, I don't wanna speak bad about her, cos she was a good slayer when she put her mind to it…but…she was kinduva slacker…" Faith went to tell the couple that Rona, despite being a pain in the ass at times, was also not one who was naturally motivated to do things. "She did a good job if she had direction…" Faith continued that Rona never really went out looking for big bad on her own. She patrolled when told to and where to go; she would follow up on any lead or fact that Faith asked her to. "But she wasn't one to just go on a hunt by herself."

"The day Rona got murdered, she was supposed to be down in the theater district seeing a Drieluy demon who I thought might have info…The cellphone call I got from her was just after four and when I tracked down the call's location, it was from the Bronx…But her body was found by the river…Rona never went off on her own…Only something really big coulda made her go chase after it…"

Kennedy interrupted. "Maybe something kidnapped her or knocked her out…Maybe she didn't follow anything."

Faith nodded. "I thought that at first, too…but there were no signs of a struggle or of being tied up…She may have been a lot of things but a pussy wasn't one of them…If she was captured, she woulda fought like hell…No, she was following something."

It was Willow's turn to interrupt. "What's crickets pat?" She was looking at the paper on the wall.

Faith put her hands on her hips. "Beats the shit outta me…That was something Rona said in her call that I can't figure out what it means or goes to…You need to listen to the call." Faith then grabbed the cellphone and turned up the volume. "I've got this on tape too, but this'll do for now." She hit a few buttons and then Rona's voice was heard. The message faded in and out and it was difficult to hear what the woman was saying; she was whispering. There was something about "seeing them" and "almost got…" and then she said something that sounded like "crickets pat." When it was over, Faith turned off the phone.

"That's it…that's what I got…I can't fit in the cricket stuff to anything damn thing. I tried areas near parks or pet shops, even science labs…nothing…I can't place the cricket thing with anything else…but I know they have to be…I know if we figure that out and we'll know who's doing this."

The witch and slayer looked at each other then Faith. Kennedy spoke for her and Willow. "Alright then…Let's get down to work."

The rest of the afternoon was spent catching Kennedy and Willow up on all the information Faith had. The older slayer brought in a couple chairs from Miguel's warehouse for them to use. The couple studied the massive amounts of paperwork with Willow taking copious notes. There were times when Faith noticed that Kennedy would give something to Willow just as the witch lifter her hand. Neither spoke nor looked up at the other. After asking, Faith was told that they were mindspeaking.

"Sorry, Faith…We forget that it's only us that knows it happening…It's just an easy way to do stuff without disturbing others." Willow really was apologetic. Since Brazil, Willow and Kennedy had become proficient in mindspeak. Though they didn't exploit it, mindspeak was a good way to keep a low profile, stay quiet when needed and overall keep from disturbing others. They had become so used to it that there were times they weren't aware it was happening.

By dinner time, everyone was tired besides hungry. They had taken a vast amount of information and Willow needed to roll it around in her head to see what questions or actions she could come up with. The three women left the warehouse and headed to the couple's hotel. It was several subway stops away from Faith's and Miguel's place. After checking in and depositing their luggage in their room, they went out to dinner, Miguel meeting them in the Village. They spent the rest of the night catching each other up on the latest developments in their lives and of the other Scoobies. When dinner was over the couples parted promising to meet at Faith's office in the morning. "We'll be there by eleven. Will and I have some business we have to get out of the way while we're here."

The "business" that Kennedy referred to dealt with the finances of the couple. It wasn't the first time that matters had been addressed by the witch and slayer, but this was a first for doing it in New York. Their present appointment was as a result of that talk Kennedy had had with her father almost one year earlier. When Jackson Prescott shone the light on the financial inequality of his daughter and her partner, a nagging feeling shot through the slayer's head. Though she considered her money Willow's money, in reality that wasn't so. She was very rich and Willow was only due to the graciousness of her brunette. That didn't sit well with the slayer. She thought long and hard about what she could do. She finally made several calls for help to Miller, Weinstein & Roberts, P.A., the law firm that handled her family's legal issues. After several discussions with astute lawyers in that firm along with an accountant and financial planner at two other swanky New York Accounting firms, Kennedy had her answer.

After the couple returned from Paris, the slayer received a large manila envelope. That night, while Willow was watching TV, Kennedy approached her with envelope in hand.

Willow was even more curious. Kennedy never really got 'down in the mud' when it came to her finances. She knew the slayer had several checking and savings accounts along with other investments. Willow never pushed for information on those things.

Kennedy opened the envelope and emptied its contents on the coffee table. Everything Willow saw looked like legal documents. She could tell because they all had boldfaced titles and lots of words on them. One thing Willow found out quickly when she every so often glanced at Kennedy's legal papers was that lawyers love words. She was certain their pay had to be linked to the number they used. As she looked over the documents Willow began to see her name referenced in all of them…and it was in boldface. She crinkled her brow in complete confusion.

Kennedy started to pick up the documents as she explained what they were one by one and what she had done for Willow. "Ok, these over here place your name on all of my accounts…banking and financial. This one puts you on my trust account. This is my will…These make you my beneficiary on the life insurance my dad got for me and the sole recipient of my trust fund if something were to happen to me. The long one here allows you to use the accounts the same way I can…" Kennedy continued and then, when done, took a moment to let Willow look over everything and take in what she said. Then she spoke. "Basically, what all this legal mumbo jumbo does is make my money your money. As soon as a monthly trust payment is made, it's ours. We are both responsible now for maintaining our accounts and looking after our investments…Of course, we do have investment people who actually do the hard work…but we still have to make sure we aren't getting screwed." When done, Kennedy sat still, biting on her bottom lip waiting for the redhead's response.

Willow was speechless. She had never thought that Kennedy would do something of this magnitude. She stared at the papers for a long time, occasionally shifting one out of the way as if to look at another. The fact that Kennedy was the daughter of one of the country's most astute bankers hit her like a lead ball. The slayer had grown up in wealth and in a family that knew how to mange and make money. They protected their interests which included financially protecting those they loved. That Kennedy was only twenty-four and doing this also wasn't a surprise. Willow was certain this type of thing was second nature growing up in the Prescott household.

