Misdirection 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 the sixth installation and, for continuity, the reader should first read The Sacrifice, Alterations with Time, Parallel, Life Changes Everything, and Stones in the Road (in that order.
Pairing: Willow/Kennedy

Summary: Willow and Kennedy try to have a romantic weekend getaway. It turns out to be anything but that.

He tried to catch his breath as he watched through the side vestibule door window. Father Eduardo Castillo's first inclination was to push open the door and run to the boy standing by the high altar. It had been a tumultuous and heart wrenching few hours and now the priest, known by the townspeople as "Padre," didn't know how to handle the situation before his eyes. He stood with his right hand upon the door handle, watching the boy investigate the items that were on the communion table. They were only there because the priest hurriedly left them when he was frantically summoned to the bedside of his long acquaintance and friend Sister Sarah. It was because of her that the items were in his possession at all. If what the Sister had told him was true, he knew he should run to the boy and snatch the articles off the table and out of his reach. But the old woman had been incoherent and talking wildly before her death. Even when she handed him the two items several hours before her death and told him of their significance, he thought her mad. So as a result, Father Eduardo didn't move, not for this boy.

The young boy's name was Sergio. That the priest knew, but not much more. From the appearance of the lad, the priest gathered he was a street urchin or from a very poor and disruptive household. Father Eduardo had seen Sergio in his church on several occasions. It was always during non-service hours and usually in the early evening when noone was in the church. He was able to talk to the boy briefly once; that's how he knew the name. To the priest, the boy seemed like a lost soul, searching for some place of peace in what the clergy assumed was a very disappointing and harsh life. So the man never pushed the boy; never made him leave the sanctuary. He let the lad roam the main chapel area freely. As a man of the cloth, Father Eduardo wanted the boy to feel welcomed in God's house, to feel His love. This time was no different despite the tragic events that had just unfolded with the old nun. He hoped this time would be different than the ones before. Father Eduardo prayed that the boy would stay and not run out like he had before. He hoped that the lad would finally take a seat in a pew or seek the priest out. So, like the other times, the man called Padre watched and waited.

Sergio scanned the long table before him. This was the eighth time he'd been in this church. He had kept count. It was the largest Catholic church in the small town of Kingman, Arizona. Even though he was only thirteen, the boy had a jaded view of that religious sect, of all religions in actuality. Every beating he received at the hands of his mother, and they were many, were all delivered in the name of Jesus. He was always told that he offended his Savior in some manner to justify the bruises and burns. Each incident only caused him to act out. He got in trouble with the law in rebellion to his home life. That only got him more beatings. Sergio came to this church to try to understand how he could be so unworthy in the eyes of God, to see if there was justification for his mother's brutality. These visits weren't like the ones when he was very young. He faintly remembered going to Sunday Mass with his mother before she turned sour and mean from the desertion of her husband.

The visits now never helped. All Sergio saw in the beautifully ornate church were paintings of more cruelty done to another's son, the Son. All they showed him was more hurt and pain. The young boy never found any answers. He knew the priest of the house wanted to help him find them. The boy occasionally saw the clergy watching outside of the main chapel room. But he was leery of even that man. His hesitation came not from the molestation scandal that had rocked the Catholic Church for years. Sergio's doubt's came from the fact that his uncle was an ex-priest. How the drunk became one at all the lad would never understand. Of course, Sergio was not privy to the devastating events in the uncle's life that proved too much for him to bear, even as a priest. With all the man's drinking and harsh acts, wearing a priest's collar didn't make much of an impression on the boy. Sergio had the attitude of a fifty year old cynic trapped in the body of a young teen.

The teenager looked at the objects on the table again. There was the usual communion fare, the goblets and plate and ceremonial cloths. Something was different though. Amidst those items were two unusual objects. Sergio didn't know exactly what they were. They appeared to be a small, shallow bowl and small paddle or knife of some sort. They were the strangest looking items he'd ever seen. The boy didn't know what they were made out of; he conjectured it to be some exotic wood. They were elegant. Though young, the items still struck his curiosity. Why were they in the church? How could they be part of the holy mass? Why should the believers have such unique things?

His internal dialogue brought a thought of thievery. This wasn't the first time he had contemplated stealing from this church. In fact, he'd taken other lesser items from the place – a bible, a prayer candle and even a sweater left by a parishioner. He stole to barter for food or to placate his mother with a trinket in order to head off another beating. He knew that the unusual items before him would bring a good price from the right person. He might be able to get enough money to buy some badly needed clothes or food that was in short supply at his home. Sergio looked around. He saw noone, as usual. Thursday night after catechism classes was always a good time to visit.

'They have so much here…They won't miss 'em,' he muttered to himself. The decision made, in one quick movement Sergio grabbed the two items and darted for the side exit door.

Father Eduardo watched the boy's quick theft and sudden departure out of the Church. He knew the boy stole, and from his church. He'd had a bible from the church returned by a parishioner who found it at a flea market. The Father assumed that the lad stole for food or clothes. For a fleeting moment all he felt was disappointment. The boy had not found that spark of the Lord within his heart. He had once again chosen the wrong path. The priest briefly wondered if he should actively engage the boy next time he saw him in the Church, take a more hard line approach.

The method necessary to 'save' the young child didn't get much more play in the priest's mind because the haunting words of Sister Sarah jumped into his head. "Evil seeks its grail…protect them at all costs." In that split second, the hair on the back of the priest's neck stood on end and a cold chill ran down his spine. Something in his soul told him that the objects he left haphazardly on the table, the ones stolen by the boy, were of monumental importance…and deadly dangerous. In that instant, Father Eduardo knew he had to find the boy and take the items back. He burst through the door, ran across the altar area and started toward the nave of the church.

When he got almost to the far side corridor, there was a loud slamming noise at the front door area of the church. Father Eduardo stopped instantly thinking the boy may have had second thoughts and come back to return his loot. When the priest turned to face the entrance, the young lad was not what he caught in his view. There a large, looming figure stood by the back row of pews. He could not see a face because the person had a dark hood over his head which protruded down into his face. The figure was too large to be a woman, of that the priest was certain.

Knowing that he could not return to his attempt to chase after Sergio, Father Eduardo gave his attention to the motionless man.

"Hello, may I help you?" the priest said out of breath and with his trademark Mexican accent.

There was no response, but the man took several steps down the center isle toward the priest's location.

"Please, don't be afraid to talk my son. I will listen to anything you have to say." Father Eduardo watched as the man stepped closer. Once he got into the full light of the few sconces on the nave columns, the sight sent a gasp from the priest's throat.

The figure was wearing a long, black leather coat like that worn by cowboys on rainy days on the untamed Arizona plains. The coat was buttoned but the priest could see black jeans and boots. The man's hands were in his coat pockets and his head was still lowered enough to thwart view of his face. There was something about his presence and his movements that told the Father that this was no normal man.

As the man got even closer, only about twenty feet away, the priest felt a chill in the air. It was as if something took the warm June air out of the building and replaced it with dead cold. It was at this moment that Father Eduardo felt the first sting of fear.

Quavering, "Who are you?…What do want?…This is a house of worship…This is no place for trouble."

The man stopped. He was a mere ten feet from the priest. He slowly lifted his head and met the other eye to eye. "Where are they?" The words were said with a deep and penetrating tone.

Father Eduardo stepped back in fright. The face he saw was not human. True, it had the features of a regular man. There was skin and a nose and a mouth. He saw teeth and ears. But it was the eyes that told him something evil stood before him. They were black as coal and lifeless. Nothing but evil could have had those eyes.

"Where are they!" the man shouted as he lunged at the priest. The figure was fast and strong and quickly had Father Eduardo against a marble column. A hand with long spindly fingers squeezed the priest's neck. The thing before him gazed with pure craving for the answer.

The Father was terrified and confused. "I don't…know what you're…talking about," he said, the words snagging on the clenched throat as they left him.

The priest tried to pull the grip from his neck. He twisted and turned trying to free himself. He was having trouble getting air into his lungs. All he could do was shake his head to enforce his ignorance.

The figure leaned in so he was inches from the priest's face. "Vestatu!" he uttered with complete hatred.

That word caused a change in the priest's expression. Fright was replaced by realization and despair. "Vestatu" was the word used by Sister Sarah to describe herself. It was but one part of a fantastic story told by the nun after her initial brain seizure while at the rectory. It was the story that Father Eduardo thought was born from a mind wrought with dementia. He now knew he was wrong. Sister Sarah in her last hours on earth had involved him in the most unbelievable reality he'd ever imagined.

With eyes wide from disbelief, "La espada del Diablo," the priest whispered as he stared at the black eyes.

The man let out a wail and threw Father Eduardo toward the front altar. He went like a rag doll through the air and landed hard on the granite floor. The figure followed him and pounced once again. He picked the priest up and pinned him against the podium next to the communion table. He looked behind the priest to the statue of Jesus on the wall.

"You'll die like your precious savior if I do not receive that which is mine!" The words were bellowed and they reverberated inside the church. The priest tried to talk but was stopped. "Do not lie clergy…I know the whore is here…I saw her dead body…I know she gave them to you."

Father Eduardo didn't know how this 'thing' knew of Sister Sarah or that she was dead. The fact that he had seen her frightened him dearly. A split second after that reflection, he also realized that the 'man' before him thought that he was in possession of the items that had been stolen by Sergio. The priest grasped onto the understanding that this creature had not seen the boy take the items. Somehow, the obsessed evil hovering in front of him only had the priest in his sights. 'The boy is not in danger…for now,' he told himself.

The Father also knew that he could not tell the truth about Sergio. There was nothing that could be done to him that would make him put the lad in mortal danger and open to everlasting damnation. Instead, Father Eduardo decided to remain silent. He would not speak a word and accept the wrath of the monster before him. Somehow he knew that if he remained silent the boy would be safe.

"Where are they?" the man shouted again through clenched teeth. When the priest remained closed mouth, he yelled it again, "WHERE ARE THEY?" The priest merely closed his eyes.

The evil figure became enraged and threw the priest down to the floor. He stomped on his chest with his boot and ended with the heel dug into the holy man's throat. "Do you think I won't kill you?…That collar around your neck means nothing…Tell me or I will slit your throat open." He kicked the priest's face with his boot and then kneeled on one leg beside him, taking the priest's neck again in his grip. With his other hand the unknown man pulled a shimmering blade from his coat sleeve. Staring intensely at the frightened man, the black eyed figure slowly brought the razor sharp edge to his throat.

Those two words were the last that Father Eduardo Castillo heard while alive. Once said, the priest looked at the man…and spat in his face.

The knife cut deep and long across his neck as the man of the cloth said the Lord's Prayer. His last conscious thought was the joy he would receive spending eternity with Jesus.

Crimson blood spilled over the hand of the man in the black leather coat. He had come so far and gotten so close. He knew his journey was almost at an end. The man had hunted down his life to this moment. From the priest's final action, he knew that the holy man was not in possession of the items he so desperately needed. He would not stop though; he couldn't. The figure would find out who was in possession of that which had been ripped from him so long ago. He was driven to find his way to greatness again.

The black eyed man let go of Father Eduardo's throat and flicked the dripping blood off his hand. He then raised the appendage to his mouth and ran his tongue over the liquid that remained on his forefinger. As he stood and turned to walk away, he could hear the priest's throat gurgling air pushed by lungs barely functioning. He knew death would come soon.

The figure in the long, black coat walked out of the church. The search for his grail continued.

There were muffled voices and sounds of a door being unlocked. The darkness of the hotel room shattered when the door opened and the brightness from the hallway ceiling lights flooded into the entranceway of the couple's tenth floor suite. Kennedy and Willow spilled into the room, the witch practically draped over the slayer's back. They were giggling as Kennedy fumbled to get the door closed and find a light switch. Willow walked by and kissed her brunette on the cheek as her hand slid across the girl's back. Kennedy watched pleasingly as her wife sauntered by. 'What an ass,' she thought with raised eyebrow for emphasis.

Still laughing, "He did not see it," the slayer said to her witch as she stumbled farther into the room and found a table on which to place the room key card.

"He so did see it…I can't believe you're saying that." Willow was smiling and swaying slightly as she went to the couch in the living room area of the suite. She plopped herself down on the piece of furniture.

"The kid couldn'tuv been more than six…What if he did see?" Kennedy took off her shoes and instantly headed toward her redhead. "You're making too much of this," she said as she made a mock concerned expression.

Willow shook her head and laughed. "You had your hand up the back of my skirt…I don't think little kids are supposed to see stuff like that."

Kennedy also sat on the couch to the left side of the witch. "Well, that'll teach him not to look at people in an elevator…Besides, what're his parents letting him be up this late anyway?…It's all their fault."

"It's some strangers' fault that their kid is scarred for life because you're horny." Willow tried to sound serious but failed miserably.

"Well, if I remember correctly, a certain redhead in that elevator, who will go unnamed, didn't mind all the horniness." With that, Kennedy twisted around and got on top of the witch, pinning her down on the sofa. The brunette's left leg was off the side of the sofa with her foot on the floor. "We're not in the elevator, now," the slayer said seductively. All giggling stopped.

Kennedy ran her hand down Willow's thigh until she caught the hem of the redhead's tight fitting skirt. "Did I tell you I love this skirt on you?" she whispered softly. Despite the fact that Willow didn't dress like a nerdy teenager anymore, she was still hesitant to wear clothes that showed off her magnificent figure. Even if she wore a piece that was form fitting, she tended to place another article over it. It took continued prodding by Kennedy to get the redhead to wear the revealing clothes that made the slayer lose her breath. The outfit Willow wore this night was one that could make traffic stop.

Kennedy's hand played with the fabric then disappeared under the fine silk cloth and grazed its way to the crest of the witch's inner thigh. Once there, fingers navigated painstakingly slow over the redhead's delicate panties and began rubbing and pressing. She could feel that this gesture alone already had the witch aroused. Kennedy's other hand was not still throughout this time. It had sought out a breast and was massaging it; her hand rising and falling from the witch's laboring breath. The bronzed hand sliding over the likewise tight fitting silk blouse sent jolts to the slayer's middle. Kennedy could see her redhead's eyes close a sliver as her body began to react to the sensations.

Wanting to prolong the arousal, Kennedy removed her hand from between the witch's legs and brought it up so that both arms were now straddling her redhead. The slayer slowly pushed her body further up with her left leg, making sure that she pressed her right thigh against the witch's center. Then she pushed herself back down with her arms just as slowly. The slayer began to methodically rock back and forth against her witch, watching the changing face of the redhead as the contact and friction began to build sensation. The brunette knew she was achieving her goal when she felt the redhead's hips push upward to meet her rhythm while alabaster arms reached for the slayer's hips to create more force and contact. Kennedy watched as Willow's mouth opened faintly to let out caught breath. She heard the little sounds the witch made when she was letting go and allowing her body to control her actions.

Kennedy knew that she was in the early stages of seducing her wife. They had the entire night for themselves. The alcohol and dancing earlier primed them for this interlude. It was just them. No child to tend to, no demons to fight or house to clean. It was just the two of them in the hotel room, like in the beginning. 'God I love Vegas,' the slayer thought to herself.

Willow and Kennedy were enjoying their first night in Las Vegas, Nevada. They were there for a long weekend, a mini second honeymoon. It was to be a mixture of business and pleasure, with an emphasis on pleasure. This was the first time since Samantha's birth that they had spent any significant time away from her. The time alone was possible because Samantha was staying with Xander and Jessica.

The couple's 'vacation' started much earlier that day when they arrived in Vegas at noon. They had a room at the luxurious Bellagio Hotel and could see the not-to-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower almost directly across the street at the Paris Hotel. They spent the day seeing the sights, meaning shopping and gambling along the old Vegas strip and the newer one where all the mega hotels were located. They took in the daytime shows outside many of the resorts while snacking and stopping at sundry bars for drinks.

The day was wonderful and the weather glorious. Mid June in Vegas meant it was not too hot or too inundated with tourists. Arriving on a Thursday meant that the weekend regulars, old folks coming in on tour buses, weren't there yet. The two women planned only to stay that one day in the "City of Sin" and they had been determined to make the most of it.

"You want to see a show tonight?" Kennedy would do anything Willow wanted. They had just gotten back to their room from being on the go all day. The slayer had a particular goal set for the weekend – a romantic few days full of fun with her wife. After everything the redhead had been through because of the evil witch Carmilia Horn, Kennedy was resolute in giving Willow the best few days she could. Nothing was going to get in her way of making love to the girl all weekend and having an unforgettable time. Today was Vegas and hedonistic fun but the slayer knew the focus of their trip began tomorrow when they headed for the Grand Canyon. There they would see the United States most stupendous natural wonder and Willow would get to participate in a gathering of those with like 'enhanced' powers.

Willow listened to her slayer's question. She could hear that tone that let her know Kennedy wanted to be accommodating. "What I'd really like to do is to go dancing. We haven't gone to a club and just listened to the music and danced in a long time…remember, like in Sao Paulo." Willow used to be somewhat shy about dancing. But Kennedy made her get over that insecurity. The brunette had gotten the redhead to try, and like, many things she never thought she could do in public. Willow loved to watch Kennedy dance. As naturally sensual as the girl was just standing and talking, she was ten times so while moving to a strong beat.

Hearing her girl's answer, a big smile crossed the slayer's face. She couldn't have been happier with the witch's choice. So after calling Xander to check in on Samantha and having dinner in one of the hotel's restaurants, the couple headed to a gay bar that they found from a magazine that was in their room. They spent the night listening to heart pounding dance music, drinking sour apple martinis and dancing until it felt like their feet would fall off. Saturated with alcohol and feeling 'turned on' from the dancing, the ride back to their hotel room seemed like it took hours. By the time that Kennedy pinned Willow down on the couch to start her assault, both women were ready for sex.

Kennedy's rocking proved true once again. Willow started to move her hips in unison. Her hands left the slayer's sides and reached for the brunette's head. She grasped her fingers around the back of the slayer's neck and urgently pulled her down into a fierce kiss. The redhead kissed the slayer hard and deep…and Kennedy kissed back. Tongues explored while hands caressed and sought out flesh. The slayer felt a jolt race from her core. The feral need exhibited by the witch just from that initial kiss sent Kennedy in overdrive. She had to have Willow and she had to have her now.

Kennedy broke from their kiss and sent her lips on a voyage of tastes. She frantically but expertly licked and suckled on the witch's chin, her throat and down exposed cleavage heaving with expectation. She could taste the mingling of perfume and sweat on the witch's skin. Kennedy became even more ardent in her need to take Willow. There was no time to remove clothes or even unbutton them. Kennedy fervently lowered herself down the witch's body trailing her mouth against the thin material that separated her form heaven. As she did, she once again took the hem of Willow's skirt in her fingers and raised the fabric up. She grabbed the witch's panties and hurriedly pushed them down to get to her needed destination. In her obsessive craving to possess the witch, she actually tore the garment from the redhead. Kennedy had become wild in her desire to devour the woman.

The slayer attacked Willow's core with all the sexual anticipation oft reserved for first time lovers. When Willow tried to run her fingers through Kennedy's hair, the slayer took the searching hands and held them down so that the witch was at the total mercy of the slayer. The brunette was consumed with making Willow writhe in utter euphoria. There was no doubt, Kennedy was fucking Willow. It was the kind of hard, burning immediate sex that new lovers think can never fade and seasoned lovers dream about recapturing.

The slayer didn't stop her onslaught until she heard Willow stammer out her name. She felt the witch buck and tense as her orgasm rolled over her. Kennedy held on tight riding out the wave after wave of contractions, knowing that she was the one who caused them, prolonged them. The slayer only stopped her barrage on the witch's center when she heard her redhead tiredly and softly moan "oh…fu..ck" as the last spasm left. Kennedy knew she had drained Willow to exhaustion when she made the reserved witch use such language.

'Damn, I am still good,' the brunette said to herself as she slithered off the couch and stood up. Willow laid there, eyes closed and breathing heavily. There was no denying it, the slayer was quite proud of what she could do in the sex department.

Kennedy was surprised Willow could talk so soon after what she just experienced.

"Don't be all smiley, you…You may know how to push my buttons but you still leave your socks on the floor."

"Well, I could always switch my talents…Be a better housekeeper and lousy in bed."

Kennedy nodded slowly. "Good choice…Now let me get some water before we both dehydrate." She proceeded to walk to the wet bar area in the living room and opened the small door in the front. It uncovered a diminutive fridge which Kennedy opened and retrieved three bottles of Perrier. She then went back to her wife and handed her a bottle.

"Here, baby, drink up. We aren't done yet." The slayer drank a bottle down then placed the third on a nearby table. As Willow started to drink her water, the brunette kneeled down and began to slowly unzip the witch's skirt.

Feeling the slayer's hand upon her, the witch's breath hitched. She looked at her slayer. "Try not to tear anything else off," she said jokingly.

Willow took a long drink from the bottle then placed it on the table next to the arm of the couch. She knew what was coming next. The redhead leaned back and closed her eyes. She was alone with her slayer and they were going to act like they did when they were a brand new couple. Willow knew this was going to be a memorable weekend. Though the planning of their trip was a mutual effort by her and her slayer, it was also only possible because of another.

As she felt the slayer's lips on her skin again, a thought flickered in her mind before the sensation took over…'Thank you, Xander.'

"Look at her eat. She uses a fork…Why don't our guys use utensils?" Xander glanced at his wife while watching Samantha and his sons eat lunch.

"Nate does when he wants to…Face it, your sons are like wild monkeys…Gee, I wonder where they could have picked that up?" Jessie raised an eyebrow to her husband.

The couple continued their light banter as they got used to having Samantha around. It was Thursday afternoon and Willow and Kennedy had left earlier that morning for Las Vegas. It wasn't like they'd never had the toddler in their house. In the last six months, they'd seen the girl several times.

After the Scoobies spent the holidays together following Willow's hospitalization, Willow and Kennedy made a decision, or rather the Prescott will outlasted the witch's. The day after New Years Kennedy dropped a bombshell on her wife.

Willow was stunned and in no way expected that from her slayer. "What?..You want to move back?"

"No. I said we should buy a house there." It was said like the brunette was talking about buying another pair of shoes. Willow was still surprised.

Kennedy walked over to her by the kitchen sink and leaned against the counter. She folded her arms. "It was great having everyone here. I forgot how much I missed them." Willow nodded in agreement. The slayer continued. "I don't wanna go another year without seeing them and phone calls aren't enough. I think we need to go visit more…" Then Kennedy got to the meat of her proposition. "But I don't want to be living out of a suitcase in some hotel every time…I think we should buy a house that we can stay at when we're there…It'll be…more…settled."

Willow didn't know what to say at first. The idea of seeing her friends more often was very appealing. But the brunette was actually suggesting that they buy another house just so they wouldn't have to deal with check-in? The redhead instantly recognized the Prescott upper class mentality coming to the forefront.

The slayer shook her head. "No, it isn't. My family has several houses and apartments all over the world…This kinda thing is done all the time."

Willow smiled. "Not by the people I know. I love your idea of visiting more. I'm just not sure we need to be so extravagant as to spend a bunch of money on a house…Besides, who'll look after it when we're not there?" Willow had made a good point and the brunette contemplated that for a few moments.

"We can get a house in a gated community or have Xander or hire someone to check on it once in a while…Come on, Will, how is this different than when my Mom spent six months in Cleveland and six in Florida?…What about people from Canada who spend half the year here in the U.S.?"

The witch knew Kennedy was right. The security wasn't what bothered her; it was thinking that they needed two houses. Willow knew they didn't. This would be big jump into the world of the very rich, an extravagant act done merely because they could. The redhead still had trouble accepting the fact that she and Kennedy were rich…very rich. It continued to sit uneasy on her conscious.

After more prodding by Kennedy and several other conversations, Kennedy's persistence won out. The slayer explained her reasons why another house was the best solution. They could find one near Xander or near the slayer school if the witch preferred. They could come and go whenever they wanted. They would be able to keep clothes and other necessaries there to make the traveling easier. Most importantly, Samantha would have consistency and a routine when they visited. In the end, Willow acquiesced. "Ok…but a modest house. We don't need to go all crazy." The witch's comment reminded Kennedy of when Willow gave in and let her find their apartment in Sao Paulo. The slayer didn't go overboard then and she didn't this time either.

With some assistance from her father's realtor, Kennedy found a quaint three bedroom, two bathroom Dutch colonial only fifteen minutes from Xander's house and twenty from Buffy and Jimmy. By late January they had closed and made the first of several trips to their "second home." By June, they had visited once a month. They mostly organized and got comfortable with the new place. Each time they went Samantha spent significant time with Nate and Joey. She had as much fun as her parents.

All the Scoobies' lives were running smoothly. Buffy and Jimmy were still engaged but without a wedding date. Xander and Jessica, along with their boys, could have posed for the "All American Family." Their jobs were hitting on all four cylinders and their sons, despite their rambunctious energy, were good kids.

Even though not in Cleveland, Faith and Miguel were also on solid ground. They spent their time trying to keep New York safe. They were able to make two visits to Willow and Kennedy in Massachusetts.

Good luck didn't only stop at the New York border. Dawn was having an upswing in her life since the harrowing events the prior Labor Day. She'd met another guy who was interested and, though not serious, they were spending significant time together. Terri Pallouda had recovered as much as she could. She was able to walk but had a limp. However, she wasn't able to continue being a nurse in the local hospital. She couldn't stand for that long during the day. She was able to find a position with a general practitioner as a receptionist/assistant.

The Prescott/Rosenberg family life went well after the holidays in addition to the new home purchase. Willow didn't take on any new tutoring students that winter. Her hospitalization and long recovery had caused to her cancel her fall tutoring jobs. By the New Year, the redhead was at a crossroads concerning her involvement in education. Willow loved teaching and she finally decided that she wanted to do more than just tutor. She told Kennedy that she decided to check on gaining a regular teaching position at one of the local schools. "They'd be crazy not to hire you, Will…You're the smartest person I know." Kennedy was nothing but supportive. The witch knew that meant that she would have to scale back on her witch activities. She wouldn't be able to be a mentor and give aid to as many witches nor give her time so freely. That was alright with Willow. Terri had become more involved in the Clearing Place group as well as the Slayer Network and local covens. Until the redhead could confirm that her fall schedule would include a teaching position she didn't want to take on any responsibilities she couldn't see through fruition. She was enjoying her time with Samantha and Kennedy and the frequent visits to the gang in Cleveland.

Kennedy was able to make the Cleveland proposal to Willow because her slaying situation in Middleton had become easier with the addition of slayer Lee Gagno. The twenty year old Italian American girl had been a slayer for almost three years. She was 5'7" with short dark brown hair and brown eyes. She had moved from Cleveland to Seekonk, Massachusetts, a city not far from Middleton. The woman had one other thing in common with Kennedy and Willow besides the move; she was also gay.

Lee Gagno was born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin. The younger sister of five brothers, no one in her family thought much of the fact that she was always on the boyish side. Her mother and father thought it was due to being around all boys. Her older brothers were sports fanatics and motorheads. Lee learned to slide into first base and change the oil on a car before she knew how to make pancakes. It wasn't until she turned thirteen that her mother began to suspect that her little girl was 'different.' Lee never liked wearing dresses or playing doll. She wore her brothers' hand-me-down jeans and t-shirts. She was more comfortable goofing off with the boys than she ever was 'having tea' with the neighborhood girls.

By middle school, Lee Gagno had no doubt that she was gay. As much as she liked hanging out with boys and talking sports, she never got any "tingles" because of them. That was reserved for Heidi Yeadly. That curly blond headed girl was Lee's first crush and the 'lightbulb' that confirmed to her that she was gay.

Life was tough in Madison for a gay adolescent. Lee never told anyone about her sexuality. Although, due her appearance and mannerisms, there was always snickering among her fellow students. The girl was what most would call stereotypical for a gay woman. In reality, she wasn't any more or less gay than the so called lipstick lesbians. It's just that her appearance made it easier for the straight world to consider her "not normal."

She would have gone through life masking her identity if it weren't for Teddy Franklin. He stole a notebook of hers one day in eighth grade and found a love letter to Heidi. It was one Lee never intended to give to the girl. The news of Lee's "perversion" quickly spread and she basically became ostracized from that moment on.

Her high school years were spent just trying to survive the ridicule, pranks and meanness exhibited by so called good All American kids. She couldn't wait to graduate and get out of that city. Lee took vocational classes in engine repair and machine shop hoping to land a job in an auto repair business. Her dream of leaving Madison came quickly one day on a rainy April Monday.

Lee walked into her auto body repair class to find that her fellow students, guys that spent most of their time calling her "dyke", had placed the Camaro that she was fixing up on blocks. They had taken the wheels and rims and spray painted "carpet muncher" on the side. The anger inside the teenage girl was immeasurable. She stood there looking at the damage contemplating how to respond.

Lee Gagno felt a surge run through her like nothing she'd ever sensed before. She instantly felt stronger and more alive. Something had happened, of that she was positive. She didn't know or understand why, but she got a feeling that things were different for her now. She was different. As she stared at the guys chuckling at their handiwork and her assumed predicament, Lee Gagno had a realization.

Without knowing where the force came from, Lee went over to the car sitting with its axles on concrete blocks, and grabbed the base of the front right frame. She easily lifted the car up and kicked the block out of the way. She then went to the remaining wheels and repeated the action. When done, she walked over to the gaping mouthed boys and demanded her tires and rims. The hooligans were speechless and only one pointed to the closet where the items were hidden. Lee placed each tire and rim next to its wheel well and then walked out of the school. She never went back.

The next day, a member of the Council contacted her and within three additional days the girl was in Cleveland finishing high school and learning to become a slayer. She stayed in Cleveland until the position with Kennedy became available. It was good timing for her. She had become stymied by the number of slayers in that city despite the activity caused due to it being on a Hellmouth. She wanted more sole responsibility and a chance to be on her own. That second part was important because she had recently ended a relationship. Lee wanted a change of scenery and an opportunity to start fresh.

Kennedy and Lee hit it off right away. The new slayer was seasoned enough that Kennedy didn't need to really train her. She was serious in her slayer obligation so much so that Kennedy didn't fear leaving the woman on her own. Being gay, the women had an understanding of each other. It was something Kennedy never had with Marla. Patrolling together or separately, the brunette knew she could trust Lee. The activities in the Middleton area had actually increased since the Labor Day incident. The place was no longer just a planning stage and meeting place for the underworld. There were more demons trying to infiltrate the area and make a stake for world domination there. Kennedy and Lee found themselves busy during the months following the New Year. But, having a capable slayer to pick up the slack made the trips to Cleveland easier for the older slayer.

"So what do you think they're up to?…slots in Vegas or catching the sights of the Grand Canyon?" Buffy had stopped by Xander's several hours after the couple left to see how Samantha's first day was going. She and Xander and Jessie were on the back deck watching the kids play after finishing lunch.

Buffy sneered at him. "Eww, is that all you think about…a little girl-on-girl action?…How do you stand him, Jessie?" Buffy noticed that Jessie too had a small smile.

"What are you talking about? Will and Kenn have the chance to do stuff other than zoos and kid parks…Don't you think they'd like to take advantage of that?"

Xander's smile got bigger. "I think they're taking advantage of the fact that they don't have to worry about a kid barging in on them."

Buffy shook her head in mock disdain. "Oh, come on…Jess, help me here. Explain to your husband that women have more interests than that."

Both Scoobies looked at Jessica for the definitive answer. "They're doing it like bunnies," she said succinctly.

Buffy and Xander laughed and then the blonde slayer retorted, "Well, whatever they're doing they can thank Mr. Big Idea here for coming up with the plan."

The couple's vacation all started with a call from Giles to them at the end of May about a Council meeting to take place in Cleveland in mid June. The meeting was to be on a Wednesday and the Massachusetts and New York contingencies were expected to show. Willow and Kennedy planned to make it a weekend and spend some time with their friends. A few days after the couple made their initial plan, Willow told Kennedy that the weekend they were to be in Cleveland was the same one for a "convergence" gathering in Arizona near the Grand Canyon. The three day event was a very secret and private gathering of highly psychic and magickal individuals. Willow had found out about it from her Brazilian friend Mishline several years prior. This was the first time in a long while that the event was in the United States and the witch was theoretically available to go.

Kennedy thought about what Willow told her. The slayer remembered the witch mentioning the event before and could tell even then it was something that intrigued her wife. The slayer spoke to Mishline and Giles about the gathering and confirmed that Willow would be welcomed. During that call, the Englishman noted that he had several manuscripts that needed to be brought to associates of the Council in Flagstaff, Arizona. "If Willow goes to it, maybe she could drop off the manuscripts. It would save me a trip and considerable time and effort."

Though the redhead didn't talk about the Arizona gathering again, Kennedy kept rolling the idea in her mind. Finally, she told Willow that she thought the witch should go. "I know you really want to go to this…I'll stay with Sam in Cleveland or go back home."

Willow declined. "I don't want to go without you and Sam…It wouldn't feel right, me having a vacation while you have to stay here…Maybe we can all go another time."

Then Kennedy got another idea. "Then we'll all go now. We'll do the Council meeting and then head to Arizona. You do your witchy thing while me and Sam take Giles' manuscripts to Flagstaff…We'll be able to get in some fun family time." After a little thought, the suggestion sat well with the redhead.

It was several days later, while Willow was on a phone call with Xander, that the man got involved. Willow told her oldest friend about the plan for her family. "It should be really great, Xan…This time of year, the Grand Canyon should be beautiful…Almost like a second honeymoon…except for having a three year old to nix the 'honeymoon' part."

The clogs in Xander's mind starting turning. He knew the rough time Willow had been through with her illness and the horror that both she and Kennedy had faced with the vengeful Camilia Horn. The man decided the women needed a break. Later that day, he talked to Jessie about taking Samantha for a few days so the witch and slayer could spend some time alone. Jessie was completely agreeable. She knew how important alone time was. Luckily, her family was in Cleveland, giving her and Xander the ability to leave their boys with relatives while they shuffled off for a romantic weekend or longer.

Xander told Willow about his offer; she told Kennedy. It didn't take long for the two women to accept. They too knew that alone time would be greatly appreciated. It was at that point that Kennedy decided to make the trip a memorable one for her redhead.

May went and June quickly appeared. Samantha had her third birthday in Massachusetts. The party at the Prescott/Rosenberg house included all the friends the toddler had made in her tumbling and swim classes. A week and a half later, the family was on their way to Cleveland to celebrate Sam's birthday again and to participate in the Council meeting. Willow and Kennedy, though, couldn't wait for their vacation. They were excited like children waiting to go on an amusement park ride.

The meeting of the Scoobies and Council went smoothly. That night at Slayer Central with all gathered, Giles handed to Kennedy several manuscripts. "These are quite old. Please be careful. They deal with quite a number of curses that the people in Flagstaff are trying to decipher."

Willow got a worried look on her face. "Should we be on the lookout for bad guys?…Is anybody gonna want to steal these?"

Giles responded quickly. "No, no, Willow…These aren't those kinds of curses…" Giles knew from Xander that the purpose of the couple's trip was mainly to relax and have fun after all the rough times they'd had. The watcher didn't want to hamper that in any way. "There's no threat…but if you'd rather not deal with this, I can certainly do this myself or have Andrew do it." Andrew had also made the trip. Giles still hated flying with the man; the sci-fi stories were numbing.

Kennedy answered the elder. "No, it's ok, Giles. We'll handle it. One little side trip…piece of cake."

Xander cringed when he heard Kennedy's remark. Buffy noticed and stared at him strangely. "What's with the weirdness, Xan?"

The man shook his head. "I know it sounds dumb, but…it's been my experience that phrase always leads to trouble."

Willow entered Kennedy at the exact moment her mouth enveloped the slayer's erect nipple. This was a move the redhead had learned long ago drove the slayer wild. The dual erotic sensations made the brunette's body go rigid for a second as she held her breath. Willow started to slowly move her fingers, back and forth, as her mouth tasted her girl's breast. She worked methodically and in unison to cause a universal arousal in the slayer's body.

Willow had been making love to Kennedy since not long after sunlight. The new day had trickled through the curtains' opening, creeping its way to the witch's face, awakening her to a wonderful Friday morning. Initially, upon waking, Willow laid motionless. She was feeling the effects of the slayer's 'talents' from the previous evening. As the fog of sleep left her, the redhead smiled realizing the cause of her 'soreness.' It was a good pain; the kind of discomfort that proved how in love and passionate the women still were.

After a few minutes of acclimating to the tenderness, Willow looked to her side to see the slayer still sleeping on her back. There was an overwhelming contented and peaceful expression on Kennedy's face. 'She knows she's so good in bed she even has a smug face when she sleeps.' That brought another smile to the witch's lips. Moving cautiously, Willow shifted to her side to watch her woman sleep.

'She's just as beautiful now as the day we met,' the redhead commented to herself. It amazed Willow how Kennedy could maintain herself. The brunette hadn't gained a pound since they'd been together. Her body was as taut and silky as Willow remembered from their first night together. The witch didn't know if it was because her wife was a slayer or just because she had fantastic genes.

Either way, Willow considered herself lucky to be with such a stunning woman. In fact, at times, it made the redhead overly conscious about her own body image. Though the redhead never had a weight problem, she did take particular care to eat right and keep in shape so that her body was as pleasing to the slayer as she could make it. Sometimes that feeling she used to get in high school would creep back into her psyche. Now though, she didn't worry about looking nerdy or like a twig, but rather not sensuous enough, not firm or curvy in the right places. It seemed it didn't matter what type of a relationship women were in, there was always that 'body image' demon reeling its ugly head.

That morning upon waking, however, Willow wasn't thinking about her issues. She was concentrating on her slayer. She reached over and lightly ran her finger down the brunette's exposed bare arm. Reaching the base of the bronzed hand, she changed course and traced the finger back to its original starting point. Willow loved the feel of Kennedy's skin. It was so smooth. That small action caused a feeling to rise in the witch. That simple act had aroused the redhead, leaving her wanting more. That was the effect the slayer's body still had on her. The redhead moved her hand so that the back of her fingers were grazing along the slayer's shoulder, then neck. They rounded toward the underside of Kennedy's chin and proceeded south. The touches barely made contact on the brunette's flesh, not enough to rouse the slayer but enough to send the witch in a complete sensual awakening. Green eyes locked onto the sleeping slayer's face; Willow's hand disappeared under the bed sheets. It glided upon soft, bronzed skin and continued on its path until it reached its anticipated end. That's when the redhead began to caress the brunette. She pressed and rubbed.

While her hand was gratifying her own need to touch the slayer, Willow watched for the result it had on the girl. At first, the slayer lay as before, sleeping soundly. But then the redhead saw the twitch of the eyelid, the slight move of the head and the smallest of shift to the slayer's lips. Within a few more strokes of her hand, Willow watched Kennedy go from dreamland to semi-conscious wonderment to conscious arousal. The smile was first, followed by a moan and then brown eyes opening to the glorious morning.

Neither woman spoke. Kennedy leaned her head so she could stare at her witch, the whole time not moving an inch. She stayed still and let her redhead take her body on an early morning journey, watching her lover make love to her. She saw the desire in Willow's eyes, the need to touch her. There had been a time when the redhead wouldn't have had eyes open. She would have been embarrassed to see her lover looking at what she was doing and how she was enjoying it. This was another 'issue' Kennedy got Willow to throw away like stale bread. The slayer loved to look at Willow during their 'sessions.' She also took pleasure in seeing her witch's reactions during lovemaking. Kennedy used to tell Willow that she shouldn't be shy; her reactions made the experience even more erotic for the slayer. "God, Willow…Sometimes it's as if you're looking into my soul." It didn't take long for Willow to be at ease with this and to appreciate how much gazing upon each other added to the occurrence.

By the time Willow entered her, the slayer had long abandoned the hope that she could keep her body still. She was following Willow's lead and moving her form in compliance. It didn't take long for Kennedy's release to hit. It was a deep, lingering fall, the kind she often had during morning interludes. She let the waves roll over her, closing her eyes as they went. The contact and urgency running through the witch soon had her also experiencing an unexpected release. The slayer didn't move for a while after it was over. Willow remained inside her girl staying still until her own fall was over. The women were immersed in the closeness they reached. Then the witch moved herself up on the bed so that her head was resting in the crook of Kennedy's arm.

"Hell, I liked…I liked very much…Just wondering what rustled your feathers this early in the morning."

Kennedy rolled onto her side to face Willow. "I can assure you that that little thank you just now…one of the best I've ever received."

Willow smiled. "Are you saying that I rank up there with the greatness that is you?"

Kennedy nodded her head. "And you pick up your socks…You are far above me, baby." Both women laughed.

The slayer yawned and stretched her arms. "Am I a bad mother if I said that I'm really loving this?"

Kennedy chuckled. "Yeah, I'm getting worried she's not buying the 'Mommy and Momma are wrestling' explanation…I swear I lock the door and she still gets in…I think she knows how to pick locks." Now it was Willow's turn to laugh.

The witch and slayer stayed in bed for another hour, a luxury unheard of with a three year old, making light conversation and watching nothing in particular on the hotel room tv. They finally got out of bed, took a shower and got dressed. Kennedy had the day somewhat planned.

"I figure it'll take about three and a half, four hours to get to Flagstaff. We can get breakfast, head out and see some sights if we want…or we can go straight to Flagstaff, drop off the manuscripts and have fun there…or forget that place and head to the Reservation…or the Grand Canyon…" Willow put her arms around the slayer who was brushing her, once again, long dark brown hair.

Kennedy smiled and put down the brush as she turned to face her wife. "I want this to be a great weekend. You need to relax and have a good time…I'm gonna make sure you do…So you get to decide how we have fun."

Willow gave the brunette a quick kiss on the neck. "You are a sweetheart, but this is your weekend too. You've been working nonstop. So we will do what we both enjoy."

Kennedy got a devilish look on her face. "We can't have sex the entire time…Well, we could but then we'd never go out and buy gifts and everyone would know we stayed in our room…" Kennedy stopped mid sentence. "Is there a vaccine for this babbling."

The slayer took her wife in another hug. "I think I can deal with that…So what are we doing today?"

The couple decided that they would head out to Flagstaff and see if anything along the way caught their attention. Willow's retreat didn't start until 9pm so they had plenty of time to deliver the manuscripts and take in some of the sights. It didn't take too long for their room service breakfast to be eaten and to make a morning call to Samantha. The bags were packed and loaded in the rented convertible. The women checked out of the Bellagio and within no time they were cruising south on Highway 95 expecting nothing but sunshine and good times.

The boy named Sergio woke up to the sounds of his mother shouting. He often woke up that way. He could tell by her tone that his uncle must have come home last night drunk and smelling of the cigar smoke from the local tavern. He couldn't understand why his mother just didn't throw the man out of her house. As much as he knew his uncle took some of the heat away from him, the constant badgering was too much even for the young boy.

Sergio got out of bed taking the articles he stole from the church out from under the sheet. He had slept with them. It was too late the previous night to try to unload the objects. He knew a few people downtown that would be interested in the unusual items.

After going to the bathroom and getting changed, Sergio took the two items and snuck out the back door of his house like he had done on many occasions. He hoped that he'd be able to sell the things and bring home something nice for his mother to soften her obvious foul mood. As he snuck by the kitchen, he saw the clock on the wall. '10:46,' he said to himself. The boy knew he would have to hurry if he wanted to catch his buyers while they still had a wad of money in their pocket.

Sergio walked down the back alleyways and dirty pothole laden streets that was his neighborhood. He was headed downtown and had at least a half hour walk. He passed closed down convenience stores, bordered up apartment buildings and graffiti filled abandoned cars. The section of town where Sergio lived was not the area that tourists visited. It wasn't even the place where most of the townspeople dare venture.

Little by little the boy's travel brought him out of the plight of the underprivileged to the shiny, clean part of the city where 'respectable' people were found. The buildings were sound and the property well maintained. The people on the streets walked like they mattered in society. Sergio wove his way through the business people and tourists. This was a side of life that, even at thirteen, Sergio knew would take a miracle to reach. But he kept walking.

As the lad turned onto the main boulevard toward the section of downtown filled with pawn shops, he walked by a local eatery. He glanced in the window and saw it was more crowded than usual even with school having ended the previous week. For some unexplainable reason he stopped and peered in the front window. He saw the patrons in the establishment crowded around the small television in the corner of the long counter top. He could see people with startled faces, talking softly but hurriedly to each other. Sergio felt uneasy about the scene. But he didn't move; he just stood there in front of the store near the entrance.

The man stopped and turned slowly. In a respectful voice, "The padre from St. Thomas was murdered."

Sergio didn't think he heard the man right. He stared into space for several moments trying to decide what he must have heard. Finally, he looked at the man again. He couldn't even speak.

Understanding the boy's reaction, the man nodded his head slightly. "It's true…He was found this morning…That's all they're saying."

The boy lowered his head and gazed at the ground. 'How can that be?' he wondered. 'Priests don't get murdered.' It seemed like a very cruel joke. As much as he hesitated with the priest, the man was the only person who didn't automatically judge the boy. He knew the priest watched him when he went into the church. He never told him to leave or pushed him. Sergio was also pretty sure that the priest even knew he had stolen from the church. The boy looked up again to ask another question, but the man was gone. He was already well down the sidewalk.

Sergio walked into the diner and got as close as he could to hear the newsperson on the television.

"…All we know right now is that at about 7am this morning, a member of the church…we haven't been given a name…went there to pray and found Father Eduardo Castillo dead…We've been told that this is definitely a homicide…unconfirmed reports state that the priest was murdered in a very gruesome manner, although what that is we have not been told…The police have the church sectioned off from the public…"

The boy watched as the news reporter put a finger to his earplug, tilted his head slightly and then interrupted his dialogue. "…There has been a new development in this breaking story and we take you to John Stantos who's outside St. Thomas." The tv screen then changed to the outside of the church which was located at the other end of town.

"Thanks, Roy…I'm outside St. Thomas and we've just learned that the police have found two more bodies…One is apparently the housekeeper for Father Castillo and the other…we've been told…is a nun…There's no word on whether they were also murdered…Why these women were here or where they were found has not been given out to the press…"

Sergio stopped listening to the noise coming from the set. He was numb. 'I was just there,' he said under his breath. 'Were they all still alive?' The moment was surreal.

Then the boy felt the articles still clenched in his hand. He looked down at them. The items seemed to burn in his palm. He had taken from a church that had been the scene of a most hideous act. Could he have done something if he hadn't been so occupied with stealing? Were the priest and others dying at the very moment he took the two pieces? Should he have sought out the priest for help with his problems and would that have altered events and prevented death? The thirteen year old Sergio was not spared the weighty questions. He'd been forced to grow up to soon and that meant that he also was prone to adult reflection.

One thing the boy knew for certain was that he had been in the church last night and now three people were dead. Then an even more severe thought entered his mind. 'Was it because of me?' Sergio began to wonder if his sinful ways brought about the deaths of three people. Was this God's way, Jesus' punishment to him, for being unworthy? When the boy looked at the two items in his hand again, all he saw was damnation.

Sergio ran out of the restaurant and toward downtown. He didn't know why he was running; he just had to. He also knew he had to get rid if the articles stolen from the church. They were blood on his hands as far as he was concerned. He wanted nothing to do with them. They had the stench of death upon them. He vowed to drop them somewhere for someone else to deal with and never think about them again. He promised to start going to church, confess his sins and be the boy his mother told him Jesus expected him to be. That was the plan of the thirteen year old terrified boy.

As Sergio ran, he heard the sounds of guitars and singing coming from his left. He instantly remembered the outside farmer's market that was open seven days a week. There were organic fruits and vegetables, local arts and crafts, artists and local cuisine. It was a hot spot for tourists and townspeople alike. The boy quickly got the solution to his dilemma. He ran over to the market. He waited until he caught his breath before walking through the dozens of vendors. One part of the market was under an open walled building. The other part was comprised of individual vendors selling their wares under canopies.

Sergio walked in the open portion trying to be inconspicuous, all the while thinking that everyone could see he was responsible for three deaths. He saw fruit vendors, people selling cheeses and breads and many local artists trying to sell their creations. He kept walking until he saw it.

Up ahead, to the right side, was a table full of wood carvings. There were beautiful bowls, vases, plates and even wall hangings all made from a variety of exotic looking woods. 'This is the place,' the boy told himself. He nonchalantly walked to the side of the display and scanned around. The woman, who he figured was the artist who made the wood items, was showing a piece to a potential customer. He looked around some more and realized he was invisible to the world. Sergio quickly placed the small, shallow bowl and knife like object on the corner of the table unnoticed.

The boy named Sergio kept running. He ran out of the market and down the main street. He thought the farther he could get away from those things, the quicker he made his escape, the closer he was to forgiveness from God.

Sergio ran across an intersection without even looking. He came to a dead stop when he heard the screeching of car tires. He came out of his daze and looked up. He stared at the passengers in the convertible and then started running again.

"Christ! Where the hell did he come from?" Kennedy said as she hesitantly pressed on the gas peddle to start moving again.

Kennedy glanced at Willow trying to decipher that sentence and keep her eyes on the rode in front of her. They'd been driving for about an hour since they left Vegas that Friday morning.

"No…not really. I'm sure Xander and Jessie called her parents when they went out of town." Kennedy tried not to let her hesitancy show through in her words.

"You think I'm being too nervous about this…don't you?…Am I being overly worried?…It was just a phone call…Ok, two phone calls, but I thought I heard yelling when I was hanging up with them the first time…I don't see that as overly concerned…Do you?"

The brunette continued to drive as she took in her redhead's babble. The discussion concerned Willow's calls to Xander to see how Samantha was doing. The couple tried to have the attitude that Xander and Jessie knew what they were doing, having two boys of their own. They had pledged to call once a day to talk to their daughter and try to really have some alone time. It hadn't turned out that way. Willow had already found a reason to call Cleveland several times on the day of their arrival in Las Vegas and once this morning. Finally, on their way to Flagstaff, Kennedy made a comment to Willow that Xander and Jessie might take the calls the wrong way. The witch instantly got concerned.

Willow kept talking. "Of course I trust them…I know Sam's fine with them. They know Sam's fine with them…They know I know Sam's fine with them…You know that I know tha…" Kennedy realized her Willow babble could go on for the rest of their trip so she interrupted the woman to change the subject.

The redhead stopped, caught her breath and turned her view at the suggestion of the slayer. What she saw quickly made the matter of her overly protective mother instinct vanish.

The women had been driving through Lake Mead National Park which was lined with a pine forest on the eastern side. The winding roads through the tall pine trees had made the travel serene. When Kennedy made her comment, the car had just come to the end of a wide arch in the road hugged by trees. As they drove past the forest, the scene in front of them was a wide open valley framed in by mountain ranges to the sides. The haze in the air was gone and all that lay ahead was the mesmerizing flatlands of the Arizona countryside. The view, except for sporadic houses sprinkled about, didn't look much different than it did one hundred years ago.

"Wow," was all the redhead could think to say. She'd never seen such simple natural beauty.

"Yeah, I agree one hundred percent…Maybe we should concentrate on this stuff and not so much on the home life…" Kennedy was trying to nudge her wife into forgetting about the calls and the rest and just enjoy herself.

Willow glanced at her slayer and got a tiny smile. She knew Kennedy wanted her to relax, to enjoy just being together. It had become the brunette's goal. "You're right. No more worrying about stuff I know is ok."

Kennedy kept her eye on the road. Without looking at the witch, "I miss Sam, too." A few moments later, the brunette felt Willow's hand rest upon her thigh.

The women continued on and had a glorious drive toward Flagstaff. They spent the time having discussions about the landscape, movies and music. They listened to the satellite radio in the rented Mustang and took in the cloudless blue sky. It was June in northern Arizona and that meant mid to upper 70's during the day and mid to low 40's at night. The forecast they saw before they left for their trip had no rain in sight. "At least nothing bad's gonna happen…It'd have to rain on us for that." Both women laughed as they made their way to the airport gate.

Now Willow and Kennedy were at peace. They were alone together, seeing parts of their country that made them feel proud to be American. The skate punk was blasting on the car radio, the lovers were holding hands and life had no demons, apocalypses or demented witches. They were just two people enjoying a vacation.

The couple kept driving on Highway 93 until they got on State Road 68 which took them through Kingman. They drove down the road as it went from highway scenes to small city views. The women looked at the quaint place which was quite alive for a Friday. The entire ride had been pleasant until the near collision with the boy who darted across the street. That event took them out of their day dreamy kind of mood.

Once the car was on its way again, the women paid more attention to the road. As they went, Kennedy noticed a market off to the right.

Willow knew that question was in actually Kennedy's way of telling her she was hungry and they needed to stop soon for food.

"It sure does look like a market. I think I see people selling food…" She glanced at the clock on the radio. "It's almost one…Wanna stop and get some food?" The witch knew what the answer was already.

"If you're hungry, we can stop. I'm sure we'll find some good local cuisine here." The slayer drove slowly once they got near the market place until she saw the sign for parking. The women exited their vehicle and headed for another adventure.

"This place is great!…Look at all the jewelry and pottery and paintings." Willow was impressed with the variety and quality of the vendors' merchandise. "We should get something nice for Xander and Jessie…Oo, I could get a necklace for Buff." Willow was like a kid in a candy store. Despite her uneasiness with the Prescott wealth, little by little over the years, Willow had become more 'comfortable' about spending money in certain situations. Buying gifts for others was one of those situations.

Kennedy stood back and smiled with satisfaction. Her girl was having a good time. "Why don't we get something in that beautiful tight little stomach of yours and then you can have at it with the shopping."

Again, Willow knew that meant 'I need to eat soon or you're gonna have a grouchy slayer on your hands.' The witch nodded, "One Kingman lunch coming up." The two headed for the food court area of the market place.

Not so long thereafter, the two women had eaten a very tasty lunch and were now canvassing the artists' goods. They bought several items for the friends back home and more for Samantha and Xander's boys.

They spent some time at the table of a local Zuni Indian artist who specialized in fetishes. There were necklaces, bracelets and earrings with handcrafted animal figurines attached. They were made with the pride of the culture that perfected the art form.

