Stones In the Road by LilBit

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

Summary: New home, new friends, new evil. Can Willow and Kennedy keep themselves and their love alive?

Black like the deepest nothingness of space; that was the only way Kennedy could describe the view from her place in the driver's seat of her BMW. Not that she was contemplating the view other than it was impeding her ability to get to Willow. And that, more than anything else, was what drove the slayer through the pelting weather and dead blackness of the night.

"God Willow, please be ok…You've got to be…" The words trembled softly from the brunette's lips. Her hands were visibly shaking even though they gripped the steering wheel leaving her knuckles white. Her whole body was rigid from fear and guilt. "Why didn't I see this sooner…I shoulduv known something was wrong…This is all my fault." Kennedy didn't want or need to think through the events of the last several months. Her mind had already become judge, jury and executioner. The horror in which she found herself she decided could only have been possible because of her own need to be emotionally 'tough.'

Kennedy was driving frantically and recklessly down a windy one lane road. It was typical of the roads found in the back lands of Rhode Island. There were no street lights or other road markers to help illuminate the slayer's course. Only the vehicle's high beams, cutting through the thickness of the harsh night, led her way. Shoulders or emergency pull-off lanes were an unknown commodity in the quaint little towns of the southeastern part of New England.

During any other time, Kennedy would have enjoyed the snaking pathway and precision driving needed to master a "spin" through the countryside. However, tonight, the only thing the slayer saw was the battered pavement in front of her, stretching ever forward into the blackness…leading her to Willow.

The summer storm that invaded the region that evening was at its worst. The rain crushed down all around the brunette. There were times that the droplets seemed so violent against the car that she thought she was in another hurricane. She fleetingly remembered the hammering she and Buffy took from Hurricane Alexander during their fight against the vengeful Roberto DeAntiao in Florida.

That memory was thrust from Kennedy's mind when she almost lost control weaving around a sharp curve in the road, there only because it was easier to place the way around an old first growth oak than it was to cut it down all those years ago. Kennedy adjusted quickly, but not as fast as her pounding heart. She knew she couldn't afford to get into an accident or be impeded in any other way from her mission. She was Willow's only hope…if she made it in time.

The rain continued to fall like sheets against the windshield. The brunette had trouble seeing clearly. It was almost as if she was driving on instinct, her body and its reactions keyed into the universe's energy needed to take her to her witch. Was she driving of her own volition or was she being somehow magickally led by her lover's power? The answer was meaningless to the slayer. She had to reach Willow; how was irrelevant.

As Kennedy anxiously drove, her mind once again stuck on a glimpse of a possible future- Willow dead or dying in her arms. As much as she hated the image and herself for even allowing it to enter into her psyche, Kennedy knew that it was a possibility. That fraction of a moment was enough to evoke the figure of their daughter. The face was of an innocent child, a babe, with the look of utter despair at the loss of her mother. Kennedy knew her present course of action was done for that child as much as for herself…more even. Kennedy had to bring Willow back to their Samantha. That was more important than any other act she'd ever done in her life. With the future of their child's happiness at stake, Kennedy was a woman with one unfaltering goal- get to Willow before she was harmed by the evil that the slayer had finally uncovered.

Kennedy didn't know how long she'd been driving. It felt like days. All she knew was that she was heading for the secretive 'Clearing Place' in Askonnet, Massachusetts. All her focus and energy was directed to that goal. The entire time she'd been driving, the slayer felt a strange charge within, like random sparks bursting inside her skin. She felt nothing else but that and anxious terror.

"Come on, come on," she said through clenched teeth. Kennedy knew the sign for the highway access that would take her to her destination was somewhere near. After that, Askonnet was only a few exits north. She was so close; the brunette could feel her blood quicken its pace through her veins.

It would have seemed normal under the circumstances for the slayer to have been startled by the 'feeling', but she wasn't. As extreme as the conditions were for the brunette, what happened in that split second calmed her. Kennedy felt something that was more than from herself. There was an outside presence trying to gain her complete attention. She instantly complied. The slayer knew exactly what had occurred.

Kennedy, without hesitation, took her foot off the gas pedal and moved it to the brake. As she slowed, the sensation became stronger. She began to try to look on the roadway and off to the sides. Without even the aid of the moon to lighten her view, most of what she saw was sheer blackness.

Just as suddenly again, Kennedy stopped her vehicle. There was a crushing presence around her. She placed the car in park and, in an almost zombie like fashion, got out of the car, leaving the engine running and door open. The slayer started walking to the opposite side of the road.

Kennedy walked as if in a tunnel. The storm quickly drenched her with the colorless wet pellets. Through matted hair and rain soaked eyes, Kennedy slowly made her way along the road's edge. She saw nothing except what was directly in front of her. The surroundings were but a haze of darkness. She noticed only that which was in her limited focused view. But she continued walking, inching her way along the slickened road in the deep Rhode Island night.

Without rational reason, the slayer stopped. Her eyes were still on the ground. A sick feeling washed over her. Brown eyes slowly crept up from the view of the ground in front of her feet and outward toward the trees lining the roadside. Kennedy gradually got into her sight the ditch area several yards from the asphalt's edging.

The sight shocked her to the core and she lost her breath. Her heart fell to the pit of her stomach and she began to shake.

There was no expression to describe the way the witch's name left Kennedy's quivering lips. No word that existed that could capture the despair, heartbreak and anguish that filled that name as it barely escaped the brunette's grasp.

As Kennedy stared, she wondered how their lives had gotten so misdirected, so completely out of balance since their arrival in Massachusetts, as to lead to this very moment.

"This place is bigger than it looked last time we were here." Willow spoke as she walked into the empty living room while holding a box marked 'kitchen.' The redhead looked around as she walked further into the house making her way to the kitchen in the back of the place.

"Yeah, well, the realtor did say there was a lot of room…We certainly have more than the condo." Kennedy had followed right behind her wife and was carrying their daughter Samantha. The slayer put the child down who awkwardly took a few steps before plunking herself down on her diaper padded bottom. The tiny girl then started to quickly crawl, slipping on occasion on the wood floor. "You go follow Mommy, Sammi…and make sure she puts the box down in the right place."

Kennedy, in a slightly loud voice, replied, "I'm gonna start getting the other boxes. I'm tagging out on Sammi." As she walked into the mud room, the slayer faintly heard "That's fine…I've got her right here."

And so began another chapter in the lives of Kennedy Prescott and Willow Rosenberg. Though too young to know, it was also one for the little year old Samantha Prescott Rosenberg. How they got to Middleton, Massachusetts was as nervous and exciting as their actual initial landing there.

Middleton, Massachusetts was nestled among other similarly charming towns near the Rhode Island/Massachusetts border. It was close to what was considered the beginning of "the Cape" portion of the Bay State. The place was about an hour south of Boston and only twenty minutes from Providence, the states' two capitals. Middleton was also easily accessible from and to Plymouth, Mass., the home of Pilgrims and the landing of the Mayflower, and New Bedford, Mass., the whaling capital of the world when whale products were actually desired commodities. When the whaling industry died, so did New Bedford, and it became to be known as "the armpit" of the southeastern part of the state. Its most recent "claim to fame" was being home to the bar where men gang-raped a woman against a pinball machine as depicted by Jodie Foster in "The Accused."

Middleton, though, had no such similar history. It was a quiet, little New England town with a population of just over five thousand. It was founded in 1635, only fifteen years after those initial scared yet courageous castaways from England dropped anchor off the coast of what was to be named Plymouth. The town was full of hard working, deeply tolerant citizens who judged a person by his or her actions and words and not by the color of their skin, political or religious affiliation, or so-called "orientation." These were people who truly lived the saying "Do unto others…" They were Americans who lived their lives according to their beliefs but who didn't try to force others do the same.

That's not to say that the town was a utopia; it wasn't by a long shot. There was discrimination, petty crime and other ills like every other place in America. But for whatever reason, the degree to which they existed were less evident and the desire to rid the area of such undesirable mindset much more active. Middleton was what would be called a "haven of liberals" according to the talk show hosts of the conservative radio circuit. Like much of the rest of Massachusetts, the town was pro-environment, pro-choice, and pro-gay. They sided with unions, teachers and the poor. They were Americans who loved their country, but wanted it to strive to truly be the beacon of freedom for all people within its borders.

Middleton's attributes didn't end with its strong ties to the progressive agenda. The town itself was what one would expect to see in a brochure for a quick get-away for a quaint "New England" experience. Its roads were windy, having been converted from the original horse trials that carried the early settlers around the area. Huge trees of all types hugged the roadsides and made natural canopies from the sun's rays. There were hills and creeks and ponds. Antique stores sold their wares and a refurbished cider mill dabbled in the apple business. The houses were typical square, two story Cape Cod style or the more modern split level ranch. For some reason, Middleton had escaped the mad housing explosion that had come crushing down on other little towns all over that region of the country.

As a result, there were no massive housing developments with half million dollar mansions gobbling up its real estate. The town remained small with its individually owned homes, densely wooded areas and sporadically located businesses and local governmental buildings. There was one school for K through grade 4, one also for grades 5 through 8, and the same for 9 through 12. Everyone was friendly, for the most part, but also knew to keep their noses out of others' private lives.

The picture painted of Middleton so far made it seem almost too good to be true…and it was. The one fact about the town that was never spoken to outsiders, and never really discussed much by the townspeople, was that it had, per capita, more graveyards than any other town not only in Massachusetts but east of the Mississippi. Only Toadsuck, Arkansas had more. The reason for the abundance of cemeteries resided in the town's history.

Middleton was actually home to Native Americans before those pesky Pilgrims landed. Being of such a giving character, those same Natives, the Wampanoags, allowed the new visitors to stay on the land. The English never left. But they were aware of the fact that the area was of consecrated regard. It contained numerous burial grounds of the Wampanoag ancestry. Because of this, the early townspeople dedicated a large portion of the land that they named "Middleton" for the same purpose. It became commonplace for the deceased of all around the area to be buried there. The end result was hundreds of small cemeteries placed throughout the town. Though the Middleton of today was actually smaller in square footage than it was up until the mid nineteenth century, there were still numerous "sites" that could be found. They were in thick wooded areas, next to ball fields, and in residents' back yards.

The bones that lay beneath the soil were not only Natives and Colonialists, but also of a darker disposition. For a while, during the Puritanical witch hunt frenzy, the town was the site for disposing of bodies thought "touched" by the devil's hand. That they were sent to Middleton was only due to a very hefty 'handling fee' that the head state dignitary was able to allocate to the town. The place was the sight for many unmarked graves of the criminally insane, murderers and other hard line criminals that died in prison or were "helped" to their demise. Also, when the white man decided that the Native peoples were no longer welcome, the all too familiar slaughter took place. Wampanoags and neighboring Narragansetts were murdered and their bodies placed in mass graves on the far side of town.

That angle of Middleton's portrait was hardly known by the regular people of the present time. Even the few historians who did know had some inner voice that told them to keep the information hidden like a seedy affair.

Middleton, because of its "unique" history, became an important place to the Slayer Network. The town didn't sit on top of a hellmouth. It did not have the population, such as that of Boston, that attracted vampires and allowed massive killings to go unnoticed. Its cemeteries mostly lay dormant, except for the two active ones at either end of the town. This meant that there was no inundation of newly turned vampires digging their way to the surface to start their undead life of blood sucking. The town had its share of vampires but not in the kind of numbers as was seen in Sunnydale or Cleveland.

What did become known through much research and diligence on the part of the Watcher's Council members and alliances in the area was that Middleton was a spot of convergence, a spring board meeting place, of sorts, to the demonic world. Some Council jokingly referred to it as the Denny's of the demon world. In the deep of the night, vampires and demons of all kinds would gather to plan, discuss or even just swap intelligence on the "Doers of Good." They met in the hard to find places away from the civilization that made up the town. Many of the horrible "unexplained" killings that occurred in the New England region started with the underworld meeting at Middleton. The Council soon realized that many innocents could be saved just by nipping the schemes in the bud. It was like preventing terrorism by capturing a terror cell during the planning stage.

So, because there were demons in the town, the Council decided there would be slayers residing there also. Once the true nature of the town was discovered, two slayers were to be assigned to it. It had been decided shortly after the Watcher's Council was reformed that never would a slayer have to patrol on her own. There was power, and safety, in numbers. Being from the area, Heather LaGrasse, the first slayer 'born' after the slayer spell, was first given the option to take the job. She declined. The young woman wanted nothing more than to leave that part of the country. She'd had enough of frigid winters and the 'small city' life. She ended up with a position in Phoenix.

That was how Kennedy and Willow became connected to the town. As previously mentioned, it took a while for the 'big picture' of the town to be known. By that time it was April- two months before Willow's and Kennedy's daughter's first birthday. The whole thing started from a stray remark from Giles.

The Englishman was at Slayer Central in Cleveland, on one of his regular visits to the States, to check up on the operation and reconnect with his in-all-but-name family. Giles, Willow and Buffy were in the study talking about slayer assignments. He mentioned the Middleton situation.

Buffy thought about it for a minute then got an approving look on her face. "Hey, Faith's from Boston…Maybe she'd want to go back to the area."

Willow knew how much Faith and Miguel loved their job and life in New York and secretly thought that Buffy's suggestion would be soundly rejected. But she held in her opinion. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask."

"Ask who what?" Kennedy had just entered the room and walked over to sit by Willow.

Jokingly, "Forget her…They got the Patriots and gays can get married…Sounds great to me."

Willow nudged Kennedy with her elbow. "Notice how the sports came before the marriage part…That's my slayer."

The brunette gave her best fake hurt look. "Well, we're already married…and besides, we're talking three Super Bowls in four years…that's gotta count."

The conversation continued for a little longer until it was decided that Giles would pose the offer to Faith. "But if she doesn't accept, we'll need to find two slayers soon…There's been growing activity there."

"No." That was the simple and firm response from Faith to Giles' proposal. She didn't ask him to let her think about it or even hesitate. From the way the brunette looked at him when she answered, Giles knew there was a strong reason behind the rejection. He could also tell that it was one that he wouldn't, nor probably couldn't, prod from the slayer.

Faith wasn't surprised that she was given the chance to return to the area where she grew up. She'd heard rumors of the need for slayers in that part of Massachusetts. The slayer also knew that she'd rather live with Andrew and watch Star Wars daily than go back there. Her memories of the Bay State were only bad ones. She never knew her father; the only information she ever got out of her mother on the subject was that he was "a no good son of a bitch" who left as soon as he found out about the pregnancy. Faith grew up on welfare and food stamps. But that wasn't what made her life terrible. Poverty was nothing that she didn't see around her everyday. The horror was because her mother lived like she had no self worth, no pride…no hope. Faith watched from when she was old enough to stand as her mother let others use her and abuse her. The woman took what crumbs others were willing to give because she thought she deserved no better. The people she associated with were the bottom of society, the trash of humanity in both figurative and literal meaning.

As a result, Faith saw her mother beaten down and never once attempt to pull herself up. The woman only saw herself through others' eyes and they were always ones skewed by booze or drugs or a mean disposition. The young Faith hated her life and her inability to escape it. The day that she was raped by her mother's boyfriend when she was fourteen changed everything for her. Something inside of her, a kernel of self esteem that unexplainably rooted itself there, erupted. Faith knew that she was owed a better life, that she could have a better one. So she ran and never looked back.

Once she became a slayer, Faith never openly thought about her mother or the place she used to call home. When she went to the dark side, it got pushed down even further inside her. It wasn't until she was in jail in California that the occasional 'I wonder' thoughts started to surface. When she finally embraced her slayer destiny again and moved to New York with Miguel, the questions started to nag at her psyche. They got to the point that she brought it up to Miguel.

"Go find her." The man stated his solution to the problem as if she he were talking about buying groceries.

"I can't just go back…just like that…What if she's…she's…" Faith couldn't put her fear into a coherent statement.

At first, the Brazilian thought that his woman was scared to find out her mother was dead or dying. Then he wondered if she was worried to find her in the same terrible straits that she was in when the slayer ran away. The man ultimately determined that what Faith was really scared of was discovering that her mother was well, happy and living the type of life that any average person would want. Miguel realized that the brunette was worried that her mother had only been as she was because she had Faith. The slayer didn't want to chance finding out that she was the cause of her mother's pathetic station in life.

"Faith, it was her job to make the best life she could for you…you were her daughter…your childhood was her fault…not yours." Miguel pierced into his slayer's eyes. "I think you should do this…if nothing else, let her know that she didn't break you."

In the end, Faith decided that she would find out the fate of her mother. She had one of her contacts at the NYPD assist her and within a matter of days she had enough information to make contact. And she did.

Faith arrived at the Worcester Facility for Women on a cold spring morning. The building was a half way house for female drug addicts, prostitutes and recurrent small level criminals. Faith's mother had been there for two months after getting out of prison for prostitution and drug possession. She was on cleaning duty emptying trash cans in the communal living room when the slayer walked into the doorway of the room.

The brunette just stood there. She examined the woman who used to be her mother. Time had not been a friend to her. She appeared twenty years past her age; she looked like she had nothing but hate in her heart. Faith didn't say a word. She just stood there until the woman finished her deed and turned to leave the room. When she got to the doorway, the woman didn't even look at Faith. She merely spit out, "Move." But the slayer didn't.

Finally, her mother stared at the person who was keeping her from completing the menial task she was obligated to do. "Move, I said." Still there was no recognition. Still there was no movement from the slayer.

The two women fixated on each other for a few more moments. What Faith saw in those eyes was…nothing. She saw a woman who had nothing to give to anyone. Faith realized it was the same look she'd seen when she was young. That woman was and always had been a sorry excuse for a human being; she certainly wasn't anything to be scared of. Faith knew that the woman had no idea who she was, and didn't care to find out. Strangely enough, that was fine by her.

Faith then stepped aside and the woman passed. The brunette could hear her mumble "bitch" under her voice. A few minutes later, the slayer was in the front parking lot getting into her car. She was going home to her real family, the man who loved her. She was returning to the person who when she looked in his eyes, she always saw nothing but love staring back. As Faith turned onto the street to leave that part of her life behind her for good, she couldn't see her mother looking out the front room window watching her car drive away.

When Giles offered her the Middleton spot, all Faith could think of was that meeting with her mother the couple years earlier. She wasn't like that; she didn't want to be close to it. The brunette had a life that made her happy; she had the man that made her better. Faith knew that she and Miguel were saving lives and helping people. She needed no more. So she declined the offer to stay where she knew she belonged.

The affect of Faith's decision was that two slayers were still needed in Massachusetts. Giles told Buffy and Willow that he would continue to put out feelers for the positions. Kennedy and Willow got interested because of a misinterpreted remark.

Kennedy was out patrolling with several fairly new slayers. There was a gang of vampires rumored to be in Cleveland from southern Illinois. The slayers had been getting information that the vamps were planning a big suckfest at one of the areas carnivals. The plan was to find the demons, kill them and go home. The slayers were canvassing the designated area according to a plan made by Kennedy. They found the vamps, starting fighting them and had them mostly beaten when one slayer, Angela, was killed because she went out of position despite orders from Kennedy not to do so. It took some heavier fighting and a few harrowing moments for Kennedy and another slayer before the vamps were squelched and defeated for good.

Everyone gathered around the fallen slayer and Kennedy tried to determine what went wrong. The new slayers began to tell what they saw or knew or thought should have happened. They were all talking at once and Kennedy had trouble keeping things straight. During the chaos of voices mingling together, Kennedy heard "Buffy shoulda been here" softly said.

As Kennedy carried the dead slayer to the van they'd used to get to get to their spot, she could only think that the slayers thought she had been the reason Angela was gone. To Kennedy, somehow the new slayers still thought of Buffy as the true leader, the one with all the wisdom. The feeling that she was thought of as second best gnawed at her gut. She had helped to train those girls. She'd given them a good plan that should have ended with everyone's safe return. She knew that a slayer was gone because of a bad decision on the part of that slayer. She had strayed from the plan. But yet, the idea that the others saw it differently ate at her.

Several days after the incident, after an internal review was made of the events, it was known by everyone that Angela did, unfortunately, cause her own demise. She had tried to improvise in a situation that demanded it be played by the script. Kennedy also found out that the comment she heard was directed at the numbers of slayers that one member thought should have been present and not her abilities.

Still, that incident made Kennedy think about her position in Cleveland. She was, of course, one of the "seasoned" slayers and well respected for all the battles she'd fought. But she was still one of many. She kept thinking back to when she and Willow were in Sao Paulo. She loved being on her own; she enjoyed being the "top dog." That part of the Prescott pride, and vanity, came out. Kennedy also thought of the time in New York when they helped Faith find the insane vamp, Dalfort. She was excited everyday she got to investigate and put her skills, other than slayer fighting, to use. She remembered the low she felt when it was over. It was a feeling that took a long time to cease even with the news of Willow's pregnancy.

For some reason, Kennedy got a feeling like there was something more she was supposed to do with her life. In a way, she understood why Faith decided not to live in Cleveland. "Too many chefs in the kitchen," she remembered the older slayer giving for the reason she was moving to New York. Kennedy was feeling that same need. She wondered if she'd had that feeling in the back of her mind the whole time. One night, she decided she had to tell Willow how she felt.

"Are you saying you're not happy here?" Willow's expression was one of surprise. She was sitting in her chair in the living room; Samantha was napping in the playpen next to her. The witch had just heard her slayer tell her what was on her mind since Angela's death.

Kennedy shook her head. "No, of course not…I am happy here…I'd be happy anywhere with you and Sam…It's just…just…there are so many slayers here…and…I-I can't explain it…"

Willow didn't know what to say. They'd lived in Cleveland for five years. Their child was born there and most of their friends were there. Willow knew when they first got to Cleveland they hadn't decided that it would be where they would stay. But like so much else in life, time flew by and the years passed before their eyes. It seemed like events kept happening to them that made the stability of their presence in Cleveland fortunate. The thought of being somewhere else "fighting the good fight" frankly left the witch's mind. She just assumed they would remain in Cleveland.

But now she was forced to revisit that issue. Could she see a reason to move? Their life was good from her vantage point. She and Kennedy loved each other; they had a wonderful daughter. They had great friends and work that they both felt good about. Or at least she thought Kennedy felt right with her place in Cleveland. Despite the meltdown her slayer had while in Brazil, Willow knew Kennedy was happiest while there, being the lead slayer. She had seen that leadership mentality in Buffy when she was the only "Chosen One." She saw how the blonde struggled with it when she had to share the title. Was there something in the slayer DNA that gave them that drive to be the best, the one?

However, Willow knew this wasn't just a matter of what Kennedy wanted. This was her life too and she had to examine her own feelings about her satisfaction level. She couldn't deny the fact that she could be happy staying in Cleveland. It was the closest thing to Sunnydale she'd come to, excepting the weather. She was surrounded by her dearest friends and they were continuing to battle for Good like they had for years. Though new people came into their lives and their hearts, there was a certain familiarity about the redhead's life in which she took comfort.

'It would all change,' the witch thought. Willow knew that her life worked because it was known. She had lived in Sunnydale most her life and, except for the year in Brazil, in Cleveland for the rest. She was able to keep her life much the same without having to face uncertainty. The redhead realized how much change scared her. She remembered her turmoil when she realized she was gay. The redhead was also terrified when they first got to Brazil. Her time in her parallel reality in Miami turned her around and made her doubt herself.

Willow realized that though she felt unnerved about change, she had so far benefited from each time it happened. She knew she had to approach Kennedy's suggestion from an opposite view. The witch decided to examine her life and identify those things she felt she needed and wanted to make her life as full as possible and whether only Cleveland could give them to her.

The first thing she knew without hesitation was that she needed Kennedy and Samantha. Her life would be nothing without them. The witch wanted a nurturing environment for her daughter to grow up in. She also wanted her friends but realized that friendships didn't die with distance. Though they were all in Cleveland, Willow had to admit that she didn't see Xander or Buffy as often as she used to. Life had gotten so full with living that there were times when the phone or computer was how they kept in touch. She also still considered Faith and Giles close even though they were in different cities. She had other friends and acquaintances in many areas.

One thing Willow did find herself dwelling on was her magick. She'd become a tutor, in a manner of speaking, to witches all over. This was one area where she had always wanted to do more. What she did know was that there were many contacts in the New England region. The place was a hotbed for covens and witches of all varieties. There was also a very good school system in those states and she knew that doing something in the teaching profession would be available to her. It would also be great for Samantha when old enough.

In the end, Willow decided that she had to keep her desire for the known and comfortable from pushing away a real discussion on the possibility of a move. That night, she let Kennedy know that they should talk about it more and see if it would be the best thing for all of them, Samantha included. They understood moving would mean being in a place where they knew no one and where family interaction would be very limited. As it turned out, it was the toughest decision they had ever had to make…and rightfully so.

Over the next several weeks, the couple discussed the matter. They talked at length about what a move would mean in terms of being without the support of their friends. Kennedy wanted Willow to be sure that she could leave Buffy and Xander and not have guilt or loneliness creep under her skin. The brunette remembered how depressed Willow was in Brazil, being unable to get together with her long time Scoobies. She needed to know that Willow would be alright despite the miles apart. Kennedy promised herself that if she felt Willow was agreeing to move just to make her happy then they wouldn't go. If her redhead needed the Scoobies to be happy then they would stay in Cleveland and Kennedy would make the best of it. The slayer knew her girl had strong ties to Buffy and Xander. Her tie was to Willow; where she lived could be secondary so long as the witch and her daughter were happy.

Besides dealing with the personal issues involved if they moved, the couple also checked out as much as they could about Middleton and the surrounding area. They did let Giles know that they were considering taking one of the slayer slots. They asked him not to mention it to anyone because they needed time to decide for themselves. The couple, sans Samantha, visited the area and the town in particular. That's when the tide really started to turn.

They fell in love with the place. The small town feel appealed to Willow. She found out the school system was very highly regarded. It was easy to get to the slayer outpost in Boston if needed. There were several covens in the area. But most importantly, the town was beautiful. It had that "Yankee charm" they'd heard about. They could see Sammi playing in a big back yard and the whole family going for walks in the woods. There were several bigger cities close by so they wouldn't be stuck out "in the boonies" when it came to cultural activities. As they left at the end of their three day stay, both women were impressed and secretly each making up their mind.

"Ok…That's the last box…the furniture's all in and except for unpacking we are officially moved in." Kennedy said it like she was making a proclamation.

"Baby?…I believe unpacking is still part of the moving in…" Willow saw the tired look on her slayer's face. "But we can start that tomorrow. We have Sam's room all set except for some little things…and I saw that you were nice enough to make sure our bed was set up." Kennedy raised her eyebrows. "Just so you know…sheets and pillows are already on it." That got a wide smile from the slayer.

"Great!…I say you call for pizza.…Then we can eat, relax and enjoy our first night in our new home." The women sat on the couch with Samantha in Willow's lap. Though excited, they both had knots in their stomachs hoping that the move really was the right thing to do.

Willow and Kennedy moved to Middleton two weeks after Samantha's first birthday. They knew they had to stay in Cleveland for that event. Their goodbyes were hard. They knew they were leaving their family. Breaking the bonds that were there did take a toll. They realized that though there would be miles between them, they would always remain close and in each others hearts. The Scoobies would call and write, and text message and visit as often as possible.

There were many tears shed by the friends at the get together the night before the three left. "Nate won't have Sammi to play with anymore." The sadness in Xander's voice brought Willow to tears. The Scoobies tried to view this separation like their initial one to find slayers after the spell. But, deep down, they knew this was different. They were different. Each had their own new life, loved ones whose welfare and happiness came first. They were grown-ups in every sense of the word. The Scoobies knew that meant sometimes moving on. They were all sad yet happy for the witch, the slayer and their beautiful baby girl.

"If you don't distribute the weight on your feet evenly, you're gonna miss every time." Kennedy's voice had a definite tone of frustration in it. "I've told you this a hundred times, why don't you listen to me?"

The lackadaisical stare she got in return from the curly headed blonde made her know that she was talking to a wall. Kennedy was at the training facility in Seakonk, the town next to Middleton, with Marla Bradshaw, the other slayer stationed at Middleton. The brunette had just given the eighteen year old a lesson in how to throw a proper punch. Marla wasn't impressed with how easily Kennedy avoided her throw.

"Why are we doing this?…We're slayers…We work off the adrenaline of a fight…Who cares what happens in practice?…I know what to do when it matters." Marla had been a slayer for ten months and had been in several skirmishes with vampires. Her watcher in Boston told her she had good reflexes.

"Because we need to sharpen our skills…not everything is an automatic response…The better trained you are the better you'll fight and the longer you'll live." Marla's attitude did not sit well with Kennedy. The girl was recklessly cocky and unreasonably closed to advice or direction from her.

"Whatever…Listen, I know you think I can't handle myself…but I can…I just work better under pressure."

Kennedy watched Marla as she began to walk to the changing area. The brunette saw the immaturity in the teenager. There was that imagined invisibility to harm carried by all young adults her age. Marla didn't fear death because noone her age did. She was at the stage of her life where she had only herself with which to be concerned. There was no true love, no children and no real experiences with how cruel and terrifying the world they knew existed could be. A part of the slayer understood that only time would make the girl grow up; Kennedy just hoped that she could keep her alive long enough for that to happen. She decided that nothing more could be done that day; so, she too headed for the showers.

Marla Bradshaw found out she was a slayer during the middle of a swim meet, during the middle of the 200M freestyle race to be precise. The teenager was a senior in high school and on the swim team. Though not athletic in the strictest sense, she did have some natural ability for swimming and thought it a great way to keep a good figure. She was average in skill. If she were as good at swimming as she was popular, she would have been state champ.

She was on the backside of her first lap when she was 'born.' There was a slight falter in her stroke and for a second her coach thought that she'd pulled a muscle. Then, out of nowhere, she took off. She easily caught up to her competition and passed them. She beat the undefeated entry from Mansfield High and broke a county record. In that instant, Marla knew her life had changed.

The new slayer was above average height and attractive. She had curly blonde hair and blue eyes. She wasn't shallow but did place more emphasis on the social aspect of school than the learning. Marla had contemplated going to college or beauty school; she couldn't decided which.

When the representative from the Slayer Network contacted her and told her of her "powers", she didn't accept it at first. She may have loved scary movies but she always thought they were just that…made up stories. It took several weeks to convince her otherwise. During that time, Marla won several swimming honors and began to like her new found abilities.

Her belief in her slaying prowess came one night when she drove home from an out of county swim meet. She had to stop at a 7-11 for gas and decided to pick up some potato chips. While inside, two masked gunmen entered and tried to rob the store. The robbers told the three people inside to lie down on their stomachs and keep their eyes closed. As one of the criminals made the cashier open the register, the other stood among the ones on the floor.

Lying there, Marla felt a surge of power rush through her that she'd never felt before. She could almost feel her blood pumping within her veins. The swimmer had an overriding desire to take the perpetrators down. She opened her eyes and looked up at the masked gunman standing beside her.

"What the fuck did we tell you!…Shut your fucking eyes!" As the man shouted at her, he went to kick her in the thigh.

With a reaction on instinct, Marla flipped her leg out quickly, catching the other's in mid air. She kept moving her leg, catching the man off guard and off balance. The teenager sat up and grabbed the leg with both hands and lifted up, sending the robber backwards onto his back. The new slayer was up and on the criminal in seconds. She pulled him up and threw him over the counter and into his accomplice. Both went down to the ground. Marla jumped over the counter also and kicked one of the bad guys in the head, knocking him out, and shoving the other's head into the metal shelving of the counter. He too went unconscious.

The cashier and patrons, after realizing the threat was over, gathered around Marla. The expressions on their faces were something the young woman had never seen in her life. There was true gratitude on each one of them. Knowing that she'd be required to explain more than she wanted to the police, she left the store immediately. She drove home and called the Slayer Network rep. College, of any kind, was taken off the board.

Marla spent the next nine months acquiring a watcher, training and going out on patrol. She did it in Boston. She was still seventeen and her parents refused to let her go to Cleveland. Two weeks before she got the Middleton assignment, she turned eighteen. Even Middleton was because of her parents. They didn't want their daughter too far from home, regardless of what her "destiny" was. Marla wasn't disappointed in the position. She had a life she wanted to keep. She valued her friends, who were never told of her true abilities, and enjoyed the popularity she had in the area because of her swimming achievements. She wasn't only beautiful and well liked; she was now one ass kicking powerhouse. The blonde had always thought she was destined for something great; she figured this was it. She had been able to get by on her spur of the moment attitude before. She saw her slayer powers as a reinforcement, a reward almost, for that way of acting. Marla wasn't about to let things change her now, especially another slayer, even if that slayer was the one that had been touted as the most efficient fighter.

"God, Will…I don't know what to do with her…she thinks she knows everything." Willow could hear the frustration in her slayer's words.

"You two have only been doing this for a few months…Give her more time, she'll come around." Willow knew Kennedy was at a loss on how to make Marla see the seriousness of what they did.

"If she stays alive that long…Jesus, was I that thick headed with Buffy?" Kennedy knew she was a 'confident' potential when she walked into the Summers' house, but she'd also had eleven years of training under her belt.

Willow went over to her slayer who was sitting on the edge of their bed running her fingers through her brown tresses. The witch sat next to her.

"No, you were definitely not 'that' thick headed." Willow smiled teasingly when she saw Kennedy quickly shift her eyes to her after the remark. "You were…how shall I say…formidable." Willow put her arm around the slayer's shoulders. "But you were so well trained when you got to Sunnydale…you kinda had the right to butt in sometimes…Besides, you were never as immature as Marla acts some times." Willow tightened her hug. "It's one of the things that I admired about you right away."

The tension in Kennedy's mind eased and she looked at her redhead. "Thanks, babe." Kennedy's tone softened. Her witch always knew what to say to make things better. Her eyes then closed slightly and she pulled Willow back on the bed with her. "I'd like to say that your adult-like demeanor was what first got to me…but I'd be lying." She started tickling the witch on her side.

Kennedy took one hand and grabbed onto Willow's backside. "It was this magnificent ass," Kennedy said while continuing her attack.

Kennedy then moved her hand to the redhead's breast. "You got me…It was these…You're not the only one who's a breast girl you know."

By this time Willow was in full laugh mode and was trying to swat her girl's hands away. Kennedy finally complied and took her redhead in a hug. Her mood instantly changed and Willow could feel the affection in the embrace. She ceased laughing and rested her head on her slayer's shoulder. Kennedy lowered hers so her mouth was nearer the witch.

Softly and genuinely, "It was all of you…I'd never seen anything so beautiful."

Willow's heart melted. The brunette could still say things that swept the woman off her feet. She leaned closer to the slayer and smiled.

Kennedy felt the smile form on her girl's mouth. She smiled too when she heard the sweet reply, "I love you."

Kennedy knew how lucky she was and she also knew why she couldn't wait to come home after training or patrolling every night. Despite her problems with Marla, the rest of life was running smoothly.

The first few months of the Prescott/Rosenberg life in Middleton went like most other family moves. It was hectic initially and then everyone settled in. The family's belongings had been taken by movers to the new house. Their two vehicles were also sent by enclosed carrier. Kennedy didn't want any road debris damaging her BMW convertible or Willow's Infinity. The couple and daughter flew to their new home state. Kennedy did leave directions that the trailer with their belongings was to be left out front of their house. They did not want strangers finding their Scooby paraphernalia, meaning Kennedy's weapons and Willow's magick supplies. The two women decided that it would be better they tire themselves out moving in by themselves than risk questioning stares and thoughts from a bunch of husky men.

The major fact about the move was that Kennedy and Willow bought the house in which they would make their home. Up until that time, they had rented; even their condo in Cleveland was a lease option that was not owned by them. The leap into home ownership was a daunting ordeal for the two women. Despite being rather rich, until then the 'extravagances' in their lifestyle revolved around automobiles and jewelry for the most part. The purchase of real estate was the first "big" financial thing they had really done together. More importantly, the couple understood that, though not necessarily a life long commitment, their purchase was a signal that they were putting down roots.

The house was an old, two story white colonial built in 1889. There was a free standing two car garage off to the side of the house. Both structures sat on three acres of land in a private area of the town. The couple knew that they still had to be careful of keeping exposure of the slayer network and their lives at the lowest possible level. The street fronting the house was light on traffic, basically only used by the people in that immediate area. The house had woods backing it and a long line of mature pine trees lining each side of property allowing privacy from their neighbors. For further delineation, three sides of the property still had the original rock fence which was the common method of segregating land back during the 18^th and 19^th centuries. The front and back yards had large maple and oak trees. There was one particular tree in the back that Willow knew would be perfect for a swing for Samantha.

The inside of the house was just as authentic. The floors were first growth red oak planks, the walls the old time style wire mesh plastering. There was a large entrance room, called the mud room, which led to the spacious living room with its ten foot tall ceilings. There was a formal dining room, sun room and a pantry hidden in the kitchen. The house had four bedrooms and three baths, one of those baths being downstairs. The second floor, where the bedrooms were located, had been remodeled. It looked like something straight out of "This Old House." All in all, it was a great 'first home.' The couple knew that their wealth had made the house choice possible. With the soaring housing market, the new Prescott/Rosenberg residence came at a hefty price. Willow almost hyperventilated when she saw the number, "That's a lot of zeros." She practically fainted when Kennedy suggested they pay cash for at least half of it.

Once moved in however, Willow instantly fell in love with the old house. They furnished and decorated over the first several months there. Most time was spent with Sammi in the back yard enjoying the beautiful Massachusetts summer weather. Kennedy liked seeing the mailbox at the end of the driveway; the sure sign of their family unity.

Over the initial months, Kennedy got acquainted to the lay of the land. She also met Marla and they started to get to know one another and establish a routine for training, patrolling and debriefings with the connections in the Slayer Network. It was during this time that Kennedy quickly realized the hard task she would have with Marla. The brunette did admit that the girl was good during a fight. It didn't take long for them to figure out where the hot spots were and which establishments could yield needed information from its patrons. Even with as hidden a history as Middleton's, there was still society's fringe around. They were in the seedy bars and deserted buildings in the area.

Within a week of starting, the two slayers uncovered a vampire gang ready to infiltrate into Boston. The slayers caught them at an abandoned fishery and did battle. Marla was quick, calculated and strong. She had good instincts and did well with their first outing as partners. However, during the fight, Kennedy noticed that Marla ignored several things they'd discussed beforehand. Those few missed directions caused for an extended fight. They were never in danger of losing, but it was something that Kennedy chalked up to Marla's "newness" and stored in the back of her mind. When the same thing happened on their next two demon encounters, Kennedy realized the younger slayer was intentionally ignoring their plans. The blonde was going on pure adrenaline and instinct. That's when the lectures began and the returned complacency. Within months, Kennedy had learned to watch out for herself as well as try to make sure the younger slayer didn't make that crucial mistake that would cost the girl her life.