The redhead didn't realize she'd been silent for so long. "Baby, I don't know what to say."

"Are you mad or upset?" The words were said almost child like. Kennedy really was concerned by the witch's complete silence.

"Oh God, no…no…definitely not…This is just so much to take in…This is…really…"

Kennedy took the witch's hand. "Will, my dad got me thinking about a few things…How things weren't really equal when it came to money…And I know that you probably won't ever feel completely like this is yours too…but I just want you to have what I have…What's mine really is yours, babe." Kennedy smiled.

Willow was floored by the slayer's actions. She didn't have the right words to express her gratitude for such a big gesture. She leaned in and kissed her brunette. "Thank you…" She shook her head. "I don't even know if that's the right thing to say…but I can't think of anything else." She kissed her slayer again. This time Kennedy embraced the witch and let the kiss linger.

When done, a flabbergasted Willow started shuffling through the papers, scratching her head in bewilderment.

"There's a bunch of stuff you have to sign but the lawyers set out everything pretty well."

Jokingly, "Looks like a lot of work here…You shoulda just gone with a prenup and given me an allowance."

Kennedy chuckled. "Please any good lawyer can make one of those into birdcage liner."

The women spent the next hour reading and signing…and making Willow into one very rich witch.

For the couple's second day in New York, they started out by visiting their lawyer and accountant to sign some paperwork and to discuss the state of their financial affairs. They were doing quite well. Afterwards, they headed to Faith's. They actually walked down Wall Street and by the Stock Exchange. That stroll took on a different meaning to Willow. It wasn't just a place to see as a tourist. She had a financial stake in how things went on in that place. "Wow…That'll make ya feel like a grown up." Willow had begun to see herself as truly an adult in every way. Things like household expenses, investments and retirement funds were all topics of conversation in which she'd engaged. She knew there were many people her age that never had those subjects cross their minds. Being partners with a successful banker's daughter made that an impossibility for the witch. She was a witch married to a slayer and they were rich; those were 'burdens' Willow would have to bear. The redhead let go of those thoughts as they made their way to Faith's office.

During the previous evening, Willow and Kennedy brainstormed the facts they had. There were several questions Willow needed to ask Faith and several possibilities of where to start to get an identity on the 'body snatcher.' First and foremost, the redhead wanted to see if she could tell where the victims had been at the time of their death. Willow had become quite proficient at sensing and scribing for those lost or taken. For those she had a connection with, she didn't even need a personal item; she just "knew" where they were and if they were alright. For strangers, all it took was any thing owned or touched by the person and Willow could pinpoint a location within ten feet. But sensing where a live person was located was not the only feat the witch could do. Willow could also sense the trail of where someone had been. She once described the concept to Kennedy. "We're all energy, which never disappears. When we move, some energy trails. It's like an ethereal presence. Depending on the circumstances, there can be a negligible amount or more. The greater the extreme of emotion a person is under, the more energy is left behind. Seeing it only takes the right concentration." After what Faith had told her, Willow was certain the people who were killed would have been in a tremendous state of fear at the time of their death. Willow hoped that maybe some of that energy was still lingering in the expanse, never having been properly released into the netherworld. She knew that her only realistic chance was with the last victim. She knew the energy she was trying to find didn't last all that long.

After explaining her desire to sense for the victims, Faith told her she'd already had a witch try without luck. But Faith knew Willow was more powerful than one hundred of the witches she'd contacted, so she gladly gave her what she had. Willow held onto the wallets, clothes and other personal possessions that had been found on the bodies. As she stood there, the witch got a strange sensation like something had emitted a low grade filter to the plain of consciousness that encapsulated the energy she was trying to sense. It seemed to be placing a jamming signal to the ethereal expanse. She tried repeatedly to 'see' through the snow. She was able to sense all the locations where the bodies were found. She felt no energy. Her mind just got cloudy and no clear thoughts or patterns came through.

Willow came out of her trance like state. "Find anything?" Faith immediately asked. Willow had a perplexed look on her face. "I didn't think I would sense anything because of the amount of time gone by…But there is definitely someone or thing doing its best to make sure no one can even try to sense …There was like a jamming shield almost over the city…I can't explain it except that whatever's doing it must be very strong."

Kennedy shook her head. "Not really. This means that there is a demon of some type or other doing this, right Will?…I mean if it's that powerful or smart we're not talking about a human."

The redhead nodded her head. "That's right…Now we just need to know why these people were taken and why on the days that they were…What kind of spell or ritual would make whoever's doing it keep going for this long?" The answer to that question, the witch hadn't a clue as of yet. Again, she asked herself, "What's the pattern and what does 'crickets pat' have to do with it?"

Over the next couple of weeks, the three women researched and investigated and researched some more. Willow kept trying to sense the deads' left over essence but always got the same response as her first time. The redhead had put together several possibilities together for the timetable but none of them worked. "I know this must fit into a formula or equation because demons always work that way…I'm just not looking at it right…Maybe it's not days but some other measurement…" Willow knew enough about magick to know that the evil that was doing these horrible acts was doing it as part of a ritual, and that the ritual had specific deadlines and conditions to follow. "They all do…Some take hours…some months…but there's a time and place for everything." The witch recalled back on the many demons and not so demonic evil in Sunnydale that tried to get their power, or their day of reckoning, using rituals. Some took months, almost an entire school year. "No…This is definitely ritualistic…just whose ritual?" Willow understood that they needed to find the answer because she feared soon it would be time for another disappearance. So they kept researching.