Then the witch drifted over to a wood carver's table while Kennedy scanned the home made knives at another artist's table. Willow slowly walked down the length of the open display, in awe of the talent it took to make a functional work of art. There were vases and bowls made of wood Willow had never seen. Some had the texture or blemishes of the exotic woods used as part of the design while others were smooth as glass and seemingly just as fragile. The witch kept appreciating the items until something caught her eye.

At the end of the table, at the back of it, was a piece, two items actually, that intrigued her. She walked over to the side of the table to get a better look. There on the table was what appeared to be a small shallow bowl. It was about the size of her hand. It had hardly any depth to it and a gentle and slight slope to the sides. It was no more than an inch high on the sides. It wasn't a plate but not any kind of regular bowl due to its shallowness. Willow had no idea what kind of wood it was made out of. It almost seemed too delicate to be wood. Its color was not of regular wood. She decided it had to have been stained but with what she didn't know. The companion piece sitting in the bowl was just as captivating. It was approximately six inches long and two inches wide. It had smoothed edges and a slight bend at one end, just enough to notice. The coloring was the same as its companion. It wasn't a knife or stirrer, that wouldn't make sense with the bowl. Because of the culture of the person who created it, Willow thought that maybe it had a spiritual purpose. She conjured up a medicine woman grinding herbs for a healing potion. Willow stared at the items for several minutes. She picked them up and examined them, saw no price, then placed them back on the table. She gave one last look and then moved to the next vendor.

What Willow didn't know was that Kennedy saw the witch at the table. The slayer had seen enough to realize that the redhead had found something she really liked. Kennedy watched as Willow eventually put the objects down and moved on. "She never buys anything for herself," the brunette mumbled. To Kennedy, it was one of the witch's sweetest and most annoying traits.

After leaving the wood carver's table, Kennedy saw the redhead get consumed by a vender selling books. 'She'll be at that place for a while,' the slayer thought. Books were to Willow what catnip was to kittens. Then the brunette got an idea.

"Excuse me sir, can you tell me how much this is?" Kennedy was holding the bowl and spreader in her hand. Making sure the witch didn't see her, the slayer had gone to the table to buy the items.

The man took them from Kennedy and looked underneath. "There's no price," she said to him, "that's why I'm asking."

"Uh…umm…" The man at the table didn't know what to say. He wasn't the artist who made the sculptures and pieces. He was the tomato vendor behind the woman who did. She had gone to get lunch and asked him to watch her booth. He didn't want her to lose a sale so he searched for something about as small and looked at its price. "Seventy-five dollars," he quoted.

"Seventy-fi…" the brunette started to say surprised. Then she stopped. This was for Willow and it was handmade. She didn't know if she was getting the 'screw the tourist' price or not. She dug out her wallet from her back pocket and handed the man four twenties. She took her change and then the pieces wrapped in tissue and placed in a bag. "Thank you," she said unconvincingly.

Kennedy caught up to Willow and when asked about the bag, she lied and said it was buffalo jerky. Willow gave her a sour face. "You bought more?" The slayer replied, "What?…It's in case I get the munchies…The other ones won't last long." Willow shook her head and walked on.

The couple finished their outing at the Kingman open market. They didn't see any televisions nor did they pay any attention to other people's conversations. They never saw the police cars at St. Thomas Church at the other end of town. They were oblivious to the fact that the town was in the middle of the worst tragedy it had ever known. Willow and Kennedy were just passing through. The last thing on their mind was learning about the woe of that little city.

The couple returned to their rental. The souvenirs bought were placed in the trunk. Willow got in the passenger seat and Kennedy in the driver's side. Willow noticed that she still had a bag with her.

"No…not this one." Kennedy smiled as she handed it to her witch. "This is for you."

Willow took the bag with a confused expression. She had not seen the brunette buy anything without her being there. The redhead opened the package and then the tissue. Her face lit up.

"Oh, baby, I can't believe you bought this…How did you kno…When did you see…" Willow didn't think Kennedy had seen her looking at the objects.

"I saw you staring at this…I could tell you really liked it…and I knew you'd never buy it for yourself…so I did…for you…because you deserve to have whatever you want."

The redhead let out a small squeal and then quickly leaned over and took the slayer in a hug. "Ken, thank you…you are the best…I really did like this."

The embrace ended and the slayer looked at the objects. "I could tell you liked it…but what the hell are they?"

Willow moved her hand around to get a view from all sides. "I'm not sure, but maybe a dish for grinding herbs or powders or stuff."

Kennedy shook her head. "You mean I just bought you a mortar and pestle?…Hah, and there I was thinking that it had to be some magickal bowl or something if it had you that interested."

Willow shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry, baby, I just thought it was pretty." They both laughed.

Willow put the tissue back around the items and placed them in her shoulder bag that was at her feet. "Speaking of presents…" The redhead said as she pulled a bracelet out of her bag. "While you stopped to eat that fourth taco, I went back to that table that had the Zuni Indian jewelry. I got you this."

The witch handed the slayer a fetish bracelet. It was made of small, white elongated stone with occasional turquoise beads. In four spots on the bracelet were animal fetishes as part of the bracelet itself. Each fetish was made of a different stone.

"The guy made this while I waited…There's a bear fetish for strength, a dog for loyalty, lion for leadership and the dear is for gentleness…Everything you are, baby."

Kennedy took the bracelet and put it on. The colors of the stones were accentuated by the honey tone of her skin. The slayer turned her wrist a few times then leaned over and gave Willow a kiss. "I love it…It's so me," she said with mock pride.

"Well, this was fun…What's next?" Willow really was having a wonderful time and wanted it to continue.

"How's about we get to Flagstaff, drop off the manuscripts and then give that town a run for its money?"

The witch and slayer headed east out of Kingman on Interstate Highway 40. Little did they know, they'd never make it to Flagstaff.

"Whattaya planning to do today?" Xander asked his wife as he ate his morning ritual bowl of Wheaties.

"I was thinking of going to the park or the children's museum. Why, you jealous?" Jessie was making waffles for the children who were in the living room watching the animated children's show 'The Backyardigans'.

"You think I'd rather go out in the nice weather on a Friday with you guys having a blast instead of being around a bunch of smelly construction workers?"

Just then, Samantha came in the room and went up to Jessie, saying nothing, only looking up at the woman.

"O-oh…Ok, Sam. I'll help you right now. Come on, let's go." As she left with the girl, Jessica mouthed "bathroom" to Xander. The Scooby heard his wife as they walked down the hall. "That was good that you asked…The boys must have taken the toilet paper."

Xander chuckled with his wife's comment. He thought about what it was like having a little girl in the house. It was only Friday morning and Samantha had been there technically only one day, but her affect was felt. She was a sharp contrast to his Nate and Joey. The girl was quiet and sweet. She was already reading and easily occupied herself with the books her mothers left with her. Samantha did spend most of her time playing with Xander's boys, but she wasn't the hell raisers they were. She didn't break things just to see inside.

One thing both Xander and Jessie noticed was that Sam was perceptive. She was thoughtful and had a sense about the people around her. The previous day, she went to the fridge and got Xander a soda. The man had been home from work for a while and sat down to relax. As soon as he did, he realized he was thirsty and wanted something to quench his thirst. Moments later, Samantha came walking in the room and handed him the soda can.

"That's weird, because she kinda did the same thing to me." Jessie told Xander that as she was putting Samantha to bed, the girl told her not to worry. When questioned about what she meant Samantha said, "Everything's gonna be ok." What flustered Jessie was that she was wondering if she'd be able to take care of the girl to the witch's and slayer's satisfaction.

Xander studied his wife's expression. "Xan, it was like she knew what I was thinking."

"She is one perceptive kid…Maybe too perceptive?" Xander got a thought. "You think she could be a witch?…or have some super power?"

The two had gone to bed that night wondering if they had in their midst another extraordinary woman in the making.

Jessie came back with Samantha from the bathroom. "You better tell your boys to stop hiding the toilet paper…it stopped being funny about the tenth time they did it."

When Jessie finished talking, Sammie looked up to her again and politely asked, "Can I go play with Nate and Joey now?"

"Of course, Sweety." Jessie watched as the toddler skipped out of the room. She turned to Xander who had finished his cereal and was now getting ready to leave for work. "That child is so precious…I still can't believe that that Cam witch said she was gonna hurt that child."

Picking up his briefcase, Xander replied, "Kennedy woulda killed her, then Willow woulda resurrected her and killed her again…That skank was lucky she died when she did." The mention of Camilia Horn always made Xander's blood boil. He saw what she did to his gentle Willow. "We don't have to worry about stuff like that. Sam's safe here…no crazy ass witches in this town…She gets to have a few fun days with her buds."

Xander went over and kissed his wife and started for the door when the phone rang. He answered it. It was Buffy.

"Yeah…ok…we'll be here. See you at three." He hung up the phone. Jessie's expression didn't need words. Xander turned and faced her. Plainly, "Buffy said trouble's brewing…Her and Jimmy are coming over at three to tell us what's going on."

The both stared at each other, speechless. Xander left for work. He knew it was going to be a long day.

Later that afternoon, Buffy and Jimmy were talking with Xander and Jessica in the couple's kitchen. They'd been discussing matters for about fifteen minutes.

"So who the hell are these demons?" Xander hadn't separated his family life from the Scoobies completely. However, he did keep their involvement to a minimum. He was usually only told of matters that had a direct impact on his family. The older he got, the older his children got, the more Xander disliked getting that "we gotta talk" call from Buffy. A part of him wanted nothing more than to be a regular guy, husband and dad. Then he would remember his devotion to his friends and know that the Scoobies and all that came with it would always be a part of his life.

"We don't know yet, unfortunately. We only know some thing or things are in town." Buffy told the other couple how the Council's snitches had been hearing some talk among demons. "They're new in town and keeping very low key."

Jimmy continued. "We don't know who the demons are yet, but we do know they've been asking about Slayer Central and about the slayers in general…There is something definitely in the works."

Buffy nodded. "We know but the scoop is that whoever these boobs are they're asking questions about the Scoobies too…And that includes you my friends."

Xander and Jessie both took in a deep breath. They could feel their life being driven off course.

"Listen, there's probably nothing to get your panties in a bunch about…but we want to be on the safe side…So until we find out who these demons are, we all need to stay close and keep in touch with each other."

Jessie shook her head. "Kennedy and Willow are going to freak when they find out about this."

"We don't say a thing to them," Xander said quickly. "Like Buff said, this may be nothing. I don't want to send them packing their bags to come home for some false alarm…Besides we can handle this if it is something…There's a bunch of slayers here just dying to put a good ass whooping on some squirrelly undead."

It was decided that, for now, they would let Willow and Kennedy enjoy their time alone and be spared the latest 'issue.'

As Buffy and Jimmy left, Xander looked at the blonde slayer. "Why did we move to a hellmouth?…The only difference between here and Sunnydale is the weather…This demon stuff is getting old, Buffster."

Nodding, the slayer agreed. "SSDD, my friend…At least Wils and Ken are having fun."

The long, black coat rested across the back of the old metal chair. Lying on top, neatly folded was a black hood. The rest of the room was in the same condition as the chair, dilapidated and worn out. There was grime an inch thick on the file cabinets that hadn't been used for years and the desk likewise abandoned. The window had long been boarded up to hide the pane of glass broken by a youngster's thrown rock. The room had that musty smell reserved for attics which hadn't seen the light of day for generations. The air was thick with dust and other impurities unbreathable for long by the average person. But the figure standing in the middle of the room was no average human. He was not human at all.

Seraph, one of the names by which the man was known, had been in the office of the abandoned gas station at the edge of Kingman since late the previous night. He went there after his killing spree at St. Thomas. The dilapidated building wasn't picked out randomly. The man chose the place before he ever went to the church to retrieve his 'belongings' from the nun. He'd followed her from New Mexico. Seraph was so certain last night would be the end of his journey, the one that had lasted an eternity. He went to the church himself, without aid of his minions, believing he would be able to kill the protector of the grail he sought as he took them from her. But he was wrong. This error caused him to be in the state he was now.

The man in the room was the antithesis of the maniacal creature that had sliced open the priest's throat. Standing alone now, he was weak and fragile, barely enough strength to keep himself upright. His attack at the church had caused more seeping of his power than he anticipated. Seraph realized his time was truly becoming thin.

Seraph knew his condition. He had lived with its worsening effects for thousands of years. There was a time during his crusade when an attack, such as against the priest, would have done little to him. A few moments and he would be ready to torment information from a terrified soul. Not any longer. Time had slowed and weakened him. Sometimes it took hours to recoil where once it took but seconds. That's why his drive to find his grail, that which was a part of him, had become more intense and urgent. Seraph knew that his sand was running out of its hour glass. "Even eternity comes to an end," he muttered to himself.

The creature stood in the room unable to see the bright sun and cloudless sky outside the four shabby walls. He could have had he had the desire. For the figure was no creature of the night; vampires were so vulgar to him. Seraph was something much, much worse. His face showed his struggles. It was no longer lean and rugged like it had once been. His body was gangly and his muscles sinewy. His eyes, no longer the black sinister orbs that frightened the priest, were a nondescript blood shot brown. The eyes were another sign that he was reaching his end. The power that he used to carry in those vessels was also draining more rapidly. He was only able to sustain his will for a few hours instead of weeks like in earlier times. His capacity to 'feel' that which he sought was harder now. The 'sense' the figure got of the items now was akin to seeing through a dark veil. Sometimes he lost track of them altogether even when they were outside the protection of the Vestatu. That one lasting trait of himself in his greatness was the man's only comfort. He still had a connection to that which had been taken from him. Though it too was growing weaker like the dying of a candle's flame, at the moment he could still feel their presence.

"I must get them back," Seraph sputtered as he ran his hand across his bald head. From front to back it went, soothing the ache that came from inside. As the hand moved, fingers gently glided over the piece of ancient metal fused on the back of his skull.

Knowing that he could not waste more time, Seraph decided to try once again to track the whereabouts of his precious articles. He had tried twice since his arrival at the gas station. He had twice failed.

The man concentrated and attempted to shut out the pounding in his head and chest. His only hope was that whoever had his grail didn't know their significance and hadn't taken them out of his 'sight.'

Seraph searched the land in his mind. He could feel himself grow weaker but he did not give up. Finally, when he thought that all was lost, he sensed them. "They're still free." The man sighed relief. He concentrated some more and got the hazy picture of a car, with two women, "…They're driving to Flagstaff." He could see road signs and knew the women were nearing Ash Fork about forty-five minutes west of Flagstaff.

Seraph realized that he could do nothing to retrieve the articles. He had lost the ability to travel time and space when his grail was taken from him. Though he could still be a harrowing and overpowering enemy to encounter when primed with energy, he was doomed to a mortal's mode of transportation. His pursuit of Sister Sarah was done by Range Rover. He knew, being in Kingman, he could not capture the vehicle that had his future resting somewhere inside.

Seraph had no choice. He had to engage others to his bidding. The man went over to his coat and took out a cell phone from one of its pockets. He was dejected by the fact that he could no longer 'contact' his underlings. Only death came to him through thought and feeling. For the kind of communication now necessary, he was forced to use mortal means. He did find amusement in the ability of the supernatural to adapt to the ways of modern technology.

He struck several numbers. On the first ring, it was answered. There was silence on the other end of the line.

"Ash Fork…red Mustang…two women…coming east on 40." The words were direct and monotone.

Seraph closed his eyes. He took pride in the fact that he still had his legions, both in the mortal and immortal worlds. He was able to hide his weaknesses from others. One foot soldier of a group once questioned his use of twentieth century mortal ways in his quest. "To know your enemy you must walk in his shoes." The soldier was given the crumb of knowledge just seconds before he was beheaded in front of the others. Seraph's actions were never questioned again. Noone knew that he was on the verge, literally within days, of losing it all.

The figure walked to the chair and sat down. He would rest and wait for the call. He didn't like having to leave this monumental endeavor to his underlings, but this time he could do nothing else. He just had to wait until his life was brought back to him.

It was almost 3:30pm and Willow and Kennedy were having a relaxing time. They had left Kingman and were traveling to Flagstaff. The plan was to drop off the manuscripts, say hello to the people Giles told them to say hi to and then head to the Haulapai Reservation to settle into their cabin near the place of Willow's retreat. They were hoping to have time to see some of the Grand Canyon or at least take a quick "roll in the hay." Their attitudes were like when they were first together. Everything seemed to go better with a little sex added in.

The drive to Flagstaff had been much like the earlier part. They talked about the view, the good time in Vegas and what they hoped the rest of the vacation would bring. They discussed Samantha and how smart and advanced she was getting. The women talked about a lot of things. There were times when they just enjoyed the silence of each other's company and the gorgeous June Arizona day.

"Hey look, Kenn, two miles to Ash Fork." Willow read the road sign as they went by and then looked at the map on her lap. "We're about forty minutes from Flagstaff."

Kennedy loved the excited tone in her redhead's voice. She'd heard a lot of that whimsical, carefree quality in the witch's words since their arrival in Vegas. The vacation was turning out exactly as Kennedy had planned. She and Willow were able to spend real quality time together and get back to that part of their relationship that, due to responsibilities to their daughter, often times got less attention than it deserved.

"I wonder if there's a good diner in Ash Fork." The grumbling in the slayer's stomach had given her comment on eating emphasis.

Willow looked at her amazed. "You're hungry again?…We just had…" Willow didn't finish the sentence because Kennedy shouted "Oh, Shit!" The witch was jerked to the right when the car suddenly veered.

"What the heck happened?" questioned the redhead as she took a quick glimpse out the back window. She saw something that didn't quite look like a man in the road. "Kennedy?" the witch asked with a tone of fright in her voice.

Kennedy was visibly upset and was staring in the rear view mirror. "Was that a demon?…Doesn't anybody in this frickin' state know how to cross a road!…What the hell was that thing doing jumping out in the middle of the highway?"

What they saw next was just as unnerving. There was a black car with dark tinted windows barreling around traffic and coming straight at them. Kennedy kept steady on the gas. Both she and Willow were barraged with confusion from the quick and strange series of events unfolding.

"Oh, great!…Now I gotta deal with NASCAR Bubba behind us…What bug is up that fool's ass?…Jesus, he must be really late for something." Kennedy assumed the car would go around her also. But it didn't. Instead, it got inches away from her back bumper. Kennedy kept switching from looking in the rear view mirror to straight ahead.

"Kennedy!…What is happening?" The event reminded Willow momentarily of when she went 'dark' after Tara's death and did the same to Xander and Buffy…except with an eighteen wheel rig.

"Will, I have no idea what this guy is doing…" Kennedy said as she cut the wheel and drove off the Ash Fork exit ramp. "…But I'm going find out right now."

The slayer drove the vehicle to the end of the ramp. She started to slow. Her plan was to stop and use a little slayer 'persuasion' to get the driver to leave them alone. She was still trying to make sense of the near demon head-on moments before on the highway. When she got near the end, three cars one after the other turned up the exit from the street below and headed the wrong way up the exit road directly at her and Willow.

"Oh, fuck!" the slayer shouted. "Hold on Will!" she commanded as she drove the car onto the shoulder of the exit road. Kennedy sped the rental past the oncoming traffic, weaving in between two and barely missing the last. She kept driving. Willow looked out the back window and saw the first car behind them and the other three make u-turns and come after them too.

Nervously, "They're all still back there, Sweety." The witch thought fast and within a few seconds the hood of the first car flew open and the car veered out of control and skidded off the road into a tree. A few seconds after that, the second vehicle in line blew out a tire and also drove off the road landing on its side in a ditch. Willow smiled until the third car got closer.

"That's it!…Demons are one thing, but shit ass drivers get no mercy…We're ending this now!" Kennedy made a hard left turn down a side road. She drove as fast as she could, scanning the area ahead to see if she could stop the car. The slayer didn't know what was happening, but she was ready to do a little personal intervention. She couldn't believe they were being chased. "If this is some gang initiation, I'm gonna punk their asses."

There was finally a clear spot about two hundred yards in front of them. When she got close, Kennedy hit the brake and the car came to a screeching halt. She jumped out of the car and ran to the middle of the road glaring at the two cars barreling towards her. The slayer heard the sound of their brakes locking and the cars sliding to a grinding stop ten feet before her.

The brunette started to run to the side of the closest car but stopped when the door opened and a hideous looking man-like creature got out. Soon, the passenger door opened along with the front doors of the second car. Out of each came similar looking beasts. There were four in total. Each looked like the 'thing' that Kennedy had almost hit on the highway.

"Guess this is no initiation prank." Then Kennedy turned her head to look at Willow. "You think we'd be able to go on one little demon-free vacation…but nooo."

The brunette turned back to see her combatants. "So, any of you know a good place to eat around here?"

"Guess not," the slayer chided as she took Willow and ran to their car. She pushed the witch behind the vehicle. "Stay here, and when you get a clean shot, hit 'em with everything you got…see if that kills the fuckers."

Kennedy then ran back into the incoming group. She jumped onto the group of them, sending everyone to the side of the road. They were on a deserted one lane street that had no traffic. The fight raged on. Kennedy was able to pick one of them up and she threw it into another that was getting ready to hit her. She noticed that the creatures had long pointy fingernails and thought, 'Note to self-stay away from the nails.' She also noticed that they were fast when going in a straight line but not when they had to move side to side. She used that to her advantage. She kept moving quickly, using her fighting style learned in Brazil as she had since her return from that country.

Willow intently watched the fray, waiting for Kennedy to cause one of the creatures to make a mistake. She didn't want to hurl an energy ball into the area unless she was certain her brunette would not be in its path. She had her arm raised at the ready, waiting like a dutiful soldier until the precise tactical moment. One finally came. The slayer got one of the demons off balance and the brunette hurled it onto the side of the road. It was an open target and the witch sent her best shot.

The little sphere of lightening exploded when it hit its target and the demon was blown into a thousand pieces.

The other creatures were startled and ceased for just a moment to comprehend what happened. A second later and they were on the march against the slayer again.

Kennedy fought with instinct and the usual expertise of a seasoned slayer. Because she didn't know why the creatures were after them, or who they were after for that matter, the brunette purposely kept the battle away from the rental. She didn't want Willow to become involved in the hand to hand combat. Though she knew the girl could fight, the witch hadn't really been in the mix since the episode in New York with the demented one fanged vampire. The slayer knew her witch could assist in bringing down the 'bad guys' just as effectively safely behind their car.

The fight raged on with Kennedy using her best moves to disorient the attackers and get them off balance. She was able to send another away from the main action where the witch once again quickly vaporized it. "Take that you creep," the witch quipped as the burst hit the creature. "Two down, two to go."

The brunette lost her footing on loose gravel and for a second started to fall. That was enough for one of the demons to assert an attack and it jumped on the slayer. They both fell backwards and landed on the ground close to the couple's parked car. The last rushed after them. Within seconds the slayer and demons were in a tangled mass, with arms and legs flailing for dominance. Willow couldn't get a clean shot at either creature. She also couldn't try to send them to another dimension because they were holding onto Kennedy. She wasn't sure if a dimensional shift would take the slayer also. So she did the only thing she could. She ran over to the battling soldiers and hit a demon on its head when it got close to her.

That was enough to distract the monster. Unfortunately, it also brought its attention to the redhead. The thing went to stand up to target Willow but Kennedy grabbed its leg and the creature went face first in the dirt. The brunette kicked the other demon off her and lunged at the one who had just tried to go after her girl. It swung at the slayer, ripping a gash in her forearm. The slayer winced from the blow but charged on. She wrapped her hands around its head and jerked to the right. She heard a cracking noise as its neck snapped in two. Kennedy kept twisting and pulling until the head came off altogether. The slayer was kneeling on the ground holding the hideous body part in her hand. She dropped it when she saw the final demon head for the car.

"Watch out, Will!" she shouted and sprang to her feet. The redhead was unprepared for the last attacker. Her eyes had been glued to the decapitation. When the witch finally heard Kennedy's words and looked, the demon was almost upon her. She tried to ready herself for an assault.

Suddenly, the demon changed directions and headed for the rental. It grabbed the back driver's side door handle. Willow was completely bewildered by the move. However, she didn't hesitate another second and sent a blast at him which killed the thing.

The witch took a second and then ran over to Kennedy who was clutching at her arm. She gently took the slayer's hand and uncovered the wound. "Let me see, baby." She examined the deep cut.

Kennedy knew the witch would be concerned with the cut. "Don't worry, Will…It looks worse than it is." Then to change the subject to a lighter mood, "…And look at you, Miss 'Big Powerful Energy Ball'…You kicked ass!"

Willow wasn't persuaded by her slayer's obvious ploy. "Don't give me that 'It's nothing' story…heard it before…didn't believe it then…don't believe it now. You're really hurt and we don't know if that thing had poison in its nails."

"I'm not hunching over in pain or howling like a werewolf, so it's probably ok."

"Don't joke, Kennedy. I've seen things like this before…It could take a while for it to kick in…Buffy once…" Kennedy started shaking her head and holding up her hand.

"Enough. Don't wanna hear another 'Buffy went through some weird shit' story. If it wasn't the same kind of demon, then it's irrelevant…besides we should get outta here…We'll go over everything later." Kennedy looked at her watch. "Damn, it's getting late…We need to forget about Flagstaff for today."

"What?" the redhead exclaimed. "That's where we were going. We have to drop off the manuscripts."

"We can do it tomorrow. We need to get to the reservation so you can go to your retreat."

Shaking her head, Willow replied, "They're expecting us today, Kenn. We can't just not show up."

"We'll call and tell them we can't make it…We can say we had car trouble or whatever until we figure out what happened here."

Willow tried to dissuade her slayer but Kennedy was adamant. "No, Giles said the manuscripts aren't any big deal…There's no deadline…You're not missing your retreat. This is your vacation and you are going to do everything you came here to do." The brunette wasn't about to let a run-in with a few demons keep Willow from having a great weekend. This above all else was her goal.

Finally, Willow assented. "But we'll call them right away and let them know we'll be there in the morning." That was agreeable to the brunette.

They walked over to the rented vehicle. It had a dented back bumper and broken tail light. "Crap!" the slayer muttered.

Willow shook her head and laughed as she got into the front passenger seat. The slayer stared at her as she got in on her side. "What?…It's usually a big, fat rip off…like the prizes in a Cracker Jacks box."

Kennedy started the car and the women figured out where they were. While the brunette got them back to the highway, Willow tended to Kennedy's arm. She noticed that it was already starting to close. 'The miracle of slayer healing…It's a wonderful thing,' she though to herself.

The couple finally got back to Interstate 40, this time going west. They were heading for the Hualapia Indian Reservation which was north of Peach Fork on the famous Route 66. Their final destination was a remote part of the Tribe's land sitting on the south rim of the Grand Canyon. There they hoped to rest and decipher their latest episode before Willow's first experience with the "convergence."

"Oh my God, how do you put up with this?" Buffy said to Xander with a frazzled and almost frightened look on her face.

The "this" to which Xander referred was a Friday night dinner outing at Chuck E. Cheese. Buffy and Jimmy were with Xander, Jessie and the three kids at the "child friendly" pizza establishment.

"Geez, I've seen vamps that were less scary than some of these kids." Buffy could not believe the mayhem that was being exhibited before her eyes. There were children screaming and playing and running around. "This is the ultimate birth control," she joked to Jimmy. The man stared back at her likewise shocked by the scene and agreed with a nod.

"Wait til you have kids of your own…You hardly notice it after a while." Jessie sounded so nonchalant.

"Yeah, kids suck all the sensory perception out of your brain," Xander added only half joking.

After the meeting they'd had earlier, the adults decided to stay together and go out to dinner. The Harris' told their single friends that they needed to go somewhere to eat that wasn't too nice. "Nate's in the stage where he wants to empty every salt and pepper shaker and Joey won't stop trying to eat stuff off the floor…They're not civilized enough yet to go to a real restaurant." Hence the decision of Chuck E. Cheese.

After everyone's belly was full, it was decided that they call it a night. Buffy said she'd call Xander as soon as she found out any news about the new evil in town. Jimmy insisted on paying for dinner, so the Harris clan, which included Samantha, headed for their SUV while Jimmy and Buffy paid the bill.

As they walked the back parking lot to their vehicle, Jessie had to tell her boys twice to stop spitting on the ground. Each time she did, she then looked down at Sammi who was holding her hand. The little girl was being quiet and calm. Jessie didn't know if the child was really that perfect or just a bit melancholy because she was without her mothers. She knew this was the first real time away from them for her. Sam caught Jessie looking at her. The woman smiled.

Jessie smiled at the tolerant nature of the girl already. 'Will and Kenn are certainly doing something right,' she thought.

Xander's SUV was in the last row of the parking lot behind the restaurant. It was three down from Jimmy's car. Only several other cars were near them. There was a line of trees at the edge of the asphalt and only one overhead security light at the corner of the lot. In the area of Xander's car there hardly any light. The family walked into the semi darkness, that area being much darker because of the trees than the dusk exposure to the other parts of the lot.

Then Xander heard a noise, a rustling sort of sound. It was the sound he'd heard before, many times before, in Sunnydale. He instantly got on guard. "Jessie, get the kids close…Don't move." He quickly went over to Joey who was walking ahead and grabbed him in his arms. "Come on, little man, we're going over here." He put the child down by his mother. Staring seriously at his wife, he firmly but in a calm tone said, "Take the kids back to the restaurant and get Buffy." When Jessie began to question him, Xander sternly added, "Just do it, now."

Jessie knew something was wrong and trusted that Xander had a grasp on the situation. She tried to act cheery when she told the kids to follow her.

They hadn't taken more than five steps when a sinister voice came from behind the trees. "No move."

Jessie stopped instantly as did the children. She turned around while telling the kids to stand still. What she saw stunned her.

Stepping out from behind the row of trees were five hideous looking creatures. They were short and squatty, with greenish skin. There arms were long and thin but the hands were oversized. They had three claw-like fingers. Their legs and feet were much the same.

Xander looked disgustingly at the things. "How can you guys look so gross and yet speak English?" The one thing that never left the Scooby, even when he was worried or scared, was his sense of sarcasm.

The middle one, the one that had spoken originally, wasn't amused. It advanced slowly on Xander. It scanned the group. "Where?…Where is chosen one?"

Although he was shaking inside, Xander knew he had to try to stall until Buffy and Jimmy got there.

"Sorry, don't know that one…I know 'Where's the beef?'…or 'Where oh where has my little dog gone?'"

The creatures screeched and attacked. Jessie and the kids screamed and started running back to the building. Xander also screamed and ran towards Buffy's car. Jessie and the children had gotten about fifty feet closer to the restaurant when they saw Buffy and Jimmy round the building's corner.

Buffy and Jimmy reacted. "Make sure the kids are ok and I'll get to Xander," Buffy ordered. She ran toward the noise and action while Jimmy headed to the children and Jessie to get them to a safe place. He knew he had to do that before he could go and assist Buffy.

The blonde slayer quickly caught up with the monsters chasing Xander. Buffy had to admit, Xander was very adept at running away from things. He was fending off the creatures by keeping Buffy's car between them and him. It was an almost bizarre game of keep away.

Buffy didn't hesitate. She ran up to one creature and kicked it to the ground. She grabbed another and tossed it in the air about ten yards. It landed on its head with a big "thud!" She pulled a spike out of her boot and plunged it into the neck of a third one. The first creature had regained its senses and was already standing back up.

"You demons just never learn to stay down…Don't they teach you anything in ugly demon school?" The slayer went after it again.

Xander, by this time, had gotten some of his nerve back. He ran up behind one of the creatures and punched him in the head. "Y-y-o-o-w-w-!…That hurt! " he said as he held his fist. The creature's head was as hard as a bowling ball. "Take this them." Xander lunged at the thing and tripped it. He then ran behind the car again. "This one's ready, Buff."

The slayer had just finished killing a third demon, a nice breaking of the neck followed by gouging of the eyes. She heard Xander's statement and went off and finished number four by shoving her stake through its face. "Found this works from killing the one over there," she jibed to Xander.

Buffy quickly got up and looked for the fifth creature. It was nowhere to be found. "That's right, "she shouted, "run like a little girl," she said into the darkening night. She and Xander scanned the area. At the spots where the dead creatures had been were only puddles of green ooze, like a thick anti-freeze.

"This is another reason to hate Chuck E.Cheese…I've never run into demons at Olive Garden." Buffy heard some footsteps and turned to see Jimmy coming. "Sorry, honey, show's over…and by the way…we're never coming here again."

Xander took the time to make sure the kids were fine and not upset about what happened. He tried to cajole them by saying that there had been several "little people" who were just playing a prank. It didn't take much convincing. Xander also told Buffy and Jimmy what the creature had said. Soon everyone was ready to leave again.

They walked over to their respective vehicles and Buffy and Jimmy said goodbye and told Xander and Jessie she'd call in the morning. "We'll talk about this some more." They watched the SUV leave the parking lot. As Jimmy drove away, Buffy looked out the front window and said plainly, "I think we've found our demon problem."

Xander and the rest couldn't have been home more than fifteen minutes when they got a call. Jessie glanced at the caller ID. "It's Willow," she said nervously and picked up the phone.

"Oh, she's a doll…We just got back from dinner…" Xander shot her a stare. Jessie stuttered a bit. "H-how's the vacation going?…having fun?"

Willow and Jessie continued to talk. Neither side of the conversation sounded worried or concerned. Jessie didn't want Kennedy and Willow to worry about something that they weren't even sure what it was. The couple had been through so much and they deserved a few days without any distress. Jessica knew that Buffy and the rest would be able to find out what was going on and take care of it. This wasn't the first time that they'd come close to evil. She didn't want to the two women to think that they couldn't trust her and Xander to care for Samantha.

After Jessie was done, Xander talked to Willow for a few minutes. He sounded cheerful just like Jessie. He portrayed the time with Samantha so far as nothing but fun, fun and more fun.

Once he was done, he let Samantha talk to her two mothers. He and Jessie held their breath while they listened to the little girl. Luckily, she never said a thing about the "pranksters." After a few minutes, Sam said goodbye and handed the phone back to Xander.

The two talked some more and then, "…You guys take care…and don't worry about Samantha…She's having a blast with Nate and Joey…We'll talk to you in the morning." Xander hung up the phone.

"Willow sounded so upbeat…It woulda been a shame to tell her…especially since we don't even know what the things were…They really must be having a wonderful time." Jessie, though hesitant at first about not saying a word concerning the evening's event, was now glad she didn't.

"I know…Will said they're going to Flagstaff tomorrow…They got behind sightseeing today." Then the man thought. "Right, I bet you they were taking advantage of not having a kid around."

Jessie rolled her eyes. "You and sex…You know, I'm sure Willow and Kennedy have plenty to do besides that."

"I'm glad she's being good for you…She actually can be quite the stubborn girl when she wants to be…Gets that from Kennedy of course." Willow was talking to Xander on the phone. It had been only a couple hours since their roadway attack.

"Of course she does…" Xander laughed into the phone receiver, "…because you've never been stubborn in your whole life. Listen, I'm just glad you guys are having so much fun. You deserve it. Well, I should let you go since you've got your witchy meeting tonight…You guys take care…and don't worry about Samantha…She's having a blast with Nate and Joey…We'll talk to you in the morning." Willow said goodbye, heard the line go dead and then closed her cell phone.

"So?…Did he suspect anything?…You sounded normal to me." Kennedy was concerned that Xander or Jessie might have caught a slight worry in Willow's voice.

"No, he didn't say anything. In fact, he said he was glad that we were having such a good time." The witch shook her head knowing that the truth was somewhat different.

"It sounds like Sammi's having the time of her life…I could hear the boys yelling in the background when I was talking to her." Kennedy smiled knowing that her daughter was enjoying the company of her friends.

"I know…At least we don't have to worry about demons with her…Can you imagine if she was here today? I am so grateful she's with Uncle Xandy." Willow sighed in relief. Kennedy nodded in agreement.

After the demon attack outside Ash Fork, Kennedy and Willow drove to their intended final destination. The Hualapai Indian Reservation was where the "convergence" was taking place. More specifically, Kennedy and Willow were going to stay in a cabin in a remote part of the tribal land sitting practically on the edge of the Grand Canyon.

As they drove down Route 66 toward Peach Springs, where the entrance road to reservation was, Willow called Giles' contact in Flagstaff to tell them they wouldn't be able to deliver the transcripts until the next day. She told them that they'd had car trouble but would definitely be there tomorrow. Kennedy had requested that she "fib" as to the reason for the delay. "Will, Giles really didn't want to have us do this to begin with because he thinks we've been under so much strain lately…I don't want him to think that a little demon problem side tracked us this much…He'll think that I can't get the job done."

Willow knew how proud the brunette was when it came to her slayer obligations. Kennedy hated failure or anything which resembled it. The witch knew that Giles had wanted the couple to take time off to 'decompress' and get a new and fresh perspective. Letting Giles believe he shouldn't have given the assignment to Kennedy was a fact that the brunette didn't want to accept. "We had a little glitch is all…Nobody, especially Giles, needs to know." In the end, Willow agreed that the demon incident would be kept between the two.

As they drove they discussed the attack. "You know, it could just be a random gang of demons…That happens," Kennedy stated. "It's not like this hasn't happened to slayers before."

The witch agreed that that was one possibility. "The strange thing though is that last demon…before I blasted it…I don't think it was coming after me…it went for the car." Willow's tone was mixed with confusion.

"I'm being serious…If it's your run of the mill 'Ooo, I'm a demon and I'm gonna rip your head off and eat your eyeballs', why didn't it come after me?…It had the perfect opportunity."

The slayer thought about what the witch said. It made sense. The demon could have gotten to the redhead. 'Why didn't it?' thought the brunette. Then an idea came to her. "Maybe it 'was' after something…maybe the manuscripts?"

"But Giles said there wasn't anything dangerous about them." Willow was certain that if there had been any chance of danger the watcher would have told them about it.

Willow contemplated the suggestion. It made sense. "I guess that's always a possibility. It does fit in with what the last demon did."

Willow gave her a disgusted look. "If that's what it was, I shoulda let it take the stuff."

That comment was met with a pout from the slayer. "You don't know how good it is unless you try it." They both laughed. "It was probably just a one shot deal…But whether it was a freelance attack or some group after the papers, we'll be over it tomorrow…We'll let 'em know at Flagstaff so they can be on the look out…Hell, they may be able to tell us if it was a rogue bunch of uglies."

The topic of the attackers was finished and the couple went on to talk about the evening's event. The meeting was to start at nine. It was to take place within walking distance from the women's cabin. Willow told Kennedy that she would walk to it so that the slayer could relax. Kennedy said no. "Just to be on the safe side, I'll walk with you and then I'll come back when it's done and walk you back to the cabin." The redhead knew that it wasn't even worth trying to argue with the slayer that she didn't need a chaperone. A little bit of her was glad that the brunette was so protective.

Before they knew it, the witch and slayer were driving through Peach Springs. They followed the directions they were given and soon found the remote and obscure road leading to their weekend residence. They were told ahead of time which cabin they'd been assigned and how to get there. There was no "checking in." The plan was for all the retreat members to appear at the convergence location at 9pm sharp that Friday.

Kennedy drove along a winding path, around tall pine and birch trees. It was starting to get dark but they could still see the palette of colors from the setting sun. There was a big streak of pink and yellow streaming across the sky, like a water color stroke. It was accentuated by the crisp dark lines of the tree tops poking their tips up toward the heavens. That simple view of an Arizona sky was awe inspiring. The women stayed silent as they drove their way through the snaked road until they saw a small cabin ahead.

"This must be it," the slayer directed as she drove the car next to the building and stopped the vehicle.

They looked around for a second then at each other. "Let's settle in." Kennedy could hear the excitement in Willow's voice.

The women unloaded the car, and in two trips, had their belongings in the cabin. The suitcases were placed on the bed in the separate bedroom. The manuscripts had been packed in one of the suitcases before they left Vegas. As Willow put her suitcase down, she also placed her shoulder bag on the chair in that room. Before she left she took out the items Kennedy bought her at the market that morning. She held them in her hand, softly smiling at the sweetness of her girl. The texture of the material intrigued her. It was nothing she'd ever seen before. She could only assume it was some sort of rare wood. She then replaced the items back in her shoulder bag and headed to the other room. The souvenir bags were left out in the main room, a combination kitchen, living room. There was a bathroom next to the bedroom.

"Wow, this is really nice," the redhead said impressed as she scanned the place. The cabin was simple but not rustic. It had running water, electricity and almost new appliances. There was a couch, rocking chairs and tables with lamps. The place had no phone or television. There was a porch in the front and a deck off the bedroom French doors.

Kennedy immediately went to the refrigerator. After opening the door, "Excellent, this thing is stocked…We could eat and drink for a week off of this stuff."

Kennedy looked guilty. "Well, I haven't eaten since the jerky in the car…I am a slayer…We need our nutrition…Besides, I slayed today…Your lucky it's just the hungries I've got…or else you'd never make your party on time." The slayer looked at her witch and raised her eyebrows.

Willow smiled. "Why don't you eat…I need to take a shower and get ready for later…We can put this stuff away when I get back…"

Kennedy already had a handful of grapes in her mouth. "Shoor, Vil…go uhe-d." She swallowed the fruit. "Get all beautiful. And don't worry about the suitcases; I'll take of that while you're at the meeting."

Willow walked over to Kennedy and gave her a light kiss on the lips. "Thanks, baby." The witch then headed for the bathroom.

By the time the slayer heard the blow dryer shut off and the bathroom door open, she had prepared a plate of fruit and cheese for the witch. When she saw Willow all fresh from her shower and wearing a yellow sundress, she pointed to the plate.

"I know you're probably too excited to eat a real meal, but I thought you might at least want to put something in that tummy of yours…There's fresh apricots and grapes and kiwi…and a couple different kinds of cheeses…Want some crackers?"

The redhead was touched by the slayer's gesture. Willow understood that Kennedy was trying to do everything she could to make her less nervous about the evening. And Willow was anxious. The 'retreat' she was attending was not some Wiccan get together or even a coven gathering. It wasn't a well publicized event and there really weren't invitations.

The convergence for which the redhead had flown to Arizona was a sporadically held happening. The planetary alignments dictated where and when it would take place. The only aspect that was constant was that the event occurred over three nights. The meeting was held every few years and this was the first time in over a decade that it was to take place in the United States. The retreat was to start on a Friday night and conclude likewise on Sunday.

Willow never contacted anyone about going; she knew about it through Mishline, her witch friend in Brazil. The redhead suspected that the Brazilian must have contacted someone because she received an unsolicited letter from a woman by the name of Tuzi White Fox briefly mentioning the gathering and stating "All are welcome to participate." Willow knew that wasn't true. Mishline had told her that only an exclusive group of "enhanced" individuals ever got that letter. The witch didn't know who or how many people would be there. The entire event, other than the fact that it was real, was clouded in secrecy. The 'unknown' factor was what made Willow nervous. She knew she was a powerful witch, but this retreat was for such a select few that she wasn't sure if she'd measure up.

After nibbling on some of the food Kennedy put out for her, Willow looked at her watch. "It's after 8:30, maybe we should get going."

Kennedy couldn't help but giggle inside. Willow was punctual enough but put tense on top of that and the witch was downright premature. But the slayer said nothing. If the redhead needed to get to her meeting early to feel better, then the brunette would oblige her.

"Sure, babe. You should get a sweater. It'll be a lot cooler when I come to walk you back."

Willow did as her slayer suggested and soon thereafter were walking down a dirt path. It was already dark out and the slayer brought a flashlight to help them see. The air was getting cooler; the warm Arizona day giving way to the crisp evening breeze. Even though it was early in the evening, the couple could already see multitudes of stars in the sky. The witch and slayer commented on the beauty of the night.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, they saw a flickering light and heard soft voices. A minute or two more and they were at the spot given to them in the directions left in their cabin. Even in the dark, Willow could tell the structure in front of her was a tee pee. Outside of it stood five people, two men and three women. When the smaller of the women saw the couple, she said something to the others and walked in the direction of the witch and slayer.

"I'm Tuzi…the…coordinator, I guess you could say, of our little weekend." Then she looked to the slayer. "And you have to be Kennedy. I'm very pleased to meet you." The brunette shook her hand as she said "Nice to meet you, too."

The couple glanced around and then back at the woman. She was nothing like Willow expected. Because of the exclusivity and high degree of 'enhanced' attainment necessary to be at the meeting, Willow assumed it would be filled with old and wise 'elders' or at the least be run by one. The woman before the redhead looked no older than her early forties. She was a petite woman; the witch figured she didn't even reach five feet tall. She was slim and no mistaking it, she was a Native American. Tuzi had finely sculptured cheek bones and the trade mark dark eyes and long black hair that was braided in a ponytail. She wore blue jeans and an obviously handmade native blouse. On her feet were moccasins and there was silver and turquoise jewelry on her fingers and around her wrists and neck.

The Native could see that Willow and Kennedy were unsure what they were supposed to do. "Don't worry about a thing, Willow…It's the first time for everyone here…They're all a little nervous."

The witch couldn't believe the woman knew what she was thinking. "That's good," the witch said trying to cover up her anxiousness, "I don't feel so goofy now."

Tuzi placed her hand on the redhead's shoulder. "No goofy tonight…only enlightenment…I promise." She led the couple to the front opening of the tee pee as she told them about the event for the evening. "I'm sure you understand in concept what this weekend is about, Willow…but let me put some flesh on that bone." Tuzi proceeded to state that the weekend event was for people, men and women, who had attained a certain level of "awareness" about their supernatural abilities. "Everyone here can do great things…Some are witches, some healers…some psychics." Tuzi then said that as proficient as the individuals were with their special powers and as in control as they were, there was always room for increased knowledge. "I don't mean necessarily knowledge of their trade, but of the universe, themselves and their connection to each." The retreat, the Native told them was to "get you to expand your inner and outer universe…allow a clearer path for connection to other spatial and dimensional worlds."

Willow was floored by the explanation. She didn't imagine that the weekend was going to be such a spiritual endeavor. She couldn't wait to get started. But, she did have one question. "How did you get to be in charge?" It wasn't meant with any disrespect. The witch concluded that Tuzi had to have some very strong credentials to be in charge.

"I have been blessed my whole life with the ability to ease minds into a state of acceptance…Sorta like a hypnotist…but I won't make you cluck like a chicken." She laughed as did the couple.

Tuzi glanced up to the sky. "It's about time we started." She motioned to the opening.

Kennedy shuffled and then speaking to Tuzi, "Ok. This is my exit I guess…I was going to go and then come back to walk Willow to our cabin. What time would be good?"

The slayer shook her head. "No…This is Willow's thing. I don't want to get in her way."

The slayer leaned in and whispered to the witch. "Red, this is for you…I don't want to ruin it for you or crowd in on you…really, it's no big deal to me."

The witch whispered back. "You wouldn't be ruining anything…I'd like you to be here…if you want…I like sharing this part with you."

Kennedy stared at the witch. She understood the redhead's statement. Willow had always tried to make Kennedy feel comfortable with her magick. The redhead knew how, in the beginning, the brunette had been on the hard end of it. Willow liked being able to share with her slayer all the wonderful aspects of her craft.

Kennedy turned to Tuzi. "Looks like I'm staying. I'm no witch or psychic, so I'll just stay in the back and watch."

The Native smiled. "You're a slayer, Kennedy. You have more power than you realize."

There were twenty-four people in the tee pee. The only ones Willow knew were Kennedy and Tuzi. She had no idea who the others were or what their "talents" were. Everyone was seated on mats in a circular configuration on the dirt floor. Kennedy had no luck with sitting out of the way. Tuzi chaperoned her to a spot next to Willow. There was a pit in the middle of the circle with a small fire already burning. The structure itself was right out of a western movie. It was made of long wooden poles with animal hides for its outer skin. The couple glanced around and saw markings and drawings on the inside of the skins. Willow tried to recall if she'd seen any on the outside before they walked in. It was too dark to tell.

Within a few minutes Tuzi started to talk. "Welcome travelers. It is an honor to be in the presence of such power and greatness…" She pivoted and slowly turned on her heel as she continued to talk to the group. "Your names may not be known to the world or even to each other, but make no mistake…you affect the very fabric that covers and protects our humble existence. You are the real trailblazers…the connection to more than what lies before our eyes…You in this room know the true depth of the universe…"

Tuzi went on and told the gatherers that the weekend's purpose was to give the individuals there a clearer view into that universe. It was not for networking or even getting to reach the others in any real way. They were in the tent, seated on the floor to begin a journey of personal inspection. The meetings were to give them even more tools to assist them in reaching their true level of awareness. "This is a personal travel as well as one for the obligation you carry because of your gift."…The Native told them that the weekend was a one time event for them as it had always been for the ones who attended. "Once our time is through, you will have in your heart and soul the lessons and tools necessary to lift your craft higher…if you so choose…Remember, this is merely an open window to what could be…You, and you alone, must decide if you will look out that window and accept the added glory and obligation that comes with it…The road may seem distant and unfocused, but in due time you will come to understand and then you know."

Tuzi White Fox became silent for a few moments. She bowed her head and began to chant. It was a haunting sound as if it came through time from ages long ago. As she continued, the people seated closed their eyes. Noone had to tell them to; it just happened. After a few more minutes of the melodic voice, they too bowed their heads. Willow and Kennedy did as the others did; they were just as much taken by the rhythm. It seemed like the sound from the woman was pulling their bodies into their movements.

The chanting progressed and became even more soothing in tone. The witch and slayer could feel their bodies relaxing as if on instinct. Willow could feel her breathing, the rise and fall of her chest. Before long she could almost feel the air in her lungs moving in, then out. She was becoming one with her self on a physiological level. The witch wasn't sure if she'd ever felt this in tune with her body before.

Kennedy was likewise experiencing a fascinating sensation. The slayer had always, since becoming one of "the chosen," been able to 'feel' her slayer powers. The brunette had a barely noticealble "hum" was the way she explained it to her redhead. She had gotten so used to it being there that she had to consciously think about it to notice it. That hum was now a deliberate noise in her ears. Kennedy finally realized it was the sound of blood rushing through her veins…slayer blood.

The seated members stayed quiet and motionless as the experience began to take hold of them. Tuzi concentrated as she continued her chanting, changing melodies when the time was just. She also started to walk around the visitors, placing her hands over each head as she approached. After three trips around, Tuzi went near the opening of the structure and picked up what looked like a bundle of dried herbs. She never stopped her melody. The woman went into the circle and dipped the tip of the bundle in the fire. The item sparked with fire. Tuzi held the bundle up and said a prayer. When done, the fire on the bundle went out and only smolder remained. The woman held the smoking kindling out in front of her and walked outside the circle of people. She waved the smoke over their heads and in front of them. It mixed and twirled in the air and enveloped each one seated. When she had done that three more times, Tuzi stopped chanting.

She dropped the bundle in the fire and glanced to those lost in their inner selves.

"Know who you are…take the path." The Native closed her eyes and waited. The rest was up to those who sat motionless to accomplish.

Willow and Kennedy walked back to their cabin in silence. They had been walking for about ten minutes. Neither discussed what happened in the tent. It was all too surreal and wonderful to put into words at that time. The "meeting" had ended when everyone 'woke up' seemingly from some sort of a trance. No one spoke, neither to Tuzi or one another. In fact, when they 'came to', the Native was gone. They again instinctively knew to leave and return the next night.

The witch and slayer were in a state of lulled euphoria. As they walked, they held hands and kept close to each other. By the time they got to their cabin, the rapture had taken a more immediate affect. A bronzed hand, which had begun innocently entwined with her redhead's fingers, now was caressing the palm of the witch's hand. As they climbed the few steps to the front door, Willow stopped her slayer and turned her so that their faces were inches apart. The witch said nothing but looked into brown eyes staring back with the same feeling. Willow leaned Kennedy against the door and closed the space between their lips. It was a slow and tender kiss. When finished, the redhead lingered in front of the slayer, their lips barely grazing. Then the witch leaned in again. This kiss was deeper and more sensual, an indication that the spiritual elation had been replaced by a need to share her feelings in a physical form with the slayer.

Kennedy read Willow's action like a blind man's touch to brail. The brunette understood her witch because she was exuding the same desire. The slayer took her witch in her arms, opened the door and carried her over the threshold. Once inside with the door closed, the women carried on their silent seduction. The brunette put the witch down just inside the closed door. It was her turn to lean the redhead against the smooth wood. Kennedy placed her arms on either side of the witch, her hands pressed firmly against the door, locking the witch in her embrace. The slayer lightly grazed her lips along the witch's delicate jaw line, down her neck and across her collarbone as she pushed back the witch's sweater with her cheek. She gently kissed the exposed perfectly freckled shoulder. Then, the slayer retraced her steps. When she reached the redhead's chin, the brunette took her witch into a fervent kiss.

The slayer's arms left their post and wrapped the witch in a close embrace. Kennedy slowly removed the witch's sweater and tossed it on a nearby chair. Then bronzed hands crept up the back of Willow's sun dress and pulled the zipper down. Kennedy took a step back and placed her middle fingers under each shoulder strap of the sun dress. She slowly slid it off the redhead. The slayer followed the clothing as it almost seemed to float to the floor. The witch stepped out of the dress as if on cue. The piece was gently pushed to the side by the brunette. The slayer was on her knees now, engaged in the view of her wife. She slipped the witch out of her sandals. Bronzed hands once more reached for covering, this time the lace panties her witch knew she loved. Those too were slowly stripped from the witch, making its resting place along with the dress and shoes.

Kennedy glided her hands up the smooth legs of her witch. She leaned up on her knees so that her face was almost to its desired glory. She started to kiss her witch's inner thighs as she caressed the redhead's silky hips. The slayer felt the witch shift to allow more contact. The soft moans soon followed.