As frustrating as her fellow slayer could be, Kennedy loved her new position. It was known by both slayers that Kennedy would take lead. The brunette felt more like she did in Brazil, like she had those several weeks in New York with Faith. She had a station of her own. She was responsible for scoping out the intel, making the proper connections and bringing the bad guys to their demise. Area Council and even coven members knew she was the new sheriff in town.

At home, things were just as good but also so different from Cleveland. Back in Ohio, there were lots of people ready to baby sit Sammi; many wanted to. It was easy for Kennedy and/or Willow to deal with Scooby issues if needed, take care of household matters or even just go see a movie. They had a non-regimented schedule during Sam's first year. In Middleton, that was different. Those initial months were hectic with caring for their daughter, settling in and the demands on her and Willow as far as their other responsibilities were concerned.

Willow was also finding her way in their new life. The witch had quickly begun corresponding with the area covens. The redhead had learned from her time in New York that she couldn't sit idly by and watch Kennedy save the world. Willow knew she had the ability to help more with saving innocents. Though not patrolling with Kennedy like they did in Brazil, the redhead became more active in the research and investigative aspects of the Slayer Network. She assisted Kennedy and Marla with tracking down clues and deciphering information received. In fact, it was Willow's knowledge of certain folklore that led to the discovery of that first group of vamps.

Willow had also decided that she would not give up on tutoring. She had always loved school and wanted to keep involved on some level. She was able to pick up a few tutoring jobs that were to start with the beginning of the school year. Until then, the witch kept incredibly busy with the couple's daughter.

In the beginning, Willow and Kennedy were able to map out a schedule that worked. They would have spent most of their non work time at home if not for Dawn. As it turned out, their best babysitter was someone as far away from her loved ones as they.

By the time that Willow and Kennedy moved to Massachusetts, Dawn was a graduate student at the Ivy League Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. She'd graduated from Boston College, with honors in her degree, and felt the need for more education. Dawn specialized in extant civilizations and their languages and religions. She was at Brown because it had, unknown to many, a very well respected Master's Anthropology program. In reality, because of the age of the New England area and its deep roots with Europe, it was natural for one of the preeminent universities in the United States to be 'neck deep' in that subject matter. Brown had an excellent library of source materials and connections to many more around the world.

Dawn's apartment was only a few towns over from Kennedy's and Willow's. Dawn was ecstatic when she found out the three were moving. Though she missed her sister and the rest of the Scooby gang, Dawn no longer 'needed' to be with them. She was a grown adult who had learned to fend for herself. She wasn't the "little sis" dependent on her big slayer sister to feel safe in the world. Her years at college and away from the hellmouth life had brought out in her the qualities Buffy knew were there and had hoped would shine. It seemed that Dawn had much of the same spunkiness as her sister.

Dawn, in addition, was involved in her own relationship. She met Frank Hunter two days into her Brown experience. He was in the Governmental Studies Program. The man wanted to learn how best to govern. He had an inclination toward government service, the elected kind. Even with that strike against him, Dawn was taken in by his boyish charm. By the time of the big move, she and Randy were quite the item. He even came over to help her watch Sam several times. Willow thought they looked "cute" together. Kennedy was suspicious until she found out Frank was originally from New York and a Mets fan. Though she too was from New York, Kennedy didn't trust anyone who was a Yankees fan. That was too easy to do. Being a Mets fan took guts.

Dawn visited the couple's home as often as possible. She had missed out on seeing Samantha grow her first year and didn't want that to happen any further. The girl loved kids, always had. She couldn't wait to hear Samantha call her Aunty Dawn. That initial summer, Dawn was able to help Willow and Kennedy also get used to the new location. She showed them places to eat and shop. She baby sat while the slayer and witch spent some alone time together. Her being there made it so much easier for the couple. They didn't feel completely alone and without family. The early months in Middleton went by quickly. Life, though filled with more deadlines and structure, was still good and the witch and slayer content.

'It was all of you…' The words still floated in the witch's mind as she rocked her body against Kennedy. Willow was on top of her slayer; they were naked under the covers of their bed. Those sweet words from her lover caused an instant reaction in the redhead. Life had definitely changed for the two since they met at Buffy's all those years ago, but one thing remained. Kennedy still stroked Willow's fire. To the witch, the brunette was just as beautiful and just as soft on the inside as those uncertain early days. The slayer's voice could still make the redhead's heart race and those brown eyes make her want to disappear in them. Time had mellowed their constant need for each other's body, but like all good relationships what replaced it was a deeper connectedness of their beings. What before required a night of physical expression to convey now was accomplished by a night of tender embrace and heart felt words of love.

That's not to say the couple didn't still hunger for each other. That desire was there but moderated only by the passage of time and the intrusion of all the other demands that make up life. But this night, the need returned.

Willow moved rhythmically back and forth on her slayer. Her movement was eased by the light sheen of sweat forming on their skin. They had been "in the throes" for some time and both were well past the point of foreplay. Willow's expert fingers had been taunting her girl, rubbing and pressing on her lover's center, assisted by the arching of the slayer's hips. She could hear small sounds escaping the brunette's lips. Their love making had taken on a quieter tone at times as their daughter grew older. Tonight, though, Willow didn't want Kennedy to hold back. She purposely rubbed harder as she nibbled on the sensitive spot of the slayer's neck. The action made Kennedy gasp and moan louder. Willow gave a small smile with the desired result and continued with her plan.

"Ohhhh…g-g…god…f-f-f…uck…" Kennedy could barely speak. She knew only incoherent sounds left her. She didn't care. All she felt was the sensation of Willow inside her, sending her to the edge. Bronzed arms were wrapped around the redhead, her hands urgently massaging a cream back and trailing through crimson hair. When her release hit, honey fingers clenched onto freckled shoulders as brown eyes shut tight. Willow had sent the slayer to the edge of the world once more.

With tremors still tingling through her, Kennedy fought through her lingering euphoria and took Willow by the waist and raised her toward her. At the same time she lowered herself down the bed. The brunette stopped when she had her destination above her. Willow put her hands on the headboard; the slayer held the witch by the hips. Kennedy could feel the heat and readiness from her girl. Kennedy loved taking Willow this way. Every twitch, move and shudder by the redhead seemed magnified. The brunette could feel every little nuanced shift of her lover, everything that Willow did to heighten the experience. But it was when the release came that Kennedy truly enjoyed herself. That was when she could feel Willow strain to keep Kennedy's mouth on her; when the witch's muscles and body action told her that she wouldn't let that contact stop until she was satisfied.

That dance was the same this night. Kennedy did her "magick" and the slayer brought the witch over the edge like so many times before. Alabaster legs tightened and hips pushed down on the slayer. Willow's body demanded more and its captured servant willingly complied. The shudders came in waves and then slowly receded.

After a few moments, Willow moved to the side and slid down next to her wife. She kissed her woman deeply, then planted kisses down her neck and ended with her head rested against the slayer's shoulder. The women had satiated their need. Sleep would come easily for them now.

"No, baby…She had a full day today…She was a little hard to put to bed tonight." Willow started to get out of bed.

"No, you stay, I'll go…I didn't get to see her much today." Kennedy got out of bed, put on some boxers and a top and headed for the door. Willow didn't protest. She'd come to value whatever sleep she could get, even if that meant letting Kennedy handle a late night outburst after a full day of training and patrolling and a "roll in the hay." The redhead quickly fell asleep.

Down the hall, Kennedy turned on the tiny nightlight and went over to the crib. Samantha was standing against the front railing and holding out her arms. She was crying and saying "Momma" at the same time.

"Shhh, Sweetie…Momma's here," the slayer said softly. Kennedy picked the child up out of the crib and held her close. The little girl's arms naturally went around her mother's neck. Within seconds, the crying stopped. Kennedy just held her child and rocked gently from side to side. It didn't take too long for the baby girl to fall back to sleep. Kennedy held her for a while longer and then walked back over to the crib and lowered the sleeping child. The brunette watched as her daughter slept. She couldn't get over how incredible it was to have Samantha. It was so much more than she'd anticipated. Remembering those months before the birth and the event itself made her marvel even more.

Kennedy leaned over and barely touched her daughter's hand. "You were definitely worth all the worry you caused." That little girl had already given her mothers and all her extended family a lifetime of concern.

Willow's pregnancy went uneventful for the most part. That she would have a "normal" pregnancy wasn't a foregone conclusion given the way the child had been conceived. After she and Kennedy made the announcement at Xander's Thanksgiving dinner, the Scoobies went practically hysterical. Buffy jumped out of her chair and hugged her best friend while Dawn squealed with joy. Xander was clapping and hooting along with Jessie and Jimmy. Miguel congratulated Kennedy as Faith looked at the two with the widest smile to ever cross her face. Everyone was happy for the couple.

Then the questions started. Willow had said they were having a child. It wasn't until an unknowing Xander tactlessly asked about the daddy that the women explained that the child was "theirs." After a very brief explanation, and a few minutes of them staring at open jawed expressions, Willow and Kennedy were treated to another round of congratulations. The couple was happy to know that they had the full support of their friends.

The months that followed were typical of an expecting couple. Willow had the pregnancy confirmed by a doctor and then began on a prenatal program. She went to visits, along with Kennedy. They both marveled when they saw their child for the first time on the sonogram. That picture promptly got stuck on the refrigerator door. Morning sickness set in as anticipated. Luckily, the redhead was spared the worst. She got nauseous often in the morning but sick sparingly. Although, there were times that she felt bad enough to have to spend time in bed in the morning to allow the feeling to pass. The witch quickly found out that the smell of eggs and cream of chicken soup sent her running for the bathroom. Those were two things the couple did without for the entire pregnancy. The symptoms subsided by her fifth month and after that she felt fine.

Telling the parents about their impending grandparent status were interesting events. Kennedy and Willow decided to be honest with them and tell them the truth about the conception. They never went into anymore detail than to say that Willow had gotten pregnant with the assistance of magick, that the child would have her and Kennedy's genetic make-up, and, most importantly, that Willow and the baby were perfectly healthy.

After the initial shock, all parents were happy, for the most part. The Rosenbergs kept shaking their heads wondering how it was possible. Their intellectual, scientific minds wanted to tell them it was impossible. Then they remembered everything that they'd come to learn about witchcraft and the supernatural and decided this too was something they could accept.

They had seen their daughter grow and mature in her years with Kennedy. Both knew the long and tough road that stretched ahead of the two women. A lesbian relationship was hard enough in the often unforgiving culture that existed. Raising a child in that temperament would surely be a struggle. Shirley Rosenberg, however, had faith in the two women. She saw how much they loved each other and the way that each protected the other. She knew they would shield their child from as much of the harshness of the cruel world as possible. To the Rosenbergs, what Willow and Kennedy were doing was as right and true as any other couple having a child.

Kennedy's mother felt much the same. Gabriella Gonzalez had no doubt that the two women would be good parents; they were good human beings. She envisioned being able to pamper her grandchild. She felt guilty that Kennedy had never been able to really know her grandmother. The woman was wonderful with the girl during the time Gabriella was still in her life. She promised herself she would be there for her granddaughter. She looked forward to taking trips to Cleveland to spoil the child.

Jackson Prescott was the most reserved of the group. Kennedy had told her father alone on the phone. She knew that her step mother, Julia, wasn't privy to the Scooby side of their life. She left it to her father to use a 'donor' cover. After she gave her father the news, there was silence on the other end of the telephone line. Kennedy waited, and waited. Finally, she had to say something.

Jackson Prescott knew his daughter was trying to lighten the mood. Her attempt at levity didn't change his concern or bewilderment.

Kennedy's father had come to accept his daughter's gayness, her slayer destiny and her marriage to Willow. But there was only so much a level headed, free enterprise minded man could absorb. He found it hard to accept that Willow was so powerful that she could change the rules of nature. In addition to the doubt he had as to that aspect of his daughter's news, the man also questioned their judgment on having a child at all.

"You're so young, Kennedy…and so is Willow…You both have so much potential…You could do so much in the world." He didn't want to see either of them give up on the possibilities that existed for them. He knew the weight of family ended many dreams.

Kennedy silently laughed at the remark. "We do a lot already, Dad…and we're not too young…We're not immature kids who don't know what we're getting into."

"But Kenney, do you realize how hard your life will be?…Your child's life?…You may be ok with who you are, but there are others out there who will ridicule you." Jackson Prescott saw a child in a lesbian relationship as just one more hurdle that his daughter and Willow would jump over time and time again. They couldn't live in a bubble. He knew that they would be subject to the scorn of many parts of society.

"Dad, this kid's gonna have a whole lotta people who'll love it and protect it…We don't care about the rest of the world." The statement was said with pride.

Jackson Prescott realized that Kennedy and Willow would do what they wanted. It seemed the once quiet, shy redhead was absorbing some of that Gonzalez stubbornness. The man also understood that they'd have to take some hard life's lessons along the way. In the end, the father tried to be happy for his daughter, but there stayed that lingering doubt and trepidation for them.

"See right there…You're having a girl." Willow's obstetrician was pointing at the sonogram picture on the screen. Even thought they knew that their child would have to be a girl, Willow and Kennedy were still surprisingly elated by the news. That day family and friends were told that piece of good news.

The second trimester went well. Kennedy was particularly impressed with the hormonal shift in Willow. The notorious second trimester "hornies" kicked in. At times it was like the witch was having her own version of the slayer Double H's. Kennedy didn't complain, though. She quite liked having the redhead all over her when she walked into the condo after a night of patrolling. The slayer was also caught off guard a few times when she was in the shower. Out of nowhere, her redhead would appear and proceed to "quell" her needs.

During that time, the couple started to get their second bedroom ready for the baby. It had been a make shift weight room. Barbells and weight benches were removed and the room totally redone. Xander had guys he knew do it and Kennedy insisted on sparing no expense. The men remodeled, painted and re-carpeted. They made some repairs to the walls caused by a few of Kennedy's overzealous workouts. Xander personally moved the furniture in that the two women chose. He also hand made a toy chest for the baby. Xander told his friends that the chest was the Harris' gift to them and the baby. The finished room was bright with lots of colors. No signs of witchcraft or the supernatural. The expecting parents wanted to keep things as close to normal as possible. The space was perfect and only missing its resident.

An unexpected thing happened to Willow as her pregnancy progressed. She became very conscious about her weight. Despite always being wispy and never one with a weight problem, the redhead found herself stressing about her body's change. She felt like she was growing fatter, losing that physical appearance that attracted Kennedy to her. At times, she wondered if it was flashbacks to her teenage years and the ever present self doubt she had back then. Instead of worrying about being a 'stick figure' girl, now it was visions of a beached whale that entered her mind. Even though she knew the changes were because of the pregnancy and would go away after the birth, Willow still felt some self doubt about how Kennedy saw her. She never told the slayer about it and, frankly, Kennedy never gave her reason to think she was anything but beautiful, expecting or not.

Willow's pregnancy continued on its course. As she grew bigger, the expectation and apprehension likewise grew for both women. Willow and Kennedy did have a few late night talks about their child. Specifically, there was the unknown about the baby's possible "heightened" capabilities.

"Do you think she'll be a slayer?" Kennedy asked the question with slight unease. She and Willow were in bed and watching a movie on the tv. The question came out of left field.

Willow assumed that her brunette had to have been asking herself that question for a while. She knew she'd been and a lot others. "I don't know, baby. We really don't know how it happens…if it could be genetic somehow."

"I don't want her to be one." The tone was stern. The slayer knew the hard life lived by "the chosen." Despite all the good she did, she carried inside a heavy burden. She saw too much of the horror in the world; it was her destiny to. She also held the unspoken fact that she would never get to live the happy, long life most others take for granted. Each day, somewhere in the back of her mind, a little voice would tell her 'this could be your last.' That was a weight she never wanted her child to bear. She wasn't even born, and yet, Kennedy wanted nothing but a long and prosperous life for their daughter.

Willow hugged Kennedy. She knew she couldn't say that it was impossible for their child to be a slayer. They were dealing with the unknown. She did know that there had never been a case where female relatives, at any degree of kinship, were slayers. No sister/sister act nor aunt and niece had ever happened before. There certainly had never been a mother/daughter legacy. It seemed unlikely that their daughter would be. But, then again, she was conceived in a mystical way and did have a witch for a mother. Willow comforted her slayer the best she could.

"I think it's probably unlikely, since there's no history of any relatives being chosen in the slayer line."

That question too had entered the redhead's mind. Willow found it overwhelming at times that besides the usual angst of expecting parents, that being the health status of their unborn, they also had to worry about the supernatural impact possibilities. 'Will she be a witch?' The redhead knew that she'd never had an inkling of her magickal capabilities until she met Buffy. She had wondered on occasion if the power was locked inside there to be tapped or not, or if she acquired her abilities through learning them much like she gained other knowledge in school. Was she always a witch? Or did she become one? She knew Tara came from a family full of witches, but that still didn't answer the fundamental question. She listened to different explanations from various coven members but still remained unsure of the answer. In a way, her 'birth' as a witch was as much a mystery as Kennedy's slayer 'awakening' from the spell. There were times when the redhead had to stop thinking about it just to give her mind some peace. Now, however, the storm was back because she was contemplating those same issues and how they would affect their daughter.

"I wish I knew the answer to that one too." Willow felt useless not being able to respond knowingly despite all of her so called 'witchy intuitiveness.' "I guess we'll have to figure out things as we go along."

Kennedy shifted and molded her body closer against the redhead. "Yeah…gotta feeling the powers-that-be are gonna make us wait on that stuff…I just hope she's healthy."

"Me too," whispered the witch as she leaned in and kissed her girl on the forehead. There was a shared sense that they were betting on the cosmos to shed good fortune on the couple and their unborn child.

Willow passed the critical twenty-eighth week of her pregnancy. That was the point when premies still had a good chance of survival. For the redhead, all seemed to be running smoothly. Besides the normal pains that came with stretching muscles and an aching back, Willow and baby were the poster couple for prenatal health.

The couple would never forget that morning. They were in their condo doing their usual routine of a late breakfast and reading the paper. Kennedy was standing by the kitchen sink talking to Willow who sat at the table eating oatmeal. The witch was complaining of a tight muscle. She'd forgotten her coffee on the kitchen counter and got out of her chair to get it. She walked in front of Kennedy, got the mug and turned to go back to her breakfast. Kennedy looked as she went by.

"Willow?…What's that blood on your pants?" The words sounded as scared as was the slayer's expression.

As soon as she said that, Willow felt something wet on the inside of her left thigh. She looked down and saw blood stains on her pajama pants on the inside of her thigh. At that instant, the witch felt the crimson liquid traveling down her leg.

Willow panicked. In a terrified voice, "Oh my god, Kenn…I'm bleeding!" She froze not knowing if she should sit or stand.

Kennedy was just as scared and frenzied as her redhead. She rushed to Willow and took her by the arm. "You should lie down…" She led the woman to the living room couch. Willow willingly went, not able to think what she should do. Kennedy placed a throw under the witch and set her down gently. "I'm gonna get a towel for you and then call Dr. Greenberg." The words were squeaky and chopped, Kennedy's mind and the fear gripping it having trouble forming thoughts. The slayer rushed to the bathroom and grabbed several towels. When she got back to Willow, the witch had begun to cry.

The events after that felt surreal and mind numbing. Calls were made and Willow ended up being taken to the emergency room of Women's Hospital in downtown Cleveland. The next several hours were a series of doctors and nurses, prenatal monitors and intravenous medications. Tests were performed and by 1pm the decision was made that Willow had gone into labor and the placenta had slightly perforated somehow. There was no explanation to the cause other then "sometimes this can happen." It was hardly a relief to know it wasn't anything that could have been prevented. Dr. Greenberg was there to tell the women that Willow would have to have the baby that day. Some of the medicine was to induce the labor further. The doctors hoped that Willow was dilated enough to allow a conventional birth. They knew, however, that if the baby's vitals dropped even slightly, they would have to perform a c-section.

At 2:07pm, Willow gave birth naturally to a four pound, five ounce baby girl. The delivery room had PICU specialists there. The baby was unable to breathe properly. The room filled with organized chaos. The specialists frantically worked on getting oxygen to the baby while others made sure Willow's safety was assured.

The whole time, Kennedy stood there to the side of Willow, suited up in the required hospital garb, holding her wife's hand. The slayer was stunned, crazed and desperately trying to soothe Willow's fears even though she shared them. Neither could see the infant as the doctors worked. They kept asking if she was ok. The nurses reassured them that everything possible was being done.

"Kennedy?…Is she gonna be ok?" The question was said with so much anguish. Kennedy knew that Willow was frantically looking to her to make sense of all the craziness. Scared green eyes begged for an answer.

The slayer's fear and doubt was pushed aside. At that moment, Kennedy knew that she needed to be there for Willow. She looked deeply in those frightened emerald eyes and squeezed the witch's shaking hand tighter. She bent over and stroked the hair from Willow's forehead. The brunette got closer so she could whisper in her wife's ear.

"Willow…Our baby's going to be fine." The slayer said the words so quietly and with absolute certainty.

The slayer had said her name a thousand times. Willow had heard it spoken in just as many different ways. This time, the witch heard that indescribable quality in the voice, in her name, that put the witch at ease. Kennedy was telling her that all would be well. That was all the new mother needed. The activity continued, but Willow felt in her soul that all would be good.

Kennedy's words to Willow proved true. The doctors were able to get the baby breathing, albeit with the aid of a machine. The tiny child was rushed to PICU where she stayed for several weeks. Her lungs had to develop; they had not matured enough to support her when she was born. Not so long after the birth, Willow was strong enough to be able to see the baby along with Kennedy. They knew they weren't out of the woods even if they felt like things would improve.

The room was painted in bright yellows and greens. There were animal caricatures hand designed and painted. Five prenatal incubators stood in the room with a rocking chair next to each. Unfortunately, each incubator had a patient. There were monitors and machines humming and thumping, and medicine bags and fine plastic tubing leading pinpoint needles into miniscule veins.

Willow and Kennedy walked to the back of the room to the station with the chart labeled "Baby Girl Rosenberg." They were so scared to look inside, to see their own flesh and blood hooked up to a machine. The first view made them both start to cry and reached for each other's hand. Their baby was so small. She lay there motionless, eyes closed, chest being moved up and down in jerking motions by the mechanical device keeping her lungs functioning. All they wanted to do was hold her and make everything better.

Willow did all she could to hold back her natural instinct to immediately perform a spell on the child. She didn't where she was or who was in the room. The witch knew if ever there was a time and reason to use her power, this was it. The redhead, though, kept her composure and gathered her thoughts. After several minutes, Willow leaned in and touched her daughter's chest lightly. She willed whatever healing power she had to the struggling baby. It was only for a moment, but the witch knew that the girl had been given strength. Willow didn't want to risk overpowering the infant; she was so fragile and the redhead's desire to heal so strong that the witch feared that she'd transfer too much and actually do more harm than good.

When Willow touched their daughter, Kennedy knew what was happening. She expected nothing less from her wife. The slayer knew there was no way that the witch would leave the state of their child solely in the hands of medicine and mere mortal doctors. Kennedy was never more proud of Willow than in that instant. She was protecting their child in the most fundamental of ways.

After Willow finished and leaned back from the incubator, the brunette knew she also had something to do. She too leaned in and took her daughter's hand. As Kennedy held that tiny wrinkly hand that first night, she grew a resolved but gentle expression on her face.

"Hi Samantha…We're your parents…" Kennedy knew that if their daughter had her name and a family then the little one would fight to keep them.

The first few days were terrifying. There had been several set backs. The news of the birth and the complications involved spread quickly. By the second day, Willow's parents were in town, as well as Gabriella. Even Kennedy's father made it to Cleveland by that second night. Of course, the Scoobies were there. For those several wary days, everyone prayed and hoped and prayed some more.

The tide turned soon enough and the doctors were telling the proud parents that Samantha would make a full recovery and be a healthy baby girl. Although she had to say in the hospital much longer than her mother, Samantha Prescott Rosenberg eventually got to go home. The smiling gurgling baby girl was met by a group of people who knew how precious life was and who planned on showing the tiny miracle just how special she was.

The Scoobies' lives settled down once the scary time with Samantha passed. After she got home, Willow and Kennedy began the period of adjustment. It was no longer just the two of them. More importantly, their life was not theirs; practically everything they did, or didn't do, was dictated by the little bundle of joy. The couple didn't care; they were caught in the dichotomy of parenthood. They loved every moment with their daughter at the same time they drudged through the early morning and late night feedings, dirty diapers and the realization of the 24/7 care that the baby required. They laughed, lost sleep, got grouchy and joyful, sometimes all within the span of minutes. In short, they were new parents.

"Watch out!…Hiroshima coming through!…" Kennedy rushed past Willow in the baby's room and placed a dirty diaper in the diaper pail.

"I wish you wouldn't call it that." 'That' was the brunette's code word for a very stinky diaper. Putting baby clothes in the bureau, Willow laughed as she watched her slayer hold her nose and drop the diaper like it was filled with radioactive uranium.

"Hey, it fits…those things are lethal. You think she'd been eating chili and bratwurst."

Kennedy then headed back to the other side of the bed where Samantha lay bare bottomed waiting to be re-diapered. The baby was four months old. Her true eye color had finally come in; they were a brownish hazel. Not the emerald or dark chocolate color of her mothers, the baby's were more of a light brown sugar make-up with green mixed in. Her hair, of which she had plenty when born, was brownish auburn, a mixture of the brunette and red of her parents, with more of the witch's color influence. Even as young as she was, it was apparent she had inherited the Latin skin tone. Overall, she was the perfect combination of her two very beautiful mothers.

Willow watched as Kennedy changed and played with the baby. The witch was terrified when they brought Samantha home from the hospital. It was enough that she'd never been around babies but even more terrifying because Samantha was so small. She didn't even fit into premie clothes. The redhead was at a lost as to how to be a mother. The "new parent" class they took only made her feel more inept. Seeing Kennedy take to things made her feel more unsure. The brunette seemed to know how to do all the baby things taught to them in class. "Will, I had a baby sister…I used to change diapers and do a bunch stuff when she was little."

Kennedy's ease with Samantha was evident the first time Willow watched her hold the child in her arms. The slayer seemed to cradle Samantha just right. She knew how to rock and for how long. Changing diapers and swaddling were done like she'd been doing them for years. Willow never told Kennedy how grateful she was for the slayer's experience in those first few shaky months. Willow did 'catch on' and she knew she did it much easier and quicker because of Kennedy.

What Willow didn't know, because Kennedy didn't want to cause any more anxiety in the witch, was that the slayer was nervous most of the time those early months. Kennedy may have known how to hold a baby and change a diaper, but she never had to do it as the parent. As a big sister, she didn't worry about anything dealing with her sister, Emma. If the she got sick or hungry, Julia was there. The future slayer never had to get up in the middle of the night or wait on tests to make sure full lung development was attained. Kennedy was scared so often about the health of Samantha, and even her size. She worried about Willow and how she was adjusting. Her characteristic Prescott "deal with it" attitude made her keep it all inside. Luckily for her, life did get easier.

"You thought your name was strange?" Willow's mother had a hurt look on her face. Her daughter had explained how they chose the name Samantha. Sheila Rosenberg was visiting for the second time after Samantha's birth. She flew in the day of the birth and stayed for a week. Then she flew back in to Cleveland after a few months to see her new grandchild and make sure her daughter and Kennedy were handling matters.

"Well, when I was younger…Now, I love it…I just meant that me and Kenn don't have conventional names per se, so we wanted something like that for her…But not too out there…We liked that the nickname Sammi could be used for a girl or boy." Willow felt like she was trying to justify their decision.

"I like that…Throw conventionality out the window…Society is too defined by roles…including names…" Sheila went on for another five minutes about how naming the child Samantha would help end sexual inequality in the world.

Willow listened as her mother ranted. The woman had become sort of a mystery to her. Growing up, Sheila Rosenberg was all brains and logic. She never neglected Willow, but she was a working professional woman, not one to be found making cookies in the kitchen. She tried to bring up her daughter to be independent, smart and with a thirst for knowledge. They read together and went to museums. Homework came first and tv was limited to one hour, educational programs preferred. The witch didn't think of her mother as cold or distant, just focused and determined. She knew she didn't have the "let's go shopping" relationship growing up like some girls she knew had. But the redhead never doubted her mother loved her and only wanted all the world's possibilities available to her.

That woman that Willow thought she knew was starting to transform before her eyes. The witch saw her mother actually act silly with Samantha, play with her and bestow unabashed attention on her. When not visiting, the woman called more often than before to touch base on the newest developments of her granddaughter. She hounded Willow for updated pictures. In short, Sheila Rosenberg, serious professional dynamo, was turning into a…grandmother. Willow saw her mother soften. It bemused her at first, but then she was happy that Sammi would get to know that person as her grandmother.

During the first year of Samantha's life, Kennedy's mother was also involved. Until the beginning of January, she was in her Cleveland townhouse. Gabriella had a place both in Cleveland, where she could be close to her daughter and Willow, and in Naples, Florida. She usually returned to Florida right after Labor Day but when Sammi was born, she extended her residence.

Gabriella helped the two women as best she could without getting in the way. She baby sat and helped clean the house. She did what she could to help ease the burden a new baby brought. Her need to help was tainted by her experience and the crushing feelings she felt after Kennedy was born. She never wanted either woman to get even the inkling of that sense of being submerged with no way out.

The woman was the typical Latin mother. She didn't believe it was possible to hold a child too much. She lathered on the affection to Samantha. Gabriella felt all the feelings that she should have. There wasn't one moment that she would have changed. As Sammi got older, she watched as the girl exhibited some of Kennedy's traits as a baby. The child was precocious, trying to explore things even before she could crawl. And she was brave, always smiling when she was spun around or tossed in the air. Gabriella loved that little girl with all her heart. Why she ever left all those years ago were a mystery every time she looked into to those soft hazel eyes.

The first year with Sammi brought big changes for the witch and slayer. Their entire life was reshuffled. They both decided that they would spend as much time at home as possible. Willow gave up her tutoring and cut back drastically on her witch mentoring. Kennedy also decreased her slayer activities with the school and her patrolling. The couple made sure that whenever anything had to be done, one of them was at home with Samantha. They spent time just being a family. Even if the girl slept most of the time, they were still there for her and each other. They were a team.

That lasted until both women began to get fidgety from the lack of outside stimulation. They realized they were having a form of cabin fever. Kennedy was itching to do more slaying and Willow missed the contact with other witches. Though it took a while for them to talk about it, they finally did.

"Do you think we're terrible parents because we don't want to stay home all day?" Kennedy was definitely having a case of the "guilts." She knew they didn't have to work; their financial security meant they would never have to work if they so chose. Julia had stayed home after Emma was born. But then again, the woman did have a nanny and maids who took care of things when she went out to have her hair done or for social commitments. Kennedy didn't know how to feel about not wanting to spend all her time with their daughter.

"No, baby…We're not terrible. We need to be ok with our life…besides, most people don't do what we're doing…Everybody else works and their kids are just fine." Willow tried to reassure her slayer. She knew that Kennedy grew up in money which meant mothers didn't work and everything was given to the child.

Willow had had a talk with her mother. She decided being a working mom and a social worker made the woman uniquely qualified to give perspective on the matter. Sheila Rosenberg talked with her daughter and made her realize that doing things outside the house and even separate from Kennedy and Sammi was healthy and not something to torture herself about.

After more discussion, the witch and slayer decided to get back into some form of their previous routines. They worked out a schedule for Willow to mentor and Kennedy to help at the slayer school and patrol more. When one was out, the other was with Sammi. They didn't forget about time for them either. Because of the extended Scooby family, there was always someone around eager to baby sit. Even Faith and Miguel watched after Sammi when they were in town. Willow and Kennedy were able to go to movies or out to dinner. They even went to a few gay bars to let loose like they used to do. In that first year, they had a great situation. They were as happy as could be. The couple had a beautiful daughter, a full life and wonderful friends. Friends who had also been living their lives and sorting things out.

"You put both your names on the birth certificate?" Buffy was looking at the birth record that the couple received in the mail from the State of Ohio. She was at the couple's condo visiting.

"Damn straight we did…We're her parents…Why shouldn't we?" Kennedy said with a slight tone of indignation.

Kennedy shrugged in defeat. "Well, I can't help the fact that their forms don't allow for the possibility of a magickal girl-on-girl conception."

Willow saw the conversation heading south and put a halt to it. "We figured whoever saw the paperwork would think 'Kennedy Prescott' was a guy…That'll be something we explain to Sammi when she's old enough."

"And is she a Prescott hyphen Rosenberg, or middle name Prescott, last name Rosenberg?" Buffy couldn't tell from the birth certificate.

Willow responded. "No hyphen. Her name would never fit in any form if she had to write all that down."

That made sense to Buffy. "So why's your name last?" With Kennedy's sense of pride, Buffy wondered how the brunette was able to give that legacy away. As if she'd read Buffy's mind, Kennedy answered quickly.

Willow smiled and added, "We're very reasonable here." Buffy nodded and thought how noncompetitive Kennedy was with Willow.

Buffy was at the couple's place, catching up on life and checking in on her niece. Since the notification of Willow's pregnancy, Buffy's life had also survived a few rocky events.

The blonde slayer was so excited and happy for the Willow and Kennedy when she was told the exciting news Thanksgiving Day. Willow had confided in her that she'd found a way that the two might be able to have a child. Buffy remembered her friend being too worried about the possible ramifications. The blonde had been the one to tell Willow to throw caution to the wind and try for their dream. However, that was the last time they discussed the matter. Buffy didn't bring the subject up again because she knew it was a sensitive and personal matter between the two women. Finding out that her best friend had taken the jump and succeeded only made the slayer even more delighted. She couldn't wait to be an 'aunt' again. She enjoyed spending time with Nate and knew she would be just as enthralled with Willow's and Kennedy's child.

While the months passed during Willow's pregnancy, Buffy had continued her life much on the same course with Jimmy. They still lived together in Jimmy's condo. They had begun that part of their relationship when they began to "learn" things about the other, those strange, unique quirks and habits that really define a person and a relationship. Jimmy learned about those parts of Buffy's past not written in the slayer journals or passed down among the Council. He found out she squeezed her toothpaste tube and not rolled it. She liked iced tea but preferred to sweeten it herself instead of ordering sweet tea. She slept on her back but always ended up on her left side by morning. For her part, Buffy learned that Jimmy liked liver and onions, "that's just disgusting," and was a closet ice skating fan. She also found out that his drive to aid the helpless came from being beaten up a lot at school when he was young- "I was so different, a bookworm and only interested in the occult." The slayer's and watcher's relationship grew stronger and deeper.

That winter and spring were smooth for everyone as far as Buffy knew. Christmas was especially nice as was New Year's. Buffy's life had never been more even keeled. She had been assisting Jimmy more at Slayer Central and had found a comfortable level of slayer activity that didn't make her feel like she was giving over her whole life to the 'fight' again. She continued her job with the school system. All seemed right with the world.

Samantha's premature birth and the problems associated with it were jolts of reality for Buffy. That summer was tough on everyone. The Fourth of July was a blur and it wasn't until Labor Day that everyone started to breathe easier. During the whole ordeal, Buffy was there to help Willow and Kennedy with anything they needed. She did shopping, took over Kennedy's slayer obligations and just sat with Willow when the redhead needed it. The entire time, Jimmy was behind the scenes making sure Buffy had the time and energy to help her friends.

The rest of the holidays that year went smoothly and joyfully. On the first New Year's Eve after Samantha's birth, Willow and Kennedy had a party for the Scoobies. It was a small gathering but one to show the couple's gratitude to those near that had helped them through scary times with Samantha. That night turned out to be anxiety filled for the blonde slayer.

The countdown for midnight had started and everyone was standing in front of the tv watching the ball in New York City's Times Square fall. At the stroke of midnight everyone shouted "Happy New Year!" and kissed the one they loved. Buffy and Jimmy were no exception. However, once done, Jimmy took Buffy outside onto the back deck. It was blistering cold but the man looked like he didn't even notice the temperature. They walked to the end of the deck, out of view from those inside. They stood next to the railing and looked up at the thousands of stars in the sky. It was a cloudless night and each light in the sky seemed to shine twice as bright. Jimmy put his left arm around Buffy's waist. The slayer leaned into him. Then his right hand came up in front of him; he dropped his arm from the slayer's waist and as he turned towards Buffy he got down on one knee.

Jimmy took Buffy's hand and in a sure, heart felt voice said, "Buffy, I love you…I want us to be together for the rest of our lives…Will you marry me?" When he finished, he let go of the blonde's hand and opened the box. There sat an exquisite two carat diamond in a marquise cut with two smaller solitaire cut diamonds, one on either side. Jimmy looked up with the expression of a man who couldn't wait to start the rest of his life.

The panic started when Buffy saw Jimmy start to get down on his knee. The only thing that would have made her more uncomfortable was if there were people around them. Buffy watched as Jimmy's proposal unfolded. She couldn't move; she just glared at the ring held in Jimmy's hand. The thoughts spun in her head. 'Why are you acting like this?' 'Why are you freaked?' A part of Buffy knew she should be jumping for joy. The man she loved had just proposed. But why wasn't she acting that way? The slayer didn't know how much time had passed since the ring came out; all she knew was that she hadn't spoken or looked at Jimmy. She knew she had to do something.

"Jimmy…I…I…don't know…what to…say…This is so…sudden." Even to her own ears she sounded pathetic and disingenuous. She looked up at Jimmy, but not squarely in the eyes.

The man fidgeted slightly. "Well, you could say yes." This time the words didn't have the same confident tone to them.

Buffy finally 'looked' at Jimmy. She stared, silent for what seemed like hours even though it was only a matter of moments. It was long even for Jimmy to comprehend the situation. "I see," the man said dejectedly as he stood.

"No, Jimmy…you don't understand…It's not that I don't…I love you…I just…" But the words never came to the slayer. She stood there looking confused, lost between her heart and her head. Jimmy started to walk back inside. "Jimmy…please…wait…Can't we talk about this?" Buffy was desperately trying to hold on, to turn the disaster she'd created into something other than the beginning of the end of another relationship.

"Talk about what, Buff?…" the watcher said flatly. "I asked you to marry me…It was an easy question…I thought…I was wrong." The man went back inside. He discreetly got his jacket and left without anyone noticing, except for Kennedy that is.

Buffy stayed outside, frozen from the previous scene and not the cold. After a long while she heard footsteps on the deck. She hoped it was Jimmy. Her moment's happy expectation was snuffed when she turned and saw it was Willow.