The couple noticed that Miguel wasn't around to help that much. When they questioned Faith about that, they were told that the Brazilian was extremely busy with his import business and he was often out of town. "Mickey never thought he'd be doing as good as he is." Faith had had a conversation with the man previously when he vocalized disappointment with his inability to help. "Mick…don't sweat it. You've done so much already…I know when you get a handle on this thing you'll help out more…Just make sure your company's going good…I'll handle the demon stuff for a while." Faith knew the man regretted not being able to be in the 'thick' of things; she knew he missed it. But the slayer wanted her man to have a smooth running non-demon life before he dove into the vamp game again. She felt he deserved at least that much.

Besides researching, the couple also settled into their New York routine. Kennedy was already very familiar with the city having been there many times while growing up. She helped Willow during the day and then Faith with her slaying and trouble shooting at night. The idea of those unfortunate people taken and killed in the horrible way they were made Kennedy so furious there were times she thought she was going to burst with anger. In order to help clear her mind of all the terrible things that she imagined had happened to the victims before their deaths, the brunette patrolled with Faith. The diversion worked. Plus she was able to take out her frustrations on whatever demon happened to be unlucky enough to cross her path. She found herself at ease when touring with her fellow slayer. They knew each other well enough and had patrolled together enough times that they never got on each other's nerves or in the other's hair. They went out, found the bad guys and got the job done. After "work" was done, each headed home to their partner.

Kennedy's return to their hotel room after patrolling usually found the witch researching on the net or in some books she had Buffy send from Cleveland. She also handled phone calls and visits from witches and other magickally inclined individuals who had found out she was in New York. "I didn't realize how much mystical energy is in this part of the country…There're lots of people out there I didn't know about." Willow had become an instant mentor of sorts in the Big Apple.

Inevitably though, while the witch and slayer were going over the day's research and what was to be done the following day, they would come back to the victims and their relatives. The couple had met the immediate family of all the missing people. They saw how heartbroken and completely crushed they were. Mothers and fathers had had their flesh stolen from them. Spouses harbored feelings of guilt. "They shoulda killed me," cried one husband.

"How do they make it through the day?" Kennedy saw even the parents of grown adults cry like their dead child was only a mere baby taken too soon from this planet. "Being a parent's not an easy thing…no matter how old your kids are." Kennedy's question was more than rhetorical or hypothetical. Its implications for the couple ran deep.

"Are you having second thoughts?…Because we don't have to do this now. We can wait…or…not do it at all." Willow understood what Kennedy was referring to with her train of thought. The redhead knew the trouble of which they found themselves in the middle had made them both seriously contemplate issues that had been discussed and planned for many weeks.

Kennedy was quiet for a little while as she stared at Willow. Then she got a small smile. "No…I don't think we should wait…I don't want to…Even with this whole bad 'thing' happening…the thought of us having a kid is…just…It feels right…you know?"

Willow gazed back warmly. "Yes, I do…Remember?…This was kinduv my idea in the first place."

Kennedy chuckled. "Well, I think Xander deserves some of the credit. If it wasn't for his goofy sense of the obvious, we'd be in China or Cambodia acting all Angelina Jolie."

"It was a strange way we got to this point wasn't it?" Willow thought back on the last several months of their life and the decisions that were made that would change their life forever…they hoped.

"Sorry, lady…Shawn! Say you're sorry, too." The skinny blonde headed boy elbowed his younger brother. The smaller coughed then, with head hung down, quietly said, "Yeah…Sorry."

"Thanks…It's ok, don't worry…Nothing got messed up too bad." Willow felt bad for the two youngsters; they were only there because their mother had made them apologize. She knew if the mother hadn't caught them, they would have high tailed it out of there the second after the 'incident' happened.

The Scooby gang was having a picnic at the couple's favorite park. It was the first really nice day in June. It had been a long and cold winter which didn't want to let go. Even spring had been uncharacteristically cold. So the first truly good day of weather was reason enough for the friends to get out of the house and into the fresh, or not so fresh, Cleveland air.

They had their blankets all laid out with a pre-made lunch that included salad, of the fruit and potato variety, turkey and ham sandwiches and an assortment of other munchies. They had a container of cold iced tea and one of homemade sangria. For the year's first picnic outing, it was a good effort.

The friends were talking and getting ready to start eating when two boys came running over near their spot. The two were playing some form of keep away. From what the Scoobies could gather from watching the boys, the object of their game was to keep a tennis ball away from the other. They could tell the point wasn't to necessarily hold the ball but to keep the other from getting it. The Scoobies watched as the two boys knocked each other down, rolled all over each other and kept hitting the ball out of the other's hand. "I think this is just a made up game that let's them bust on each other, " Xander said laughing after having watched for a few minutes.

Before they knew it, the boys' "game" had turned its direction toward the Scoobies' picnic. Before they could do a thing, a tennis ball came hurling into the crowd and whacked Willow right in the eye. It then landed with a thud in the potato salad. The boys, seemingly gone dumb from the constant pounding, scurried their way to the ball not realizing they were jumping into the middle of a group of people. The older knocked over the sangria which partly spilled onto Kennedy's leg and the younger toppled into Xander who fell back into the bean dip.

While the event was still unfolding, a high pitched voice shouted out, "Blaine!…Shawn!…Get back here…" When the woman finally saw what was happening, the shouting turned into screaming. "A-a-h-h-h!…What have you two done?" The very angry woman came running toward the Scoobies. After grabbing her sons by their shirts and saying "I'm so sorry" to the Scoobies over and over like she had run over someone's dog, the mother made her sons apologize for their horrible behavior. The whirlwind was over as fast as it happened and the friends went on with their picnic, sans bean dip and sangria.

"Is Nate gonna be like that?" Jessie hoped the child in her arms would have more restraint.

Kennedy had to add her two cents. Chiding, "Yeah, except he'll be playing too and Jessie will be yelling at him and Nate."

Xander pretended to be defensive. "Oh, yeah?…It's not easy raising a boy…I know, I was one…Wait til you two have a kid."

That one comment was enough to set the conversation in another direction. Buffy saw this as her chance to make her best friend uncomfortable. "Yeah…speaking of kids…When are you two gonna start a family?" the blonde said looking straight at the redhead.