The desire was building and the slayer couldn't wait any longer. She moved the witch's legs slightly apart and positioned herself between them, her arms on either side of the redhead. She put her hands on the wall for stability and started to stand up, keeping Willow's back against the door as she ascended. When done, Kennedy had Willow facing her, the witch's legs straddling on the brunette's shoulders. The slayer shifted her position so that she had complete access to her most wanted location. A mouth lingered ever so closely and finally gave in to the need. Kennedy used her strength and the angle of the witch to bring the woman to full state of arousal. The more the slayer teased and taunted the more Willow pushed back against the door driving her core further into contact with the brunette's expert mouth. Willow was in heaven.

The witch had long before become accustomed to sex with a slayer. The brunette's strength and other slayer attributes were unlike Willow's magickal powers. Kennedy didn't have the ability to turn hers on or off. She didn't have the choice to use slayer powers or not, unlike the witch. Having the vigor of a slayer was as much a part of Kennedy as her beautiful dark brown eyes.

Because of that, Willow had found ways to indulge the strength and stamina exhibited by her girl. Pacing herself, much like in a marathon race, was a key ingredient. It wasn't that Kennedy insisted or even requested "hours upon hours" of sex. In fact, many times, their love life was no different than other non-endowed couples. But they certainly did have their fair share of encounters that would stand out even by slayer accounts. Their lovemaking tended to be more erotic and less routine because of the slayer's ability. Kennedy was able to physically do things that a normal woman could not. And the slayer took full advantage of that. At first, the brunette's "abilities" surprised Willow. However, the witch soon grew used to them, thankful that they were there, but not taken aback by the slayer's application of them.

This night was one of those times. Kennedy's slayer strength allowed her hold the witch as she did, to bring the redhead to climax five feet off the ground without the least worry on the witch's part of that fact. When the release hit, Willow grabbed onto Kennedy's hair and pushed back against the door, her muscles hitching as the spasms rode through her. Then she slumped forward, arms clutching the brunette's head, her body likewise breathing heavily against the slayer.

Kennedy slowly and carefully lowered the witch down so she was standing, still grasping the slayer around the neck for balance. A few moments more and Willow opened her eyes and gazed at her wife. They had not spoken since they entered the Native's tent hours before. It would be hours still before any words were uttered besides the moans and sounds coexistent with their lovemaking.

Willow took a deep breath and smiled a contented woman. The corners of her mouth turned slightly upward further.

The slayer knew from that devilish smile that her witch was pleased and ready to express in a most physical manner the extent of her happiness. The witch started to lead the slayer backwards to the bedroom, kissing her as she did.

Kennedy, drunk from the intimacy shared with Willow, knew that the night was far from over.

Xander woke from his sleep. He was lying on his left side on his side of the bed as was his usual position. He slowly opened his still groggy eyes. They widened quickly when he saw Samantha standing there, holding a piece of paper and staring at him. He remembered that it was Saturday morning. The man hadn't heard the child come into the bedroom nor did he know how long she'd been examining him. He could tell that Jessica was still asleep. He heard the soft snoring that his wife insisted she did not do.

Samantha fidgeted a bit then held the paper up for Xander to see. "Kamous," she squeaked as she pointed to the picture on the paper.

Xander pressed his eyes closed to get out the remaining remnants of the evening's sleep and took a good look at the picture. Xander's expression went blank. It was a child's rendition of Buffy killing the demons that had attacked them in the Chuck E. Cheese parking lot not twelve hours earlier.

The Scooby instantly turned over and nervously shook his wife. "Jess…You need to wake up."

Within ten minutes, Xander and Jessie were downstairs in the kitchen. Samantha was eating a bowl of cereal. It was early and Jessica could hear Nate and Joey just beginning to wake up.

"Sweety?…Tell Uncle Xander how you drew this." Xander knew the child must have seen the demons but he didn't think she'd gotten such a detailed look.

"With crayons," the child responded half engaged in the discussion, half in seeing if she could get all the red cereal bits on her spoon.

"Does she draw like that with other things?" Jessie was amazed with the artistic perception by the three year old. She couldn't remember if the girl was that talented with regular subjects.

"Wils said she likes crayons and paints…but she never bragged about her being this good." Xander was interested in the picture but more so in something else. He looked at the girl again. "Sam?…What's 'Kamous'?"

Jessie asked the next question. "How do you know that, Sam?…Have your mommies showed you a picture of them before?" Xander gave his wife a look that said 'Why would they do that?' Jessie shrugged her shoulders. She didn't know how the child could have known the demons' name. However, she did know that the witch and slayer had lots of magick books and encyclopedias on the supernatural in their house. She thought it was a possibility that the child by chance saw something during a research episode by her mothers.

"Well, it's all right here. Samantha was right. Those things last night were Kamous demons." Jimmy was speaking while reading an old large manuscript. He was standing in the middle of Slayer Central's library with Buffy, Xander and Jessica sitting in chairs at a long table.

When Xander called Buffy and told her what Samantha had done and said, the blonde slayer told them to bring everyone to Slayer Central. Just after 10am, Buffy and Jimmy met the Harris gang at the door. They took the kids to the "rec room" which had a big flat panel TV, Xbox and a ping pong table. Buffy asked one of the live-in slayers to watch the children while the others discussed the issue at hand.

Xander told Buffy and Jimmy everything Sammi said and showed them the picture. Jimmy immediately began to research while the rest of the adults talked about how this could have happened. They were in the middle of confirming Samantha's artistic talent when Jimmy interrupted with the news about the demons.

Xander responded quickly. "No…we're not asking them a thing. How do we explain that?" Then pretending like he was on a call with the witch, "So having a good time?…Great…By the way, some new demon thugs are in town…and did you know your daughter knows their name?" He shook his head. "No way it works. They'll either freak cuz they think we're putting her in danger…or they'll freak because they think Sam's got some supernatural wigginess going on."

Buffy nodded. "I'm kind of agreeing with Xan. We don't know what we're into here, so before we go all Amber Alert, let's find out." The slayer looked over at Jimmy. "What's the book say about our ugly little friends?"

Buffy's boyfriend walked over and sat in the chair next to the blonde. His eyes scanned the pages as he talked. "It says here the Kamous are a lower level demon type. They've tended to stay low on the demon hierarchy…but they have been known to make sporadic challenges to the power structure. Seems like every couple hundred years, in fact…It says that the Kamous search for…this word here 'chyntio' is hard to translate…umm…I think it means 'a unique one'…you know like someone not like others…powerful or in control."

Xander sat with a confused look. "One of them said 'where is chosen one?'…I thought it meant Buffy…Does that fit?"

Jimmy answered. "Well, the 'chosen one' could be synonymous for the ultimate or a strong power."

Jessie stared at Buffy. "Buff, those things were by your car…Were they after you?…your power?…You said there were some new demons in town asking about slayers…you're still the chosen one…It was just you before Faith and then the others."

"I don't know," the blonde said unconvinced. "They went after you guys, especially you, Xander…They coulda just waited if they were after me." That made everyone think.

"If I can get a better translation to this passage, we might be able to really know who or what those demons were after…Maybe the Kamous don't even know who they're after…That could be why they had to ask."

The meeting brought about more questions than answers. Jimmy was put in charge of doing additional research. Buffy said that she would inform the other slayers in the house about the new demons in town and have them keep a look out. For all she knew, all the slayers were targets.

"If these creepy Martian wannabees are coming after me, then they're in for a real disappointment." Buffy was speaking to Jess and Xander. "I sorry the kids had to get messed up in this." The couple nodded hesitantly.

"What do we do about Sammi?" Jessie asked. In the heat of the discussion about the demons, they had forgotten how they came about the name in the first place.

Jimmy answered. "Samantha's a smart girl, but I don't think she can just 'know' a demon's name. She probably saw it in one of Willow's books…It's not a very rare demon. There's probably information on it in lots of books." The watcher was trying to be the analytical one in the group.

Xander added, "But she is from a slayer and a witch…maybe she has powers and they're starting to show."

Buffy looked at him. "We don't know that. And what if it is true?…We can't do anything about it. It's not like she's starting fires or levitating Nate. If we treat her like we regularly do, nothing weird should happen."

Xander held his wife's hand. "I don't think we need to right now…This is their weekend…If Sam has powers, then she'll have them on Monday when Wils and Kennedy get back…I don't wanna worry them or put this kind of news on them now when it wouldn't hurt anyone to wait a few days."

After some more discussion, it was decided that since they had no real answers, the group would hold off on telling the witch and slayer. No one was in danger and there was no reason at that time to think that anyone, including Samantha, would be. The plan was to let the slayers find the demons and kill them.

By early afternoon, the Harris crew went back to their house. They agreed to stay in touch if there were any new developments.

As the group walked to their SUV, Buffy and Jimmy stood at the door. The blonde watched as Samantha took Jessie's hand. Buffy couldn't help but feel the goodness in that child.

Never taking her eyes off Samantha, "Jimmy?…These demons are probably after me…right?"

Kennedy fixed upon the skin of her witch's thigh like an artist looks upon the Mona Lisa…with reverence. The slayer noted the perfect curve and tone and silkiness of the feature. The only flaw, if it could be called that, was the remnant of the scar from the redhead's car accident. Every time the brunette really focused on that mark, she internally winced remembering what she had almost lost that night nine months earlier.

The slayer had been up for about twenty minutes. She'd been awakened by the need to go to the bathroom. She quietly got out of bed and went, putting on a t-shirt and boxers to keep out the morning chill. When she returned to bed, her witch was still soundly asleep. They'd had an amazing night. It was only the brunette's slayer powers that allowed her to be awake now instead of recharging her energy.

That night would be another memorable evening of romance among many others. Each that stood out for the couple had its own uniqueness, its own life. There was the couple's first night together, the time upon declaring love for one another. They had the first night in Paris on their honeymoon. Of course, there was the spiritual night of Samantha's conception. Those and many others stood as testament to their enduring hunger and love for each other. Last night too would be remembered for the freedom and intensity they reached.

When the slayer woke, it was early Saturday morning, but not too early. Kennedy could tell from the light sneaking through the drawn curtains that the sun was well past sunrise. The slayer had spent her waking moments, once returning to their bed, watching her redhead sleep. She examined the witch's naked form that sporadically showed amidst the tangled sheets partially covering them.

The brunette stared at the witch's scar again and thought about 'that' rainy night once more. In the nine months since that eventful evening, the slayer had frequently analyzed her actions. She knew her decision to bring Willow back from the dead changed her life as a slayer. Though she was still "chosen," she understood there were innocents that would go unsaved and demons left walking the earth because of her choice. But at the instant Kennedy had to make the decision that night only one thing mattered to her…Willow. The slayer's pronouncement to the shamans was an all encompassing selfish act. At that speck in time, the brunette didn't think or care about any other person in the world. All she knew was that she couldn't live without her girl and had promised to protect her, whatever the cost.

There were times, however, when Kennedy wondered about the choice. She never regretted making it, but had sometimes grappled with knowing that people, who would otherwise live, might now die because for one moment in time she thought only of her own happiness, her own need. The slayer mentioned her conflict once to the redhead. Willow responded by telling her that noone's death was sealed. She told the brunette that she could still go on to do what she saw, albeit in a different manner. Maybe she would still save those individuals, or another slayer would. Perhaps the slayer would go on to save other innocents that would have perished had she not saved the witch. "Nothing says you still can't be the best…You just get to do it with me and Sam tagging along." The ramifications of altered futures proved too much for the slayer. Kennedy ultimately realized she couldn't dwell on the matter. She could only live her life now as it was, and she was grateful that it included Willow and their daughter.

Thinking about the redhead's confidence in her and gazing at that beauty sleeping beside her now made Kennedy once again know that she'd made the right and only choice she could have that rainy Labor Day. It was times like these that the slayer got overwhelmed with how much she loved Willow. After all the years together, the ups and downs and joy and annoyances, Kennedy still adored the witch. No matter what they'd been through, never had the brunette ever wished she could be on her own. Even when she wanted "space" to prevent being swallowed up by her responsibilities as a slayer and mother, she never wanted that space to be far from her witch. Kennedy knew Willow brought out the best in her. That reserved, quirky redhead made Kennedy Francesca Prescott, self admitted brat, a better person than she ever thought she could or wanted to be. For that, the brunette would always be grateful to the witch.

Those sentiments flooding her head put the slayer in a quietly joyful mood. With a contented smile, she leaned in and kissed the bare shoulder of her redhead. That kiss led to another and soon Kennedy's hand was lightly massaging the redhead's stomach. There were times when the brunette 'had' to touch Willow. It wasn't even necessarily a sexual urge for the slayer. The physical need was as powerful as heroin to an addict. Kennedy moved and leaned her body against the redhead. She felt connected to Willow from that mere act. Kennedy kept grazing the alabaster skin of her wife's body as she kissed along the witch's neck and shoulder. 'I could do this forever,' she thought.

The witch stirred and within a few moments was yawning and stretching to the new day. The slayer never stopped her actions.

Turning her head to see her slayer, "What time is it?" Willow stayed still enough to allow her girl to continue.

"That's ok…I don't mind waking up to this." Willow shifted some more so that she was on her stomach. Kennedy's hand started to caress the witch's supple back. Her kisses too were targeted to the back of Willow's neck.

The redhead moaned at the touches. In a satisfied tone, "Last night was incredible."

The slayer's brows lifted as the smile grew. Kennedy ceased just long enough to say, "I know."

Willow blushed slightly. "I'm not sure what got into us…That was pretty intense." The witch shifted again and was now on her side. She held her head up with her elbow on her pillow and hand on her head. The slayer could tell that her girl was in the mood for conversation about the previous night. The brunette stopped her seduction and leaned back on her side. The way she felt this morning, the slayer would give her witch anything she wanted.

Kennedy pondered Willow's comment and laughed. "We were stoned…That herb stuff Tuzi lit up was one helluva aphrodisiac…It was like smoking really good weed or doing X."

Willow gave Kennedy a look that said, 'And how would you know?' The slayer caught that look and plainly answered, "What?…Not alI of us were angels like you…Hello, rebel here…It really did get us in the mood, though."

The witch rolled her eyes and her mind took her back to last night. Willow had always been satisfied with her and Kennedy's sex life. With the passing of the years, their time together had fit nicely in their hectic lives. Like every couple, they had moments of pure passion, times of emotional intimacy and times when sex was a matter of routine. Their extraordinary "jobs", however, kept them from falling into the sexual rut that many other long term relationships did. There seemed to be a harrowing adventure just often enough to keep them from taking the other for granted. Those 'close calls' kept their emotional and physical need at the surface. As a result, the witch and slayer had a sex life that was always being rejuvenated. And the couple did their best to aid that.

Kennedy was an encyclopedia of sexual maneuvers in her own right. Willow never asked her where she learned to be so 'proficient.' The witch was just glad she was. And the brunette was a romantic even if she didn't like to show that side of her to the public. To be truthful, Kennedy had her hand in 'spicing' things up and keeping their relationship from slipping into the mundane.

Willow carried her share by being the imaginative one, a fact that would have surprised her Scooby friends but not Kennedy. Magick was never conjured in 'the act' itself. She never put a spell on them to make their orgasms more intense or give them an increased sensitivity to each others' touches. Frankly, she didn't need to. But that didn't stop the witch from using candles, incense and enchanting music. Magick was occasionally tapped to accentuate or improve the physical surroundings or mood. Additionally, there was more than one occasion when the slayer came home to find Willow expanding the use of food and beverage items beyond the kitchen. Though the brunette's panache for variety seemed natural to her personality, it was surprising how easily it came to Willow also. The witch was passionate, creative and, thanks to Kennedy, out of her shell in the area of romance. The reserved redhead from the days of Oz and even Tara was gone. Willow had picked up on some of Kennedy's sexual boldness. Her directness even surprised herself at times. And for that, Willow would forever be thankful to the confident brunette.

The redhead came out of her thoughts. By now fully awake, she went back to Kennedy's comment.

"Whatever that stuff was…Oh…my…god…Did you zone out after Tuzi started chanting?…I did…It was the weirdest thing…It did kind of feel like I was trippin'…" Willow kept talking, getting more excited and talking faster as she progressed. She told the brunette how the experience was a little like when she was getting juiced with magick by Rack, the warlock. "Only, this was all the mind expanding part without the horrible 'grr' part…This felt good in a good way…like I was letting my brain use more of its capacity…to 'see' more of the…universe, I guess…"

Kennedy listened to her witch. She obediently laid there and took in the witch's hypothesis on what had transpired. She watched as the witch's eyes got that sparkle in them and her voice that tone of pure delight. Seeing Willow like this, the utter joy and satisfaction she had, was exactly what Kennedy had wanted for the weekend. Knowing that the redhead was this exuberant made the slayer happy. The slayer listened and then saw a startled look take over the witch's face.

"Oh no," the redhead sputtered with her hand over her mouth. "I just remembered…We forgot the flashlight at the meeting…We were so totally zoned…" Willow giggled at the thought that she had been so high as to forget that item. Then she recalled that they didn't have trouble seeing on their way back. She didn't know if it was because of the moonlight or just because she and Kennedy were so sexually and emotionally charged it didn't make a difference.

As the brunette listened to her witch describe the effects of the previous evening on her, Kennedy could tell immediately that she hadn't had the same mind altering experience. The slayer too had gone into some type of trance, but she didn't feel a greater connection with her world. She did feel a kinship with all other slayers. Somehow, Kennedy got in her mind a picture of faces, dozens of them. Some she knew, most she didn't. But she instinctively knew that all were slayers. Kennedy felt a sisterhood to them. Something she'd never felt before. It was almost as if she could feel the slayer blood passing from her to the next slayer, then onto another and so on until she felt the blood seep back into her. The sensation was not one of shared lineage or supernatural identity but one of being a single entity divided into several pieces. It was an incredible feeling.

As Willow carried on about her evening, she saw the expression on her slayer. The witch could tell that what she'd experienced was different from the brunette. She didn't know if that was because she was a witch. As one, the redhead had practiced letting her mind wander and focusing her thoughts on a different spatial plane. Her craft demanded that she train her mind. What she got out of the evening in the native's tent was beyond what she had expected. Willow had envisioned that she would learn about new spells, potions or even resource materials to aid in her witchcraft. Group discourse and sharing of methods was also on her list of possibilities. Never, however, did she believe that the retreat would consist of individual internal journeys of a purely metaphysical origin and scope.

The 'trance' that the redhead manifested was not only mind altering but life altering. She had never 'seen' the absolute expanse of the endless universe as clear as she had last night. Not only did she grasp more of the complexities of life and the afterlife but she understood how they worked and the ramifications. She had seen more of the "forest through the trees" than ever before in her life. Willow had read many books about 'enlightened' people and even civilizations; those that were described as being "closer to God." She now understood what that meant in actuality. The evening's event had shown her more of the picture, whatever word one chose to describe the picture. The witch recalled Kennedy's episode with the Truxdeiro and how the slayer described their understanding of all that was as "The Great Mystery." What the redhead had accomplished last night was to realize that she had the ability so see and know more of what that mystery was. The more knowledge she had, the greater her concentration and magickal force could be. Willow realized she had seen the raw capability of her energy. Whether she'd be able to re-enact that, harness and use it as she did any of her other magickal capabilities was yet to be discovered. But she had been shown the light…the possibility.

"I could almost see the pieces falling into place…how magick is in the mind and the mind is connected to the universe…" Willow had been on her rant for quite a while. The whole time the slayer dutifully and gladly listened.

Then something caught the brunette's ear. She tilted her head sharply and held still. "Did you hear that?"

Kennedy didn't respond for a few seconds, her eyes scanning the room as her slayer hearing sought out the sound. "I thought I heard something…I guess not…Didn't mean to throw off your babble session." She smirked with the last statement.

The witch strained to hear what the slayer was commenting about. She heard nothing. "We are out in the middle of the woods. I'm sure there are lots of animals and things walking around…Could be that."

The slayer thought and nodded her head. Just then, there was a noise that sounded like it came from the front porch. Kennedy sat up.

"Now it sounds like someone's walking on the porch…Did you hear a scuffing sound…or maybe a knock?"

Green eyes shot open wide. "I bet you it's Tuzi. She's the only one who knows we're in this cabin. Maybe she checks up on everybody…She did leave before we all woke up…I better go see if she's outside…You don't have to get up right away if you don't want…or you can…You're choice." Kennedy sensed a bit of nervousness in the witch's voice.

Willow got out of bed and went over to her suitcase and grabbed a pair of underwear, pants and a shirt. She quickly put them on and headed out of the bedroom. As she walked out she glanced at the chair near the bedroom door with her shoulder bag laying on it. She thought of the gift Kennedy had bought her that was resting in it. She smiled with that thought as she left the room.

Kennedy lay in bed, hearing Willow's steps to the door. The slayer picked up on the door opening and then short mumbling by the witch. The next sound heard was the crashing of furniture. "Kennedy!" she heard her witch scream.

The slayer jumped out of bed. She didn't stop to put on pants. Clad only in the shirt and shorts she'd put on earlier, she ran into the main room. She couldn't believe what she saw.

Kennedy saw her redhead lying on an overturned coffee table and rocking chair. The witch was moving slightly and looked like she'd been thrown into the items like a bowling ball down a lane. Inside by the doorway was one of the demons that they'd fought the day before. The slayer concluded that at least one had survived from the two initial car crashes. She instinctively chastised herself for not checking on their status after the fight before driving to the Reservation. The demon was rummaging through one of the souvenir bags that were left by the door when they first arrived. It didn't even notice the brunette's entrance.

Seeing her witch, Kennedy became enraged. She instantly attacked the demon, lunging at him like a lion after its prey. The slayer grabbed the thing around its neck and heaved it to the ground. The bag that the monster was holding went flying, its contents spilling in mid air. Within seconds, Kennedy had the demon pinned to the floor and she was choking the thing, squeezing tighter and tighter as she thrust its head against the wooden planks. The slayer was in a frenzy, acting wild to the creature that had done harm to her delicate witch.

Kennedy was so blind with rage that she didn't see the demon's arm flailing about. The demon was trying to kick and push the slayer off it. Its hand came whistling by the brunette's head, a razor like finger nail catching the side of the slayer's face. The nail sliced across Kennedy's skin, causing a gash next to her eye and across the lid.

That move caused immense pain for the slayer. She could feel blood drain into the socket blurring her vision. She quickly let go of the demon's neck and cupped both hands over the injured eye.

That was enough for the demon to throw the brunette off it. Kennedy went crashing into the kitchen table. The creature tried to run for the door but the slayer, even through her stymied vision, got up and ran for it. She caught it just as it was going out the door. Both went tumbling onto the front porch and down its stairs. The two fought on the cool dew covered morning ground. They attacked and punched and kicked. Kennedy could hardly see what was in front of her. She used her slayer senses to tell her where her enemy was.

Finally, the slayer got both hands on the creature's shoulders and she threw it against a large pine tree. The demon hit hard against it, lost its footing and fell to the ground. Kennedy saw her chance and pounced. She picked up a large boulder next to her and ran at the thing. When she was right on top of it she hurled the rock down, smashing it on the demon's head. Kennedy could hear the skull shatter. The creature died instantly. The ooze from the crushed head splattered into the slayer's eyes and in her wound. The burning started immediately.

Kennedy ran her arm across her face to rid herself of the creature's fluids. She stared but for a moment and then remembered her witch. She ran back into the house and over to her redhead who was still moving gingerly. The slayer took the woman in her arms.

After a few seconds, the witch got her bearings. She opened her eyes, put her hand to the back of her head and smiled slightly seeing her slayer. Kennedy, with an eye almost closed from the pain, relaxed somewhat knowing her girl didn't have any serious damage.

"Welcome Wagon with a mean right hook." The slayer decided the manuscripts from Giles must carry a threat. Kennedy also knew that she and Willow would have to have a discussion about the fate of those documents.

Seraph sat on the bed in the motel room. He kept motionless trying to stem off the throbbing in his head and chest. He'd been in the worn out old room since his arrival in Peach Springs late Friday night. He cursed his every second in that place. It only reminded him of his limitations, the bondage of the flesh within which he now found himself. Any other century, he would have been at the front of the battle; he would have made the assault on the women. However, his deterioration had made him so much less than he was. Though even at his worst, he was still stronger and faster than a mortal, the man in black so often felt imprisoned in a mortal's world. It was only through his pure perseverance and hardness of heart, gained from his battles against Good, that he was able to go on, to save the ability to make a frontal assault for when it would be absolutely necessary.

Seraph knew the ride from Kingman to Peach Springs the previous day had taken its toll. He originally planned to go to Ash Fork to claim his prize from the minions he sent after the women who had his grail. The drive alone took some energy. The entire way he had to concentrate on the location of his forces and the position of his claim. He could not 'talk' to his soldiers telepathically or supernaturally. The man was only able to peripherally track them because he could 'sense' his grail.

'Feeling' his grail was then complicated by the sense he got while on his way; the one he knew meant only one thing…defeat. Apart from his grail, death was the only outside force he felt now. Death done by or to his henchmen and its affects on himself. The pain he sensed on his way to Ash Fork the previous day told him his legions had failed. As their life left their bodies, Seraph could feel the same drain from him. He felt it in his skull and his heart. That was where he felt everything. Those two places were his Achilles heel. They would be his death if he didn't get his life back. On his journey from Kingman, he knew he wasn't any closer.

Knowing that his henchmen had been unsuccessful in Ash Fork, Seraph was forced to stop driving and take inventory. He knew this meant more lost power, more seeping of the life force out of him. But he had no choice. He pulled his vehicle over to the shoulder of the highway and began to concentrate. Amidst the headache and chest pains he always got when he did this, Seraph 'saw' his grail. It was still in the possession of the two women.

This time, the creature also felt the presence of strong power in both women. It was the first time in many years since he was able to internalize influence from another being. Far from the sense of death he knew too well, what the man felt now was life and energy in its raw form. Seraph hadn't sensed that type of power in centuries.

"Vestatu?" he said alone in the car. The sense was not what he'd felt before from guardians of the grail. This power was something different, but it carried the mark of righteousness. It made the creature cringe. Seraph was faced with some kind of protectors of his items. Vestatu or not, he knew his enemy had to know the significance of their catch. He tried to 'see' better the mortals holding his existence hostage. He could not and, before long, the foggy picture was gone.

Over the next couple of hours, Seraph traveled east while tracking this new power. He could only 'sense' very sporadically and in short intervals. He finally placed his 'items' and their possessors somewhere near Peach Springs. It was getting late and he knew he had to stop and rest. He found the Wallahupia Motor Lodge in Peach Springs – not too close to real people as to give him reason to be cautious, yet near enough to make his tracking easier when he was able to do so.

Once in the motel room, the man collapsed on the bed where he remained for several hours. He awoke in the early hours of Saturday morning when he felt the essence of his 'life.' That 'touch' to his being was the only thing that remained of the great Seraph from his glory days. Those items taken from him was the last vestiges of what he knew he once was and could be again. "They're close," he whispered to himself. Had he been the power he was even one hundred years earlier, Seraph would have leapt from his bed and hunted down what belonged to him, what was a part of him. To have that kind of power now for the figure took concentration and time, and the figure lying in the motel room knew he was running short on time. "Two days," he whispered into the early morning air.

Because of this, the man realized he couldn't just let his feeling go unattended. He was forced once again to call upon his minions to do his work. His call was short. "Come to me now!" he demanded over the cell phone. His voice never betrayed the façade of power he'd constructed. This time he demanded to speak directly to his soldier, to make him clearly understand the need for success. Seraph wanted the demon to look him in his black dead eyes and fear the consequence of failure.

It didn't take long for the minion to appear. Knowing where his grail was, the man, dressed in black with his coat and hood on, gave the order and sent out his foot soldier, one that had not perished in the initial attack in Ash Fork. Seraph knew that the mortals whom he was after were no regular humans. He could feel real power in them. He told his soldier to go quietly and approach the place silent like the fog. He understood now that the women could fight and would to an even greater degree if they had warning of a battle. Truth was that Seraph cared little for the fate of the two women. He had to retrieve his life. He knew that if he was successful, then noone would be able to stop him. As the demon stood before him in the hotel room while the sun crept over the horizon, Seraph spoke with certainty. "Find that which is mine and bring them to me…time is critical…Speed will be rewarded…kill the women if needed."

Those were the last words spoken to his mercenary and the last time Seraph saw the demon. As he meditated later that Saturday morning, he got that same familiar excruciating ache, the one that told him his plan had failed. The stabbing pain he now had as he laid on the bed was there because his minion had been unsuccessful yet again. His warrior was dead and his lifeline snatched from his hands once more.

"How many times must I go through this?…How many more times can I take failure!" Seraph dared not answer his pleas. He knew all too well how close to his final demise he was. Seraph had seen the sunrise that Saturday and knew that he would only see one more if he did not find his grail. Like the good soldier that he'd been, the pitiful creature he was now understood he had to advance. This was no time to retreat and accept defeat. He was still not enough of his 'old self' to make an attack like he had against the priest at the church. But he was getting closer to that point hour by hour.

Seraph knew his best chance was to keep attacking. He would send more demons against those hanging his eternal life in the balance. He was running out of time and had reached desperation. He didn't care if his minions ended up being lambs for the slaughter. All he knew was that he had to keep pushing his forces until they were victorious or decimated. He would send others until he was victorious or left with nothing else but himself to carry the fight for his return to greatness.

"Oww!…That hurts…You trying to kill me?" Kennedy winced as Willow placed the wet towel to her eye again.

Sarcastically, "Yes, you're exactly right…I devised this whole weekend so I could get you here, have a demon practically rip your eye out and then do you in by washing it out with luke-warm water…"

"Hah!…I knew you married me for the life insurance." Kennedy jokingly retorted.

Willow smiled. "You're so smart…Now sit still you big baby…I thought you slayers could take pain?"

Defending her honor, Kennedy quipped, "I can…It's the cloth near the eyeball thing…It's wiggin' me out…that's all."

The witch gave a skeptical look. "Yeah, right…Ok, you stick with that story…" Then examining the slayer's face, "There, I think I got it all out. I should put a bandage on the cut on the side of your face…And I still think we should go to the emergency room."

Kennedy leaned away from the bathroom counter. She vehemently shook her head. "No way…It's fine…or will be…It's not even hurting now…Whatever was in there, you got out. We've got too much fun waiting for us to spend who knows how many hours in a hospital." The brunette knew their morning had been ruined by the demon attack and they still had the issue of the manuscripts. She wasn't about to let the whole day go to waste. She was just as determined as ever to have a fun filled weekend with her wife.

"Kenn, your health is more important than sightseeing." Willow knew that the brunette wanted them to have a stress free weekend. She also realized that the reality was quite different.

"Gee, if you put it that way, then…no. This is our weekend and I'm not letting a few demons spoil it. I'm fine, the eye's fine and you said you're fine…You are ok, right?" Willow nodded. Kennedy finished, "Case closed." The Prescott mind had been made up.

"You are so aggravating sometimes," Willow stated in frustration. She understood the tone in her slayer's voice. No meant no. She decided to switch topics. "Ok, no medical attention whatsoever…but what're we gonna do about the manuscripts?"

The slayer stood up straight. "Got that all planned…We call that lady we phoned yesterday…Cheryl, right?…and we tell her we had a little demon contact and that it's possible they need to watch out for demons coming after the manuscripts…She'll either know something or maybe say its just rogue baddies…Either way…we're teleporting to Flagstaff to hand over this stuff."

Willow was hesitant to teleport. Though she was a very powerful witch, the redhead usually only used her magick when necessary. She learned long ago that she needed to try to stay as normal a person as possible. The redhead knew the danger that indiscriminate use of her powers could lead to. She wasn't one of those witches that used magick to make food taste better or to make her life easier.

"Kenn, do you really think we need to teleport?…We've got a car that works perfectly well."

"Yes, I think we should…If the trouble we've had is demons going after the manuscripts, they'll be waiting for us again. I don't want to take that chance…besides, this whole 'Ultimate Fighting' episode before has put us behind schedule…We're supposed to do some hiking today…remember?"

Willow smiled at her slayer. In the midst of what seemed like a demon predicament, the brunette was still forging forward with her romantic weekend plan. The witch respected the girl's fortitude. She also wanted what her brunette was so desperately trying to salvage…quality time together. The witch relented.

"Ok, baby. We'll teleport and hand the documents over." Willow remembered that the suitcase in which Kennedy had placed the manuscripts was in their bedroom. "Why don't you get the papers while I call Samantha…We can head out after we talk to her and make the call to Cheryl."

"You got it, babe…Let's keep it cheery with Xander and Jessie…I don't want them thinking they have to worry about what we're up to…Sammi might pick up on their mood and I don't want anything to spoil her weekend."

Willow grabbed her cell phone and made the call. "You bet…nothing but sunshine and happy thoughts."

"In a couple days, pumpkin…Are you having fun with Nate and Joey?" Willow had been talking to her daughter for a short while. The slayer had said a few words to her and then let Willow talk so she could call the Flagstaff Council associate.

"Uh huh…We played games…and…eat pizza…and Dora was there…and Boots in the glass box and monsters…scared me…" There was commotion at Samantha's end.

The Scooby thought fast. "Ah…Sammi almost dropped the phone…I caught it before it fell…So, having fun?"

Another quick answer. "We took the kids out for pizza…The place had games for them…you, know, the claw machine where they can win stuffed animals…and she must have mixed it in with a Dora story…She really likes Dora, huh?"

The response sounded right for her three year old's imagination. "Yes, she does. Don't remind me. I've watched every episode of that show about a hundred times. Now I know what they do for torture in secret prisons."

Xander tried to veer the conversation away from Cleveland activities. "You and Kenn seeing all the sights?"

Now it was the witch's turn to weave around the truth. "It's definitely been an experience…Lots of new things to see." The witch was upbeat and cheery.

"We're doing that today and then going to the Grand Canyon…So nothing to worry about here," Willow said emphatically.

"Same here…Kids are having a blast, so no need for you and Kennedy to worry…Just keep enjoying yourself." Xander tried to sound as confident as possible.

The two friends bolstered each other's assurance that all was well with the other's situation. They finally hung up when each was satisfied that they'd impressed on the other how great the weekend was going.

As soon as Willow put down her cell phone, the slayer came into the room from the bedroom. She too was closing her cell phone.

"How'd the talk with Xander go?" There was anticipation in the slayer's voice. She knew her talk with her daughter went fine. But, fooling the Scooby was another matter.

Willow smiled. "Like butter…I told him how much fun we were having and how he should concentrate on doing the same with Sam…He didn't sound like he didn't believe me."

Kennedy got a slight guilty expression. "I don't really like having to do this to Xander…He's always been so straight with me." When the redhead gave her a 'That's because he is straight' look, the brunette replied, "You know what I mean…he's an honest guy. I just know if we told him, he'd make a big thing out of this…He'd tell Buffy or Giles…and I know Sammi would catch on…that kid would see right through him."

The witch could tell her slayer was feeling culpable about the decision to keep the events of their weekend to themselves. Usually, Willow tried to be open and honest with her friends. She also knew there were times when she hadn't. Some were justified and some not. It was always a judgment call. This was no exception. The redhead understood better than Kennedy how Xander could wear his emotions on his sleeve. When he tried to act the most unaffected or unbothered was usually when it was the most apparent that something troubled the man. The witch agreed with her slayer that the Scooby wouldn't be able to take information about their demon attacks and keep it to himself. Jessica knowing was the least of the redhead's concerns. Willow didn't want Samantha to pick up on any tense vibes. She knew how sensitive the girl could be…sometimes too sensitive. And frankly, she didn't want to have to deal with whatever slack she'd get from Buffy or Giles if they found out. She knew that she and Kennedy could resolve their problem. They'd done much the same numerous times in Middleton. She was of the same mind as the slayer when it came to keeping this on the down low.

"Baby, I don't like keeping things from Xander either, but you are right…This would just send him into a tizzy and get Samantha worried…Besides, you and I are going to hand over the papers in a little while and then this whole thing will be a non issue."

Kennedy listened to her witch. As always, the redhead was right. She agreed with the slayer. That's all the brunette needed to quell her guilty conscious. Those few reassuring words form the witch made Kennedy focus on the fact that they were handling the situation reasonably.

The slayer walked over to her redhead and took her in a warm embrace. "Thanks for saying that…I'm glad you feel the same way…I don't want you to think I like holding back from our friends."

Willow squeezed back. "I know you don't…and when this is all behind us and we've had our great weekend and we're back in Cleveland, we can let them know we ran into a few demons…no big deal."

Kennedy looked concerned again. "I hope when Giles finds out he doesn't feel like he made a mistake giving them to us."

The witch watched her slayer. She knew that last comment really meant that Kennedy was worried Giles would have seconds thought s about having trusted her. The amount of value Kennedy placed in how others judged her abilities was astounding to Willow. As cocky as the girl could be about her talents as a slayer, one would have thought she never questioned how others saw her. Willow knew that wasn't true. The brunette knew she was a good slayer. But that part of her personality that required perfection judged its attainment by how select others viewed her. Giles, being the 'top dog' of watchers and basically Willow's mentor, was at the top of Kennedy's list for approval. The brunette liked to tease the redhead on her desire to make the watcher proud of his protégé even after all these years, even after Willow proved how far beyond the Englishman she was. But Willow knew that Kennedy had a similar vein for acceptance from the man. The brunette just knew how to hide it better.

"Baby, Giles knows you're a great slayer…He'd never second guess you or any of your decisions…He'd trust you with anything…his life even."

Again, a few words from her witch and the slayer's sprits were lifted. Still in a hug, Kennedy leaned in and gave the witch a light kiss on the neck then looked into her witch's green eyes. "You are the best…I don't tell you that enough."

The couple ended their embrace. Kennedy walked over to the counter and picked up the manuscripts she'd taken out of one of their suitcases.

"I called Cheryl and told her we're coming…said we didn't know how long we could stay but that we would like to see their facility…We can get lunch in Flagstaff too if you want."

"Do we go there and then back here?" The witch wanted to know the rest of Kennedy's plans.

"I thought we could teleport to the Grand Canyon…I was planning on us hiking from the cabin to a stop northeast of here and then back…If we teleport directly to the place then we can hike back…That way we don't miss out on anything."

The redhead saw that her brunette had the day all figured out. It sounded good to her. She didn't mind 'traveling' to another spot instead of back to the cabin. "That is a good idea…I guess we're ready then."

Willow went over to her slayer and took her by the hand. She was ready to teleport when she suddenly dropped the slayer's grip. She ran into the bedroom and came out with her shoulder bag, opened the refrigerator and put several bottles of water inside.

"We need it for the hike." She hugged the bag close to her and tapped the side. "Besides, I've got jerky in here."

The slayer chuckled. "That's my girl. Always looking out for my tummy's well being."

Willow walked to her slayer, put the shoulder bag strap over her shoulder and wrapped her other arm around the slayer's waist. "Ready?" the witch said as she glanced at the brunette.

The witch closed her eyes and then suddenly opened them widely. She stared at her slayer.

Willow shook her head. "What if they're already waiting in Flagstaff?" The witch got a confused look from Kennedy. "The demons…What if they're already waiting for us to show at the facility?"

Willow thought hard for a few minutes. Then she looked at her slayer with a confident expression. "I've got it…I'll do a protection spell around us…not something like an invisible bubble…but more like a human version of a car alarm system…If we get attack, it'll keep us safe, but if we're left alone, noone will know there's anything there."

The slayer considered her witch's plan. They'd be able to act normal and interact with the Council associates but at the same time be safe in case demons did try to attack them. The brunette nodded. "I like it…I love that little brain of yours…always have the neurons firing."

Willow smiled with the compliment. She said a few words and the spell was complete. "Now, we're finally ready." The witch and slayer closed their eyes and emptied their minds.

Within a few moments the couple was gone and the room empty. The witch's astounding magickal powers had succeeded again.

Willow would never know that her decision to take the shoulder bag, with Kennedy's present to her still inside, in reality saved the world.

Xander and Jessica were sitting in their living room listening to Buffy's plan on the speakerphone. It was late Saturday afternoon and the Harris' had been home for only a few hours after the meeting at Slayer Central. The blonde slayer was of the opinion that the demons they fought the night before were after her, or slayers in general.

"It makes sense since the word around town's been that the demons were asking where all the slayers were…who was going to be at the Council meeting we had on Wednesday." Buffy understood that nothing was ever one hundred percent certain with the un-human, but this seemed to be a pretty sure deduction.

"So what do we do now?" Xander just wanted to know how to keep his family and Samantha out of danger."

"I think you guys just need to stay clear of slayers until we catch these pests."

Buffy didn't see the concerned expression Jessie got. "Are you sure about that, Buffy?…We don't have any protection that way if something comes after us."

Xander nodded his head. "Yeah, Buff…I'm all for you slayers doing the demon stomp but what if it's not only you they're after?"

Buffy appreciated the man's concern. She understood it was easy to talk about being on one's own when the 'one' was a slayer. "I know you're concerned, but right now it seems that the demons aren't after any of you…they…"

Before Buffy could say another word, there was a sharp noise seemingly from the basement of Xander's house. It was loud enough for Buffy to hear through the connection.

Jessie got off the chair and looked out the window. No one was there. She walked over to the stairs to the second floor and walked up a few. She listened intently and then came back to Xander. "I hear the kids upstairs, so it's not them."

Buffy got a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Go stay with the kids…I'll be over in five minutes." She spoke with total seriousness.

Jessie instantly got a very worried look. Xander could see that his wife was frightened. "Buff, it's still daytime…Why with the slayer tone?…It can't be anything to do with the demons…right?" The man tried to sound certain.

"We don't know what they can do…Now hang up and get the kids…I'm on my way."

The call ended and Xander and Jessica were left staring at each other feeling like they'd just been pushed into the middle of a horror movie. Xander said the only thing he could.

The couple quickly stood up and headed for the stairs. Before they made it there, they heard another soft muffled noise. It was faint and they'd probably wouldn't have heard it if they hadn't been listening already.

Visibly upset, Xander stopped and looked in the direction of the door to the basement. Then he turned to his wife. "Get all the kids out of the house. Go to Mrs. Jenson's house and watch for Buffy." He started back down the stairs.

Jessie grabbed him by the arm. "Where the hell do you think you're going?…WE are getting the kids and then WE are getting the hell outta here."

Xander took his wife's hand off his arm. "No…Buffy zoned for a reason…Something's down there…I'll go see and keep it or them busy while you get the boys and Samantha out…" When his wife went to complain, he put his hand to her mouth. "Stop…The kids have to get out…period…We can't risk them getting hurt…Do this now…It's the best way…Buffy will be here in a couple minutes to save my sorry ass if it needs saving." Xander chuckled out the last part trying to ease his wife's concerns.

Jessica didn't want to go but she knew Xander was right. "Ok, but as soon as you hear us go out the door, you need to haul your 'sorry ass' out too."

The two gave one last look and Jessie started up the stairs. Xander walked down to the basement door. He opened it slowly so it didn't make a noise, took a deep breath and placed his foot on the first step. "Here we go…One small step for Man…One giant leap for a scared Scooby." Xander carefully walked down the steps.

The basement wasn't dark. There were two small windows in the foundation of the house above ground level. The sunny June day brought lots of light into the place. The basement area of the Harris' home had three sections. The one Xander was in had the washing machine and dryer. There was a freezer and other sundry of items waiting to be used in the summer months in Cleveland.

The Scooby scanned the area. He saw nothing. He carefully walked over to the entrance way that separated that section from the next. That's where Xander had a make shift office and kept his tools and other business items. It too was reasonably lit from a small basement window. As the man stepped into the room, he stopped and looked around. There were no places to hide and he could easily see that nothing was in that room either.

"Of course it always comes down to the last place you look," he muttered softly.

Before Xander started toward the final area, he stood there and listened for sounds above. He hoped to hear the footsteps of his loved ones leaving the house. He was justly rewarded. He heard steps and some talking. The fact that his family was getting out dropped a weight off his shoulders. He looked back to the last area and began to walk to it.

This place in the basement was not like the others. It had one very small window and was where the furnace, plumbing and electrical amenities had their home. The public services all converged into the house in that area. The west side had the bulkhead and stairs that led to the outside. There wasn't nearly the light in there as in the other areas. The room itself wasn't completely separate but in reality sectioned off by one of the stud wall partitions of the Scooby's office space. Xander would have to go around the wall to see if anything was there.

Xander noticed how it seemed to get extremely quiet since his visit to the basement…too quiet. He inched his way around the wall being as silent as he could be. He finally reached the edge of the partition and slowly leaned in to look.

What Xander saw was two of the demons from the night before staring right at him. The Scooby saw that one of the bulkhead doors was slightly off center. He quickly deduced that the first noise he and Jessie had heard was the bulkhead door hitting the frame when it was opened. It had a broken hinge that he'd failed to repair. The door would slip off its hinge and hit the top edge of the frame if not opened exactly right. He also saw debris on the floor and when he looked up from that mess, he saw that there was a hole in the basement ceiling. That in fact meant that there could be a hole in the main level floor.

Xander hastily turned back to look at the demons. They were motionless. That is, they were until they saw the Scooby blink.

The demons lunged at Xander. The man was quick enough to dodge behind the partition. He heard a "thump" as the creatures slammed into the wall. They caused the wall to crack at several studs. Xander knew he had to get away or he'd be dead. He also knew he couldn't just run upstairs in case his family and Samantha were still in the house.

"Time for a nice scary game of keep away," he squeaked as he ran to another part of the basement.

The demons righted themselves and went after the Scooby. They chased him around the basement. As cowardly as the Scooby could pretend to be, and in some cases actually was, Xander did a great job of staying out of the demons' reach. He knew how to crouch and run when necessary, and was quite adept at throwing objects in the creatures' way. He was thankful that he had so much 'junk' in his basement. It all made for some hefty ammunition.

It had only been a few minutes when the demons finally were able to corner Xander back in the furnace room. The man had nowhere to run and the creatures were closing in. The Scooby closed his eyes and was ready to try to scream, kick and run his way out of his predicament when he heard the sound of feet running through the house.

Within seconds, Xander heard Buffy shouting for him while she ran down the stairs.

"BUFFY!…Over here!…NOW!" He closed his eyes again as he saw the demons charge.

Just as he heard the growling of a demon get louder, he felt a rush of air. The grunting stopped and he felt nothing on him. He slowly opened one eye.

He saw both demons in Buffy's grip. She was banging their heads together. The slayer gave one really forceful slam and the Scooby could hear the crushing of skulls. The creatures slumped in Buffy's hold. It was obvious they were dead.

The slayer let go and the demons fell to the ground. After a few moments, the demons began to make a hissing sound and their skin started to sizzle. Both Scoobies watched as the dead demons disintegrated and disappeared, leaving a small pool of an oozy green substance.

"Traffic on the Crosstown…what a bitch," she responded trying to joke her friend into a more relaxed state.

Xander smiled and laughed then got a serious expression. The slayer knew what that look was for. "They're fine Xander…Over at the neighbor's house. I saw them on the way in."

The tension in the man's face relaxed. He stared at the ooze, then the blonde. "What do we do now?" Xander knew his family was in the middle of a real demon problem. Sunnydale or Cleveland, the Scooby knew he would always be dealing with the nonhuman one way or another.

Buffy thought about what her friend asked. She glanced around the room and saw the hole in the ceiling.

The blonde stared at the hole. Without looking at her friend, "Get Jessie and the kids…You're all going to Slayer Central." It was an order.

"Cheryl, thank you for the tour. You have an impressive facility here." Willow spoke to the Council associate as they got ready to leave. She and Kennedy had teleported to just outside the back area of the building. Willow's barrier was in place, but wasn't needed. The couple had no demon run-ins.

They met several people and handed over the manuscripts. Kennedy told them the 'trouble' they encountered in the last two days. She discussed the possibility of demons being after the documents and gave as much information about the creatures as she had. The facility members were thankful for her and Willow's actions in getting the documents safely to them. They hadn't envisioned such a trying time for such unimportant pieces of paper.

Once the manuscripts were out of their possession, they were taken on a tour of the facility. When that was over, the couple said their good byes and promised to visit again when they could spend more time and meet more of the people there.

As they walked off the property, Kennedy scanned in front of her. They were in a relatively busy area. There were stores and businesses and restaurants. The brunette turned to her witch.

Willow smiled. She knew that meant her slayer was hungry. But the witch had a different plan in mind. "I was thinking we could get something and take it with us back to the Grand Canyon…Have lunch there before we hike back to the cabin."

Kennedy gave a big nod. "I like that idea…Just you and me…and a big turkey on wheat sandwich."

Willow's face cringed. "That's just plain gross…Come on, let's go over there…Looks like a deli. We can get some food."

The two started walking. "And no turkey…to be on the safe side," the witch mumbled.

It wasn't too much time after that and the witch and slayer were sitting on a large boulder overlooking the Grand Canyon eating their lunch. It was early afternoon and there wasn't a cloud in the Arizona sky. It was a perfect 72°F and only the slightest of a breeze. The rock upon which they sat was at the edge of the Canyon, the view down nearing a mile. They could see the Rocky Mountain range to the west.

"This is the most incredible thing I've ever seen." Willow was blown away by the pure beauty of the scenery. She had grown up seeing suburbs and palm trees. The Pacific Ocean was wonderful, but living in California, it was something she saw quite often. Cleveland and Middleton had its forestry beauty, but nothing like this. The sheer expanse of the Canyon, its grandeur, made Willow feel how small humans really were. The colors of the sun's beams bouncing off the Canyon's faces were indescribable. The witch could actually see the striations on the sides of the mighty rock.

For a while, the witch and slayer were quiet while they ate. Each was appreciating the magnificence of their view. Though not known by the other, each woman felt a connection to the earth sitting on that rock, gazing at nature in its most perfect form. If there was a reason to believe in God, this was it. No amount of chance could have caused such splendor; no mere mortal could ever have thought up something so beautiful.

Kennedy watched Willow as she took in the sights. The brunette had been to the Grand Canyon already. She went when she was little, after her mother left. Her father sent her with relatives. Jackson Prescott thought the vacation would do the brooding child some good. Kennedy didn't remember much of that trip except that she had a terrible time. Even if she had a recollection, it wouldn't have mattered. For the Grand Canyon that the couple were experiencing was not that which was toured by the hundred's of thousands of American and foreign individuals. The witch's and slayer's Grand Canyon experience was that part rarely seen by the white man. They were in the Haulapia Indian Reservation. This part of the canyon was still pristine and undeveloped by souvenir shops, paved bus roads or snack shops. This was the Grand Canyon in its natural state, the way it was before it had a name or knew the feel of a human footstep upon its ground.

The Grand Canyon attracts the attention of the world for many reasons, but perhaps its greatest significance lies in the geologic record preserved and exposed here. The rocks at Grand Canyon are not inherently unique. Similar rocks are found throughout the world. What is unique about the geologic record is the variety of rocks present, the clarity with which they are exposed, and the complex geologic story they tell.

"The Canyon" is an erosional feature that owes its existence to the Colorado River. Of equal importance are the forces of erosion that have shaped and continue to shape the canyon today. These include running water from rain, snowmelt, and tributary streams which enter the canyon throughout its length. The rain comes suddenly in violent storms, charging the many streams and tributaries with raging waters washing over river banks adding to the erosional make-up.

The Grand Canyon owes its distinctive shape to the different rock layers in the canyon walls. Each responds to erosion in a different way. Some form slopes, some form cliffs' some erode more quickly than others. The vivid colors of many of these layers are due mainly to small amounts of various minerals. Most contain iron, which imparts subtle shades of red, yellow, and green to the canyon walls. The colorful canyon rocks were formed millions of years ago. Their colors change with the changing light of the sun. Many layers of rock have been bared by the constant cutting force of the rushing river thereby giving eyes that look upon them a glimpse into the beginning of time on this little planet called earth.

The Colorado River rushes at the bottom of the canyon, about 1,850 feet above sea level. Thick forests of blue spruce, fir, oaks as well as Ponderosa pines cover the canyon rim. Deep in the canyon's recesses, the foliage grows sparse and shorter. Pinon pines and juniper growing along the cliffs give way to dry desert scrub on the canyon floor. The entire area comprising the Grand Canyon National Park has 75 species of mammals, 50 species of reptiles and amphibians, 25 species of fish and over 300 species of birds exist.

This masterpiece of nature was what Willow and Kennedy found themselves in that warm Saturday afternoon. After finishing lunch, the two began their hike back to the cabin. Kennedy carried Willow's big shoulder bag for her. The slayer had had it since the deli in Flagstaff. When the slayer put their lunch inside she noticed that Willow still carried the gift the slayer got her. The thought that the redhead treasured the present that much pleased the brunette.

Kennedy had done her homework and had a map which she carried with her in her back pocket. The women spent the time walking along "the rim", taking in the awe inspiring sights. They saw wildlife and flowers they'd never seen before. They watched the canyon side changed color as the sun changed position in the sky. There were times they were silent, just allowing the serenity of the place fill their spirits. Other times, the couple talked and discussed their life, their daughter and the wonderful time they were having. The two never spoke of the demon attacks. They left behind the slayer and witch labels and were plain 'people', two women on a romantic weekend enjoying the blissfulness of the day.

After hiking for quite a while, Willow suggested they take a break. "In case you forgot…only one slayer here…" Then pointing to her shoes, "These dogs need a rest." Kennedy complied and the two found a spot, side by side, underneath a sprawling pine.

Kennedy saw the peaceful look on her witch's face. She knew the redhead was relaxed. This was what the brunette wanted for her girl. The slayer felt like they had finally left their life behind when they dropped off the manuscripts. It may have taken a day and a half, but they were just now really starting their vacation.

The slayer leaned over to her witch and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. The witch smiled. Kennedy stared into emerald eyes and then went in for another kiss. This one was longer and deeper than the first. When the brunette pulled back, Willow could see that 'look' in the slayer's eyes. It was the way Kennedy got right before her urge flared up. The slayer leaned in yet again, this time she moved so that she was facing the witch and had her arms on each side of her. The kiss given by the brunette this time was unmistakably sensual. She ran her tongue lightly across the witch's lip then pressed for entry. Willow loved the way Kennedy kissed and didn't turn her away. The witch and slayer got lost in that moment and before long the brunette's hand was making its way to the zipper of Willow's pants.