"God, Buff…What are you doing out here?…You're gonna freeze your toes off…" The redhead stopped talking when she saw the dismayed look on her friend's face. "Are you ok, Buffy?" Willow had seen that expression on the slayer before. It was a long time ago when the blonde lost Angel. Willow couldn't imagine what had happened to bring that look back. As far as she knew, Buffy and Jimmy were quite happy.

Buffy merely stared at the witch and shook her head. Willow saw Buffy look at her but blue eyes were gazing through her, at nothing.

The mention of his name was all it took. Buffy started crying. Willow rushed over to her and put her arm around her friend. "What happen, Buff?…Did he do something to you?" The last sentence was said with hardness. Willow remembered how Spike had tried to manhandle her friend, and though she didn't believe Jimmy would do that, she also understood that nothing was impossible.

Buffy quickly composed herself. From the tone, she could tell what Willow was implying. "No…no…he didn't do anything to me…" Then the slayer gave out a slight huff of air. "Unless you count proposing."

The statement caught the witch by surprise. She stepped back. "He proposed?…as in marriage?" The redhead was totally confused.

"No…as in a business venture…of course marriage." Buffy was trying anything to make herself not feel like the world's worst person.

"So what happen?" Willow was still bewildered how such a great moment could have left her friend in such a state.

The redhead looked at her best friend confused. She didn't want to push but she knew the slayer loved Jimmy. How the blonde ended up speechless had her at a loss. "You don't want to get married?"

Buffy shook her head. "I don't know what happen…I saw the ring…and…and panicked, I guess." Buffy was beginning to be confused as to the reason for her actions. "It was weird. I saw the ring…and then me and Jimmy…it felt so set in stone…like this was it."

"Then why the freak out?…You guys have been together for a long time…Didn't you ever consider that Jimmy would propose?"

That answer had the witch floored. She saw how well the two fit together, how at ease Buffy was with the man. He was the first relationship that Buffy didn't have to justify or explain.

The blonde started to get a head ache. "Look, I need to find Jimmy…and try to talk to him."

At that moment Kennedy came out on the deck. "Hey, there you are…" She'd been searching for Willow. She saw the expressions on the two women and stopped.

"He left, Buff, about an hour ago." The brunette glanced at her wife who gave her an "I'll explain later look." Buffy kept walking and Kennedy heard her say "Damn" as she walked by.

The blonde slayer went home only to find Jimmy not there. She got scared. The first number she called was Jimmy's cell phone.

"Jim…please come home…please…I'm so sorry for how I acted…please come home so I can explain."

Just as sad, "No Buffy…I think I need to be by myself tonight…I'm gonna stay at the school."

Buffy didn't sleep that entire night. She spent the whole time trying to understand why she responded like she did. She was only half truthful to Willow when she said she never thought of Jimmy proposing. In her daydreams, they were always already married. She'd had thoughts of them as a married couple, happy as they'd always been. But seeing that ring brought some other sensation to the forefront. There was a part that Buffy, over the course of the night, figured out was fear. Seeing Jimmy down on one knee flashed an image of their married life. It would be a slayer married to a watcher. In that instant, the realization hit that her life would always be shackled to being a slayer and being entwined in the slayer network. In that split second out in the cold night, that was how her mind saw it…shackled. Even though she'd been a slayer since she was sixteen and accepted her destiny, it all came crushing down. She and Jimmy would never be able to just walk away from it. That future was so imposing.

However, by the time the sun peaked over the horizon, a different picture emerged. That initial fear and shock was gone. She'd had her moment of self doubt which was replaced by the fear that she'd lost the man with which she did want to spend the rest of her life. By sunrise, she knew she wanted to marry Jimmy Petson and live whatever kind of life the universe had in store for them. The only thing she knew for sure was that she wanted to live it with him. Buffy only hoped that she wasn't too late. She knew she'd have to wait for Jimmy to call so that she could start on the path of apologizing for having been the biggest horse's ass.

At 7:00am, the doorbell rang. Buffy ran to it thinking that it would be Jimmy. It was Willow. The witch looked so worried as if she'd stayed up all night.

"I couldn't wait…I had to find out if you're ok…Did you talk to Jimmy?…Is he here?…Should I go?" Willow had turned the babble on high.

Buffy smiled. "Wils, relax…I'm ok…That's not really true…but come in…I think I screwed everything up with Jimmy."

The redhead went inside. The blonde made some coffee and the two old friends sat down. Buffy told Willow what had transpired and the two talked like they did when they were in high school. Willow heard Buffy discuss her fears and realization. They talked until Buffy didn't feel like a horrible person. "Just tell him like you told me, Buff…He'll understand…He loves you." By mid day, the friends were talked out and Buffy knew only she could make things right with Jimmy. As Willow left, Buffy hugged her. "Thanks, Will for coming over…I don't know what I'd do without you."

Jimmy did eventually call that day and Buffy did begin her 'groveling.' The watcher went home and the two talked, for a long time. Buffy explained everything to the man. His response wasn't the automatic forgiveness that would have occurred had they been characters in a Hollywood chick flick. This was real life, and in this reality Jimmy had been hurt deeply. A part of the trust he had for Buffy was lost that New Year's Eve. It took a while to get it back. Buffy didn't push. She was happy she hadn't ruined another relationship. The watcher needed time to regain his focus and the slayer gave it to him. She knew it was enough to be with him; she could stay like that or take the next step. All Buffy knew was that if Jimmy ever dared take the chance again, she'd be jumping in his arms saying "yes."

That chance came months later. There was no holiday, no special occasion. It was just him and her having dinner at a nice restaurant. At the end of the meal, Jimmy took Buffy's hand, reached his other into his pocket and pulled out the same ring. He slid his hand across the table so Buffy could see the ring. The man gazed into beautiful blue eyes and said, "Will you marry me this time?"

Everyone in the restaurant turned to the table in the corner when they heard a loud "Yes!" and saw a blonde woman dash out of her seat and jump into the lap of the gentleman on the other side. The whole place started clapping and cheering when they saw the man slip the ring on the blonde's finger and kiss her.

"Don't they look perfect together?" said a smiling elderly woman to her just as elderly husband.

The big news didn't stay secret for long. Buffy called everyone that day and told them. They didn't have a date and frankly, that would be for another day's discussion. The engagement was enough for now.

"It's about damn time you two…Jessie and I were about to do an intervention…We decided we weren't gonna wait for you two to figure it out…we want more married friends." Xander was ecstatic for his slayer friend. He was slowly, but surely, seeing all those he cared for find the happiness he had with Jessica. For Xander, his life continually got better.

Bliss. That's the word Xander would choose if only one word could be used to describe his life since that Thanksgiving after Nate's kidnapping. The episode in New York brought a whole new perspective for Xander. He came to understand the depth of his love for his family and the lengths to which he would go to protect them. He also found out that his wife was so much stronger than he ever knew. The Harris family stayed in Cleveland despite the fear that was ever present in the back of the Scooby's mind. The Harris family flourished. Nate got bigger and stronger. Soon he was walking and talking. During the time with Samantha's hardship, Xander and Jessica held their son a little more often, thankful that he was with them and healthy.

Professionally, both parents were doing quite well. Jessica had been promoted to assistant principal of her school. Xander's business continued to gain respect in the community and clients as a result. The house had finally gotten "done." Xander insisted on having Christmas at his house, partly to share in his good fortune both financially and personally, but also to let everyone see just how nice his house turned out. "Not bad for a little 'ol carpenter, huh?" Everyone was duly impressed. Xander Harris was walking on the clouds. His life was where he never dreamed it could be. All the heartache and heartbreak, the struggle and fighting had finally led him to happiness. His bumpy road was behind him; all he saw in the future was good times.

After Sammi's birth, as soon as she was able to crawl, Nate started playing with her. The two became buddies. The news of Willow's and Kennedy's decision to move hit the Harris household particularly hard. Xander had envisioned his and Willow's family living near each other while their children grew up together. There were even flashing thoughts in his mind of a Nate/Sammi marriage. The least he thought was that the two kids would be life long best friends like him and Willow.

The departure of the couple had an extra sad side to it. No one knew it the time, but when Willow and Kennedy left Jessica was almost three months pregnant with their second child. Xander and Jessie found out about it when the two women were seriously contemplating the move. Xander remembered Willow telling him how tough a decision it was to make and how she kept feeling guilty about the friends she'd be leaving behind. Xander and Jessie decided not to tell anyone about the pregnancy until after the move. As much as they wanted the three to stay, they knew that Willow and Kennedy had to do what was best for their family, free from extra pressure. They were sad when they said good bye to their dear friends. Xander and Willow embraced especially long. This was a new chapter in the Prescott/Rosenberg life and as happy as Xander was for them, he knew that a little piece of him would never get over not having his gentle friend within a stone's throw. Deep down, he knew Willow felt the same.

Willow's and Kennedy's decision to move to Massachusetts was met with positive feelings by at least one other person beside Dawn. Faith had reason to be happy. "Boston's closer than Cleveland…besides, you'll be Red Sox fans." The only thing about Boston that Faith didn't discard was her love of the Sox. It appeared that, for people from that region, that bond was too strong to break. If there was one thing about New York she hated, it was having to put up with Yankee fans. On occasion, when their smug attitudes had gotten under her skin, she'd walk into a bar wearing her t-shirt that said, "Yankees Suck." The first guy who tried to 'put the little missy in her place' usually got the fingers on his hand sprained. There was never a second person who tried to teach her that same lesson.

By the time that "Red" and "K" moved into the Middleton house, Faith was doing well and waiting for them to settle in so she could visit and check out the place. Much like Buffy, how Faith got to that personal state of mind was filled with some hard times.

The reformed slayer was just as happy for the witch and slayer when she found out that the trip to New Hampshire had 'worked.' Even though she didn't have any real role models from which to compare, Faith knew that the two women would be great parents. They were good, faithful and strong. The fact that they were lesbians was something that Faith never considered a 'drawback.' She saw how Willow and Kennedy looked at each other, how much they loved each other. That fact, and that fact alone, was the only really important quality to her. The slayer knew the couple would invest in their child as much energy and time that they did for each other. So, like the rest of the Scoobies, Faith waited until the newest Scooby member was born.

The brunette slayer kept up with Samantha's struggles mostly through phone calls. She was able to make a two day visit during the first few days but then had to go back to New York. She and Miguel had a minor apocalypse, as degrees go in world ending prophecies, that needed their immediate attention. They were able to thwart the evil that was at the bottom of the attempt, but in the process stayed out of the direct loop of Willow's and Kennedy's troubles. Faith made a trip back to Cleveland when Samantha was out of danger. After that, Kennedy told her she'd keep the older slayer abreast of further developments with frequent calls. Faith felt a little guilty for not being there but guiltier for feeling glad that she didn't have to be.

It wasn't that Faith hated kids; she was indifferent to them. Though she never wanted bad things to happen to children, she generally didn't think about them much. Of course, Samantha was a different story because she was her friends' child, someone that she knew. She was truly worried when she'd heard of the little one's fight in the beginning days of her life. Faith was sincerely happy when she was told the baby girl would be fine. Once that concern was squelched, the brunette's attitude went back to its usual mode.

By the time she was at Sunnydale for the final battle, Faith was already convinced that she would always be single. She viewed herself in that perspective from all angles. She didn't want to marry nor deal with kids in any manner. Her past life history gave her good reason for her attitude. Meeting Miguel changed her view on men but nothing else. Though her relationship with the man was strong, she still didn't want to get married. It wasn't that the Brazilian ever asked. There seemed to be an unspoken understanding between the two that their arrangement worked just fine for the both of them. Faith knew that Miguel had several brothers and sisters in Sao Paulo that were all tied down in their marriages. She knew the Brazilian valued his life as it was. The slayer thought that they both wanted things to stay exactly as they were.

That belief started to be questioned by Faith every time they went to Cleveland on slayer business or just to visit. If she really thought about it, Faith would have said she first noticed the doubt in her mind when the Harris' visited during the Dalfort incident. Though Faith and Miguel were only able to see Xander's son for one evening, the slayer noticed a difference in the man around the baby. She let the feeling go and thought about it no further.

The same attitude came from the man when they got together at Xander's for Thanksgiving and later when they were in Cleveland for a Council matter. Each time Miguel was around Nate, the man's personality changed. He was child like almost. He loved playing with the boy and seemed genuinely happy around him. That attitude remained when Samantha was the child with whom he was spending time.

With each contact, Faith got a stronger feeling in her gut that Miguel didn't see 'eye to eye' with her on the subject of children. She was even certain she'd heard a tone of sadness when the man had to leave them. It became obvious to the slayer that Miguel wasn't like her in at least one way. She could see that the man not only liked children put shined around them. He seemed so at ease with them, being able to capture their attention, being not only able to deal at their level but also wanting to. At that point, the brunette felt the sudden pang in her stomach. Miguel was the type of man who'd want kids of his own eventually. He was only pretending to be different because of her. Faith knew that, with her, Miguel would never have that option fulfilled.

That realization did something to Faith. She didn't talk to Miguel about it; she knew he'd just deny her suspicions. Instead, the slayer did what she did best; she ran from the issue. She didn't literally run, but she did become, slowly, distant from Miguel. She started patrolling more often and for longer periods of time. She thought of reasons why Miguel couldn't come with her and made the man handle more of the office matters.

The changes in Faith were not just in the slayer aspect of her life. She began going out more. Miguel understood that there would be times when Faith had to be by herself. He accepted that 'lone wolf' part of her and knew it would never totally vanish. The man also knew that she wasn't out with other men or even trying to see if she could still "turn an eye." Sometimes, the woman just had to be on her own. However, she'd curtailed her 'alone time' to a minimum since the Dalfort matter. Her recent increased activity didn't go unnoticed by the man. He also didn't miss that her outings had taken on a different flavor.

Besides her slaying alterations, Faith was stepping out more often and not just to be alone in a fight. Several times, the slayer returned home in the wee hours drunk and smelling of a smoke filled bar. From the sweat on her clothes, Miguel knew the woman had been out dancing also. This behavior continued and the two began to fight about her actions. The more they fought, the more Faith went out. Finally, Miguel had had enough. He exploded one night after Faith came home at 5:30am. The argument started out with a loud voice and it only got louder as they went.

"I wasn't fucking around…if that's what you're worried about…I just needed to go out…Hey, this is me…you don't like it, then fuck you…I ain't changing for no one."

Miguel couldn't understand why Faith had changed so much. There wasn't any incident in their work or personal life that he could point a finger to and say "That's it!" He didn't know what was running through the brunette's mind.

"Yeah, well, even if you wanted me to..too fucking bad…I ain't no little wifey type that you can weasel into doing something I don't want to do."

Miguel was totally confused. The slayer was speaking gibberish to him. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

Faith didn't care anymore. She had enough liquor inside to make her able to let it out. "Listen…I ain't never gonna be some fucking goody two shoes who wants the big house and fucking little rugrats around…I want my freedom…I won't change." The slayer was staring at the man with dead seriousness.

"Where the hell is all this coming from?…Who said anything about a house and kids?" Miguel was shouting loudly now.

Faith shook her head. "You think I'm stupid…like you gotta say it…Christ, you practically turn into Ward Cleaver every time we go to Cleveland."

Faith wasn't amused by the Brazilian's lack of American 50's tv sitcom knowledge. "That doesn't fucking matter…You're never gonna get what you want from me."

Miguel stood there dumbfounded for a minute. He let the words sink in. He couldn't understand why Faith thought he wanted children. "I don't want kids, Faith…Is that what you think?"

The slayer knew the man would renounce that fact. "You're lying to yourself, Mickey…I see how you are with them…You aren't gonna get that with me…This is me…drinking hard, playing hard…I'm anything but the mother type."

The more he watched Faith, her body language and her expression, the more the Brazilian got the feeling the woman was really terrified deep down. 'Does she think I want kids?' 'Does she think I'd leave her because she doesn't?' The man's face calmed and his voice returned to normal.

"Faith…I may get along with kids but that doesn't mean I want to have any…I have lots of nieces and nephews. I was always around them when I lived near them…But I don't want children…I was very happy with my life with you."

Faith chuckled; she didn't believe the man. "You're just saying that cuz that's what you think I wanna hear…You'll change your mind…sooner or later."

"I could be dead 'sooner or later.' Did it ever occur to you that I've already thought this through just like you?…I like the freedom I have…not having to change things because of some kid…being worried about them…I do have fun with Nate and Sammi…because I know I can give them back…They're someone else's deal to worry about…Jesus, Faith…I don't want kids for the same reasons you don't."

The slayer stood there silent. She had long ago sobered up. She heard the words and saw the genuine expression on the man's face. Faith didn't speak; she just let what Miguel said swirl around in her head. She'd been so convinced that he wanted children, that he would come to realize that and discard her. Now, the man was in a way pleading with her to make her understand that she was wrong. He was like her; he wanted only her. The words rung true and the feeling of immense guilt set in. The brunette realized that, yet again, she'd lost her way and was only brought back by the man in front of her. She felt ashamed that she had ever questioned his desires. Faith lowered her head.

Miguel could see how hard it was for the slayer to apologize. He knew the woman had had a tough life, that she'd been misled and lied to many a time. He thought he'd won her complete trust. He realized there might always be a part of Faith that would never truly give in to him. She'd have a doubting voice somewhere whispering for her to be cautious. That was something he'd have to accept.

"It's ok…I understand…Can we just put this behind us?…And go on with our lives?"

That was enough for Faith. She knew the man had forgiven her. "Yeah, I'd like that."

That heated fight was the last the two discussed the matter. The issue was settled and the two soon got back to their old selves. The outings almost ceased and the couple was working and playing as they had before. Both had a better insight to the other because of it. By the time Willow and Kennedy moved to Massachusetts, Faith and Miguel were as strong a couple as ever.

For the Scoobies, the year before Willow and Kennedy's departure was filled with ups and downs. Each learned more about themselves, their fears and weaknesses, their desires and truths. They gained the understanding that life could be filled with happiness and sadness at the same time. The best time in their life could also contain some of the saddest moments.

Willow's departure was rough on Buffy and Xander. As great as their life was, there was immense melancholy on her leaving. Buffy realized she would no longer be able to have "chocolate night" or that special someone that she could sit with on the couch and spill her heart to. The blonde knew they would stay in contact and visit, but an era was ending. The "Scooby gang" was no more. Now, they would be best friends who would talk of the "Scoobies" like it was a secret club they loved but outgrew. Each person, however, knew that the void that came from growing up and moving on with their lives was filled with the new people that were central to them. Leaving behind the "gang" was worth it because of the people they loved and who loved them. They weren't trading one for the other; it was all just a part of the ever changing flow of life itself.

It was that sense of the continuity of life's changing focus that filled Kennedy's thoughts as she watched Samantha sleep. It amazed her that not too long before she was making love with Willow, her mind filled only with the thought of how deep her devotion was for the woman. And yet, a few moments later, she was just as overwhelmed by the love she had for her child. The slayer never thought she could feel as much as she did for the two women in her life.

After making sure that Samantha was sleeping soundly, the brunette walked back to her bedroom. Slayer sight allowed her to see her redhead slumbering peacefully. Kennedy stood there and just looked at the girl. All she could see was the side of her face, the covers having been brought up tight under the redhead's chin. Willow's slight form hardly made an impression under the bedcovers. It was times like this, when Willow was sleeping, that Kennedy saw the woman as her wife and not the awe-inspiring powerful witch. In those peaceful hours, Kennedy knew Willow didn't have to struggle with balancing her innate self with that of the magickal power that was also there. Kennedy understood at times it was an effort for Willow to remain true to herself and not become over indulged with the fame of being "one of the most powerful witches in the Western Hemisphere." Sleep for Willow, as for Kennedy also, brought a reprieve from the human and supernatural battle inherent in those with a position of power.

As Kennedy got into bed and snuggled against her redhead, she had no idea how soon that struggle would start to affect their life.

Power. In any form or by any name or analysis given, the desired result is still the same…power. Every battle, struggle or fact that ever existed can be seen as a quest, a need, for power…control. Good against Evil, poor versus rich, the battle of religious ideology. Each side seeks to attain power over the other, to shine its views on the universe. The struggle is as old as time. Like every war, to the victor go the spoils. History, as handed down or interpreted by those so inclined, has always been slanted, or more rightly put twisted, to adorn those with power. How people learn, what they learn and more importantly what they don't learn is controlled by the 'power.' Thousands of years of lies, subjugation and pain have been allowed and even lauded because those without power, without control, have no voice, have had their tongue's truth ripped from their mouth. But the controlled never stop trying to gain a foothold on power wrongfully taken. There have always been those who found their worth or their existence in the sole purpose of taking back power and letting the truth be told, letting their 'views' become fact.

The quest for vindication and the retaking of control that was forcibly or even covertly taken has existed since the instant of time after that first thought was consciously discarded for another one not exactly the same. That was the instant power meant control and the suppression of another's existence. Throughout the ages, the battle has taken different focus, but it still has always come down to power. There are those who assert that the desire for control is really just another aspect of Evil, that the inequalities that have occurred are merely gains of Evil's foothold on existence. Though that remains clouded, the fact that the battles exist is separately important from their genesis.

The struggle for dominance, and the accompanying beating down of anything or anyone not the same, has slithered into every aspect of all that is. Man fights against Man, demon against demon. Supremacy has been sought after in every aspect of the cosmos. As relates to the mortal species of the delicate planet earth, the fight is worldwide both in logistics and intellect. History is nothing but a tally of one nation or religion or sex crushing down upon another. The only thing to really benefit from the conflict is Evil, for the clash makes people choose, to 'pick sides' and continue the domination. Countries have stolen from, slaughtered and enslaved other human beings on the premise that there was good and evil and the victor was on the side of good. The Inquisition, slavery, the patriarchal society have all been justified by the need for and the knowledge of what is "good", when the reality is that it has always been done for power.

One of the results of the continual pressing down of the voiceless has been the insidious acceptance of the condition by many of those who are without strength. They blindly feed upon the propaganda thrown at them as truth, unable or unwilling to look upon their sustenance to determine its true value. There was another end product to the dictatorship of thought -- the fierce counterattack by those still able to see beyond the haze. The heretics, the treasonous, the intellectual fringe were, and are, those too filled with self worth, or too stubborn, to let their voices be silenced. They exist anywhere the struggle does, be it a mortal, demonic or even cosmic fight.

Those who rage against the power elite, though, have their own weakness, their own lust to be the muscle mongers. The initial goal was always to bring about calm and the rightful place of all concerned. It was never to be a reversal of fortune. But the pull has always been too strong; the inching of Evil in the mix to promote more conflict. The uplifted downtrodden become too weak to defeat the need to control as they were once controlled. For power does not want equality; it craves dominance. That too is as old as time.

In the eternal story of man and woman, the struggle also exists. The patriarchal make-up of the world's existence is taken as fact. God is 'father'; the crucified savior, a man. Women are weak; men strong of not only mind but body. The female race was considered chattel, no different really than a cow, for so long, and continue today to be looked upon as such in some segments of the world. Women have been ingrained to believe that the way things 'are' is the way they have always been. They have been indoctrinated to believe that they are not second class citizens, that their lot in life is predicated on their own 'special' abilities. Thousands of years of patriarchal foot-stomping have made most women blind and deaf to the legion of evidence that shouts out otherwise. History that contradicted the "message" was buried, lost or twisted.

It is taken as fact that Western civilization began with brutally male-dominant and highly warlike societies. If there was anything before patriarchy in Man's prehistory, it was so primitive as to be unworthy of serious alienation. Indeed, history as conventionally written has been literally the story of men, with only an occasional mention of "their" women. But if an examination of the past took into account the whole of history, including prehistory, drawing from a database that includes the whole of humanity--both its female and male halves-a very different picture emerges.

The Judaeo-Christian Bible tells of a garden where woman and man lived in harmony with each other and nature - a time before a male god decreed that woman henceforth be subservient to man. The Chinese Tao Te Ching describes a time when the yin or feminine principle was not yet ruled by the male principle or yang, a more peaceful and just time when the wisdom of the mother was still honored.

These stories contain important clues to a fundamental cultural shift during civilization's prehistory. Indeed, new archaeological discoveries, coupled with reinterpretations of older excavations, show that while the earliest cradles of civilization, going back many thousands of years, were not utopian societies, they were organized along very different lines from what came later. The excavations of Catal Huyuk, the largest early agrarian or Neolithic site ever found, shows a social structure that appears to have been generally egalitarian. The comparative size of houses, the nature of their contents, and the "funerary gifts" found in graves show there were no extreme differences in status and wealth.

Data from Catal Huyuk and other Neolithic sites also indicate that in those societies, where women were priestesses and craftspeople, the female was not subordinate to the male. Although the sacred union of female and male was an important religious mystery, the powers that created and governed the universe were generally depicted as a goddess rather than a god.

But the archaeological record also shows that, following a period of chaos and almost total cultural disruption, the cultural evolution of societies that worshipped the life-generating and nurturing powers of the universe was interrupted. On the prehistoric horizon appeared invaders from the peripheral areas of the globe who ushered in a very different form of social organization. These were people, men, who literally worshipped the blade, the power to take rather than give life. That was the ultimate power to establish and enforce rankings of domination.

Those that have fought to unearth the falsity of the history between the sexes, of the ever pressing male dominion, have been burned as witches, jailed as anarchists or beaten as man haters. The struggle for the truth, though, kept the spark of the fight alive.

The suppression and spiteful domination over women throughout the millennia created a small, distinct breed of female spirit to avenge that which was so brutally taken. Long before Man knew to scribble on a sheet to catalogue life, the female essence already had a wandering brigade of warriors. It is theorized that there was once actual physical presence harboring the brave souls. Once, real women, born to the line of the spirit, fought against the power in charge. Their lineage had been charged with the power from original high priestesses to bring back that which had been stolen from their sex. Their initial desire was equality, a return to that egalitarian state.

But, as the horror continued and the centuries passed without improvements to the condition of women, the warriors took on the tormentor's creed. Their eyes had been burned with the images of torture and disregard. The descendants of the original fighters concluded that only female dominance was true. There came a break in the naiveté of the band of women; the new mantra was "destroy."

Thereafter, the women became avengers and vigilante, crushing all that was or supported the patriarchal way. No one was spared; ignorance to their plight didn't save woman to the deadly means used by those who had now become the hunters. Giving in to the system was as wrong to them as governing it. Their goal became the same as the ones they hated…the acquisition of power and domination. Some say that Evil won its way into the hearts and souls of those women.

Over the centuries, the forces of Good and the collective backlash of the patriarchal system quelled much of the band of sisters. However, the women were never totally wiped from the face of the earth. Even as their numbers dwindled, their ideas and their passion were passed on in the form of writings and stories. They sought allegiance with the supernatural and cosmic to propel their message forward.

At some point in history, no one knows precisely when, the physical line of the women disappeared. There were no more warriors…but their essence lived on. There was a 'spirit' existing in between worlds; one that swore to carry on the war. It wasn't a finite entity, but more an energy capable of splintering without losing integrity. For energy never 'dies'; it merely changes form. The spirit of those 'righters of wrong' was so powerful, so full of hatred for the mistakes done to their kind, that it transcended the corporeal plane and existed on a different level.

No longer was there a formal group or blood line carrying on the battle. The passion would enter a woman who had within her that spark for revenge. It took the jilted spouse, the battered lover or the intellectually infuriated. If there was a method to the manner of choice, it was known only to the infinity of existence.

Once infused, however, the woman was on a mission…to avenge the wrongs done and assist in the overthrow of the patriarchal way of the world. She carried the power of the ones before her and the assistance of the 'otherworld.' A woman 'turned' for the cause was no regular mortal. She had supernatural abilities which included, but was certainly not limited to, shape shifting and spell casting. The number of these "avengers" existing at any given time has never been known. They existed like a terrorist sleeper cell, ignorant of the specifics of others but aware they were not alone.

The targets for these vigilante throughout time have always been as diverse as words in a dictionary; their desired result, however, as unified as a family of one. To obtain their goal, these altered women would do whatever it took to bring down any piece of the matrix. They would be friends, lovers or spouses. They could play the seductress, the mother or the lamb. They had even been known to alter their personal features or even glammer to the opposite sex if necessary. They took their time and wove themselves into the fabric of the society they despised. The plan was to gain complete trust and then lay waste to the enablers of the power structure.

One such woman marked the streets throughout the New England area as her territory. Within a few months of Willow's and Kennedy's arrival to Middleton, she had a new target.

All Willow felt was pain, a throbbing, unyielding pain. There was nothing else she could sense at the moment the blackness lifted from her mind. Just pain. Willow tried to focus, to figure out where the bitter ache housed itself within her body. It was everywhere. The witch was too drowsed with uncertainty to make out anything about her situation…other than the pain.

Crimson eyes were closed. Her body too disoriented to even know if she was standing or sitting. Willow let her mind slowly awaken to the real consciousness of the world. Inch by agonizing inch, Willow tried to force herself to open her eyes. While her body pushed toward that simple act, the witch's mind tried to piece together where she was and what had happened. Both propositions took the strength of Sampson to fuel.

The witch's body was the first to start giving clues to her present situation. Willow began to feel the sting of hard wetness on her face and skin. She also felt coolness beneath her, running the length of her body. When she tried to move her arms, her brain told her they were not by her sides. It also screamed that her left arm was unable to move. Why, she still couldn't discern.

The throbbing continued, but the location had changed. There was a piercing feeling not only in her left arm but her lower right leg and across her chest. The pain also came from low on her side. The fog was lifting slightly from her mind but she still couldn't recall how she got to be in so much pain.

Finally, with the will of a wounded soldier, Willow forced her eyes open. It felt like there was liquid sand in her eyes. She saw nothing clearly; what light glowed around her was as hazy as the California coastline in the morning. Even without clear sight, Willow's instinct told her that the white fuzzy glow surrounding her was not from the sun. There was an ominous blackness just outside the light's fringes.

That was Willow's first concrete connection to the state in which she found herself. The intensifying pain in her limbs and chest brought on her second realization.

Willow stopped her interrogation in order to redeem some strength sapped by the slight mental workout in which she'd engaged. She let herself empty of thoughts and feelings for a split second. What instantly returned was fear and confusion and pain…always the pain. Through it all, the witch struggled to determine more about what had happened to her. Her vision was still blurred, but she could now tell she was on her back, lying on cold, wet ground. And it was raining, heavily. She started to hear the sounds of the falling raindrops and the distant sounds of thunder. She tried to scan her eyes around to see if she could make out any form or structure. All she saw was more blackness.

Then a feeling rushed to her. 'I'm alone.' Though she couldn't see around her, the redhead knew that there was no one else lying somewhere near also in unbearable pain. That's when Willow really first began to be scared. Not because of her still unknown situation but because of the status of the only two people that really mattered in her life.

'Kennedy?…Samantha?' Even in her thoughts the names came to her in desperation. Their fate was as hidden from her as the lost treasure of Blackbeard. In that instant, Willow remembered that she had been on a mission to find her family…to save them. The fear from not knowing if they were in jeopardy was almost as stifling as the pain still gripping her.

'Please be ok…I'm sorry I didn't get to you.' The haunting thoughts were a plea for forgiveness floating out into the harsh night. All Willow felt in that second, which slowed to a snail's crawl, was that she had failed. Failed her slayer and her daughter. The pain twisting her mind in knots seemed justified because of that conclusion.

At that point, Willow didn't care anymore where she was or how she got there. She wasn't with her slayer and daughter and that made the rest immaterial. The battle her body fought stopped. She had lost everything; her life was meaningless now. Willow began to give in to the pain and the numbing hold it had on her mind. Willow felt herself slowly grow smaller, her world crumbling in around her. She closed her eyes and let the night close in on her soul. The pain washed away and the will to live began to drift away ever so slowly.

The sound was so far away; it was like a child's scared whisper in the midst of a frenzied crowd. But she'd heard it. It was her wife's voice. It wasn't the soft or playful tone she'd heard a million times. This name was draped in despair. She'd never heard her name uttered in that way. That's what made her know the voice was real. It was what pulled her back from the edge of forever.

'Kenn?…Here?' That thought brought back the pain and the rainfall. It also brought back the memory of her mission. Kennedy was alive; that was all the witch ever wanted.

Willow opened her eyes and moved her head, trying to find her love. All she saw was the fuzzy gleam of rain falling within the white glow around her. She couldn't see Kennedy, but the witch knew her slayer was there; she felt her presence. Had the brunette made it through the battle, survived the struggle? Had the fight even begun? Willow let her mind rest on the version of possibilities that soothed her best. The slayer had been powerful enough. Evil had not won its prize.

The movement by the witch was enough to cause another onslaught of terrorizing pain to rush through her. Her body couldn't rebuff the attack and the witch left the conscious world again, this time with the vision of her assailant's face and the thought 'I should have known 'she' was evil' following her into the abyss.

From atop a hill that overlooks Plymouth Rock, a statue of Massasoit, the great Wampanoag sachem, surveys the harbor where the Pilgrims landed over 385 years ago. Holding a long peace pipe, the chief appears dignified and confident, as if he has nothing to fear. The inscription on the monument identifies Massasoit as "Protector and Preserver of the Pilgrims." His people protected the English settlers from the hostile tribes, and saved them from starvation by teaching them to plant corn and other crops. Their kindness became the death of them.

The Wampanoag are one of the principal tribes of New England. They are the Natives in the classic novel "The Scarlet Letter." Their chiefs ruled all the country extending east from Narragansett Bay nestled between Rhode Island and Massachusetts to the Atlantic coast, including the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. In 1620, the Wampanoag were twelve thousand strong with forty villages.

Living in Holland at the time was a small group of English religious dissenters who, because of persecution, had been forced to leave England. These gentle people decided to immigrate to the New World. In September of 1620, everyone crammed aboard the Mayflower, and the whole lot was sent merrily on its seasick way to the New World.

Landfall occurred near Cape Cod after sixty-five days and a very rough passage. A small party was sent ashore to explore. There they sat for the next few months in crude shelters - cold, sick and slowly starving to death. Half did not survive that terrible first winter. The Wampanoag were aware of the English but chose to avoid contact them for the time being.

In March of 1621, Massasoit visited Plymouth and signed a treaty of friendship with the English giving them permission to occupy the approximately twelve thousand acres of what was to become Plymouth Plantation. Unfortunately, Massasoit didn't fully understand the distinction between the European concept of owning land versus the Native idea of sharing it. The friendship and cooperation continued, and the Pilgrims were grateful enough that fall to invite Massasoit and others to celebrate their first harvest with them, which is now known as the First Thanksgiving.

After 1630, the original English colonists who founded Plymouth were absorbed by the massive migration of the Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Colony near Boston. Barely tolerant of other Christians, the militant Puritans were soldiers and merchants whose basic attitude towards Native Americans was not one of friendship and cooperation. Under this new leadership, the English expanded west into the Connecticut River Valley and began to destroy any native nations which opposed them.

By 1665, Native Americans in southern New England were simply in the way. The English no longer needed their wilderness skills to survive, and fishing and other commerce had largely replaced the fur and wampum trade which had been the mainstays of the colonial economy during the early years. The Native population also declined from continuing epidemics brought over from Europe. The Puritans' "humane" solution to their Indian problem was to convert the Native population to Christianity, to "Praying Indians."

Even Massasoit fell in with the adoption of English customs and before his death in 1661, he petitioned the General Court at Plymouth to give English names to his two sons. The eldest Wamsutta was renamed Alexander, and his younger brother Metacomet became Philip. Married to Queen Weetamoo of the Pocasset, Alexander became grand sachem of the Wampanoag upon the death of his father. The English were not pleased with his independent attitude, and invited him to Plymouth for "talks." After eating a meal, Alexander became violently ill and died. The Wampanoag were told he died of a fever, but the records from the Plymouth Council at the time made note of an expense for poison "to rid ourselves of a pest." The following year Metacomet succeeded his murdered brother as grand sachem of the Wampanoag eventually becoming known to the English as King Philip.

Philip does not appear to have been a man of hate, but under his leadership, the Wampanoag attitude towards the colonists underwent a drastic change. Realizing that the English would not stop until they had taken everything, Philip was determined to prevent further expansion of English settlement. But this was impossible for the Wampanoag by themselves since they were down to only one thousand people by this time. Traveling from village to village, Philip began to slowly enlist other tribes for this purpose.

In late June of 1675, a Wampanoag was killed near the English settlement at Swansea, Massachusetts and the King Philip's War began. Early on, their advantage in numbers, the English were in serious trouble. Drawing from virtually every tribe in New England, Philip commanded more than one thousand warriors, and even the tribes who chose to remain neutral were often willing to provide food and shelter.

For obvious reasons, the English considered neutral tribes, such as the neighboring Narragansett, that helped the Wampanoag as enemies. When dedication to the throne was denied, the English attacked and destroyed their people and villages also.

The English eventually began to be more effective. More soldiers were brought in from England. There were numerous attacks on tribes including Philip's. The warrior escaped during that attack, but the English captured his wife and son who were sent as prisoners to Martha's Vineyard. Five days later, Alexander's widow drowned while trying to escape. The English cut off her head and put it on display.

Philip remained in hiding in a swamp until betrayed by an informer. A militia general named Benjamin Church took his rangers and surrounded Philip. On August 12^th, 1677, Church shot and killed Philip, for which he was given one of Philip's hands as a trophy. Philip's corpse was beheaded and quartered. His head was displayed on a pole at Plymouth for 25 years. Church had Philip's wife and son sold as slaves to the West Indies. To the English and the colonists, Church was a hero.

The war should have ended with Philip's death, but Church, before returning the England, continued to hunt down the sachem's allies and those who had helped. The actions provoked numerous more years of hostility. With Philip and most of their leaders dead, the Wampanoag were nearly exterminated. Only 400 survived the war. The bloodline of Philip was destroyed.

Still concentrated in southeastern Massachusetts today, the Wampanoag endured and grew slowly to their current membership of 3,000. However of that number, most have little true Wampanoag blood running through their veins. Only four are one eighth Wampanoag; the rest less.

The history of the Wampanoag was the lifeline for the man born George Rousseau. He was one of the four truer bloods left of his people. He was also the only living descendant of King Philip. Upon intense research, George discovered that Philip's wife and son were in fact sold as slaves. He learned that the wife died of diphtheria six months later. But the son survived. A genealogy endeavor on his part and precise plantation bookkeeping generations ago led him to find that a descendant of the son came back to America and settled in Martha's Vineyard. That man married and several generations later George Rousseau was born, the grandson, many times removed, of Philip. He was an only child and his parents had no relatives by the time he was old enough to notice such things. When they died in an automobile accident when he was twenty, George was left alone as the sole blood link to the Great Warrior.