Willow almost choked on her iced tea. "What?…I…we…umm…err…hmmph…" Kennedy came to her rescue.

"Translated from Willow babble that means we have never discussed the matter." Willow just nodded her head in agreement.

Xander decided he wanted in on the torment. "Well, why not? You've been together long enough…And you're married now, so the kid wouldn't be illegitimate…Are you using birth control?…cos you know you'll never get pregnant that way." He started to laugh out loud.

"Funny Xander," Kennedy said grinning back. "This coming from a man who obviously doesn't know the meaning of birth control."

Jessie had to chime in. "Oh, he does…He was just too clumsy to get the condom wrapper open." They all started laughing. Xander looked at his wife like a wounded Caesar, "Et tu, Jessie?"

Jimmy was the first to actually pose a half serious statement. "Wait, you could adopt one from a foreign country, like all those stars are doing."

Xander wasn't done poking at his oldest friend. "Or…Willow, you could do the turkey baster thing." That comment got him whacked on the arm from his wife and a loud groan from the others.

Buffy was the first to be completely serious. "I like Jimmy's idea. You two should adopt a kid…There're lots out there who need parents." Jessie was next in line. "My cousin, Jane, did insemination. The donor was matched up to her husband. You can't even tell he wasn't the biological father."

Xander sat up and shook his hands. "No, no…If they want a kid, Willow could do a spell…She just needs to turn Kennedy into a guy for a few minutes."

For the first time Willow responded. She looked at Jessie mockingly sad, "Only a few minutes…Oh, Jessie I am so sorry…We always suspected Xan was quick on the trigger."

The group laughed and the witch and slayer were able to divert the conversation to another topic without having to say anything definite about the subject matter of their ribbing. But the idea wasn't forgotten by either woman.

Several days later, while the two were getting ready for bed, Willow broached the subject. "That whole scene with those boys at the picnic…Pretty crazy…I'm afraid your shorts were an unexpected victim to the sangria spill…" The redhead chuckled a little then went on. "And Buffy and the others, going on about us having a kid…" She tried not to sound too expectant.

Kennedy came out of the bathroom, towel around her with another being used to dry her hair. "I know. They were really laying it on us." Kennedy wasn't sure how Willow meant her comments so she tried to sound neutral.

Willow waited until Kennedy had finished with her hair and was looking at her. "Have you ever thought about that?"

Kennedy had thought about it before. If she were honest with herself, the brunette would have had to admit that every once in a while she imagined a tiny little girl with green eyes and shiny red hair running around. The thought of having a part of Willow live on in another human being that she could care for didn't scare the slayer. In fact, she liked the idea. So the slayer was honest in her response. "Yes, I've thought about it. Have you?"

"Yes." Of course, in Willow's version, the little girl had big brown eyes and her mother's beautiful skin.

The witch went over and sat on the bed and motioned Kennedy to do the same which she did. "Well, do you want to talk about it?"

"First, do you really want to have a kid?…Because it'll change everything…It won't be just us anymore."

Kennedy thought hard about Willow's question. She had never been happier than in the last year. She knew that it really began the day she walked into Buffy's house and saw those captivating green eyes for the first time. Her life got instantly better from that day forward. In the years that had followed, her relationship with Willow only grew stronger and deeper. Kennedy knew that she and Willow were in it for the long haul. After all they'd been through, there was no doubt in the slayer's mind that their marriage would last. She loved Willow with everything she had, with all she was. The brunette kept finding herself wanting more with her witch. She wanted a house, a yappy lap dog and all the other experiences in life. When she and Willow went shopping, she'd see couples pushing babies in strollers or walking with a child cradled in a protective arm. The fact she was only twenty-four didn't enter into the picture. She'd had a pretty full life so far. A part of her, the part she didn't let out too often, told she was still a slayer with a shorter life expectancy than other 'normal' women. That part told her that raising a child was a way for her to leave a footprint in the sand of her existence. She loved being with Willow, sharing her life. But she also wanted an even deeper connection, another showing of their love for one another.

Willow smiled lovingly. "Well, that's makes two of us then…I mean I want to…with you."

"So…How do we do this?…Adoption or turkey baster?" Kennedy gave the witch a teasing smile knowing her choice of words would make the redhead cringe. It did.

Willow thought for a few seconds and then started. "Well…I guess we should kinda look at each option and whether we…" The witch and slayer then went on to discuss the choices they had.

They talked about having nothing against adoption. They had enough money for any type they chose. The couple knew they could go traditional or try to adopt a child from a foreign country. "Yeah, we could do just like Angelina Jolie did." Kennedy said that with the hint of a dreamy quality to her voice. "Uh, Kenne?…I think the focus here is on the baby and not Angelina." Willow knew her girl had a thing for the actor. Kennedy came back to earth. "Oh, of course…I was just…you know…" Knowing she'd been caught, Kennedy let out a breath and quickly said, "Right, so where were we?"

The women discussed their feelings about insemination. "It's pretty impersonal, "Willow said. "I mean it's done in a doctor's office, on a table…Definitely no spontaneity there…or privacy." Kennedy nodded her head. "Yeah, Jessie said her cousin had to do it three times before it took."

Kennedy then added, "And we'd have to pick out the 'donor'…How weird is that?…Picking out some guy's jiz like we're choosing a pedigree dog for stud." Willow cringed again at that remark.

Then the witch got a different look on her face. It was a happy one. "But the baby would be partly from us…I keep imagining a little baby with your brown eyes."

With that statement Kennedy looked surprised at Willow. "You want me to get pregnant?"

"Well, I didn't really think about it…I just thought it would be nice to have a little version of you around…Is that not something you want to do?" Willow saw she'd hit a soft spot.