As much as Willow was enjoying the kiss, she drew back and stopped the slayer's hand. "Kenn, not here…someone could come by." As solitary a time as they were having, the witch and slayer had hiked on some established Indian trails. Though they hadn't run into any people, Willow knew they were out there. Being seen having sex was one experience the witch hoped never to have.

The slayer gave a sensual smirk and then tried to sneak her hand back to the redhead's pants.

Willow giggled and took the brunette by the hand again. "You are such a horn dog…Are you related to Bill Clinton or what?"

Kennedy placed her arm back to its original location so that both were straddling the sitting witch. "Come on, Wil…We've had sex in the woods before."

The witch recalled their camping trip several years earlier. She shook her head. "That was in a tent and it was late at night…not during the day when people could walk by."

The slayer pondered the response. "Ok, What about Rio?…On the beach…in the cabana…people were around then."

Willow blushed at that memory. "Also at night…and I was very drunk thanks to you."

The slayer got a wide smile and tried one more time. "Then what about our first time?…Buffy's house…thin walls…about a thousand potentials in the house who I'm sure were listening in on us."

The witch nonchalantly smirked and shook her head slowly. Jokingly, "Please…don't exaggerate…besides we were in the middle of an apocalypse and I thought we'd all be dead in a couple days." The redhead tickled the brunette's side.

Kennedy started laughing and squirmed away from the witch's reach. She sat next to Willow again and continued to chuckle and smile. However, the smile began to slowly recede from the slayer's face. After a few moments, the brunette sat there, staring out at nothing with a contemplative expression.

When Willow didn't hear a retort from her girl she nudged her. Still chuckling, "Gave up that easy?…You're slipping, Kenne."

The slayer didn't respond to the touch right away. She finally started to stand up. As she did she spoke to Willow but didn't look at her. Plainly, "No, you're right. Don't want to get caught…We better get going." The slayer began to leave the spot.

Willow got a confused look. She stood up also, took her shoulder bag the slayer left and caught up to her brunette. She didn't say anything but just walked beside Kennedy. After about ten minutes of noone saying a word, the witch broke the silence. "Kenn?…Is something wrong?"

Willow didn't know what had happened. They were having a nice time, bantering like they always did, then Kennedy's mood changed. "Kenn, baby…Are you upset?"

Kennedy, still walking, turned to the redhead. "No…I'm not…I just…You were right…We need to get back so you can get ready for your meeting…and there's still a waterfall up here I want us to see."

The couple hiked some more, the whole time the slayer was silent. She gave nothing more than a "Hmm" when Willow pointed out things worth seeing. But more than that, Willow could tell there was something bothering Kennedy. She rarely got that quiet that way.

Finally, the witch had to get to the bottom of the problem. She took the slayer by the arm and stopped her. "Kennedy, I know something's bothering you…and don't try to tell me it's nothing…You've been Marcel Marceau for the last forty minutes…What is it?"

The slayer took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. She was bothered. Why she was she wasn't certain. But she knew that Willow wouldn't let it be, so she decided just to say it.

"You only slept with me that night because you thought you'd be dead in a few days?" The words and the expression on the slayer's face both told the same emotion…disappointment.

Willow couldn't believe that was what the slayer was upset about. "Kennedy…I was kidding."

The slayer's expression didn't change. "Freudian slip, Wil…We both took the class in college…" Then the Prescott girl stood up straight. "Forget it…It was a long time ago…doesn't matter now…Come on the waterfall's supposed to be right up here."

Willow followed still astounded that Kennedy had had such a strong reaction to her barb. She watched as the slayer led them into a dense tree area which eventually opened to a high rock formation, in the middle of which was a beautiful waterfall. It wasn't large but was high and winding, the water cascading and bouncing down back and forth like a skier on moguls.

Trying to bring the mood back to normal, "This is incredible, baby…How'd you know this was here?" Willow was impressed with how much the slayer had planned for this hike.

Still with a tone of sadness, "On the net…Looked up the Reservation and what they wrote about their land." Kennedy said no more but walked over to the edge of the pool at the base of the waterfall and sat on a rock with her knees drawn to her chin and arms wrapped around her legs. Willow stood and examined the girl's movements and the tone in her voice. The redhead knew her slayer was upset and she was trying to figure out why.

As Kennedy sat on the rock, the slayer attempted to discern why she was so bothered by Willow's statement. Rationally, it made no sense to be upset. The brunette knew Willow loved her. They'd been together over eight years; they were married in every sense of the word and they had a wonderful daughter. They had made a home and were happy. There was nothing in their life that made the slayer question Willow's devotion to her or hers to the witch. She knew she shouldn't be feeling as she was. 'What's the big deal?' she told herself. 'It was one night years ago…So what?' The slayer kept telling herself that she had no reason to feel disappointed…but she did.

Sitting on the rock, the brunette figured out the reason for her melancholy state. Willow didn't place the significance on their first night together that the slayer did. Kennedy had had several life-altering moments. Some she knew as they happened – becoming a slayer, the birth of their daughter. For some, she only understood the full nature of their impact on her life as she got older and grew the maturity needed – the desertion of her mother, meeting her watcher Thomas Sinclair. Kennedy considered her first time with Willow one of those life changing events. Being honest with herself, the brunette knew that part of her reason for wanting to sleep with the redhead involved their circumstances. Kennedy didn't want to die not knowing how the redhead felt underneath her.

But what happened to Kennedy that night went far beyond anything she ever imagined. That night with Willow was when the brunette fully realized and admitted to herself that she was in love, really in love for the first time in her life. It was sometime during that night that Kennedy went from 'What can I do to get what I want?' to 'What can I do to make Willow happy?' Kennedy let Willow into her heart, deep into her heart, at a time when she didn't know if the feeling would, or could, be returned.

What the slayer realized sitting on that rock was that even though she considered that first night with Willow magickal in the best sense of the word, her dear gentle witch saw it differently. That made her sad. So she sat on the rock trying to make herself feel better.

Willow watched her slayer just sitting on the boulder. There was no energetic brunette chiding the witch to a dare in the waterfall or even trying to get romantic in such a romantic setting. The girl just sat. As she stared at Kennedy, the redhead thought hard about the event that started the slayer's quiet mood. Willow knew when Kennedy was hurt. It didn't happen often, but when it did, it was obvious. She especially realized that the slayer was truly upset when she put up the Prescott shield, that emotional barrier to hide her feelings.

Thinking about her comment, the witch began to understand why Kennedy took the words to heart. Knowing the slayer as she did now, Willow realized how scared Kennedy must have been back at Buffy's. The brunette's actions that night was her trying to grab onto a future the then potential didn't even know if she'd have. Willow understood now that Kennedy gave her everything that night. 'And I just make a big joke out of it.' Willow knew what she said to Kennedy was in jest. But she also knew that it was partly right. However, she didn't tell the slayer the whole truth. She knew the she owed Kennedy a full explanation now. She walked over to the brunette and sat beside her.

"This is really incredible…You did a great job planning this hike, Kenn." Willow looked at her slayer.

Kennedy glanced at her for a moment and then stared at the falls again. "Thanks…I like the way the water goes from side to side." That hurt tone was still in the brunette's voice.

Willow felt bad. "Kennedy…What I said before I rea…" The witch was waved off.

"Don't worry, Wil…It was dumb of…" This time it was the redhead who interrupted the slayer.

"No, it wasn't…I don't want you thinking that…What I mean is…" Willow didn't know how to start. She finally just began. "I need to tell you about that night," she said softly and as if in confession. Kennedy kept looking straight ahead as the witch spoke her piece.

"When I came into our room that night…with the candles and no noisy teenagers…and the way you were…on the bed…It was obvious what you wanted…and I was so scared."

Willow shook her head. "It wasn't you I was scared of…Ok, that's not exactly true…You did scare me…but not in the way you think."

The redhead continued. "There was so much going on then. The First and its thugs were out there; girls were dying…I was terrified of using my magick…losing control and hurting someone…I was still so guilty over what I'd done and Tara hadn't been gone that long…Nothing was normal." Willow hesitated for a moment. "And then you're there…flirting with me…treating me so nice like I hadn't done anything horrible…Making me feel like…That part of my life?…How you…how we were acting?…It was the only thing that was normal."

"But I was so confused because I didn't think I deserved it…and that it wasn't fair to Tara's memory…Except those feelings were there and I couldn't stop them…I never expected to react the way I did to you…because of Tara and you being so 'persistent'…but there I was with the holding hands all the time and the kissy face…I told myself it had to be the circumstances…Everyone's emotions were running so high that I convinced my self that's what I was feeling…" Willow hesitated before she said the next part. She knew this would hurt the slayer. "That night I told myself it was ok to just give in…Things were looking pretty awful and I rationalized that if the world ended, I wouldn't have to deal with the guilt…I could escape for awhile…just have sex with no stings or emotions attached…let go enough to enjoy like a regular person but not go all 'grrr'."

When finished the redhead lowered her eyes and turned her head to see the reaction from her slayer. It was what she thought it would be. Kennedy's chin was resting on her knees; she was still and her vision fixated on the water in front of her. Willow softly placed her hand on the brunette's entwined fingers for a few moments.

"That was one of the biggest lies I ever told myself," the witch stated plainly. With the comment, the slayer lifted her head and turned to look at the witch.

Willow smiled. "I tried to convince myself that what I felt for you was just physical…a reaction to the chaos…but it wasn't…It all felt right that night…and at one point I saw you looking at me…I saw that look in your eyes that I've seen every day since…" Willow's voice had gotten softer and began to faintly waver. "Right then, I knew I wanted to be there…with all the emotion thrown in." Willow looked directly at Kennedy. "I didn't just want sex…I wanted to be with you…and not just for that night." The witch let out a small sigh. "It still took me longer to realize that I loved you…I almost had to lose you to get that to sink into my thick skull."

When Kennedy looked at her witch after the confession was done, she could see her witch's eyes were a little watery. She lowered her legs, leaned over and embraced her girl. "I love you," whispered the slayer. It was those three words that had started their life together and kept them on the path of togetherness.

The slayer kept her arms around the witch. "It was me…I shouldn't have gotten so worked up." Kennedy then retreated enough to kiss her witch. It was soft and sweet.

The two women looked at each other and shared a moment of complete understanding.

The women finally got up from their spot and headed in the direction of their cabin. There were still several hours before Willow's second night meeting but the couple wanted to relax some before it started. As they headed out, the witch opened her shoulder bag to get a bottle of water.

"Kenn?…What's this doing in here?" The redhead was holding a newspaper in her hand.

The slayer got a guilty look. "I bought it when we got our lunch in Flagstaff." When she saw a disapproving face on her witch, the brunette tried to defend her action. "What? There's no tv or radio in the cabin…I just wanted to know what was going on in the world…I haven't even looked through it yet."

Willow accepted her slayer's explanation. She also decided never to bring her large shoulder bag on a trip again – too easy to smuggle items in it. The witch had a quick flashback of their nice time in Flagstaff. Then Willow stopped in her tracks.

Kennedy saw the witch's sudden halt. "Ok, fine. I'll throw it away when we get back…won't even take a peek."

The protective spell that she'd cast that morning was still working. The witch had not 'undone' it after they dropped off the manuscripts. It wasn't because she thought they were still in trouble. Willow just plain forgot. It was such a subtle spell, one that was meant to be unnoticeable. That's what happened. The couple was having such a nice time hiking, the spell left the redhead's mind. Then when Kennedy got upset about her comment concerning their first night together, the spell was the last thing that would have entered her mind.

"I forgot to undo it…better late than never." Willow stopped the spell with a few muttered words. Then she and the slayer started walking again. The redhead was still holding the newspaper. As she went to put the paper back in the bag, part of the headline on the front page caught her attention. She stopped and opened the newspaper.

"Baby, did you see this?" Willow turned the paper so that the brunette could see the front page.

As the women headed back to their cabin they read the articles about the deaths of the priest and two other women. They finished discussing how it was they could have missed knowing about the murders just as they got to their cabin. They walked up the stairs and Willow went to unlock the door. It moved as soon as she grabbed the doorknob. She pushed the door open the rest of the way.

Without even stepping inside, the witch and slayer could see that their cabin had been ransacked.

At that same time, in a small room over one hundred miles away from the witch's and slayer's cabin sat the boy named Sergio on his bed. He'd been home since the Friday morning he rid himself of the two objects that he was convinced were responsible for the deaths of three people. He spent the time at home watching tv and reading the newspapers his uncle bought. He scoured them for any information on the "St. Thomas Massacre" as it would become nicknamed. He also listened to his mother's and uncle's conversations with friends that came over or who called. In the almost forty-eight hours since the killings, the boy had learned quite a lot, too much for any normal child his age.

From what he could find out, the Padre and his housekeeper, Annette Darlington, had been murdered. The priest's throat was cut and the woman's neck had been broken. The housekeeper perished first.

There was another fatality found at the church. The third deceased was identified as Sister Sarah Margaret. She was a seventy-three year old nun from the Order of the Ursaline in Gallup, New Mexico. She was born in Mount Beigneou in the Province of Quebec, Canada. She was a naturalized U.S. citizen. The woman had been with the Ursalines since she was six. She went to their school in her parish and then directly entered the convent upon turning sixteen. She'd been stationed in Quebec, the capital of the same named Canadian province, Central America and New York. She finally settled in New Mexico where she helped the poor and disadvantaged Natives in the region.

The police and news reporters had found out that the nun went to Father Castillo's rectory after having been in a minor traffic accident earlier that day. The priest had picked her up at the hospital and, from what personnel told the police, the nun was going to stay overnight. The authorities were still trying to determine why the nun was in Kingman and if there was a connection between her and either of the two murder victims.

Early reports stated that the Sister had not been murdered like the other two. She appeared to have died from a seizure or stroke. The final cause of death was still unknown though.

The boy also learned that nothing had been taken from the church, rectory or any other building on the church property. The church was still closed to any one other than law enforcement. The police had no leads as to the motive for the murders or the person or persons that could have been involved. One thing the authorities did know was that Father Castillo was well regarded in the community, and not just by his parishioners or religious people. He was admired by the Kingman people in general for his selflessness and compassion. It seemed impossible to believe that any one would want to kill the man.

Sergio read and listened to the information on the murders. As much as he wanted to believe that he had nothing to do with the events that night, he couldn't. The feel of the two objects he stole were still on his skin. He constantly looked at his palms expecting them to blemish or turn to stone. The boy felt a dark cloud over his soul. Staying home and being a 'good son' to his mother wasn't lightening the weight he felt on him. He couldn't go outside the four walls of his home. He feared that if he tried to walk around town, the authorities would see him and instantly know that he was somehow implicated in the murders. He knew not where those tarnished items were that he unloaded at the market. The boy thought that getting rid of them would make him innocent of any involvement. He thought that being free of those two items would allow him to forget what happened. It did not. He feared that bad luck, or worse, was now befalling on whoever had possession of them. The boy knew that their fate was also on his conscience and on his hands.

Sergio did the only thing a thirteen year old boy of poverty could do. He prayed that he could be forgiven for his horrible sin. He prayed that God would make right the situation. As it would turn out, God had nothing to do with it.

By mid Saturday morning, Seraph knew his latest attempt at reclaiming his life had failed. The demon sent to obtain his grail from the two powerful women was dead. It tormented the creature that he was unable to fight for himself. He knew that had he even half the strength he once had the protectors of his claim would be decimated. He knew this to be true even though the two involved were a slayer and a witch. That fact Seraph had deciphered at the moment of his latest soldier's demise. When he felt that all too familiar 'sense' it was accompanied by the other strong sensation, the one he'd only recently acquired. This time however, the senses were much sharper and very distinct. One was full of rage and its source, that of a slayer, came through to the man. Though never having faced a slayer, Seraph knew of their existence and their 'character.' The other power was there also lingering. A moment's concentrated reflection and Seraph too knew its origin. It was one he'd run into often during his eternity in the universe. "Witches all feel the same," he commented to himself when he realized what it was.

So there Seraph sat on the edge of his motel room bed. He was feeling stronger, much stronger. His eyes were beginning to return to that deep blackness that seemed to go to the bowels of Hell.

"A slayer and witch are now the Vestatu?…Mighty opponents for the final days." In all his searches for his grail, he never had to match against such adversaries. The creature looked straight up and said, as if talking to God, "Have I proved too relentless for you?…Found disfavor in your holy slaves?…Choose who you want. They will not defeat me…You could not vanquish my existence then…and you will not succeed now."

A wave of pride and energy washed over Seraph. He knew he was gaining strength. He was starting to feel like himself again, or at least the best watered down version of his previous greatness.

Seraph got up and walked over to the large mirror on the wall above the bureau. He took off his hood. He examined the reflection for a moment. His face was less haggard; the eyes deepening and hardening by the minute. His hand searched out the back of his head. As he stared in the mirror, he caressed his palm over the metal which had become a part of him for more time than he cared to remember. He lowered his hand and let his jacket fall from his shoulders. His hands then unbuttoned his black shirt. Seraph slowly took the cloth from his torso.

He once again stared at the form in the looking glass. The man's grey skin showed sinewy but strong muscle underneath. But it wasn't this feature that had his gaze. The black eyes of Seraph were fixated on the middle of his chest. For there on his person was a piece of ancient metal similar to that on the back of his skull; three times as long as it was wide, likewise fused to his breastbone. The hand that had soothed the patch on his head was now pressed against the one on his chest.

Those two pieces of metal, the origin of which came from the mines controlled by Satan himself, were the only things that kept Seraph in this or any other dimension. They had been a band-aid on a wound received long before there was even history.

Seraph looked at himself in the mirror. The throbbing in his head and chest had lessened to dull ache. "I will be whole again." The words were said as a commandment.

The tale of Seraph was not one to be told as a bedtime story to a restless child. The creature with the black eyes and long, black coat that had scourged the earth for as long as Man stood erect was not just a frightening figure. Seraph's history was one of betrayal, evil and relentless hatred. It was a story that Man could not accept as true, for to do so would show just how vulnerable God really was…and is.

At the instant of the birth of existence, all was in harmony. The yin and yang, the ebb and flow of that which was and would be were in perfection. A heart beat, or more appropriately the shudder of a beat, was the length of time the flawless state existed. Once gone, reality peeled away into factions and layers, some trying to regain that blessed state, others willing a different view of accord.

And so the story of Good against Evil, God versus Satan, was born. There is that faction of Mankind that believes in the existence of God and Satan as a matter of faith. Their certainty does not come from analysis or satisfied curiosity but because they are told by holy men to believe. So they do, unquestioningly. Others liken the battle to a morality play, not based on truth but meant to instill virtue and admittedly create fear of retribution in the minds and hearts of the young and impressionable. However, to believe that no such tension actually existed, that God and the Devil were just made up metaphors is the gravest mistake of all. For in the beginning, and for all time thereafter, Good and Evil have fought for supremacy.

In modern times, by that meaning from the time Humans have contemplated their reason for being, the conflict has also taken a more internal scope. Mortals have struggled with the good and bad within their own souls. The overt external examples of the ultimate war have been turned into fairy tales and fables for children, or written down in religious books that have been twisted and bent in meaning to accommodate those in power. Even those who do 'believe' cannot grasp the true nature of the fight. Battles rage in their minds as seen on the big screen; they are either the gothic horror story or the summer block buster. Neither depicts the real events; nothing could. The battle between God and Satan in the beginning of time was unimaginable to the small minded mortal. And for that, Humankind should be forever thankful to the universe.

When perfection fell, so did everything so touched by it. The real difference between Good and Evil was the extent of the fall. God, now believed by most on planet earth as being the 'Creator', the 'Omnipotent', was really but one part of the perfect state. God saw and felt much of the harmony even after its cessation. God was at the pinnacle of that true enlightenment and sought its attainment once more. There were those who believed as God did, those whose descent was also not so far from grace. Together, they strove to find the perfection again.

Of course, not all were as close to flawlessness. Some fell so far that perfection was forgotten. Self-protection was the all encompassing drive. Knowledge of complete harmony with all was a new concept. For those, unity and peaceful joy were not craved. On the other side of Good were those for whom chaos and self preservation were the bell tone. They shirked and despised the ways of Good. The worst of such offenders was Satan, known now by so many names – the Devil, Beelzebub, el Diablo and a hundred others. Satan too had his band of followers, all decreeing to the rule of self over harmony.

The conflict began and over the expanse of time, Good and Evil stood toe to toe and waged for the very existence of the universe. As millennia passed, the war grew as did the forces. There ultimately existed two monumental armies faced off in an endless stream of conflicts.

Like every other war, each side was led by a general, the right hand to the leader of each cause. For the side of Good, it was Gabriel, 'the' soldier of God. For Satan, it was Seraph, known by the leader himself as 'The Devil's Sword.' Some say they were angels, but their duty was too gruesome for mere angels, even fallen ones.

Seraph was the epitome of the warrior soldier. He was strong and smart and fearless. He commanded with an absolute iron fist. Many of his own underlings succumbed to his wrath for mere missteps. Seraph was known for being brilliant in the art of military strategy. His absolute evil soul, heart and mind made him the perfect figure to lead Satan's troops against Gabriel and his legions.

Battle they did. For thousands of years, the generals attacked and retreated, regrouped and advanced. The pendulum swung back and forth, victory seemingly in grasp for either side only to be snatched away. The longer the sides battled, the farther the universe drifted from that momentary perfection so longed for by the side of Good. Because of Seraph, God lost many worthy souls. It seemed there was nothing that could be done to defeat him. Every tactical move made by Gabriel was matched by Seraph as if he was planted in the general's mind.

It got to the point that Seraph's name was being chanted and revered by the dark side as much as Satan's. The General knew of his following and his increased popularity. Seraph had begun to think of himself not as an equal to Satan but as the leader's superior. As he fought God's forces, the idea of a coup over the Devil began to swirl in his head. All of darkness was behind him. The side of Good feared him. He had become so indestructible that even God was starting to tremble at the mention of his name.

Finally, it happened. God's forces had been severely weakened and Gabriel forced to retreat to the fortress where God reigned over his kingdom. Seraph mustered all his evil thoughts and plans and made one last push against Gabriel. The entire army of Satan went wild with slaughter. Seraph was seen leading the massacre, striking down all that was before him. Closer and closer he got to Good's final stand. His weapon wore the life essence of an uncountable number of opponents. He had gotten the best of the battle and he could smell victory, not only for darkness but for his shining star.

Just when the General for the Devil thought he had killed his way to Gabriel and ultimate total power, he was blind sided.

Gabriel had been forewarned of Seraph's final tactical strike. It was like being given the opponent's playbook to the universe's most important game. To this day, the source of that information is not known. Some say it was God who told Gabriel of the plans after having begged the universe for a vision. Some say it was Satan who betrayed his General, the fear of an overthrow outweighing the desire to extinguish Good.

From whatever origin, Gabriel took the stake to heart. Unknown to Seraph, the General had retained his best and noblest soldiers to ward off Seraph's army if it reached God's fortress. The rest he commanded to "Fight for God!." As he waited for Seraph's army to reach the stronghold he got sent word of the massacre of most of his soldiers. Gabriel was told how they fought valiantly and took as many of the Devil's soldiers as possible with them. In the end, it was those soldiers' sacrifices that helped save the day.

Seraph sliced his way through to Gabriel's stand. Seraph didn't meet his adversary on the battlefield and allow surrender as a show of mercy. He stormed to the gates of the fortress, weapon held high ready for the greatest kill. His soldiers battered the entrance until it gave way. Seraph saw Gabriel standing at the entry way, sword by his side.

Seraph never made it to kill the mighty Gabriel. When he took his first step to the waiting General, hidden marksmen plummeted Seraph and the remainder of his brigade with blades and arrows forged from hallowed steel and molded by true angels. Satan's General caught several to the body and was stunned long enough for Gabriel to plunge his sword anointed by God into the warrior's side. Seraph fell backwards, stumbling trying to stay afoot until finally he fell to the ground. There he stayed, on his back, with Gabriel looming over him. He knew instantly he had been betrayed somehow; he knew he had been defeated.

The fallen soldier lay there waiting for his reign to end. Defeat was worse than death. He knew only one thing – killing, and if he wasn't the one carrying out the punishment then he would rather meet the same end.

He saw Gabriel reach behind his back and draw out a dagger. It was unlike any he'd seen before. Seraph could feel a presence radiate from it.

Gabriel leaned over the fallen soldier, whose army, those that had not retreated and escaped, looked on around him. God's warrior broke the shafts of several arrows plunged into the warrior's chest. He then put the tip of the blade to Seraph's chest.

"You will know a fate worse than death…and you will thank God when death finally comes for you." The dagger torn into his body.

Seraph felt pain of the likes unknown. It was a pain created especially for him. His black eyes rolled to the back of his head as he felt the dagger cut and shift and brake through bone. What took only moments felt to Seraph like time had stopped.

When he came out of his torment, his eyes drifted down to his chest. There was a gaping crevasse through which he could see his beating heart. He was barely able to look up but when he did, he saw Gabriel holding the stripped piece of his breast bone in his hand.

Gabriel leaned over Seraph again and clutched his head with the hand holding the bone. As the dagger's blade pierced through Seraph's skull, Gabriel commanded, "So that evil thoughts can no longer fill your mind."

Seraph heard the cracking of bone as his victor tightened his grip on the skull. Once again, black eyes rolled and Seraph gave in to the excruciating white light blinding his thoughts. All went black.

When Seraph, the warrior known as the Devil's Sword, regained awareness, he found himself alone on the battle ground far from the fortress. His body was still peppered with the arrows and blades from his defeat. As he shifted his head to scan the surroundings, he saw only his army, dead bodies spewed as far as he could see. He slowly raised his hand to the back of his head. He knew what he would find but he had to do it just the same. On the back of his skull, as was done to his chest, was an oval shaped hole, smaller than the size of his palm. He dabbed a finger inside and felt the meaty texture of brain tissue.

When the reality of his state sunk in, Seraph felt a new sensation. He could literally feel his essence, that glorious evil sustenance that was his very being, oozing from those open wounds. His existence was flowing from him. He could feel his greatness, his complete and utter disdain for righteousness, draining from him out of those fissures in his chest and head.

The great soldier laid there for more than a generation. No one ever came, not even death. Seraph stayed with the corpses, the ones of which he was now jealous. A moment gave way to another and then another. If there had been a sun, the creature would have seen sunrise after sunrise waiting for his disgrace to be over.

Finally, a moment of despair turned into one of acknowledgment that he had not been beaten. He knew he was expected to die. He'd been left with the dead with no second thought. The dagger he carried with him hadn't even been taken. He was supposed to perish, but he hadn't. He was stronger than Gabriel or God had imagined. He was fiercer than even he thought. In that speck of a moment, Seraph realized that he would have won the war, and total power, if not betrayed. He was stronger than his counterpart, stronger than God…stronger than his own master even. In accepting that he wasn't going leave this existence, Seraph grew a confidence that he had to go on.

The warrior carefully got to his feet and stood. The beaten general proceeded to disengage each weapon that had pierced his skin. He scanned the landscape drenched with rotting bodies and sour air. He was alive and had a new direction. At that bloodied ground, Seraph swore to bring himself back to his glory, hunt down the perpetrators of his state and kill them…kill them all.

"I will wipe my enemies off the face of existence and rule as should have been the way." His disdain for God and Gabriel was matched to that for Satan.

Despite his new found strength of spirit, he was still weak of body. He knew he had to retrieve those pieces of bone, that which had been torn from his body, in order to regain his greatness. In order to do that, he had to find a stop gap for his injuries. Seraph started walking. He made sure to be seen by noone. Since he was thought gone, he would remain dead to the world. Only when he was ready to take his rightful place back would the universe know his presence. The soldier traveled, never resting, until he came upon the mountains of the Evro-tu. His destination there was no mistake or happenstance. Seraph purposely made journey to that far away location.

The Evro-tu mountain range was home to Satan's access to the finest and purest metals known to exist. It was from the veins below the range, deep within the strata, that a metal unknown to all but a few was found. The metal was stronger than any steel one hundred times its thickness. In the dead of night, alone from the presence of others, Seraph went into a cave and found a vein of the metal weaving through the side wall of the rock chamber. He clawed and dug and picked until he had the desired amount of the precious metal. He created fire, a trick he had mastered long before, to assist in heating and shaping the metal. He held it in his hand, working it around his palms like he was working bread. The pain from the heat was nothing compared to what Gabriel had done to him. He used his dagger to measure and cut the metals. Finally, after endless hours of shaping and molding, he had two pieces of thin metal shaped like that which had been stolen from him, but slightly larger. One at a time, he placed the sheets to his wounds. More pressing, evil chants and the application of hot embers and the result was the fusion of the make shift plates to Seraph's injuries.

As soon as the metal was affixed, Seraph felt the lessening of the leakage of his power. No longer did his evil nature seep from his heart and mind. He knew his solution would not last forever but it was a start. Being able to store his power made his recovery hasten. It wasn't long before the soldier was ready to be the General again.

"Now, to get back my life." Seraph saw those two pieces of bone as the key to his dominion over the universe. They were to him his grail, his search no different than the Crusades. His first act was to locate the objects.

To his utter surprise, it would take centuries before Seraph discovered the whereabouts of those precious pieces of bone.

It would take many more before he was face to face with a dead Sister Sarah minutes before murdering Father Eduardo.

That story, like the one of Seraph's existence, was also too incredible to be believed.

Staring at his fully dressed self in the motel mirror, Seraph knew that he couldn't stop. He'd been standing there for hours. Despite attempts, he was unable to place the whereabouts of his bones. "They can't be under protection again…I've come too close." Seraph was worried that the Vestatu had placed his fragments under the sacred protection spell that had kept him from knowing their location for hundreds of years. But he discredited that possibility because he hadn't felt that deadening sinking feeling in his gut like he had in past times. On the previous occasions throughout time when the spell had been performed, Seraph felt his essence falter like the lowering of a curtain at the end of a play. There had been no such feeling yet.

Seraph also realized that he stopped sensing the witch and slayer, the keepers of his life, since mid morning. Instead of focusing on a worse case scenario, that being that the Vestatu fled with his bones, the figure kept trying to locate his grail; he hoped the lack of 'sensing' was due to his diminished power and not the items going underground again.

Not wanting to ease his assault, Seraph decided to send more underlings to the women's cabin in another attempt to capture his grail. He commanded his soldiers and sent them out. "Be wary. The Vestatu are hiding themselves and the grail somehow. Attack the cabin and bring my grail to me."

For several hours that afternoon, Seraph waited for his men to return triumphant. When he saw them in the motel parking lot, his strained heart grew stronger. That encouragement soon departed when his minions described their unsuccessful assault.

Seraph let out a mighty wail. "I will kill them!" The man knew he had been thwarted again, but the fight wasn't over.

For the rest of the afternoon and into that Saturday night the Devil's soldier 'searched' for his items. Finally, by mid evening, Seraph caught a slight feel of his grail. More concentration followed with the sensation of the powerful women. He had regained enough power to place their location. All were still at the cabin where he'd sent his minions earlier. He didn't know why he hadn't been able to feel before, but he was grateful he could now.

Seraph realized he had to act. However, he knew that he still hadn't regained his full power. Engaging a slayer and witch would have been certain suicide. Again, he knew he'd have to call on his henchmen to try to recover his articles. But this time he knew that if his underlings failed he would have to make one last stand himself and fight the protectors for his future.

Once again, and for what he knew would be the last time, Seraph called upon his gang of demons. This time he would send all he could to attack the witch and slayer. He'd had enough of trying to regain his greatness out of the watchful eyes of 'those above.' Now was no time for niceties or intricate planning. The women needed to be killed and he didn't care how loud or messy it was.

Seraph's 'gang' appeared before him and received their orders. "First, find my grail…whatever it takes…Get me my keep and then kill the Vestatu!" It was nearing 10pm when the henchmen finally left the motel for the ride to that cabin in the middle of the woods.

As Seraph watched the demons leave, he prayed to all that was evil that they would be successful. He knew however that if they weren't he would finally be ready to take the matter in his own hands. His fight would be made easier he hoped because of the strain of the confrontations that the women had to keep facing with his minions. Seraph would be powerful enough to tackle the women who were protecting his belongings. He would be ready to punish them for accepting the duty of the Vestatu.

Seraph, the sword to the Devil himself, paced in the motel room. 'Does greatness come to me tonight…or do I battle for my future?"

"At least in Sunnydale the demons had the courtesy of only coming out at night." Xander was ranting as he walked around the library at Slayer Central. Jessica was sitting at the long center table watching her husband have a near melt down. Jimmy was also seated at the table likewise experiencing Xander letting off steam.

The Scooby continued. "I mean, really, they don't teach midnight raiding anymore in the demon dimension…What's next?…Apocalypse on Halloween?"

Buffy walked into the room as the man finished his rant. "I think the demon etiquette is intact…I just finished talking to Sally and Beth…" The women to whom Buffy referred were two slayers at the facility that the blonde had sent back to Xander's house to investigate. "They said they found an open drainage outlet behind your house…"

"I think the demons pulled a Spike…You know using underground passages to get places. Your house backs on a city easement that has part of the city's main drainage access underneath…They probably followed it from wherever they started, and then made a dash to your house. Behind your back yard fence is the road with the outlet…The distance to your basement doors isn't that far…remember how Spike would put a blanket over himself if he had to go out in the sun?"

Jessie spoke up. "I don't care how they got to us, I'm just glad we heard them." The woman was still trying to calm down from the events. They'd only been at Slayer Central for about a half hour. The kids were in the entertainment room across the hall watching cartoons.

Xander stopped pacing. "I will never feel bad about not fixing things around the house again. I've been meaning to get to that stupid bulkhead door for weeks."

Jimmy got out of his chair and walked toward Buffy. "Day or night creatures, what they did was aggressive. They were certainly after something…or someone."

'Why would they go after them? They're not slayers…They're still babies." Jessie was horrified by the suggestion.

"I don't know why…But those Kamous were right above your boys' bedroom…Where all the kids were staying, right?" Jessie and Xander nodded. "And they were near you guys at the restaurant last night."

"But they want the chosen…That's you, Buff, or the other slayers." Xander looked at his friend. As much as he didn't want Buffy to be in danger, he couldn't' imagine his boys being targeted. The episode with Nate in New York was enough to make him cringe with the possibility that his boys and Samantha might have to experience a similar nightmare.

"We still don't know if 'chyntio' from the book I read and the demon's use of 'chosen' the other night are translated to mean slayer." Jimmy was now talking to Xander. "And since Buffy wasn't at your house for this last attack, it seems logical that she isn't the target."

"How can three little kids be 'chosen'?" Xander still didn't want to accept the premise being proposed.

"Xan, I hate even having to discuss this as a possibility, but you know we've run into this before…The demons don't care that they're kids…This could be a ritual or something like that."

Jimmy saw that Jessie was getting visibly distraught. "Listen, we aren't one hundred percent sure, but we can't take any chances. You and the kids need to stay here until we get rid of these guys. There's a house full of slayers here…No demon will be able to step foot in this place."

After some more discussion, the group decided that the Harris' and Samantha would stay at Slayer Central. Buffy and Jimmy were also staying the night. Xander and Jessie were given a room on the second floor and the three children were given the connecting room next door. Jimmy and Buffy were two doors down. By 9pm, the boys and Samantha were put to bed. Not too much late, Xander and Jessie were in the blonde slayer's room talking some more.

"We need to let Willow and Kennedy know about this." Jessie was trying to make her husband see that the situation had changed and it was now necessary to let Samantha's mothers know what was going on in Cleveland.

"She's right Xander. This isn't about slayer's anymore…Sam's involved and they have to know."

Xander knew they were right. "I know, I know…I was hoping we could get through this without letting them know we can't keep their daughter safe."

Jimmy stopped the man from talking further. "This has nothing to do with you not being able to keep Samantha safe. She is perfectly safe because of you. None of the kids are going to be in danger…The slayers and everyone else here will make sure of that. But we can't keep Willow and Kennedy in the dark."

"Yeah, I know you're right. But you think the one time they leave her for a few days we could get through it without demon intervention…but noooo."

Buffy was on the same page as Xander. She hated having to give this kind of news to her friends. "It sucks, but it is what it is. So the sooner we talk to Wils and Kenn the better."

"Well, let's get this over with then." Xander took out his cell phone and called Willow's number. He waited. "I got sent to voicemail," he told the others. Then, "Hey, Willow…Umm…when you can you need to call me…or Buff…Don't get worried but we have a little demon problem…like I said I don't want you to freak out, but we need to tell you what's happening here…so please call when you get this message."

Xander ended the call and then called Kennedy's number. He again got sent to voicemail and left a similar message. When done, the Scooby looked at the others in the room. "I forgot. When I talked to Wil this morning she said her and Kenn were going to Flagstaff and then hiking. They planned the whole day for the hike and then to go to her meeting again. She said she'd call us in the morning…" Jessie gave him a stare. "I think Willow is trying to not call us as much…Betcha Kennedy told her all her phone calls were making us think she didn't trust us."

Buffy chimed in. "Either way, she'll call once she gets the message…So at the latest tomorrow morning…which is fine. The kids will be safe here tonight."

The Scoobies finished their discussion and Jessie and Xander were walking to the door to leave Jimmy and Buffy's room. As they opened the door, they were met by Rita, another slayer who lived there. All the slayers there were told of the latest demon issue.

Rita appeared anxious and out of breath. "I just saw the kids outside." Everyone in the room gave her a surprised and unbelieving look. "I was coming up the stairs and glanced out the stairwell window and I swear I saw Nate, Joey and Sammi headed for the garage…I thought I should tell you instead of just going after them…I ran here."

Xander was out the door in a second and went straight to the room where the children were supposed to sleeping. He opened the door to find three empty beds. He turned and faced the others who had followed him. "She's right…they're gone."

Buffy was running down the stairs before Xander could blink an eye. She yelled to Rita as she went. "Get everybody outside!…We have to find them…NOW!"

By the time Buffy got to the front door and opened it, she could hear shouts from Rita calling the other slayers to charge. Buffy ran out the door and immediately looked over to the garage area. Because of the number of slayers and the American obsession with driving, Giles had a building erected that would accommodate ten vehicles. The garage was about twenty-five yards away from the house on the west side of the circular driveway.

The original slayer scanned the place and saw no open bays. However, she did see an inside light on in Xander's minivan that was parked to the side of the garage. "They must be in there," she muttered to herself.

Just as Buffy was ready to calm herself and walk over to get the kids, she saw several of the Kamous demons saunter out from behind the far end of the building. She could tell that they knew about the minivan and were heading to it.

The blonde slayer went on auto pilot. She leapt off the front entranceway and charged right for the group of demons. They never heard her coming until she was on top of them. Buffy used the creatures in the front to act as a battling ram for the ones behind. She pushed all of the demons back and several fell to the ground. They ones still standing were dazed.

Buffy stood there; her body the only thing between the Kamous and three defenseless children. Nothing was on her mind except not letting any one of the demons pass her. As a slayer, the innocents came first. As members of her family, she'd die before allowing those children to be hurt.

Buffy only had time to get into her fighting stance before two of the demons went after her. As she fought them off, three others got up and also joined the fray. Within seconds, the blonde had the entire group of demons facing her. They hissed and muttered some language to each other. Buffy had no idea what they were saying. She gathered it was the plan to take her down.

Before the Kamous had a chance to solidify their attack, Buffy struck. She went sailing into them with a round house kick followed by precision swings of her arms. Her moves caught four demons before they knew what had happened and it sent them to the ground. As she tried to push her assault further, Buffy was struck in the leg by one of the demon's long spindly leg. She tripped and fell to the ground.

The blonde slayer scrambled to get up but was met by seven Kamous standing directly over her. She saw them raise their claw like hands high in the air like a knight readying his saber. Just as Buffy tried to free herself from the inevitable crush of the Kamous' claws, she heard loud screams and a noise that sounded like a thundering herd. Moments later, Buffy saw slayers hurling through the air and tackling the demons that had her surrounded.

The oldest slayer quickly got up to see the entire Slayer Central slayer brigade engaging the demons that had almost killed her. Jimmy was there too doing battle with the creatures. The girls were beating and staking and pummeling the Kamous. The blonde's eyes darted around watching the slayers that she helped teach do what slayers did best…kill the baddies. That moment filled Buffy with pride. The blonde saw her man fighting and had the same reaction. She didn't dwell too long because a movement caught Buffy's peripheral vision. She looked to see a lone Kamous sneaking in the shadows towards the minivan. Buffy saw the inside light was still on. She could also now see that the three children had gotten out of the van and were standing beside it.

Buffy started to the demon. At the same time she saw Xander and Jessie by the front door.

"Xan! They're by your car…Get them!" Buffy said as she ran for the renegade demon. She chased it as it headed for the kids. The children looked very scared. At first they just stood there. Samantha, holding her stuffed animal, looked at the demon and then at her two friends. She pushed Nate who bumped into Joey. The boys started to run behind the van. Samantha looked back at the demon and ran in the other direction, toward the front of the vehicle. The Kamous watched the actions of the three as it ran. It hesitated slightly and then unmistakably changed course and followed Samantha.

Buffy didn't slow her pursuit. She saw the decision the demon made in going after the girl. The blonde slayer pushed harder and caught the thing, pushing it against the front of the garage. She grabbed its arms and twisted them behind its back. Then she gave the demon a strong kick to the gut which doubled the thing over. As its head came down, Buffy brought her knee up again and struck it soundly in the face. She heard a loud cracking sound, the noise the bone structure of a face makes when it's impacted with the force of a locomotive. Green ooze shot out from everywhere on the creature's face. Buffy slid her hands from the demon's arms to its claws and took firm grasp of both. She then swung them both around to the front of the demon and slammed both into the already smashed face. The claws went deep into the head of the thing. Buffy let go and the creature fell dead to the ground.

The blonde didn't hesitate to scan toward the van. She saw Jessie grab the boys while Xander picked up Samantha and scurry them away into the house. Within seconds after that, all fighting stopped. Buffy turned to see her slayers and Jimmy standing victorious. All enemies were dead…or so she thought.

"Buffy, one got away!" It was Rita who was looking off to the side of the garage. "It wasn't in the fight right away. It saw what was happening and took off."

"Rita, Jane, Trish, go after it…Find out where these things are coming from…Every one else check the property. I wanna make sure there aren't any more surprises hanging around." Buffy then looked at Jimmy. "Come on, we need to make sure the kids are ok."

As the two headed for the house, they felt a strange vibration. Both looked at each other and then around. At first, Buffy thought it was an earthquake, but then remembered she was in Cleveland, not California. Then she realized it wasn't the ground that seemed to shake. The motion was caused by a disturbance in the air. It seemed as if the air had turbulence.

"Most definitely…Can't be good…Kill a bunch of demons and then the air shakes."

Buffy nodded slowly. "Right there with ya…Put that on your list of things to research."

The two went inside the house. They walked into the main living room where Xander and Jessie were talking to the children.

"You all went out by yourself to get Sammi's Susie?…Who's Susie?" Xander was trying to sound calm.

The little girl held out her hand which was holding her favorite stuffed elephant, the one she never went to bed without. "It was in…the car."

Talking to Nate, "Why didn't you come ask Daddy or Mommy to get Susie?" Xander knew his son was precocious but he didn't think it applied at nighttime.

Xander closed his eyes in relief and realization. This had been nothing more than a dare between brothers. He turned to his son Joey. "Did you dare your brother to go get it without asking us?"

Xander gave Jessie a quick stare and shake of the head. Talking to both of them, "And how did Samantha end up with you down there?" The Scooby suspected that his boys were actually too scared to go by themselves and made their friend go with them – safety in numbers.

"Don't be mad, Uncle X-xan…I like going with them." Samantha's voice was soft but steady.

The entire group of adults turned to Samantha. They knew she was sticking by her friends. A mini-Scooby force was in the making. Xander couldn't help but smile.

Jessie looked at the kids and knew that they had no idea what they had put themselves in the middle of. They were just trying to get a toy. "Well, we will talk about this more in the morning. You gave us quite a scare tonight…but everything's all better now…So you really do have to go to bed now."

After taking the kids back to their room and making sure they were calmed after the harrowing events, Jessie and Xander put the three to bed. Jessie stayed in the room for quite some time until they all fell asleep. Buffy put a slayer on guard just to be on the safe side.

"Did you see what happened out there?" Buffy said to the rest. They had the expression that they knew the answer but none wanted to say it out loud. So the slayer did. "That demon went after Samantha…not all three, just Samantha." Buffy ran her hand through her hair. "Crap!…Willow and Kennedy are going to go ballistic."

"But we know at least one of those things is still out there…and who knows how many more." Jessie was worried.

"What the hell do they want with Sam?…I thought they're looking for 'the chosen'?" Xander was frustrated.

Jimmy started to pace. "That one demon said chosen…We assumed it meant chosen as in slayer…Obviously, they got the word wrong. Remember the Chronicle said 'chyntio'…unique one. Samantha must have some power we don't know about."

"There's no way that Willow and Kennedy wouldn't have told us if their daughter had a 'special gift,'" Buffy added quickly.

Xander turned to her. "Maybe they don't know…Maybe it's not out in the open yet."

Buffy stared back at her friend. "Maybe only the Kamous know?…But how is that possible?"

Jimmy jumped in. "Right now that doesn't matter. They know and they're after Sam. I'll do more research to see if they have some special talent for seeing the future or sensing unique power. That may help us in getting rid of all of these guys."

After a few more minutes of discussion, they heard a knock on the door and then Rita came in.

"No, all the munchkins are sound asleep…but we've got info on the demons…We tracked the one that high tailed it out of here to an old slaughter house across town. It gave us the slip once inside."

"Alright then…Now we've got something to work with." Buffy sounded more confident. A few more questions and the group had all the information they could gather that night. They knew that they were safe for now, but that after a good night's sleep, they would have to develop a plan to kill the rest of the demons after Samantha.

The meeting over, the blonde slayer looked at everyone. "Better get some sleep while you can. Bright and early, we figure out how to get rid of these rodents for good."

Once alone, Jessie and Xander got ready to try to get some sleep. They knew it would be hard. Both were worried about telling Willow and Kennedy of the turn of events. They also were a bit surprised that they hadn't received a call yet from either.

As Xander turned out the light, "I hope they're having fun now, cuz the party's over as soon as they call us."

'Fun' wasn't exactly the word to describe how the Saturday evening went for the witch and slayer.

"What the fuck?" Walking through the cabin now, Willow knew that Kennedy's initial remark had been on target. After the momentary shock of the ransacked interior, Kennedy and Willow proceeded to go inside. They were cautious and took their time in case they weren't alone. The couple slowly made their way through the entire cabin, satisfying themselves that at least they didn't have to worry about being jumped.

When the two finally accepted that they were not in danger, they were able to really take a look at the condition of the place. It looked like a herd of elephants had gone through. The furniture was overturned and the cushions torn. Drawers from the kitchen cabinets and bedroom bureaus were pulled out and their contents emptied on the floor. Their suitcases had been opened and thrown about the bedroom. Likewise, the souvenir bags had been emptied and many of the objects broken.

Willow couldn't believe what she saw. She dropped her shoulder bag on an empty space on the kitchen counter. As she walked through the debris, she vocalized her disbelief and her idea of what had happened. "This is incredible. The place is in shambles…I betcha it was those demons guys again…looking for the manuscripts." Willow just kept walking around, picking up items and trying to figure out what to do.

The redhead also watched her brunette. Since the utterance made upon Willow opening the door, Kennedy hadn't said a word. She merely stepped into the cabin and began to pace around with a severe look of anger on her face. The slayer didn't speak, but Willow could see the rage building inside her. The brunette came out of the bedroom holding the witch's cell phone. It was broken in two. Willow looked at it in disgust. She had purposely left it in the cabin since the slayer was bringing her phone. Seeing the destroyed electronics, the witch said, "The way we go through phones, we should buy stock in the company that makes these." Her attempt at levity had no affect on Kennedy.

Willow watched as the slayer stopped in the middle of the cluttered living room. The brunette looked around at the mess. She clutched the broken cell phone, crushing it further and stared at Willow for a few moments before turning and beginning to shout.

"That's it!…I've had it!…All I wanted was for us to have a few days alone…Was that so much to fucking ask for?…We've got to put up with this shit!…" Kennedy turned again to look at Willow. "…Why can't we just have a normal vacation?…We deserve it…But of course not…We have to have some stupid shit asshole demons after us…WHEN WE DON'T EVEN HAVE WHAT THEY WANT!…" Kennedy marched over clutter to get to the open door. She stepped outside, threw the cell phone hard into the woods and yelled, "You hear that you morons?…We don't have your fucking manuscripts! SO LEAVE US THE HELL ALONE!"

Willow stood silent and nervous over Kennedy's reaction. She had seen her slayer get that emotionally out of control before. Kennedy had definite reactions to different situations. When she was insecure, she put on her cocky 'I can do anything' persona. When she was emotionally hurt, the brunette erected the Prescott wall that let no emotion out. And when she was angry and frustrated, the spoiled girl prone to tantrums showed. The brunette wore her anger on her sleeve and it didn't take much in the demon department to get her riled up, especially when her plans were being thwarted. Willow looked on as the brunette came back into the cabin and started to replace the furniture and kick the scattered items in the way. She was ranting the entire time. The witch didn't move; she knew enough to leave the slayer alone while her anger worked its way out of her system.

After about five minutes, Kennedy stopped fuming. She had her hands full of magazines and other debris that had been tossed about. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. The brunette lowered her head. Without looking at Willow, "I'll clean up out here…Why don't you go do the bedroom." Kennedy's tone was filled with complete resignation.

The redhead felt bad for her slayer. Kennedy had had such high hopes for their getaway. She had tried so hard to make it a romantic and special weekend for the two of them. Even with the demon problems, the brunette still made the best of the situation. And it had been a great weekend so far.

Willow decided to do something that she would never have done in other circumstances. She was always wary of using her magick for personal reasons, to make the chores of her life easier. She knew how easy it was for that kind of attitude to get "out of hand." She had lived that scenario already. However, this was different. Her slayer acted defeated. There were hours of cleaning time ahead even if she skipped her meeting and helped the brunette, which she knew Kennedy wouldn't let her do. The thought of her slayer spending her night picking up the pieces of the latest demon attack was unacceptable. So, the witch acted.

"Kenn?…Baby?…Please put that down." Willow spoke calmly to her slayer as she went to her, grabbing a broken plant container from her hand. "You're not spending the rest of the night doing this." Willow stared into frustrated brown eyes. "I think a little 'magickal' help is in order."

After saying that, Willow turned in a circle, outstretching her hands and mumbling as she moved. As her hands swept past a part of the room, it instantly went back to how it looked before they left that morning. Nothing was broken and everything was back nicely in their drawers. When done with that room, the witch did the same for their bedroom and the bathroom. Within a few minutes, noone would have ever known that the place had been in such a destructive condition.

As she left to bathroom, the last place the redhead 'fixed', Willow went over to Kennedy who was still standing in the middle of the living room. She took the brunette's hands in her own.

"Everything's back to normal. The manuscripts are gone…Whoever came here must have thought we still had them…They've gotta know now that we don't…I want us to go back to having that nice weekend we were having." Willow wasn't sure what kind of a reaction she'd get from Kennedy. She waited hesitantly for the slayer's response.

"I just wanted us to have a good time…But those demons ruined everything…Why didn't the Council know about the manuscripts?…We coulda gotten through this easier if we'd known." Kennedy's voice had started out reserved but was heating up again by the time she finished. "I'm just so pissed that we have to deal with this crap. I didn't want you to have to worry about anything." The tone was back to regret sliced with agitation.

"Baby, this isn't your fault. Noone knew those stupid papers would be a magnet for demons. But we got rid of them, so we should be ok now…I want it to be ok…so it has to be." Willow put on a smile for her girl.

Kennedy saw how much Willow was trying to make things right. The slayer realized how angry she must have gotten if her actions made her witch use magick to ease her mood. At that moment, Kennedy felt guilty for having gotten so mad. She also felt bad about her childish behavior. She started walking to the door.

Apologetically, "I'm gonna go try to find your cell phone." Kennedy walked out the door embarrassed.

The slayer spent quite some time searching for the redhead's cell phone. She didn't know if Willow's spell in the house would have fixed the phone though thrown in the woods. But Kennedy knew she had to try to find it. She had no luck. The brunette finally gave up and went back into the cabin.

Willow wasn't in the main room. The slayer went to the bedroom but the redhead wasn't there either. Then she heard water running in the bathroom. Kennedy went to the door and knocked.

Kennedy opened the door to find Willow sitting on the edge of the bathtub. The tub was filling with hot water and the top was covered in bubbles. Kennedy could smell a sweet fragrance in the air. There were two glasses of wine which sat on a stool next to the tub. There was a plate of finger sandwiches and fruit also there. The only thing that hadn't been manhandled by whoever broke in was the food in the refrigerator. It was a piece of luck that the slayer's belly would be unaffected by the chain of events. Willow had also found a couple candles and lit them to add serenity.

"That's ok. I was thinking about getting a picture phone anyway…So, we've got some time; how about a relaxing bath?"

The slayer's horrible mood instantly lifted. Despite her rambling and asinine actions, her witch still wanted her to be happy. Willow didn't get mad about her outburst; she understood it.

The women chuckled a bit and then got undressed. Willow got in the tub first followed by Kennedy who positioned herself in front of the witch, with her back to her. The brunette leaned against Willow and felt arms embrace her. The strain of the day for Kennedy melted away. That's what Willow's arms could do for the slayer. Kennedy knew that it was probably assumed by those who knew the couple that she was the protective one, the one that made all the 'bad things' go away. The brunette however knew the real truth. Willow was the strength of the relationship. That gentle soul had the ability to soothe the slayer's aching heart and quell her raging mind with just a touch. The witch was the slayer's emotional compass and Kennedy understood she'd lose her way without that touch.

"Relax, baby…It's been a long day." Willow spoke gently into her slayer's ear.