The story of his people weighed heavily on the contemplative man. In his six foot three inch frame, piercing black eyes and long, jet black hair, his size belied his introspective personality but not his pride in his ancestry. There was nothing more important to the man than bringing his people back to the glory and respect they deserved. Though mostly of non-Wampanoag descent, George rejected all parts of his genetic make-up except for his Native blood. He was a Wampanoag first and foremost. He blamed the white man for the decimation of his tribe. More personally, he hated the white man for taking away his family, for butchering his ancestors and leaving him without what should have been a rich and full family tree. He loathed the glory given to the English leaders who killed Philip and his family.

Rousseau's disdain naturally led him to adopt his Indian name, Sasomet, as his true identity. The name meant 'keeper of shadows', an accurate description of the man who kept the agony of his people locked in his soul. He gave up many of his connections to the white man's society and tried to reroot himself in the ways of his people. He was a carpenter by trade, and a very good one at that. However, when he decided that he could no longer enable the offspring of the people that had killed his own, Sasomet turned his skill to more philanthropic causes. He worked for the Wampanoag tribe on their land, a custodian by title. He kept to himself, and tried to improve the plight of his people's living conditions. Though not in the dire straits as some reservations out West, the land owned by the Wampanoag, won in a court battle against the state of Massachusetts, would have been considered substandard housing by anyone's standards.

Sasomet's views on the state of his tribe and the blame put on white society made him a difficult man to be around. It wasn't that he went off in anger filled rages or was physically threatening to anyone. The man knew that outward shows of rebellion would only get him harassed, jailed or 'accidentally' killed by the government Big Brother. Sasomet was too smart for that. He kept his views close to the vest and only discussed them as hypothetical or intellectual exercises. But those close to him, not that there were many, knew his views weren't academic. When he talked of revenge and overthrow, they knew he was serious.

His revolutionary viewpoints became known to the other tribe members. The leaders of the Wampanoag stayed their distance from association with him. They were trying to make their people stronger by working with the white man. These were people that saw themselves as Americans as well as Wampanoag. Theirs was a campaign of accountability through legislative matters or litigation if the State was obstinate.

Sasomet was ashamed of the Wampanoag leadership. He saw them fall for the same smoke screen handed to Massasoit and his eldest son. The man knew that only Philip had truly understood the cunning and deceitful nature of those people who had invaded and taken their land. He also knew that only Philip's solution would ever bring the Wampanoag the retribution they deserved. As radical as it sounded, Sasomet was certain that those who kept his people under their thumb had to have it cut off in order for his people to be free. And the man took a solemn oath to do his part in the reclamation.

What no one knew about their quiet custodian was that he had taken it upon himself to bring down the white power elite, including the ancestors of those who had struck his family's vein. He spent his free time, as much as he could spare without causing suspicion, finding out everything he could about the governmental strongholds in New England. He also researched the English who fought against his tribe centuries back. He studied their family trees and discovered the kin's whereabouts.

He methodically planned and mapped out ways in which to bring shame or ruin upon them and others in mainstream leadership positions. Many times, this was done by nothing more than letting skeletons in the closet see the light of day. The man's doings were often cruel but never lethal. As much as he hated the white man, he also knew, from seeing what happened to other Natives, the hard price he would pay if he was connected to violence.

Sasomet found out that there were numerous individuals who would assist in his actions, some legal but most not, without the slightest care why they were doing it. The man found that the price of silence was rather cheap. The finances used to bankroll his secret eradication was from the hefty sum of money received in the wrongful death action brought against the drunk driver who killed his parents. So Sasomet went about his double life, noone really knowing the hatred in the man's heart and truthfully noone daring to get close enough to look. The man's wrath was aimed at the living memorials of those from long ago who stole his rightful history.

Sasomet, though, was soon to be entwined in the lives of a slayer and a witch. What he would encounter would change his focus and his life forever.

Middleton, Massachusetts, like the entire eastern portion of the Bay State and the tiny state of Rhode Island, held a strong attachment to witchcraft and the mystical. Starting with the Natives that had inhabited the land for thousands of years to the outcast pioneers of England and every wave of immigration after that, Southeastern New England was entrenched in the web of magick. Despite the intolerant Puritanical stranglehold upon the people, or maybe because of it, mysticism in all its forms and glory abounded in the area. It lived under the surface of polite society, in the back rooms of isolated homes and the almost unreachable spaces of the dense forests.

From the time that a two legged being walked the hardened dirt, witchcraft was there. It helped the Pilgrims survive that initial winter and made their first summer crops grow. Magicks outlasted the colonies and the Articles of Confederation. Practitioners were persecuted and murdered. It was cited as a "sickness" justifying confinement of amazing women in horrific state mental institutions. Witchcraft has been honored and vilified, lauded and laughed at. For most, it was just another made up story, like vampires and werewolves.

When Willow moved to Middleton, she stepped into a hotbed of magicks. She hadn't realized the expansive nature of witchcraft in the area. She also never would have anticipated the real conflict that some members of her 'trade' had with others so likewise inclined. Sometimes, the clash seemed like the struggles she'd seen and read about between the different faces of religion.

To Willow, witchcraft was something deeper than a belief base. It was not a pastime, religion or life choice. It was who she was, though not completely, but enough to require its ardent respect. Because of her studies, Willow had a profound admiration for those that toiled with the power of the craft and the need to remain as in touch to their humanity as possible. For the redhead from Sunnydale, everything was about respect. She honored the history of her craft, its practitioners and all they went through. The redhead knew that the story of witchcraft and its mutations to its present day forms read like a great movie screenplay.

The origins of the "Arts" are unknown to even to the reasoning beasts on the earth. Witchcraft has always been, like the air or sun's warm radiating fingers. There have always been those women who had a keener sense, a deeper thought and closer connection to the beyond. The truly touched never flaunted for they knew the power they held within and the brutal price they would pay if uncovered by an unbelieving mass. For even in the beginning, there was uncertainty and caution given to those who not only prayed to the gods or nature but could also alter their actions.

But much like a virus, over time witchcraft naturally mutated and fractioned into differing sects, some more true to the 'original' ways than others. Traditonal, Wiccan and Eclectic are but a few of the present types of witchcraft that breath upon the globe. Even within these main traditions there are subgroups.

The interesting commonality of all the forms and varieties of witchcraft is that they are all basically universally thought of as being female in membership and criteria. Even though men do belong to some of the sects, mainstream society of centuries ago, and of today, see witches as women…unnatural and dangerous women. As a result, these gentle and kind followers of nature have been suspect and, when discovered, labeled as devil worshippers, heretics and a cancer on the spirituality of Mankind.

Throughout history, there are tales of the horrendous injustice done in the name of "saving" a witch's soul or that of the townspeople around her. Though today's 'lynchings' aren't as merciless as that done in years past, they are just as devastating in a more subtle way. Now, witches, wed to the worship of nature, are ridiculed, disregarded and labeled useless in a society whose mantra is "consume." But at least the witches of today survive with their life. In earlier times, the women were not so fortunate.

The history of the persecution of witches, or those suspected of being one, is filled with sham accusations and kangaroo courts. "Witch Trials" as they were called were usually never either. Masses of innocent women were murdered by the "faithful" for the only sin of being outspoken or brazen or of not the 'right' look. Though a real witch may have fell to torture every now and then, their fate also was immoral to the life they led.

In 1320, the Inquisition added witchcraft to its list of heresies. The worst styles of torture were turned upon those accused of witchcraft. With Pope Innocent the VIII's Papal Bull against witches in 1484, the torture of people accused of being a witch reached fanatical proportions. The tale of the horror done upon witches and those mere mortals unfortunate enough to get caught in the frenzy is a painful one to tell.

At first, the accused were told to confess. They were then stripped naked, shaved, pricked with needles for insensitive spots and then examined for marks of the devil. Then the real torture began. While the victims screamed with pain, the inquisitor carried on with sadistic methods. The rack was well used. Some victims were horsewhipped. A sharp iron fork was used to mangle breasts, red hot pincers to tear off flesh. A device named the turcas was used to tear out fingernails. Once out, needles were shoved into the fingers' quicks. Boots called bootikens were used to lacerate flesh and crush bone. Thumbscrews crushed fingers and toes. Acid was poured on victims and hands were immersed into pots of boiling oil and water. Eyes were gouged out by irons. Alcohol poured on the head and set alight. The methods were endless and the next worse than the last. Even after the poor victims confessed to things they never did, more torture followed. On the way to the stake or gallows victims were flogged, burned, branded and had their hands and tongues hacked off.

By the 17th century as the Catholic Church started to lose power, the inquisition began to collapse. By then, countless had died as a result of being thought a "witch", including men, women and children. But the plague upon the followers of the craft did not end there.

A mass witch hunt took place in Arras in France in 1459 - 1460. The Arras affair began at Langres, when a hermit was arrested. Under torture, he admitted attending a sabbat, and named a prostitute and an elderly poet of the city as his companions. The hermit was burned at the stake. The inquisitors arrested and tortured his accused accomplices. A widening pool of accusations, arrests, tortures and confessions spread like wildfire through the city. People of all ages and classes were arrested and killed.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, more than 100,000 people in Germany were tortured and murdered as a result of being accused of being witches. The witch hunts were led by fanatical rulers, spurred on behind the scenes by the Catholic Church. Some of the worst persecutions took place in Bamberg. Torture was the rule and was applied to all those accused. Victims were put in thumbscrews and vises, dumped in cold baths and in scalding lime baths, whipped, burned with sulfur, and put in iron spiked stocks. The persecution did not stop even after condemnation. As they were led to the stake, prisoners had their hands cut off. Like before, anyone who questioned the actions was also tortured and killed.

The stories of persecution and condemnation were not the province of Europe alone. The pointing finger of the Puritanical colonists cast its shadow over a dark page in the history of the great land of America. Even the nation of the "Rule of Law" was not immune from hatred of the 'witch.'

From June through September of 1692, nineteen men and women, all having been convicted of witchcraft, were carted to Gallows Hill, a barren slope near Salem Village, Massachusetts, for hanging. Hundreds of others faced arrest or accusations of witchcraft. Dozens languished in jail for months without trials.

It all began in 1689, when Samuel Parris moved to Salem Village with his wife Elizabeth, his six-year-old daughter Betty, niece Abagail Williams, and his Indian slave Tituba, bought in Barbados. Parris became the preacher for the town. Sometime during February of the exceptionally cold winter of 1692, young Betty became strangely ill. She dashed about, dove under furniture, contorted in pain, and complained of fever.

The cause of her symptoms took on many theories. The author Cotton Mather had recently published a popular book, "Memorable Providences," describing the suspected witchcraft of an Irish washerwoman in Boston. Betty's behavior in some ways mirrored that of the afflicted person described in Mather's widely read and discussed book. It was easy to believe in 1692 in Salem that the devil was close at hand.

Before too long, suspicion had already begun to focus on Tituba, who had been known to tell tales of omens, voodoo, and witchcraft from her native folklore. Soon, Tituba along with two others were accused of being witches. After first adamantly denying any guilt, afraid perhaps of being made a scapegoat, Tituba claimed that she was approached by a tall man from Boston, impliedly Satan, who sometimes appeared as a dog or a hog and who asked her to sign in his book and to do his work. Tituba then declared she was a witch. That confession succeeded in transforming her from a possible scapegoat to a central figure in the expanding prosecutions.

A new court was created to hear the witchcraft cases. The judges credited confessions and admitted "spectral evidence", meaning the testimony by afflicted persons that they had been visited by a suspect's specter. The judges also decided to allow the so-called "touching test." Defendants were asked to touch afflicted persons to see if their touch, as was generally assumed of the touch of witches, would stop their contortions. The bodies of accused were also examined for evidence of "witch's' marks", moles or the like upon which a witch's familiar might suck.

The first accused witch to be brought to trial was Bridget Bishop. Almost sixty years old, owner of a tavern where patrons could drink cider ale and play shuffleboard, even on the Sabbath, critical of her neighbors, and reluctant to pay her bills, Bishop was a likely candidate for an accusation of witchcraft . The Chief Justice signed Bishop's death warrant, and on June 10, 1692, Bishop was carted to Gallow's Hill and hanged.

Thereafter, the pace of trials picked up. Not all defendants were as disreputable as Bridget Bishop. Some were pious, respected women. Persons who scoffed at accusations of witchcraft risked becoming targets of accusations themselves.

By early autumn of 1692, Salem's lust for blood was ebbing. Doubts were developing as to how so many respectable people could be guilty. By the time the witch hunt ended, nineteen convicted witches were executed, at least four accused witches had died in prison. About one to two hundred other persons were arrested and imprisoned on witchcraft charges. Two dogs were executed as suspected accomplices of witches. In actuality, no real witches were killed and only two arrested.

One lesson learned from the haunting accounts of the various witch hunts was that real witches fell victim to the horrors far less often than non-followers. To be sure, countless witches did meet their death at the feet of torture. However, they were never the easy prey like regular folk. Theirs was a history founded on secrecy, modesty and above all else magick. Many were able to spell or conjure their way around suspicion and torture.

That's not to say that witches took no pain in the massacres merely because they were less prone to be the receiver of the inquisitor's dagger. The women who knew of the terrible events, who witnessed them, were affected to the soul. They worshipped and respected nature and all its beauty. The vile actions they saw were poison to their gentle ways.

Witches tried wherever and whenever possible to free innocents from their agonizing end. Despite attempts to slow the massacre of innocents, witches were usually too small in number to overpower the magnitude of the immorality bestowed by the inquisitors, torturers and judges. They helplessly watched while decent people were killed, all in the name of cleansing witchcraft from the face of the earth.

From the collective tragedy of witches, it would be assumed that all sects would hold true to that original belief in the respect for nature and all creatures in it. One would have thought that witches, having seen the travesty that could be unleashed upon human beings, would carry a special mission of peace and harmony. That idealistic view would be, unfortunately, wrong.

Like the rest of human experience, some witches also carried ill will in their hearts for the wrongs done to their kind, or because of them, by others. In addition, there were those who also sought to level out the power of the followers of witchcraft and the other "lesser religions" to that of mighty Christianity. They saw the need to close rank and unite in their craft's beliefs in order to have a voice. Witches, like everyone else, were wading in the shallow end of the power pool. They too fought the 'struggle.'

There were those who discarded the laudatory core of their art for a baser, more power driven need to gain a louder voice in society. The sects within the family of the spell bringers were, in ways, part of the struggle.

The battle within witchcraft was present, in a microcosmic view, with the covens in southeast New England. Those that belonged to formal groups and even individual rogue witches dealt with the issues daily. There was a network set up among the 'sisters' and they met on a regular basis to commune together and discuss witchcraft and its future. The women who attended were from all walks of live. They were rich and poor, outspoken and shy, "old school" and future tech. For the most part, they tried to connect in a respectful and real way. However, there were heated discussions about the proper role and place for witchcraft in society. The differing individuals had alternate views on the proper allocation of the craft to the ruling power class. The roles ranged from keeping magick on the periphery as it was to having its female based authority steal the limelight from the present situation. Some women were indifferent to the debate while others pushed their views strongly.

It was to this group that Willow would make contact once she settled into her new home of Middleton. It was because of that contact that life would change for the witch and her family.

"Ahhh…g-god, Willow…" Kennedy's hands were pressed against the front of the shower, head bowed, her body reacting to the touches of her witch. "Why is it that we don't do this more often?" The women's bodies were lathered with soap and hot water. Willow was standing behind her slayer, pushed up as close as humanly possible. The redhead's hands were caressing the taut stomach and firm breast of her wife. The spray of the hot water bouncing off the shower wall peppered them with steamy moistness.

"Because you complain about almost getting drowned each time." Willow knew they were still in the foreplay stage of this particular session, but the redhead was ready for more action. She stroked her lover's skin with more urgency.

Kennedy moaned with that move from the witch. She tried to keep her senses about her, to keep the foreplay light. "Oh, yeah…You think I woulda been smart enough before to think of just pointing the shower head away from me." Kennedy had had too little 'time' with Willow of late. She missed just being this way with the girl; intimate, before the 'need' took control, when she could enjoy the pleasure of just hearing Willow talk.

Willow adored this playful side of the slayer; her ability to continue the light banter while at the same time building up a torrent of desire. As much as she treasured this part of their romantic endeavors, the redhead 'wanted' Kennedy. They had gone without each other for too long in the witch's mind and she needed to rectify the problem. Leaning into her lover's ear, "Baby…I'd love to talk about this with you, but I've got something else that's preoccupying me at the moment." With that, Willow turned her slayer around and took her in a deep kiss. Kennedy's response let her know the slayer agreed.

The women continued the kiss, engulfing their arms around the other. The steam danced around them. Willow eased Kennedy back against the shower wall. She started to kiss down the slayer's neck while her hand searched out the slayer's inner thigh. The witch then teased the slayer, caressing and grazing the woman's leg, hip and stomach. Willow could feel Kennedy squirm with delight. Green eyes gazed at wide open brown staring back. Willow could see that the more she touched and rubbed, the more aroused her brunette got, the more dilated her eyes became. Willow could feel the hitch in Kennedy's breathing and the slayer's rising need for release.

When she thought the slayer could wait no longer, Willow entered. As she moved rhythmically, Willow saw the birth, rise and fall of Kennedy's release. She saw the familiar holding of her breath, the throaty sounds; eyes clenched shut and head thrust back. Willow felt the shudder run through her girl, slight at first, then building and exploding with the ever increasing speed of her hand. The witch felt so powerful at these times, these few moments when she knew she was able to bring a slayer to a state of complete defenselessness. Kennedy, at those instants, belonged to her, body and soul. Willow never felt stronger as when she took her slayer to that 'otherworldy' experience. The redhead had to admit, after all their years together, she still loved the sex.

"Where's my other boot?" Kennedy was searching the bedroom for the mate to the one already on her right foot.

The women had finished their 'shower', but not before Kennedy was able to make Willow moan while the hot spray bouncing of the shower wall mingled with the heat radiating off her flesh. After they were done, the couple dried off and got dressed. Their sexual interlude had been fulfilling but the day wasn't over and there was still lots of work to be done.

"Did you look under the bed? When you flung it off before, I think I saw it whiz underneath there." Willow giggled to herself. Their life had become so hectic that their ability to find alone time had been sketchy of late. When Kennedy came home from her work out with Marla to find Sammi taking a nap in her crib, the slayer instantly decided to take advantage of it. She raced to the bedroom to find Willow, only to discover her taking a shower.

The eighteen month old Sammi had decided she wanted to drink her milk all at once. After finishing, the little girl took four steps away from the table, turned and looking oddly at her mother, spewed the milk all over the redhead. It was after Willow comforted the child, cleaned her up and put the still queasy girl down for a nap that she realized she really was a "mom." Willow didn't even pay attention to the 'messy' state she was in until she knew her child was calm and attended to. That's when the witch realized that only a shower would do the job for her condition.

That's where Kennedy found her. The slayer heard the shower running and instantly got the idea of an afternoon 'quickie.' She was very pleased when Willow didn't even need any prodding to go along with the idea.

It was early December and their first winter in Massachusetts. Life had changed just from the time they arrived in Middleton; it had gotten even more distant from they way things were while in Cleveland. The first four months practically flew by for the three girls. Willow and Kennedy spent much of that time adjusting to the new house, new town and new routine. Their main priority was still always Samantha. The witch and slayer made sure not to take on too much early on so that they could spend all their time with their daughter. They realized she also had to get comfortable with the changes and they made sure she did with the least amount of difficulty.

During the warm summer weather, the family took hikes behind their house. They put up a swing for Sammi and got a sand box. There were trips to the beach, both the ocean and the bay sides. Mostly, Willow and Kennedy allowed Samantha to feel safe and like she belonged in their new place.

The women marveled at the progress their babe made seemingly almost everyday. She had just started walking when they got to Middleton, but by the end of summer the girl was clumsily running all over the back yard. Sammi was a curious child; she held no hesitation in picking up a bug or a plant. It took a few frantic lessons from the moms to make the child understand that not everything needed to be out in her mouth. The parents were amazed at how one minute they could be running to the child to keep her out of harm's way and the next be laughing hysterically from the look she gave them. "I swear, Kenne, she's making us freak out on purpose. Look at her…Inside she's laughing at us for being so jittery."

The women watched as their child grew. They saw how one day she couldn't figure something out and the next she could. They had been there to see her teach herself how to turn over, then sit up and crawl. Willow was mesmerized with how Sammi went from crawling to walking. It was almost like she could see the wheels spinning in the child's little brain, putting all the necessary balance and coordination together to take that first freestanding step. It was a glorious day. Kennedy remembered the first time that she heard Sammi really laugh, a deep belly laugh at seeing a dog playing frisbee in a yard.

Sammi walked and talked like all other kids. She did seem to have a larger vocabulary than other children her age. Of course, Kennedy credited that to getting her wispy mother's genes for intelligence. The child also naturally knew to call Willow and Kennedy "Mommy" and "Momma", respectively. There was no mistaken identity or confusion on the part of the child. Even at such a tender age, Samantha knew she had two mothers, and that was fine by her.

The ease with which the family dynamics unfolded would have shot down any critic's ramblings that children in a gay household get confused. Sammi was loved by two women and she knew it. The quiet, unseen daily lives of gay couples, like Willow and Kennedy, was exactly the type of evidence that all of America should have seen when it came to the debate about gay family life. They would have observed that the women and their child were no different than the rest of the 'straight' world.

The initial six months in their new location were a big period of adjustment. Right after they really got settled in, Dawn had to start her classes again. This caused a significant change in routine. During the summer months, Dawn was at the couple's house quite often. She realized how much she missed Willow and wanted to be a big part of Sammi's life. Dawn babysat many times, which allowed the witch and slayer time for themselves and time together. She also ran errands when needed, like going to Willow's favorite magick shop for supplies. Between the three of them, Willow was able to start handling calls and make visits to area witches. Kennedy was also able to investigate more during the day without so much planning, something not conducive to the demon hunting profession.

However, once Dawn went back to graduate school, it was basically Kennedy and Willow alone to handle all matters. Willow had met witches but they were more on a mentoring or problem solving level. The redhead didn't feel she knew any of them well enough to just call and say, "Hey, how'd ya like to babysit for me?" Both women were reluctant to get just anyone to look after Sammi. They were still a witch and slayer and they didn't want someone to accidentally stumble upon Kennedy's weapons room or Willow's area of the kitchen where she kept her spells' ingredients. They understood they had to keep a sense of privacy to their lives not generally dealt with by "normal" couples. So, in the end, the witch and slayer dealt with it together.

The dedication given by the two women didn't mean that life would run smoothly. Willow had her witchcraft mentoring along with several math students from the local high school she tutored. Kennedy had her slayer priorities and of course, Marla. They also, most importantly, had Samantha to care for. Even by Thanksgiving, the demands started to take affect on the family.

Kennedy would stay home while Willow went to her tutoring sessions which were done at the students' homes right after school. Willow would stay with their daughter at night when Kennedy patrolled with Marla. If Willow had to meet a fellow practitioner, the brunette would need to be home, whether it was day or night. However, there were times when Kennedy needed to do reconnaissance during the day or just work out, which meant it was Willow's turn to be with Sam. Of course, there was shopping, laundry, cleaning the house, cooking and the million other things that make up even the most normal of lives. Willow often found herself solving a fellow witch's problem while standing in front of the stove making dinner.

"Well, I'm sorry I'm late but I can't make a Drejore demon talk on demand. I had to find the thing first and then practically beat the info out of him."

"But my appointment is at two. There's no way I can make it on time now." This wasn't the first time that one of Kennedy's daytime scouting missions had caused problems for Willow.

"I said I was sorry, Will…I thought I'd be home in plenty of time." Kennedy did feel bad that she'd made Willow late for one of her tutoring sessions. But she also knew that a slayer's job wasn't 9 to 5 and didn't come with punctual adversaries. She also knew her witch understood that too.

The redhead was frustrated but didn't want to sound like she was. She knew Kennedy's work wasn't set to a timecard. But she also didn't appreciate always being the one whose job had to take the affects. She wanted to be professional and being late wasn't that.

Things weren't always to the witch's detriment, though. There were times when Kennedy had to forego being able to obtain valuable information because she had to stay with Sammi and wait for Willow to get home. The one thing Kennedy promised herself she would never do was take her daughter with her on any slayer activity. There was no way the brunette would even consider putting the child in danger.

"Where were you?…your session ended an hour ago." This particular time, Marla had telephoned Kennedy about the whereabouts of a group of Traishette demons that rumors had it were planning a coup of sorts of the underworld in New Jersey. The Council had given word that the location of the monsters was narrowed down to two places. They needed Kennedy and Marla to investigate that day because the Council's snitches had told them the creatures were moving out that night. Kennedy knew Marla couldn't handle the matter on her own and told the girl to wait until she could join her.

Willow saw the agitated look on the slayer's face with her question. "I stopped at the store to get milk. We're out." Willow answered a bit defensively. It wasn't like she'd been gone for hours.

"Couldn't you have called? I got a call from Marla about the Traishette. She's waiting for me so we can go find them." Kennedy knew that Willow didn't know about the sudden call and mission. But she was still upset. When she couldn't do her job, it often meant that innocent people died. Kennedy felt the need to perform her slayer obligations to the best of her ability and that meant being able to track down the baddies as soon as she got the word.

Willow looked at Kennedy stunned. "You want me to call you every time I don't come right home?" Now the witch was annoyed.

Kennedy shook her head. "No…that's not what I mean…I mean…It's just that this call came in…and we have to jump on it right away…we don't have any time to lose." The slayer didn't expect or want Willow to be at her beck and call. She was just venting her frustration with the situation.

Kennedy knew she'd made Willow angry over something of which the redhead had no control or knowledge.

Kennedy apologetically said, "I know you didn't know about this…don't be angry…I'm just antsy to get these guys…Ok?"

Willow looked into those big brown eyes and saw genuine regret. She smiled. "Ok…I'm fine…not angry…You should really go and save the world, slayer."

Kennedy left soon after knowing that their disagreement had blown over. Things were right between them.

That brief cease fire didn't solve the fundamental problems and the same issues kept coming back. For Willow and Kennedy, the hectic life they led as doers of good meant that the conflicts, miscommunications and disagreements didn't go away. At one point Willow suggested getting a babysitter or asking some of her new witch friends to help out. Kennedy's response was a surprise.

"Who said anything about a stranger?…And it's not like we'd be outta her life for someone else to raise…I'm talking about someone…for a few hours…a few days a week."

Kennedy still shook her head. "It might start out like that but then it'd get more and more time with whoever…I want Sam with us."

Willow couldn't understand why her girl was so adamant on the subject. "Kenne, I had babysitters when my Mom did stuff…It was no big deal."

Kennedy stared at the ground. "Well, I did too…and before I knew it I was with the nanny more than anyone else."

With that remark, Willow began to understand Kennedy's concern. She knew that Gabriella had left Kennedy with a nanny when she made trips to South America. Willow surmised that the trips must have become more frequent and longer in duration. Plus, she knew Emma had a nanny; the witch suspected that Kennedy did also when Julia came into the picture. Once again, Willow learned that coming from money didn't guarantee a happy life. Kennedy had never mentioned her feelings about growing up with a surrogate mother figure of sorts.

"Baby…we would never do that Sam. We're not our parents are we're not going to make their mistakes…I just think we'd be less with the 'grrrr' at each other if we could take some more time for us."

The slayer thought about what Willow said. Kennedy knew that their activities were done out of an obligation to the world, to help make it safer and better. They could afford to do whatever they wanted. They could stay home all day or have constant help with them. The brunette wanted to be able to do her slayer duty and make sure her daughter knew that her parents were there for her for any miniscule thing she needed. She had resented not being able to go to her mother, father or even Julia for that matter whenever she needed while she was growing up. She knew after a certain age, she stopped trying or caring. The brunette never wanted Samantha to feel that way.

However, Kennedy also knew that Willow was right. She wasn't her parents and couldn't imagine not seeing Sammi every day. She acknowledged that she wasn't spending enough time with Willow. Their life had become a series of one walking in the door while the other walked out. The only reprieve they'd had was when they went to Cleveland for Thanksgiving. Kennedy realized that those four days were the most relaxed she'd felt in months. It was also the first time in a long that she'd had real conversations with her wife and friends.

The couple's life had become so filled with obligations, they were forgetting one of the most important…the one to each other. They had even spent their wedding anniversary, their third, simply staying home. Granted, Kennedy did fly in a gourmet meal from the finest restaurant in Boston and had three dozen roses delivered to her wife. But it still wasn't what the two had thought they'd be doing on that special day. They were away from the close friends that Kennedy knew and trusted. She now realized it was time to start letting others in.

Kennedy went over to Willow and hugged her. "You're right…Sammi would be ok for a few hours…Maybe we'd even be ale to spend some time together other than coffee in the morning or watching tv in bed."

The redhead hugged her slayer back. "I can start looking…In the meantime, Dawn's classes end in a coupe days. Maybe she can look after Sam so we can go out."

The slayer got a worried look on her face. "You aren't gonna turn into a guy again if I kiss you at the end of this date, are you?"

"Oh, ask her if her and Frank are still planning to go to Buff's for Christmas…Maybe we can all take the same flight over."

In the end, Dawn was able to babysit so that Willow and Kennedy could have some alone time. In fact, the woman watched Sammi a number of times to help out the couple. Despite being "the little sis" in everyone's minds, Dawn was quite grown up and perceptive regarding the dynamics of relationships. She knew that Willow and Kennedy were dealing with their Scooby obligations and being parents. She wanted to assist them in any way she could.

Dawn's journey to that point in her life had had some interesting stops along the way. Most were known by her family; some, after she left for college, were known only to her. Even her feelings for Kennedy had evolved and matured much like she had.

No one knew then how integral a part the sister of Buffy, the vampire slayer, would play in the lives of the witch and her slayer.

If one had met Dawn, the graduate student, and then was shown video of her in her teenage years in pre-final battle Sunnydale, it almost would have seemed as if two different people were presented. The Sunnydale girl was the typical spoiled little sister, the kind who was tolerated by her big sis despite the royal pain in the ass she could be. She was nosey, frustrating and demanding of her sister's attention usually at the wrong times. That's not to say that Buffy didn't love her sister; she did. Even knowing that Dawn had, in actuality, not been her little sister her whole life didn't make a difference. Her former status as pure energy, that "key" that the insane Glorificus coveted, was thrown out like yesterday's newspaper. All Buffy felt in her heart was that Dawn and she were sisters, always had been; they were blood.

Dawn's immature attitude started to leave her when her mother died. There is nothing like the loss of a parent during one's youth to shatter childhood innocence. Even life with "the chosen" didn't make Dawn grow up as fast as losing her mother. Of course, that forced maturity had to get through the backlash of rebellion and grief exhibited in the form of ill behavior.

Luckily, Dawn had not only Buffy but Willow and Tara to fall back on. Oddly enough, it was Tara that helped Dawn the most during those hard times after Joyce Summer's death. Tara was so mothering and she instinctively knew that comforting and security was what Dawn needed most.

Of course, when Buffy died to save her, Dawn was once again thrown into the maturity pool. Once more, it was Willow and Tara that came to her aid. During those mournful months when all the girl could think of was that she was completely alone, adrift at sea, the two witches were there to give her a buoy on which to hang for dear life. It would be many years later that Dawn realized Willow and Tara had saved her from a ruined life just by their presence and love during those months before Buffy's resurrection. She knew, even at the time, that she was eternally grateful to the two witches who meant everything to her.

Tara was there for her when Buffy couldn't function after Willow brought her back from the dead. Tara was the one who paid attention to her when Willow was on her downward spiral with the addictive magicks. Throughout the entire time she'd known the blonde witch, Tara had never let her down.

Dawn's world fell apart the day she walked into the witches' bedroom and found the blonde lying on the floor…dead. Tara's death was another life lesson Dawn learned too young. Finding the blonde's bloody, lifeless body was as bad as seeing her mother at the hospital morgue. She had lost a friend and a surrogate mother. She knew how devastated Willow would be. The two witches were each other's life. She'd never seen two people so happy as when they'd reunited right before Tara's murder. The teenager was almost as happy. Dawn knew she would never get over losing Tara, and she did lose Tara. Not in the same way as Willow, but she had lost someone she loved dearly.

All the deaths and the looming trouble with the First made the sixteen year old Dawn seem much older than she was. She still enjoyed shopping and got 'goofy' around boys, but she'd seen enough evil in the world to understand that the 'tragedies' espoused by her friends at school were petty compared to life's real problems. Going into the time before the battle with the First, Dawn was exposed to so much more of Buffy's slayer world. She now understood why Buffy wanted to protect her from it. All she kept thinking during that initial time was at least she still had Buffy, Willow and Xander. She saw the worry on Buffy's face, the attempted comic mood strained by Xander. Mostly, she saw how sad Willow was, how she mourned terribly for Tara. Inside, Dawn felt some of that same pain. She didn't know how Willow was going to get through the sorrow. Sometimes the teenager wondered how she would.

Hate would have been too strong a word to describe Dawn's initial reaction to Kennedy. But it was obvious, even to her, that the brash, outspoken potential had instantly taken an interest in the sad witch. Dawn took an automatic dislike to the girl. How could that potential come into her house and simply start making the moves on Willow? Couldn't she see the pain in those crimson eyes? Weren't her muted responses to Kennedy's questions about Willow enough of a clue to the pushy brunette? Dawn didn't like Kennedy's forwardness and her disregard for the memory of Tara. It made no difference to her that the potential hardly knew anything about the blonde witch in the beginning. To the sixteen year old Dawn, Kennedy could never be Tara, could never replace her. They were nothing alike. Dawn didn't see the loyalty given by Kennedy early on to Buffy or her readiness to fight and protect. She didn't hear the gentle way the brunette talked to Willow or the way she made the redhead laugh. Kennedy wasn't Tara; that's all the teenage Dawn knew.

When Willow began to return the attention to Kennedy, Dawn got angry at Willow but even angrier at Kennedy. It was almost like a child's reaction to a divorced parent dating. Dawn blamed Kennedy for messing with the witch's head, making Willow think she was becoming happy again. Dawn kept telling herself that Willow would tire of the brunette or realize that she was as horrible as Dawn knew she was. The teenager made a point of subtly letting the potential know that she wasn't a Scooby and wouldn't ever be. Surprisingly, she had help from Anya. Though the woman didn't dislike Kennedy as she did, Anya's tactlessness and unrestrained opinions also let the potential know her place.

There came a point, though, before the battle when Dawn could see that Willow really did like Kennedy. Though her feelings didn't change about the potential, it did make her even more guarded of the girl's intentions. Kennedy's personality made her seem Faith-like, which wasn't a good thing. Dawn then became worried that Kennedy would just use Willow, another sign that she was nothing like Tara. Dawn even talked to Buffy about it.

"I don't like her Buff…She's gonna use Willow…and then she'll be in even worse shape."

Buffy agreed with her sister on some level. The slayer had her doubts about the potential early on. But she noticed how the brunette looked at Willow when she thought noone was around. Buffy saw how patient Kennedy was, and brave. Willow had turned into a guy, broken down in front of the brunette pleading for Tara to return; she'd pointed a gun in Kennedy's face and had just about sucked the life force out of the potential. And yet, the girl stood by the witch. There was something about the brunette's unwavering dedication that let Buffy know Kennedy wasn't in it for a quick and meaningless "lay." The potential's actions told Buffy that she wouldn't hurt Willow. If anything, Buffy thought it might be her friend that would end things.

Knowing that Dawn had yet to experience those life events that would put Willow's actions in perspective and also realizing that her sister's eyes were clouded by her feelings about Tara, Buffy tried to ease her mind.

"I don't think Kennedy would do that to Will…She really likes her…and Willow likes Kennedy, too." Buffy tried to get her sister to see that all was not a dire as she thought. "You notice how much Will's smiling and laughing lately?"

"Yeah…I guess." Dawn knew that was true but she didn't want to think that Willow could already be moving on from Tara. She was still thinking of Kennedy as a terrible replacement. "But I swear…If she hurts Willow…you won't need to use your slayer powers because I'll beat the crap outta her."

Dawn's attitude toward Kennedy began to change as a result of the Trudeiro event after the battle with the First. Like everyone else, Dawn saw how Kennedy was willing to die for the redhead. The brunette would have, much like Buffy had for her. The person Dawn thought was hard and crass and only 'after' Willow was in fact in love with her. The teenager was at the restaurant when Faith told her story of finding Kennedy stretched out on the altar as the knife came down at her. Faith talked about how still and serene Kennedy seemed waiting for her life to end. Dawn remembered seeing that look of serenity before. That same calmness had washed over Buffy when the slayer decided to jump off the tower into the abyss to save her sister. It was then that Dawn realized how much the brunette slayer had to love the redhead. Dawn grew a little wiser that day.

After that incident, the teenager saw the two in a different light. She realized that Willow was not replacing Tara, but she was living again. Even though there were still parts of Kennedy's personality that "bugged" her, Dawn promised herself to try to get to know the new slayer better.

By the time of her and Buffy's return from Italy after locating slayer's, Dawn had a new perspective on life. A year abroad did wonders for her maturity. She got to experience more of life and from a very different vantage point than Sunnydale or America in general. Dawn had her first real romance in Florence and almost lost her virginity there. However, that right of passage would take place a year later with a frat boy at Boston College.

Her time away at college and then graduate school did wonders for the young woman. She may have grown up in Sunnydale, but she became an adult in Massachusetts. Dawn matured into an intelligent woman. One who, thanks to the example of her sister, could take care of herself. She went back to Cleveland for all the holidays, session breaks and summers, but with each return she felt a little less attached and a bit less sad when she left. Dawn didn't assume that she'd never go back to Cleveland. It being on a hellmouth, she knew her knowledge would be very beneficial. However, she had seen a few parts of the U.S.A. and the world and knew that Cleveland was not the only place evil lurked.

By the time she entered graduate school, she knew, like the rest of the Scoobies, that her life would be at least partially devoted to the fight for Good. Having been away and having the chance to make the decision of her own free will made Dawn even surer of her choice. Because of this, Dawn was happy when she heard Willow and Kennedy were moving to Massachusetts. She would get to be close to family and assist in the fight against Evil.

One interesting attribute that Dawn developed during her years away at school was her ability to notice 'things' when it came to interpersonal contact. She liked to think that she picked up that skill from Xander, the guy who saw everything that happened with the Scoobies, or Tara who always knew when something was bothering a person. Dawn could sense tension or attraction by watching a person's body language and listening to the subtle changes in their tone or manner of speech.