"Umm…I figured you'd want to be the one to do it if we chose that." Kennedy had to admit she never saw herself as ever being pregnant. Being gay, the issue of getting pregnant wasn't something she contemplated or worried about…ever. Besides, now that she was a slayer she had gotten into a particular mental frame of mind in that regard. Her life was dangerous; she knew she put herself at risk for being killed every day. The thought of fighting while pregnant was ludicrous. She could never put an unborn child at risk like that. However, fighting is what she did; it was her life and her destiny. She let Willow know her concern. "Will, I couldn't do my slaying if I was pregnant…and slaying's what I do."

Kennedy didn't have to explain further to the redhead. Willow understood perfectly the brunette's concerns and fears. Frankly, the witch also found it hard to think of her slayer fighting in that condition. She wouldn't want to put Kennedy in a compromised position as far as she and a baby were concerned.

"I understand, Kenne…I know you have responsibilities…If we go this route then I'll be the oven." Willow didn't feel scared about saying that she'd become pregnant if it came down to that. Though she hadn't really thought about it before, the witch felt at peace about possibly carrying a child.

Kennedy's face showed relief and appreciation to her witch. "Thanks, Will…besides, a little you would be much cuter."

The women talked about insemination some more. One topic was where to get the donor. Willow had a suggestion. "We could try asking someone we know…You know, pull a Melissa Etheridge."

Kennedy thought about it then got a discerning expression. "We don't know too many guys…You feel like asking Xan or Giles…or Jimmy?…There's always Miguel…but I think Faith would burn our eyes out with a cigarette if we suggested that."

The thought of Xander sitting in a room jerking off into a tiny cup weaseled into Willow's mind. It made her only a little less disturbed than that same image with Giles. "Ok…got the view of that little nightmare burned into my brain…No friends…a complete anonymous guy known only by a confidential code will work just fine."

As they talked about it some more, the idea appealed more to the couple. "Too bad it can only be one of us." Willow really was sad that because of who they were they couldn't have a child that was from both of them.

"Well, unless I've grown a penis in the last several minutes, we are out of luck there… Then Kennedy laughed, "…unless you want to do a spell and change me into a man like Xander suggested."

"Sorry, baby…You are all woman and I wouldn't want you any other way…even if it were only for a couple minutes."

Kennedy gave a feigned hurt look. "When did I only ever take just a few minutes?" Kennedy laughed and then got more serious. "It's kinda not fair though, huh?…You're able to do stuff for others…Things no one ever thought a witch could do…and yet we're still stuck with the rules of mother nature." Kennedy's sad tone then turned lighter. "But having a kid that's part you will still be the best…I don't need anything more."

The women went to bed having decided that they would go the donor route. Willow had trouble getting to sleep though that night. She kept hearing Kennedy's disappointed voice. The redhead too thought it unfair that her power could be, and had been, used to alter so many lives in such extraordinary ways. She'd made it possible for Xander to keep his sight; she'd mended bones and re-fused damaged nerve endings. She could teleport and sense at will. The witch had brought Kennedy back after her momentary death and had resurrected Buffy after more than four months of being in the ground. A sense of utter frustration went rushing through the witch. She could help others but in this case was unable to give her slayer what Willow wanted most of all, her own child.

As she lay in her bed that night, Willow's mind was racing. Under normal circumstances, she'd have called upon her slayer to "distract" her from her thoughts. But this time the redhead wanted the incessant ideas in her brain. She hated the fact that even a powerful witch couldn't outdo this fact of nature – 'You need a guy and a girl…two sets of chromosomes…' Willow thought back on her biology classes in high school and college. 'The double helix splits and one half comes from the mom and the other half from the dad.' It seemed a simple enough concept. She remembered further. 'Every cell has the DNA genetic code…they just grow into different things…like a heart cell or skin cell…or sex cell…but they all have the double helix…the genetic code…that could be split…' Willow was starting to let the science side of her mind have a run with an idea; her witch side was right behind. 'If cells have the ability to pass on a genetic code, then is it absolutely necessary for the splitting and union to be from the egg and sperm?…Can it be made to happen some other way?'

Willow then thought about the recent developments in cloning and how a sheep was able to be born without the use of a boy sheep in the picture. She thought about her resurrection of Buffy and how magick trumped the natural laws of science. The concepts kept swirling in her head. Because of the darkness in the room due to the time of night, it wasn't possible to see the expression of hope on the witch's face. Willow had an idea that she knew she'd have to research. After her tiny revelation, the redhead found it much easier to fall asleep, knowing that maybe, just maybe, she could give her slayer what she so richly deserved.

Over the next couple months, Willow was in research mode. When she wasn't doing her own work, she researched her idea. She didn't want to get Kennedy's hopes up, so she decided to put off telling the slayer of her theory until she had more concrete facts to go on. The first issue the witch addressed was whether there was any support in history for two women bearing an offspring. When she thought it out loud, the idea sounded preposterous even to her, but she knew that a lot of what is believed now as ultimate truth was once thought pure fantasy. Willow also knew that many things that couldn't be explained or were considered dangerous to the power structure at the time were rewritten or retold differently throughout history. There were tales common to everyone today that had their roots in very different soil. The story of Jesus and his life was a prime example. There were stories mimicking that of the bible's version of Jesus dating back four thousand years. Also, as Willow knew, the legends of vampires and demons of all kinds were twisted and distorted so much that no one believed their truth any longer. Willow's first task was to find out if such an ending befell two women's tale of love and family.

Willow's research was done not so much in complete secrecy as out of the spotlight. She did not ask for help from anyone. She studied every book she could get her hands on and some she couldn't. She of course went to the Han Nurrabi Chronicles first but found nothing. Then she delved into more typical fare, the books and treatises from the world's better known and accepted religions. Willow searched for stories of barren women miraculously giving birth, or women left or abandoned only to be found with child unexplainably. Unsolved rapes or suggestion of divine intervention were all meticulously noted for further research later.