The women spent the next hour doing nothing but sitting in the warm bubble bath, nibbling on food and sipping their wine. Willow caressed her slayer's arms and stomach and held her tight. Willow could feel the strong hands of her slayer on her legs. In a different situation, the actions would have been foreplay to a romantic water interlude. It wouldn't have been the first time the witch and slayer preformed "underwater acrobatics." But not this time. Kennedy and Willow didn't need sex; they needed closeness of spirit and heart. The simple act of holding and caressing was enough to bring them together. It was a quiet experience, the kind treasured by long term partners. The intimacy attained showed that their souls were still connected. The time together left both women in a blissful state of mind.

After the food, wine and bath, Willow and Kennedy were ready to prepare for the second night of the convergence. There wasn't a call to Xander. That morning, the couple had told him of their day long plans. They talked extra long to Samantha and decided that they would try to go the rest of the day just being together. Willow and Kennedy were going to try to stop being moms for a few hours. They trusted Xander and Jessie enough to know that if anything went wrong, they'd immediately get a phone call. They let the Scooby know that he'd hear from them in the morning.

The slayer told Willow that she would be willing to forego staying like she did the night before. "Tuzi kind of talked us into that one…But you can do this one by yourself if you want." The witch declined the offer. "Kenn, I really liked sharing that with you…I get the impression that you being there isn't by chance anyway." In the end, the couple agreed that if Tuzi White Fox requested Kennedy's presence again, she would stay. By 8:30pm, the women were once again making the walk to the tee pee.

As with the first night, Willow didn't know what to expect. When they got to the place, Willow remembered to pay attention to the structure, to see if there were markings on the outside of the tee pee as there were inside. To the witch's surprise, there were not. In fact, upon closer inspection, the structure looked rather plain. There was only a border pattern around the base of the enclosure and along the flap openings. No one just looking at the thing would have guessed that such incredible feats were occurring inside.

The women were again met by Tuzi. She was holding their flashlight with an understanding look. "I believe this is yours?" Willow felt embarrassed and took it from the woman. Willow and Kennedy had actually gotten to the meeting place earlier than the night before. No one was there yet so the women had a chance to talk more with the Native. What they found out was that Tuzi White Fox was the daughter of a shaman from the Havasupia Tribe to the northeast at the top of the Grand Canyon National Park. Her mother was Hualapai. She lived on the Havasupia Reservation until her father was killed by ATF agents who mistook him for another Native wanted for stealing from local convenience stores. Since age fourteen, the woman had lived the Hualapia life.

As they talked, Tuzi got a receptive expression. "Willow, I feel we were destined to cross paths…One of the translations given by the White Man of my father's tribe is 'Nation of Willows'…I was raised to respect the graceful strength that tree represents…It bends but never breaks…a worthy namesake, don't you think?"

Willow listened to the Native like she was hearing the key to life being told to her. The witch knew that this woman had greatness inside her. She had a command of her 'powers' to a degree unknown by the witch. The Native was calm, gentle and painfully insightful. After giving the couple their flashlight when they first arrived, Tuzi shortly thereafter got a worried look. "Are you two ok?…I sense there's been…friction in your day."

Willow didn't know how the woman could have sensed the day's events. By the time they got to the tee pee, both witch and slayer were in a very good mood. And yet, Tuzi knew.

Not wanting to burden the woman with their problems, Kennedy responded that they'd had a hectic day accentuated by a run in with "difficult people."

Tuzi stared at them with an unbelieving tilt of the head. "If you have any concerns, don't hesitate to come to me. I live down in the ravine. Off the main road, past the twin rocks west of here…These lands hold secrets that, at times, only its servants can decipher."

The couple thanked her for her offer even though they weren't exactly sure what she meant.

Before they knew it, Willow and Kennedy were not the only individuals waiting outside the tee pee. By nine, the other invitees were there and all went inside when directed to by the Native. They were ready to begin their second voyage.

Once inside, all took the same positions as the previous night. Kennedy was next to Willow. She leaned over and whispered in her witch's ear. "I hope Tuzi's doing that weed stuff again…more of that sweaty girl on girl action sounds good right now." Willow discreetly swatted her arm. The blushing witch had a devilish smile on her face when she did it.

Everyone settled in and Tuzi walked into the inside of the circle formed by the visitors to the event. Like before, the woman began to tell the participants what was in store for them this night.

"Welcome again my friends…I hope your journey last night opened your mind to the possibilities of what can be…to your oneness with the universe…Tonight you will experience that connection further…You have not come to this place in time as a lone ship on the sea. You are but one in a long history of mighty vessels to have forged the rough waters of this existence…"

Tuzi kept speaking to the gathering. She told them that they were the sum total of those that had come before. Each had in them the wisdom, joy and loss of the world behind them. "Connecting into that past, to become a part of it…in harmony with it, will allow you to see more clearly the reasons of life and the great mystery called the universe…"

As the Naïve continued to talk, she closed her eyes and began to move her body in a slow motion dance-like manner. Her arms never left her side but her torso methodically swayed as if she were a snake standing on its tip. The movements were so subtle as to be almost unnoticeable. Tuzi's dialogue softened and soon came to and end.

This night's melodic offering was quite different than the previous evening's. Instead of the rhythmic lulling tones of before, the woman's song now was filled with an overt and pronounced beat. It was the kind of chanting that one heard in movies and television shows about Indians. Her voice had that captivating 'DA, da, da ,da, DA, da, da, da…' rhythm so often heard from the Native drum rituals. But it was a sedate and luring stanza, not that of the war path nature. The individual beats were introduced by words to the participants.

Like the night before, the chanting had a hypnotic affect on those in the structure. Soon they were in a state of suspended consciousness. Each was seemingly asleep and yet never more alive.

The Native brought her part to its end. She could see she had initiated the newest journey for her visitors. Tuzi had placed them on the platform for their train ride into the past. Whether those in attendance stepped on board for the ride and how far they traveled was up to them.

Tuzi ended her song. She walked to the opening of the structure and turned to the enchanted group.

Willow found herself amidst a cushion of mist. She felt like she was standing on ground made of cotton balls. As she scanned around her, there was nothing to show her the location; the witch saw only pale grey dense fog. She could tell she was no longer in the tee pee, but other than that, she was clueless. Then, directly in front of her, the mist parted as if being blown away by a deep breadth. In the distance, the redhead saw a small opening in the parted mist, like the entrance to a tunnel. As she looked on, the item became bigger and closer, as if it was moving towards her. Finally, the entrance was directly before her. It was black inside; not even the light around her penetrated its façade.

The witch somehow knew that this was not a doorway for her to enter. Her instincts told her that she was the audience in this play and that the storyline would come to her. Willow just waited and concentrated on Tuzi's words…"Meet your past…"

From within the nothingness that encompassed the entry, a pinpoint of light appeared. Willow squinted her eyes to concentrate on that spot. The redhead noticed that it started to grow larger. As it grew, she also saw that the speck was vibrating. Upon further study, the witch realized that the expanding light was not a light per se at all. It was something coming towards her, at an exceptional rate of speed.

Willow stood there unable to move as the picture grew larger and closer until she was able to make out the landscape of a lake and rainforest rushing at her like a scene from a 3-D movie. The landscape flew by her out of the tunnel; she felt herself being pushed back by the force of it. Willow wondered if this was how it felt standing next to a high speed train.

The redhead looked around and found herself in the middle of the landscape which only moments before raced by her. She didn't see the tunnel any longer.

A sound caught her ear. She turned to the left and saw a figure by the edge of the small lake. The sight stunned her for Willow did not see the form of a human being, at least not one that looked like any person she'd ever seen. The creature crouching at the water's edge was small, much smaller than the redhead. It wore clothes but only animal skin around its waist. The thing was positioned so that Willow could see it was female. Its breasts were bare. As the redhead gazed upon the form, it carried on its actions, unaffected by the witch's presence. Willow saw her put her hand in the water and move it around. Seconds later the hand reappeared holding what looked like weeds.

Then the thing stood up and turned around. Willow was able to see her completely. The creature before her was human. Willow thought back to her high school days and remembered her lessons on the evolution of Man. She studied the features of the woman and catalogued her memories to those days in class. The redhead finally placed the woman as the lineage of Man known as Homo Erectus.

This was the first species of humans to migrate from Africa during the Pleistocene glacial period. They were widely disbursed in the time frame of over one million years ago. They inhabited the regions of southeastern and eastern Asia until approximately 300,000 years ago. These people walked the earth in modern day Europe, India, China and Indonesia. Homo Erectus had a large face and thick skull, brow ridges and a forehead that receded. The species also had a similar body structure to modern day humans. Being able to construct tools, such as hand axes, was within their capacity. They also made use of fire and occupied caves.

The redhead was astounded at what she was viewing. This was the beginning of Humankind on earth. Then something more extraordinary took her breath away. The woman took the weeds from her hand and lowered them to her torso. It was then that Willow saw a wound on the woman's stomach. It was a deep wound, one that had been there for a while. The woman covered her injury with the weeds and then started to…chant. It was more guttural sounds than real chanting but Willow could tell that's what she was doing. The redhead saw the woman close her eyes and control her breathing.

After several minutes, the sounds stopped and the woman let go of the vegetation. To Willow's amazement, the wound was healed. The woman took a deep breath, let it out slowly and started to leave her spot at the edge of the lake. Willow watched her disappear into the thick woods of the rainforest.

The redhead couldn't move. She stared at the spot where the woman disappeared. Her mind was racing for a reason for her seeing this. Eyes darted as her mind went through the possibilities.

This was the first mystic, or one of the first; the one that started the magickal connection for all that followed. It seemed appropriate that the act performed was one of healing. The prime motivation was good, to heal and protect.

Then she felt a shaking underneath her. It was how it felt when Sunnydale was being swallowed up. The redhead began to panic. She hurriedly glanced around and saw the tunnel opening morph into view again. Just as quickly, the redhead felt the wind begin to rush by her again, taking the location she was in with it. The speeding train was on the move again. The witch held her ground as colors sped by her. Everything was moving so fast that she couldn't tell if she was passing through more points in time.

This time Willow found herself in the middle of an old city, a dirty, foul smelling city. The buildings looked different. She knew they were not modern. Most seemed to be made of wood or rock with plaster. She also was not alone. There were people all around but none knew she was there. Willow heard them talking to one another. It was not English she heard but…Spanish. But no Spanish she knew.

There was a commotion to her left and she turned her sight to see. The redhead saw several men, dressed in armor, appear from around a corner. Two of the men were holding a woman between them by the arms. They were dragging her. The woman was beaten and bleeding from wounds all over her body. The soldiers in the back were shouting; it was obvious their remarks were directed to the woman.

Willow examined the uniforms of the men. She studied their body armor and helmets. There was a large cross crafted into the middle of their chest armor. 'They're Crusaders,' the witch told herself. As the group marched by her, Willow saw a sign hanging around the woman's neck. There was a symbol on it. Willow instantly knew what it meant. She'd seen it many times in her studies of the history of her craft. The symbol was one used to mark a woman as a witch. It was the sign placed at the bottom of a wood heap just before an accused witch was burned at the stake.

The soldiers and their captive went by and soon rounded another corner. Willow couldn't stand still. She followed them. As she peered around the walkway where they went, the redhead saw a small town square. In the middle of it stood a wooden pole with chains attached to it surrounded by cut timber. It waited for the woman. There was a masked person off to the side holding a torch.

Willow couldn't look any longer. She hurried back to her original spot and begged for the scene to change.

The ground began to move again. Willow silently gave thanks. Time and history made its move once more. Again, Willow found herself in a different point in history, witnessing a moment in time of yet another witch. The scenes kept coming, the redhead seeing the myriad of experiences shared by those of her lineage.

With each passing occurrence, the witch gained more insight to her ancestors. She felt a connection to them, with them. The witch began to feel their pain and joy and heartache. She saw their struggle, their victories, their defeats. These women were no different than Willow. They had all lived in their existence, their place in the universe. The witches throughout time had managed their craft as best they could, trying to fend off a frightened and vengeful society that thought them evil.

The scenes sped by faster and faster; the faces etched in her mind. Willow's voyage ended when the tunnel's spot stopped in Sunnydale High School. Willow saw herself sitting on the floor, candles around her. The slayer scythe was in front of her. Kennedy stood off to the side.

Willow watched as she performed the spell. She became amazed as she saw the light of pure goodness engulf her. The white hair, the serene expression. Willow now realized the power of all the witches that came before her passed through her body that day. It was because of those who came before, because of their sacrifices that she had the power of a goddess that day.

Willow was consumed with gratitude and pride. She truly was a part of a magnificent group of human beings. Their quiet brilliance over the span of time had kept the world from spinning out of control. Willow was never so proud to be a witch.

The redhead opened her eyes and stared directly at Kennedy. The slayer was sitting in front of her looking concerned. "Hey. There we go…back to the land of the conscious…For a second, I thought I was going to have to knock on your noggin." Kennedy was smiling at her witch.

The witch blinked a few times. She realized she was back in the tent. The ride was over and she was back to the present. She didn't speak. She gave her slayer a peaceful look and then got up. Kennedy followed.

Willow glanced around and saw that she and Kennedy were the only ones on the tee pee. "Is Tuzi gone?"

The witch started for the exit. Kennedy once again followed. She could tell that the witch had had a profound experience.

Once outside, Willow found Tuzi White Fox standing next to a large boulder. She walked over to her. The redhead tried to say something but she couldn't find the words to start.

The Native nodded. "I know…That was who you are Willow…You are as much a part of them as they are you…and if they are a part of you then you are a part of that time…your existence is as fluid as the water that flows through the Canyon…Your ability is only as limited as your capacity to see beyond the now…"

"I know what I saw…and what I felt…but will it stay with me?" Willow sounded like a child scared that her security would be taken away.

"Time is all that's needed…Clarity doesn't come overnight…You didn't get this powerful with the snap of a finger…but you did get to this point…It has to come in its own time."

The event came to its end. Willow contemplated Tuzi's words as she and Kennedy walked back to their cabin. The slayer held her witch's hand the entire way. In her other hand was the flashlight. But it wasn't needed. The near full moon shown brightly in the Arizona night sky. Even with the canopy of trees, the couple had a natural berth of light to aid in their trip.

As they walked, Willow remained silent at first. She was still trying to process the night's event. Then she glanced at her brunette.

"I can see that. You looked pretty amazed back there." Kennedy squeezed her girl's hand.

Willow looked at Kennedy more directly. The slayer didn't seem to be as captivated as she was. "Was it not a good night for you?"

From the slayer's short answer and tone, Willow could tell that Kennedy didn't have the same type of experience and didn't feel like expounding on it.

"I'm sorry that it wasn't good." Willow felt bad that her slayer wasn't as happy of the night's outcome as she was.

The witch wrapped her arm around her slayer's and they walked the rest of the way back to their cabin in silence.

Once they were in the cabin, Kennedy put the flashlight on the counter next to Willow's shoulder bag. The bag had been there since their return to the cabin.

"Guess we won't need this tomorrow…It'll be a full moon…even brighter out than tonight." She then kicked off her shoes and went to the fridge. "You hungry?…I could eat…Want a sandwich?" The slayer was bent at the waist, her head almost inside the opened appliance. "There's ham and turkey…" Kennedy laughed. "Probably not turkey, right?…You'll think I'll get kinky with it…Ooo, there's chocolate syrup in here…Wonder if there's ice cream?"

Willow listened to her slayer. She had done nothing but listen and watch her girl since they got inside and shut the door. Green eyes followed the brunette as she walked across the room. They saw the fluid movements of the slayer, the graceful way her body reacted. Willow noticed how even in everyday life Kennedy was a masterpiece in motion. The girl was as close to grace on earth as anyone could get. Willow loved that the slayer wasn't even aware of her near perfection. To be sure, Kennedy knew she was beautiful and a very sexual being. But what Willow saw was something else. It was a satisfaction in one's self.

Even the banal conversation by Kennedy put the witch on notice. There was a quality to the slayer's voice, a resonation that made one want to listen to her. It was as if her discussion of food was expounding on life's mysteries.

Those few minutes of just letting Kennedy be herself brought out an emotion in Willow. A feeling of need welled inside her. The witch knew she was lucky to have the proud slayer as her partner for life. The brunette was a complicated mix of past disappointments and indulged desires. She was a contradiction – hard to the outside world yet fragile to the point of breaking with Willow. She was outwardly sensual but explicitly loyal to the witch. She believed in her abilities with an almost blind allegiance, but shattered with doubt when proved of human make-up. The girl was never boring and more than occasionally frustrating. Willow, frankly, could not imagine her life without the woman. She loved Kennedy completely, with all her charms and ills.

Seeing Kennedy bending over into the fridge brought another 'feeling' in the witch. Willow loved Kennedy's body and their years together hadn't altered that fact. The redhead walked over to her girl as she rambled on. She stood behind the slayer and placed her hands on the back of the woman's thighs. She slowly traced up her legs, over her backside and across her back. Then she leaned over as she moved her arms around the girl. Hands didn't bother with the waist. They found their destination on the slayer's breasts. Willow leaned against the slayer's back. She slowly moved her hands as she ever so slightly swayed her body against the brunette.

"I'm pretty sure what I want isn't in there." The seductive tone of the redhead matched that of the slayer on her best day. Willow started to kiss the nape of Kennedy's neck.

Though Willow couldn't see, her actions and words had a profound effect on the brunette. She closed her eyes and let Willow's hands and body bring her to arousal. With the addition of soft lips on her neck, a desire emerged from the slayer that had nothing to do with food.

Kennedy went to turn around but Willow stopped her. Whispering in her ear, "Uh…no moving." Kennedy felt one of Willow's hands leave her breast and push the refrigerator door closed. The witch's hand then went back to its previous occupation. The slayer's hands which were on her knees went up and pressed against the closed door. She stood there letting Willow do as she wanted.

The redhead's hands traveled across her slayer's body. They pressed against the firm contours of her stomach and sides. As she did, the witch pressed harder against the girl. Soon, one of the witch's hands was under the slayer's blouse while the other navigated to the slayer's waistband. One hand pushed the slayer's bra up off her breasts; the other's fingers numbly undid the brunette's zipper. Hurriedly, the hand disappeared. The witch continued to kiss and suckle on the slayer's neck and earlobe.

Kennedy's body was screaming. She loved it when Willow took control, when the witch's desires overflowed and necessitated dominance over the slayer. Willow was a masterful lover. She could make the slayer's body hum with her touches and taunts. This feral need in the witch always drove the brunette into a sexual frenzy. Her body cried for release as she craved more from the witch.

Willow got more pronounced in her actions. She rocked against the slayer, building a rush of feeling in her own body. Her kisses were strong and hard; she was starting to feel the electricity on her flesh. She attacked the slayer's breasts, massaging and squeezing them, running her fingertips and palm over the erect, hard nipples. She could feel Kennedy rock against her movements; she heard moans deep from the slayer's throat.

Every time the slayer tried to move, to touch the witch, Willow pushed more firmly against the girl, demanding her submission…and the slayer obeyed. This was Willow's night to take her slayer.

When Willow's hand went down the front of the slayer's pants, the witch also pushed a leg against one of the slayer's, making the brunette widen her stance. Upon being given access, Willow went directly to work. She pressed and rubbed. The slayer was already fully aroused.

As the witch increased her actions, stroking harder, kissing more uncontrollably and massaging deeper, the sounds of the slayer's delight grew. Each new groan brought on more pleasure from the witch. When Willow finally entered Kennedy, a hard thrust, the slayer could take no more. Willow had driven her to the edge of sensation. There was no place to go but over.

With that initial force inside her, Kennedy exploded. Her orgasm ripped through her. Muscles contracted to the point of blissful blinding pain. Bronzed hands had no choice but to reach out searching for something to steady her. The slayer couldn't hold back the sounds of her pleasure and she groaned and moaned as she stuttered out, "F-F-F-U-U-C-K-K!"

Willow kept barraging her slayer with fingers and hands, lips and tongue. She didn't slow as her girl bucked and cried out. She kept her assault on the woman, waiting to hear the sounds of contented completion and the feel of the spasms decrease.

When she did, though, Willow didn't retreat. The witch didn't let her slayer 'bask in the afterglow.' The only thing Willow enjoyed more than making love to her slayer was making love to her a second time. The redhead was amazed at how quickly and easily the slayer reached a new arousal. She didn't know if it was a slayer thing or just the girl's sexual make-up. Willow didn't care.

The redhead firmly turned the slayer to face her and pulled her down to the floor. She pulled the blouse off her brunette and then undid her bra and threw it behind her. Willow pushed the slayer back on the floor. She cruised her mouth down the honey toned body, tasting the sweat as she went. When she came to cloth, Willow sat up and grabbed at the slayer's pants. She yanked on them until the slayer raised her hips. Both trousers and panties came off in a hurried manner and thrown to the side. There was no time for sweetness. The gentle, reserved Willow had been overtaken by a lust-filled sexual being not content with stopping at one orgasm for her wonderful wife.

Once naked, Willow dove into Kennedy's center. She could still feel slight tremors from the slayer's initial release. The witch didn't hesitate. She quickly brought her girl to the edge a second time and fervently pushed her over. Willow clung to her lover as the release rolled over the slayer again. This time, Kennedy called out her wife's name as she drug raked fingers through crimson hair. Kennedy was in a state of delirium. She strained as the ripples of her release kept shooting through her body.

The women were both lost in their actions when the sound of footsteps reached the front porch and the cabin door flew open.

Her mind registered nothing. The only thing Kennedy was conscious of was the euphoric feeling of her orgasm. Her body was a sphere of electrical impulses coursing through her. It felt glorious. Only Willow could bring her to such heights.

The loud noises and heavy footsteps came to her as distant sputters of sound at first, like they were trying to force their way into her feeling of total abandonment.

The crashing sound of the opened door against the wall brought reality back to her. Then she heard another loud slam as the door swung back hard and hit into a figure that pushed it aside again.

In synchronicity, the slayer and witch turned their love drunk heads towards the obnoxious sounds. That's when they saw the demons entering the cabin. Neither of the two initially registered what was happening. In a flash, though, it sunk in.

"Holy, shit!…What the?…" the brunette sputtered as she looked wide eyed at the intruders.

In a breath's time, the witch and slayer had gone from extreme sexual gratification to disbelief and complete surprise. The fight and flight response both took over.

Kennedy scrambled to push Willow off and behind her while she shoved and crawled on the floor away from the demons. The two women jostled on the floor trying to get distance from the demons while searching for cover. They finally made it to the couch and stood up facing the creatures which were still coming inside. The last one in grabbed the door's edge and slammed it shut. They were the same type of demons they'd run into the last two days. The only thing that separated the couple from the enemy was a couple pieces of furniture and forty feet.

Kennedy stood there naked, her hand clenching Willow's, racing for a reason for the outburst and a quick plan. "You guys are rude bastards, aren't you?"

The demons, once inside, quickly looked around. They were startled by the women's location and swift retreat. It took but a moment to engage their targets' location. They knew why they were there. Their orders were clear: find the master's belongings, whatever it took, then kill the protectors.

Kennedy and Willow braced for an ambush. They had been taken by surprise and knew that gave the demons the upper hand. They stared and waited for the attack. There were at least fifteen of the creatures standing at the other side of the room. None moved.

Willow leaned ever so slightly toward Kennedy and whispered, barely moving her lips. "Why aren't they coming after us?"

Kennedy didn't respond. She was staring at the demons trying to figure out their plan. She saw that they were scanning the room. Just as quietly, "They're looking for something."

Finally, one of the demons seemed to gesture to several others. Those began to move about the room while the rest made a jump for Kennedy and Willow.

There were too many demons and they were too close for the couple to make an escape. Kennedy grabbed Willow by the arm and tried to run for the bedroom but didn't make it. Four demons knocked them down. Two had Kennedy pinned to the floor and two had the witch by the neck, shoving her against the wall.

The demon that seemed to be the leader shuffled over to the slayer and leaned down to her. "Wwuurre?"

"Leave her alone!" Willow yelled as she struggled to free herself from the demons' grip on her.

The leader looked at Kennedy again. "Wwurre?" His spit fell on the brunette's face. The creature slid his razor sharp nail down the slayer's face and stopped at her throat. The nail made a red mark as it went. Then the demon tilted his head up to his companions holding Willow. It jerked its head and the other demons put their talons to the witch's temples. The main demon cocked its head again to the slayer.

Kennedy was frantically trying to free her arms, to do anything to let her get to Willow. She glanced and saw several others demons searching through the cabin again. She realized that the creatures were back for the manuscripts.

The slayer gritted her teeth. She wanted nothing more than to obliterate every demon there. But she knew for Willow's sake she had to play this smart, find her spot to make a move.

"We don't have what you want…We don't have the manuscripts." The slayer attempted to hide the shear anger in her voice.

The demon tilted its head. Kennedy noticed that it looked like a dog did when there was a high pitch sound. It eyes squinted and the demon howled.

"AAAGGGHHH!" The thing swung at the slayer, hitting her across the face. "VESH-TATU!…TELLL NOW!"

With that screech, the demons holding the witch pushed their nails into her skin, causing a trickle of blood to flow down the sides of her face.

Kennedy thrashed about so much that she was able to get free from her enemy's grip. The slayer hurriedly stood up and dove at the demons holding Willow. She knocked their arms away from the witch and grabbed the redhead, shielding her form the creatures. She could see that behind the demons confronting her and Willow, others were still searching the house.

"Leave her alone!…We don't have your God damn papers!…There gone and you'll never get them!" Kennedy still didn't know how she was going to get out of their predicament, but she knew she'd go down fighting.

The creatures that were looking through the cabin became noisy and kept squawking at the leader. The leader went crazy. It screamed, "Vesh-tatu!" The thing screeched at the couple. "N-no pappas…Givve…bock…mass-terrr!" It then lunged at the couple.

Just when the creature should have landed on the witch and slayer, its body was somehow diverted in mid air. It collided into the demons that had been holding Willow. Kennedy saw a delicate hand reached out from around her side. She turned her head to see Willow with a concentrated look.

There was no time to talk because the other demons in the cabin realized what happened and decided to cease their hunt. Kennedy and Willow now became their main concern and target.

Kennedy had Willow behind her as she ran for the door, her arm out in front of her like a pro football tackler. As demons tried to stop them, the brunette kicked and lashed out with her arms. She pushed demons into one another and used the furniture and tables as weapons. The forty feet across the room seemed like a mile.

Willow did what she could. She threw energy spheres at the demons when she had an open target. She was able to wound several.

The couple clawed and scrambled their way to the front door. Once there, Kennedy twisted around so that she was facing the demons again with Willow between her and the door.

"Let's go, Wil!" the slayer shouted as she kept fighting and keeping the creatures at bay.

Just then, the lead demon came out of nowhere and tackled the slayer from the side. They went crashing into the kitchen counter knocking Willow's shoulder bag off the top and onto the floor. The slayer and demon landed on top of it. Kennedy felt a sharp pain on her back. The combatants struggled some more. They rolled over trying to get the advantage over the other. Willow's bag got pushed out from under the slayer and Kennedy unknowingly kicked it. Its contents spilled all over the floor. The present that Kennedy bought Willow came out of their protective tissue and slid on the floor only to stop when they hit the edge of the bottom cabinets by the stove.

The head demon turned and fixated on the items. It had Kennedy by the shoulders but let go. The other demons also looked at the objects.

After a moment of suspense, the lead creature turned back to the slayer. "VESH-TATU!" It yelled at her. Then it threw the brunette off the floor and in the air as it went for the two items.

The creature was inches away from the objects when they disappeared. It clutched at nothing. The thing was motionless on the floor, shock on its face. It twisted around to see the two items in Willow's hand.

The demon shouted something to its followers and all made the move toward the witch. They hadn't made it a foot when they all stopped in mid motion.

In the time it took for the demon to go for the items and them to disappear, Kennedy landed on the floor and sprang to her feet. Seeing the demons still like statues, she jerked her head in the redhead's direction.

Willow was standing there with the objects in the palm of one hand and the other outstretched, her fingers on that hand trembling. Kennedy saw the intense look on her face that she knew meant the witch was doing a spell.

The redhead took another quick look. "Suspension spell…This one came pretty quick to me…Tuzi must be right…just need time…Now what, babe?"

Kennedy didn't have to think about her answer. "We kill them…can't let them go…Will they stay like that?…I can get a knife…" Willow didn't let the slayer finish.

The slayer gave a disapproving look. "Start a demon bonfire in the middle of these nice dry trees ready to go all blazy and burn down the whole area?"

The witch crinkled her nose. "Right, causing the destruction of the Grand Canyon National Forest, probably not so good on the resume."

The women stood there for a few seconds. Finally, Willow spoke. "Geez, you think we were picking out new furniture or something…This shouldn't be this hard."

Kennedy perked up. "Wait!…How about you vanquish them somewhere to die…some demon prison inferno dimension?"

The witch thought about that suggestion. She nodded her head. "I could do that."

Kennedy walked over to Willow and took the two objects she was holding. The witch then started to chant and shortly thereafter the demons disappeared in a light puff of smoke.

Willow stared at her slayer. "Umm, Kenn?…You think maybe we should find you some clothes?"

It was only then that the brunette remembered that she was completely naked. "Shit!…those jerk-offs saw my tits and ass."

Kennedy quickly went into the bedroom, got some clean clothes from her suitcase and put them on. She and Willow sat on the bed. The redhead had cleaned off the small wounds to her face. They weren't as bad as she thought. The witch was holding the 'present.'

"Guess the manuscripts weren't what those guys were after…after all." The redhead examined the two objects. "What the heck are these things?…And what makes them so important to have a entire gang of demons trying to get them?" Willow traced her finger over the edge of the bowl like object. She stopped her movement and looked at Kennedy. "Hey, I don't remember this crack here." She showed the spot to the brunette.

Kennedy looked at it and then ran her hand to her back and lifted her shirt. "I mustuv landed on it when me and the head freak were fighting." She turned slightly to show the redhead. Willow examined the slayer's back and saw that there was a red mark in the same pattern as the bowl's edge.

The brunette retorted, "Hey, is it my fault they don't make unknown demon bowly thingies like they used to?"

Willow carefully studied the objects. All joking stopped. The redhead spoke to the brunette. "We need to call Giles about this."

Kennedy knew Willow was right. The whole time they were worried about the manuscripts being the problem, the real danger was in Willow's shoulder bag. The slayer also knew one other fact.

"First, we need to get out of here…now. We don't know if there are any more of those demons after these things. We're not safe here."

Kennedy thought for a minute. "Tuzi. She said she'd help if we needed it. Maybe she might know what these things are."

Though it was almost 2am, the witch and slayer knew that they had to take the Native up on her offer of aid. The couple quickly threw some clothes in a suitcase. Kennedy found her pants that Willow had ripped off her during their earlier sexual romp and took her cell phone out of the back pocket along with her wallet. Willow placed the bowl and knife like objects in her shoulder bag and they headed for the door. The slayer grabbed the car keys.

"How do we get there?…She lives in the ravine…Do we even know where that is?" Willow didn't know how long it would take for them to find the woman's home.

"Something's gotta be open in town…It's not closing time yet for the bars, is it?" Ultimately, Kennedy knew she'd drive all night down every road if that's what it took. "Don't worry. We'll find her."

The witch and slayer walked out of the cabin. As Kennedy closed the front door behind her, "All in alI, an eventful night…I can't believe you ripped my pants off…You can be so naughty…"

The figure in the long, black coat and black hood paced in the motel room. From side to side he went, arms folded in front of him. The waiting was the worst part. He had always been one of action, putting ideas and plans in motion himself. On the battlefield he led the charge against his enemies. Never would he have been caught at the back of his men's charge, letting them do the killing while he "strategized" out of harm's way. The creature loved the kill, the act of squeezing the life out of another being. There was nothing more glorious than that.

Now, he was reduced to waiting to see if others could even come close to matching to the ferociousness that he once possessed. He dreamt of the day that he got his being back so that he could once again wield the magnificent and awe inspiring butchering tactics that made him the terror of the universe all those thousands of years ago. Seraph paced and waited.

"A-a-a-g-g-g-h-h!" he cried as he fell to the floor clutching at the back of his skull where the ancient metal was. Seraph hadn't felt pain like that in so long. It hadn't been since Gabriel's rape on his skull and chest that such throbbing racked his senses. The figure lay on the floor curled up, too much in shock to move any further.

Then as quickly as it came, the throbbing subsided until all he felt was a low ache. Pain to be sure but of the kind he could easily bare. Breathing heavily, Seraph got off the floor and stumbled to the bed. He fell sitting at the end.

The creature could feel the sweat dripping down his face and the flush of blood wash over him. He finally steadied himself. He stared into nothingness trying to decipher what had just happened to him. He got an overwhelming feeling that harm had come to that part of him in the Vestatu's control. "What have they done?" he said hardly able to speak.

Not too much longer and Seraph got that familiar 'feeling' again…death. This was different though. The figure sensed a pulling sensation to his legion, like they were being taken from him in a way worse than mere death. Then he sensed the demise from an inferno of Hell's fire. He could almost smell its consumption. It lasted only a few moments, but the creature understood what occurred. He'd been in Hell enough times to know its stench. His minions had failed for a final time. Somehow, his soldiers had been transported out of this dimension only to die a gruesome death in another one feared even by demons.

"Vestatu," he whispered. Seraph concentrated through the low pulsating pain in his brain. He reached out to the pieces of his body taken from him. The figure waited; he waited for his grail to call out to him. It did.

What Seraph perceived was like the cries of a small child searching for lost parents. As he took the sensation in, it became clear to the creature of evil what had happened. He sensed a fracture in his skull bone, a loss of the integrity of his very being. As he 'looked', Seraph knew that the slayer had damaged his body. She was the reason for his diminished strength now.

But he saw more. The figure felt the witch's hand in the vanquishment and death of his charges. She kept his soldiers from regaining his glory. The feeling of righteousness that swept over him from the power of the witch and slayer made him sick.

In the span of a few minutes, not even a noticeable speck in the history of the universe, the slayer and witch had stolen victory from his grasp and handed him an even greater defeat.

Seraph turned his eyes upward. "You will not defeat me!…I have come too far to let your precious Vestatu steal this from me…They will not be the end of me!"

The story of Seraph's campaign to retrieve his skull and breast bones started in the sewer of death's land. He never realized, when he forged the ancient metals to his body, that the journey to find his objects would encompass a never ending cat and mouse game against the most secretive protectors that ever existed. The Devil's Sword never expected the Vestatu.

After Seraph regained his strength by the fusion of the ancient metals to his body, he set out to find that which were to take their place. He kept his mission as secretive as possible. Though noone ever came to claim his body on the battlefield, or even to confirm his death, Seraph wasn't positive that all assumed him gone from existence.

Little by little over thousands of years, the figure gained information on the defeat of "The Devil's Sword" to the hands of God's warrior, Gabriel. He never gave a name or allowed anyone to get too close or too familiar to realize his identity. Seraph always outfitted himself in the long, black coat. He always wore the hood when in the presence of others. The figure made sure that noone ever saw the metals fused to his body. His main reason for doing so was to make certain that noone ever saw or thought him injured or weak. If anything, his appearance made him seem more dangerous and deadly.

Seraph carefully and slowly milked information from anyone that had any to give. Even though he was covert in his methods, the fallen general had not lost his evil streak. Killing was employed when necessary to obtain facts. There were times when he tortured just to let him feel the glory of the old days.

After the passage of much time, Seraph learned that his grail had been hidden and was protected by guardians hand picked by God. In the beginning, God kept the bones, knowing that, though Gabriel had proffered victory, evil was never that easily defeated. God's protective power was enough at first to shield its presence from the Devil's right hand.

The creature also learned that despite all attempts on his part to hide his existence, God had found out he was not vanquished. His pieces of bone, which before were kept as reminders of the price paid for true blackness of the soul, were now seen as the most potentially destructive objects in the universe. They could not be destroyed for they were born of the universe itself. God understood, though, that if Seraph ever reunited with his own then the vengeance he would extol on all that was Good was incalculable. The return of those pieces of bone to Seraph's skull and chest would unleash the very essence of Evil itself and bring an end to the world as known. God realized that Seraph's next battle would not be lost; he would never be fooled twice.

Because the fate of all that was rested upon keeping those two small objects from Seraph, God knew that the bones had to be protected properly. God commissioned the holiest of holy to be guardian over them. Those chosen were not angels or soldiers or even men of importance. They weren't men at all. God called upon a highly select group of women to be the protectors of the grail. They were named the Vestatu, vessels of protection, spiritual women that had been blessed with the gift of blind devotion to secrecy and a heightened sense of loyalty to the cause. They were magickal only in the sense that, with a special prayer, they could hide the most evil of objects from the view of seeking eyes. The Vestatu were charged with keeping Seraph's bones from not only his grasp but also any other Evil that wanted them as a bargaining piece.

In the beginning, there were many Vestatu at one time watching over the pieces. They would move often and hide the objects in unknown parts of the world. As the centuries passed, Seraph's grail became known more as a legend than fact. Over time, the bones along with the Vestatu were but one more fairy tale, mystic story and unbelievable legend of the universe's beginnings. The Vestatu could not have planned it out better. Interest in the pieces died when their existence turned from fact to fiction.

However, the only one who remained unchanged was Seraph. Over the millennium, he hunted for his pieces. He wasn't able to get any closeness to them. They were as if they never existed. It was centuries before the figure even learned of the existence of the Vestatu. The knowledge of them only came after the very painful torture of several Asian monks who had peripheral information. Once known, though, Seraph hunted down facts like a bloodhound on the trail of a fox. The only thing the creature could find out, however, was that the prayer spoken by the Vestatu to shield the objects was all powerful, like placing a prize at the center of the earth. It was then that he realized why he hadn't really 'felt' his objects before. Every now and then, Seraph got a sense of his pieces. It was flashing and never lasted long enough for him to discover the pinpoint location of them. He would get enough of a sense to send him in the same vicinity of his bones, the same region of a country or even the same big city. But he never was able to gain the name of the Vestatu protecting his bones. He was never able to look anyone in the eyes and feel her terror for having taken the obligation.

But Seraph never gave up. His make shift bandage, the metal skins, were doing there intended purpose. They kept him alive and powerful. Or so he thought. After centuries of hunting and killing, Seraph began to notice slight changes in himself after a confrontation. When he initially fused the metals, he felt like he had a return of most of his power. At least none further drained from him. He could fight without feeling any the lesser. However, with the passage of time, that altered. After a battle or confrontation, he sensed a weakening of his control. Seraph felt drained. At first, it was not that noticeable. It was akin to catching his breath after a long race. As time ticked away, his 'recharging' took longer. At one point in time, he started to be able to feel a 'dripping' of his strength out from his skull and chest. His metals were beginning to fail; the make shift coverings were loosing their usefulness. Seraph realized that his crusade might not have an eternity to last. He was observant but not concerned about how much time he had to find and retrieve his items.

Not fully comprehending his time was not endless, he made his way from country to country, trying to gain information about the Vestatu and her whereabouts.

Seraph's break came in 1917 when he encountered a warlock by the name of Philosh, a naturalized French citizen. They met in a Parisian brassiere on the River Seine one very cold December day. Philosh was in The City of Lights visiting an old colleague who had certain "supplies" the warlock needed. Both figures instantly knew neither was mortal. Seraph wasn't there by chance. He'd heard rumors of a warlock who, for the right price, could deliver information on any 'other worldly' problem.

The warlock knew right away that the meeting was one for business. The two individuals got to the point of the matter rather quickly and soon Philosh was telling Seraph of the Ursaline nuns, specifically one nun named Sister Joycelyn who was thought to hold a secret so important that even the Pope himself knew not of it. The warlock told Seraph that the woman was rumored to protect artifacts so dangerous that if they got into the wrong hands the world would be lost to total damnation.

And so Seraph's crusade for his grail truly began. He had spent countless nights butchering, maiming and murdering thousands just to get to the point of obtaining the information he received in that little French eatery. All it cost him that night was a baguette and the location of the ancient mines of Evro-tu. It seemed that mystical metals were not the only precious items there. The mines also contained a mineral that, legend had it, when ground and inhaled produced the most powerful mystical high ever known to the world. It was like being magickally juiced to the equivalent of a trip on crack, heroine, methamphetamine, ecstasy, and cocaine all rolled into one and intensified by a thousand.

Seraph gladly paid the price. The cost for the nugget of information was irrelevant to him. He especially didn't care since he had planned to kill the warlock regardless of the facts received. Seraph was true to his plan. As the warlock walked up to the door of his colleague's house later that night, he was struck down by a dagger thrown out of the dark. It pierced his heart and killed him before he had a chance to turn to see Seraph smiling.

With the new information, Seraph stowed away on the first ocean liner to America. It didn't take him long to track down Sister Joycelyn. He would find out later that the Vestatu were relegated to nuns from the Order of the Ursaline. Somewhere in time, they had become God's chosen.

Seraph confronted Sister Joycelyn one night as she walked home from a vigil at a dying child's home.

Seraph, dressed in his long, black coat and hood, stopped in front of the woman on a secluded street. He stared intently at her. He could feel her protective aura. It was the same feeling he'd gotten sporadically in the past, only much stronger. The nun, who was neither a young nor old woman, looked back at the figure before her. It took but a moment for her expression to change from worry over a sick child's fate to that of fright over the obvious discovery of her secret. Seraph could tell that the nun knew who he was. Introductions were not needed.

"Kill me if you will. You'll get nothing from me." The nun's words were strong and defiant.

With that, Seraph attacked the woman. He beat her and then beat her again. He took her to an inch of her life, holding the broken, bloodied form in his grip. But she never said a word. Finally, Seraph threw her to the ground.

Seraph understood that he could not kill the woman before she gave him the bones she protected. The prayer was one given voluntarily and it had to be ended as such also. Killing the Vestatu was not an option. God had made sure that was taken away from the warrior as a possible avenue. Seraph needed the Sister to hand the bones over to him or to reach them at a time when they weren't under the Vestatu's protective spell. A ceasing of the spell by verbal act or natural death were the only ways.

Over the next thirty years, Seraph terrorized the Sister's life. He murdered family members and friends, burned her churches and did unspeakable acts to those around her. He thought that surely she would give up his items in the face of such pure evil. She never did.

Then on a May Sunday evening in 1947, Seraph 'felt' his grail. He realized that they had come out of their protective spell. He didn't know what was happening. Sister Joycelyn was in her eighties. 'Maybe she died,' he thought. He followed his sense. It took him to a small chapel outside of the city in a small town called Joshton. When he got there, in the middle of the night, he saw his enemy hand his grail over to another woman, another nun. This one was much younger.

The figure charged the two women. He was determined to get his very self back. The sight of his bones was the first he'd had since they were carved out of his body. He could hear them calling for him to save them. Seraph felt so close to being whole.

But his assault was too late. As he got to his foe, the younger one had already placed the objects in a black silk sachet and was finishing the prayer of the Vestatu. Seraph grabbed for the bag only to be thrown back in the air as if a bomb had gone off at his feet. He was in a daze.

Sister Joycelyn hurried the younger to the church door. "This is your mission from God now…This will not be his last test. You must stay righteous. Go now and place these pieces of Evil out of the view of the world…make yourself invisible to this beast of the Devil."

The younger nun kissed the old woman tenderly on the cheek. "Yes, Sister, I promise to do God's will." She ran out the door. As she left, Sister Joycelyn closed her eyes and prayed. 'God, protect your lamb, Sister Sarah Margaret."

After the few moments it took for Seraph to regain his focus, he jumped to his feet. He saw that only he and his long time nemesis were in the building.

The nun looked right at the creature. "You're too late. Your bones are in God's protection once again. Do you think that we wouldn't have any power to slow you?…I've always been stronger than you thought…You've always been weaker."

Filled with rage and disappointment at his failure, Seraph did what came natural to him. He attacked. Sister Joycelyn closed her eyes just before Seraph pounced on her. She was so concentrated on meeting her Savior that she didn't feel her ribs break and skin tear as the Devil's Sword rammed a blade into her again and again. She didn't hear her spine break as Seraph broke her in half over his knee. The obedient child of God didn't feel a thing as her soul left her body and was carried by angels to the heavens.

When Seraph was done, he was covered in blood. He held in his hands the limp body of the mortal that had kept him from his true greatness. The attack had weakened him. He knew he had lost this battle. He was determined not to lose the war.

"I know her face," Seraph muttered as he left the murder scene. His mission now was to recoup his strength, find the young nun and retrieve his items. He understood where he had failed with the dead one. He would not make that same mistake twice. He would make the nun expose his bones. "I will break her…She is no match for me."

Claire Maria Reindeau was born to a destitute unwed mother at a time in the Quebec Province in Canada when being a "bastard" child was almost as bad as being a whore. The baby was immediately placed in a parish orphanage. By the age of six, the precocious youngster was enrolled in the Order of the Ursaline School for Girls. Though a handful, there was a natural honesty and purity about the girl. She didn't see her solitary beginnings in life as a crutch or penalty. Small Claire loved life and everything in it.

By her sixteenth birthday, Claire knew what God wanted her to do. She could feel the call to be a nun, felt it in her heart. So, she entered the convent of the Order of the Ursaline and after her time as a novitiate and the two years of temporary vows, Claire Maria Reindeau became Sister Sarah Margaret.

Because of her natural curiosity and rapport with people, she was stationed in Quebec City and then to several Latin American countries. She spent many years tending to the poorest of the poor in the world.

When she was thirty-two, she was summoned back to the Order's regional office in New York. She was put under the supervision of Sister Joycelyn, one of the most respected and loved sisters in the Order. Sarah didn't know why she had been plucked from her missionary work which meant so much and where she had done so much good.

With her new assignment, she found herself researching with the elder nun. There were days of reading esoteric religious manuals and mystic fringed dogma that seemed out of place in the world they inhabited. She read stories and dissertations on the war between Good and Evil, between Satan and God. Each time they finished one, the older nun discussed it with Sarah.

Finally, Sarah had enough. She politely went into Sister Joycelyn's office and asked to be sent back to her prior position.

The elder nun smiled knowingly. "You, my dear, are going to help save the world."

"Sarah, you have a strength in you that you don't even know exists. You were chosen to be a protector for God…a Vestatu."

Sarah remained silent. She thought the old woman mad for a few moments. The old nun saw the look and understood the doubts. The woman had worn that same expression when she was told of her obligation over fifty years earlier.

"Don't be scared my child. What I say is true…You are the next in line to guard the most precious objects known to this world. It is my job to pass to you the protection over the bones of the right hand of Satan himself."

Sarah now knew the woman had to be insane. What she said went against everything she believed as a nun. Her loyalty was to the Lord, Jesus Christ, through the servants of the Holy Roman Catholic Church. The older woman before her was speaking in sacrilege to that.

When the younger nun went to protest, the elder held her hand up and began speaking. It was some sort of prayer. One that Sarah had never heard before. And yet, it sounded so familiar, like a song learned as a child and brought up in daydreams when an adult. Something about that prayer struck a chord in the nun. She stood there and listened.

"You know the prayer…but you can't remember how you know." Sister Joycelyn saw the need for more information blossom in the younger woman's eyes. "This is a part of you. As much you as your heart, your eyes and your love for God. You have been chosen because you are strong and will do God's bidding…"

The elder nun told Sister Sarah of the legacy of Seraph, his battle with Gabriel, the betrayal and ultimate price paid. She told her of Seraph's return from sure death and his crusade over thousands of years to reunite with his pieces of self. Sister Joycelyn explained the mission of the chosen Ursaline, how they had become the keepers of Seraph's grail and the all encompassing need for secrecy and success. "If we fail, not only does our existence vanish but so will God." The woman explained how to keep the objects from Seraph's grasp, the protective prayer and how and when it could be put in place or ceased.

When the old nun was done, Sarah was still standing. She was motionless like a stone. The idea of her duty flew in circles in her head. Even though a part of her told her she had been told the truth, she didn't want to believe. She only wanted to be a nun; to help those in dire condition. Feed the hungry and cloth the poor. One word kept coming back to her…'Why?'

Sister Joycelyn walked over to the woman and placed her hands on the younger's shoulders. "I wish I could help you understand why this has happened to you…but I cannot. I cannot give you the time you need to become at home with this information. I will not be on this earth much longer…Seems cancer may beat Seraph in sending me to God…I have no choice…You have to be given the obligation."

Unbeknownst to Sarah or the others at the Order, the elder nun had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and was told she had three months to live. She'd been told that three months earlier. Though she tried to ignore her state, the sister eventually realized she could not. Under usual circumstances, the passing of the obligation took place in a secret location with other 'helpers' there to assure a safe transfer without disturbance of the shield over the bones. That was not possible this time. The old nun had already had several incidences where she was left very ill and weak. The latest had occurred earlier that very day. She feared death would find her before the grail was passed. Death would break the prayer and leave open the opportunity for Seraph to find his items.

Sister Joycelyn did the only thing she could. She contacted her 'superiors' and told them the transfer would happen that night. It was coincidence that the younger nun went to her that very day to ask for a transfer.

"So, you see, Sarah, you must stay here to accept the obligation…Once it is yours, you can lead your life as you deem possible, always putting your duty as Vestatu for God first."

The elder nun then went and retrieved the bones from her secret place in the convent and she and Sarah took the parish vehicle and headed for the small church outside of the city. The reason for that was Joycelyn feared that without the aid of the usual transfer ceremony, Seraph would know the whereabouts of his grail and come hunting for it. She didn't want to chance allowing the "Devil's Sword" to gain access to one of the main arteries of the Church.

Sister Joycelyn underestimated the connection Seraph had with his missing pieces. Her plans for a clandestine but safe transfer were thwarted. However, fortunately for the world, Seraph's entry was a few moments too late. Sister Sarah was able to place the protective prayer on the objects and make a safe getaway.

Sister Sarah's journey was just beginning though. In the first few days, she was terrified. She kept the bones on her at all times, too scared to let them out of her sight. Finally, she was contacted by a "friend" of the elder nun. She met with the man and was told more of her obligation. She was given more information about the Vestatu. She also learned of Sister Joycelyn's death. There were times early on that Sarah wanted to run, run away from the obligation, the Church, her whole life. But she stayed. Something inside her told her that this was her destiny; God had chosen this for her and it was her responsibility to do as told.

At the instant of her 'installation' as Vestatu, her life changed in the Order. She was given no duties with the outside world. Though no other nun in the order knew it, the Sister was basically sheltered in the Order's building. The first several years were tough for the nun. She stayed in New York and mostly carried on the studying she did with Sister Joycelyn. She gained further insight to her duty, its scope and ramifications.

She became comfortable, in a way, with it. Sarah hid the bones and eventually resigned herself to her new life. She seriously took to studying the legend of Seraph and the actions by the side of Good in trying to stop the creature. She became an encyclopedia on the subject.

Her position as Vestatu was known by only a very select few. Over time it was almost as if that had been forgotten. Her desire to help the truly needy also returned in time and she was eventually sent to several different areas in the United States. By this time, Sarah had become a U.S. citizen.

Sister Sarah was sent to Costa Rica in 1964. That's where she met a charismatic priest, ten years her younger, by the name of Father Eduardo Castillo, known by the locals as "Padre."

When she got there, the handsome Father was running a school for children of the peasant class in the poorest area of the country. The two got along instantly. They had a strange symbiosis to their actions. It was like they'd known each other their whole life. They worked side by side helping the needy and doing God's work.

At first, the two thought that their shared attitude was due to their strong devotion to God. They spent endless hours together planning further improvements for their poor town and its inhabitants. Both were old enough to understand the hardships and inequalities burdened by most in the world.

Soon, however, the priest and nun found that their happiness lay not only in doing well for the poor but in the fact that they were able to be with one another. The man and the woman discovered that they were growing feelings for one another…romantic feelings. They dismissed it at first. Neither was in their young adult years. Childish crushes were a thing of the past and of a different life. They were mature, adult people who had taken a vow to serve God. But, their hearts still raced when sitting close. They hung on the other's words.

It became evident that they were heading into troubled waters. They were married to God and infidelity of any kind was a sin. Just thinking of touching the other was sinful. Finally, one night they talked about their growing feelings and the need to stop. They decided that Sister Sarah would spend time in an adjacent town that needed help.

Their time apart lasted one month. "We're weak…God please forgive us," was what Father Castillo said as he took Sarah to his bed the night she returned. Sister Sarah and Father Eduardo had fallen in love. It was the best and worst time of their entire lives. The joy in being in each others arms was only matched by the guilt of being in each others arms. They were breaking the most holy of vows they made. They were betraying God. They were ashamed of their actions and hid all signs of their affection from those around them. To the villagers, they were merely a priest and a nun there to do God's work. It was only when alone that their true feelings showed.

In the end, the conflict proved too much for them. Father Eduardo asked Sarah to leave the Church with him. He asked her to marry him and live their lives as husband and wife. As much as he wanted to be a priest, he wanted Sarah more.

"I can't." Sarah never gave her lover any other explanation. Saying no was the most heart wrenching act she ever had to do. Sarah wanted to say yes; she wanted to with all her heart. But she was the Vestatu. She carried that obligation above all, even her own happiness…especially her own happiness. She had to have the connection with the Church, with those who 'knew' within it. It was the only way she could carry out her obligation. She lost a part of her heart the night she said "no."

After that, the two couldn't bear to be in the same place and not be able to touch. They knew that if they couldn't be together then they needed to say good-bye. They also knew that only the Church could ever fill them with the happiness to rival their love. Each chose to rededicate their lives to God. They would continue with their callings but on different paths.

Sister Sarah left that poor little Costa Rican town five weeks later. As she left, she embraced the only flesh and blood man that she would ever love, that she would always love. "You're in my heart," she whispered to Eduardo.

Seraph sat on the edge of his bed. The throbbing in his head had reduced slightly. He was able to think more clearly. The figure knew that he had no more options. He would have to fight for his very existence. The creature had come so far over so many years to face this last battle.

"If she hadn't died so quickly." Seraph's comment was directed to Sister Sarah and her death at the priest's rectory. "May she rot in Hell." The elderly Sister Sarah's premature death was but one more slap in the face by the Vestatu.