By the time everyone got together in Cleveland for the holidays, Dawn had more than a suspicion that the strain of the new home combined with raising Samantha was starting to affect the couple. During that initial summer in Middleton, Dawn was happy to help her friends in any way she could. She was just glad to have them around. Other than the normal behavior expected by someone in a new place, Willow and Kennedy seemed the same as always. However, Dawn noticed that when she was able to see them after her classes started, there was a change. First, she felt that anxiousness just under the surface during their talks, that slight distracted pattern one uses when trying to think and do too many things at once. She also noticed how Willow and Kennedy had begun to make 'joking' quips about the other's tardiness or lack of concern. Dawn knew Willow and Kennedy loved each other; she just started to hear a bit of seriousness mixed in with the usual banter.

The one thing that didn't change about the couple's focus was their love for their daughter. The two women never talked to her about Sammi without complete awe in their voices. Dawn, too, was impressed with the mighty little Samantha Prescott Rosenberg. She had started to talk at an early age and definitely seemed ahead of her age curve. Of course, Dawn knew she might have been a "tad" biased in her assessment of the child.

For the Christmas holidays, the entire Massachusetts delegate went back to Cleveland for an extended stay. There had been a lull on the demon front and Kennedy saw enough progress in Marla to assure herself the curly haired, blonde slayer would be fine handling the time on her own. The brunette knew sooner or later, the woman would have to face the demons on her own. The older slayer decided that doing it during a "slow time" would be best for all concerned.

The visit to Ohio also included Dawn's boyfriend. Frank Hunter had decided to take part of his time off and meet Dawn's "family." The fact that he wasn't meeting a father and mother actually made the decision easier. Being scrutinized by friends and a sister had to be better than the probing eye of a defensive father looking out after his "little girl." Frank wasn't privy to the slayer information and didn't know that Buffy could be worse than any father put on the face of the planet.

Dawn was going to use her time with Buffy to discuss whether or not she should tell Frank about their 'secret.' Dawn knew she loved the man but wasn't sure if that was enough. She also knew that her boyfriend wanted to go into politics. Even to Dawn, the Scooby information and the spotlight of governmental service didn't seem to go well together. But she wasn't willing to give up on her relationship over it. She just kept it to herself and decided to talk to her "big sis" about it.

Everyone appeared to look favorably on Frank. Though he was a little too opinionated for Xander, there wasn't anything so annoying about the man as to cause alarm for him or Buffy. The blonde could tell her sister was in love, really in love, for the first time. Her boyfriend seemed enamored in return but Buffy had trouble saying he definitely was. The man was restrained in some ways. She put it down to the cautious nature often heard about in those with political aspirations. It also made her wonder if Frank was really being himself to them and Dawn. Ultimately, Buffy decided to be happy for her sister and not leery of the man in her life.

"I wanted to visit them…but we were so hectic here…lots of vamps out of the wood work…You'da thought we were giving away blood with all the bumpies that showed up." Buffy was responding to Dawn's perception of Willow's and Kennedy's 'vida loca.' The way Dawn sounded, it seemed like the couple was really struggling. Buffy felt a pang of guilt for not noticing it when she talked with Willow on the phone or when they visited at Thanksgiving.

"I don't mean that they're freaking our or at each other's throat…They just seem…a little…less…Willow and Kennedy-ish…They've always been so 'together'…now…not as much." Dawn was having problems putting her instinct into words.

"Well, maybe it's because they've been together for a while. I mean, you really haven't been around them a lot the last few years…Besides, they have Sammi now. That must make them exhausted…I know when I visit Xan and Jess, just watching Nate runaround makes me tired. Life's really changed for them and it must be the same for Wils and Kenn."

"Do they have any friends out there?" Buffy wondered if either had met people that could help them distract their attention from the rut of daily life.

"Well, Kennedy's getting to know Marla…But from what I've heard, the girl is too young and too immature to really have anything in common with Kenn except for the slaying…Besides that, none that I know of for her."

"That's too bad." Buffy knew the lonely life possible for slayers. Their 'gift' wasn't one that could be shared with just anyone. The hours they kept; the sometimes sudden departures and unexplainable injuries did nothing to foster a friendship. Buffy knew she was lucky to have had Xander and Willow as friends from her start in Sunnydale. Being able to talk to them meant the world to her. Buffy also knew that Kennedy wasn't one to easily make close friends; she still had a habit of being closed off to people. "I know she calls Faith but that's not the same…Faith's gone out there a couple times, right?"

"Yeah…She came once by herself and once with Miguel…I know they all had a great time at both visits because Kennedy couldn't stop talking about it."

The blonde stayed silent for a while. "What about Willow?…Has she met any witchy or school people?" Buffy wondered more about her dear friend's involvement. Kennedy was wired to keep people at a distance; Willow was not. The redhead had always had the Summers girls and Xander. There was Giles and either Oz or Tara. Willow was most comfortable when she was in a group.

"Actually, I think Willow has met some people…I know she's been dealing with a bunch of witches who have different kinds of issues…like a spell or control problems…Some just call her about history and stuff…She's mentioned a few a lot and I think she's gone to a couple meetings…She sounds kinduv excited about that."

Buffy smiled. "Those witches there probably finally figured out who she was and knew it was a good thing to make nice with her…Is she heading a group or something?" The slayer was happy to see that her friend was getting out and making new friends.

"No…I believe she said it was more like a bunch of them get together just to talk about witchcraft…like the witch's version of a quilting club…Ask her to find out the rest."

Buffy did just that. Willow told her that through her contacts with the area covens, she'd gotten to know numerous witches and two in particular, Terri Pallouda and Camilia Lee Horn. Terri was head of the Breley Coven, not far from Middleton, and Camilia was a free lance witch who lived just over the Rhode Island border in East Providence. The blonde heard the rise in the tone of the witch's voice, the excited Willow babble as she talked more about the meetings and the many witches she'd met. Willow was almost giddy. It reminded Buffy of how the redhead acted when she was allowed to teach high school classes after Jenny Calendar died. Willow now had that same sparkle in her eye and smile on her face. The slayer was glad to see her friend had found something that made her feel at home in her new State.

As always, the visit ended too soon. Everyone marveled at how much Samantha had grown and commented time and time again how they missed her beautiful smile. To make matters even more difficult to leave, Jessie went into labor the day after Christmas and at 11:17pm on December 26^th, Joseph Rupert Harris was born. That event pulled at the couple's heart. It made them once again realize how much they had given up. They knew they would follow Joe's and Nate's progress through phone calls, pictures and the occasional visit. The same would be true of the other Scoobies for Sammi. At that moment, Cleveland was looking pretty good again.

When they finally left for Massachusetts, Dawn included, Kennedy could tell her girl was feeling blue. Leaving for the slayer was hard, but not as hard as for the witch. These people were the brunette's friends, and family in many ways, but Kennedy always liked the adventure. The new environment and new experiences kept the blood rushing through her veins. She had spent much of her life independent which allowed her greater ease to take in a place and then leave. Kennedy learned early on that people came in and out of her life. It happened regardless of whether she wanted it as such. However, as much as she knew she missed everyone in Cleveland, Kennedy down deep knew they belonged in Massachusetts. It felt right to her.

The slayer understood that Willow was of a more delicate character when it came to attachments. The witch didn't close herself off; she cared and loved with all she had. Her compassion was what made it so hard for her to break the apron strings to her Scoobies. Willow hated saying good bye because she felt like she'd never see those individuals again. She was a softy and she knew it.

Seeing her girl sitting in her seat staring aimlessly out the airplane window, Kennedy promised herself that when they returned home she would try to make things better for the redhead. Kennedy, too, knew that Willow had found a new drive when she became involved with the area covens. She saw that same look that the witch had during her time with the coven in Brazil. Kennedy decided she would give Willow the time to become more active, to feel more connected with her fellow followers of the 'craft.'

As their plane's wheels lifted off the tarmac taking them eastward home, the brunette had only good hopes for the future.

The mighty oak tree does not succumb to the winter storm because of the fierceness of the wind or snow. The weakness of the sturdy timber starts in its roots, long before the first cold breeze signaling disaster. Over time, the tree's anchoring toes under the soil surrender to the outside forces attacking it, making it weaker and weaker. From on top the earth, the oak appears no different, its trunk and limbs seemingly impervious to the elements. But the destruction of its core, its life gripping essence makes it but a matter of time before the smallest of winds reigns supreme over it.

The same is true for love. Long before heated arguments, stinging words and broken promises, there are the many little things that begin to scratch and gnaw at the bonds of togetherness. For many, it's not a monumental event, such as a betrayal with another or the spent fist. For most, the end begins with unknowing neglect, rationalized time apart and miscommunication. Once those elements take root, other influences are able to infiltrate. Matters that before would never have had a chance to attract attention from a partner now are able to make an impact. Even the strongest of loves must stay the ever vigilant watchdog to the signs of weakening roots.

"If you're gonna be late can you give me a call?" Willow heard a slight tone of resentment in Kennedy's question. The witch shook her head slightly.

"If you don't want me to go, I won't…just say so." Willow didn't try to hide her just as agitated mood in her response.

Kennedy walked into the living room with Samantha in her arms. "I didn't say I didn't want you to go…I just need to know when you're late so I can call Marla and make sure she doesn't start patrolling without me…You know that." Kennedy could tell Willow was trying to make her feel bad.

"Geez, I was late one time…besides it's not like you have to punch in a time card…You're slayers going after demons for Pete's sake." Willow thought Kennedy was being too overly reactive to the present situation.

"That's right…demons…and if we miss getting them because we show up fifteen minutes too late, then a lot of innocent people die…I guess you're right, that's no biggie." Kennedy didn't like her 'job' being thought of as some freelance gig where there were no rules or consequences.

Willow didn't appreciate the sarcastic remark. "That's not what I meant and you know it…Listen, let me get outta here…the sooner I go, the sooner I'll be back."

The two women stood silently for a few moments getting their respective moods in check. They hated it when they got angry at each other. Willow took a few deep breaths and then walked the few steps over to Kennedy.

"I promise I'll be back by nine and if something does happen, I will call you right away…Ok?" The witch was trying to make peace.

Kennedy let the tension leave her and she smiled. "Ok, Will," she said softly. The slayer leaned in and gave her redhead a kiss. "Have a good time and say hi to everyone for me." Then lifting Sammi up, "Sam, say bye to Mommy." The child squeaked out "Bye-bye, Mommy." The witch was also smiling now. "Good bye to you too, niblet." Looking back at Kennedy, "Bye, baby." Willow then left out the door.

As she drove to Askonnet for her monthly witch meeting at the Clearing Place, Willow started to wonder why Kennedy was having such a problem with her going out. The slayer had been the one to push her into getting more involved with the area covens. When they came back from their holiday visit in Cleveland, Kennedy had been so supportive of the redhead becoming more involved with the women she'd met in the prior months that had a 'slant' to the craft. Now, only five months later, the slayer was acting like the witch's activities were nothing but a strain and nuisance to her. Willow couldn't get over how much Kennedy's attitude had changed from the beginning of the year.

It was the night after their return and Kennedy was talking to Willow in bed, after Samantha had been put down for the night. "Really, Willow…you should call Terri back and tell her you'll go…What's the worse that'll happen?…You have a boring night…But who knows, maybe they'll be the real deal."

The "Terri" Kennedy was referring to was Terri Pallouda, the head witch of the Breley coven not too far from where they lived. Willow had talked to the woman several times on the phone and met her once. Before Halloween, the redhead had received a call from the woman asking if Willow could help a friend of hers with a 'control' issue. The friend was in West Virginia but Willow was able to email and phone the woman. It took some time but the witch was able to solve the problem. After that, Terri called to thank the redhead for her help. They talked about witchcraft for some time. That call led to another call which led to Willow inviting Terri over for coffee.

Willow instantly liked the woman. She found out Terri got her name from another witch friend in New York. Pallouda was the first person in the immediate area Willow met that was actually a witch, a real experienced witch, not some new age, "love the mother earth" feminist witch-wanna-be. Willow had been dealing with other witches since her move to Middleton, but many were by phone or visits or just too far away to even consider starting a friendship. She hadn't had enough contact with any one to consider them a friend. The redhead had been so busy moving in, taking care of Sammi and then dealing with her mentoring that she hadn't had time for personal friendships. Besides, she had Kennedy who she considered her true 'best friend.'

But with Kennedy urging her to "go out and get with the witchiness", Willow did just that, and she was glad she did.

Terri Pallouda was what Willow described as a generous person. The woman was thirty-two, tall at 5'10', and curvy. She had long, straight brown hair and penetrating light brown eyes that needed glasses. It didn't take long for Willow to figure out Terri was the type of person who worried about people. She was compassionate and giving; she'd give the shirt off her back if she thought it would aid a problem. The woman was known for taking in stray animals and people. An added bonus was that the woman was very funny. The topper was her knowledge of witchcraft. Terri Pallouda was a follower of the ways of Traditional witchcraft. She led a coven of the same.

After that first cup of coffee, Terri invited Willow to join her at a monthly witch gathering. Willow at first hesitated. Though she could tell Terri was a true witch, the redhead was still cautious around her. In fact, Willow didn't tell Terri anything about Kennedy except that they were married. She made no mention of slayers, the Slayer Network or Watcher's Council. It was one thing to be a witch, and quite another to be cognizant of the entire network of evil fighters that existed around the U.S. and the world.

After the holidays were over, Kennedy prodded her girl to go to the meeting and Willow did. It was an eye opener. The meeting was held at an old meeting house in Askonnet, Massachusetts. It brought in many more people than the witch expected. What she noticed right away, even before she was told by Terri, was that the women that attended ran the gambit of witchiness. It wasn't just a place to meet and mingle for covens. There were well seasoned witches, such as Willow and Terri, side by side with novices. There even a couple of women more captivated by the history and perception of witchcraft than the actual reality of the thing.

That meeting, and the ones that followed, was a mixture of social gathering, political activism and witchcraft discussion. Of course, the main focus was on witchcraft. However, there were discussions on other topics, from women's rights to the state of tolerance in the country. They talked and laughed about potions and spells to sex and the state of prime time television programming. Willow enjoyed the varied and mostly well reasoned and insightful conversations. She especially got engrossed in the conversations concerning the fate and role of magick and witchcraft in the daily life of American society. The redhead was amazed at the varied and sometimes adamantly held views on the subject matter. Though the discussions never degraded into fisticuffs, there were a few times when voices and tempers got louder and hotter than normal.

Right from the beginning, Willow also noticed that the experienced witches held their identity close. None went about flaunting their powers. It seemed information about members was only given to others when it was assured that it could be handled by the receiver. None of the non-coven members in the 'club' knew the whole truth about Pallouda and other members. Even though they were practicing to become witches, the full knowledge held by those of the craft was kept close. Willow thought it strange that Terri would let people of such limited knowledge into the meetings in the first place. "How do we expect people to accept witches unless they're around them?" To Terri, the best way to make society see that witches were like everyone else was to get them to be your friends. "If you get to know a person and then find out she's a witch, it's harder to believe all that nonsense about us being all evil." Those few 'candidates' would be shown the true potential of magick when they were mentally prepared to accept the message.

The more Willow got to know Terri and the coven women, the more meetings she went to and saw the interaction with others, the more Willow realized how strong a leader Terri was. She had a pleasant personality and was very good at bringing people together for a common cause. "We need society to see that women and witches are vital and just as important in society as men and money." The woman brought her natured-centered life philosophy to her leadership. To Pallouda, everyone was just as important as the next. Willow found out that Terri's strive for greater respect for women of all walks of life came from her own history.

Terri Pallouda had been married for eight years. She put off college so that her husband could go and become a doctor. When he finally finished, Terri went and obtained her degree as a Licensed Practitioning Nurse. That was still her profession when Willow met the woman. Terri's husband never got to see his wife strike out on her new career, because three days after she graduated, the man left her for his best friend's wife. Terri was devastated. She'd trusted the man with all her heart; she thought they'd be together forever. The divorce settlement made Terri see the inequities towards women in society. Her only saving grace was that she hadn't had children with the man. Although, sometimes, Terri did wish she had just so that she could say she'd gotten something good out of the relationship.

That the brown headed witch was bitter over her failed marriage was something unobservable from her demeanor by all but the closest of friends. Her sense of humor handled the betrayal with sarcastic remarks and well placed barbs. Instead of being outwardly bitter and scornful, Terri used her hard lesson to try to make the plight of other women better. That struggle included gaining better recognition for witches, of which she was lucky enough to be one.

Willow saw that strength in the woman. She was resilient, kind and caring. In a strange way, she reminded Willow of Tara.

There were many 'characters' besides Terri that Willow met during and because of the meetings and her contacts for mentoring. The personalities were as varied as snowflakes. There was Robin, the loud and brash Wiccan who bragged about her shrewdness as a consumer. Willow met Rhonda who never met a man she didn't like and didn't end up bedding. Paula was a young woman who was struggling with her sexual identity and had parents who were anything but sympathetic. Willow had several long talks with her. There were so many other women, some Willow enjoyed talking to and others the redhead politely endured.

When the women started on a topic, the meetings would often turn into a whirlwind of voices. The banter would volley back and forth, several trying to make a point at the same time. Willow liked watching the group and its dynamics. She scanned the women to see how each reacted and what they thought of the issue.

Not long after Willow became friends with Terri and started to go to the Clearing Place, Willow noticed another woman there. The woman hardly ever talked; she seemed desperately shy. Willow noticed how the woman would appear like she was going to put forth her opinion, only to cower back into herself. The third time Willow saw her at a meeting she introduced herself.

"You know Cam, with this bunch, if you wanna say something…you just gotta jump in with both feet." The girl smiled shyly.

After more conversation, Willow found out that the woman's name was Camilia Lee Horn. She was twenty-six with short black hair and pretty blue eyes. She dressed rather plainly. She was of average height and weight. It was painfully obvious to the redhead that Camilia was shy. The woman was quiet around strangers and reserved. Willow remembered telling Kennedy how the girl reminded her of herself in high school. "Oh, Kenn…She's so shy…I know how it feels to be like that." The girl didn't say much about her past or even her current status. The black haired witch had a propensity to sit and ponder the statements being said by others. One thing Willow noticed eventually was that when the woman did offer her view, it was usually very insightful. She was another one of the meeting women that Willow took an instant liking to.

Over time, Willow became better friends with many of the coven women and those from the meetings. But her friendships with Terri and Camilia grew the fastest. She invited them over to meet Kennedy and Samantha. In kind, Terri had Willow and her family over for dinner also. Camilia wasn't as comfortable entertaining which didn't bother the redhead. The girl did, however, offer to baby sit to give Willow and Kennedy some time alone.

Though there were some women who had issues with Willow's and Kennedy's relationship, Pallouda and Horn weren't in that group. They never gave any indication that they thought differently of the couple. Besides Terri, Camilia also knew of the redhead's status as a witch. It didn't take long for Willow to realize that Camilia was also one. The redhead got a vibe off her. The blue eyed woman didn't deny it when asked but, like Willow, preferred it be kept to themselves. The woman purposely lived in East Providence, Rhode Island, a city big enough that she could stay anonymous. Camilia liked her quiet life of being a bank teller from 9 to 5 and a 'below the radar' witch the rest of the time.

One thing that Willow was grateful that she could share with them was the fact that Kennedy was a slayer. In fact, Terri was the first to make mention of slayers. At one meeting, she and Willow were talking and the older woman asked the redhead if she was involved in the coven that was affiliated with the Watcher's Council in Boston. Despite being modest, there were times when Willow did get surprised that she wasn't known. If Pallouda knew about the Council, Willow thought she would have also heard about her. After telling Terri that she wasn't affiliated but was involved with the Council in Cleveland, the brown haired witch looked appeased but then got a stunned look.

"Were you originally from Sunnydale?" When Willow answered yes, Terri almost choked on her drink. "You're THAT Willow?" The redhead was surprised that the woman knew more than one person named Willow. "You did that spell…my god, I thought that was just a made up story." It seemed that Terri had heard some gossip through the grapevine about a witch that created hundreds of slayers.

"You know about slayers?" Willow was curious as to how much Terri knew of the Network and slayers in general. The witch told Willow that, although she was average in most of her witch proclivities, she did have one talent; she had visions sometimes. They didn't come very often but when they did, the events seen always came true. The 'gift' was one aspect of her life that Terri kept to herself. However, one day she was contacted by a gentleman who said he was part of the Watcher's Council. "He told me a little about what they did. He contacted me because the Council thought I might be able to help with a 'presence' terrorizing the area." Terri went on to tell Willow that the "thing" had seriously wounded the visionaire in the coven connected to them. Time was of the essence and the Council thought Terri, with help from the other coven members, might be able to "whip up a vision…Because of that I learned a few things about the Council, including meeting a slayer." Terri continued to tell Willow that the slayer told her about a witch from Sunnydale who made all the potentials in the world slayers.

"I can't believe that's you." Terri seemed truly stunned to Willow. "Do you know many slayers?…Have you met the ones you…made into slayers?"

The woman's interest flattered Willow. At that moment, the redhead knew she could tell her about Kennedy. "Wel-l-l-l…Kennedy's actually a slayer." Willow saw the amazement in the woman's expression. Willow then continued to tell Terri more about her and Kennedy and the brunette's slayer position in the area.

Camilia's discovery of Kennedy's true calling came about a little different. She was at the couple's home and went to go to the bathroom. When done, she turned the wrong way out of the bathroom and ended up in the couple's study room. It was where Kennedy and Willow kept their information on the slayer's latest search for evil and other documentation. It was also where Kennedy had a few weapons, a crossbow and several spikes, stored for the upcoming evening's patrol. Horn was about to leave the room when Willow walked up behind her.

Camilia looked very embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Willow…I went left instead of right…I didn't mean to come in here…I wasn't snooping…I promise." Willow could see how nervous the poor girl was.

"Don't worry…I'm kinda glad you stumbled on this…I've got something to tell you." There was something about the meek girl that made Willow instantly trust her. The redhead then told the younger witch what she and Kennedy did part of the time. She let the woman know about Kennedy and Marla and their slayer positions.

"Wow…I'd never heard about slayers…I thought witches were hard enough for people to accept as being real…but a slayer?…I can see why you don't let a lot of people know."

In the end, Willow was glad she was able to share that part of her life with her new friends. Keeping the 'secret' was one of the hardest things to do. It made being able to make friends almost impossible. The redhead knew that was one of the reasons her and Kennedy had such a close knit group of friends. It was too dangerous to let just anyone privy to their amazing tale. It made the redheaded witch happy that her circle of friends got just a tad bigger.

As the months went by, Willow became more involved in the covens and the witch meetings. The redhead was making a wide and impressive network of friends and acquaintances. She was still gaining more knowledge of her craft and using her connections to assist Kennedy and Marla in their patrolling.

Kennedy's take on all of this was happiness at first but then reserved optimism. She loved seeing Willow smiling so much. Initially, there was no problem with juggling their duties. Willow even took Samantha with her a few times. Kennedy met many of the women her girl talked about. She'd even stopped by at a meeting. The slayer saw that shine in Willow's eyes, the same one that was there when they were in Brazil. Willow had found kindred spirits, women who shared her craft's ancestry and her passion for the trade. The brunette knew that the redhead needed that stimulation. That yearning to learn and gain knowledge was always in the front of the witch's mind. Her activities with the new group of witches gave her that outlet. For that, Kennedy was appreciative.

However, as the months passed, Willow's involvement was more than just a monthly meeting. Besides her regular tutoring and the mentoring she did, Willow was often meeting with some of the women for other craft issues, or just to be social. It's not that Kennedy expected Willow to never make friends or leave the house. But, she did notice Willow agreeing to help others even if that meant postponing something for her. Kennedy knew Willow had trouble saying no to anyone who asked for help. As time went on, she was requested more and Kennedy had to readjust so Willow could attend to others.

Many times, the slayer didn't mind. It meant more time with Samantha. Willow would always come home after her activities, all excited and proud that she had helped someone. The expression that Kennedy saw on the witch's face made it hard for her to criticize or question Willow's increasing involvement. Kennedy's 'Prescott' character took over and told her to "suck it up" and just deal. She had been the one who pushed Willow to this, so she told herself she had no place to complain.

Of course, Kennedy's method of handling the situation wasn't a success. The slayer held in her disapproval. What took the place of communication of her concern was the half meant sarcastic remarks to Willow. When Willow started being late, Kennedy became angry. The brunette began to insist that Willow take Samantha so that she could train or patrol as needed. She complained when the witch came home later than expected. The slayer began to think that Willow was more concerned with being on time for others than for her. She started to resent having her patrol time dictated by others even though she knew, deep down, there was no set time that she and Marla patrolled.

The slaying wasn't the only thing that started to bother Kennedy. She noticed that Willow began to talk a lot about Terri and Camilia. The redhead was constantly noting how smart they were, how proficient they were with their powers. The slayer met the two women, separately and together, on several occasions. They seemed nice enough. Although Kennedy did think that Terri tried a bit too hard to care. The brunette wondered if it was possible for someone to really be that nice and sweet. She also wondered why Terri seemed to pay extra attention to Willow. Camilia didn't cause the same emotion. The woman was shy and Kennedy didn't get the feeling she was trying to get everyone to like her. Although, the slayer did get another inkling off the girl.

Willow was surprised at the manner it was asked. "How should I know?…I've never asked her." That was true. Willow never questioned people about their private matters. It wouldn't have made a difference to her anyway. She didn't think it was right for people to probe into such things; she certainly wouldn't.

"I'm just getting something off her…Does she ever talk about boyfriends…or girlfriends?"

"Oh, please…don't tell me it's your lesbidar again?" Willow started to chuckle.

Kennedy shook her head. "How many times do I have to tell you it's 'gaydar'?…And yes, my feelers are picking up on something."

Willow got slightly mad at Kennedy's line of questioning. She didn't know where the girl was going with it. "No, she's never mentioned either…but Cam's pretty private…Why? If she was, you have someone in mind?"

"Well, there are a couple of slayers in the Boston facility that might be interested."

The issue of their gayness and having friends who were also gay was something the women talked about on occasion. They knew that their life of fighting Evil meant that they would have few friendships to begin with; their being gay kept the number down further. As they found out, the percentage of lesbians in both the slayer and witch populations was about the same as in everyday society. It turned out that neither slayers nor witches had a predisposition to be gay. That meant when Willow or Kennedy 'stumbled' upon one, their interest was perked for no other reason than they had found another who shared their 'view.'

This general state of attention was what Kennedy told herself brought about her questioning about Horn. However, the slayer wasn't being as truthful to herself as she could have been. Deep down, there was a tiny nagging feeling in her mind. Willow was talking so much about a woman that Kennedy thought might be gay. The slayer had seen the black haired witch and knew she had an attractive quality about her. And she was smart. Willow liked people who were smart. As much as Kennedy didn't want to admit it, there was a part of her that was jealous, of Camilia and Terri. Even though she knew Willow loved her and that she loved their daughter and their life, the idea still sprinted into her head every once in a while. She felt bad as soon as it happened. But then that tiny voice would tell her that Willow had been much less experienced than her when they met. The witch had had only one girlfriend. Kennedy wondered if Willow was getting involved with something that could turn into a flirtation.

Kennedy would have those fleeting thoughts and then the redhead would look at her with those beautiful emerald eyes and Kennedy would know that she was thinking like a fool. That smile and her wife's soft words of love would tell her that she had nothing to fear. Even though their life wasn't as carefree and smooth running as before, Kennedy told herself they were fine and that she didn't need to talk to Willow about it.

Kennedy was having enough of dealing with her own issues, those being Marla and the newest 'bad' in the area. Some heavy energy had come to town and Kennedy was having trouble getting a handle on it.

From Kennedy's first meeting with Marla Bradshaw through the end of that first year in Middleton, the brunette spent most of her slayer time keeping the blonde from getting herself killed. Kennedy divided her time amongst communicating with the Council in Boston about potential demon problems, training Marla and fighting the evil that they were able to uncover. Along the way, though Marla proved to be efficient during a fight, she was sloppy in her preparation and defiant of many of Kennedy's plans.

For the younger slayer, the brunette's directions were more of a guide than a definite operation to follow. The blonde improvised on many occasion, allowing her slayer instincts to drive her through a fight rather than the cohesive plan set out by Kennedy. No matter how often the brunette tried to talk to the younger girl about it, Marla reacted with feigned acceptance. Even the few close calls she'd had didn't make her 'see the light.'

The result was that during those first six months, Kennedy had had more close calls than she should have. Marla's actions had put not only herself but the brunette in danger as well. Kennedy was hesitant to go to Cleveland over Christmas because of the cavalier attitude of the young slayer. It was only due to the relative inactivity of the demon world that she acquiesced. The time patrolling by herself made Bradshaw only more certain that her methods were fine. She had one run in with a vampire which she readily handled in a matter of a few minutes. Besides that incident, she basically spent the holidays with family and friends. Her strolls through the known demon spots were for the most part uneventful.

That lack of fighting actually made things harder for Kennedy. Where the younger slayer was inattentive before, she became, after the holidays, completely uncooperative. Marla had decided that she didn't need any "help" from Kennedy. Basically, she would wait for a phone call from Kennedy as to where and when to show up for patrolling. She didn't train with the brunette, instead spending her time in the mall with her friends or out with a new boyfriend on the nights when there were no patrols.

Kennedy didn't tell anyone in the Council about her "Marla" problems. She didn't want them to think she couldn't handle the position or the slayer. She kept her disappointment and concern inside believing that she could come up with a solution somehow.

The only person who was privy to some of the details was Willow. But even to her, Kennedy didn't give the whole story. The brunette saw how much happier Willow had been since she got involved with the coven women. She knew that Willow would worry or cut down on her witch activities in order to help Kennedy with the 'situation.' This was one problem Kennedy wanted to solve on her own.

Another aspect of the Marla situation was that the girl wasn't too keen on doing the leg work needed in order to identify and catch the bad guys. The blonde slayer loved to brawl it out with demons, but she didn't care for the "prep" work necessary to get to that point. As a result, Kennedy found herself often times staking out areas or interrogating people and demons alone. She asked for Willow's help when it came to research but knew that it wasn't feasible, with Samantha to take care of, for Willow to do more than that.

To complicate matters even worse, the Council had informed Kennedy that coven members from Boston had picked up on some new energy in the area. They were not able to identify the entity or even if it was demonic. All she was told was that there had been an alteration in the energy plane. Whether the change was a good or bad force was not known at the time.

So, while Willow was becoming more involved with her witch friends, Kennedy was being immersed in slayer activity. However, no matter how hectic things got, the brunette always made sure that Samantha was properly supervised. She juggled her regular slaying responsibilities, watching out for Marla, tracking down the newest bad and watching Sammi when Willow was busy. She kept the building pressure and frenzy to herself. She was a Prescott and the lead slayer in town; Kennedy never would have thought to handle it any other way.

When she started to notice Willow's increased activity with Terri and Camilia, Kennedy had one more thing to occupy her mind. Though she didn't believe there was anything more than her redhead just being excited about new friends, the mere fact of it was enough. That's when Kennedy's resentment started. She felt like she was giving one hundred and ten percent to everything and everyone and not being fully appreciated in return. Of course, the woman never mentioned how she felt to Willow nor anyone else. Instead of talking it over with Willow, Kennedy became edgy and sarcastic.

One evening, the woman hit overload. Marla had once again been a no show for some reconnaissance for the new 'energy' floating around town. The brunette finished talking to a warlock and a Krief demon about their knowledge of the new 'villian' in the area. After she was done, which meant after she'd beaten their heads into a pool table because of their tight lip attitude, Kennedy decided to go directly home. She'd had enough of the pressure of her 'job' and just wanted to be a normal person for a few hours. Since she knew Sammi would already be in bed, she wanted to spend some quality time with Willow. Actually, the brunette was in the mood to ravage her witch. Things had become so hectic over time that the couple found little time to be 'alone.'

As she drove to Middleton, Kennedy thought about getting home as soon as possible. But then something inside told her to reconsider. A feeling told her that she was once again rushing back to make sure she gave Willow time. A little tone whispered to her that 'she' needed time to decompress, to unwind before going home to her wife. The desire to be with her redhead was overpowered by a pull to take some time for herself.

Because of that, Kennedy didn't go straight home. She went to a nearby tavern, known to be visited by locals and demons, unbeknownst to the locals. It was 11pm and the bar was busy. As she walked in, the slayer scanned the room. It was full of mostly men drinking beer, playing pool and watching highlights of the Red Sox game. Her slayer hearing caught the noise of a door opening. She quickly scanned the area and saw someone leave by the back door. The slayer didn't get a good view of the person who left.

Deciding that there was no reason to be alarmed, the slayer went to an open stool at the bar.

As the bartender walked over to her, Kennedy looked at him and ordered "Jack…straight up." This was no time for anything other than a real drink.

The liquor was delivered and the brunette downed it in one tilt of the glass. She wiggled the empty glass in the direction of the bartender. "Another," she said plainly.

"Tough night?" The voice came unexpectedly from the man beside her. He really didn't even look at her when he said it.

Kennedy glanced at the man. He had long, black hair pulled back in a ponytail. He wore a green t-shirt and blue jeans. There was a beaded necklace around his neck and a leather wristband with a shell entwined in the strap. Even with the glance, Kennedy could tell the man was Native American.

"Watch out for the cops when you leave. They wait down the street to pull over any car that even looks like it's swerving." The man still didn't look at the brunette.

By that time, Kennedy's second drink was served and it met its demise much like the first. The slayer went to say thank you but hesitated. Her slayer senses told her the man was just no average Joe. She didn't get a demon vibe off of him, just something that told her he was different from all the other patrons in the bar.

Instead, the need to get home to Willow returned. She shook her head slightly, wondering why she stopped in the first place. The brunette paid her tab, got off the stool and headed for the door.

Just as she was walking out, Kennedy turned around to look at the man who had talked to her. This time, he was staring right at her. Their eyes met for a moment. In that second, Kennedy felt pain and resentment. Just as quickly, the feeling was gone. Kennedy turned back around and left the tavern. All that was on her mind was getting home to Willow and Samantha.

'That's her,' George Rousseau, better known as Sasomet, said to himself just as Kennedy walked out the door. He knew the meeting wasn't fortuitous; it had been planned for hours, for weeks really. Because of a "Seer" he hardly knew, Sasomet had come eye to eye with the living legacy of the torture and injustice done to his Tribe and family.

Just after the New Year, Sasomet was repairing the wooden siding on one of the elders' houses on the reservation. It was a particularly blustery, cold day and the carpenter wanted to finish and get inside his truck where it was warm. He worked, squatting down to fix a section at the bottom of the exterior. Suddenly, he got the feeling he was being watched. Sasomet turned his head and caught the partial form of a person in the corner of his eye. He stopped and quickly stood up, twisting around as he did.

There standing in front of him was a person. The individual was smaller than he and was wearing black pants, black sneakers and a large coat with a big hood that covered the person's head and hid the face. Hands were tucked in the coat pockets. All he could see was the person's breath as it hit the cold air. Upon first view, the Native couldn't tell if he was looking at a man or woman. That changed as soon as the person spoke.

"Are you Sasomet?" The voice was high and gentle and could only have come from a woman.

The man didn't answer right away. A strange feeling went through him. He stared at the form before him. As part of his heritage, Sasomet was a true believer and follower of the transcendental world. He believed in spirits, shamans, and the powers of good and evil. He knew that there were specters and energy forces running rampant on earth. As he scanned the woman in front of him, the man used his teachings and inner senses to determine if the figure before him was mortal or of the phantom variety. They told him that before him was a being but not of the purely mortal kind. There was another awareness he got tingling down his spine. This woman had connection to power from beyond.

Though the feeling he got was that the woman before him was 'enhanced', Sasomet didn't have a reaction of dread or fear. The person staring at him meant no harm. Because of this trust in his intuition, the man responded.

The hooded figure nodded. Sasomet couldn't see the smile on the woman's face. She was relieved that the man had realized she was no 'regular' woman. She instantly knew her mission would be easier and decided the direct approach would work best.

"I am someone who knows of your struggles against those that stole your legacy. Your energy, your hatred, for the white man is strong…It crosses many dimensions…It called me to you." The woman raised her head slightly and Sasomet could just make out the outline of a chin and mouth.

The man treaded lightly with the answer from the unknown woman. He was too familiar with the tricks of the authorities and wasn't completely satisfied that the woman wasn't merely part of a ploy by the FBI to gain 'dirt' on him. The Native kept staring at the woman, refusing to acknowledge her statement.

The woman, seeing the hesitancy in the man's face, continued. "I'm not from the Government…What you have to worry from me is not who I am but whether I will see fit to tell you my vision."

Sasomet couldn't help but think the woman had read his mind. He also got this need to know what the woman held inside. Again, he trusted his instincts and finally replied.

The woman inched her head farther up. The man could now see cheekbones and a nose.

"I know that you seek out the kin of the devils that murdered your family; the blood of the beast that killed the great warrior Philip, Metacomet…" The words were said with the same disdain that Sasomet carried in his heart. He stood up straighter with the statement and concentrated on the woman's speech. "What if I told you a descendant of the butcher himself was near."

Sasomet's expression went blank and his muscles tightened. "Benjamin Church?…A relative of Church…here?" His voice sounded stunned and elated at the same time.

"Where?…Who?…How do you know this?" Sasomet had trouble believing the statement at first. He had made an exhaustive search for the descendants of the scoundrel Church. His results always led him to several people in England. As far as he knew, there was no living kin of the Englishman in America.

However, something in the man made him want to believe the woman. It was like a voice screaming to him that good fortune had landed on his doorstep. The woman didn't have to prove her credentials; Sasomet felt that she was real. His instincts were telling him that his quest had been wrong and this mere woman had the truth.

The woman saw the Native's hesitancy. She slowly took a few steps forward and placed a hand on the man's arm. With that touch, Sasomet saw a flutter of activity before his eyes. It was as if he were watching a movie in fast forward. The initial scenes were of a man from centuries ago, Benjamin Church, on a ship returning to England. Then the flashes of pictures were of that same man, older and of a gentlemanly position in London society. Fast forward even more to the still older Church in a brothel, having hard, 'improper' sex with a lady of the evening. Sasomet then saw images of the whore's bastard child to the great military leader being born and growing up. The views came with blistering speed of future generations of that bloodline and the emergence of the descendants into respectable society and then the wealthy upper class. The last scenes were of a wealthy American banker in the late 1800's marrying one of Church's unknown bastard heirs. The final image was of a brown haired, brown eyed baby in New York in 1982, the child's banker father and beautiful South American mother standing beside the crib.