Once she had a score of possible leads, the redhead then began the arduous task of trailing those stories back to their origins, the roads other people or sects had taken to explain or tell their version of the story. This work took the witch to some very esoteric source materials. They were the writings and lore of civilizations long since extinguished. They were the acts and writings of people deemed heretics by the existing power elite. Their tales led to some very strange and interesting twists to the modern day versions of the stories she'd uncovered. By the end of July, Willow was ready to tell Kennedy about the results of her hard and long work.

"Hey Kenne?…We need to talk about the baby thing again." After their initial talk on the matter, the couple had proceeded slowly on the matter. Kennedy thought Willow was still having some doubts about actually having to be the one to get pregnant. She didn't want to pressure her girl. Admittedly, Kennedy was very happy with their life the way it was, so waiting wasn't a problem to her.

"Sure, babe…just let me take a shower. It was swamp lesson today at slayer central…I'll be back in a few." About twenty minutes later, Kennedy was back in the living room all clean and smelling good. "Ok, Will, what's up?"

Willow directed her to sit on the couch and she did the same. She took in a deep breath. "Well, you know we talked about having a kid…"

The redhead smiled. "No, I haven't changed my mind…but what if I told you I think there's an option we didn't consider." She saw the questioning look on her slayer's face. She continued. "What if I told you 'we' could have a baby…you and me…like any other couple?"

Kennedy's questioning look turned to concern. "Will?…You didn't go do some spell on yourself to add a body part, did you?"

The witch laughed. "Of course not, silly…" Then the redhead got serious again. "After we talked that first time, I started thinking about what Xander said, you know doing a spell…and I got to thinking how magick and science have some things in common…how they follow some of the same laws in a way…Then that got me to thinking about how many times magick has been used to alter the natural state of things…but there was still always some scientific component to it…"

Kennedy listened as Willow told her about how reproduction worked on a chromosomal level and then she explained basic cellular structure. The redhead then explained what she had found out in her research. Throughout recorded history, in whatever form that took, there had been stories of strange events befalling on gifted or chosen women. Willow told Kennedy that modern time had bastardized the tales or completely changed them around from the original version of their genesis.

"There have been times where one woman has had a child miraculously or two women shunned from men were later discovered with a child or pregnant…They have always been explained in modern times as God having given them the child or a secretly carried out rape…" Willow further explained. "But those stories started out differently. If you go back far enough, there are glimpses of information that suggest those women were witches, or had a spell cast on them by a witch, and that's how they had a child…The story of Mary is one of those. Its earliest form was of a woman who had mystical powers and wanted a baby so bad that she willed it upon herself. She was a witch and had a mystically inclined child. Knowing that she and her child would be stoned to death if the truth came out, she married before the child was born."

Willow watched as Kennedy took in her words. "I know it sounds crazy, but thousands of years ago and every so often since then, women have had babies without having a guy involved. Magick and good old biology worked together to make it happen."

After she was done, Willow waited for Kennedy to respond. The slayer was speechless. What her witch was propounding defied every law of nature, everything that had ever been taught both scientifically and religiously for hundreds of years. It was almost too sensible the way it was explained to her. "Are you really saying that you can do a spell and you and I can have a kid that's 'ours'?"

Willow smiled confidently. She knew Kennedy was starting to let the truth sink in. "I'm not saying it'll be that simple…and I still have to figure out what those women did…You know, if it was a spell or something else…but…yeah, that's what I'm saying."

A relieved look grew on the slayer's face. "And this means that you didn't grow a willy?"

Kennedy was quiet for a long time. Willow could tell she was seriously contemplating what she'd been told. 'Wow, me and Will…our own baby.' The slayer couldn't believe her good fortune. Then again, she was married to the smartest witch in the world she told herself. Kennedy finally gazed into those beautiful green eyes that she knew were waiting for a response.

A big smile sprang up on Willow's mouth and she leapt onto her slayer knocking her back down on the couch. She got on top of her and started kissing the brunette all over her face, quick sweet kisses. "Oh, baby…We can do this…I'm so glad you believe me."

Kennedy twisted around so that the witch was now under her. "Of course I believe you…You're Willow, goddess and mega witch of the world…Actually you had me after the no dinky part."

The women started teasing and tickling each other. Then the light banter ended and they looked into each other's eyes. The jubilation with their recent decision had begun to turn to desire. Kennedy got a devilish look in her eyes. "I think we should practice making that baby now," she said as she picked up Willow in her arms and headed for the bedroom. Willow laughed. "You know, I don't think this is how it's gonna work." As they turned the corner to go down the hallway, Kennedy started to attack the witch's neck with kisses. In response, Willow muttered, "But then again…yeah, maybe we do need to practice…a lot."

"Fuck!…We need to get this asshole!" The notebook Faith had in her hand went sailing across the room and struck the wall next to the door with a very loud "thud." Another week had passed still without an identity for their assailant. But that wasn't the catalyst for Faith's angry outburst. Another body had been found behind a concrete piling down by the mission section of the city. Like the rest, there was one puncture wound to the leg; the woman had been partly drained of her blood. This time, however, the victim was only sixteen although she looked twelve. Preliminary reports also indicated the woman had been dead for a couple of days. It turned out her name was Rebecca Ward and she'd been reported missing by a friend three days earlier. She, also like the rest, wasn't part of mainstream society; she was a prostitute. Just like all the other murders, Rebecca Ward's was kept low key. With all the problems New York had had in recent years with terrorist attacks and security issues, that kind of bad publicity was something the city would do almost anything to avoid.

Kennedy and Willow watched on as Faith vented her frustrations. They knew the woman took this assignment as her personal responsibility. Each new death was a slap in the face and, to her, a sign that she wasn't any good at the job.

After the older slayer had calmed down, Kennedy spoke. "Faith, we're getting closer…I know that doesn't help this girl but we'll get whoever's doing this…You know we will."