The figure in the long, black coat and black hood stared in the mirror. "The time of reckoning is approaching." He had no more underlings. He realized that their defeat was inevitable to a witch and slayer. His fate would come down to his own might. He snorted slightly. Some how he knew it would come to this.

"Only I am great enough to defeat the Vestatu…Only I can make them plead for mercy as I gut them."

The pain was still present in his skull. But he could feel it ever so slowly lessening. Seraph knew he would have enough time to fully recover and make his final stand. He could feel his adversaries and his grail. He vowed not to lose 'sight' of them again.

He turned and looked at the morning sunlight beginning to creep through the cracks in the window drapes. Confidently, "By the moon's rise, I will be the great warrior once more." Defeat never entered his mind.

The soldier known as the Devil's Sword had his battle call. Now, he merely had to wait until his body was primed and cocked like a gun ready to strike at the hearts of the keepers of his glory.

By 7:30am on Sunday, everyone in Slayer Central was awake. The truth was not many had gotten any real sleep. They were all still reeling from the night's attack and worried about keeping Samantha safe. Buffy had been awake almost the entire night trying to figure out why her best friends' daughter was being targeted by a gruesome lot of demons. Concerned words by Jimmy telling her she needed to sleep didn't make a difference. Buffy was too concentrated on making sure the little girl didn't get harmed while her mothers were away.

By the time Xander and Jessie got to the kitchen with the boys and Sammi, most of the slayers had eaten breakfast. Buffy had them out doing further reconnaissance and 'visiting' the usual demon hangouts to see if they could gather any more information on the newest 'guests' in Cleveland. Only Buffy was in the kitchen. She was leaning back against the counter, cup of coffee in her hand, staring out into space.

"World to Buffy." The blonde didn't here Xander and the others come in. She came out of her daze only after she heard Xander's voice.

"What? Oh, sorry…just thinking." The slayer stood up straight. "Any one ready for breakfast?" The kids all squealed. "I take that as a yes…How about pancakes?" More high pitched squealing. "I take that as a definite yes." The blonde got out a fry pan and looked in the pantry for the pancake mix.

Xander sat down at the kitchen table. "We sure do eat a lot of pancakes…Ever notice that?…Wonder if it's a Scooby thing?"

Buffy let the kids, Xander and Jessie eat before saying anything about the trouble the night before. Once the children were in the tv room watching the Noggin channel, the adults started their discussion.

"The demons are after Sam…I know that now…I'm certain the last one I killed purposely went for her." Buffy sounded worried.

"Maaann…Willow and Kennedy are going to kill us." Xander ran his hand through his hair. "I'm kinda hoping they take their time calling because that's one conversation that will not be pretty."

Jessie sounded in. "They won't be mad at us. We had no control over this. We can only keep her safe now until they get back."

"I'm not willing to wait. I know Will and Kenn are gonna rush back here…but in the meantime we're putting a plan together to find and kill these pains in the ass. I want Willow and Kennedy to come back to a problem solved." Buffy wasn't about to sit tight and do nothing. She would take care of the matter so her friends wouldn't have to.

"Why haven't they called?" Xander wondered. "They usually check their messages all the time."

His wife cleared her throat. "Maybe they were 'preoccupied' last night. Remember Chelston Lake?"

Xander nodded his head with a devilish smile. Chelston Lake was where he and Jessie went for a weekend the year previous. They dropped the boys off with Jessie's sister to babysit. The first night at their cabin, Xander and Jessie got so drunk and frisky that they never called their boys that night. In fact, they didn't even get out of bed until after 1pm the next day. When they finally did call Jessie's sister, she just laughed. "I figured you guys went overboard…Don't worry about the boys, they're fine."

"Why don't you call them again? We really shouldn't wait to tell them." Buffy also thought it a bit odd that they'd had no word from the couple. Both had turned into mini cell phone junkies.

Xander did and again got sent to voicemail. He again left messages telling them they needed to call the Scooby as soon as possible. This time he mentioned that it had to do with Samantha. He knew that would surely make the women act. "This is weird. They better be having hot and heavy sex or I'm gonna yell at them for not returning my calls."

Both women said simultaneously, "You're a pig," then looked at each other and laughed.

Buffy turned her head to Jimmy as he came and stood beside her. "Xander, who else?…Find out anything?"

"Well, the Kamous are after Sam because she has an untapped power…something that must be very strong. They want it so they can use it to up their position in the demon world."

The blonde slayer was the first to speak. Confidently, "We need to kill them first then, don't we?" She looked at the others for agreement.

"What's the plan, Buffster, cuz I'm in." Xander wasn't about to let anything hurt that wonderful little girl. Whatever it took, he'd be ready to do his part.

"Ok…Let's round up the other girls and get this ball rolling. I wanna be able to tell a certain witch and slayer their daughter is no longer in danger when they call."

Having decided on the general theme, "kill the baddies", the Scoobies went to work on filling in the details of exactly how that would happen.

"I give up. I thought you had these demons all figured out, Jim? What's so hard about deciding how to kill them? Find them, kill them…see, simple." Xander was frustrated. He threw a book across the library table. It was early Sunday afternoon and the gang had been researching and studying for several hours. They still hadn't come up with a feasible plan. They were also getting concerned that they hadn't heard from the witch or slayer. Nerves were getting raw.

Jimmy stopped reading. "I told you these demons have a strange connection to dimensional shifts. They can easily go back and forth between them when they want. That's probably why they want the power, so they can shift even easier, I guess, and that way have a better ability to control other demon movements. We can't do anything that'll make them do a shift or make a dimensional opening here. They may be lower level demons but that's still a long way from being harmless."

The research Jimmy uncovered told that the Kamous had a habit of attempting a 'coup' of sorts every several hundred years. They timed their attempts to the lunar cycle, full moon. Their mission each time was to find a pure essence and assimilate it. The Kamous' forte of dimensional shifting gave them insight to the advances and happenings of other demons. However, they lacked the strength needed to shift effortlessly and actually affect how others act and react. If the Kamous could only find that power, they could take dominion over some of the demon world and improve their position. In other attempts, the demons were either unsuccessful in finding a power or didn't find the right one.

The time for the Kamous' march for power had arrived. Somehow, they had picked Samantha as the one, the unique essence that could carry them higher.

Defeating them was not a simple matter. Jimmy told the Scoobies that unknown to them before was the fact that each Kamous when killed, let go of the energy it had. This caused a ripple in the dimensional plane. Too many deaths too quickly together and the ripple could turn into a tidal wave of energy tearing through the dimensional fabric. The consequences were unknown, but tampering with dimensional separation was never a good thing. The fact that previous killings of the demons hadn't caused problems was luck. "The air turbulence we felt Buffy after the fight was the beginning of a 'ripple' in the dimensional wall."

The group was trying to think of a way to kill however many Kamous were left without causing the destruction of life as they knew it.

Buffy spoke sternly. "We need to be able to corner them all together and then kill them without any one of those little cretins getting away…" Then added frustrated, "…and also not make a big ozone hole in our dimension…" She ended, "They want Sammi but I don't think their dumb enough to come back here."

"They won't just wait, will they?" Jessie asked. "Isn't it a full moon tonight?…Does that mean they disappear or something if they don't get her?"

"I'm afraid not, "Jimmy responded. "They are at their strongest on the full moon cycle, but their offenses have last months…longer in some accounts."

"Great, we could be looking at Sammi being hunted down like a dog for months…they're almost as bad as paparazzi…at least the demons don't have cameras." Xander sounded deflated.

"But I did read that they are more powerful at night…Seems they aren't exactly nocturnal like vampires, but they do prefer the night. I guess the moon's pull or something gives them more 'energy'…During the sunlight hours, they are 'awake', just not at their best."

"So let's get them when they're napping…We just march into where they are and bomb them or set 'em on fire…or…"

"Let's focus guys," Buffy stated. She took charge again like she always did. Being the original "Chosen" still made her want to run the show. "We need to find where in that old building the Kamous are…Then lure them all out or find them if they're all together and kill them slowly enough so that we don't have to worry about destroying the world." Buffy paced around the room. "First, finding them shouldn't be too hard. We know where they are and the place isn't that big…It's not Pentagon big." Buffy put her arms behind her while she walked. "Second, how do we lure them out?"

"They want Sammi. Too bad we couldn't dangle her on a stick." Jimmy said joking.

"Woe, Jess,,,he was only kidding." Xander came to his friend's defense. He knew emotions were a bit on end.

"Sorry," Jimmy replied looking at Jessica. "But we have to face it, the Kamous don't give a hoot about us. They want Samantha."

"Well we can't parade her down the middle of abandoned slaughterhouse avenue and yell 'come and get her'." Buffy spoke while still pacing. Her hands were now rubbing together.

"How bout we try to figure out how to kill them?" Xander knew they needed to go onto to another issue.

Jimmy jumped in. "We know that killing about a dozen started a ripple. That's what we killed the other night. Luckily, it stopped. It may be that not dying at the same moment is all it takes to lessen the energy release affect. How many could there be left?…Don't you think they woulda been out in force?"

Buffy stopped. "If a full moon's the big night, then they probably are keeping the firepower for another attack for tonight. Maybe there's enough to try to attack here…or maybe they'll just wait until Sammi goes back home and then go after her…We can't afford to wait. I say we just have to take our chances with how many there are left."

Xander sat up in his seat. "Isn't that taking a big risk? What if there's an army of them still?"

Buffy smiled. "We've got no choice…We've been put in this spot before. Remember all the times in Sunnydale we had to go into a fight with hardly any info?…Besides, we beat the First's army. And we only had a handful of new slayers…I doubt we're running into that sort of apocalyptic numbers…with the number of girls we have here, we'll be able to do the job."

"What about the energy release?" Jimmy questioned. "If there's a lot and they're dying at the same time, we could affect the dimensional fold."

Buffy thought for a moment. "We devise a signal so that the little creeps are only killed one at a time…or we do a couple at a time…That we know we're ok."

Xander was the voice of skepticism again. "I don't want to rain on your parade, Buff, but the plan sounds kinda…sketchy…as in there really isn't a plan."

Buffy put her hands on her hips. "I know it's not great, but we need to get these guys. I don't think we can afford to wait…They might be getting reinforcements…We know the basics of how to kill them and what to try to avoid. I think we just need to go with our instincts on this one…I know the girls can handle this."

Everyone thought long and hard about Buffy's suggestion. They were silent staring at each other. Finally, Jessie spoke.

"Buffy's right. I have faith that her and the other girls can get rid of those nasty creatures. We need to do it so that Sammi isn't in danger any longer."

"Now, the only question is how to get them all in the same place." Xander scratched his head. "If Willow was here, she could just whip up a spell or something and we'd be all set." The Scooby gang was once again at square one. Everyone was thinking hard on how to make the demons 'come out and play.' Xander was mumbling to himself, "we can't use Sammi…we can't use Sammi."

As they thought in silence, Samantha came into the room. She went over to Xander and motioned to sit on his lap. "Hey, Sammi. Whatcha doing over here?" He picked the child up and sat her on his knee. She gave him a big hug.

Samantha nodded her head quickly. "You wannabe too?" She waved her hand in front of Xander. "You a pirate…a blue pirate…Hi pirate!"

"No, that's ok…I'm a lizard pirate now…you can be me." There was a shout from the next room. It was Nate calling for Samantha. "I gotta go."

Xander agreed. "She's so cute. Too bad she couldn't make me a pirate…or a superhuman, even better. Then I'd go and get those creepy little demons."

Buffy watched the whole interaction between the Scooby and Samantha. "Yeah, too bad she can't make you into someone else…" Buffy's words drifted off. She was deep in thought. "Holy crap!…Why didn't I think of this before?"

Buffy ran over to the table with a big smile. "I know how get the Kamous…" Everyone looked at her with anticipation. "We are going to use Samantha as bait."

Buffy smiled as she went to the phone and picked up the receiver. "Oh, it is…and we can thank Sam for it."

Kennedy sat watching her redhead sleep. 'What a way to start a Sunday,' she thought to herself. It was almost 6:30am. She should have been sleeping too but the night's events had her slayer senses wired. Her body was humming on alert. She couldn't have gotten any real sleep even if she wanted. The slayer knew that her body would get whatever 'cat naps' it needed. In the meantime, she would stay on guard over her witch, and the kind Native woman Tuzi who had so generously taken them in after their late night appearance at her home.

After Willow and Kennedy hastily left their cabin, they headed for Tuzi's. "We don't know where she lives other than what she told us." Willow understood they had to get out of the forest area they were in, but she was hesitant to just start driving around blindly.

"She said she's off the main road past the twin rocks west of here…The only main road is the one that runs through Peach Springs…We just need to look for a couple big rocks I guess." Kennedy had remembered Tuzi's directions to them earlier in the evening.

"Kenn, it's two-thirty in the morning…We can't see a thing except what comes in front of the headlights…Even with the moon out…We'll never find her that way."

Kennedy nodded and drove until she saw a 24 hour gas station and convenience store. The brunette pulled in and both went into the store. The women got big smiles on their faces when they saw the person behind the counter was Native American. They were still on the Hualapain Reservation. Chances were good that the man working was in the Tribe. Tuzi had told them the Hualapai were a small Nation and most members knew each other.

Instead of going directly to the counter, Kennedy walked to the back of the store where the coolers were and got a couple of cans of iced tea. She then walked over to another isle and picked up a bag of organic white corn tortilla chips.

As the women walked, the store employee watched them. There was a small tv in the back corner of the counter. It was on a local station. The segment was about the heavy rainfall that parts of southern Utah were getting. The weather woman was explaining the effects the unexpected rains were having on the Colorado River and its many tributaries in that state and its southern neighboring states. Kennedy wasn't paying attention as the reporter talked about possible riverbank overflow in some areas.

It was all background noise to the slayer, along with the humming of the soda machines and a squeaky fan belt on the ice cream freezer motor. Kennedy proceeded to the counter with Willow right behind her. She placed the items down and got money out of her wallet.

The man nodded to the women. In a friendly tone, "Ladies, pretty late to be out for these parts."

Without hesitation, "Tell me about it…engine trouble…We were supposed to be at Tuzi White Fox's hours ago…First time here and we can't find the place cuz we can't see where the twin rocks are." She glanced at her items. "We're hungry and thirsty as hell…and I sure hope you can help us so we're not out driving all night."

The Native looked at them. Willow thought he might have been deciding whether to trust them or not. Then he slowly got a smile on his face.

"Yeah, that happens…Hell, that road's easy to miss even when you can see the damn rocks…Keep going south outta here for five miles…Then look for a big group of cactuses on the right side of the road. The road you're looking for is a little past that."

Kennedy and Willow said their thanks and took their purchase. As they walked back to the car, "You really can be a devious little liar when you want to."

The slayer spoke back, "Only to strangers, Red. You have nothing to worry about."

Soon, the couple was back on the road and not much longer after that they pulled into Tuxi's driveway. It was a long dirt roadway off the main road. The house, from what they could see at night, was a log cabin style. It was much larger than the one they left. They could see flower beds around the front of the long porch. There were no lights on anywhere in the house as they drove up to the end of the driveway. However, by the time that Kennedy shut off the engine, the front porch light went on.

"Crap, we woke her up…I hope she doesn't think we're robbers." Willow felt badly having to bother the woman. But they really didn't have anywhere else to go.

The witch and slayer got out of the car. As they walked to the porch, the front door opened. It was Tuzi. She was dressed in blue jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt. She leaned out the door and looked directly at the two women.

"I sensed danger…in my sleep…a dream. It woke me…I-I felt a blackness had draped over you…" Even the 'sensitive' Tuzi had trouble explaining this experience. She'd been 'in tune' with other spiritual people before, those few individuals with which she seemed to have a special metaphysical connection. What she received from Willow, however, was stronger than any in the past.

The couple, although intrigued by the Native's knowledge of their predicament, went inside. The home of Tuzi White Fox was exactly what the witch imagined it would be. There were Native American artwork, blankets and pottery everywhere. She could see a large bookshelf with numerous Native American titles and spiritual books. The furniture had warm and inviting earth tones. Everything about the home was in perfect alignment to the Native's personality.

As they looked around, a golden retriever came running out of the hallway. It went to the witch and slayer and began sniffing vigorously at their shoes and legs.

"Pelty, no," the couple heard Tuzi command. The dog instantly stopped and sat. "Good boy," the woman said as she scratched the dog's neck. "This is Pelty…He can be rude sometimes." She then snapped her fingers. "Go lay down." The dog got up and trotted to a big cushion on the living room floor and lay down.

"Man, what a good dog." Kennedy was impressed. The cocker spaniel her family had when she was growing up wouldn't even come when its named was called.

Once inside Tuzi directed the couple to sit down on the couch in the living room. "Please can I get you something?…something to drink?…food?…"

Willow and Kennedy looked at each other. "No we're fine, thanks," answered the slayer. Tuzi sat in the chair next to them.

"We are so sorry to be bothering you, Tuzi…We didn't know where else we could go." Willow sounded very apologetic.

"We won't stay long. We just need some information and then we'll leave…" Kennedy was cut off.

"That's the thing, we don't know what exactly is happening…We thought you might be able to give us some answers…maybe." Willow didn't know how much danger she and Kennedy might still be in and she didn't want to drag another person, especially Tuzi, into their situation.

"There is great peace in this house. It's protected by the spirits of my people's ancestors…Their force is mighty and will protect all of us until we can uncover your danger."

Tuzi's confidence and calmness impressed the witch. "I'm not so sure about that…We have very powerful 'things' after us."

"The only way I can really help you is if you tell me what's happened. This land holds many stories, some unbelievable like fairy tales…nothing you tell me will frighten me."

Kennedy glanced at Willow. The witch nodded her head, letting the slayer know it was ok to trust the Native. "I'm not to sure about that, Tuzi…but here goes…" Kennedy then told the Hualapain about the manuscripts, the demon attacks and the two 'objects' Kennedy bought for Willow. She told the woman about the early morning attack on Willow, the ransacking of the cabin and the last battle with the demons. The brunette ended her discussion by taking the items out of Willow's shoulder bag and showing them to Tuzi.

Willow picked up where her slayer stopped. "See, Tuzi, the demons weren't after the manuscripts at all. They wanted these things…We don't even know what they are…One of the demons said Veshtatu, or Vestatu I think really…at us…like he was calling us that. We're kinda at a loss here."

"Which reminds me, I need to call Giles." Kennedy got up and started to walk to the other side of the room. She'd had her cell phone on vibrate during her hike with Willow. It was turned off and had remained off since they left for the second night of the gathering. The brunette turned it on.

"Kennedy, I doubt your cell will work. We're pretty far down in the forest ravine area and most cell phones don't get any type of reception."

The Native got a disappointed look. "You certainly could…if it was working. A truck hit a pole late in the afternoon and it took out a relay station…I found out about it when I went to the store earlier…The phone company won't have it fixed, if we're lucky, until tomorrow sometime…The Reservation isn't high on the phone company's priority list…Many of the older members of the tribe don't even bother with phones."

Kennedy turned to her witch. "Can't you make the cell work or fix the phone line?…You know, do some witchy spell and 'ta da' all good?"

Willow raised her eyes. "Are you kidding? We're talking about the phone company…I may be able to bring back the dead, but I'm no Verizon…Sorry, babe, phones are outta my domain…Can't 'poof' stuff when lots of other unsuspecting people are messing with it…I might electrocute someone."

"Damn. We really should contact Giles…" The slayer said trying to think of an alternate plan.

"I don't think he's even still in Cleveland." Willow recalled that Giles was going to fly to a couple of the Council's satellite offices. "I know he said he was going to Philly and Atlanta and then back to London…Jimmy would know where he is."

Kennedy ran her hand through her hair and looked at the clock on the wall. "I hate to call this late…Guess we can wait til morning." As she spoke, the brunette scrolled through her phone menu to check on the voicemail. It didn't go through either. "I can't tell if we have any messages."

Willow got a concerned expression. "I hope nobody's tried to call us…I know we told Xander we wouldn't call til tomorrow, but I hate to think he can't reach us if something happened to Sammi."

The slayer turned back to Tuzi. "Sorry, didn't mean to overshadow our present soap opera with our family soap opera."

Tuzi smiled. "Please, I understand…Life is never easy. I hope I can help you with this so you can contact your friends…If you really need to, I can get you to a phone, up on the main part of the Reservation."

The witch and slayer stared at each other. They both knew what the other thought. Willow answered. "No, that's ok. We're just being worry warts. I'm sure everything is fine. We can wait until morning. We really need to focus on this."

The redhead was still holding the two objects. She spoke next. "We don't know if you can. Before, after the meeting, you said that these lands hold secrets…We thought maybe what's been after us might be one of them…Do you know what Vestatu is?"

The Native gave a heartfelt sigh. "I'm sorry. I've never heard that word before."

Kennedy leaned forward in her sitting position. "These things, I bought them in Kingman…Did you hear about the murders there?"

"Yes, I did…It's in all the headlines…very gruesome. A priest and his house keeper brutally murdered and an old nun..who I think the paper said died from a stroke or something like that."

The brunette took the objects from Willow. "I get these in Kingman the day after people are brutally murdered and then almost right away we start getting attacked by demons who are trying to kill us?…And then we find out it's these things they're after…It's all got to be connected…The dead people I bet had these…or knew where they were, and were killed because of it…only whoever killed them was wrong…They only thought they had these things…Somehow, these two thingies got smuggled out…How they ended up in a farmer's market is beyond me."

"No, we need to find out what they are," Kennedy answered civilly. "We can't risk giving someone else a problem they can't handle…No, we just have to find out what Vestatu means."

"But what do they want with them?…Those demons didn't seem like the brightest bulbs on the string." Kennedy wasn't impressed with her adversaries so far.

"Maybe it's not them…it could be they're just the muscle…We've seen that happen hundreds of times…There's always some demon smarty pants getting other dumber demons to do the dirty work." Things were starting to make sense to the witch.

"But how did whoever is after these things know that you two had them?" Tuzi asked both her guests. The witch and slayer sat still for a while, mulling over the question.

After a minute or so, Willow jumped to her feet. "It's tracking us!…It's gotta be able to see…or feel…somehow 'know' where these things are…It's the only way." She stared at Kennedy intensely.

Kennedy immediately knew what the witch was thinking. "That means it could know where they are right now…where we are." They both looked at Tuzi.

"We shouldn't be here. You could be in real danger." The redhead didn't want to put the woman in jeopardy.

The Native calmly responded. "I don't think so…I don't think whatever 'it' is can reach here."

"No, Willow, think about it…You've gone to two meetings where you were vulnerable for several hours each time…and nothing happened. You hiked all day and nothing happened…You said you were in Flagstaff for a while and were fine…I don't believe whoever is after you has a constant fix on you…or those two things," she said as she pointed to the objects still in Kennedy's grasp.

The witch didn't respond. She sat back down and thought hard about what Tuzi said. "I guess maybe you're right…But we shouldn't take any chances."

"Nonsense. Life is a series of chances…You can't decide not to take them. They just happen."

Willow saw that the Native wasn't going to give in, so she tried another approach. "Ok. Say I agree. I still would feel better if we could give you a little more protection than just your ancestors."

"Let me do a barrier spell…It'll put up a shield to keep anything from coming in."

The Native saw the seriousness in the witch's expression. "Ok. That sounds like a smart thing to do."

Willow proceeded to do the spell. Once it was up, she and Kennedy began to relax more about being there.

In a deflated tone, "Good luck with that. Without being able to contact Giles or Jimmy or get on a computer…" For a second Willow had hope. She looked at Tuzi with anticipation that the woman would say she owned one.

Then Tuzi got out of her seat and squatted in front of the redhead. "Willow, you don't need those things to find your answer. You've got the power within you to tell you what you need to know."

The witch felt flattered. "This I'm pretty sure is beyond my talents…I have nothing to go on…no leads other than a bunch of dead demons."

Tuzi looked at Kennedy. "You have the very things that whatever is after you wants…That's the best lead of all…All you have to do is follow it."

"That's easy for you to say Tuzi…But I know my limits…I know what happens to me if I push too hard or go too far into the dark stuff…" Willow's voice sounded partly scared. She never wanted to do anything that might take her into the dark magicks again, even if it was just to follow a bad guy. This predicament had the tell tale signs of doing just that.

Tuzi stared at the witch. She could see that she was exhausted. Glancing at Kennedy, she too looked tired. That's when it really sunk in how harrowing their night must have been.

She took the redhead's hands. "In the state your in, you're right, you wouldn't be able to. You need to rest…to get your energy back…after a few hours of sleep, you'll reconsider…You won't be alone in this, Willow…I'm starting to believe that this is why we were destined to meet…to show you that you can do this."

The expression on Tuzi's face was so encouraging, like a parent's look to a child waiting for that first step to be taken. Willow didn't know why the woman was so sure of the witch's talents. Frankly, she was too tired to discuss it. She was exhausted and when Tuzi pointed it out, the redhead only got more so.

"I am kinda tired…Maybe we should give it a little time." Though Willow was hesitant to believe that they were in no danger, she knew that her spell was very good and that it would take something very strong and mystical to breach it. She felt that they could take some time to get a little sleep to help them better solve their problem.

"You can use the spare room. You'll be able to get a good rest there. And don't worry about anyone coming near the house. Pelty will let us know…He's the best alarm system in the world."

This whole time, Kennedy listened to the conversation. She agreed that Willow needed to sleep. The slayer knew she'd never be able to, but relaxing would be alright. Between the witch's barrier, Pelty, Tuzi's ancestors and her own slayer hearing, Kennedy was certain nothing would take them by surprise during the night. When Tuzi said they could sleep in the spare room, Kennedy put her hand on the witch's back. "You should get some sleep."

Willow turned to her slayer, "You need to sleep too." The redhead already understood that her brunette would want to stay awake to keep on guard.

That comment had been several hours ago and Kennedy had honestly tried to rest. She couldn't. However, the brunette did feel good being able to watch over her redhead as she got much needed and deserved sleep. The slayer knew this was her duty in life, to protect Willow, her family and others. It was her destiny, her obligation. And if that meant she went without sleep, then so be it. She was a slayer; that was all the explanation she needed. The slayer sat there, her redhead beside her sleeping and the two objects that had overtaken their lives resting on the other side.

Sitting up against the head of the bed, Kennedy thought back to her 'experience' not that many hours earlier at the second night of the convergence. She hadn't told Willow about it yet. It was not the mind expanding occurrence like Willow had. Kennedy's trip into her past only reinforced to her the hard and tolling life of a slayer.

Kennedy's 'trip' into her past started where any slayer's would, with the First Slayer. Buffy had told Kennedy of her meeting with the woman. The brunette's didn't have the intensity of seeing the slayer spirit enter her. Kennedy's view of the First's life was much worse.

The brunette found herself in the middle of a wasteland. She was surrounded by sand and rock and craggy bush. It was nighttime but the slayer could tell she was in a desolate area. Nothing, not even bugs, lived here.

Then she heard a sound. It was a hard dragging noise, not clean sounding steps but like something was running through sand. That's what it was. Off in the near distance, visible clearly to the brunette now, was the First Slayer. Kennedy instantly knew it was her. She could feel it in her skin. The woman was chasing a creature. Somehow, though far away, the brunette could see the sweat pouring off the woman, could sense her muscles burning from over-exertion. She saw the scars and other visible signs of the damage done to her body over time. Kennedy could tell that the woman was near the brink of collapsing…and yet she pursued. The First Slayer never slowed; she never faltered. Only one thing mattered and that was capturing evil. The ill done to herself was irrelevant. Her life, her being, was for only one purpose…to kill. It rested upon the slayer's shoulders to stop the evil in the world, and the only way to do that was through killing. Through death, the slayer brought life.

Kennedy got another sense from watching the woman. It was one of solitude, of complete loneliness. The First Slayer was an island unto herself; no family, no friends, no happiness. There was only the duty. Kennedy felt that the Slayer ran and hunted to keep the pain and heartache from overtaking her thoughts. If she stood still for too long, she would turn vicious and mad like a fighting dog thrown away after it passed its prime.

Kennedy watched as the slayer ran across her line of vision. Almost as she was out of sight, the brunette saw the woman give a quick glance to her. Kennedy was certain she heard the woman say "I am you" as she disappeared. The words brought a chill to the brunette. Kennedy closed her eyes hoping that would close her mind as well.

When she opened them, the slayer found herself in another location. She was in a bustling city. It again was nighttime. The brunette was standing at a shipping dock. There were ships and cargo all around. As she looked at her surroundings, Kennedy could tell it wasn't the present time. The ships were made of wood and had sails. The cargo was wrapped in burlap and in wooden barrels. The lamps that lit the walkway were not electrical or gas. They were kerosene or oil of some sort. She tried to find anything to tell her where she was. She spotted a sign on one cargo bundle. It was written in French. She took another good look at the city behind her. She could see Notre Dame Cathedral.

"The Seine…in Paris," she muttered softly. This was not the city of her honeymoon, but the one several centuries before.

Then Kennedy heard a muffled scream. She turned to the direction from which it came and she saw two figures tumble out from an opening in the stone wall backing the wooden dock walkway. As she peered closely, the brunette saw that the two individuals were a female and a male. They were fighting; they were fighting fiercely. The man knocked the woman down and stood over her. It was then, in the light from one of the lamps, that Kennedy saw the man was in fact a vampire. From the brutality of the battle, the brunette knew the woman had to be a slayer.

Kennedy looked on as the vampire pounced on the slayer. He took her by the throat and wrenched her side to side. Then the monster slammed the slayer's head against the wooden planks, over and over. Kennedy couldn't understand why the slayer didn't retaliate, why she didn't fight back. Finally, in one quick, precision move, the vampire snapped the slayer's neck.

The demon instantly bent over and clenched his mouth around the slayer's throat. Kennedy could almost feel the slayer's blood leave her body into the vampire's. It lasted only a few seconds and when done the vampire got up. He wiped his mouth and glared over his handiwork. As he turned to leave, the brunette heard him speak, in French to the dead girl. Though she wasn't fluent in the language, she was able to clearly understand the creature. "You start out brave and all end dying like little girls." The vampire laughed out loud and walked away, his confidence built up even more by his latest victory.

Kennedy walked over to the dead body. She stared at the slayer who came before her. Her heart sank. 'She looks ten,' the slayer said to herself. Kennedy knew this slayer had been chosen young, too young. It hit the brunette squarely in the face the heartbreak of being 'The Chosen One.' So many generations of young girls lost to the 'destiny.' She knew there must have been many who were never properly trained, those who came to a quick and painful end. She felt sad for the ones who never got to experience life, never got to grow up…or love.

The life of a slayer was like a tragic love story. There were times of great joy and pride. The knowledge that slayers saved the innocents of the world was inspirational. But like all good tragedies, the end for the slayer was always met with unbearable pain. The good done was matched with unimaginable sacrifice. However, ask any slayer and they would have all said their bitter death was worth it. The slayer legacy was like an addictive drug. Once in their blood, the rest of reality meant nothing…whether their heart wanted it that way or not. Being the slayer meant a hard life, a short life…a lonely existence. Kennedy didn't need to view anymore slayer pasts. They all ended the same. The slayer's life was constant, only the style of clothes changed.

Kennedy couldn't look at the dead girl any longer. She turned away and prayed that she'd be taken to a better slayer past. She closed her eyes again. When they re-opened, the brunette smiled. In front of her was a familiar set of stairs. The painting on the wall was one she'd looked at a hundred times. She was at Buffy's house in Sunnydale.

She heard a voice and knew it was the blonde slayer. Then she heard another; the sweat voice of her redhead. She looked on as the two women walked into the living room from the kitchen. They were both younger than when the brunette arrived at the slayer's home. Willow had long hair and was wearing a fuzzy sweater, skirt and loafers. "She was geeky back then," the brunette said with a smile on her face. She watched the friends interact.

"You're a brainiac in every subject…I'd need Einstein's brain to get this to make sense."

"Stop being so negative. You've just been busy…what with the vampire slaying and that 'Angel' guy who's been dogging you." Willow said 'Angel' as she lifted her eyebrows.

"Stop it…he's probably just another pain like Giles…Here to make sure I stay on the slayer straight and narrow." Buffy tried not to sound interested.

Willow shook her head slowly. "Don't give me that 'I don't care' attitude. I see how you look when you talk about him."

The brunette listened as the conversation continued. She'd been told the history of Buffy and Angel and knew the ending to this story that was in store for Buffy. But this glimpse wasn't tragic. For sure, Buffy would lose Angel, the first love of her life, theirs being a future that could never be. However, Buffy was able to love and she wasn't alone in her destiny. The blonde slayer had friends, people who loved her dearly and had helped her to navigate through her destiny. They were still doing it. The road for Buffy was still rough and filled with pitfalls, but at least she had others to hold onto when things got rough.

The slayer legacy changed with Buffy, even before the slayer spell. Buffy had brought a piece of humanity to the obligation that had been nonexistent before. It was that pseudo California valley girl that gave all future slayers a chance at a real life. She defied the legacy, the Council and even common sense and let her friends into her life and all the danger and gloom and joy that went along with it.

Kennedy was a part of that now. She was where she was only because Buffy had been 'Buffy.' All the slayers were a part of her. She had to learn from their mistakes and revel in their successes. She would never let herself become like the First Slayer. Samantha and Willow were all she needed to make that a certainty.

When the slayer came out of her trance at the convergence, she was quietly reflective. She knew she lived a life more dangerous than most could ever imagine. It was always a possibility that her end would be just as painful as those before her. But she knew she wasn't locked into that result.

Willow stirred and that brought the slayer out of her thoughts. The brunette looked at the clock on the bureau across the room. It read 9:09am. She couldn't believe so much time had passed. She wondered if she'd fallen asleep and dreamt her recall of the meeting.

Willow moved again and this time the slayer could tell the witch was waking. Soon, the redhead rolled over on her stomach, turned her head toward Kennedy and opened one eye.

"We better get up…I got a feeling this is going to be a full day." Kennedy then leaned down and gave her wife a kiss on her forehead. She got off the bed, taking the two objects with her, soon followed by Willow.

The witch stopped for a moment and closed her eyes. When they reopened, "Barrier's still up and running." She continued out the bedroom.

The witch and slayer walked out into the main room. They saw Tuzi making coffee. There was a plate of fruit, cereal, and juice resting on the kitchen island counter. She had just turned on the television. There were stories on the morning news about the affects of the rains in southern Utah and the fires to the south of the Canyon, in the Sedona area. None of the women really paid attention.

Tuzi saw the brunette glance at the tv. "Yes, I at least have a working tv…Thought there'd be another story about the Kingman murders." The woman took her attention to the kitchen. "I bet you're hungry. If you want waffles or eggs I can make some…sorry, no bacon." Tuzi was dressed in jeans and a Native blouse. Pelty was eating out of his bowl.

"Whatever you have is fine," the slayer said as she walked over to the table. Truth was Kennedy was starving. She sat down and put some items on a plate.

Tuzi looked at Willow. "Please eat, Willow…You've rested and now you need to put some food in your stomach. We have a lot of work to do…You need to figure out who's after you and Kennedy."

The casualness with which the Native made her statement made it sound like she was telling Willow she was going to go find a flower in her flowerbed. Willow started to get nervous.

Tuzi saw the witch tense. She took a cup of coffee to her. "No need to worry…Have some coffee. The caffeine'll make you bolder."

Willow took a long sip. It tasted good as it warmed its way down her throat. "Thank you," she said to the Native.

Willow looked at Kennedy. She could see that Kennedy was counting on Tuzi's statement to be correct.

The witch put the cup of coffee to her lips again. As she took another sip, she said to herself, 'This day is definitely going to be an experience.'

"Now I'm ready." Seraph scanned his appearance in the mirror. He'd spent the last several hours that Sunday morning allowing his power and energy to return to its fullest extent. The setback he'd had earlier in the night was past. The harm done to his skull bone by the slayer did not cripple him. Seraph got beyond the ache pounding at his brain. He concentrated on becoming whole again.

As he looked in the mirror, the figure saw the pure hatred and evil shining through his black eyes. He felt stronger, looked stronger. In his long, black leather coat and black hood, the creature carried the appearance of a menacing figure. "I only wish that whore nun had died seeing this." Though Sister Sarah had gotten through is fingers, he pledged to himself the witch and slayer would not. "I will not be defeated by any woman again."

Seraph's hatred for the Vestatu was stroked by the fact that the protectors had always been women. He'd spent almost an eternity being outwitted and out-powered by a group of mortals that he considered to be not only inferior but also pathetic. Sister Sarah had gotten under his skin because of the urgency of his need to find his grail. By the time he discovered where Sister Sarah was, the Devil's Sword had discerned that he didn't have forever to find his bones. After his first confrontation with the nun, Seraph knew his days were severely numbered.

Seraph thought, having seen the Vestatu that took the obligation from his nemesis Sister Joycelyn, his quest for the retrieval of his pieces would come easy. The younger nun had seemed so lost and frightened like a frontline soldier on his first day of real battle. "She's not ready…She hasn't the strength," he told himself at the time. All he had to do was find her and then torture her until she broke the prayer spell.

It took several years before Seraph was able to determine where the nun was. It was as if she'd fallen off the face of the earth. He combed New York, then all the other Ursaline mission locations. No amount of bribery, coercion or physical assault led him closer. Seraph's frustration grew with each passing day. As time marched on, he kept noticing the deterioration of the effectiveness of his metal stop gap measures.

His target's whereabouts was finally made known to him on a blistery December day in 1964. He was following a lead he knew would produce nothing when he got a strange hazy feeling. He felt it in his heart and the back of his skull. Seraph knew that feeling; it was how he'd been able to follow his grail for all those centuries before. The sense he got meant that the protection spell had been weakened. What he'd learned over the centuries was that his bones could not be moved from their location without a momentary 'glitch' in the spell's protective wrap. He gathered his 'essence' in those pieces was so strong and yearned to go 'home' so much that movement was enough for their cry to permeate through the spell's force. He didn't know if the Vestatu knew of that 'fact.' Seraph figured that even God couldn't account for all the possible deviations and mutations that occurred throughout time relative to his stolen bones. God didn't fully comprehend just how evil Evil could be. Seraph understood that the best of spells and plans faced new complications eventually. The 'glitch' in movement of the bones was one such new factor in the endless crusade for the return of his pieces.

In the instant that Seraph felt 'it', and it always only lasted but several heartbeats, the figure was able to locate his keep. Their presence was in New York. "How could they have been here so long?" Seraph didn't know how he could have gone so long without gaining that information. He realized that the feeling meant that the nun was going to move them elsewhere. In the early times, Vestatu worked in groups and kept his grail in solitary locations for hundreds of years. Modern generation Vestatu were different. It was as if they knew they could travel more freely despite their obligation.

When Seraph thought about it, he did notice that his "senses" of his bones were less frequent, weaker and less clear. He thought the Vestatu had become better at increasing the protection spell's power or had received assistance in their duty. Of course, the creature kept in the back of his mind that the increased difficulty he had might be a product of his own diminishing abilities. His weakening power after battles led him to occasionally ponder whether his make shift plates were also at the core of his problem with sensing his objects. It wasn't until Seraph felt the next 'sense' that he seriously began to question his role in the increasing difficulty of tracking his grail.

After the New York incident, the Devil's General lost track of his pieces. It was several weeks later that he felt them call again. To his surprise, their location was a small town in Costa Rica. "How did she travel so far without me knowing?" The man immediately went to the Central American country. He could see the town from his vision of the pieces and was soon facing the convent where he knew his latest nemesis resided.

Seraph's war with Sister Sarah began on a full moon night. It was no ordinary full moon, but a significant planetary one according to the ancient Celtic astrological calendar, the one used by those at Stonehenge.

On that night, Seraph confronted the nun Vestatu. She knew who he was as soon as she saw his black eyes. She just stood there in the empty street. He still assumed her unprepared for the wrath he was able to exert. His plan was to beat and torture the woman. But something unexpected occurred. As Seraph came at the woman, she didn't cower or run, or even try to defend herself. She began to pray. Sister Sarah stood there with Satan's right hand man readying to pounce on her and merely looked up toward the heavens and spoke out loud as if hearing the words from God.

"From your heart and mind, bleed evil…Drain from them your strength…Be at odds with the passing time and to the beckoning moon be its servant and its bride."

Seraph's attack ceased at once. There was a throbbing, burning sensation underneath the metals fused to his body. It was a blinding pain which toppled him to the ground. He clutched at his chest and skull. Seraph could feel his power, his very essence oozing out of those spots.

He struggled on the ground. Sister Sarah never moved. She watched as the creature bellowed with pain. When he got still enough to look at her, she took the cross on the chain around her neck in her hand and held it out to the figure.

"Look upon this…Because of the Creator, you will never win…God has marked your end…Each time you try against me you will fail and quicken your demise…Each passage of this prayer will strip you further of your existence…You will vanquish…The only question is whether you will be as you are now or a ghost when you meet your end."

Sister Sarah let go of the cross and turned away from the figure on the ground, walking confidently to her abode.

After quite some time, Seraph finally was able to stand up, the throbbing easing only enough for that action. He hastened to a place outside of town to try to decipher what had happened. It would take several more encounters with the nun and further investigation on his part to piece the facts together.

Unknown to the beast and the Vestatu, God had long before bargained with the universe and was given an 'out' to the hunt by Seraph. The end to Seraph's journey was not really a specific time but a method to trigger the time clock to his crusade. God was given a prayer, some would say a spell, that when uttered would begin the physical demise of the warrior and also start the clock ticking for the time the creature had to retrieve his pieces. The price for the knowledge was steep, too steep for some on the side of Good. God had to bargain away territory to the Devil for it. Souls were lost so that there could be a chance of stopping the horrible Seraph. That was how much God feared Satan's General.

The prayer was never told to anyone, another condition for its existence. Instead, God had to hide the knowledge within parables, tomes and thoughts of Man. It was the ultimate jigsaw puzzle with the pieces of salvation for mortal Man spread throughout the spiritual written word of civilization's existence. God understood that if Seraph's success looked inevitable, the secret would be available. The prayer could not be revealed to humans; it was one that had to be discovered by the creatures of earth. It was up to mortals to find the secret and save Humankind before Seraph retrieved his bones and regained his total power. The bargain God made, and the one for which he gave up ground to Satan, was for the 'chance' for mortals to save all existence from the horrible Seraph. God knew that it would take one of extraordinary resolve, mind and intuitiveness to unearth the secret prayer. The prayer, for all intent, was the proverbial needle in a haystack. In fact, God was more confident that Seraph would never take over the world because of the Vestatu and not because of the prayer. God assumed that the Vestatu would keep the warrior on an endless search for his bones. The hope was that Seraph would never get close enough to retrieving his items for the prayer's identity to be necessary. All hope had been placed in the Vestatu's arms.

Luckily for the world, Sister Sarah, with her keen insight and curiosity, unknowingly took the task. The time the nun spent studying with Sister Joycelyn and that after her death put Sarah on a trail of knowledge. The nun gathered as much information as possible from every source she could find. The result of her studies was that the Sister began to notice an unusual pattern in her readings. They kept leading her to certain phrases and words.

Eventually, over the course of many years, Sister Sarah broke the code received by God. She was able to piece together a prayer that would unlock the unending push by Seraph. Her find astounded her. "I can stop him," the nun realized. Sarah knew that she had the ability to put an end to Seraph's crusade. All she had to do was invoke the prayer. Her studies told her that she had to wait until the creature attacked her. It could only be invoked when Seraph tried to force himself against her. But once said, and each time said afterwards upon an attack, Seraph's power would be diminished at an accelerating pace. He would be bound to the phase of the moon that started his demise until finally, if he was not successful in replacing his bones, he would exist no more.

Sister Sarah's prayer that night had started Seraph's ultimate demise. Combined with the failing metal pieces, the once great General was on a furious downward spiral. Seraph tried several more attacks on the nun with the same result. He lost more of his essence with each assault. Realizing his dilemma, Seraph intensified his pressure on the nun by attacking those near to her. She had no blood family, so Seraph tried to hurt the closest of those to her in her mission.

Seraph never knew of the love between her and Father Eduardo. The affair had already begun when Sarah met Seraph that first time in the street. It terrified the nun that the creature might find out about her feelings for the priest. That was one person the Sister wasn't sure how'd she react if assaulted. She prayed to God everyday that her enemy wouldn't find out about their connection. Her love for Eduardo and fear for his safety was another reason that she ended their relationship. She knew he would never be out of harm's way as long as she was the Vestatu. If Seraph had found out about their bond, she knew he would have surely tortured and killed the man to get at her.

With each fight Seraph did wage against the Sister's allies, he felt the draining of his power. Each time, it took longer for him to rebound. The damage had been done with the institution of the prayer. It didn't take long before Seraph had to enlist the assistance of others in his fight. He was able to acquire a band of demon minions who thought him a mighty and fierce warrior. He knew the only way to keep their allegiance was to never let them see the real state he was in. His presence before his 'army' was always when he had his strength, when he could appear before them dressed in his black clothes and look at them with piercing black eyes. None ever knew about his slow decline.

Seraph was reduced to tracking Sarah as she went from position to position. He followed her from Costa Rica back to New York. The senses he got from his bones when they were moved were too weak for him to attack when they happened. He seemed to be always several steps behind his hunted. He tracked the nun to New Orleans and finally to Gallup, New Mexico.

He never stopped his psychological assault on her and occasionally was able to find her off guard. He knew just knowing he was there caused damage to the woman in some way. He even sent his legions after her occasionally just to remind her that he could still instill pain to her. "Do not kill her…she must not die…but make certain she knows pain." One of his minion's attacks on her led to a two week hospital stay.

Unknown to the creature, that beating caused severe physical strain on the aging nun's system. After that, she had two mini strokes. Knowing that her time might be nearing, Sister Sarah prepared to pass the Vestatu obligation on to the next appointed one.

On a June day, she left her convent in Gallup to make the journey to Bakersfield, California, the location for the installation of the next Vestatu. In her older age, the nun acquired a fear of flying, so all travel was by car. She was still feeling fine and knew the pieces would be safer with her going to the new obligor.

On her journey there, while just outside Kingman, Arizona, the woman unexpectedly had some sort of dizzy spell while driving. It caused her to get into a minor traffic accident which landed her at the local Kingman hospital. The Sister knew she couldn't stay there, and it was too late and she too weary to drive further. Her location was not unknown to her. Ever since her departure from Father Eduardo, the nun kept abreast of his whereabouts and happenings. Though years and years had passed between them, she still loved the man and kept him in her heart.

Sister Sarah knew she had no choice. Though she didn't want to involve her past love, she called the priest, told him of her accident and asked if she could spend the night before she resumed her travel in the morning. Although he had not heard from her in years, Father Castillo said yes immediately. She too had stayed in the man's heart. Even after all those years, he still did her bidding.

The nun didn't tell the priest that she had lied to the medical personnel about the cause of the accident. She also didn't let him know she was leaving the hospital against medical advice.

The one thing the nun didn't know for certain was whether Seraph knew of her moves. It wasn't until Father Eduardo picked her up from the hospital that the nun had the feeling that the evil creature was near. She had gotten so intimate with the essence of Seraph that she could almost feel his presence. By the time they got to the priest's parish, Sarah knew Seraph was following her.

The nun's health was not good. She felt very weak and her mind wandered. Her condition was completely different than when she left Gallup. Had she felt then as she did now, she would have called upon the new Vestatu to make the voyage to her. Sarah knew she was on the verge of giving way to this life. The nun understood she would not be able to continue her trip. The protective spell was still intact, however. The Sister realized that someone had to get the items to their next obligor before her death. She had to stay alive until the pieces were given to the next Vestatu.

Sister Sarah could not chance dying without the history of the Vestatu being imparted. She knew she had to tell the priest of the importance of getting the objects in her bag to their appointed owner in California. They had to be given to the new protector by others with knowledge. It wasn't the way it should have been done, but there was no other option.

Sister Sarah, in the throes of her weakening body, told the only person she trusted with the most important information known to civilization. She explained everything to Father Eduardo. She begged him to contact her 'friends' in Bakersfield and tell them to prepare the next Vestatu. She pleaded with him to get the pieces to their next protector or to have her come to him. She knew she must have sounded mad; had she been in the priest's shoes, she would have thought her certifiable. She had to believe that the priest would do the right thing and believe her every word.

Her plan never came to fruition. Her body gave out despite the resolve of her mind. The last conscious view the old nun saw was Seraph killing the housekeeper that the priest had asked to watch over the nun. The Sister was in the middle of the brain seizure that would lead to her death when she saw Seraph's face as he snapped the woman's neck. Sarah died with the thought that her Eduardo had the pieces. As she drifted to her end, she prayed that he would be able to carry out her wish…for the sake of all existence.

"Oh my God," the redhead said softly. Willow's eyes were as big as saucers. She had the most frightened expression on her face that Kennedy had ever seen.

The witch let go of her grip on Tuzi's hands and looked at the Native. "I know who he is…what he's after…and he's on his way here." The tone was one of shock.

Kennedy fixated on her witch. The "piggyback" method explained by Tuzi which allowed Willow to use the Native to 'connect' with their enemy worked. It had worked with amazing results…harrowing results.

Tuzi stared back at the witch, her breathing returning to normal. She looked spent.

Willow turned her view back to the slayer. "Those things are pieces of him…his bones…and if we don't stop him, the world might end."

The slayer knew now that they were yet again in the middle of a brewing catastrophe. Disgusted, she could only think of one thing to say in response as she rolled her eyes.

"Are you sure this'll work, Buff?" Xander's skepticism showed through his voice.

"It's the only plan we have, and our best chance with what we know. We can't afford to put this off…We need to go after them hard and fast." Buffy had that confident tone that she got when she put herself in leader mode.

"What if they're not as dumb as we think?" plainly asked Rita, the slayer who was the unofficial captain of the Slayer Central slayer group.

The blonde slayer thought about the question for a moment. "We've covered the contingencies we could think of…We'll just have to improvise if things go out of control." That was the best answer the lead slayer could give. She knew that things usually went a little awry and that it was a slayer's job to adjust.

"What if 'things' go 'out of control' here?" It was Xander again. "Sam's gonna be here…How do we know she won't get hurt…or worse?"

Buffy was adamant. "She won't. I'll make sure she isn't." The slayer looked around the room full of slayers and Scoobies once more. "Ok, one more time…so we know exactly what each of us is doing…Again, what Andrew told me to do was…" Buffy proceeded to go over her plan one more time with all involved.

After hearing the comments by Samantha to Xander earlier, the blonde got an idea. She tried to reach Giles but he was still traveling and unavailable. Xander tried several more times to reach Kennedy and Willow. The fact that noone had heard from either despite the messages left on their voicemail was seriously bothering the other Scoobies. Besides wanting to tell the couple the situation with their daughter, Buffy wanted information from Willow to help her in her plan against the Kamous. The lack of contact with the couple now had Buffy wondering if something had happened to them.

With Giles and Willow out of the picture, the blonde was forced to seek assistance from her least favorite source…Andrew.

She called the man, who was in England, and, after listening to his rantings about life as an assistant watcher, told him of their dilemma. She told Andrew of the past several days' events and her idea for a way out. "Do you know a spell we can use?" Buffy held her breath hoping that the once villainous and still nerdy man-boy would save the day. Andrew did.

"I got a great spell that'll do just what you want…It's easier than making a Wooky growl." Buffy knew Andrew would never stop with the Star Wars references. She begrudgingly listened to what he had to say, having to get through several more sci-fi comments. It was worth the torture. "Thanks, Andrew…Tell Giles to call as soon as you talk to him."

Buffy's plan and Andrew's spell were rather quite simple. Buffy was going to have one of the slayers 'meld' into Samantha.

Andrew had told her Jonathon did that when the 'Evil Trio' went on their crime spree back in the Sunnydale Days.

"Remember that day when we…kinda made you go through a bunch of weird stuff?…speeding up time, demons at Xander's construction site…" Andrew laughed. "And the time loop at the Magic Shop?" When he heard the silence at the other end, he realized that those weren't really the 'good old days.' He coughed nervously and continued. "You may not remember…you were pretty drunk Jonathan said…but that big, horned red demon from the van?…That was him…Jonathan did a melding spell. He looked like the demon but it was still him." Buffy could hear a tint of sadness in Andrew's voice. After all the time since that horrible year, the man still harbored regret and guilt over his friend's death.

"Andrew, can you tell us how to do that spell?…Can we meld a slayer into another person?" Buffy waited patiently for the response.

"Ummm…yeah, I guess. It's really not that difficult. Even a slayer could do it." There was more chuckling after the comment. Buffy knew that jab came only because the nerd was on the other end of a phone several thousand miles away.

Buffy's plan was to get one of the slayers to meld into Samantha. Then the 'new' Sammi and most of the slayers would go to the abandoned slaughter house where the Kamous were. Samantha's presence would be seen by the demons and they would gather, hopefully, to attack her. The slayers would then kill the Kamous in an orderly and one-by-one fashion as not to start a dimensional tear. Buffy and two other slayers intended to stay at Slayer Central with Samantha and the Harris clan to protect them if anything went wrong. The blonde trusted the others to get the job done at the warehouse. There was no way Buffy was about to leave Willow's and Kennedy's child in the protection of anyone other than her. This was one battle that she had no problem being left behind.

The blonde came to the end of the final run through of the plan, "…so by then you guys should have all the baddies killed and Rita will call me to let me know the mission was a success." The blonde slayer glanced at her sister-in-arms. "We are attacking now…before dark…That way there's less chance those creepies can get away…and we'll have better odds that we catch them off guard."

Buffy took a deep breath. She really had wanted to be able to tell Willow and Kennedy about the demon problem. However, she knew she couldn't wait for them to give her the thumbs up. She tried not to worry about the fact that noone had heard from the couple. One crisis at a time was enough for her.

"Time to put 'Operation Kamous Vamoos' into action…Now go kick some demon tush." Buffy watched as the slayers stood up and walked out the door.