The conjured film ended and the woman removed her grip on the man's arm. Sasomet stood there speechless. He had seen the lifeline of the descendant of his family's nemesis as if he'd lived through every event. In those moments of awakening, the Wampanoag knew the woman in front of him was handing him the truth.

With her words and touch, everything of importance left the man's head. He was being told a descendant to Benjamin Church, the brutal Captain in the English military sent over by the King to end Philip's war, was within his grasp. His sole concern now was finding out who the person was and where he lived so that he could plan his demise.

Though taking a life had never before been part of the man's vengeful retributions, he knew that was because he had never faced one from Church's line. He had made a pact with himself that if he ever found a relative of Benjamin Church in America, he would do to him what was done to his own family. An eye for an eye. It was the only Bible verse in which George Rousseau believed.

As if she had read the man's mind, the woman shook her head. "Not so fast my friend…I have shown you the blood line…You know my words are true…But this person is no mere mortal." The woman finally lifted her head up for full view of her face. She was wearing dark sunglasses and a scarf covering the top of her head and hair. She saw the bewildered look in the man's eyes. "Let me tell you of my vision and why I am here…" The woman took off her sunglasses and stared at the man.

Sasomet stood there and listened as the unknown woman told him of a life tortured with seeing visions, or more aptly put, of being bombarded with the internal demands of others and the corresponding scenes of the answers to those demands. "If the energy is strong enough, I can feel the desires of others…and if the problem has a solution, I can join the two." The woman went on to tell Sasomet that his need for retribution on the murderers of his ancestry was so strong that it filled her mind constantly. To try and rid herself of the anguished thoughts, her mind searched the dimensions for an answer to the hatred, but there was never a response. Then recently, the solution came, in the face of a woman. The minute it came to her, the 'seer' told the Wampanoag that she instantly knew the woman's face belonged to a distant relative of Philip's killer. "The power was too strong to ignore…I had to come to you…to tell you about her." The woman put her glasses back on.

After hearing the story, Sasomet was astounded. The woman's tale was too exacting not to be truthful. He got a sense off her that this was no test or charade. He was being told about someone for whom he'd been searching for years. The fact that the person was a female made no matter to him. No compassion was shown to the woman and children of his people.

"She is from the American blood line of Benjamin Church…passed down through an unknown illegitimate daughter Church had…across the Atlantic to New York…She is bred from money…She…" Sasomet cut the woman off; he had reached the end of his patience.

The woman saw the triumph in the man's face. "Do not count your success yet…bringing her down will be no easy task…She is a vampire slayer."

That remark left Sasomet questioning. Knowing the man was at a loss, the woman smiled. "Don't worry…Follow what I say and you will have your vengeance."

The woman then quickly told Sasomet about the slayer legacy and the fact that his particular target was one here in Middleton. She told him that they needed to take things slowly, to devise a plan to trap the slayer so that her demise would be sudden and unexpected. "There are too many that seek out the presence of new power to go wildly at this…The slayer has too many connections." The seer told the man of the slayer's witch and of the need to bring about the death of the slayer without causing revenge from the witch. "We must plan carefully so noone finds you out…Patience is the key."

The first step was for them to get information on the slayer's habits, whereabouts and life. The man was not to do any 'freelance' investigating on his own. Once she knew they had enough information, they would put in motion the plan to rid Kennedy Prescott from existence, thereby giving some justice to Sasomet and his people.

When they were done with the first meeting, the woman started to leave. When Sasomet asked for her name, the woman replied. "My name is unimportant…only what I know and what I can do is worth knowing." Sasomet was told not to try to find her. She would contact him when necessary.

Over the next several months, Sasomet sporadically received communications from the mystery woman. During that period, the Native was on edge, waiting for the next contact like a child waits for Christmas morning. When the seer did call, she would give him information about where the slayer was and what she did. He was told to trail Kennedy on several occasions. Those were the first times that the man actually saw the woman who was his target. He made sure never to been seen, but he was purposefully dedicated to his clandestine work and did the most he could to get a clean view of the brunette.

By the time of the incident in the tavern, Sasomet had seen Kennedy several times. He almost felt like he knew her somehow. He had seen her with another woman, he assumed the witch, and a child. He watched them go to the store and play in their front yard. He saw how average she seemed, and young. Yet, he had never actually looked at her face to face. Several hours before the tavern incident, the seer called and told the man to meet her at the bar which he did. She donned a sweater and a light canvass hat, but this time she wore no sunglasses. He thought the woman was attractive. Her eyes were striking. As strange as it seemed, he had trouble pinpointing an approximate age for the seer. It was almost as if his eyes couldn't get a proper view of the woman.

The woman told him that the slayer would come into the bar that night; she would see to it. "You will meet her…Sense her power…Know your enemy." He was specifically told not to make too much contact. "A simple comment will suffice…This meeting is the prelude of the plan…This meeting is but a first."

After a few moments, the seer suddenly got up. "She's here," the woman mumbled. She headed for the back of the bar. Sasomet knew he was about to come face to face with his torment. As the seer left, she stared into his eyes. "Remember…she must pay for the sins of the past." Then the seer spoke in his native language. He mulled over her battle cry…"No mercy. Noone is innocent." The woman was gone as Kennedy walked into the bar.

Willow waited up for Kennedy that night. She knew the brunette had been acting different lately. There was one part of Kennedy's character that Willow knew all too well. The brunette still, and probably always would, have trouble opening up completely to her. In differing degrees, the redhead saw the slayer take on problems on her own, not wanting to 'burden' the witch. No matter how much Willow tried to make the woman see that the behavior was detrimental, it would always return in some form.

The witch wondered what was occupying her slayer now. When she attempted to discuss it with her slayer, she would get a "nothing's wrong" answer. The brunette's self imposed condition was beginning to aggravate Willow. There were times when the redhead wondered why Kennedy couldn't open up. Willow contemplated whether the girl still had abandonment issues or ones of trust. Willow knew she could help Kennedy if only she would talk to her.

Having to worry about Kennedy wasn't the only thing filling the witch's time. She had begun to take on most of the responsibility for Sammi. Because of the "new bad" in town, Kennedy's slaying and Council work were taking huge blocks of time out of the brunette's days, and nights. Willow wondered why her girl didn't push more of the obligations onto Marla. She understood that the younger slayer was a handful, but thought Kennedy really needed to just buckle down and force the girl to pull her weight. She even thought Kennedy should call the Council if that's what it took.

The time spent with Samantha wasn't a chore to the witch. She loved her child and appreciated every minute she got to watch the girl grow and change. The tiny girl in her almost two years of life had gone through so many incredible changes. In the span of almost no time, it seemed, Sammi went from a tiny defenseless baby to a walking, talking and precocious little person. Her hair had gotten darker over time, but her eyes were still the same light brown hazel. She had Kennedy's curiosity but Willow's patience. The child would sit and play with a puzzle for hours. She wouldn't get frustrated if unable to piece it together. She would stare at the individual parts as if she was deciphering the code to put it together.

The baby girl had walked and starting talking ahead of schedule. She was already potty trained…at least for "pee pee." The mothers were working on getting her fully trained. Samantha was also a very affectionate child. She loved being with her mothers, being held and rocked. Kennedy was grateful that she seemed to get the "closeness" gene Willow had. Because of the nature of the child, Willow had no problems with dealing with her during Kennedy's absences.

It wasn't caring for their daughter that had Willow on edge at times with Kennedy. Even if she couldn't identify it as such, Willow was beginning to see the Prescott view of responsibility coming out in Kennedy. The witch noticed how Kennedy was away from home more doing her 'job' and how she defended her actions as being in the best interest for them and the world. Willow perceived a slight withdrawal by the slayer. Willow knew Kennedy loved her and Samantha. It wasn't that she was afraid of Kennedy leaving them. It was just that Willow felt like she was slipping ever so slightly from the strong bond they had. The problem was that the redhead was having trouble coming up with a solution. There were times when she began to resent that fact that she had to it at all. They had been together long enough for Kennedy to know that she could tell Willow anything. It made the witch feel bad sometimes that the slayer, for some reason, still felt like she couldn't.

It was because of those feelings that Willow knew she got involved with the area covens as much as she did. Those women knew how to talk and they were truly grateful to have Willow there. The redhead always felt good after the meetings. She liked being able to help those in need, to know that others trusted her enough to seek her out for assistance. Her acceptance was especially true from Terri and Camilia. They made her feel like she did when she was in Brazil. The camaraderie and respect she found helped during the times Kennedy seemed distant. She knew she had felt that with Kennedy and still did much of the time. It was those sporadic lonely moments that had Willow wondering.

Kennedy finally got home after her stop at the bar. Her car ride was spent wondering why she wasn't spending more time with her family. She decided that she would try harder. As she walked into the living room, she saw Willow lying on the couch, awake, reading a book. The witch was still the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen. A tinge of guilt crossed her mind for not being there more for the girl. Cascading her eyes down her redhead's form, the guilt was replaced with a feeling that had a location farther south on the slayer. Just looking at the woman could still start Kennedy's heart to pounding.

The slayer walked over to the couch as Willow put down her book. Before the witch had a chance to talk, the slayer picked her up in her arms and headed for the stairs. The redhead would have tried to talk if it hadn't been for the fact that Kennedy was kissing her fiercely.

The brunette didn't stop walking until they were in their bedroom, next to the bed. Kennedy slowly lowered the witch onto the middle of it and crawled up and straddled her witch on all fours. She gazed into emerald eyes. Willow saw the look of hunger in the slayer. It was a look she loved seeing on the slayer. Willow knew that Kennedy was in a feral mood and that sleep wasn't going to come for some time. The feelings of angst for not being able to get her slayer to open up were pushed out of the redhead's thoughts. In the years that she'd known Kennedy, Willow understood that sometimes the most she could do was to appease her slayer's physical desires. There were times when the closest she could expect to get with the girl was through the sharing of the flesh.

At times like these, the witch could do nothing but allow the slayer to indulge her appetite. Kennedy's desire swept Willow along. The slayer was on a journey of touches and sounds and tastes. And the witch was a willing passenger.

"Sorry I'm late, baby." It was said so seductively. Kennedy was already caressing the skin under Willow's shirt while nibbling on her neck.

Willow thought she heard a slight disheartened tone. "Trouble with Marla again?" she said between gasps from the sensation caused by the brunette's lips.

"Just a bad night…stopped for a drink…thought I wanted to let off some steam." Kennedy talked as she sat back on her legs and pulled the witch up, then taking off Willow's blouse and bra.

As Kennedy leaned in and took a nipple in her mouth, Willow huffed in sharply and ran her hands through the slayer's hair. Breathy, "Thought?"

Kennedy released her mouth and looked up at the witch. "Figured out drinking in a bar full of guys wasn't what I needed." Kennedy instantly went back to the other breast and started to tease the nipple with her tongue. Willow grabbed tighter onto the woman's hair.

Kennedy kissed her way up Willow's neck to her chin and then her lips. After a passionate kiss, the slayer broke so that they were but a heart beat's distance from each other.

With that declaration the slayer pushed the witch back down on the bed and began to kiss and caress her girl. The slayer's actions were urgent, her desire for the redhead bubbling over. At that moment, Kennedy couldn't understand why she didn't spend all her time making love to Willow.

Within minutes, all clothes were shed and the witch and slayer were once again the only two people in the world. They made love that night like it was new, like their lives weren't filled with crushing responsibilities. They were there for each other, both riding the wave to the shore. For those precious few hours, the world around them vanished.

"Willow?" Kennedy wasn't even sure the word passed her lips. The slayer wasn't sure anything in that moment was real other than the rain pelting down on her and the oppressive weight of dread she felt buckling her legs.

Standing there in the night storm, soaked to the bone, Kennedy couldn't believe the sight before her. Brown eyes focused on Willow's body lying on the cold wet ground.

In the ditch about ten feet away from her was her witch. She was lying on her back, eyes closed, head tilted to one side. One arm was over her head, the other out to her side and oddly turned. The redhead's legs were positioned normally as if resting, except for her right foot which was at an angle that could only be explained by a broken bone.

As soon as the slayer registered that it was Willow on the ground, she also noticed the blood. The crimson liquid was on the witch's face, her shirt and on her corduroy pants. It seemed as if the blood was everywhere. Even the rain falling on the woman didn't seem to wash it away.

In that second, the slayer glimpsed a speck of movement, a small turning of her witch's head. 'Did she move?…Is she ok?'

It was in that spot of time that the brunette realized Willow was terribly injured and that she was standing on the roadside glued to the view before her. Even though she'd only been staring for a few heart beats, to Kennedy it felt like hours. She pushed the surprise and horrible feelings from her mind and ran over to her wife.

Kennedy's entire focus was on Willow, on the battered body open to the elements. In the frenzied state of the slayer, she didn't take in any of her surroundings; all she saw was Willow, the blood and cascading rain. As she went to her witch, Kennedy didn't observe the hazy spotlighted glow of a headlight beam streaking the area just south of the witch. The slayer didn't hear the hissing steam from a broken radiator or the distinct smell of gasoline.

The brunette dropped to her knees beside the witch. The movement she was sure had happened was now gone, a possible mirage to her wanting heart. She frantically looked for a sign that her love was still alive. When she saw the faint rise and fall of the redhead's chest, Kennedy nervously let out a held breath. "She's alive." That one fact kept the slayer from losing her grip. She knew she needed to be clear of mind if she was going to do Willow any good.

The slayer then scanned her witch's body. She was at a loss as to what to do. Her heart told her to take the woman in her arms and hold her, tell her how stupid she was for acting like a jealous fool, how sorry she was for not finding out sooner what Willow had done for her. She wanted to tell her witch how much she loved her, would always love her and needed her to wake up.

But the slayer's mind told her that Willow needed something other than heartfelt thoughts. The redhead was barely hanging onto life; Kennedy needed to take action.

The slayer canvassed her lover's body again. She could see tiny lacerations all over Willow's forehead. There was a shine to them. The blood was trickling down into her eyes, across the bridge of her nose and to the side of her face. There was also a thin laceration across her right cheek which was already red and bruising. Kennedy could tell the left arm that was out to the redhead's side was either broken or dislocated. While she took in that view, Kennedy for the first time saw small pieces of glass on the witch's clothes and imbedded in the cuts on her face and the skin on her right arm.

Kennedy continued to take inventory on her wife. There was blood on the front of Willow's cream shirt and brown pants. Quickly, the slayer was able to determine that the blood was not from cuts on the woman's torso or legs. In the streaked patterns, Kennedy concluded they had to be from the cuts and lacerations on the woman's face and arms.

Just when the slayer was about to conclude that there didn't appear to be major external damage, she saw a tear in Willow's pants, on the side of her left thigh. It was a large tear and she could see the blood pumping out from the open wound. Quickly finishing her scan, Kennedy also deduced that Willow's right ankle had to be broken. However, it was that severe gash in the thigh that had her concerned. They brunette knew she had to try to stop the bleeding. She didn't want to go back to the car and search for supplies. Instead, she ripped a length off the bottom of her shirt and tied it high around the witch's leg. She was just able to get the cloth above the cut. She also pressed her knee into the wound, knowing that she'd need both hands free.

The slayer realized she could only see any injuries visible to her. If there was internal bleeding or damage, it was not observable. Looking at the redhead, Kennedy instantly felt that Willow's condition was much graver than anything she could fix on the spot. The girl needed medical attention, and she needed it immediately. Kennedy took her cell phone from her back pocket and, shaking noticeably, called 911. Her voice, when the call was answered, had the tone of a woman caught between panic and forced sanity.

The person on the other end of the line remained calm and tired to get more information. "Mame, please try to stay calm. We'll get someone out to you as soon as you tell me where you are and what happened."

Kennedy's mind could hardly concentrate on the woman talking to her. Brown eyes were locked on the redhead, waiting for any sign that the woman was regaining consciousness. She struggled to gather her thoughts. Her speech was just as sporadic.

"Ummm…I'm…I'm some…where on Clifton Road…in Westport…near…near the…Route 18 entrance ramp…"

Kennedy would have continued except for the fact that she saw Willow's eyelids flutter. Her heart almost jumped out of her chest.

"I think she's waking up…Please get here…hurry." Kennedy dropped her phone and bent over the witch, shielding the woman's face from the rain. She didn't want to waste time on the phone when she knew her witch needed to know the slayer was there. She didn't hear the voice on the line continuing to ask for her to get back on the line.

Kennedy leaned down so she was close to Willow. She fixated on her face, her eyes, waiting for them to move again. And they did. Eyelids fluttered then twitched. After several moments, they opened slightly.

Kennedy couldn't hold back. The slayer had to touch her girl. She raised one hand and lightly grazed it over the witch's left cheek. She wiped the drops of rain from her face.

"Baby?…wake up…please baby…please wake up." The words were filled with anxiousness, pleading and guilt.

Willow felt the presence of her slayer next to her long before that gentle hand ever grazed her cheek. She had heard the slayer say her name. Then the pain overtook her senses. The witch didn't know how long she remained dead to the conscious world. Slowly, however, the redhead began to feel the warmth of energy flowing beside her. Little by little, the sensation filled her and brought her back to the waking world. She fought through the pain and battled her lids to open. Willow knew the form she'd see upon their release.

The witch forced her eyes to open and when they did, she saw the blurred view of her slayer. She didn't need clear vision to know the slayer was above her, protecting her. The redhead could feel the strength from the girl. That one shadowed form was enough to let the redhead know that Kennedy was in fact alive; Willow's mission had succeeded even though she lay dying on the ground.

Knowing that her slayer was safe brought a strange calmness over the witch. In that flash of a second, Willow's pains felt somehow lightened. Green eyes opened fully and saw the brunette's kneeling body. Those same eyes followed its shifting head upward until they were looking at the face of her destiny. A slight, pained smile formed on the corner of the witch's mouth.

Kennedy fought back the flood of tears hiding just behind merciful chocolate eyes. She grazed the back of her hand again softly across the blood stained cheek.

Ever so compassionately, "Willow…baby, I'm here…don't move…An ambulance is on the way…you're gonna be ok, baby." Kennedy tried to sound as calm as possible despite the bleeding wounds and thin breathing coming from the redhead. She just kept stroking her lover's cheek.

The sound of Kennedy's voice eased Willow's aching mind. She had thought that she might have been too late to warn the brunette of her impending battle and the evil that had wormed its way into their life. Now she was sure her family would be safe. With that realization, Willow knew that her fate was worth the outcome. With the thought of her family, the witch immediately pictured Samantha.

Kennedy responded quickly and comfortingly. "She's safe, Will…Noone's gonna hurt her." The redhead blinked in relief.

"I'm s-so sorry…I j-just wanted…you and…Sa…Sammi safe." It was getting harder for the witch to speak.

Kennedy understood what the redhead meant. She knew that Willow had engaged their enemy in order to save her slayer and their child. But the brunette also knew much more of their adversary's plot than the witch. Kennedy knew that Willow's reason for her actions had been part of a fabrication for an even greater wrong to be done.

Still, the slayer couldn't grasp why Willow would have played a part at all in the seemingly all too real drama.

"Shhh, Will…I know what you did…for me…and Sammi…Please, don't talk…save your strength."

Willow started to feel the energy drain from her again. Her blurred vision returned. After all she'd been through and after all that had been done to her, the witch began to sense that her body and spirit had been tested too fiercely. Even a witch as powerful as she was still mortal, limited in how much damage could be thrown upon her body. The redhead wanted her girl to know why she took the action she did.

The slayer saw Willow struggling harder with her speech. She noticed the chopped breath fighting just to make it out of the woman's throat. It was then Kennedy realized she was losing her witch. 'She must have gone through so much.' The brunette hated to think of the pain and sacrifice the redhead had to have endured to make it to that spot on the ground in the harrowed condition in which the slayer found her. It was too much for the slayer.

With words filled with guilt, "Willow…why did you do it?…You shoulduv let things be…If I was supposed to die, then you should have let it be me…" The slayer saw Willow's eyes begin to close, her head to slowly tilt to the side. Kennedy got scared that her redhead was slipping away from her. The brunette huddled over Willow, putting her arms around the witch's neck. Kennedy lowered her face to the witch. Her words were pleading now.

"Willow…please don't leave me…You can't leave me…I love you…I need you…Sammi needs you…please hang on…please…ple-e-e-z-z-ze." By the time the slayer ended her begging appeal, she was in tears. Fingers clenched tighter onto her girl.

On the periphery of consciousness, Willow heard her wife. Through the fog overtaking her mind, the witch felt the crushing love from the woman. It was because of that love that Willow had acted as she did. It was due to the slayer's never ending stranglehold to her destiny that Willow knew she had to save the woman. It was because of who Kennedy was that Willow was willing to die.

"K-kenn…d-don't cry…You have to be strong…for me…for Sammi…I couldn't let you die…" Willow's words grew weaker and softer as each was uttered.

Finally, it became too difficult to talk. Willow's physical energy was depleted. The witch gazed at the blurring figure in front of her. She had still one declaration to make to her slayer. Willow did it the only way left to her.

The earnest sentiment floated from the witch's mind to her slayer's. It made the brunette cry even more.

The scene started to fade and Willow felt lightheaded. She tried to mindspeak but the ability had left. She closed her eyes. The feel of Kennedy's tears on her neck disappeared. The view in her mind began to swirl.

After that night when Kennedy stopped at the bar, the couple's life ran smoother. Though they hadn't had a "heart to heart" talk about the problems they'd been facing, there was an unspoken understanding that priorities had become askew. For a while, Willow and Kennedy spent more quality time together and with Samantha. Kennedy forced Marla to take on some additional slayer obligations and Willow actually declined helping several people looking for witchy assistance. For several weeks, the family spent the beginning of the Massachusetts' summer having picnics, going on bike rides and spending time at the beach.

That return to earlier times ended far too quickly. Neither woman even realized the slide back to the hectic and issue-filled ways of the recent past. It all came about because of the 'dark energy' that was still plaguing the waking thoughts of the slayer and witch.

"There's got to be a way to find out what this new energy is…It's got to be 'something.'" Willow was talking to Kennedy in their spare bedroom, the one they converted to Scooby Command Control. It was where Willow had her computer and books and Kennedy had all her Council information on pending and closed projects.

"Noone can put a finger on it…It's like it exists, but not really." Kennedy was so frustrated by her inability to get any type of lead on the newest bad posing danger to the world. The two women had been trying for months to gain some clue as to the identity of the demon that was at the root of their dilemma.

"Maybe we're looking at this the wrong way…Maybe it's not a demon at all…maybe it's a ghost or something less tangible than a demon." Willow was almost as aggravated as the brunette by their lack of answers.

"Well, I don't care what it is so long as we find it…Nothing's happened yet, but that could be because it's scoping out its victim…or waiting for others to join…All I know is I need to start getting some answers." That said, Kennedy got out of her chair and headed for the door. "I'm gonna go see Charlie again. Maybe he's heard something since the last time I saw him."

Kennedy left Willow home with Sam and went to see Charlie, the owner of a nearby outdoors sporting store. The man, unknown to all but a privileged few, was a snitch of sorts to the Watcher's Council. He had many connections to the demon world but had run afoul of the Council in earlier years in Los Angeles. The Council gained his allegiance by deciding not to turn him over to the authorities. They kept in contact with the man when he relocated to Providence, Rhode Island. Charlie was one of Kennedy's first contacts when she arrived in Middleton.

The slayer walked around the store after she was done talking to Charlie. He had no new information for her. It seemed that the darkness that was hanging around the area was very low profile. No demons had had any kind of meeting or run in with the thing. The dead end made Kennedy even more frustrated.

Before leaving, the slayer decided to let her heated condition deflate. The best way she found to take her mind off her slayer troubles was to browse through the weapons section of the store. Kennedy proceeded to the back of the place and perused the nice selection of crossbows. She was standing lost in her thoughts when someone slightly walked into her.

"Oh, excuse me, sorry," a voice said instantly. Kennedy recognized the voice and turned around. It was the man from the bar.

Sasomet stared for a few moments and then an expression of uncertainty crossed his face. "This sounds weird, but have we met before?"

"Kind of…a while back at the bar on Route 138…you told me to watch out for the cops." Kennedy noticed she didn't get the same vibe from him with this encounter.

Sasomet nodded. "That's right, I remember…You didn't get pulled over did you?"

There was an awkward silence then the man looked where Kennedy had been staring. "So, you're looking at crossbows?"

The brunette thought fast. "Well, I was watching tv the other day and saw a program about Gena Davis. She does it and said it was very therapeutic…I figured I'd at least check out what the things look like." The slayer didn't like the conversation on her so she quickly redirected it. "You here looking at them?"

The man shook his head. "Just the regular bows…I'm a traditionalist…hunting should only be done the old way…with a bow and arrow."

Kennedy smiled slightly and then decided it was time she left. "Well, it was nice bumping into you…Good luck with finding a bow." Sasomet said good bye and the slayer walked away.

After the slayer's car left the parking lot, a figure walked up behind the Native. "You played that well…You'll have her dedication very soon." The seer had a snide expression on her face with those words.

"Yes…soon." Sasomet's tone was not full of spite and resolve; it was reflective and wavering a bit. In the time he'd followed the slayer and the occasions he'd met her in person, the woman seemed to be a genuinely good person. He had expected to hate her no matter what she was like; he had wanted to. But the woman's demeanor and her presence made him feel, in some small part of his mind, a kindness to her. He saw how happy and proud she looked when he'd seen her with her family. This slight conflict was evident in his voice.

The woman noticed the man's hesitant tone. "Don't allow yourself to see her as she is…See her for what she stands for…for what she truly is…blood of the man who killed your family…your people."

Sasomet twitched his eyes open and closed a few times. He knew the seer was right. He couldn't see Kennedy Prescott as a woman; she was the enemy and needed to be destroyed.

The seer saw the resolve return to the man's face. "Remember…No…," the two said the remainder in unison, "…mercy. Noone is innocent."

Kennedy left the store and drove back home. Though she hadn't gained any information, she did seem lighter in spirit. 'Maybe it was just from having a normal conversation with a regular person.' Whatever the reason, Kennedy was thankful for the good mood. She and Willow spent a nice evening together at home before she went patrolling that night. They'd had a tasty dinner and then snuggled on the couch with Samantha before it was time for the slayer to leave. Kennedy told Willow of the man she'd met for the second time. There was no suspicion in the way she spoke of him; it was just a recounting of a chance meeting. The light mood of the couple from that evening, however, was soon ended.

Several days after that night, Willow had planned to go to Terri's to do some research on the unidentified 'energy.' She was going there because the older witch had some books on specters and spirits handed down from her grandmother that Willowed hadn't read before. Kennedy was supposed to stay home with Samantha. By 5:30pm, a half hour before Willow was to be at Terri's, the brunette still wasn't home. She'd gone out several hours earlier trying to track a warlock that was known to have "sensitivities" to the interdimensional planes. Kennedy had hoped the man could assist with her problem.

Kennedy knew that Willow had plans. However, she hadn't called regarding her lateness. When the redhead called the slayer's cell phone, she was sent to voicemail. Willow had even called Camilia just in the off chance that she might be available to babysit. The woman wasn't home. Finally, at quarter to six, Willow called Terri and told her that she had to call off their meeting because of Kennedy's failure to come home.

"Willow, why don't you come over anyway…Bring Samantha. She won't be a bother…I've got dinner almost done…It'll be fine."

The witch was touched by the generosity of the older woman. She heard a hint of disappointment in Terri's voice. "I wish I could, but Sammi's not feeling too well…I think she's getting a summer cold." Willow was sorry that she couldn't get together with Terri; she always enjoyed the woman's sense of humor.

There was a brief silence on the line and then the brown haired witch said, "Well then, looks like a house call is in order…I'll come to you…complete with dinner." Terri chuckled a little.

"Oh, Terri, I don't want you to go out of your way…" Willow really didn't want to impose on the woman.

"Nonsense…The food's done and it sounds like you could use some company…How about you give me an hour?"

Precisely one hour later, Pallouda knocked on the redhead's door. Kennedy hadn't returned yet but had called. The slayer was only on the line for a moment. She told Willow she was sorry for being late but she was still tracking down the warlock. Before the redhead could say anything, the brunette said she had to go, that Willow shouldn't worry because she wasn't in any danger and then she hung up. By the time Terri arrived, Willow was thankful for the woman's company.

They ate dinner which included some of Willow's favorite foods. "Geez, how did you know I liked roasted asparagus?" The attentive reply came, "You mentioned it once awhile back." Then Willow gave Samantha her bath and put her to bed. While she was busy with that, Terri had already started trying to find any passage in her books that might help Willow and Kennedy.

Once Samantha was down for the night, Willow joined Terri in the living room and the two researched for several hours. They read and talked. The redhead commented to Terri that she didn't have her glasses on. "Yeah, I go through phases when I wear contacts. Then I get sick of the cleaning and taking them in and out and go back to my glasses." Willow thought the woman looked just as attractive with as without spectacles.

Willow made coffee and they discussed the possible explanations for the unknown bad in town. They also found themselves talking about life in general. Willow tried to explain to Terri the way she and Kennedy worked together and how they were juggling their respective obligations. As she talked, it was evident that the redhead's tone was becoming slightly more agitated with the conflicts that been happening between her and Kennedy.

Terri listened as Willow vented. She let the younger witch talk as much as she wanted. She told Willow she knew what it was like to have a spouse with a demanding schedule.

As she talked, Willow thought to herself how easy it was to tell these things to the woman. Even though she was still somewhat a stranger, Willow found she could talk to Terri like she'd known her for years. She felt so comfortable around the woman. It was another time that the older witch reminded her of Tara. They were two people to whom Willow found it so effortless to talk. Something in her gut told Willow she should trust Terri. She did and let her pent up issues with Kennedy come out. Willow didn't bad mouth the slayer; she just let the woman know how frustrating her life had become.

"Willow, you're a sweet heart…and you bend over backwards to help people…I'm sure you're doing everything you can…My experience is that spouses are a royal pain in the ass." The woman laughed and Willow smiled. Then Terri's expression got serious. "Oh…I didn't mean to say anything bad about Kennedy…I'm sure she loves you…I just know how hard…"

Willow knew the woman was just trying to be supportive. "I know what you mean…Besides, sometimes she can be a pain in the butt." Both women laughed.

The research continued and at 10:30pm, Kennedy finally walked through the front door. She looked just like she did when she left all those hours earlier. As she came into the living room, the slayer heard laughing. She saw Terri and Willow sitting on the couch chuckling uncontrollably. They didn't notice she was there until she coughed.

Willow turned and looked at her slayer. The expression Kennedy saw was one of mixed relief, lightheartedness and anger. The first for the slayer's return uninjured, the second caused by her evening's guest and the latter from the late arrival of the brunette.

Kennedy was the first to speak. "I'm sorry I'm late…You wouldn't believe what I went through tonight."

Before Kennedy could continue, Willow interrupted. "Can we talk about it later, Kenn…Terri and I are almost finished with our researching." The words were firm.

Kennedy was surprised at the redhead's reaction. She knew she was late and that Willow would be upset, but the curtness of her words was stinging. The witch didn't even care to know what had happened or why the slayer was late. Willow didn't want any discussion at the moment. Kennedy decided that she would give Willow what she wanted…her retreat to another part of the house.

Flatly, "Umm…ok…I'm gonna go take a shower…Hi, Terri…I'll let you guys work." Kennedy walked out of the living room and up the stairs.

Willow looked back at Pallouda. She knew she'd been rude to Kennedy, but she was mad at her. There had been no real contact, only a brief call, and no mindspeak by the slayer during her entire time away. Then she just waltzed in and wanted Willow to accept things as being fine. This night, the redhead wasn't in the mood to be the one to give in.

The brief exchange was enough to let Terri know that it was time for her to leave. She got up and started to separate her books. "Well, it's late…I should go…I'll leave these books so you can finish looking through them."

Willow understood that their evening had been spoiled. The couple's issues had filtered into her friendship with Terri. The younger witch helped Terri gather her pans and dishes. As she walked her to the door, "Thanks again…You don't know how nice this was of you. It was a great dinner."

The two women walked out the door and Willow helped carry some of the items to Terri's car. After everything was in the back seat, Terri stood looking at Willow.

"Word of advice?…Don't let yourself get lost in your marriage…You're too wonderful of a person…Make sure Kennedy remembers that." Terri gave a sympathetic smile and reached out and took Willow in a hug. Neither woman knew that Kennedy, staring out the bedroom window, was viewing the scene by Terri's car. The slayer noticed that the hug seemed to last too long.

Willow pulled back from the embrace and stared at the older witch for a few seconds before the woman got in her car. The redhead walked back to the house while the car drove out of the driveway.

Willow didn't speak to Kennedy that night though the slayer tried. "Kenn, I don't want to hear it…You've always got some reason why it's ok for you to blow off my stuff…I'm not in the mood to deal with it tonight." Willow went straight to bed while Kennedy stayed up watching tv in the living room. The brunette fell asleep on the couch.

About a week after the 'Terri incident', Kennedy got word from the Council in Boston that a snitch had heard a rumor that an unknown presence had been sensed going through Providence over the past few days. She was told that a change in energy was felt near an old abandoned refinery in a small town in the mid Cape Cod section of Massachusetts. Kennedy and Marla were to find the presence and destroy it. The slayer told Willow of her mission and by 9pm that night, the two slayers were patrolling the area where the 'thing' was expected. The refinery was a nineteenth century brick building located on the Saganosa River for use of hydro electricity. The business had closed in 1930 following the crash of the stock market. It was in an abandoned, desolate and densely wooded area of the unincorporated town.

As Kennedy and Marla marched their way through the forest, they kept their slayer hearing on high for any out of the ordinary noise. They silently walked along, waiting to hear the slightest of sound to let them know they'd found their foe.

Then they heard distant footsteps running, first it was one pair that was getting closer. Then they heard more sets of shoes thundering behind the first. The voice of the cry got louder; it screamed for help.

It was at that moment that Kennedy thought that the evil they were after was chasing someone. It was hunting the person like prey.

The slayers' instincts took over and they ran in the direction of the voice. It didn't take long to get to it. In fact, Marla practically ran over the person. She collided with the individual crashing the person to the ground. Something fell to the ground. Kennedy went over to protect the person from the impending battle. As she bent over to grab the person's hand, she was startled by who she saw.

He seemed as shocked to see the slayer as she was to see him. However, Kennedy knew there was no time for introductions or discussion. She lifted the man up and pulled him over to a large tree. She sat him down in the crook of the massive tree's base. "Stay here…Don't move," Kennedy commanded to the Native.

That done, the brunette rushed back to join Marla and they both readied themselves to finally meet the big bad that had eluded them for months. What they actually saw was seven vampires thundering into their location.

"Shit!…Wasn't expecting this…Oh, well…" Marla counted. "Only seven…This should be easy." Marla said the comment sarcastically as she and Kennedy ran toward the group with stakes held at the ready.

"Are you ok?" That was Kennedy's initial question to Sasomet after she and Marla had defeated the vampires.

The man looked at the slayer with a gaze of disbelief. He had just witnessed the death of seven otherworldy creatures by two young women. They hadn't just beaten the demons; they had annihilated them…in a matter of minutes. The man watched as the battle unfolded before him. It was like ballet. He kept his view on Kennedy. The Native watched how effortlessly and smoothly the woman moved. Every maneuver seemed choreographed, thought out and practiced months in advance. He witnessed the sheer strength of the woman as she lifted two creatures over her head at once and threw them sailing through the air, crashing into a large carved stone. Kennedy never retreated; she was always the aggressor, attacking her assailants with the force of a wrecking ball. Sasomet saw the magnificent speed exhibited by the brunette as she flailed at her opponents with arms and legs, each strike more powerful than the previous one. The man was in awe with the finesse she had staking four of the seven vampires and assisting the other woman with the last one standing.

That was when Sasomet fully realized Kennedy Prescott was no mere mortal. Once again, Sasomet was seeing the brown eyed woman in a light other than the descendant of his jailor. He forced the feeling out of his mind. He remembered the mission put in place by the seer. He had to make this work.

"I…I'm f-f-fine…Who the hell are you?" He started to crawl away from Kennedy, sliding across the trunk of the tree as he spoke.

"I know this is a lot to take in…I couldn't believe it was you either." The brunette knew this had to be a shock for the man; it was for her.

The older slayer briefly looked at Marla and then back to Sasomet. "Kinda…We've run into each other a few times."

Sasomet finally got to his feet and glanced around until he saw the bow and arrow case that fell from his grip when he ran into Marla. Kennedy saw him stare at it and went over and picked it up. She handed it to the man.

Sasomet still looked with an expression of caution. "Ok…I…really haven't had my…question answered…Who are you…and her?"

Kennedy knew she was going to have to tell the man what had just happened to him. A sense of calm came over her face. "I'll tell you everything…but can I first know your name?"

The Native stayed silent for a few moments seemingly contemplating whether to risk giving the answer. Finally, "George Rousseau…Now, who are you two?"

"George…Glad to meet you…You might have trouble believing what I'm about to tell you…" Kennedy proceeded to tell the man what she and Marla were. She didn't give the full version but enough to let him know that he had been saved from a very horrible death. She tried not to give him their names but the man insisted so he was told their first names. Kennedy explained the need for secrecy about their presence. "People couldn't handle it if they knew demons were real and living next door to them."

Kennedy wasn't able to finish her story all at once because George kept interrupting with questions. At one point, the man told the slayers how his people believed in the forces of Good and Evil, ghosts that walked the earth and all things cosmic. "I was brought up to respect the universe and to acknowledge the afterworld…I always thought there were demons…I just never saw one until tonight."

The talk went much better than Kennedy expected. The man didn't freak out or think they were insane. She did, however, wonder why he was there in the middle of the woods at night in the first place. "Night foxes…A breed that roams around here…I was hunting for one." He wiggled the bow in his hand.

After some time, the slayers and their rescued party knew it was time to leave. Both parties' vehicles were left on the side of the road but on converse sides of where they were. After being assured there were no other demons around, Sasomet told the women he didn't need any further help. "I know how to get outta here…I know this area pretty well." As they parted ways, the Native stopped and spoke out. "Thank you, both…You may not believe this, but when I figured out what was coming after me, I had two ways I could've run…they were in opposite directions…Something told me to run this way…" He let out a small "hmm." "Looks like I was supposed to meet you, again." The man turned and walked away.

Kennedy also had a feeling that fate had brought the two of them together once more. She too had a gut feeling this wasn't the last time she would see him. The brunette and Marla walked back to their car discussing how wrong the Council information was. "Maybe someone needs to have their cosmic radar checked if they can't tell the difference between bumpies and some unknown bad." Kennedy thought how Marla's comment, though mockingly said, carried an air of truth.