Faith looked at her friends and raked her fingers through her hair. "Yeah, I know we will…I just hate knowing that we're not getting it as fast as I want us to." The slayer, over the course of the years since the final battle at Sunnydale, had wholeheartedly accepted her slayer destiny. Gone were the days of doubt or apathy for the down trodden. Dead were the parts of her that once rode the tide with the evil side of existence. Faith was a slayer in every sense of the word, even if she didn't carry it out in the "goody two shoes" ways of Buffy. She fought to protect the innocent from the evil in the world, whatever form it took. Where before she could shrug off life's unfairness, she now felt it deeply, personally. The brunette slayer had grown used to carrying some of the world's problems on her shoulders. After the life she'd lived and the close calls she'd had with darkness, she respectfully and willingly took the responsibility.

"We are getting closer…We've gotten more on this guy." Willow didn't want her friend to lose hope or lose sight of the progress they had made.

In the time since Willow's and Kennedy's arrival, they had gained more facts about the victims and the manner of their deaths. The first thing discovered was that the victim's bodies weren't just drained of their blood; they were all drained of exactly the same amount of blood in proportion to their size, and they weren't drained 'dry.' The first two victims, both male, had four pints extracted; the next two who were smaller – one male and one female, had three pints taken. Also, the second pair of victims were both younger than the first two. Though, there was no other consistency in the age pattern there. The last two bodies before Rebecca was found were again still younger and smaller than the previous four and had had two pints removed. Rebecca had one pint taken.

"Ok, so as the victims get younger and smaller, less blood is taken…" Kennedy was trying to make some sense of it. "…and not all the blood is drained. So it doesn't look like they're doing this to feed…Does it make sense that age makes a difference?" Kennedy was stumped.

Willow had been contemplating that same question. "This has got to be a blood ritual. Nothing else is disturbed on the bodies…It could be that whoever's doing this doesn't have the exact ingredients or doesn't know the entire spell or ritual…It's trying out different amounts and kinds of blood."

Faith let out a disgusted laugh. "Like trying to think up a recipe for homemade cake."

"The age has got to be important. The people keep getting younger…Why?" Again Kennedy was stuck.

"That's weird…blood is blood for the most part. Once a person gets his or her immune system completely in tact, there's no real change. Your blood make up really doesn't change from when you're a kid…It's only if you get sick that things can change." Willow had become a mini expert on the subject of blood since her stay in New York.

"But maybe that little difference is enough…Maybe the experimenting is really just fine tuning." Faith had finished ranting and returned to the flow of the conversation. The question was one that remained to be solved.

Another fact that the women determined proved an "other worldly" creature was the mastermind behind the deaths was that the timing of the murders was not random. Willow had almost immediately upon her arrival started examining the dates of death to see if there was a pattern or sequence to them. They didn't follow any of the obvious as found out by Faith. The redhead then began looking into demonic time references. She knew that there were more "calendars" than the Julian, Chinese or others sporadically mentioned in the mortal media. Demons of all varieties had their own concepts of time, days and years. They had their own "holy days" and holidays.

Willow dove into the available research on known demons and correlated that to the dates of death of the first six victims. The witch also used a new beta software program, developed in part by Andrew, that put such information through a series of algorithms to discern any timetable anomalies. In fact, during her call with Andrew, Willow was told that this was the first time that the product was really being used "in the field."

Giles, though a dear friend to the old ways, realized during his time with the Scoobies the enormous benefit received from the use of modern technology. Putting aside his own "issues" with the internet and other 21^st century methods, Giles incorporated all state of the art technological advances in the Watcher's Council and International Slayer Network. This included communication systems, computers and their accompanying software operating systems. Though slaying still mostly came down to slayer versus demon, at least girls were able to get information on their foes quicker which made them more prepared in battle.

The results of Andrew's program were impressive. The facts learned were that the deaths certainly were not random. There had been times when it appeared a kidnapping was put off or sped up to avoid being committed on particular dates critical in demonic lore. Oddly enough, the demon world was very conscious about traditions and "demon etiquette." Theirs was a world built from a millennia of existence, based upon the precise following of moon cycles, energy phases and the ticking of the universal "clock." They were made of the cosmic expanse and were infinitely and completely connected to it.

Though the program didn't identify the demon or when the next murder would occur, it did show that whatever was doing the murders was careful not to step on any demon toes while doing it. The killer was being diplomatic as if the graciousness was to be used later to court favors.

The women also studied the medical examiner's files and the autopsy reports more carefully. All the victims had been dead for about twenty-four hours before found. Though the bodies weren't placed in open display for prompt discovery, neither were they hidden. It didn't seem like the perpetrator was attempting to thwart discovery; it was just dropping the bodies away from where they were murdered. Willow suspected the "snow" jamming the cosmic airwaves was the reason for the lack of effort to keep the victims from being found. The redhead surmised that energies were needed elsewhere and the "sensing fuzz" allowed disposal with the shortest time away from where the real action took place. Based upon the jamming signal, location of the bodies and a general knowledge of how demons worked, the three women opined that there was one leader who had instigated the horrible plot and minions of unknown numbers doing its foot work.

The witch and slayers also noticed that the bodies had no obvious marks or injuries other than the one puncture wound to the leg. "There aren't even any bruises or cuts to show signs of a struggle or being tied up…or anything," Kennedy remarked after viewing the photographs. Willow explained that the lack of visible signs didn't mean the victims weren't confined. "A spell or energy barrier could make them sleep or unable to fight back…You wouldn't even need to put ropes or chains on them…Or they coulda been injured but the wounds were healed before their deaths or before the bodies were dumped."

For Willow, it was the puncture wound that held her interest. Never had she seen anything like it. One hole in the femoral artery and always in the right leg.

"Maybe this shit gets off watching them die," Faith commented during one of their roundtable discussions.

"I betcha that's it or at least a part of it." Willow also wondered if maybe the perpetrator looked at its victims in order to see something change in their facial expression. "Maybe the eyes tell it something or is a signal to stop." The possibilities flooded Willow's head and she and her two slayers researched each one. "I'm thinking its gotta be a vampire of some sort," Willow stated.