Seraph's hands gripped tighter on the steering wheel. In all his time roaming the planet, he still hated the present mortals' method of transportation. There was something about driving a car that seemed defeatist to him. It was like hiding oneself in full body armor instead of meeting the fight with only a sword in hand. The sounds from automobiles were also hideous to him. He would have rather walked or ridden a horse than driven, but he had no time to waste. Seraph barreled down the highway, his senses telling him exactly where to go.

He had finally returned to his full strength, such as it was at that point in his demise. But more than that, the villain felt a wholeness from his grail. There was something about the sense he got that made him know his pieces were intact again…waiting for him to rescue them. His connection to his very own stolen body was so strong that they could reclaim through that want. Being spurred on by this latest development, the figure began to map out his strategy to defeat the witch and slayer that had taken the Vestatu obligation.

The plan took shape in his head. 'They are Vestatu, but something must have happened. They have not placed my bones under the protective spell.' Seraph wondered if the old nun had died before she was able to depart that knowledge on them. 'If only I'd been strong enough to have sensed what took place.' The warrior knew that his depleting power was the reason he didn't know the full story now. He had been too weak after his attack on the priest at the church to 'sense' his pieces.

Seraph did not take the two women who now had his grail lightly though. They were extremely powerful. How the obligation had passed to a slayer and witch and not another woman married to God was a non-issue for Seraph now. It would have been easier to duel a normal mortal woman under these circumstances. The failure of the pieces to be under the protective spell was definitely to his advantage. But that advantage had been nullified due to his opponents. Somehow they had been able to keep his items from his ability to feel them. 'The witch and slayer have their own tricks.'

Though the figure understood he'd have to be ready to engage in a mighty battle with his adversaries, one other fact was also as well realized. Seraph wouldn't have to worry about whether the women died or not. Since the protective prayer had not been used, his goal was not like that in all his previous crusades against the Vestatu. There was no need to make the protector recant the spell; there was nothing to recant. All Seraph had to do was find the women with his bones. Retrieving his 'self' was the only goal. For sure he knew he'd have to kill the witch and slayer. Frankly, he would do that even if they handed him his bones on a silver platter. Seraph relished the very moment when he'd see the life leave the bodies of his enemy.

Because of this new perspective on his mission, Satan's General concentrated on finding the location of the women. It didn't take long for him to pinpoint them in the lower part of a ravine area of an offshoot tributary of the Colorado River. As soon as he had locked in their position, the creature had got into his vehicle and started driving.

The warrior didn't waste any time. Seraph knew he had to reunite with his bones before sundown. After the prayer of Sister Sarah in Costa Rica, Seraph had painstakingly kept track of his downward spiral. He calculated the moon cycles and the acceleration of his demise with each passing new moon. The full moon coming that night was at the end of a rare astrological planetary convergence. The warrior knew that this would be the end of his crusade. As he drove, he recalled the words of the nun all those years age, "…to the beckoning moon be its servant and its bride." Seraph had been at the mercy of the lunar cycles, his vigil for his pieces increasing in intensity with each passing phase. He was married to the moon, bound to obey it despite trying to cut himself free from it.

This full moon would be his end…unless he took from the Vestatu that which had started his long journey.

"I will not fail…I will do battle with God's best and return to my greatness." The words were sure and strong.

Seraph's plan was simple. The Vestatu didn't know about the spell or couldn't perform it. They probably didn't realize that they lacked the key ingredient that all other Vestatu had…the sanctity of their very lives. The witch and slayer didn't know nor could they comprehend how savage and pure evil the warrior could be. 'Vampires are as dangerous as flies compared to me.' Seraph knew the slayer had never come to terms with anything like him.

Knowing that he didn't have to let the women live, Seraph's plan was to find and destroy. Upon gaining his stolen articles, the Devil's Sword intended to lash out on the witch and slayer all the hatred he'd carried for the thousands of years of his crusade. They would be punished for all those that came before them. He was cool and calculated in his plan. Seraph intended to use his military mastery to retrieve his self and then seek vengeance on the Vestatu and the world.

Seraph continued to drive. He could feel his flesh begin to tingle in anticipation. His 'senses' began to get stronger. 'I'm almost there,' he said as he drove by the twin rocks off to the side of the road.

"We can't stay here…We all need to leave…and right now." Kennedy was adamant in her tone. "Tuzi, you have to leave too, but not with us…We don't know what this thing will do to get to us…We have to know that you're safe."

The three women were discussing their next step now that Willow knew who the enemy was and the reason he was after them. The fact that the redhead had been able to get all the information they needed that morning was an incredible feat in its own right.

"Ok, Willow, what you're going to do is seek out whoever is coming after you…Connect with him…or her…become as one."

The witch looked mortified at the Native. "What?…You think I can figure out who this crazy person is…and then you expect me to crawl under its skin?…There's no way…" Tuzi didn't let her finish.

"You 'are' the way. You've done it the last two nights…You've been able to expand your understanding of the universe. Willow, you are connected to everything because in the Great Mystery we are all really one…We are the Mystery."

The redhead kept shaking her head. "That wasn't my doing…that was you. I only got to whatever I got to because you sent me there…I can't do something this big…You can. You are so much better at this than me."

The woman shook her head. "No, Willow, I'm not. My gift is for others only. Like a muse, I can only assist…I can't do anything for myself. I can't expand my mind into the universe as you can…I'm no witch…I have no powers like you or Kennedy. My worth comes from letting you see your potential."

Tuzi smiled. "Of course you can. Remember? I told you it's just a matter of time…You have the tools; you just need to use them and believe in yourself."

The witch still protested. "Well, maybe after a lot of trying I might…but there's no way I can do it now…I could get absolutely nowhere…or what if something goes wonky…I could drift off into another dimension…"

Kennedy spoke up. "That's where you come in, right Tuzi?" The slayer looked to the Native for affirmation.

Tuzi nodded. "You are more advanced than you realize, Willow…But, yes, I believe that with my help…a kind of piggyback for your mind, you can connect with the Mystery and answer all you need to know…I can be your catalyst; get your mind opened enough for you to do the rest."

Willow stared at the older woman and then Kennedy. The slayer shrugged her shoulders. "What've you got to lose, babe?…Tuzi's been on the mark so far. Besides, you are one helluva witch…You've always underestimated your power."

The witch was silent for quite a while. She couldn't understand how the two people in front of her found it so easy to accept the premise that she could search the universe and cosmically 'invade' another entity. This wasn't expanding her mind to get in touch with her existence. It was tapping into the eternal spring of all that 'is' in order to synchronize into another's past and present. 'Sure, no big deal…just like learning how to fold paper…Are they crazy?' Willow's internal discussion was interrupted by the slayer.

Kennedy spoke abruptly. "I hate to pressure you, but we don't have time to waste…Look." The brunette raised her hand that was holding the objects. With her free hand, she picked up the skull piece. "…The crack's gone. I just noticed it…Somehow this thing healed itself. There must be more of a connection with Seraph than we thought…Willow, I know you can do this…"

Willow looked at Kennedy with real concern in her eyes. "What if I have to go to a really 'bad' place?…What if I…can't come back?"

The slayer understood part of her witch's hesitancy. Willow was worried that she'd have to connect with the focus of their stalker's evil. The redhead was scared that she might get pulled into the dark magicks or dark side of existence. The brunette stared directly into Willow's green eyes. "Nothing will go wrong. I'll be right here. I won't let you go anywhere." Kennedy tried to reassure her redhead.

Willow took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Ok…" Then mockingly, "Let's surf the universe to find this noodle's MySpace page."

Before long, the witch and the Native were sitting on the living room floor, legs crossed, facing each other. There were crystals in between them and candles around them. Tuzi had her fingertips just barely touching the witch's fingertips. There was contact but of the slimmest kind. They both had their eyes closed as the Native began to speak. It was so soft that Kennedy, who was standing off to the side, couldn't hear what was being said even with her slayer hearing.

As the vocals continued, the brunette noticed a glow coming from the crystals. It was low at first but gradually got brighter. As it did, she saw a concurrent deepening of breathing from both women. The slayer could see sweat starting to form on their foreheads.

With more time, Willow's breathing became labored. She began to rock slightly and Kennedy could see REM eye movement under her closed lids. 'There's a lot going on in that pretty little head of hers,' the slayer thought worriedly.

Out of nowhere, a large spark burst between the fingers of the witch and Native, causing both to fall backwards onto their backs. Kennedy ran to Willow's side.

After a few moments, the witch opened her eyes. She stared at Kennedy and turned to find Tuzi. She also was recovering from the jolt.

The look on Willow's face told Kennedy everything. Proudly, "I knew you could do it, Red."

Kennedy's pride in her wife's accomplishment soon gave way to concern once the redhead told her what she'd discovered. Willow told the others of Seraph, his past evil, the loss of pieces of his own body and the endless crusade to recapture them.

Willow told the story as if telling her own life story, for that was what it was like. What the Native had done was miraculous to the witch. Willow had never been able to clear her mind or canvass the interdimensional realms in such a clear manner before. It was as if she had been catapulted into the ethereal existence of the universe. Tuzi truly was a catalyst; lighter fluid to Willow's smoldering charcoal. Tuzi had helped Willow open a channel in her mind, her psyche, that allowed her to roam the universe. But it was a pointed travel. Willow could feel her mind search out the essence of the thing hunting them. Her mind's travel was at the speed of light; destinations flashing by her. It was as if she were a magnet, but one which only could attract a very specific counter draw. As her mind wandered, she could feel it being led around, like a hunting dog to a scent.

And then she found him. Instantly, her mind was no longer searching. She was the creature bent on their destruction. She was Seraph. She could feel the pure evil in him. It filled her being; evil ran through her veins and her mind. Willow was draped in the horror that was the warrior's existence. It was a feeling that was familiar to the witch. The speck of her that was Dark Willow remembered; a part of her regaled in it. That overwhelming sense of power and the ability to destroy for one's own personal gratification lingered in the air. Willow could feel the self-encompassing attitude dribble into her.

In a moment's time, the redhead knew everything about Seraph – why he wanted them and the target of his vigil. She knew he had killed the priest and housekeeper in Kingman. She knew of his history with the Ursaline nuns and in particular Sister Sarah. The witch felt this rage and urgency. Draped in Seraph's evil, Willow shared in it.

The witch also knew Seraph was very close to reaching Tuzi's house and finding them.

It was at that moment that Willow's psyche, the part of the gentle witch that stood outside herself in the journey, told her to disconnect. She knew she had to get back so that she could keep the others safe. She had to get back to Kennedy and her daughter. Her present abode was a place she knew she never wanted to linger. Willow tried to disconnect from the evil in which she was submerged. With all her might, the witch pulled her essence from Seraph's. They came apart with the force of a dynamite blast.

Then she was back in Tuzi's home, both women lying on their backs, breathing heavily, from the jolt of the separation.

"Ok, so now that you know what those things are, why don't you just turn them to dust or something so that Seraph guy can't get them." The idea seemed reasonable to Tuzi.

"We can't," said the redhead plainly. "Obviously, they can't be destroyed, or that woulduv been done a long time ago…The crack Kennedy made is already gone…It's probable that someone woulda tried to do that before and got the same result as we did…Plus, there may be a spell or some other mojo vibe that happens if they're wiped out…Nope, afraid we have to take this sick-o on."

Kennedy was pacing around the room trying to plan their next move. "We can take the cars…and…" Willow stopped her.

The brunette glanced at Tuzi. "Are there any other roads outta here?" The Native shook her head. "Damn," the slayer muttered.

Kennedy paced some more. "We have to go on foot then. Tuzi, what's around here?"

The woman responded quickly. "To the east, following the ravine's edge leads to one of my Tribe's meeting houses. Then to our village center."

The Native answered the slayer. "No. It's rough terrain…the river is shallow for a while but then deepens and has a lot of bends. The rock covering on each side makes a nice picture but no good for much else."

Willow got a serious expression. "Tuzi? Are there areas where someone could hide out of view?"

The woman was starting to understand what the couple had in mind. "The rock cliffs get very high in places and the river narrows a ways up. But there are lots of bends in the river and crevasses and faults where someone could hide for an ambush."

Kennedy got a big smile. "I know what to do." She turned to Willow. "You said Seraph knows he's dealing with a slayer and witch, right?"

The witch grew a likewise approving smile. "He has no idea we know he's after us. He really doesn't know what a slayer can do…"

Kennedy finished the sentence. "…or how powerful you really are. He has no idea how screwed he is trying to take on the both of us." The brunette's brain was working full speed now. "We can take this guy out…All we have to do is get him to follow us down the river and then ambush him."

Willow excitedly went to her partner. "If we can't surprise him or get to him the way we want…all we have to do is keep him after us until the sun goes down…Then he's gone anyway." The redhead was feeling confident about the plan.

The witch looked to Tuzi. "You need to get out of here…Take Pelty and go as fast as you can to the others…Seraph is after us. He's running out of time. He won't bother coming after you. You just need to get out quick."

The Native was concerned about leaving the couple to fend for themselves. "Are you sure?…You could follow me to my village. My people could help with this…I don't want you to get into a situation…" Kennedy interrupted her.

"Tuzi, Wil and I have done this before…" She gave her wife a knowing glance. "…too many times to tell you the truth. But we know what we're doing…We're a good team. We can stop Seraph, but not if we have to worry about your safety. This guy won't think twice about killing anyone in his way…that means your tirbe…We need to keep him away from everyone except us…That's why you need to do what Willow says."

After a few more comments, Tuzi White Fox and her dog Pelty were walking out the front door. Willow was by her side. Hanging from the witch's shoulder was her bag with only the bones inside.

"I've put a protection spell around you…I don't know how long it will last. These things are usually done when I'm there. But it should last at least until you get to your village."

Tuzi didn't know what to say. Despite the amazing events that she'd had in her life time, this was the most incredible and harrowing. She hugged Willow. "I knew we were destined…I felt it the first time I saw you…please be safe."

As Tuzi turned to leave, Kennedy placed her hand on the woman's shoulder. "Everything's gonna be fine…We'll see you tonight."

The Native let out a nervous laugh and nodded. Then she and her dog started running away from her home.

Kennedy and Willow waited until they could no longer see her. The slayer took in a deep breath and looked out to the west.

Willow followed her girl's line of sight. In a fake whiny tone, "Alright, if we have to."

The two turned to face each other and smiled. They were confident yet cautious smiles. The couple walked off the steps to the ground and began to run in the opposite direction the Native went.

As they sprinted, Willow spoke. "Now I'm really glad Samantha's not here…What would we have done?"

The slayer didn't want her witch to get sidetracked. She needed Willow's full attention. "Don't think about it, Will…We need to be totally here to make sure we get rid of this Seraph joker…Just be glad that she's safe with Xander and that we'll be able to talk to her in a little while…Xander will probably be pissed we took so long to call him back." With everything she knew they'd have to deal with, not worrying about her daughter's well being was one load off the slayer's mind.

It was a good thing the witch and slayer couldn't call their Scooby friends. The Cleveland contingency was busy dealing with its own crisis.

Rita walked into the abandoned slaughterhouse. Samantha was holding her hand. Both were scanning the surroundings for any sign of trouble.

"Paulette said they lost the demons around the corner over there," said the pint sized toddler.

Rita curled her shoulders and her face cringed. "Man, stop doing that. You're freaking me out…if a demon hears you, it'll know you're not Sammi." Rita was talking to Shane, the slayer who'd been picked by Buffy to 'meld' into Samantha. After Rita, the twenty year old was the next best slayer.

"Sorry, but we need to be in synch on this. We have to be right on when we give the signal to the others…and don't hold my hand so tight…I'm not three."

Rita squeezed harder. "Until we find the Kamous…yes, you are. Now be quiet and behave."

Rita and Shane were leading the charge against the Kamous. Buffy's plan included the assumption that the demons would be sleeping or doing whatever the Kamous' version of sleep was. She also had to assume that the demons weren't smart enough to question Samantha's appearance at the slaughterhouse. It was hoped that her presence was enough to set them off and drive them to try to capture her. To be on the safe side, only Rita was to appear with the child. Hopefully, the Kamous wouldn't stop in their efforts if only one slayer was with the girl. The other slayers, fourteen in all, were just outside the front entrance. They were to follow the leaders ever so slowly, waiting for them to get out of range before advancing into the building at all. All they needed to do was stay within ear shot of Rita and Shane. If the two found the demons, they would yell out a signal and the cavalry would come rushing in to assist in defeating the demon force.

The two lead women canvassed to desolate warehouse. It was dark even though the sun was still shining outside. The building's windows had been boarded up years before. The two could smell the odor that came with inactivity over dozens of years. The stench of rancid meat waste had long since disappeared. Now it was that musty, dead scent that clung to the air.

As the women walked, they heard nothing. They went farther into the plant, into the darkness of the recesses of the place. Eventually, they had to stop because they couldn't see enough to lead their way.

Rita pulled a small flashlight out of her back pocket. She turned it on. Squinting, she pointed the article in front of her and moved it side to side, trying to get an idea of where they were. All she saw was old, dilapidated equipment and a broken-down conveyer system.

"Where the hell are these turds?" the fake Samantha said puzzled. "We've been here forever."

Rita was just as perplexed. "We've gone through every room…every place in this building…" The slayer was still scanning her flashlight about as she talked. "Buffy is gonna kill us if we don't find these guys…Where are they?"

Shane was walking around following Rita's beam of light. Nothing looked disturbed or out of place. Nothing that they'd seen even looked like demons were ever there. "I'm getting a bad feeling about this, Ri…We shoulda found something…Left over food, scattered nesting materials…something."

The flashlight beam continued to view the large room. After some time, the women could tell they were in the cutting room. This was the place where the slaughtered beef was brought to be 'pieced', cut into the smaller section pieces that were then sold to grocery stores and butchers for further cut down.

Rita led the fake Sammi around with the light. Finally, the toddler stopped after the beam passed the convergence of several conveyer belt tracks.

"Ri!…Stop!…bring the light back," the child's voice demanded. Rita did as instructed.

Shane stood next to the destination of the light and just stared at what it illuminated. Then she slowly turned to look at Rita. "Shit!…Buffy's gonna kill us for sure now."

Rita stared at the spot on the floor next to Shane. It was where the small unusable beef parts and liquids met from the several cutting stations. The conveyers merged and dumped their items into a vast opening in the floor. The catch basin that used to be an integral part of the system had been removed and rested off to the side. The slayers instantly realized the opening went down to the plant's waste collection and ultimately to the city's sewage system.

The two women instantly knew the demons they hunted had gotten away. They had escaped through that opening. Whether the Kamous had known the slayers were there or had gone due to some plan of their own was uncertain. Regardless, they were gone.

"Oh no!," Shane burst out. "They had to know I wasn't Sam…Christ, they're probably going after her now!"

Both slayers realized that the Kamous were smarter or luckier than they had all thought. The demons were on their way to get Samantha at Slayer Central. And the only slayer protection against however many there were was Buffy and two of their fellow slayers.

Rita and Shane fixed on each other and then, at the same time, they began to scream for the other slayers as they started toward the way out of the building. They knew they all had to get back to Slayer Central, and get there fast. As the other slayers came running in their direction, Rita was on her cell phone, hoping that she could get through to Buffy and warn her of the impending demon attack. She prayed that it hadn't started already.

"So how long do you think this'll take?" Jessie looked to Buffy. Xander's wife was nervously pacing in the front exercise room at Slayer central.

""I don't know, Jess," the blonde slayer replied. "They would have gotten there by now trying to find the demons. It all depends how fast they locate them…It's a pretty big place." Buffy understood Jessica's nervousness. She was also on end waiting for contact from Rita or any of the girls that went. The oldest slayer knew that her fellow 'Chosen' were more than capable of carrying out their mission. It was just that the blonde wasn't used to being one of the ones who 'waited.' She had always been in the fight, leading it usually. The uncertainty was making her edgy.

Additionally, the later it got in the day, the more concerned Buffy became that noone had heard from Willow and Kennedy. It wasn't like either woman to ignore their own promises to call or their phone messages. The blonde was starting to fear that she was going to have more than just Samantha's well being to worry about. Though the messages left for the women didn't specifically say that Sammi was being hunted to be killed, they did let the couple know their daughter was 'involved' in the demon problem in Cleveland. Xander tried to stress the importance that the witch and slayer call while not making them terrified about the well being of their daughter. Buffy knew the voicemail messages left should have provoked a call had they been listened to.

After making her statement to Jessie, Buffy glanced at Xander. She saw an understanding look. The slayer knew that the Scooby accepted her answer. He'd been involved in enough of these situations to know that there was no real time table for completion.

The man looked at his wife and jokingly made the comment, "It isn't over til the fat lady sings…or the fat demon sings…or gets vanquished, or incinerated…" Jessie stopped him with a stare before he turned into a complete babbling fool.

More seriously and trying to calm his wife, "Jess, someone will call as soon as it's over."

Xander, Jessica and Buffy weren't the only ones at Slayer Central. Xander's two boys and Samantha were quietly playing next to Xander. Also, two other slayers, Dakota and Isabella, were there. They were experienced slayers, both only weeks away from taking positions in other parts of the country. At the moment, the girls were keeping guard outside the front of the house.

Jimmy and the other watcher at the facility were also there. They were in the library continuing prior research on the Kamous. Despite putting Buffy's plan into action, Jimmy still had some nagging questions he wanted answered. Even if they weren't going to be needed now, the answers would surely be of assistance at some later date.

"What I want to know is why we haven't gotten a call form our dynamic duo? I've left a bunch of messages." Xander's voice matched the concern Buffy had in her thoughts. "This isn't like them…I'm starting to get a bad feeling that they're not calling for a reason."

Buffy didn't know how to respond. She wanted to say that everything was fine and Willow and Kennedy were just being irresponsible, but she knew that wasn't what her gut was telling her. All the slayer could do was shrug her shoulders as an answer to the Scooby. She didn't want to get too absorbed in deciphering the possible reasons, good and bad, why her friends hadn't made contact.

"This waiting is going to kill me," Jessie protested. She stared at the kids playing. "Why can't I be as oblivious as they are?"

Xander walked over to his wife and put his arm around her waist. "I know it's hard…but you'll get used to it…I've spent many hours of my Scooby career in complete fright waiting for Buffy to let us know the world wasn't ending."

Buffy laughed. "That's my Xander…always hiding behind something scared to death until I came and patted him on the head and told him 'the big bad monster is gone'."

"I wasn't…quite that bad…usually," the Scooby said trying to save his honor.

The blonde rolled her eyes and then looked at her watch. "It does seem we shoulduv heard from Rita."

Jessie perked up with Buffy's comment. "You don't think anything went wrong, do you?…Maybe there were a lot more than we thought…Maybe the girls got overpowered…maybe…" Jessie felt Xander's arm hug her tighter.

"Calm down, honey…you're starting to hyperventilate." Xander gave Buffy a disconcerting glance. It was a call for help.

Buffy responded directly. "There're too many slayers, Jess. It would take an entire brigade to keep the girls from calling back…More than likely, they're beating the snot outta those creepy little demons as we speak."

"Or…the Kamous knew Sam wasn't there and are on their way here as we speak." Jimmy spoke clearly as he entered the room. He had a large scroll in his hand.

Jimmy went over to the small table and spread out the old parchment. "There were a couple things that weren't making sense about the Kamous. Some of their actions seemed inconsistent with how 'dumb' they appeared at other times…and their ability to move around the city…not right…Me and Walter kept researching through the demon books we have…but we kept finding the same info…Then Walt suggested we try dimensional based supernatural phenomenon…and bingo!" Jimmy's voice was excited by the time he finished.

"The Kamous have a very sensitive…for lack of a better term, 'identification' honing quality to them. Once they identify a target, they lock on somehow to that target…like the way a fighter pilot or submarine can lock a missile or a bomb on the enemy…" Jimmy explained that was the probable reason why the Kamous weren't necessarily able to know who their 'chosen' one was right away. However, once they identified it as Samantha, the demons were like police dogs. They knew the scent and couldn't get distracted. He continued, "So, they've been locked on to Samantha since that night at Chuck E. Cheese. That's how they knew to go to Xander's…Their tracking ability must be extremely sensitive."

Buffy got a worried expression. "Are you trying to tell me that they can 'smell' through a melding spell?"

The watcher nodded. "Now, I'm pretty sure, yes, they can…Shane may look like Sam, but she's not her…Whatever's used to locate Sam is still with her…here."

Xander took a few steps from his wife. "Yeah, but they would still have to get by a whole bunch of slayers…How could they do that without it shooting off the slayer hearing and all?"

Jimmy responded. "Their sensitivity to dimensional shifts…That takes an extraordinary amount of connection to the charges in the universe…That's why killing them too fast at one time causes a dimensional disturbance…You can't be that attuned to cosmic shifts and not be part of it. They would have to be able to feel every little movement. Maybe they have some ability to zone it out when they need to. But, it makes sense that they'd put up the 'feelers' when they were resting…kinda like putting a slayer or two on guard."

Buffy glared at her man and blue eyes widened. "Crap!…They felt the girls coming, didn't they?" It was a rhetorical question. "If they're that touchy feely then they knew a group of slayers were coming towards them way before the gang got there."

Jimmy nodded again. "Exactly…and my guess is that since they knew the slayers were going to the warehouse, they also figured that Samantha would be in a vulnerable position…They're more than likely using the sewer system…just like they did to get to Xander's."

The new revelation made everyone in the room uneasy. Jessie felt her stomach tighten.

"We've got to get ready," Buffy said authoritatively. She stood up straight and got into her commander pose. The slayer took over. "We need to make sure the kids are in the safest place here…Jimmy, go and tell Dee and Bell to get in here…Then get Walter. We have to section off a secure place in the house to make our central position. Xander? Call Rita or anyone you can get a hold of…We need to find out what 's happened at their end." Buffy was barking out orders. "Jess, I need you to stay with the kids…Try to keep them calm."

The Scoobies started moving like a well oiled machine. Buffy could hear Jimmy open the front door to call for the two slayers. Instead of hearing slayer names being shouted, Buffy heard something very different.

The blonde quickly stepped outside the room to look at the front door where Jimmy was. Her noise made Jimmy turn back to see her. When he did, he took a few steps to open the door and let Buffy see the view.

To the right of the entrance were the two slayers looking out in the same direction as Jimmy. Buffy took a few steps closer to the opened door to get a clearer view.

Inside the car garage that had all the bay doors partly or totally opened, out of the direct sun of the day, stood dozens of Kamous.

"Don't bother calling, Xan…We know where the demons are." The slayer couldn't believe what she saw. Blue eyes stared at the creatures on the other side of the property. She could tell they knew they were being watched.

Buffy also knew the Slayer Central constituency was in serious trouble. There were so many Kamous and they'd had no opportunity to secure their location or gather weapons. Plus, they had children to keep safe. The wheels were frantically churning in the blonde's head trying to think up a plan.

"What do we do now, Buffy?" Jessie was honestly frightened to the core. She held onto the three children huddled around her.

The slayer was hoping she could get the kids, Xander and Jess out of danger so that the fight would only involve slayers, watchers and Kamous. But she also realized that she had to protect Samantha. If even one demon got away, it would hunt the little girl down.

"You and Xander take the kids to the weapons room. Jimmy follow them and get Walt . Call Rita and tell her to get all the slayers here, now…Me, Dee and Bell will follow when we can. We need to try to keep them in the garage as long as possible. Maybe we can keep them from attacking the house long enough for the girls to get back."

As the Harris' and the kids started to turn, Buffy's cell phone began to blare. She quickly grabbed it and answered. She didn't even have to time to talk.

Buffy heard Rita's warning as she kept her line of vision on the demons. The blonde didn't have time to respond except to yell, "THEY'RE HERE!" because the Kamous started to charge the house as soon as the phone rang.

Buffy was ready to go outside with the other two slayers to do battle with the stampeding Kamous when a large burst of light appeared in the yard between the house and the demons. It vanished after a few seconds.

What was left in its place were five individuals, two men and three women. They were dressed in long, indigo blue gowns with white and black piping around the sleeves and neck. They were all bald. On their sides, they carried what looked like some sort of weapon in their waist strap. The new intruders were facing the Kamous and their presence stopped the demons in their tracks.

Turning to face the slayers, the middle individual, a female, strongly demanded, "Where is the girl?"

The blonde slayer stood strong. Defiantly, "Forget that…Who the hell are you?"

The sound of boots hitting the hard ground in a rhythmic cadence was the only noise except for the occasional squawking bird that hadn't been frightened into flight by the presence of the witch and slayer. Kennedy and Willow were running as fast as the witch's legs would carry her. The slayer knew she could have been miles ahead of where they were if alone. However, she and Willow were a team and the brunette knew that what the redhead lacked in speed, she made up for in firepower.

The couple had been heading for the Sawhania River for some time. As they ran, Willow wondered how close Seraph was to them. It was when Willow said the question to Kennedy that the slayer began to feel the adrenaline start to pump.

Then a question came to the slayer. "Will? How did you get into Seraph's head without him knowing you were there?" The brunette started to worry that maybe their plan wasn't as fool proof as she thought.

The witch slowed and then stopped, followed by the slayer. Willow caught her breathe, bending over and placing her hands on her knees. After a few moments, the redhead straightened and answered her slayer.

"It's hard to explain. I wasn't in his head…I wasn't doing anything external to him, even in a cosmic way. I 'was' him…if that makes any sense. I don't know how I did it…but there wasn't anything for him to notice or feel…It's like what Tuzi said about everything being one."

"Baby, I have no idea how Tuzi got me to do it…and I doubt I could do it again on my own. All I know is that it worked and we got what we needed…And if we don't get going again soon, we may just have to fight Seraph here."

Kennedy realized that she was wasting valuable time on an issue on which she trusted Willow. She knew that her witch wouldn't put them in danger intentionally.

Satisfied that their plan had not been breached, Kennedy grabbed her redhead by the hand and they started off again.

As they ran, the couple was ignorant of the wonderful foliage and scenery they were missing. The pristine condition of that part of the canyon area was unsurpassed by any in the country. But to the witch and slayer they were merely running past a bunch of trees and rocks.

Finally, the brunette's hearing picked up on a familiar noise. "I hear the river!" The slayer immediately picked up speed. Willow followed.

Within seconds, they came to the wood's clearing and saw the river. The Sawhania was a tributary to the Colorado River. Its beginning was up in the high cliffs that lined the southern side of the Grand Canyon just above the border of Utah. The river wound its way around rock formations, dipping in and out of the massive stones as dictated by thousands of years of erosion. The river then came running out of the rocks once in the Reservation and formed a decent sized river. As the water flowed further southwest, it was met by other offshoots from the Colorado. Ultimately, the Sawhania emptied itself back into the massive waters of the southernmost part of the Colorado River.

The part of the river where the witch and slayer stood was not the impressive waterway they expected. The river was about 70 feet wide and as far as they could tell only about shin deep. There wasn't much of a river bank to speak of. After about five feet on both sides the rock formations sprouted.

The slayer scanned the area. "Looks like we'll have to go in the river…it'll be faster than trying to maneuver on the sides." The slayer looked to the redhead for input.

Willow glanced around, twitching her mouth. She repositioned her shoulder bag. "Yeah, you're right. Water isn't deep and we should be able to keep a good pace…I wonder how far up we need to go to get to a good hiding place?"

The slayer shrugged her shoulders and took the bag from her wife, placing the strap over her head and under one arm. "Only one way to find out."

The slayer and witch trotted into the river's cool water and began to run again.

Seraph stepped out of his vehicle. He stood there, eyes closed and head tilted as if he were listening intently. He slowly turned his head from side to side keeping a slight tilt at all times. His breathing was steady and deep. A small smile grew on his face.

"They were here…" he mumbled. "…and not long ago." Seraph concentrated on the 'calling' by his bones. "They're close." His tone had a quality of satisfaction, like the tenor in one's voice when describing a fine dinner experience. The man knew he was getting ever closer to his glory.

Seraph opened his eyes and perused the area. He saw Tuzi's house and the pretty flowers out front. He stared at it, squinting as if trying to see through the outer walls. After a few moments, he shook his head. He knew the building was empty. He could 'feel' it. The creature was certain that his bones were not inside. They were with the witch and slayer.

Closing his black orbs one more time, Seraph focused on sensing his bones. 'Speak to me' he said to himself. The Devil's Sword was motionless, as still as the ground upon which he stood. He waited for the 'feeling' to overtake him. He knew it would come; his strength was too powerful and his channel to his self too open not to sense them.

"Where are you?…Where are you?…" Seraph kept saying the phrase over and over.

The creature's head instantly jerked to the left. He stared directly at the path that Willow and Kennedy had taken not too much earlier. It was almost as if he could see the two women departing with his grail. In his mind, Seraph visualized the trail made by the women. He had the 'scent' of his bones in his nostrils.

"You'll never get away." Though said to the empty air, the statement was directed to the women who had were keeping the figure from returning to the terror he was.

Seraph pushed his hood off his head. He started to walk in the direction of his sense. Within seconds, he was running.

This version of the warrior was not like that pathetic creature from the last several days. Seraph was no longer weak. The figure in the long, black coat was at his height of power. Though not as intense as he was thousands of years earlier, he was still someone to be reckoned with. The mortal like limitations were gone. Seraph was stronger and more powerful than any human and most demons. For this battle, the warrior had summoned up everything he had inside. He knew he would need it.

Seraph got to the river's edge without any delay. He was hardly out of breath. He looked to the sky. The sun had started its downward path; soon the moon would be showing itself. The soldier understood he could not waste a moment of time. He concentrated for a moment and than began to run again into the river, following the river's flow.

"Staying away from others…They couldn't have helped you anyway." It was obvious to Seraph that the Vestatu were running away from civilization. They were taking his bones deep into the uninhabited part of the land. He didn't care; he would track them where ever it led him.

As he began to run down the river, Seraph thought about how wonderful it would be the moment that he killed the Vestatu and placed his bones back to their birthplace. The more he thought, the faster he ran.

"Kenne?…This is starting to creep me out." Willow's voice was laced with uncertainty and anxiety.

The women had traveled quite a distance down the river. As they went, they looked for a vantage point for an ambush. What they needed was an area where the rock formations were high and carried a nesting spot for them to stay. There hadn't been anything like that yet. Instead what they saw was a magnificent example of Mother Nature's handiwork. The rock cliffs lining the river were massive and smooth; the centuries upon centuries of water caressing their sides had made them as sleek as silk. The porous stones bled ever so faintly of water mixed with ash, the affect of which was to leave white streaks as if the rocks were crying. The history of the river's movements also eroded into many areas of the cliffs, leaving indentations, almost like caves in the rock sides.

As the couple went farther down the river other aspects of the river changed. The water got deeper and the river narrower. The most alarming to the redhead was the proximity that the cliff sides were getting to each other. The rock formations were high, as much as eighty feet the redhead assumed. However, as she and Kennedy went deeper into the untamed part of the river, those cliff sides were still as massive, but the river had severely closed its width. They had gotten to a point where the redhead could actually spread out her arms and almost touch both sides of the rock formations. Looking straight up and seeing their incredible height brought a feeling of claustrophobia to the witch.

Willow's unease was only heightened with the ever increasing depth of the river. Where it had been merely a few inches deep upon their start, it was now nearing waist high. Willow had never been a strong swimmer.

As the witch inched her way forward, the perspiration beading on her brows, she began to noticeably breathe harder, a panicky breath.

Kennedy, who was in front of the redhead, heard her girl's efforts. It was all the slayer could hear. The only sounds were their bodies pushing through the water and Willow's labored breathing. The brunette turned her head to view her witch. She could see that Willow was more than just physically tired. The expression on the redhead's face was enough to let the slayer know the terrain they were in was having an emotional toll on the woman.

The slayer stopped, turned around and waded back to Willow. She took her by the arm. "Here, Red, let me help." Then Kennedy picked the witch up into her arms. Willow placed her arms around the slayer's neck. Kennedy started back to their course.

Willow knew that Kennedy understood her unease with their situation. She wanted to say she was sorry, sorry for not being able to handle anything thrown at her like her slayer could. The witch wanted to apologize for not having the stamina of a slayer. But Willow said nothing because she knew the brunette didn't need nor want any request for forgiveness from her. They were a team; each accepted the other's strengths and weaknesses. Willow allowed her slayer to carry her while she regained her strength and composure.

It wasn't too much longer that the river, which at that point appeared more as a large fissure in the rocks, took a sharp turn to the left. As the two women followed the bend, they could feel a definite drop in the temperature. The sunlight that had stayed with them until then dimmed as the rock sides grew even taller. Past the bend the river widened significantly. However, the depth of it grew and Kennedy was now carrying Willow through water that was almost chest high.

As they maneuvered past the turn, the witch and slayer observed a rock outgrowth to the west side bank. It was clearly defined and provided an ample platform at the top which was about fifteen feet up. There was an inset to the formation which was set back from the river bed enough so that it wasn't until one had passed it by some distance that it could be seen.

Willow was the first to understand its importance. Pointing, "Kenne!…There it is…our spot…Put me down!" The nervousness was gone from her tone.

The slayer did as told and both examined the rocky area while standing in the water.

"This is it, Will. We set up here and wait for Seraph. He won't see us until it's too late…We'll have an open target on this guy."

"Wait. What about the bones?…He's got some connection to them. If they're with us, he'll know that…He'll know they're up there."

The brunette thought for a moment. She looked around. "Over there…by that group of rocks…" The slayer was directing the witch to a gathering of boulders at least a hundred feet further down the river. The rocks seemed to have fallen at some point in time from higher up. "I'll put the bag on the rocks. Seraph will have to go by this place to get to them."

Confidently, "I bet once he knows his bones are there, he'll be so jacked that he won't be able to think straight."

The slayer waded over to the rock grouping and placed the bag with Seraph's bones on the top of the pile. She then went back to Willow.

"Ok, let's go get all ambushy." The slayer took her witch's hand and they went to the rock formation. Kennedy pulled herself up onto the rocks and then helped the redhead. Soon they were in place.

Seraph felt his power coursing through him. With each stride, his confidence in his crusade grew. The closer he got, the more certain he was that he would once again be the terror of the universe. The figure could feel his connection to his stolen pieces increasing. He was getting closer by the step. The creature could also sense the Vestatu's power. It too grew closer as he made his way down the river. He didn't care. He would kill whatever was in his path to his glory. Witch or slayer; neither would keep him from his greatness.

As the warrior ran, he kept the sun's position in the back of his mind. He could see it lowering in the sky. He also knew that the moon would soon peak its head into the setting sky. It was bad enough that the moon was his measuring stick for existence, but he hated how it could taunt him by appearing in the blue heaven even before the sun put itself to sleep.

Through his turmoil with the time, the figure kept marching onward. He didn't slow as the river got narrower and the water deeper. His only alteration was to remove his long, black coat. He wanted nothing to slow him down. The eerie silence and tomb like feel of his surroundings did nothing to him. He'd been to the blackest parts of the universe; deep water and tall rocks were child's play.

Finally, he saw before him a sharp bend in the river. He stopped. There was something different about the area ahead of him. He got the sense that his grail was not continuing its journey. The creature stood still in the water and let his bones call for him.

An indescribable feeling washed over Seraph. His travel had come to its end. His bones weren't moving; they weren't under protection.

At that moment, the Sword to the Devil forgot about everything except retrieving his pieces. The mighty warrior's steely concentration vanished. All he could feel were his bones pulling at him, begging him to be saved. All thought of vengeance on the Vestatu was gone. All possibilities of confrontations with them flew away. The power of his bones was so great that the creature became a slave. His only conscious thought was that he needed to save his grail. The slayer and witch were no longer on his mind.

Seraph started to press his way through the water, pushing with his hands and arms to speed up his progress. He rounded the bend, the water thrashing about as the violently ran through the river.

As soon as he cleared the turn, Seraph saw the bag. His head and chest began to pound. It was like those parts of him were just as desperate to be made whole as the rest of him. They led the figure to rush for the bag.

Seraph could almost see what it would be like as he placed his pieces back to his body. He was blind to the reason of why he was in the river to begin with. The force from his bones was so overwhelming that the warrior dropped from his mind the fact that the Vestatu had brought him to that spot. The tens of thousands of years of searching, the eternity of pain and defeat made him crazed upon seeing the spot of his grail.

"I've found you." The words were said like one love to a soulmate reunited after a lifetime apart.

Seraph was less than thirty feet away when the first fire ball hit him square in the back. It sent him hurling under the water.

When the witch and slayer saw the creature pass their hiding spot, Kennedy gasped at the sight of him. Even though the witch had been in the creature's mind, she was still startled to see him. From Seraph's actions, they immediately knew that the sight of his bones had an unexpected affect over him. They could see that his mind had gone mad in a sense. Kennedy and Willow couldn't have had a better break. They waited for Seraph to completely clear them and when she had an open shot; Willow threw a massive fire ball.

The slayer had already removed from her boot the large kitchen knife she borrowed from Tuzi's kitchen drawer and instantly jumped from her spot on the ledge into the river. She looked up to the witch. "Keep hitting him with everything you've got. I'm going in."

Kennedy hurriedly waded across the water to where the warrior was now finally regaining his footing.

When Seraph stood up, he turned to see a brunette coming toward him. He quickly scanned to see where the fire ball came from and saw another woman perched on a rock ledge. It was at that moment that reality crashed back into the creature's brain.

"VESTATU!" he wailed. All his past memories, his prior promises of a menacing death flooded back. His pieces were within his sight. He knew they were his. But first, he would kill the legacy that had kept him from greatness for so long.

Before the slayer had a chance to reach him, Seraph went after her. He started to charge through the water.

Willow saw the thing attack and she kept barraging him with energy bolts and fire balls. The warrior ducked and moved as the witch's ammunition came at him. Several grazed him but none further made a direct hit.

Soon the slayer and Seraph were within fighting distance. Kennedy had her weapon on the ready. Seraph took a look and sneered. Then he grabbed his trusty blade from behind his back and held it out in a defiant stance. He was ready to take on the slayer.

The battle began. The slayer and the Sword measured up the other as they both went in for the initial attack. Seraph knew his height gave him an advantage since the depth of the water affected him less. While the slayer had to deal with the slowing influences of the chest deep depth, he was hampered less because the water was merely to his waist.

Kennedy didn't falter in her mission, though. She attacked like a pit bull going against a lion.

The two lunged and pushed and grabbed. They were each able to keep the other's blade from causing injury to their person. Under the water they went; then back up, twisting and wrestling. Seraph never realized the true power of a slayer.

Willow, during this ordeal, did everything she could to injure the warrior when she had a clean shot. There were several times that Kennedy had pushed the figure away and the witch was able to batter him with short but potent energy blasts.

Then from seemingly nowhere, a sound began to build up. It was like a grumbling noise, at first very low, but then growing in intensity. Willow was the first to notice it. She didn't know what it was. It finally got loud enough for the combatants to take notice. They fought on as their minds tried to place the sound.

When the sound turned to a rumble, Willow became vocal. "What the heck is happening?" Green eyes, filled with confusion, skirted around trying to find the source of the latest development.

A vibration, almost like a small earthquake, started as the sound grew louder. It finally caught the attention of Kennedy and Seraph. They stopped their actions unable to steady themselves.

Willow listened intently as the noise grew. She tried to place the sound, to figure out what was happening at their little desolate piece of the earth. Then, the lightbulb went on. Willow's face turned white with fear.

The heavy rains that had plagued southern Utah had caused havoc inside and outside that state's borders. The excessive torrential rainfall caused the rivers to fill too fast. The overflow had a domino effect in that the swelled rivers in southern Utah sent their overflowed river banks down into Arizona. The Colorado River's depth increased sharply over a matter of days. However, its massive size was able to absorb the excess. In fact, it was a blessing for those who were rafting down the scenic river.

The rainfall, though, did not have the same benevolent outcome on lesser tributaries of the Colorado. Smaller rivers weren't able to handle the vast extra tonnage of water between their banks. Rivers and dams washed out, causing flash flooding throughout several areas in northern Arizona. The flood waters came fast and with a fury like Nature's wrecking ball.

The rainfall had continued in southern Utah even while Willow and Kennedy were on their mission to defeat Seraph on a sunny Arizona day. One particular dam failure came as a surprise to the locals in the northern part of the Grand Canyon Park. The dam breach sent tons of water down many lesser tributaries of the Colorado. One such river was the Sawhania. Mother Nature had once again reeked havoc upon the unsuspecting.

What neither the witch nor slayer nor Devil's warrior knew the day of their battle was that they were in the path of that phenomenon.

No sooner had she said the words then a great wall of raging white water came bellowing around the narrow bend…and engulfed all three.

"Who the hell are you?" Buffy asked a second time to the figure standing between those in Slayer Central and the Kamous. "If I don't get an answer in two seconds you're gonna have some very angry slayers pounding the living snot outta you and your buddies."

When the group of unknown miraculously appeared, the slayers had instantly gotten in fighting mode. Buffy stepped fully out of the doorway and was met by a slayer on each side of her. The three made a blockade to the inside.

Behind the three women were some very bewildered people. Jimmy stood directly behind Buffy. He never took his eyes off the Kamous. Xander and Jessica were protecting the children; the boys were nestled behind their mother, while Samantha was clinging to her Uncle's leg. Walter, the other watcher, was the farthest in the house, peering around Xander trying to see what was going on.

The individual in the long cloak didn't have a chance to make any comment to the blonde slayer because her attention was caught again by the Kamous. Though the demons had frozen in their movements when the mysterious intruders initially appeared, the several passing moments was enough to get them over their surprise. The Kamous became riotous again and were very quickly jostling around making their way closer to the house.

The middle figure turned around and all five of the unknown individuals immediately grabbed for their weapons. They pulled the pole like objects out of their sashes and held them two-handed pointed directly at the charging herd. One by one, the gowned figures started to move their weapon with a small circular movement. It was fast and methodical.

Before the Kamous had moved ten feet, the space between them and the intruders began to alter. It seemed as if the air was being churned like butter. The change made the Kamous once again halt their progress.

"Jimmy, look at that…it's like what happened last night." Buffy realized that the alteration on the air looked the same as when the slayers killed the demons the night before. "How the heck are they doing that?…I thought only killing the Kamous too fast did that?"

"So did I," responded Jimmy dumb-founded. The man had no response for what he was seeing. All his research told him that only an overflow in the demons shifting abilities could create a dimensional tear.

Everyone in the house watched as the atmosphere grew more turbulent and greater in size. Noone could speak nor move. The children hid with their eyes closed. This was too close to the fairy tales their parents had read to them at nighttime before bed.

Bigger and more violent the disturbance grew. The Kamous at first just stood there. But within a few seconds, the force began to pull at them. The quake that was occurring in the air was forcibly dragging each one of them closer to it. The demons tried to break free of the pull, but it was too strong. Like a giant magnet, the disturbance drew them to it. As a demon came into contact with the turbulence, it was vaulted into the air and began swirling about amongst the commotion. Though it seemed like it took some time, in reality it was only a minute or so for all the Kamous to be jostling around in the air. It was as if they were in an invisible blender.

As soon as the last demon was in the mix, the gowned individuals brought the tips of their weapons toward each other. As they did, the turbulence in the air became smaller and more condensed. The demons were still caught within it; like fish in a net. Then the tips of the sabers finally touched.

There was a massive burst of blue light but hardly any noise. The Slayer Central occupants turned from the light and fell to the ground with the impact of the force of the burst.

Buffy stood up straight and defiantly stated, "You're not touching her…You'll have to get passed all of us…and that ain't gonna happen." The other two slayers were up and next to Buffy by the time she finished her sentence. Jimmy, Xander and Walter had also gotten to the entrance of the doorway. Jessie had the three kids and was ready to retreat inside the place.

Buffy shouted. "One more step and you're history." The blonde slayer knew that this enemy had to have lots of power to be able to decimate and vanquish the Kamous as easily as they did. However, she didn't care. Buffy was protecting one of the most important things in life to her – Samantha. There was no way that the blonde was going to let anyone come close to that child. She would fight to the death to keep the child safe. A big part of the slayer thought that she was going to have to do just that.

The woman stopped and a small smile appeared on her face. "We mean the child no harm…We are here to see to her safety."

The statement caught the blonde slayer and the others off guard. Buffy quickly retorted. Sarcastically, "Oh, if that's all…sure we'll let you see her…NOT!…Do you think we're gonna fall for that line?"

The woman turned her head to see her fellow travelers. They all nodded. The woman turned back to the group. "We were sent by…a higher power…A grave…error…was made which put young Samantha in danger…We were sent to make sure that was corrected."

The woman smiled again. "We know only what we need to know…We want to make certain that the child is safe and we will have satisfied our mission."

Buffy shook her head. "Wait a minute. You can't blurt out something like that and expect us to believe you…If you're really not here to hurt her, then tell us what just happened."

Again, the woman looked to her comrades who again nodded. "The creatures we defeated are…were…called Kamous…"

The woman hesitated, took a breath and then continued. "They are exceptional in feeling dimensional travel of 'species' of all kinds…Most think them a simple kind, but they are not…What is not known by many is that during shifts, the Kamous can also sense thought or feelings. That is usually not an issue because travel through dimensions is of an instantaneous nature…Mortals have no conception of the quality and intricacies of it…" This time it was Buffy who interrupted.

"Yeah, great science lesson, Professor, but get to the part where you show us you're the good guys so we don't have to kill you."

The woman nodded respectfully. "One of our…how shall I say…'new' recruit's mind wasn't closed when he passed dimensions…He knew of the child's existence…The Kamous picked the information during his movement. They saw the child as the 'One' they've been searching for…their chance once again to move up in power in the demon world."

The woman told the Scooby group that with the general information the Kamous received, they planned their attack to capture Samantha. The five standing before the group were sent as soon as it was learned that the 'leak' had occurred.

"Sorry it took so long…We didn't find out about the 'problem' until very recently…" Shrugging her shoulders, "Even we need a little time to group."

Xander made his way through the door and past Buffy. "Are you telling me that Samantha has some great power?…The demon world's gonna be after her?"

The woman held out her hand and waved it slowly. "No, not at all…This was an orphan incident…The recruit has been 'reprimanded' and only the Kamous were aware of the girl's existence."

As the discussion was going on, Samantha left Jessie's hold and started walking towards Buffy. Jessie followed with the boys. The little girl stopped when she was beside the blonde slayer and looking at the five individuals.

Jessie walked behind Sammi and placed her hands on the girl's shoulders. "Leave her alone…She's just a little girl…Go find another chosen one to oogle over."

The woman got a compassionate expression. "It is not for us to choose who affects existence."

Xander was disturbed by the statement. "What do you mean 'affects'?…Is Sammi a mega witch or something?"

With a slant of the head, "Do you think that is the only way?…What of DaVinci…or Motzart…Ghandi?…Was Einstein not a mortal?"

Xander was intrigued. "So she doesn't have powers?…Does she cure cancer…or world hunger?"

The woman shook her head. "We do not have the knowledge of how or even if it is a certainty…We were sent only to protect her from the Kamous."

Buffy shook her head. "Wait til Wil and Kennedy hear this. They are going to have a cow…Their daughter…Wow. " Then the slayer got a concerned look. "She'll have baddies after her though, right?"

All five of the messengers shook their heads. Again, it was the same woman to answer. "As I said, this was an error…Samantha holds no significance to the demon world. Her life is her own…Her destiny will show when, and if, it is meant to be…Until then, you are to live as you did."

Jessie laughed. "Sure, you tell us that Samantha has some great destiny and expect us to ignore that?…Do you think her mothers will when they find out?"

Simply, "No one will know of this…when we are gone, so will be your memory of our visit…The child's life cannot be altered or affected in any way…That has been directed to us…All you will know is that the Kamous were here…and you defeated them."

Buffy crinkled her brows and gave a disbelieving glare. "You're going to erase this whole thing?…No way…you're not putting your claws on our brains."

The woman walked back in line with the rest of her kind and looked at the Scooby group. "It is already done."

Xander picked the girl up and turned to Buffy. Joking, "Next time a group of creepy demons come after you Buffster…We're going outta town…This isn't good for the kids or me."

A few moments later, the rest of the slayers came driving down the driveway. After they stopped the cars and got out, they immediately asked if the demons had harmed Buffy.

The blonde said plainly, "Nope, I'm fine…Sorry I sent you on a wild goose chase…I really did think they'd be sleeping until dark…Who knew they'd come after me in the daylight…it's a good thing Dee and Bella were here…Actually, everyone kicked a little Kamous butt."

The entire Slayer Central group went back into the house. They spent the next several hours going over the entire episode with the demons. The focus was on how the demons had fixed on Buffy as their "Chosen One" and the good and bad points of their plan to defeat them.

As soon as the words left Willow's mouth, she saw the raging stream of water come crashing around the bend of the river. In a split second she thought of trying to escape, saving Kennedy and getting her bag which still sat on the rock side further down the river. She had time to act on none of her thoughts.

Neither the slayer nor Seraph had time to react to Willow's warning. By the time that the rumbling noise of the flood tore them away from their battle it was too late. Kennedy watched as Willow disappeared in the whitewater. A second later, the violent waters swooped over her and the warrior, churning them into the rushing wave.

The scene was like something from a Hollywood blockbuster. Under the water's turbulent surface, the three combatants looked like rags in a washing machine. They were being bashed around as they sped along with the rushing waters. Each had arms flailing about trying to get some bearing on which way was up; each was struggling to find the surface to get air.

The slayer was the first to break the surface. She gulped and thrashed about searching for Willow. Then she saw the top of a head, then the witch's face, spitting out water and gasping for air.

"Willow!" The slayer screamed. Somehow the witch was behind her. Kennedy turned and used all her strength to hold her swim to her wife. Her strokes did nothing but keep her in the same spot as the raging waters swept past.

The redhead saw her slayer and tried her best to steer her way to the waiting girl. She couldn't keep up with the force of the river and was taken quickly to the side of the river's edge where she hit hard into a boulder. The witch bounced off the rock like a ball in a pinball machine. Willow went back under the water.