Sasomet reached his truck and walked to the driver's side door. As he opened it, he felt a strange chill run down his spine. The man turned and scanned the tree lined edge of the roadway in front of him. After a moment of seeing nothing, he noticed a dark shadow next to a large birch tree. He instantly knew who it was. Sasomet wasn't surprised the seer had appeared. He walked up to the woman and saw an expectant look on her face.

Sasomet smiled. "It went just like you said…but those vampires got closer than I had expected."

"I told you the slayers would save you…But Prescott, she believed you?…She told you about being a slayer?"

This time the seer smiled. "It's ready…She's played into our hands…Very soon will be the night you get your revenge." The woman spoke with such exhilaration.

Sasomet studied the woman and her happiness for the state of their mission. "Why do you care so much about my revenge?…This isn't your fight."

The seer glared at the man. "The sooner you get your revenge, the sooner your vision will leave my head and give me peace."

Sasomet didn't know that the woman had a deeper and more sinister reason for wanting the plan to succeed.

Kennedy had what she liked to refer to as a "shit day." She'd had no luck getting an explanation from the Watcher's Council as to why its information on the big bad several days earlier was so wrong. The slayer was told the intel was from a reliable source; why vampires were there instead of the unknown evil was anyone's guess. That answer didn't sit well with the brunette. The Council also couldn't give a valid response concerning the presence of the vampire brood being in town at all. It was as if they just came out of thin air.

After getting an inadequate response from the Council, Kennedy decided to do some investigating on her own. She checked out all her sources, beat the ones that needed beating and still came up empty handed.

The topper to the day that earned it the dubious "shit day" label was Marla's all too familiar 'disappearance' when it came time to help with the interrogations. The brunette did get a voice message on her cell phone from the blonde stating that she was needed at a family function. Kennedy listened to the call and thought to herself that Marla's family had so many "functions" that they had to be running a convention center from their house. The older slayer knew that this was just one more time that the younger slayer had abandoned her responsibility. If it wasn't thrashing the undead life out of a demon, Marla wasn't interested. Kennedy's bad mood only got worse as the day progressed.

The only good news she'd had in the last several days concerned the man she saved in the woods. George Rousseau told the brunette where his people's land was located. The day after the incident, Kennedy drove to the reservation to make sure the man was as alright as he seemed the night previous. As she came up the long driveway to the place's main building, the slayer just barely glimpsed part of the back end of a car leaving the facility from the other end of the driveway. Although there was something faintly familiar about the vehicle, Kennedy let the thought leave her mind as she concentrated on finding the right building for her visit. She spent time with the man and as she hoped, Rousseau told her he was fine and again thanked her for her actions. That was the only positive thing that happened since that night in the woods.

"I just wanna get home, play with Sam and snuggle with Will." Kennedy said her thought out loud while driving home. She'd been very preoccupied with the incident near the refinery and hadn't had much interaction with her family because of it. She looked forward to spending time with her girls and shedding the disposition that had draped her.

As Kennedy pulled in the driveway, she noticed another car there. It was Camilia's. She immediately thought that her night of 'family time' would probably have to wait for a little while. That was ok with her; any time with Samantha and Willow was enough to get her frame of mind to a happy place.

When she walked through the front door, the brunette heard Horn talking from what sounded like the kitchen. A truer description would be that the woman was on a rant. She wasn't shouting or even talking loudly, but she was in the midst of what seemed like a dissertation. Kennedy was amazed at what she heard. Camilia had been relatively quiet the few times she'd been around the woman. Though Kennedy didn't pick up on the topic of discussion, she had heard a few choice remarks that let her know the woman meant what she was saying.

When the slayer entered the kitchen, Camilia stopped talking as soon as she realized the slayer was there. The brunette looked at her redhead and was greeted by a big smile.

"Hello, babe…Hey Cam." The slayer replied. Then she heard a sound and looked off to the right and saw Samantha come in the room.

"Momma!…You're home." The child came running over and took the brunette's legs into a big embrace. Then the girl held her arms out so she could be picked up. Kennedy willingly obliged.

Kennedy looked to Willow for a frame of reference to the girl's comment. Willow pointed to the living room. "We all made pictures with finger paints, didn't we?" Sammi nodded her head.

The slayer put the child down and looked at the two women. "Well, seems I have important picture viewing to do…I'll leave you ladies so you can get back to your discussion."

After playing with Samantha in the living room for an hour, the slayer brought her upstairs and did the same in the child's room. Kennedy didn't think that Willow would keep talking to the other witch as long as she had. After another half hour, she finally heard the front door close and soon thereafter, the engine of an automobile. Several minutes later, Willow came into Samantha's bedroom.

"She's fine. She came over to give Samantha a birthday present. Remember, I told you she wasn't at the last meeting? She said she didn't want to wait til the next one…The finger painting set is from her."

Kennedy started to tickle Samantha on the bed. "That was very nice of Cam, wasn't it?…Did you say thank you?"

Kennedy shrugged off the question. "Had better." Then tickling Samantha again, added, "But everything's great now…I've got my two favorite girls all to myself."

Willow, for an instant, started to react to the non-answer by the slayer once again to a simple question of the woman's condition. Instead, the redhead let it go and joined in on the fun.

Samantha was able to wriggle away from Kennedy and scooted into Willow's arms. "Do I get more presents, Mommy?"

Kennedy laughed. "Don't you think you gotten a lot already? I don't think I've ever seen a girl get so many presents for being two…Did you get that many presents, Mommy, when you turned two?"

Kennedy and Willow stared at each other. The day Samantha turned two years old was a great day for the Prescott/Rosenberg family. They were truly a happy family.

The party for the second birthday of Samantha Prescott Rosenberg took place in a local Chuck E. Cheese restaurant. Several of the witches from the monthly meetings were there with their small children. Samantha had been around them enough times to already begin making friends with them. Terri and Camilia were also present as was Dawn and Marla. Samantha had a wonderful time playing and opening presents. No one would have ever known that her two mothers were not everyday women. Willow and Kennedy were glad to be able to give their daughter that kind of normalcy.

During the party, Dawn got to know the redhead's witchy friends better and Marla too. Inadvertently, she found out that Camilia was brought up in foster homes. The children were running and screaming. Dawn was sitting next to the black haired witch.

"God, I remember birthdays like this…Wouldn't ya just love to have that much fun again?" Dawn thought fondly of her younger years and the parties her mother had for her.

The blue eyed witch looked straight ahead. "Can't say…really didn't have a normal family." When she felt Dawn staring at her, Camilia looked at her and continued. "Foster homes…too many to count…The ones I was at didn't put a high priority on parties…too busy with other things."

Dawn saw the slight dejected expression in the woman's face. She didn't know what else to say except for "That's too bad."

Willow had told Dawn that Camilia was very reserved. In the months the redhead had known her, she'd found out only a little about the woman. Willow knew the black haired woman had grown up in foster homes. She also knew she was gay. Camilia told her that after a comment by Willow about the Showtime series "The L Word."

"Jenny reminds me of my ex-girlfriend," Camilia said. Willow tried not to be surprised by the sudden spurt of information.

"Definitely bad…head case." The woman said nothing further. Willow concluded that Camilia had been burned and was probably weary of dating again; that's why the younger witch was never with anyone or never even talked about the subject.

Unknown to either the slayer or the witch, during the party, Dawn also noticed that Kennedy seemed to pay particular attention whenever Willow talked to Terri. Dawn, however, was more interested in Camilia who appeared to visually follow the redhead around when she thought no one was watching her. Dawn got a strange feeling about the dynamics of those four women. She sensed something was amiss but wasn't so sure as to make any comment to either Willow or Kennedy. Her suppositions on the issue were just that, so she kept them to herself. Other than Dawn's internal mental note, the party was fun for all and a success. Samantha Prescott had turned two and her parents couldn't have been more proud of the sweet girl.

"And that's why you had so many presents." Willow had just finished telling the little girl that her good behavior was the reason for the multitude of presents.

In actuality, the redhead knew it was due to the inability of a certain slayer to say 'no' when it came to spending money on their child. Kennedy had put the "spoil-o-meter" in overdrive for this birthday. In fact, Willow had suggested that they not shower their daughter with so many gifts. "But, Will…this is her first birthday here…and she only turns two once…" Kennedy would say anything to justify her spending spree desire. On top of the extravagance by the brunette, Samantha was also the recipient of numerous gifts from all the Scoobies along with over indulging grandparents. By the time the child was done, she could have opened her own toy store.

Just as Kennedy was about to continue the praise of her daughter, the phone rang. "I'll get it," Willow said as she got off the bed and headed for the phone in their bedroom. After a few moments of muffled talk, "Kenne?…It's for you. It's your dad."

Kennedy met Willow in the hallway as the redhead handed her the handset. The witch mouthed softly, "He sounds weird."

Kennedy placed the receiver to her ear. "Hey, Dad." Willow watched as her girl made small conversation with her father about Samantha and Willow. Then the brunette grew silent and the redhead watched the girl's expression turn from concentrated to surprised and then concerned.

"I'll take a flight first thing in the morning…How's Emma doing?" More silence and then "Take it easy, Dad, and I'll see you in the morning." The conversation ended.

"What happened?…Did something happen to Emma?" Willow was nervous that bad luck had befallen the Prescott household.

With a blank look on her face, Kennedy stared at Willow. "No…It's not Emma…It's Julia. She's in the hospital…She has cancer and had an operation." Kennedy couldn't believe what she was saying.

The redhead sounded stunned. "What?…Oh my god…When did this happen?…Is she ok?"

Kennedy kept staring at the witch. "Dad said Julia went through some chemo treatment and just had a lumpectomy…She has to go through radiation now." The slayer had been so busy that she hadn't kept in touch with Emma or her father as she normally would have. It had been quite some time since she talked to any of them.

"Why didn't your dad tell you before…or Emma?" Willow couldn't believe that this kind of information would be withheld.

"Julia didn't want anyone to know…" Kennedy leaned back against the wall. "Dad says Emma's taking this hard…It sounds like she didn't know anything about it at first…Julia's sister died of cancer…Dad sounded so strange." The slayer stood back up. "I told him I'd go out there tomorrow." Her tone sounded as stunned as her expression looked.

Willow went over to Kennedy and took her in a hug. "Of course. You need to be there. Whatever you need me to do…" Willow stopped talking when she felt Kennedy rest her face into her neck. Then Willow felt tears. "Aw, baby…it's gonna be ok."

Kennedy raised her head and wiped the wetness from her eyes. "I keep thinking about Emma…What if Julia's not ok?…Emma's not going to be able to handle it…" Kennedy was silent for a moment. "Julia doesn't deserve this…As much we didn't agree on things, she was still there…I know she loves Dad and Emma."

The slayer's feelings after hearing the news of her stepmother came as somewhat of a surprise. She had never really bonded with her father's wife and had resented the woman's attitude on her homosexuality. However, she knew Julia would always be there for her father and Emma, and that was enough for the brunette. But now, hearing that the woman was ill, Kennedy had an unexpected reaction. She didn't want Julia to die or be sick and not just for her father's or Emma's sake. Kennedy realized that after all the years that had passed; she did care for Julia. She knew that if the woman died, she'd be left with an empty space. Kennedy didn't want anything bad to happen to any part of her family, which included Julia.

Kennedy flew out of Green Airport in Rhode Island on the 6:00am Delta flight to LaGuardia Airport. By 9:30, the Prescott family limo was driving into the front entrance portico. The maid told the slayer that her father was already at the hospital. By 10:30, the older sister was comforting the scared younger one.

Jackson Prescott came home by noon and the father and his daughters had lunch. He filled in Kennedy on the situation with Julia when Emma was out of the room. It was decided that Kennedy would stay with Emma for a few more hours before taking both of them to the hospital to visit Julia. Kennedy tried to keep the afternoon light and cheery for her half sister. They joked and Kennedy brought the girl up to date on the latest events with Sammi, Willow and Massachusetts in general. Of course, the brunette didn't mention anything concerning slaying.

When they got to the hospital, Jackson Prescott was already there. Having phoned the man when they were on the way, he met Kennedy and Emma in the lobby. "Emma, why don't we let Kennedy see Mom alone for a few minutes?…She hasn't had a chance to talk to her yet." The little sister nodded and Kennedy went to the third floor room.

As Kennedy quietly walked in the door, she noticed the bed was empty. As she walked in further, she could see that the bathroom door was open. A few silent steps more and the brunette saw Julia, head wrapped in a scarf, looking at herself in the bathroom mirror with her robe open. The woman didn't know Kennedy was in the room. As she stared longer, the slayer watched as the woman's eyes scanned down her body's reflection in the mirror, more precisely over the bandages that were draped around her breasts. Kennedy noticed how Julia fixated on those bandages. Then the woman closed her robe and started to cry.

Kennedy had never seen Julia Prescott in this way. She had always been that proper, perky All-American apple pie kind of person. She got upset when rain cancelled her tennis matches or her masseuse was running late. Julia was the consummate rich man's wife, demanding everything be done perfectly and tastefully. She took care of herself, ate right and exercised. The woman was proud of her beauty and thought it one of her best attributes. Once Kennedy was old enough to understand, she realized that was one of the traits that attracted her father to the woman.

Seeing the woman just now, the slayer felt sorry for her. She knew Julia was dreading the affect that the operation would have not only on herself but also her husband. Jackson Prescott had married a beauty pageant queen; now she felt like she was Frankenstein. Kennedy could feel that deep inside Julia was terrified that being less than what she was would cause her husband to leave her.

The slayer quietly walked out of the room and waited until she heard Julia get into her bed before going back in.

"Hey, Julia." Kennedy raised the flowers she brought to her stepmother and put them on the movable bed tray. It was obvious the woman had been crying but Kennedy said nothing about it.

"Hello, Kennedy." Julia Prescott was surprised to see Kennedy there even though her husband told her he was going to call the brunette. She also knew that the two had never had a close relationship. She was well aware that Kennedy knew she didn't accept the brunette's "lifestyle choice." She thought the girl would have been too indifferent to her condition to make the trip. A little bit of her felt that maybe Kennedy thought this was the woman's payback for her views. The fact that her stepdaughter was there moved the woman.

Julia gave a sad smile. "Been better." Then attempting to lighten her mood, "Guess socializing is out for a while." She half heartedly chuckled.

"Don't know if your father will be up to it." Kennedy could hear the fright in the woman's words.

Kennedy walked around the bed to the side of her stepmother. She studied the woman for a few seconds. "Julia, Dad loves you. He knows a good thing when he's got one…He'll definitely be up to it."

It wasn't much that was said, but Kennedy's words lifted Julia's sprits. The two were talking daughter to mother, woman to woman. Julia Prescott felt the warmth and sincerity in the brunette's words.

Shortly thereafter, Jackson and Emma came into the room and the shared moment between the two women was over. However, both knew that they had gotten closer in those few minutes than they had had in all the years before. The rest of the afternoon was spent by the Prescott family being together and comforting the one in need.

Later that night, after the three had returned home and ate dinner, Kennedy walked through her childhood house in search of her father. He had acted so in control the whole day, like nothing was bothering him. Kennedy wanted to see the man, to talk to him and connect in some way.

When the brunette reached her father's study, she could hear him inside. Her slayer hearing picked up on the clanking of ice in a glass. She slowly entered the room. She saw a large chair with its back facing her and its view the empty fireplace. The slayer knew her father was sitting in the chair. She saw his left arm resting on the arm of the chair. The other was leaning outward slowly jiggling a glass half full of what the slayer recognized as her father's favorite Scotch.

Kennedy just stood there. In a flash, she felt like she was five again, the little girl in search of her 'Daddy' after her mother had abandoned them. Then, as now, Jackson Prescott handled his life crises by internalizing his pain and worry. He was stoic by day and the tormented soul alone in himself by night. She had never seen the man ask for help or show any kind of real emotion. If he cried, she never knew it. A part of her was amazed at the fortitude experienced by him. Another part felt sorry for him, for feeling like he had noone with whom he could share these precious arduous times. Kennedy also saw herself in her father. She knew she was like him when it came to that Prescott "strength." She was both proud and ashamed of it.

Much like when she was five, Kennedy didn't bother her father. She didn't yet realize that allowing him to stay in his shell was the worst thing she could have done. The brunette never confronted the man with this part of his personality; she never thought he could actually change. That acceptance of the Prescott need for emotional control would come back to haunt the slayer.

The next morning started out as expected. The family was eating breakfast and had planned to visit Julia after that. In the middle of their meal, one of the servants entered the dining room and stated that Kennedy had a call from Willow. Kennedy left the table to take the call in the hallway.

"Hey, babe…How're my girls this morning?" Kennedy had talked to Willow several times the previous night to tell her about Julia and make sure everything was fine with her and Samantha.

"Kennedy?…" Willow's voice was serious. "Something terrible's happened…It's Marla…"

Kennedy listened as Willow told her she'd just received a call from Marla's mother. The slayer had been out with her friends late the previous night. It was after 3:00am and they were in a car driving to get some food. "It looks like they got into a bar with phony IDs and had been drinking." Willow continued to tell the slayer that the driver, who was not Marla, must have fallen asleep or swerved for some reason. "…The car crossed the highway median and ran into the barrier wall on the other side." Willow was silent for a long while. "One's in critical condition…The other three in the car died…Marla was one of them." Willow's voice cracked terribly by the time she was done.

Kennedy was motionless. She didn't speak, breath or blink her eyelids. She was numb. 'Marla's dead?…from drunk driving?' The story didn't seem real. How could she die from a car accident? She was a slayer. Kennedy had spent the better part of the last year keeping the girl safe from demons and other unworldly creatures. How could she be gone because of this?

Kennedy was brought out of her thoughts. "Uh…yeah…I'm here." The words were said separately and monotone.

"Are you ok?…This is so horrible." On the other end of the line, Willow realized her brunette was having to deal with two tragic events at the same time. She couldn't see how her girl was handling it.

Finally, Willow's words sunk in. "She's gone?…Oh, Will…" Kennedy let the sadness settle in.

She and Willow talked for several more minutes and the slayer was given all the information known to date. She told Kennedy that she would call her as soon as she knew anything further.

The next five days were a blur to Kennedy. After spending the rest of the day with her family, she took the red eye back home. The brunette felt horrible leaving her sister to deal with Julia's medical condition. Jackson Prescott tried to make her feel les guilty. "We'll be fine, Kenney…You being here really helped Emma…But you have responsibilities, I know…so go help your friend's family…They need you, too."

Marla's parents were devastated. They had been so terrified of losing their daughter to the demon world that they had forgotten about the normal everyday tragedies that take so many young lives. Kennedy knew Marla's family, which consisted of her parents and an older brother who lived in Oregon, but she wasn't very close to them. The blonde slayer had stayed very close with her family. Marla thought of slaying as more of a job and Kennedy her boss. The brunette didn't have the tight bond with the younger slayer that she had with the Scoobies. Part of Kennedy now wondered how much of that was her own fault.

The viewing and funeral took place as arranged by Marla's parents. It seemed like Marla's entire hometown came to the events. Also there was the slayer constituency; Willow and Kennedy of course were there. They left Samantha with a coven member; they knew the girl was too young to comprehend the significance of the day. Giles was there as were several slayers that knew Marla from Boston. Dawn showed as did Buffy and Faith. Though Buffy had never met the fallen slayer and Faith had only twice, the two women came more to support Kennedy. They both knew what it was like to lose a fellow slayer. Knowing Kennedy's predilection to see this as a reflection of her abilities, the older slayers wanted to be there to prevent that as much as possible.

Even though they had never met Marla, except in passing at Samantha's birthday party, Terri and Camilia went to the funeral as a gesture to Willow. They didn't stay long; the women paid their respects to the family and the couple and then left.

After the funeral, the night before Buffy and Faith returned to their respective homes, the four women gathered around the couple's kitchen table and talked about the misfortune. In the days since the crash, they found out that Marla, who was in the front passenger seat, had been thrown from the vehicle when it flipped over. Her neck was broken and spinal cord severed upon impact. The teenager never had a chance. As suspected, Kennedy kept saying she should have been tougher with Marla, made her respect her slayer destiny better. "I should have talked to her more."

Faith shook her head. "K, you weren't her parents…It wasn't your job to make sure she didn't drink or take drugs or do any of the things that teenagers usually do…that you did yourself when you were her age."

Kennedy nodded. She knew with her past rebellion she could have easily been a teenage death statistic if it hadn't been for a good dose of luck.

Buffy added to Faith's comment. "Yeah, Kenn…Marla was old enough to know that she shouldn't have been drinking so much…She definitely knew that she shouldn't have let her friend drive drunk."

Willow was the last to talk. "I feel so bad for her family…She was only nineteen."

Kennedy listened to everyone, not saying a word. She still couldn't absorb the fact that Marla was gone. The brunette sincerely thought that if she could get Marla to 'grow up' and realize her true destiny, she would have been a great slayer. It was the girl's way of dying that bothered Kennedy the most. The brunette knew that Marla liked to party. Many of her no shows were because she was having fun with her friends. But never had she seen or found out that the slayer had become so inebriated as to lose her ability to react to a situation. Kennedy knew that Marla had been in the front passenger seat. She wondered why Marla hadn't reacted to whatever caused the car to go off the road.

During the entire time from when she got home from New York until Faith and Buffy left, the younger slayer was quiet and pensive. Willow had trouble getting her to speak at all. The witch did notice that Kennedy hugged Samantha more often during that time. But the slayer was withdrawn, not angry or short, just emotionally checked. Willow worried for her girl. She saw that Prescott "stiff upper lip" attitude. No matter what the redhead said, Kennedy remained the same. Even a talk from Faith didn't change the brunette. Willow knew that Kennedy was dealing with her family's problems along with those caused by Marla's death. Plus, there was still the ghost-like evil that had yet to be caught. The redhead decided to give her wife the benefit of the doubt and allow her time to 'mourn' in the Prescott way.

However, as the days and then weeks passed, Kennedy's demeanor didn't change. She did get back to relative normalcy with Samantha. She played with and read to her daughter like before. The brunette smiled as much as she could to let the little girl know that she had nothing to fear. Kennedy was even more talkative with Willow. They discussed the weather, the grocery list and Samantha's latest developed skill. But there were no talks on a real emotional level. They never talked about Kennedy's concerns with Marla's death. Willow didn't see Kennedy shed a tear for the slayer. The slayer never mentioned her thoughts about how she would handle the slayer position as a result of the girl's departure.

What Willow did see was Kennedy throwing herself into her slaying. The brunette made more stops for interrogating and spent longer hours during patrol. She told Willow it was because she wanted to capture the still unknown evil in town. The slayer had that task along with dusting and killing all the other vampires and "baddies" that plagued the town. Kennedy needed the focus and distraction so that she wouldn't fixate on losing Marla.

The witch also noticed that Kennedy sounded and acted like herself when she was talking to Faith or any other Scooby or Council member. As far as they knew, she was handling the loss admirably. Only Willow saw the withdrawal and the 'wall' being put up by the slayer. No matter how she tried to talk to Kennedy about it, Willow always got the same response. "I'm not ignoring what happened to Marla…I just want to do my job…I'm a slayer…Now more than ever, I've gotta concentrate on that."

Kennedy's behavior was not a complete abandonment of her family. The fact that she still connected with Willow and Sammi was one thing that gave the redhead hope. The witch knew Kennedy was under enormous pressure and had to do the job of two slayers now. The brunette was still affectionate to her daughter and her redhead. Willow understood that her slayer loved them. Because of that, she resolved to give her girl more time to come around. Willow knew her wife was determined and headstrong. The thing she loved about Kennedy was what made Willow willing to let the slayer do as she needed. The witch, however, kept that invisible kite string between the two intact just in case it was the slayer who needed to be grounded.

Unfortunately for the couple, that kite string was about to be stretched to its limit.

"Oh, Dawnie…I wish there was something I could say or do to make this easier on you." Willow was at Dawn's apartment consoling the woman who had just broken up with her boyfriend. The witch felt helpless. Having her heart torn out was a life passage that Willow had hoped Dawn would never have to experience.

The split between Dawn Summers and Frank Hunter didn't come over time after a downward spiral of fights or disagreements. It happened in a split second when Dawn caught the man trying to seduce another woman at a party. In her monk-created memory, Dawn recalled the devastation Willow went through when she found Oz with another woman. His attempts to lessen the betrayal based on their shared werewolf proclivities failed miserably. Though Dawn hadn't caught Frank 'in the act', the pain was almost as sharp. She didn't want to endure the even more bitter agony if she ignored the signs and forgave the man. She'd seen what effect doing that had on those she loved; she decided to let herself escape that torture.

So Dawn said good bye to Frank Hunter and refrained from his pleas for forgiveness. She may have lost her love but she wasn't about to lose all her self respect. She wanted nothing more to do with the man.

The end result was a bawling Dawn lying on her bed while Willow tried to make the world seem a little less bleak than it was to her. Willow knew all too well the struggle that Dawn would have in front of her. Getting over the 'first love' was horrible. The witch was there for Dawn in those touchy first weeks when all Dawn could do was cry for her broken heart, rant about the man who had caused it and lament at never again being able to love. During those times, there was much doubt by the slayer's little sister as to whether she did the right thing. Willow was always there to tell her it was and that she was proud at how strong the woman could be.

Because of Dawn's tender emotional state, she spent a lot of time at Willow's and Kennedy's place. Actually, being around the rambunctious Sammi proved to be good therapy. Dawn was too busy playing hide and seek and airplane ride with the girl to obsess about her predicament. Life was not anywhere close to smooth though. Nights were still the worst and many times she and Willow had long conversations in the couple's back yard or on the phone. Even Kennedy was able to help give Dawn some perspective. Despite her demanding schedule, the slayer tried to help her friend get over the damage done to her.

Dawn's situation meant that she was around Willow and Kennedy more often. Even in her depressed mood, she could tell that the friction was still there between the two. There had been a period of time when things seemed to get better. After classes ended for the summer and before the breakup, Dawn saw that her friends had apparently ironed out the issues that they had in their lives. However, by the end of August, the turbulence just below the surface was palpable once more. Willow was busy with her witch meetings and mentoring, in addition to a summer tutoring job, while Kennedy had become immersed in her slayer responsibilities. Dawn noticed that the two rarely got any alone time. When they were together, they were caring for Sammi. Had she been in a better position emotionally, Dawn would have been able to help them out more. But the girl was still trying to make it through the day without being totally numb.

Willow felt bad for Dawn and tried to get her out of her apartment as often as possible. One night she decided that taking her along to one of her monthly meetings might distract the girl. The redhead knew that Dawn had met Terri and Camilia, along with a few other women, so she felt like Dawn wouldn't be totally lost at the place. Dawn quickly assented; she didn't like the thought of being alone anymore than Willow did.

"Hey, Dawnie?…How ya doing?…Not too bad is it?" Willow asked Dawn who was sitting at one of the long tables in the main room. The women had been there for a couple hours.

Dawn smiled. "Nah…This is interesting, actually. I didn't realize there were so many different kinds of witches…Some of these women have some very 'provoking' ideas." The woman really was glad she came to the meeting. She had a fascination with witchcraft and the occult in general, for obvious reasons. She'd talked to several women who gave her quick history lessons on their particular brand of magick.

"I know. These ladies certainly get their toes curled when it comes to making their point." Willow was glad Dawn was enjoying herself.

Dawn got an inquisitive look. "I didn't know Cam was as feisty as she is…She was always so quiet. But she has some definite views about how societies hate witches."

Willow laughed. "Once you get Cam out of her shell, that girl is a talker…Like Terri. She's so nice and funny. But once she gets to know you then she lets lose on what she really thinks of men." The redhead enjoyed the diversity of the crowd and the divergent personalities even within each person.

Willow and Dawn spent most of the night talking to different people, but mostly Terri and Camilia. During the course of the evening, Dawn kept getting the feeling that she'd seen the black haired witch somewhere before. It was her eyes that stuck with Dawn. She'd felt the same way when she met Horn at Sammi's birthday party and Marla's funeral. She even asked Camilia about it; the witch told her they hadn't met. "Maybe we walked past each other in a grocery store." In the end, Dawn concluded that the woman had one of those faces that just looked familiar. 'Maybe the blue eyes remind me of Buffy.'

At one point in time, all four women were sitting around a table talking. Terri was telling a story about a disastrous vacation in the Bahamas. Everyone was having a good time. Dawn noticed how captivated Willow was with Terri's storytelling. After the tale was told, ended by a burst of laughing, Willow went to get up to get coffee.

Camilia got out of her chair next to Willow and put her hand on the redhead's shoulder. "No, you stay, Willow. I was gonna go get some for me…Anyone besides Will for coffee?" Terri and Dawn nodded. Camilia didn't remove her hand until after the response from the other women. Even then, it was there until she actually started for the kitchen area. That gesture wasn't lost on Dawn. The girl noticed a slight, momentary glance by Willow.

When Camilia came back, she handed a coffee to each woman. She bent down next to Dawn to pick up a sugar packet that had dropped from her hand. When she did, Dawn saw a partial tattoo on the left side of her lower back where the woman's shirt had risen from the movement. Of what she could see of it, Dawn was impressed with the body art. It looked like some sort of crest.

After Camilia stood back up, Dawn commented. "That's a nice tattoo you have, Cam…Is it a crest?"

The witch quickly grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it down below her belt loops. "That's just some drunken teenage prank I did to get back at one of my foster parents…It's nothing really."

Dawn was still interested. "I don't why you got it but whoever did it did a great job from what I could see."

Briskly in response, "Wouldn't know…like I said, a dumb stunt I gotta live with now. I forget it's even there."

Dawn could tell Camilia didn't want to discuss the topic further, but the design she saw stuck in her mind.

Terri talked seriously. "I was going to get a tattoo of my husband…was gonna put his face on the bottom of my foot so I could walk all over the jerk." When done, the brown eyed witch smiled widely. After a moment or two of silence, they all started laughing.

Not too much later, the meeting was over and it was time to leave. Dawn watched as Terri gave out hugs like they were going out of style. Willow got one that lasted longer than the rest. 'She certainly is touchy,' the Summers woman thought to herself. As Dawn said good bye to many of the woman she'd met that night, she saw Willow and Camilia talking on the other side of the room. She watched as Camilia had her hand on Willow's arm. It stayed there until Willow moved her arm behind her back. Dawn couldn't tell what the two women were talking about but she got an uneasy feeling from it.

Willow and Camilia came walking over and the younger witch left, soon followed by Willow and Dawn. Nothing was said to the redhead about what she saw, or thought she saw.

The day after the meeting, Dawn was again down her friends' house. She was watching Samantha while Willow did her tutoring. Kennedy was out tracking down more leads to the still unfound evil. Dawn heard the door open and in walked Kennedy.

"Yeah, she said she'd be back by four." Dawn was on the living room floor with Samantha playing with blocks.

Kennedy looked at the clock. "Good, that's not too much longer…Hey , kiddo, having fun with Auntie Dawn?"

Dawn smiled and then got a serious look. She got off the floor. "Kennedy?…There's something I want to ask you, but I'm not sure I should."

The brunette didn't hear the honest hesitancy in her voice. "Sorry Dawn, I'm a one woman woman…if you've given up on men and want to experiment, you'll have to go find yourself another hot chick."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Please, don't flatter yourself…" Then the woman got serious again. "No, Kenne, this is kinda weird for me to ask."

The slayer got a perplexed look. Dawn had never been shy to share her views before. "Now ya got me worried," Kennedy said half jokingly.

"Did you…notice…anyone acting…too…cozy…with Willow?" Dawn had trouble getting the words out.

The brunette's face automatically went blank. Then her eyes widened. "Did Terri put the moves on Will?"

Dawn continued the misdirected conversation. "Wait, are you telling me that Terri is gay and she's after Willow?"

Just then, Willow walked in the room. Neither woman had heard her enter the house. The redhead glanced at Dawn and then Kennedy. "Kennedy?…What the heck are you telling Dawn?"

Kennedy knew she was in a fix. She had mentioned to Willow on several occasions how she thought Terri tried too hard to be nice, especially to Willow. At first, there was no hidden meaning behind the statement; she merely thought that Terri was the type of person who always tried to get people's approval. In fact, her ideas on that matter had pushed the notion of Camilia being gay to the back of her mind. When the brunette saw the prolonged embrace that night by Terri's car, she began to suspect that maybe the older witch had ulterior motives than just being a friend to her wife. After that night, she was never in the mood to hear anything about the brown eyed witch.

Now Kennedy had to think of an answer for Willow while at the same time internalizing the statement by Dawn. 'Did Dawn just say that she saw Cam getting too close to Will?' For a split second, the slayer was caught between thinking that she was imagining everything or the whole world being after her wife. Kennedy let the new 'problem' go so that she could concentrate on Willow's question.

"Nothing, babe…it's not what you think." The brunette knew that answer wouldn't fly but it would buy her some time.

Willow went over to Samantha, picked the girl up and hugged her. "Explain how 'Terri's gay and she's after Willow' is nothing." There was definite anger in Willow's tone. She'd listened to Kennedy's views on Terri and thought they'd gotten past that.

"No, it's just…Dawn…mentioned…someone kinda acted weird…and I thought…it might be…"

Still holding their daughter, Willow's retort was quick. "Dawn says something and you automatically attack Terri?…and don't put this off on Dawn…You're the one who made the comment."

During all of this, Dawn was standing there completely silent and shell shocked. She had never seen Willow and Kennedy in a real argument. It made her nervous. Besides, she didn't want to be in the middle of a personal matter. The girl did what any one would have done. She coughed. All stares were then directed to her.

"Look, I didn't mean to start anything…I'm the one who jumped to conclusions about Terri."

The couple kept looking at Dawn. They both realized how uncomfortable this must have been for her. Willow took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Dawn, it's ok…I'm sorry about this…It's not you…You don't need to hang around here…We've got things under control…but thanks for looking after Sammi for me."

Dawn got the hint and, within a few minutes, she was out the door. As she said good bye, she glanced at Kennedy and mouthed "Sorry." Kennedy just shook her head, letting the girl know she did nothing wrong.

The departure of Dawn didn't end the argument between the two women. Willow gave Sammi a snack and more toys to play with on the floor. After a few snide looks by each, the witch and slayer were 'discussing' Kennedy's problem with Terri again. While the women argued, Samantha played, occasionally stopping because of the tone in her mothers' voices. She'd only go back to her toys when one of them quieted and smiled to her that everything was ok. The two women sparred for a time until the gloves came off and the real argument began.

Kennedy tilted her head. "Right, a woman could never be gay if she'd been involved with a guy…No one ever comes around to realize they're gay…right Will?" It was said harshly and sarcastically.

"That's not fair…besides, Terri's never done a thing that could be seen as coming on to me…and I should know, shouldn't I?"

Kennedy quickly answered. "What about the night she came over with dinner? When she hugged you by her car?"

Willow just stared at her slayer almost as if disoriented. "Are you kidding?…She does that to everyone…ask Dawn. She got a hug like that last night."

Willow got angrier. "She wasn't 'all over me'…We were talking about her relatives who were witches…She was telling me what they were known for doing…She gets all animated when she talks…She wasn't coming onto me."

Willow continued. "Geez, at first I thought you were stuck on Cam being the one…" Kennedy jumped in.

"Well, since you mentioned it…Has she been acting too friendly, lately?" Kennedy knew Dawn must have seen something. It wasn't like the girl to make up stuff, especially something as big as this.

That statement caught Willow off guard. She was sure Terri had no romantic intentions towards her. Willow told herself that the woman was just that friendly and sweet to her, to everyone. Willow trusted her. The woman could be so mothering; sometimes that felt nice.

However, the redhead had to admit that Camilia was a different situation altogether. The younger witch had made comments that could have been considered suggestive. At the last witch meeting, Cam had asked Willow, and just Willow, to go to an art show. The way she asked made the redhead feel like the younger witch was trying to get her alone. There had also been a few times when the blue eyed girl stood too close or touched her too long. Willow had never initiated it nor did she encourage it, but it had occurred. Willow also knew she had never done anything to try to stop it. A part of her subconsciously liked the attention. The witch knew that Camilia was trying to "get to know" her better; her gut told her it was true. Willow also knew that she couldn't lie to Kennedy.

"Aren't you forgetting one thing?…Even if it is true…I'm in love with you…not that you've paid much attention lately, you're hardly here…and when you are we don't really talk."

That comment made Kennedy stop in her tracks. Willow was absolutely right. The slayer instantly grew an expression of regret. Willow loved her…her. Not some funny, sweet witch or a shy, smart one. Kennedy had forgotten all they'd been through and all that they shared. From their first night together until the present moment, her witch had never given her cause to question her loyalty or devotion. And Willow was right that Kennedy had been involved with things other than her family. At that moment, Kennedy saw her father's face and realized she was more like him than she wanted to admit.

What Kennedy also realized was that she'd gotten jealous. She had let random thoughts of Willow's few past relationships, the stress over the recent death of Marla and her stepmother's illness cloud her judgment. She had been so preoccupied with slaying that she'd begun to think that maybe Willow had reason to look for companionship in someone else. Deep down, the brunette knew that Willow wasn't that kind of person. She was good and loyal. 'How could I think Willow would do something?' The slayer lowered her head so Willow couldn't see how ashamed she felt.

But in the midst of that feeling, there was the seed of another emotion…worry. Kennedy understood enough about life to know that couples grow apart. She'd seen people so in love only to find out that the love wasn't enough. Kennedy had reacted to what she saw and so had Dawn. 'Could Willow be attracted and not want to admit it?' The slayer felt as if she were competing for her girl's affection. The confusion caused by that stray thought rattled her mind. The brunette had to force it out of her head and concentrate on the fact that Willow did love her and Samantha. 'She wouldn't risk that…Would she?' Kennedy didn't know how she could be so certain of Willow's love for her while at the same time have specks of doubt. It made her head hurt.

'I'm in love with you.' As Willow said those words to herself, she knew she meant them. She also knew that there was more behind those words. She had felt lonely recently because of Kennedy's long slaying hours. Really, it had started well before Marla's death. Willow liked how she was accepted by the women she knew. There was a part of her that was flattered by the amount of respect she received. The attention given by Terri and Camilia was inspiring. In the back of her mind, the witch had questioned herself on occasion about her instant liking for those two women. It finally occurred to her one day what it was. In different ways, they both reminded her of Tara. The sweetness of Terri and the reserved nature of Camilia made her think about the blonde witch. And the blue eyes of the younger witch- they registered somewhere inside Willow. It was a feeling she liked. Being around them brought her closer to Tara's memory.