"But vamps have two fangs and they like the neck or the occasional arm…Besides, has there ever been a one toothed vampire?" Kennedy was siding with the vampire idea too, but the 'm.o.' was so different from any vampire they'd encountered before.

"I haven't found any with one fang in my research but I've got Giles looking too."

Once they were able to peruse the police records, the women found that the latest victim, Rebecca Ward, also fit into the parameters of the other deaths. She had vanished late one evening from a nondescript part of the city. Noone saw a thing. But then again, in New York, crimes often happened right in front of people who later "couldn't" remember what they had seen. The victim also had blood drained but less than any of the others; there was also the fact that she was much younger than the rest. There were no obvious marks except for the puncture on the leg.

There was one big difference, though, when it came to victim number seven. This was the first time that all three women were actually able to see the body, in person. Faith's connection at the police force was able to get her and Willow and Kennedy into the morgue late on the late she was found.

"If my boss finds out about this Faith, you know I'm screwed," the officer cautioned.

Faith smiled. "Don't worry, Phillipps, no one will know…Now go home to your wife and kids…"

Kennedy and Willow were impressed that Faith's ability to gain allegiances and trust was due to her professionalism and not her sexuality. "You didn't even flirt with that guy, Faith…Man, you are getting so soft," Kennedy joked.

Faith scolded back. "Hey, watch the mouth, K…I'm still edgy and hot…I only do the apple pie act when I know it'll work best." With that comment, Willow gave Kennedy a "wow, is she touchy" look.

The examination of Rebecca Ward was uneventful except for two things, and it was those two small snippets of information they found that started to unravel the puzzle. With the other bodies, there were only pictures to review. Only with Rebecca were the women able to examine the body, the whole body, in detail. Even Faith's trips to the morgue for the last few victims were several days after they gotten there.

The first thing found was that on the woman's leg, next to the wound, was a slight indentation. Nothing big enough even to be picked up in a photo. "Could this be where a second fang woulda been?" Kennedy asked. After examining the mark, Willow answered she was "pretty sure" it was. They were dealing with a vampire that had one fang. "There can't be many of those…" Faith commented.

The other tidbit found was some sort of small elongated mark on the bottom of one foot. It was hardly noticeable. There was a straight thin bar attached to a long narrow rectangle with a curved side at the far end instead of a straight line. "It kinda looks like a popsicle almost," commented Kennedy. It almost looked like a natural part of the sole of the foot, but for the fact that the lines were a little too perfect. None of the women could discern what it could be. They all wondered if the other victims had a similar mark or even the slight indentation on the leg.

"I don't know how it got there yet, but now maybe we can match up the symbol to a demon. " Willow was feeling hopeful.

Besides those discoveries, there had been little advance in the "locating" part of the investigation. Willow wasn't able to sense any energy from Rebecca's body and the "snow" was still present. But the women had made progress despite that one area. They knew they were dealing with a one fanged vampire who probably had, or had minions that had, a symbol to identify them. The other option was that the symbol was used in their ritual. They knew the victims all vanished at night and were all killed the next night. Based on past actions and the software program results, the women knew they'd have some time before the next killing. The desperately hoped they'd have the answers before any other innocent was killed.

Willow and Kennedy also had their own personal reasons for being concerned with the timing of the killings.

"Will?…You know Halloween's less than a week away…Do you think our vamp might do something that night?…Isn't that mega netherworld night?" Kennedy was questioning their present job's affect on plans for that night which had been set for well over a month.

The redhead seriously ran her girl's question in her mind before answering. She weighed all the facts they knew about their evil doer and whether there was any chance that it would take another life on Halloween. She knew her discussion with Kennedy on this matter and their ultimate decision on that situation would determine whether they kept or cancelled their plans. She was silent for a long time. Then she answered looking directly at her brunette.

"No. It wouldn't fit the pattern. Besides Halloween is when demons lay low and don't do anything. It's always been a real 'holiday' to them…Whoever's doing this has been purposely quiet on important days to the demon world…It would be completely…rude…to take another person…Plus, it's awfully close in time to the last one. I'd say that night is safe."

Willow gave Kennedy her opinion as they sat on the couch in the living room area of their hotel room. They'd been spending all their time with Faith trying to solve the demon mystery. Willow was also answering calls and taking visits from area witches during that time and her "off" hours. Kennedy was still patrolling with Faith when she wasn't on the case, often getting back to the hotel well after midnight. In fact, the couple had been so busy in New York, they really hadn't had much "down" time. There was no sightseeing, romantic dinner at the Rainbow Room or carriage ride through Central Park. They hadn't even had that much free time to talk like they often did. By the time they got back to their hotel after all their obligations were done during the day, it was usually late and Kennedy and Willow very tired. Besides the occasional overriding lustful sex to rid themselves of pent up frustration with the slow pace of their investigation, most nights the couple merely fell asleep in each other's arms. The discussion occurring on the couch was the first the two had had concerning their upcoming plans.

Willow took Kennedy's hands in hers. "Are you thinking we shouldn't go?…It would mean waiting maybe a year."

Kennedy thought hard. "If nothing'll happen while we're gone…us not being here won't hurt, right?" Kennedy didn't want to put off their plans. It was one thing that had kept her sprits up during the entire New York ordeal. But by the same token, she was not willing to endanger an innocent or put the mission in danger for her own personal desires.

"We'd have to tell Faith what's going on…We can't just leave her in the dark." Willow also felt an obligation to Faith and the mission.

Willow didn't need much time to think about her answer. "Yes. Buffy basically knows already anyway…and Faith needs to know we're just not taking off for no reason."

Kennedy nodded. "This is definitely for a reason…a 'big' reason." Both women smiled and Willow nodded her head.

"Ok, it's settled then. The plan is still on and we tell Faith we're heading to Stonehenge on Halloween." Willow got a rush of nervous excitement just saying the words.

"Yeah," agreed the slayer. "New Hampshire, here we come." Kennedy shook her head and laughed. "That still doesn't sound right."

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Life Changes Everything

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