"WILLOW!" the slayer screamed in despair. Kennedy swam in the direction of the witch, letting the river's speeding current assist her. When she was where she thought the redhead would be found, the brunette went underwater. She searched around in the churned up, murky water. Then she saw a shadow. Kennedy pumped her legs and within a heartbeat, she found Willow. She grabbed the witch and brought her to the surface.

The redhead gagged and choked and finally got enough of the water out of her system to take in a deep breath. She threw her arms around the slayer's neck.

Kennedy knew she had to get Willow to safety. She didn't have the strength of a slayer and the turbulent flooding waters would be too much for the redhead. As the brunette scanned the area passing by them, she saw that Willow was not her only concern now.

Farther up the river, Seraph had surfaced and was also deciding his next move. It was then that Kennedy remembered the shoulder bag. While she swam to get Willow to safety, she glanced around to see if she could see the bag. 'It's probably a mile down the river by now,' she thought. Not knowing where the bones were was a problem, but the slayer knew it would be one that would have to wait to be solved until Willow was out of danger.

The slayer finally got to the edge and was able to place Willow up on a rock overhang that was out of the reach of the raging flood waters.

"You stay here, Red…The river's too strong…I've gotta find the bones." Kennedy quickly kissed the still bewildered redhead and dove back into the waters. She spotted Seraph frantically heading toward a spot farther down the river. When she followed his line of flight, Kennedy saw what the figure was so desperate to get to.

Willow's shoulder bag was stuck in some branches of a dead tree that was hanging over the river among a cluster of large rocks. The branches had caught other branches and leaves funneled by the flood waters.

Kennedy knew she couldn't let Seraph get to the bag. She used all her strength and swam to intercept the creature before he got there. About ten feet to the item, the slayer caught him. She grabbed his legs and pulled him down. Seraph went under the water for a second and then came back up, swiping at the brunette. They smashed into the large dead tree also getting caught in its branches.

The figures resumed their fight, except this time they were in twelve feet of flood water. Their moves were slow and lacked the skill and timing known to both on land. The actions looked more like attempts to smother the other. They got tangled in the branches.

As they fought, the sky grew darker, the sun inching its way to sunset. The moon was already making its ascent in the twilight sky. It would soon peek over the cliff tops.

As the slayer fought, she felt a momentary lapse in the warrior's power. It vanished quickly but it was there long enough for the slayer to know that the creature was coming to its end. That one realization led Kennedy to another thought which led to a tactical decision. It was a choice the slayer wouldn't have dreamed of making even a few hours earlier. The brunette remembered what Willow had said about the bones. However, because of the setting sun and glitch she just felt from her adversary, Kennedy made a split second decision. The brunette decided to help Seraph along with his waning power. She hoped that luck and the fates were on her side with this one.

Kennedy grasped at him, trying to send him under the water. Then the slayer faked a move for his arms and instead grabbed onto the metal on his chest.

As the figure tried to release her grip, Kennedy heaved with all her might until…the piece…ripped…off.

Seraph instantly stopped his advance on the slayer and let out a blood curdling yell. He grabbed at his chest as he bobbed above and then under the water's surface. Kennedy held the metal in her hand, watching the enemy in front of her writhe in pain as he came back to the surface.

The slayer acted on the next thought that came to her. 'If it worked once, then two should be the charm.' She grabbed Seraph and pushed his head down, exposing the back of his skull. She quickly and firmly clutched onto the metal there and once again pulled with all her force. The warrior was in too much torture to resist.

Seraph let out another scream even more ferocious and harrowing than the last. Kennedy saw his eyes almost burst out of their sockets. The warrior kept thrashing in the water trying to strike out at the brunette. He had never expected this type of strength and fortitude from the small brunette slayer. The figure didn't think he could be challenged in such a way. The Vestatu before had never fought with such power and determination.

Pushing through the excruciating pain and knowing his end was near, Seraph made one last push for the bag. With all his fury, he lunged through the water as best as he was able and landed on the slayer. His hands reached for the bag that was stuck in the branches behind the brunette. Kennedy was pinned underneath the man under the water. She dropped the pieces of metal and, using the rocks against her back as leverage, she pressed her hands on the figure's chest and hurled him off her. Seraph sailed out of the water and splashed back into it several feet away.

Kennedy instantly jerked the bag from the branches and opened it up. She grabbed the items out and held them in one hand.

Seraph, who had regained his bearings, gazed at his bones. They were but a few feet from his grasp. Despite the blinding pain, he lunged for them.

As soon as he made his move, Kennedy seized the objects with both hands and bent them as hard as she could. She put all her force into her actions. The tension showed in her face as she pressed down against the ends of the bones.

Seraph halted as if hit by a brick wall. His black eyes rolled into his head and his muscles contorted. He fell backwards into the water and disappeared under the surface.

The brunette stared at the water and waited to see if breaking the bones produced a backlash to the warrior's power or some other retribution from the gods. Though Willow had foreclosed damaging the bones before for fear of the result, the slayer knew that such an action was her only recourse and the best opportunity to defeat the creature.

Seconds later, Seraph's body resurfaced face down, motionless and started to drift. He was taken by the current, which was finally starting to ease, to the west bank where he landed in between several boulders and turned face up. There he stayed.

The slayer looked over her shoulder to see her witch standing up and waving at her.

"Are you ok. Babe?" the witch yelled. Willow saw her slayer's actions and had also been waiting to see the effects. Her breath stuck in her throat until she saw Seraph's body rise to the surface.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Kennedy shouted back treading water amongst the rocks and branches. She was still holding the broken bones.

Though a way's off, Willow examined the area around the warrior. Just above the man, there was a flat spot on the rocks big enough on which to stand. However, there was no way to walk to there from where she was. The witch decided to take the non-mortal travel approach. She had regained enough strength and focus to use her magick.

By the time Kennedy swam to a place on the river's edge that was safe enough to get out, Willow had teleported to the ledge. She kept her view on the defeated creature while she waited for Kennedy to join her.

When both were in position, they intently looked at the figure that had made their life frantic for the last several days. They just stared at the man, ready to attack if needed. They could tell he wasn't dead. But, he wasn't really alive either. The slayer and witch then looked to the sky and saw the moon peek over the cliff tops.

Seraph laid there, the receding flood water lapping against him, washing over his body and face. The pain was so unbearable now that he had become numb; the ache so intense as to freeze any response to it. Seraph, the Devil's Sword, had been defeated…'Defeated by Vestatu' he thought. His end was but moments away. There was a part of the warrior that welcomed his demise. The crusade was over; his eternity was at an end.

Listless black eyes strained to look to the sky. They watched as the moon showed its face. In that instant, Seraph felt his entire being flow from the openings in his chest and skull. It wasn't a slow death; it came quickly and violently. He could feel the flames grow in his head and torso. The heat built until the flames burst. Seraph was being taken in the same merciless way that he had taken others, with agonizing pain.

As his body became engulfed in the blaze, Seraph smiled. Vanquishing in such a cruel and evil way was the perfect ending to his existence.

Kennedy watched as the fire encased the figure. Within seconds, nothing was left. The slayer felt a tingling feeling in her hands and she raised them for her and Willow to see. The four broken bone pieces in her hands started to gently quiver. Then they too shot up in flames and disintegrated like flash powder. Her hands were empty.

Willow and Kennedy stared at each other for a moment. Then back to the river. Something caught their eye. The women glanced further down the river and watched as Willow's shoulder bag finally got dislodged from other tree branches and floated down the river. They saw it drift out of sight.

Kennedy slapped her palms together. "Well, we better get going…I told Tuzi we'd see her at the meeting…Don't want to disappoint."

Willow hugged her slayer. "We certainly wouldn't want to do that, now would we?"

The witch lowered her eyes to the slayer's open palm which held the topic of the couple's conversation – Kennedy's cell phone. They were trying to see if it could be salvaged after being submerged in the river's waters. The women were standing inside Tuzi's house.

After defeating Seraph, Kennedy and Willow found themselves in a bit of a fix. Though they had gotten to their place on the river by foot, there was no way, with the river's depth now, that they would be able to return to Tuzi's home the same way. It only took a moment's discussion for Willow to suggest they teleport their way to the Native's house. "If ever we deserved a ride on Air Willow, this is it." The women were soaked, exhausted mentally and physically drained. The witch got no objection from the slayer and within seconds, the two were standing in the woman's living room.

The first thing they did was to make sure that Tuzi was not there and had not been harmed by Seraph. "Missing one Tuzi White Fox and one Pelty," the slayer said happily. They knew with that information that the woman had made it safely to her fellow tribe members.

The next thing the couple did was get into clean, dry clothes. In the Native's spare room they had left the few items Willow grabbed before leaving their own cabin the night before.

Now both calm and dry, the witch and slayer began to take toll of their recent events. One of the first matters they knew they had to handle was contacting Xander. It was well past any reasonable interpretation of the time that they said they'd call. Willow tried Tuzi's phone but the line was still out. That's when the slayer took her cell phone out of the pocket of her very wet jeans. The ensuing discussion was whether the witch could fix the phone, be that by magickal or tech-smart ways.

"Even if I can get it to work, it won't get reception, remember?" Kennedy nodded with the redhead's statement.

"We can drive outta here and get to a place where it works…or if it doesn't, then we'll drive to a gas station or something." Kennedy didn't care how she made the call. She just knew they had to make one.

With some mumbling and tissue paper, Willow was able to get the phone to turn on.

"Yesss!" exclaimed the slayer as she took the electronic from the witch's healing hands. She stared at it for a moment. "Oh, crap…no reception." The brunette glanced to the redhead who gave her a look which said 'I told you it wouldn't get any.' The slayer shrugged her shoulders. "Well, we were on a roll…I thought we'd get lucky."

In the end, the witch and slayer decided to leave Tuzi White Fox's house. It had no damage and they knew the Native was safe. There was no reason for them to stay. They agreed to go back to their cabin. The walked out of the house and saw a Range Rover near their rental. They both stopped.

"He was a real asshole…but that's a sweet ride." Kennedy got an elbow in the side for that remark. "We'll need to tell Tuzi about this…I'm sure there are Council people or associates near here who can take care of this for her." Willow nodded in agreement.

The couple stepped off the porch and went to their vehicle. The keys were still inside, just where the brunette left them. Kennedy got in the driver's side and turned on the engine. She then reached under the seat and pulled out her wallet. She wiggled it at Willow, smiling, and then moved so she could put it in her back pocket.

Without saying another word, the slayer turned the car around and drove away. Their mission was accomplished and there was no further need of discussion. The couple wanted to put it behind them for now.

It didn't take long for the vehicle to be on the main highway back to Peach Springs. The entire way Willow stared at Kennedy's cell phone in her hand waiting for the antenna icon to show in the view screen telling her they had a signal.

The witch finally lifted her free hand in the air. "Houston, we have lift-off!" She turned the phone toward Kennedy so the brunette could see the four signal bars. The redhead then called the slayer's voicemail to check messages. "Wow, six new messages." The witch started to listen to them.

Kennedy kept driving while Willow found out who had called them. She expected a call from Xander wondering why they hadn't called that morning. The slayer figured the Scooby would assume some girl-on-girl action was the culprit, and she was just as sure he'd mention that somewhere in his message.

Kennedy waited to hear Willow start laughing; that would be the sure sign Xander left a message. However, what the slayer saw was a normal expression turn to one of confusion then concern and finally downright alarm. "What's up Will?"

The redhead turned slowly to the slayer. "Stop the car." The tone was all Kennedy needed to hear to know something bad had happened. She quickly brought the vehicle to the side of the road.

"I think demons are after Sam." Willow couldn't believe those words were coming out of her mouth.

Startled, "What?…What the hell…" Kennedy stuttered as she was handed the phone. As she listened to the messages, she heard Willow talking to herself.

When done, Kennedy put the phone down on the center console. "Holy shit…Xander didn't exactly say it but it sure sounds like demons are trying to get Sammi." Kennedy was in a state of shock. This was a horrible piece of news.

Though neither told the other, they were both feeling the same way at that moment. Their daughter was in trouble and they were thousands of miles away.

"Call Xander…We need to know if Sammi's ok and what exactly the fuck is going on." The slayer felt a rush of anger fill her. Her initial reaction was to want to kill whatever demon was after her child.

Willow called Xander's house. The answering machine picked up. "He's not at his house." That got the redhead more worried. She then called his cell phone. She once again got sent to voicemail. In a nervous tone, "Kenn? Why isn't he answering?" They were both getting more frantic by the second. She waited a few moments and then called the cell number again. The call was answered.

"Hey, Kennedy…finally decide to call?…What, you two too exhausted from all the sexy-sexy stuff?" Xander's voice was light and he was laughing almost.

"Xander, it's me, Willow." The witch's tone was full of fright and apprehension.

"Oh, sorry, Wils…So good of you to finally call…we thought you two had fallen off the face of the earth." His voice was still cheery.

Willow shook her head and looked at the cell phone. Putting back to her ear, "Xander, you left a bunch of messages…You said there were demons…You said Sammi was involved…Is she ok?…Is she hurt?…What the heck is going on?"

"Yeah…six! And you sounded really nervous…and you kept saying we needed to call right away. Is Samantha ok?"

That statement put the witch at ease. She looked at Kennedy and mouthed "She's fine." Willow saw the slayer's grip on the steering wheel unclench.

Willow continued her questioning. "Xander? What's going on? You freaked us out with all those calls…Demons are after Sam?"

On the other end of the line, Xander was trying to recall the messages he left for the couple. It seemed foggy at first, but then the events started to come back to him.

"Oh, no…I mean we did have a problem here, but it's ok now." The pieces began to fall in place. "There were demons after Buffy…These icky little things called Kamous…"

Xander proceeded to tell his friend how the Kamous had tried to kill Buffy so they could get her power as the Chosen One to try to up their position in the demon world. He told her that there was an entire group that came after the blonde slayer. "They even tried to come after her at my house…So Buff thought it was a good idea that we all stay at Slayer Central…You know, strength in numbers." He went on to tell Willow that the slayers finally defeated the Kamous ending their demon issue. "We called you originally to see if you knew anything about the demons and then to see if maybe you had a spell we could do…but we took care of it ourselves."

Willow was confused. She listened to the man tell her of their events since the couple's departure from Cleveland. She filled in Kennedy as Xander told his story.

"But you said it involved Sammi…You sounded really scared and said we 'had' to call right away…What happened to Sam?" Willow still couldn't mesh the phone messages to the story she was getting now.

"She wasn't in any real danger, Will. I'm sorry if it seemed like that. I guess the whole demon thing got me riled up. Nah, she was safe with us the whole time…She did see the demons…She actually drew a picture of them…That girl is very good at drawing…Sam seems ok, but I don't know if seeing the creepy little guys will give her nightmares." Xander sounded apologetic.

The redhead continued her conversation with Xander. They discussed the demon situation several more times. Each time, Xander assured her that Samantha was never in danger and that Buffy and the other slayers took care of the demons.

"I really am sorry that I made you guys worry. Sam is doing great. Here she is…" Xander could be heard talking to Samantha and handing her the cell phone.

"Are you having fun?" Willow tried to keep from questioning the youngster on the demon matter.

The talk with her daughter put the witch's mind at ease. Samantha was acting and talking like she always did. There was nothing strange or out of place in her words. After she was done, Kennedy also talked to Sam. The slayer realized how much she missed her daughter. Just the sound of her small voice put a lump in her throat.

After a good talk with Samantha and more discussions with Xander, the witch and slayer were convinced enough that all was well in Cleveland. Kennedy was now on the phone with Xander.

"Well, I guess everything there is back to normal. But tell Buffy next time she's got demons after her…try to do it when our daughter isn't in town…You guys had us freaking out."

Xander laughed. "Well, when Willow checks her cell, I'm sure she's got the same crazy messages…Hey, by the way…Why didn't you call earlier?…Willow said you were gonna call this morning?"

The brunette hesitated. Now was not the time to explain their entire Seraph confrontation. "Wellll…We got sidetracked ourselves…Tell you all about it when we get back."

There was more conversation and finally the call came to its conclusion. "Ok, Xander, tell everyone hi and not to get into anymore demon trouble before we get back. We'll see you tomorrow."

"Well that was weird." Willow still had some part of her that thought the situation odd.

"I've always thought Xander was a little strange. This just reinforces my opinion that he wigs out like a little girl…On his messages he had it sounding like those Kamous were after Samantha…" Then laughing,"…We have to tell Jessie she needs to train him better."

The couple decided that all was well with their daughter and friends and that they could relax for the rest of their stay. Kennedy started the car's engine and they got back on the road, heading for their cabin. While driving, Willow made a few phone calls to Flagstaff concerning the removal of Seraph's vehicle from Tuzi's house. They decided to tell Giles about Seraph later. "It's not like he can do anything now…dead is dead." Willow also tried to get in touch with the Native to let her know they were fine and had accomplished their plan. She tried several different information numbers and the main tribal office number, but it was Sunday and it was closed.

The couple still had the final night of the convergence to attend. Though quite tired, they were actually looking forward to it. They didn't know what to expect but knew that they'd probably get a good dose of rest while there.

Not too much later, they drove up to their cabin. They exited the car and went inside. The place was messy but not nearly as bad as the ransacking they'd had earlier. Soon the couple was sitting at the kitchen table eating. They were famished. After that, they took a hot shower together and changed clothes. The couple was able to relax for a little while.

In no time, they were ready to take the walk to their final night's experience. The effects of the day had diminished and Willow and Kennedy were attempting to focus on the meeting. They left behind their worries and concerns about Samantha and their battle with Seraph. It was the couple's last night alone and they were determined to get the most out of it.

Kennedy and Willow left the cabin for what would end up being a very memorable night.

Sergio bolted up in his bed. He'd been sound asleep. There was sweat on his forehead and he was breathing hard. "Another dream" he said softly. He'd been having them since the night he stole the items from the church. Three days had passed and each accompanying night he'd had the dream. This Sunday night proved to be no different. The 'nightmares' were all different and yet all the same. In each, he was chased by some horrible looking creature. It kept coming at him screaming and holding its arms out as if it wanted something. The thing never caught him but each night it got closer and closer to him. Each time he had the dream, he would wake up in a cold sweat. All he could feel was the closeness of that evil's being to him.

This dream was different in ending, however. The creature still hunted him to the point of being directly on his heels. It was so close Sergio could feel its fiery breath on his neck. Just when he'd given up hope of being able to outrun the creature, his dreamscape changed.

The boy was at Kingman's St. Thomas' Church. He was standing by the high alter and looking at the communion table where he had pilfered the two objects. There was a peaceful calm about the place. Sergio didn't know why he was there but it seemed to him that he needed to be. The boy said nothing and remained still.

Sergio turned to see Father Eduardo sitting in the front pew. The priest was smiling warmly at the boy.

Sergio felt so much guilt looking at the priest. Even his dream self knew that the Father was dead. Yet, the man was before him now. The boy realized this was his one chance for confession.

In a disheartened tone, "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned…I…I…I killed you, Padre. I'm the reason you're dead…the others are dead…" By now the lad had fallen to his knees and clasped his hands in prayer. "I sorry, Padre…I'm so sorry…" The boy started crying.

A moment later, Sergio felt a hand on his head. The contact was warm and tender like the loving touch of a parent.

Sergio raised his eyes to look at the priest. He saw nothing but forgiveness. That made him feel even more guilty.

"But Padre…I took those things and then you all died." The boy wasn't about to let himself off the hook.

The priest smiled again. "You helped to save the world…My fate was already sealed by God. You killed noone."

In a reassuring tone, "The sin was in another's soul, not yours. You have nothing to fear now…the evil that haunted you is no more."

In a moment's flash, the priest was gone and Sergio had awakened startled from his sleep.

As he sat in bed, the boy tried to make some sense of the last three days. He couldn't clearly understand his latest dream except to know deep down inside he had been forgiven. He was not the horrible son his mother labeled him, nor was he the cause for the deaths in the church. Padre and God had forgiven him for whatever his part had been.

Sergio lay back down on his bed. He closed his eyes and for the first time in three days, he knew he'd be able to fall back to sleep.

Tuzi White Fox stood nervously at the opening of the tee pee. She hadn't seen Willow or Kennedy yet and the others were already arriving for the third and final night of the convergence. The woman knew she could not take her attention away from her duties. The gathering was a holy and important event and it demanded and required her full attention. She was the 'host' for this event, a position that carried great responsibility. Tuzi knew that what she did this weekend would help the world for years to come.

But still her mind couldn't help wander to the plight of her new found friends. She desperately hoped that they had achieved their goal. She had stayed with the shaman of the tribe after leaving her home. He was the oldest and wisest of her tribe. He also lived out on the rim of the Canyon; even on the outskirts for the other villagers. Tuzi hoped that the man could sense for her the state of the couple's battle and whether they were alright. But even the old man was not able to read the winds to tell Tuzi of the couple's fate. She stayed at the shaman's abode until she had to leave to do her solemn duty. And so she waited, trying her best to complete her obligation and all the while feeling her heart race because of the unknown outcome for the witch and slayer.

Tuzi glanced at the sky. She knew it was almost time to start. She would have to leave her post and begin her final task.

Just as she was about to go inside, she saw the faintest outline of something moving down the trail. A few more moments and the Native could see Willow and Kennedy walking up to the meeting. A wide and joyous smile erupted on her face.

It didn't take long for the couple to be close enough to the woman that they could talk. The slayer was the first.

Tuzi gave both a strong hug. She then stood there and looked at the two women. She marveled at their commitment to duty. There was so much running through her mind, but she knew nothing she could say would do justice to what the witch and slayer did that day. Instead, she decided to give them what she probably thought they would want…distance from their battle.

"Well, why don't we end this day on another good note…Welcome to the last night of the convergence." Tuzi motioned her hand to lead the women into the structure. The couple smiled and walked in, followed by the Native.

The last night of the event turned out to be quite different from the others. Once inside, Willow saw that there were bowls of fruit and breads sitting in the middle of a hide skin on the ground next to the fire pit in the middle of the room. There were also jugs filled with liquids and glasses placed there. The fire was lit but was going just enough to give sufficient light.

Everyone was told to sit around the pit and food and beverages. Tuzi brought out a sachet of dried herbs. Kennedy elbowed Willow and seductively raised her eyebrows when she saw the bundle. "Oooo…Here comes the horny smoke again," she whispered to the witch. Willow chuckled and lightly swatted her arm. To herself, the witch hoped it indeed was the same herbs as the first night.

Tuzi lit the sachet. It gave a pleasant fragrance but one different than the first night. Willow saw Kennedy frown.

Sitting this time with the guests of the event, Tuzi started to explain the last night's schedule.

"Welcome for the final night of this gathering. You have explored your connection to the universe and your place in both the here and now and the entire past of existence. You have been given a key to uncovering an even greater understanding of the mystery we call life. It is for each of you to do with this knowledge what you will. Just remember, greater knowledge of and connection to the universe brings with it greater responsibility in your use of your abilities. Take your journey only as far as you can safely get back. For some that means that you stay on the platform you are on now…For others, you will proceed. But the travel will be long and hard and there will be forces that will try to divert you from your path…Be wary at all times…"

Tuzi got up. "Now that you know your own path with greater insight, know that your life's journey is not taken alone. You will need the help of others on the way. That is the purpose of this night. One moment in time tonight could be the salvation for you or others at some future time. An insignificant morsel of information learned here could assist you in reaching your goal at some fortuitous moment years from now…"

Tuzi White Fox told her guests that the last night was given to the members to…socialize. "We're having a cocktail party?" the slayer joked. In effect, the slayer wasn't that far off. The last night of the convergence was for the individuals present to share each others' existence, a cosmic networking of sorts. It was more than just making 'light chit chat.' Because of their 'sensitivities', the members were able to connect on a much deeper level. Some had the ability to see into the others' history to get a better understanding of who they were. Some, like Kennedy, had to settle for regular conversation to get to know the others. But even the slayer had the ability to pick up certain vibes from the other attendees because of her slayer powers.

Another strange phenomenon occurred. Each person subconsciously keyed into others spoken to on a very personal level. There was not the usual question and answer scenario that would have occurred in any other situation. Besides a name, there was no "So where do you live? What do you do for work? Do you have a spouse? Kids?" The meetings between the members seemed to take a spontaneous intensity about them.

The last night of the convergence was a wonderful time for all involved. There was laughter and joy and a group sense that a great thing had happened to all of them. They ate and drank. By the end of the event, everyone was in a blissful mood.

One by one, Tuzi said her good byes to the individuals. They each shared moments not to be forgotten with the Native. It was because of her that each had the spark that could lead to greater insight.

The last to leave were Willow and Kennedy. The three women spent time just thanking the other for their help. They knew they were friends now. They had shared an event unimaginable by most.

"Willow, I know now why I was chosen for this weekend's meeting…The Gods planned for us to meet…We had to." Tuzi took the witch in another hug.

"I don't know how to thank you, Tuzi…for this weekend and for what you did back at your house…If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't be standing here…none of us would." The redhead was completely honest with her sentiment.

Tuzi White Fox was overcome with gratitude. "From you Willow, that means a lot…although I still feel you had it in you all the time…You are an amazing witch. You have strength you haven't even tapped into yet."

Willow smiled graciously. "That's kind of you to say…I don't know how far down that journey you talked about I'll get…but I'll try."

Tuzi nodded and then got a serious look. "Just know that power like yours is never easy…and there are those, as I am sure you know, who would like nothing more than to take it…Be careful, Willow."

The witch was at first struck by the Native's words until she saw the look in the woman's face. Tuzi was being protective of her new friend. Willow saw that she wanted no harm to come to the redhead. It had been said with full respect. "I'll be careful," she replied in kind.

Tuzi then looked to Kennedy. "I have never met a braver person than you in my life, Kennedy…I never knew such a pure spirit existed. You walk a path only the fewest have tread…But I feel that your steps land softer than those before you…" Tuzi glanced momentarily at Willow. "…The reason for that is obvious…Keep up the good fight, Kennedy."

The slayer said her regards to the Native. The couple then said their good byes and told Tuzi White Fox that they'd keep in touch. Willow and Kennedy headed back to their cabin.

As they disappeared from her view, the Native stood and pondered the events of the last day. She realized that she'd been a part of saving the world. And her world would never be the same because of it.

Tuzi looked up to the sky and gave a soft smile to the heavens. "Thank you," she humbly said. Then the woman turned and left, her obligation done.

""Should we send her something?…We should, shouldn't we?…Maybe flowers?…No, that's dumb…Maybe an Indian painting or…Agh! What do you get someone who helps you save the world from a big nasty evil warrior?"

Willow was in babble mode. Kennedy just watched happily. They had been back in the cabin for about a half hour.

Willow was about to chastise her girl for such a silly comment when she saw that the brunette was being sarcastic. The witch realized that she was babbling. "Well, I just think we should do something nice for her."

Kennedy shook her head. "Will, it's not like she made us dinner…It wasn't a normal weekend. I don't think Miss Manners has anything that would cover this." She went over to the redhead and embraced her from behind. "I think the best thing you could do is call her when we get back…You know, really make a friendship out of this."

The witch leaned into her slayer. "You're right. That's a perfect idea." She leaned her head back against the slayer's shoulder. "What a great night…just the way to end the whole thing."

Kennedy let go of the redhead and walked to the couch. She sat down. "There were some pretty interesting people there…Did you talk to Guillone?…the French guy?"

Kennedy shrugged. "I don't know about that, but he had a run-in with a vamp two years ago he said…"

The couple continued to talk about the people they met and all the things they had in common. They found out that each woman had gotten different pieces of the puzzle to each person they talked to. They found it interesting how the information shared was so specific to their focus. There was hardly any overlap in facts gathered. "I betcha this was another one of Tuzi's doings." Willow figured that smoldering herb bundle had to have had some effect on the group.

As the women talked in the bedroom, they gathered their belongings. They planned to leave early in the morning to head back to Las Vegas. Their flight was scheduled to leave inthe afternoon. Kennedy had hoped to get in a few hours of gambling before they had to leave for the Vegas airport. At first, the slayer contested packing that night. She could have easily left it for the morning. However, Willow, being the more organized of the two or as Kennedy referred to it as the more 'obsessive' of the two, won out and the job was done that night.

"There, aren't you glad now that we don't have to deal with this tomorrow morning?"

Kennedy raised her eyes. "What do I get for being such a good sport about it?…You know I don't like being 'this' organized."

Willow chuckled. She saw the way Kennedy was acting and looking. It was obvious work time for the slayer had turned into play time. Nonchalantly, "A good night's sleep would be a very good reward for your behavior."

The slayer gave the witch a disapproving look. "I'm not sleepy, dear…and for my reward, I was thinking of something that had a little more 'activity' involved in it."

"I'll show you." Just then the slayer ran to Willow, grabbed her and threw her on the bed. She began to tickle the redhead.

Willow was laughing as hard as she could, squeaking out for Kennedy to "Stop it!" in between belly laughs. The couple kept playing and tickling and laughing. Before long, Willow was able to move around and she got the slayer pinned down.

"Hah!…Shoe's on the other foot now." The witch began to tickle the slayer's side.

Even though the brunette could have easily gotten out of her predicament with the witch, she didn't. In all their time together, Kennedy never used her slayer power during times like these. These were the real intimate moments between the two women. During these specks in time, they were just two women in love. Kennedy didn't want to intrude on that with her slayer powers. She always let Willow have her time of 'bettering' the slayer. Quite honestly, there were times when the brunette could think of nothing better than to be pinned down on a bed with her redhead 'overpowering' her. That's what made the brunette's life so wonderful.

The witch and slayer spent more time teasing and talking and just enjoying being together. They knew it ended that night. By the same time the next day, they would be back to being mothers and all the responsibilities that came with it. But for this night, they were going to act like foolish lovers again.

The play soon turned to foreplay. The couple's talk melded into kissing, the laughter replaced by the sound of hands grazing over cloth. Willow started to kiss Kennedy's neck.

Unexpectedly, the brunette pushed back from the redhead. Brown eyes looked into green. Kennedy got off the bed and went over to the door on the back wall of the room that led to a balcony. She opened it and looked out into the beautiful Arizona night. The stars filled the darkness and the full moon was high in the sky. She stepped out onto the balcony and then turned around to face Willow.

"Been wanting to do this since we got here…Dance with me?" Kennedy held out her hand.

Willow's heart melted. The witch knew that noone had a clue at how romantic Kennedy could be. A part of the witch liked it that way. It was a side of the slayer that was just for her. After all their time together, the slayer could still make the witch's heart flutter.

Getting off the bed, the redhead walked to her slayer. She also scanned the heavens once in the outdoors. She took the slayer's hand. "It's beautiful out here…but I don't hear any music."

Kennedy tilted her head slightly and closed her eyes for a second, then opened them again. "You don't?…I do. I hear music every time I look at you."

The witch's heart melt some more. She wrapped her arms around the brunette's neck and held her tight. Kennedy had the uncanny ability to take a perfect moment and make it even more perfect. This was one of those times.

The two women began to slowly dance under the Arizona night sky. As they moved, the sound of the wind blowing through the trees was disturbed by a soft melody in the minds of each woman. The song, first low, grew to that intimate level used in romantic bistros.

Kennedy quickly realized that the sound she heard was there because of Willow. The slayer knew her witch had projected to both of them. She listened to the beautiful melody.

Kennedy caressed her cheek against the redhead's crimson hair. This part of the woman was another that the brunette found indescribable. The song floating in their heads was a hypnotic piece of piano music by Debussy. It was this side of Willow, her artistry, that kept the slayer humble. The music the witch chose was not that expected from a woman of her relatively young age. It wasn't the latest soulful hit love song or even one by a modern artist. The witch had an eclectic taste in music, ranging a wide spectrum of styles. Willow chose a lulling classical piece, a melody that pulled one in with its simplicity. Kennedy viewed her Willow as a gentle soul with an ageless spirit. Kennedy thought to herself that the song in her head was as beautiful as the woman who put it there.

The couple held onto each other. It was another time in their life together that the reality of who they were came to the surface. They had faced real danger today. But as times before, they had overcome that danger together. Willow and Kennedy had survived another day in the lives of a witch and slayer. Their need to exalt in that, even if only by quietly dancing, showed in their silhouetted bodies against the warm June night. This was their chance to reaffirm their need for one another.

The two women danced, the melody replaying in their heads. They stayed in each others' arms, the rest of the world nonexistent for those few precious fleeting moments in what would become their long life together.

The redhead took her head off the brunette's shoulder and gazed into chocolate eyes. Without answering, Willow let go of her embrace, took the slayer's hand and led her back into the bedroom. Kennedy closed the door as she entered.

What the slayer thought was her witch feeling the effects of the gentle night breeze was really Willow's reaction to being in her slayer's arms. Willow didn't know if anyone quite understood how safe and completely loved she felt because of Kennedy. There was a strength and devotion in the slayer towards the redhead that Willow had trouble fathoming at times. She saw it in captivating brown eyes, heard it in the brunette's caring voice and felt it in her warm embrace. Kennedy was her lightning rod, the person who tried to keep all danger away and protect her. She was the witch's wife, her lover, and her friend. Though the redhead needed her other friend's and family, it was the brunette that she leaned upon and the woman, who along with their daughter, she couldn't do without.

Willow took Kennedy to the bed and began to undress her. The brunette, somehow knowing this night was about their shared commitment, followed suit and began to undue the witch's blouse. Soon, the witch and slayer were naked. They took a few moments to gaze upon the other and then they embraced and began to kiss. Willow cupped the side of the slayer's face with her hands and gently kissed her lips, her eyelids and then her lips once again. Her movements were slow and soft.

Kennedy strolled her fingers up and down the alabaster skin of the witch's back, tracing ever so lightly the perfect curvature of her body. When the redhead came back to the slayer's lips, Kennedy opened her mouth and took the witch in for a passionate union.

The feeling of adornment in both women was being replaced by the desire to physically connect. Willow was the first to advance that action. She broke from the slayer and went to the top of the bed and pulled back the sheets. She slid under them and gave her girl a seductive look.

It didn't take more than that. Kennedy jumped on the bed and scurried to get herself under the covers as well.

Willow leaned into her slayer and moved partially on top of her, her body's lower half still off to the side. She began to kiss along the brunette's neck, only stopping when she got to that spot near the slayer's ear that make the girl moan. The witch then worked her way down the slayer's body, grazing her lips against silky smooth, honey toned skin. The redhead stopped when she got to Kennedy's breasts. They were firm and the nipples hard. The witch began to run her tongue over one, down its side and to the other. She then made the return journey. She heard her girl gasp with her touches and felt her fingers hold on tighter to her side.

While the redhead was enjoying herself, Kennedy was also involved in enticing activity. Her hands caressed the witch's skin, moving up and down her arms. She massaged the redhead's back, and lightly traced her finger nails along the witch's arm again which she knew brought a shiver to the witch's skin. As much as she wanted to take charge, Kennedy waited and let the sensations from her witch's actions charge her.

The witch, finally considering her work on Kennedy's peaks done, began to once again lower her position on the slayer. As she kissed her way down, Willow took the bed sheets with her. Kennedy felt the cold air against her exposed naked torso. The chilling effect was overpowered by the heat building in her body from the redhead's actions.

Further Willow went. She was slightly off to the side of the slayer, almost in a crouching position, as she kissed down Kennedy's stomach, to her waist line and then closer to her center. Kennedy was reeling with the electricity running through her body. But she didn't want this to be just Willow bringing her to release. As the witch got closer to her goal, Kennedy reached out her arm and placed her hand on Willow's hip. She ran it over her lower back until she had a hold of the other side. She gently directed the witch's body closer to her. She positioned Willow so that her legs were straddling the slayer's head. Kennedy held the witch by the hips and lowered her down.

When Kennedy's mouth made contact with the witch she felt a slight jerk and could feel Willow's legs quiver. Willow's mouth, which up to that second had been enticing the slayer's center, stopped and the witch let out a moan. It took but a second for the sensation to pass and Willow returned to her duty of arousing her slayer.

The two women worked in unison, both pleasing the other with the moves and actions that experienced lovers know to do. The feeling was overwhelming at times. Each had to pace their actions to keep from falling too soon. The concentration given to bringing the other to release was being assaulted by the very sensations each woman was trying to compel from the other. Kennedy loved the idea of feeling her tongue on Willow at the same time the same was being done to her.

The women continued their dance until they were both to the point of climax. Both hung on for dear life as they went over the edge together. They felt the other buck and tense and moan with pleasure. Tonight was a night for unity and that was what the witch and slayer shared.

When the last spasms were gone, Willow turned around, snuggled up to Kennedy and drew the covers close to her chin. She leaned over and kissed her slayer.

The night was not over for the witch and slayer. The drained feeling from their encounter soon gave way to the need to feel it again…and again. The last night of the couple's get-a-way was not going to waste. With no distractions, Willow and Kennedy spent quality time taking care of their physical desires, and with it their emotional ones. They claimed their needs like they always had, with passion and a craving to please the other.

"What a weekend. I swear, it's impossible for us to have a normal weekend when we really want to." It was Monday morning and Xander was talking to Jessica at their kitchen table. They'd gone home the night before after everyone was certain that the Kamous threat was over.

"At least noone got hurt. Besides, with friends that are all slayers and witches, do you actually believe our lives will ever be completely normal?" Jessie was making bacon and eggs.

"No…but it would be nice if Willow and Kennedy could leave Sam here without her getting involved in Buffy's ongoing saga with demons. I know Buff didn't ask for it, but the Kamous couldn't have gone after some other slayer?"

"Xander!…I can't believe you just said you wanted somebody else to get attacked by those creepy looking things." Jessie scolded the man.

"I didn't mean it…I just think that it's time the demon world got over its fascination with Buffy. Frankly, there are a lot more interesting slayers out there than the Buffster…I mean, really, What's all the fuss?…So she was the chosen before all the rest came along. Faith's been around a long time too. You don't see demons crawling up her butt all the time." Xander was on a rant.

His wife looked at him and shook her head. "Great, now you want Faith to be attacked?"

"No…no. I want to be able to have my friends here and know we won't have to man the battleships cuz of some crazy demon plot."

Jessie looked at her husband with a disappointing look. "Sorry, Honey, you know normal town isn't here. Besides, you'd get bored if you didn't have a little monster anxiety in your life."

As the two continued to talk, Xander's boys and Samantha came running into the room. They'd been watching cartoons. They all ran to Xander and began to jump on him.

"Aaahh!…I'm getting beat up," the man joked as he playfully grabbed the kids and started tickling them. They began to giggle as they tried to squirm away from Xander.

The kids stopped instantly…as did Xander. "Well, looks we have three hungry kids…" The woman glanced at her husband smiling like the kids were. "…Make that four. Ok, sit down and I'll fix your plates."

The Xander household ate breakfast. As they did, Xander and Jessie silently noticed how good Samantha was still behaving.

Looking at his wife, "Looks like we're going to have to tell Wils and Kenn that they have to go off for more romantic weekends then." The two grownups laughed.

Then Samantha got a sour expression. Staring at Xander, "But tell bad monsters to go away…They scared me."

The couple got a momentary worried look. They knew that Samantha had seen the demons that attacked Buffy. She was also taken to Slayer Central in order to keep everyone protected. Even though Xander and Jessie knew that none of the kids had been close to danger, the fact that they were exposed to the Kamous at all bothered them.

"You know those bad monsters are gone, right Sammie?" Xander waited for a response and finally saw the child's head nod. "You guys know that too, right?" The man looked at his sons. He was as concerned for their well being as for Samantha. He didn't want his boys growing up being terrified all the time.

"Good, because we would never let anything hurt you. Sometimes bad guys bother Aunty Buffy or the others at the school. But they're tough and they can always take care of them."

That explanation seemed to be good enough to placate the children and breakfast continued.

"They're still on their trip, but they'll be home today. Uncle Xander talked to them yesterday and they said they couldn't wait to get home and see you."

Xander added, "They'll be calling in a little while and you'll be able to talk to them, ok?"

After breakfast and the call from the witch and slayer, the crew settled down and mostly stayed outside playing in the yard. It was still several hours before Willow and Kennedy were expected to show up to get Samantha. When the playtime ran its course, they went back inside for a while. They watched television and the boys and Samantha colored.

At one point, Jessie glanced to see what the kids had done. Nate made a giraffe while Joey made a full page of differing colored swirls. She shook her head. Then she looked at Sam's paper. She stared at it.

Samantha had drawn a picture of a Kamous chasing what appeared to be a girl. Though disturbed that the child was recounting the events of the weekend, Jessie tried to downplay the content.

Samantha looked up to the woman and said without hesitation, "No, me, Sammie…They chasing me."

The answer shocked Jessica. She realized that the event must have been more traumatic to the girl than they thought. "Oh, Sam, they weren't after you. You don't have to worry about those guys. They're all gone. They can't ever hurt you."

Xander, at first not aware of what was being said, got interested when he heard the last foray of comments. He glanced at his wife then the picture. He turned back to Jessie and saw the concerned look on her face.

"Hey, Sammie? Come're." He motioned the girl to sit on the couch beside him. He talked reassuringly. "I know those nasty guys were mean. But they're gone now. You don't have to worry about them coming after you. Those bad guys didn't want to hurt you and Aunty Buffy made sure they went away. Nobody would ever let anything hurt you…Not your mommies or me or Aunty Jessie or Aunty Buffy…We're all going to keep you and Nate and Joey safe." He hugged the girl. "You understand?"

Xander smiled. He knew Samantha was going to have an interesting life, being the daughter of a witch and slayer. "Ok! Now how about all of you drawing me a picture of a flower?"

"We're going to have to really explain this one to Willow and Kennedy. Poor Sammie. She thinks the demons were after her. I hope that Wil and Kenn won't have a problem because of this." Jessie was back to being concerned.

"Don't worry. I'm sure she'll get over it in a couple of days. Kids are resilient. Once her 'mommies' get back, she'll forget about this. Plus, we'll let them know what really happened, they'll be able to talk to Samantha and straighten things out if she brings it up again."

Jessie then got an alarming look. "Oh, my God, can you imagine if those things really had been after Samantha and not Buffy? I'd have fallen apart and I know Willow and Kennedy surely would have."

Xander put his hand on his wife's arm. "Be glad they weren't. Going through what we did with Nate was enough. We don't need to even think about going down that road again."

A few more words and the Harris's finished their discussion. They decided it was enough to be glad that everyone was safe from the demons that had plagued their life. They were going to enjoy the rest of their time with Samantha until her mothers got there. The witch and slayer weren't planning to go back to Massachusetts until Wednesday, so they had an entire day to devote to telling them what had happened.

Sitting there, Jessie couldn't help but look at Samantha. The woman loved her boys more than life itself. But there was no denying how precious that girl was. Jessie wondered what was running through that little brain of hers. As she watched the little girl draw, she noticed that several of her drawings were off to one side. However, there was one that sat by itself next to her favorite stuffed elephant. It was the picture of the Kamous chasing her. But she noticed that something had been added to the scene. A big orange mark had been drawn through the demon.

Sergio stopped at the front entranceway. A part of him wanted to turn and run back home. But he didn't. Something inside him told him that this was the right thing to do, that he needed to do it.

The boy slowly raised his hand and took the large door latch in his grip. He pushed on the lever and heard the bolt release. Pushing slightly, the door began to open.

The boy got a chill as soon as his foot landed on the marble tile of the main vestibule area. He slowly walked around looking for any signs of the police 'invasion' that had been at the church the three days prior. In fact, the clergy officials had strongly requested the authorities that they be able to have their regular Sunday services. Unfortunately, it wasn't until late Sunday afternoon that the police presence was totally gone. The church had been holding services at a nearby Presbyterian church. When it became certain that the building could re-open Sunday evening, the clergy leaders planned a special mass. It was for Father Eduardo, his loyal housekeeper and the nun who had all perished. It was also to re-sanctify the holy ground of the church and prove that Good had prevailed over Evil because God's message lived on.

The service and the spiritual duties of St. Thomas had been given to Father Richard Desario. Knowing that the church had to have a priest despite the horrible events that occurred, the Archdiocese appointed the young priest in an emergency meeting. He was a friend of Father Eduardo's and had worked with him several years prior before he took his final vows.

Sergio walked down the main corridor toward the front of the church. He stopped when he got close to the railing separating the priest's alter and communion area from the pew sections. He stared at the floor in front of him. According to the newspapers and tv news broadcasts, that was where the priest had been murdered. There was nothing there now but bare marble floor. It almost felt as if "Padre" was there with him, making him feel at ease about the matter.

The boy didn't know how long he'd been standing there. He came out of his thoughts when he heard a voice behind him. Sergio turned his head. It was a priest.

Sergio stared at the priest for a few seconds. He'd never seen the man any of the times he'd been at the church. Then again, the lad knew that he never had cared to find out who was at the place.

The boy's expression made him seem lost. Father Desario tried again. "My name is Father Rick. I'm the…temporary…priest here. Is there something you need?"

'Absolution' Sergio thought to himself. He merely shook his head. He didn't know what to say to the man. The boy had so much inside, so many questions about why Padre had been murdered, why he was involved and how he could go on with what had happened. The emotions and confusion raced in his head. He knew Father Eduardo forgave him and wanted him to move on with his life unashamed. 'But how do I do that?' Everything was in the poor boy's head.

The priest examined the young lad in front of him. He'd been a priest long enough to know a troubled soul when he saw one. It pained the man to see that look in someone so tender in years. But Father Rick understood the harshness of life didn't excuse for age. There was something about this boy that touched the priest's heart. He didn't know if it was his sad eyes, defeated stance or confused expression. It was probably all of them. All the Father knew was that this was why he became a priest. This was the moment when he had to chance to help another soul in need.

Shifting his feet, the priest got a light hearted look. "I have to go check on the church van…I was told it has a knocking sound when they try to start it…Would you like come with me?…I don't know if you know anything about cars, but I might need some help…I'm not the most mechanically inclined…If you want to talk then, we can." The priest spoke easily, not wanting to pressure the boy.

Sergio stood there, contemplating what the Father said. He tossed the invitation around. Had it been three days earlier, he surely would have declined and made a hasty retreat. Things were different now; he was different. As he tried to decide, he thought he heard the faint voice of Father Eduardo. 'Take a chance,' the voice whispered.

Father Rick smiled. "Ok, then. Follow me." They started to walk to the side church door. As they did, the priest cringed his forehead and then asked, "What's you name?"

Kennedy and Willow were heading west on Highway 40 back to Las Vegas. The rental was packed with their suitcases and the several bags of souvenirs they'd bought. All the gifts were there minus the one that had given their weekend the feelings of terror, dismay and success. Around the slayer's wrist was the fetish bracelet Willow bought her.

The couple's evening had been filled with romance. Their moonlit dance was followed by several sessions of deeply intimate love making. The night was one for tender ways with softly spoken words of love and shared reverie. It wasn't the hard sex or even the usual sexual episodes experienced by the couple. The night was another where the witch and slayer had to show each other that they really did fit together, that their symmetry wasn't meant for the battlefield alone. Kennedy and Willow spent their last night together rediscovering that they had become like opposite sides of a coin, different yet worthless without the other.

Though the women didn't get much sleep due to their 'activities', they woke up early feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world. Because of Willow's need for preparation, it didn't take long for the girls to have their belongings in the car and them ready to leave the cabin. Before they left, they called Xander and talked to Samantha. They had a nice conversation with their daughter. The girl sounded fine which brought more reassurance to the couple that the demon event they were informed about wasn't affecting their daughter. They again spoke to Xander and went through some of the aspects from the previous days' phone call that still bothered the witch. After enough explanation, Willow was comfortable enough with what her oldest friend told her. Willow ended the call by telling her daughter, "We'll be home soon, Sweetie. We miss you so much. We can't wait to give you a big hug and a smoochy kiss." That got the child giggling and Willow realized just how much she missed her daughter.

As the witch and slayer drove away from the cabin, each knew that they would never forget the events that took place, not only Seraph but, also as importantly, the convergence. "It was a hell of a weekend," the slayer commented.

"I am definitely going to try to do what Tuzi said…Kenne, you cannot believe what that mind expansion feels like…It's so…obscure…I'm not even explaining this right. Imagine…"

Kennedy listened as her wife took off into babble mode. The witch was so exuberant about what she'd gone through at the meeting. Kennedy could tell that the redhead was going to go on another soul searching trip once they got home. She was certain that Willow would study this new knowledge like she'd done with every other fresh information she gained in her life. Though she didn't carry books or have to be in a class, the witch was going back to school. The slayer felt good that Willow had found yet more about magick to master.

The slayer, on the other hand, was happy to be going home for a different reason. It wasn't that she'd had enough time with her redhead. She knew she could spend every day with the beauty. And it wasn't just that she missed her daughter, which she did. Kennedy's sense of obligation to her slayer duty in Massachusetts was calling her back. Even with Lee Gagno taking up the slack while she was gone, the brunette felt a bit guilty for leaving. That area of New England was her main responsibility. As much as she loved her time with Willow, she knew she had to get back and start foiling the plans of demons closer to home.

Willow stopped her babbling when she noticed that Kennedy's attention had drifted off from her conversation. She watched the girl drive and stare out in front of her. 'I betcha she's thinking about what she needs to do once we get back home.' The redhead knew her slayer well. That look she saw was what the slayer got when she was making mental notes about her 'job.' Willow loved the dedication the brunette had, even if she thought the slayer didn't give herself enough down time.

Kennedy came out of her fog and glanced at her witch. "Yeah. It'll be nice to sleep in our own bed…never did like using strange pillows."

"You've got a birthday coming up." Willow thought about having a party for the slayer.

"That I do…but no big deal," the brunette tried to say nonchalantly. Willow knew by the way it was said the girl wouldn't mind a little fuss being made.

The two bantered some more until Kennedy got Willow's attention to an approaching sign. It was the one for Kingman.

Kennedy turned to the witch who was already looking at her. "So, what do ya think? Do we stop?"

Willow got a momentary sensation flush over her. This was where their nightmare had begun. She also now knew that it was where the nightmare had ended for others. "Yes. We should."

Kennedy took the lead and, within a short time thereafter, they were driving past the farmer's market where Seraph's bones had mysteriously turned up. But they didn't stop there. The brunette asked a passerby about the location of St. Thomas'. They kept driving until they were in front of the Church. Kennedy slowed and then finally turned into the church parking lot. The women got out of their car and headed for the front entranceway.

The witch and slayer entered the place of worship slowly and quietly. They both realized the terror and evil that had occurred in the building.

"It's beautiful," hushed the brunette. Willow nodded. Her Jewish background was no barrier to her recognition of grandeur.

The couple took some time looking about the inside of the church. It was hard for Willow to accept that so much evil and horror took place in the peacefulness of the giant room.

Willow started to walk down the main center isle. She knew where she was going. She had connected to Seraph and knew exactly what he'd done to the priest and where. Kennedy followed as the witch kept walking until she was facing directly in front of the high alter and communion table. She stared down at the floor.

"It was right here," Willow said sadly. She then glanced at the slayer who had a questioning look. "The priest…Seraph killed him right here…It was…so…horrible." Kennedy could hear the pain in Willow's voice.

Kennedy put her arm around the witch's waist. "I know…but he didn't die for nothing…Seraph's gone…We made sure he can't kill anybody again."

Willow turned to Kennedy and smiled. Her slayer was right. Life was unfair and good people died before their time. That was one lesson of which the witch unfortunately kept being reminded. The two stood there quiet.

As the women paid their homage, the front side door to the main chapel opened. It was Father Rick and Sergio. They'd spent time talking as the Father pretended to work on a van that had nothing wrong with it in the first place. As the priest walked the boy to the main doors, he took the chance to reach out some more to the boy. "Well, Sergio. I hope you come back again…You're welcome any time…In case you wanted to know, the youth basketball league meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays at four."

Sergio didn't stop. But when he got to the front door, he took the handle then looked at the priest. "Ok, Father. I'll be there." Both gave the other an understanding smile.

Just as the boy was about to turn and head out the door, he caught the sight of two women at the front of the church. He watched as they stood over the same spot he'd been at not too long before. They seemed to be intently interested in it as he was. In that moment, Sergio got a warm feeling. It was like getting a big hug on a cold winter day. He crooked his head, wondering if the feeling had to do with those women. Shaking it off, Sergio decided it had to be another sign from Padre or God that he was safe.

Willow and Kennedy stayed on that spot in the church trying to make sense of the randomness of evil. Why the priest? Why the innocent housekeeper? The Vestatu had a calling. Their acceptance of Seraph's threats was part of their obligation, but not the others. The couple knew however, in his lengthy crusade, Seraph had taken so many innocents to their grave. In the end, it was his blind greed for his once greatness that did him in.

The witch and slayer were still privately reflecting when they heard people walking into the church. Hearing voices, the women glanced up to the noise. Both women saw a priest and a young boy holding the door latch to the church's large front door. In a fleeting moment, a sense of acknowledgement hit both women. They quickly stared at each other with expressions that they knew meant 'Have we seen that kid before?' Neither was able to answer the query. Even without being able to place him, the witch and slayer got a good vibe from what they saw. They watched the boy leave the church.

Soon the two women also started to walk out. They respectfully said hello to the priest on the way out.

Willow and Kennedy were back in their rented Mustang and heading west on Highway 40. The next stop was Las Vegas and a few hours of hedonistic fun before their plane took them back to their life.

"This was definitely one vacation for the record book…sex…demons…sex…lunatic…sex…" Kennedy pondered the items stated. "Except for demons and lunatic, one helluva weekend."

Willow laughed. "I've come to the conclusion we are doomed to demonic vacations."

The redhead thought about the slayer's comment. "Oh, I know. Next time we do the group Disney World trip like Xander keeps wanting to."

Kennedy got a disapproving look. Sarcastically, "A big, talking rat in gloves?…Tell me there's no demon mojo working there."

The women continued to laugh. Kennedy turned up the radio as she cruised down the highway. Willow leaned back against the seat, closed her eyes and put her hand on Kennedy's thigh.

After a memorable weekend, the witch and slayer were heading back to their real life. Soon, they'd see that sweet smile of their little girl again. They couldn't have ended their time together any better.

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Misdirection

by LilBit

Copyright © 2007

Epallen@tampabay.rr.com