She never knew how to explain that to Kennedy or even if she could…or should. It wasn't that she missed Tara or was falling out of love with Kennedy. But life had become so different and difficult in some ways. Getting that feeling she had back in the Sunnydale days, not even necessarily thinking of Tara herself, eased her mind. Life then had been simpler, despite the demons they fought. Having that feeling slowed down the thousands of thoughts in her head. She used to be able to get to that point with Kennedy alone; however, their distance lately caused a gap.

That intangible feeling was what the redhead feared Kennedy wouldn't be able to understand or accept. As confident as Kennedy was about their relationship, there were still times, blips on a radar, when the slayer would say something or look at her in a way that let Willow know the girl still could feel vulnerable. The rock that was her slayer was still susceptible to shattering under pressure. So Willow never said a word to Kennedy. For some time, part of the witch didn't even recognize her situation on a conscious level.

Even if Kennedy had been mostly wrong in her assessment, Willow understood that some of the undercurrent of her own feelings must have come through. Never before had Kennedy acted so jealous. There had been plenty of times when both had commented on a woman walking by or on tv and never had there been any indication of suspicion or the "green eyed monster." They had each had people that came in and out of their lives as a result of slaying or magicks. There had never been any reaction to any of those women. If Kennedy reached conclusions now, it was because Willow knew she hadn't done anything to stop her growing attachment to Terri and Camilia. She had to admit that both were attractive to her. 'Do I give off vibes?' 'Are they picking up something from me?' Willow wondered if subconsciously she was acting in a way that came off as receptive. The redhead wondered if her actions could have made the brown eyed witch contemplate being sexually attracted to her. Could her behavior with Camilia have given the blue eyed witch reason to think her advances were welcomed? The questions swirled around Willow's head.

As good as she felt around the two witches, though, the redhead also knew she would never do anything to hurt Kennedy. She loved the woman, heart and soul. Even after the years they'd been together, the brunette was still the only one Willow wanted to feel next to her, underneath her, inside her. The witch had lost sight of how wonderful Kennedy made her feel. Their recent problems weren't all because of the slayer's distant attitude or long hours. Willow knew her actions had unintentionally hurt the girl.

Willow walked over to her wife and took her in her arms. "You're my girl." The witch turned her head and placed it against the brunette's shoulder. Softly, "I love you, Kennedy."

The slayer wrapped her arms around the witch's waist. She lowered her head and rested her chin on the top of Willow's shoulder. Just as softly, "I love you too, Will…I don't know what I'd do without you." She leaned back and looked deep into emerald eyes. "I'm sorry…I shouldn't have acted like…it's…just…the thought of…someone else…" Kennedy couldn't finish her sentence.

Willow placed her hands on each side of Kennedy's face and brought her in for a tender kiss. "There's no one else…never could be."

At that moment, past troubles were gone and all doubts rushed away. Regardless of how angry they could get at each other or how their minds might wonder, their hearts remained attached by the invisible kite string forged so many years before. They were not 'regular' people; they were a slayer and a witch with a life unimaginable by others. That uniqueness created a relationship that, though susceptible to the same problems as others, was able to hold on to the love tighter because of the adversity they'd endured. It had taken a harsh lesson to remind the witch and the slayer of that fact. But the lesson was learned.

There was no patrolling that night for the slayer. There were no mentoring calls or research for the witch. Kennedy and Willow spent the rest of that day with each other and Samantha. They spent the hours until their daughter's bedtime together like a real family. After the child was tucked in her bed, Willow and Kennedy took turns reminding each other how lucky they were to be together.

"Aahh…b-baby…" Kennedy's body was tingling from the expert techniques of her witch. The naked slayer was lying on her back at the end of the bed, her legs over the edge and toes touching the floor. She had her arms behind her, elbows holding her up just enough so she could see her redhead between her legs. Willow, just as naked, was torturing the slayer's skin with soft kisses and caresses from silky hands. The witch had been arousing the brunette for some time, foreplay surpassing "twelveplay" and working towards reaching ecstasy in its own right.

Kennedy had had enough lovers before Willow to know the redhead had unabashed talent. The slayer also knew that Willow thought she had become more 'proficient' because of the brunette. Kennedy recognized the real truth though. As passionate as Willow was, the woman was a natural at romance, both on an emotional and physical level. There was something about knowing that her sweet, reserved witch could turn into a ravenous she-cat that made their love making even more erotic.

When Willow dipped her head between the slayer's thighs, all analysis of the girl's abilities flew from Kennedy's mind. Replaced was a burst of white light sensation. The brunette felt delicate but demanding hands reach for her firm hips and hold on. The slayer's head tossed back and the moaning began when she felt Willow's mouth on her, then her tongue. "Oh…my…god…" The tantalizing shocks of electricity shooting out from her core made the slayer almost speechless. She could nothing but let the witch have her way…she wanted nothing more than for it to be that way.

Years before, after the final battle in Sunnydale, when they were in that raggedy motel in Santa Bruallo, Kennedy had admitted her total surrender to Willow. "You have me" was the devotion whispered with brutal honesty by the new slayer that night. That same feeling of total submission to the witch still pounded in the seasoned slayer's heart. At that moment, Kennedy's world was Willow and the sensation tearing through her body. As the orgasm hit, Kennedy reached out with a hand and raked it through crimson hair. The hand remained on Willow's head pushing and following the rhythmic movements, prolonging the jolts rushing within. It was a glorious feeling.

After Willow finished, she kissed the inside of her slayer's thighs and up her taut bronzed body. She stopped only when she reached hardened peaks still in a full state of arousal. The redhead ran her lips around one nipple before running her tongue over it. The slayer's body jerked and twitched from the touch. Willow then continued her journey and kissed Kennedy's neck, then her subtle chin and on to her mouth.

Kennedy couldn't hold back by the time their mouths joined. Her body was on the verge of exploding again if she wasn't able to devour her witch. The slayer grabbed Willow and flipped them around so that the witch was lying on her stomach and the slayer over her. As if caught in a frenzy, Kennedy started to kiss and massage her witch's body. She started at that spot on Willow's neck that the brunette knew drove the girl crazy. That one act caused the witch to moan and grab the sheets below her. Kennedy made a trail across freckled shoulders and down the delicate slope of her back. By the time the slayer was fondling and kissing the witch's silky backside, Willow was almost in a state of delirium. As she caressed, a bronzed hand slid in between the redhead's thighs and starting rubbing the witch's center. Kennedy felt how ready her girl was. The moans grew louder and Kennedy's movements became more determined.

Then, in one fluid motion, the slayer leaned up, rolled Willow onto her back and entered her, hard. Willow gasped from the maneuver. Kennedy had taken control and was determined to show her witch that no one could love her better. Her hand pumped as the slayer's mouth attacked alabaster skin and supple breasts. That mouth traveled down until it acted in unison with her fingers. Willow got lost in the sensations all over her body caused by the slayer's actions. Mouth and fingers worked together to cause a symphony of awareness, all working toward a crescendo of sexual gratification.

Willow's orgasm hit as hard as the slayer's had. The witch's body rocked and shuddered uncontrollably during time that seemed to stand still. Only Kennedy had ever made her body reach the heights of physical pleasure as exhibited that night. Only with Kennedy had the witch ever thought it was possible. The redhead knew that she loved her brunette for who she was; she would love her no matter what their situation. But…she couldn't help feeling incredibly fortunate that the girl was the sexual powerhouse that she was.

As she rode out the pulses flowing through her body, Willow lay on her back, eyes closed, feeling her slayer on top of her. The witch reached for the woman and lifted her head up so the first thing she would see would be her beautiful face.

What she saw for a fleeting second was the face…of another. Who she saw she wasn't sure, but it wasn't her slayer. When she saw the visage, she also heard a word in her head- 'Betrayal.' Just as quickly, it was gone and staring at her lovingly, and exhaustedly, was Kennedy.

The scene startled Willow enough to cause her to pull her hands back. Kennedy felt the recoil.

Willow didn't know what to make of the last flash in time. It had frightened her. She fixated on her slayer's face. All she saw was love and strength. The witch knew with Kennedy she was safe.

"Yeah…I'm fine…just my head acting up." The couple had returned to some level of closeness and Willow didn't want to spoil that. If the event still bothered her in the morning, she would talk to Kennedy about it. For this night however, she wanted nothing but them, together.

Kennedy wasn't sure if she should question her girl further. The reaction she saw on Willow's face was quite unexpected and somewhat disconcerting. It was something that had never happened before during their "romancing."

Kennedy examined her witch and saw her girl's face return to the calm and satisfied expression she usually saw after they made love. The slayer relaxed, smiled and leaned over the witch. "That brain of yours working overtime?…Looks like I'll need to do something about that…again."

The slayer took the witch in her arms and Willow's mood lifted. She started to laugh. "It's pretty active in there…may need hours of help."

The witch and the slayer were reunited in a way that had eluded them for too long. That sense of unity would soon be tested.

Though she didn't know it, Dawn's concerned questioning that led to the argument between Willow and Kennedy was exactly the catalyst the couple needed. Dawn had made both women bring some matters into the open and examine their own behavior. Though they were far from that newlywed feeling, the witch and slayer had begun to talk about their feelings again. As awkward as they felt at times trying to find the right words to explain what was bothering them, each one gave their best effort. Kennedy acknowledged her distance and concern that Willow was slipping away from her. The redhead tried to explain her sense of comfort with Terri and Camilia, the fact that they made some of her uneasiness go away. Willow told the brunette she was sorry for making her doubt their relationship and Kennedy apologized for being jealous.

For the next couple weeks, Willow and Kennedy acted like when they first arrived in Middleton. They were affectionate and always in a gleeful mood. Dawn commented that they were gitty at times. Both women didn't realize how much they had missed being that way with each other. They had let life with all its complexities become the main focus. They couldn't see the forest through the trees. That one night, started by a worried Dawn, had begun the stripping away of the truly extraneous aspects of their hectic and dangerous lives. They now understood that saving the world would be an empty victory if in the process they lost each other. Despite her slayer destiny, Kennedy regained the knowledge that Willow and Samantha were her first priority. Willow, for her part, recognized her need to also put her family first, even if that sometimes meant saying "no" to others in need of help. If Kennedy and Samantha weren't fine, then mentoring a thousand witches would still amount to a loss for her.

Life was good again and the slayer and the witch combined forces to seek out the presence in the area. The strangest part about the 'evil' was that it hadn't 'done' anything as of yet. There were no unexplained murders or kidnappings or even unusual events occurring. However, the Council would every so often get word from their coven members that a strong and powerful presence was in the area. The shift in energy was so strong as to cause the visionaires to conclude that whatever was out there was no good. There had been no evidence though that 'it' was gathering articles or such as might be needed in a spell or ritual. The thing was just out there, hovering, waiting. But waiting for what was anyone's guess.

Willow and Kennedy continued their research and investigation. They reviewed numerous books to find any clue to their problem. Willow at one time had thought that maybe the energy change was a warning of a future event or maybe the precursor to a dimensional opening or arrival of a cosmic form. Those proved to be dead ends. Kennedy kept with her interrogations which included visits to numerous shamans and medicine men. She had to be sure that she turned over every stone in her effort to expose the elusive evil she sought. Sometimes Kennedy wondered if the 'evil' was stalking some one or some thing. She likened it to one of those creepy characters always found in a B-rated scary movie. If it was stalking then Kennedy knew finding out whom or what the target was would be like finding a needle in a haystack. But that didn't make the slayer give up. A needle could be found and certainly more easily by a slayer.

It wasn't as if the unknown evil was the only thing on the slayer's plate. It was but one of the 'open' files she was working on. Kennedy still had her every day responsibilities in Middleton. There was always some vampire to dust or a gang of demons hell bent on taking over the world to capture and kill. The fact that the 'energy' wasn't actually causing death and mayhem didn't mean that the brunette was sitting back and merely doing investigative work. During the entire time she'd been in Middleton, Kennedy was involved with getting the "bad guys" and keeping her community safe and its unsuspecting citizens alive. Her duties didn't stop when Marla died; she had to take the entire burden on her shoulders. The fact that her relationship was better with Willow made doing her job easier.

"Baby, I don't need to go…I really would rather stay home with you and Sammi." That night was the scheduled witches meeting. Willow felt a little strange about going knowing that Terri and Camilia would be there. The witch didn't want to cut off her friendship with either of them, but she also felt self conscious now knowing that Camilia was trying to get closer than Willow was willing to be. Even though she thought Terri had no 'interest' in her, she still wondered if she'd been leaning too much on the woman, to the detriment of her relationship with Kennedy. The witch felt a little confused.

Willow didn't know why she felt that way. She and Kennedy had talked things over and there was no resentment on the slayer's part against the women. Well, at least not as to Terri. Kennedy didn't want Willow to give up the one thing she knew brought immense pleasure to the witch. Those meetings were like a shot in the arm for the redhead. Willow learned so much from the women and they received just as much information from her.

"You should go…Everyone will wonder why you're not there. Besides, you said Dawn was really looking forward to going again…It'll give me a chance to hangout with my other girl." Kennedy grabbed her daughter and flung her in the air. The little girl squealed in delight.

Eventually, Willow agreed to go and after an early dinner she dropped by Dawn's apartment to pick her up for their evening out. Both women were hoping that their get together would help to calm them. They got just the opposite.

The meeting at the Clearing Place started like most. The women, about forty in all, discussed the latest developments in their covens and then went on to specific problems individuals were having with potions or spells. Usually, the troubles talked about dealt with making plants grow faster or food taste better. There were also debates concerning the appropriateness of using love potions or memory spells. Those instances always hit Willow in a personal way due to her past experience with each. Her position was to never use them. "I've seen what happens when they go wrong…They cause too much damage to people."

Dawn had a good time at the meeting at first. She had a long talk with Pallouda and found out much about the woman's background.

"Are you really?" Dawn couldn't believe what the brown haired witch had just told her.

"Yes, I am. I'm related to Bridget Bishop, the first woman killed during the Salem witch hunt, and to Penelope Sandra Horton, her niece, the only witch to have actually been arrested during it. I am the great, great, great, great second cousin a bunch of times removed to Penelope and the same thing to Bridget, except I'm a niece. They showed no mercy to Bridget…and Penelope…The poor woman spent three months in their witch's jail. They chained her up, starved her and the guards beat her up everyday. They acted like animals to her. She contracted meningitis and ended up dying six weeks after she was let go."

Dawn was amazed to be in the presence of a witch with such an ancestry line. This person had a longer connection to witchcraft than even Tara. Terri told her there had been at least one witch in the family each generation.

"I guess so. I've lived here almost my whole life…Started to get really good with my powers because of my mother and sister…I just kind of fell into the position when the previous leader died suddenly. My mom and sister weren't interested."

When Dawn told Willow about her conversation, Willow indicated that she already knew that information. "That's why I've had Terri help me with Kennedy's thing…But the darnn baddie always seem to be one step ahead…like it's in the room and knows what we're going to do next."

Willow also told Buffy's sister some additional personal information about Camilia that the younger didn't know. "Cam's a pretty powerful witch, too. She said she learned most of her stuff out west, mostly in Arizona. Sounds like she picked it up on the streets…I get the impression she didn't have a very stable childhood." Willow told Dawn that Horn's talents were in the area of potions and spells. "Whenever someone has a question, Cam almost always knows the answer." Dawn was able to ask the blue eyed witch about her magick.

"Yeah, I knew some people out there, Pueblos, who taught me a lot. Before I had a chance to use it, my foster parents got the ok to move to Utah." Camilia told her story with a hard tone.

Dawn cringed with the picture of what she had to endure. "Utah must have been different."

The witch laughed mockingly. "Hmm…I was gay and a witch and an orphan…Different is the last thing I'd call it…Hell would be more like it…as soon as I could, I left…for good. Finally made my way here."

During that meeting, everyone seemed to be having a decent time and enjoying each other's company. Within forty-five minutes though, the topic and demeanor had changed significantly.

"Witchcraft is about women, period…Any discussion about a place for men is just them wanting to take control of this, too." Camilia was stating her views on the subject. Terri nodded in agreement.

"I'm sorry, but men don't get to have everything…witches have always been women…if men have magick powers let them have their own club…ours is full." Terri voiced her agreement with Camilia.

Willow tried to respond as diplomatically as possible. "I've known several guys who were pretty powerful with magick…Why can't they be part of all of it…witch, warlock, medicine man…those are just labels…Shouldn't we all be able to be what we are?" Willow was trying to defend her opinion that life would be better without restricting people's access to be whatever they wanted to be.

Terri replied. "You're too sweet, Willow…You may have no trouble sharing, but that's not the real world. Women have to stand up for themselves more…We have to dictate our own destinies…without rules or society telling us how it should be."

Dawn, who was listening to the discussion, was surprised at how 'hard line' Terri really was. The woman believed that the female race had to push to get what they wanted.

"Exactly," Camilia followed. "Women and witches have been treated worse than bugs…We can't keep being that way…Respect?…Why would you give that if you're not being respected?…if they're beating you down?…Does that makes sense?"

Willow couldn't let the subject go. "You can't get down to their level. You can't let evil win…The only way to make the world better is by being better…better than the bullies out there…Believe me, I been to the other side…and it's…not better…We can't be like them or the bad guys win."

Terri looked surprised at the redhead's response. "Willow, of all people I would think that you know the world doesn't operate that way…There's good and evil fighting everywhere…and the ones on the side of evil use any weakness to take over…"

Camilia interrupted Terri. "Wait until someone's beating you senseless and then tell me the high road is better…You won't…You'll want to beat the living shit out of him just so he knows what it feels like."

Everyone looked at the blue eyed witch. Her last statement was said forcefully, as if from someone with personal experience. The woman stopped talking and closed her eyes.

The heated discussion that was taking place among all the women present was started by a comment from an older witch that men didn't open doors for women any longer. That led to remarks by others about manners and etiquette which transformed into a talk about the double standard for men and women. Before they knew it, the group was debating whether women, and witches for that matter, should seek a more equal society or a matriarchal one. There were many women who thought that the world had been messed up enough by men and therefore women should get a shot at running it. Others, like Willow, strived for a world where good won over evil which meant that everyone was valued correspondingly. There would be no superiority of one sex or race over another. Harmony, love and respect would be the driving forces. Though Willow understood these were idealistic views, she still knew that they could become reality if only people believed. Her assumption that Terri was like minded was due to the witch's Traditional witchcraft viewpoint. It seemed, however, that Terri believed that nature didn't cover men.

The debate finally ran its course with Willow, Dawn and some of the witches in one camp and Terri, Camilia and the rest in the other. It seemed like a good time to take a break. Though the discussion was intense, noone left with ill feelings toward others. Sharing their opinions was what they did; it was never taken personally. The group decided to stretch their legs.

As Willow went to get some mints in her pocketbook left by the back wall table, Terri approached her.

The redhead turned to face her. "Umm, yeah…Why?" Willow had been slightly avoiding the older witch that night.

"Well, you seem a little preoccupied tonight…I tried to talk to you a couple times and you kind of walked away…Are you mad at me?"

If nothing else, Willow knew Terri was perceptive. The younger woman shook her head. "No, Terri…You haven't done anything…Kenn and I are just busy with trying to find the mystery baddie…I've got a lot on my mind."

Terri looked relieved. "I'm glad I didn't do anything to get you upset with me…I value our friendship, Willow…You're one of the best friends I have." Willow smiled and felt slightly guilty for having evaded the woman during the meeting. Terri added, "And if I can help in any way with your problem, I'd be happy to…I know this must be putting a lot of pressure on you and Kennedy." Willow's guilt got a tad deeper.

The redhead was saved form further self rebuke by Dawn. The girl walked over and asked both witches if they wanted coffee. Willow declined but Terri accepted. Half way to the coffee maker in the kitchen, Dawn was met by Camilia.

"That's ok, I've gotta get Terri a cup…Crap, I forgot to ask her how she takes it."

Camilia replied with a gesturing hand. "I know how she likes her coffee…I'll get hers and yours…Black with sugar, right?" Dawn nodded. Horn motioned her head in the direction of Willow. "Let me get the coffee, looks like Will needs to be rescued from Amy."

Dawn turned and looked to where the redhead was. Willow was standing next to Amy Knowling, a woman who had earned the dubious distinction of being the woman in the gathering who could talk the longest nonstop. The real problem was that most of her barrages were about her nephew Matthew whom the woman was convinced was going to be the next Albert Einstein.

Dawn looked back at Camilia and chuckled. "Sounds like a good idea…but I may stay here for a couple more minutes just to see Wils squirm."

The witch laughed and left to get the coffee in the kitchen which was through the door in the back of the room. She returned several minutes later and handed Dawn her cup. She then left to give Terri hers. As she walked by Dawn who was still in the same place, she said jokingly "Ooo…You are so mean. Leaving Willow to listen to that woman." Dawn followed Camilia to Terri and Willow.

"Here you go, Terri," the younger said as she handed over the cup of coffee. "Hey, Amy?…Penny wanted me to tell you she was dying to hear how Matthew's summer science camp went." With that, Amy's attention was caught.

Willow quickly figured out Camilia's plan and jumped in. "I don't want to keep you, Amy." The older woman walked away, stalking out the unsuspecting Penny. The redhead turned to the younger witch. Not looking at her directly in the eyes, "Thanks, I thought I was going to pass out from boredom."

"No problem…I got stuck listening to her tell me about little Matt's first place in a spelling bee…I wouldn't put my worst enemy through that…and certainly not you." Willow became nervous with that comment.

The four women stood and talked some more. The redhead purposely tried not to engage in a conversation solely with Camilia. But she did notice that the woman glanced at her a few times. 'How did I let this get this far?' Willow said to herself.

By the time the cups were emptied and the conversations coming to an end, the women knew it was time to call an end to the evening. The discussions that night had been especially heated and involved. Terri knew that noone would want to start another topic. She let everyone know the meeting was being adjourned.

Willow went back to her chair to get the long sleeved shirt she'd brought with her. It had been sprinkling when she left to pick up Dawn and Kennedy insisted she wear something over her own blouse. "It's raining and I don't want you to get all wet. Wear my corduroy shirt. It'll keep you dry." That was the shirt that Willow put on to leave.

The group filed out. Willow and Dawn, along with Terri and Camilia, were the last to leave. The redhead and Dawn said good bye to the other two witches and headed for the door. Before she got there, Willow felt a hand on her arm. It was Terri. "Remember what I said Willow. If you need anything, let…"

The brown haired witch never finished her sentence. In the middle of talking and holding Willow's arm, Terri's face contorted. She grimaced as if she was in terrible pain. Her hold on the redhead's arm turned to a clenching grip. She clung on so hard, it hurt Willow. The redhead tried to pull her arm away but Terri held on tighter. Her eyes were closed and her face kept that knotted expression. It lasted long enough for Willow to start to get concerned. Even Dawn and Camilia saw what was happening. Finally, Willow had to do something.

"Terri?…What's wrong?…Why won't you let go?" The redhead tried to pull Terri's hand from its grip as she questioned the woman.

As mysteriously as it started, Terri let go of Willow's arm and slumped to the floor. By then only the four women were still in the building, so noone else saw Terri's actions. When the older witch hit the floor, Dawn and Camilia gathered closer.

Camilia tended to Terri and Dawn checked Willow's arm for bruises. Terri began to come around. The first thing she did when she stopped rubbing her eyes was to look directly at Willow who was rubbing her arm where the witch had her death grip. The woman just fixated on the redhead without saying a word despite the three women asking her if she was ok.

When she finally did speak, Terri's words were only to one person. "Oh my god, Willow…I'm so…sorry."

Willow stared at Terri confused but not upset. "Terri, I'm ok…My arm's fine…Are you alright?…You just…" Terri didn't let Willow continue.

"I'm not talking about your arm…I'm talking about Kennedy." There was such a look of sorrow on the woman's face.

The older witch's words and expression made Willow instantly fearful. "What?…What do ya mea…What about Kennedy?"

Terri stood up with the help of Camilia, looked around and got close to Willow. Softly, "I don't know how to tell you this." Willow got even more bewildered and scared by the tone that the woman used.

Dawn saw the terrified look on Willow's face. "Ok, what we need is to let Terri relax for a minute…Probably just a bad danish. Why don't we give Terri some air…Look, the color in her face is coming back already." Dawn wanted to say anything that might make Willow and Terri less worried.

Pallouda was taken to a chair and given some water. After about ten minutes, the witch was in stable enough condition to talk. The whole time she did, she never took her eyes off Willow.

"What happened, Terri?" Camilia questioned. She too could see the concern on Willow's face. The two older witches just stared at each other, as if they both knew what had transpired.

Terri kept looking at Willow as she answered the black haired witch. "I…I didn't want it Willow…I never knew it was coming…I…I…"

Camilia got in Terri's face. "What happened?…Tell us." She waited for a response. All she got was Terri's sorrowful stare at Willow. From previous discussions Willow had had with Terri about the older one's magickal abilities, the redhead knew what had transpired.

"She had a vision…" Willow said gazing directly in Terri's eyes. "You had a vision, didn't you?"

"It was about Kennedy, right?" Willow's voice was monotone. Again, the older witch nodded in agreement. "What…happened…to her?" The words came out of the redhead's mouth meekly and cautiously.

Terri Pallouda's eyes began to well up. The other women had never seen such a devastated expression on her face before. Seeing the reaction, Willow's emerald eyes also felt the sting of fear's trademark. The witch took a hard breath in and stood up straight.

"Terri, I have to know…Was she in trouble?" Willow's mind told her Terri's vision had been much worse but her heart wouldn't let her tread on that ground.

Terri kept her stare at Willow for a few moments longer and then looked at the cup of water she was holding. The woman knew she had to let everyone know what she saw. "Kennedy was fighting…and…and she…didn't…make it." The woman couldn't bring her self to say that Kennedy had died in her vision.

Willow instantly held her hands to her mouth. She had just been told by a witch known for having dead-on visions that her slayer, her wife, had been killed. The words almost didn't register with the redhead. She didn't want to believe they were true. Willow stared a vacant look out to nowhere. She didn't ask Terri to explain; she didn't want her to, she couldn't let her.

"Wait, that can't be right…Are you sure it was a vision?" said Dawn. She, like Camilia, had spent the time shell shocked at the news. "Willow?…That doesn't mean…You know these things aren't always right." Dawn wouldn't accept that yet another one of her friends was on the reaper's list.

Without emotion, "Terri's visions always happen…She's never been wrong," said Camilia. Pallouda's accomplishments in that arena were well known by serious witches.

"Well, then this time will be the first," Dawn adamantly replied. She glanced at Willow who hadn't said a word for some time. The redhead had a desperate, empty look on her face, just like she'd lost everything. Dawn reacted. She went to Willow and grabbed her by the arm.

"Willow, this won't happen…Look at me…" The redhead did. "You know that we've been through things like this before…You know that nothing's written in stone…We can change this…Kennedy's going to be ok."

The mention of Kennedy's name seemed to jolt Willow out of her stupor. She stared at Dawn, at the determination on her face. The redhead's mind rapidly sequenced all the times in her life that destiny had been thwarted, that death had been cheated. Her initial reaction vanished and she joined the resolve showed by Dawn.

"You're right, Dawn…I can't let anything happen to Kennedy." Willow turned and walked over to Terri. "Tell me what happened in your vision…I need to know every detail." Willow knew it would be hard to listen to Terri explain how Kennedy's death came about in her vision, but she also knew she had to listen, intently. If she wanted to save her slayer, she would have to memorize every last facet of how it was supposed to happen. Only then would she be able to find a solution and keep her wife out of life threatening danger.

"Are you sure?" Terri knew the scene she would have to describe would be very upsetting to the witch.

Terri took a drink of water and began to speak. "The vision wasn't completely clear but it started with Kennedy outside…in a place with a big oak tree behind her…There was something familiar about the tree…but I can't tell you exactly what…Kennedy had a long knife in her hand…" Terri then told the group her entire vision. She knew the event took place at night and that it was raining. Kennedy was fighting with someone, but in the vision the opponent was more of a shadow. "I couldn't see any detail…I don't know if it was a man or woman or even if it was a person…All I know is that Kennedy was fighting frantically…"

Then the vision got even hazier. "I couldn't see it but I think that you and Sammi were there. You were holding Sam…It felt like Kennedy was fighting whoever to keep it away from the two of you…to keep you safe…" Terri concluded her story by saying that Kennedy was struck down by the villain. "There was an ax of some kind…and the shadow went after you and Samantha and Kennedy jumped in the way…the ax went in..the air…she…she…" Terri found it hard to describe the death of the slayer to her friend. "Kennedy was brave…It was over so quickly."

Willow was dead silent throughout the entire dissertation. As the older witch spoke, Willow painted the picture in her mind of the events as they occurred. She saw Kennedy protecting her family, carrying on her slayer obligation. The redhead had the death of her slayer vivid in her mind. Even though it hadn't happened, it made her almost weep.

Dawn and Camilia also remained quiet during Terri's description. Dawn felt so bad for Willow. The woman had lost one love to murder; she was being told she was supposed to lose another in the same manner. The woman knew she had to help stop the vision from coming to fruition. She watched Willow's reaction at the end of the tale. Dawn saw the caged tears, and then a change of expression. Willow's sullen face turned stoic.

"What?…Willow I know how hard…" Terri wanted to spare the pain she knew Willow had to be experiencing. Willow didn't let her finish.

"Tell it to me, again…I need every last detail…I'm not letting Kennedy die and I need to figure out how to stop this…We'll go through it a thousand times if we have to." The witch was unwavering.

"Ok, Willow." Terri then told her vision again. This time, Willow stopped her numerous times to ask specific questions about the surroundings, the battling shadow, the time and a plethora of other facts. Dawn and Camilia were impressed by the minutia of detail that Willow extracted from the woman. By the time she was done, Willow had gathered so much more information from the vision than Terri even realized she knew. It was almost ten-thirty when they finished.

Willow's mood was still low but now at least she had somewhere to start. She looked at Terri. "I know this was hard for you…but we aren't finished. I need to find out when and where this happens so I can figure out how to stop it. I need to go over this again tomorrow with you."

Terri didn't hesitate in her response. "Of course, of course…I'll do anything you want…Just tell me when you want to meet…I don't want this any more than you."

It was decided that Willow would meet with Terri the nest day at noon. Dawn and Camilia had offered to do research to see if there was any mention of a slayer confrontation in any of the annals and journals to which Dawn had access. "Maybe, if this was powerful enough to be a vision, then it's mentioned somewhere in the books about predictions." The two women knew they couldn't stand idly by; they had to do something to help.

The four women finally left the Clearing Place to go home. On the way, Willow and Dawn talked about how the vision came about in the first place. The fact that Willow was wearing Kennedy's shirt was the reason given for Terri's ability to get the vision. Since the brunette's slayer power was so strong, Willow assumed that is was deep enough to leave an aura on her clothes that could be captured by a just as powerful witch who saw visions. "This is her real talent, Dawnie…The Council in Boston said Terri was very attuned to getting these…I know this is something that's going to happen unless we can change it."

The redhead described the conversations the two witches had had about their respective powers. Willow told Terri about her ability to teleport and her magickal 'muscle' when it came to fighting. Pallouda confided about her visions. She told the redhead that she didn't like having her special talent. The visions were often excruciatingly painful, as if a long nail was being pounded through her skull. She also didn't like the subject matter of many. She talked about seeing rapists and murderers amongst the pleasant scenes of miraculous healing and discovery of long lost relatives. Usually, the visions were very detailed like the woman was there in the middle of it. "When I saw the pain Terri was gong through and then her expression, I knew it could only have been a vision." The woman's actions had the tell tale signs. Only the uncertainty in her most recent image troubled the redhead and Dawn.

The women's discussion curtailed as they approached Dawn's apartment. Willow thanked her for her help. As Dawn got out of the car, she took Willow's hand. "Don't worry, Wil…We're going to stop this…You won't lose Kennedy." Willow gave her a small smile.

Willow watched as Dawn went into the front door to the apartment complex. The witch then drove the car out of the parking lot and toward her home. When she got there, she quietly went into the house. All the lights were out except for their bedroom. She walked in to find Kennedy watching television.

"Hey, you're home. I knew I heard the car pull in…Must have been a fun night, I almost called you…it was getting late."

Willow just gazed at her wife. She had never felt so much love for the woman as right then. She wanted to rush to the girl and take her in her arms and never let go. The reason her life was as full as it could be was lying in bed completely unaware of the hard truth Willow held inside. The witch knew she couldn't tell Kennedy right then about her fated destiny. She didn't want to. The redhead wanted one more night of Kennedy believing that their lives were not being tested. She needed to give her slayer those precious hours before telling her that they had to trick fate to keep their family alive and well. Seeing that beautiful smile on her girl's face, Willow knew Kennedy deserved at least that.

Kennedy saw Willow standing inside the doorway to their room staring at the slayer. "Is everything ok, babe?"

Willow thought for a second, then smiled and walked over to the bed and gave her slayer a gentle kiss on the lips. "It is now." The talk would be tomorrow; tonight, she only wanted to get in bed with her slayer, hold her and tell her how much she loved the woman.

After a shower and change, Willow got into bed and the television and lights were turned off. In the dark, Kennedy told her wife of her evening with Samantha. "We had a good time. That kid is getting so smart…and devious…She told me that you let her have ice cream for dinner." The slayer laughed and it almost made Willow cry. The witch held onto her slayer while she listened to the girl's voice grow sleepier and softer until she felt her slayer's body relax and slide into that moment just before slumber takes over. Just as she felt Kennedy falling to sleep, Willow whispered in her lover's ear.

"I love you, Kennedy…I'll keep you safe." The words were a low mumbled sound to the slayer who drifted off to dreamland.

Willow didn't sleep that night. She spent the whole time embracing her slayer, thinking how she had to find a way to keep her slayer alive.

The sound of Samantha laughing and squealing brought Willow out of her sleep. She slowly opened her eyes to the well lit view of her bedroom. The sun's light was streaming in the window, leaving its mark across the floor to the side of the bed. The witch stretched and yawned as she would on any other day.

Then the events of the previous night came to her, Terri's vision and the horrible future laid out for her slayer. Willow's temporary good mood turned sour.

She then heard the noise that had awakened her in the first place. The redhead listened to her daughter and Kennedy playing downstairs. From the sound of it, they were doing "wrestling match." Lying there, the witch listened further, knowing that mother and daughter were having a superb time.

Wondering what time it was, Willow looked around and checked the bedside clock- 10:21am. She couldn't believe how late it was. She concluded that sometime before dawn, she must have dozed off to sleep. She remembered seeing 5:00am on the alarm clock taunting her as she worried about her slayer's fate. Willow spent the night playing Terri's vision over and over in her head. She tried to figure out who the unknown assailant was after. 'Was it Kennedy?…Me?…Samantha?' That last thought made her shudder. 'Why would it be after them?' The questions never ended.

The thought of the vision came to the witch again and she knew she had to get up. She needed to talk to Kennedy, to have the hardest conversation she'd ever had with the woman. Willow quickly got out of bed, went into the bathroom for her morning ritual and then got dressed. Within no time, she was walking down the stairs into the living room where Samantha was sitting on Kennedy yelling "I win! I win!"

The brunette caught sight of her wife first as she walked in the room. "Hey, babe…Hope we weren't too loud."

Willow smiled as she went to sit on the couch. "No…I can't believe I slept that late." Samantha now had Kennedy by the leg when she saw her other mother.

The redhead smiled widely. She loved the exuberance of her child. Nothing fazed her. Willow realized how lucky that was. "Oh, I think you're doing a good enough job. Why don't you jump one time for me?"

Little Samantha nodded matter of factly and then proceeded to belly flop on Kennedy's stomach.

"Hmmph", the slayer let out as the girl landed. "You are one lean, mean wrestling machine." Kennedy watched Willow as their daughter continued her antics. She noticed that the redhead didn't have her usual morning happy face. She gently stopped Sammi. "Hey Sweetie? Why don't you let Momma rest for a little while…You tired me out. Want something to drink?"

The girl said yes and both went into the kitchen. They returned with a sippy cup of juice in Samantha's hand. The brunette went over to the couch and sat next to her redhead.

"Everything ok, babe?" They'd been together too long for Kennedy not to know when the witch had something on her mind.

"Well, you came home late last night. I figured maybe Dawn had second thoughts again about breaking up with Frank…Another late night of comforting the battle worn?"

The witch shook her head. "No, Dawnie's fine…Some other stuff came up." The redhead still couldn't bring herself to start the discussion she knew she had to have with the slayer.

Kennedy looked relieved. "Good. I'm glad to hear that…It must have been a doozy whatever went on because I could feel you squirm during the night…Didn't seem like you got much rest…That's why I let you sleep in…Figured you needed it."

'You have no idea how bad it was,' the witch thought to herself. She leaned in and gave her brunette a chaste kiss on the lips. "Thanks, the sleep did help."

Before she could get up the nerve to tell Kennedy they needed to talk, the slayer spoke first.

"I need to go into Boston today…as soon as possible, actually. I got a call from Jennifer, that sensory expert, and she said they have some new info to show me…I was waiting for you to get up to go."

Willow didn't expect that her slayer would be leaving the house. "Can't they send you the information…or fax or email it?" Willow wanted to talk to Kennedy before Terri came to the house at noon.

"No…They said they needed me to come in…I don't think it'll take that long…I told them I'd be there as soon as I could."

The redhead knew she had to say something now. "But I need to talk to you…about what happened at the meeting last night." She tried not to look too worried.

"Can it wait until I get back?…I think they've got info on where that energy force thingy is…I really need to go there."

Willow stared at her slayer and thought about her predicament. She knew Kennedy had slayer obligations and getting anything to help find their "unknown" evil would be good. She also had Terri coming over at noon and hoped to get even additional facts from her about the vision. The witch knew that whatever had happened in the older witch's premonition had happened at night. So long as the slayer was back before then, the redhead still had time to inform her of their troubles and keep her safe in the house. Willow decided to let Kennedy go and tell her when she came back.

"Are you sure you'll be back in a couple hours?" Willow had told Kennedy to go and she was seeing the slayer off.

Willow spoke firmly. "You need to promise me you'll be back before it gets dark."

More naturally, "I just want to talk to you…Terri's coming over and I want to talk to you after that…It's important, but I don't want to mess up your Council meeting."

Kennedy got even more intrigued. "You can't tell me now?…If it's that important…" Willow stopped her.

"It is…but so is you finding the baddie that's in town…Just be back in a couple hours and it'll be ok…We can talk then."

Even though the slayer wasn't one hundred percent sure she should go, she did. She promised her witch that she'd be back in the afternoon.

Kennedy left shortly thereafter and at noon Terri drove into the couple's driveway. The witch went into the house and immediately asked Willow how Kennedy took the news.

"I haven't told her yet…How do I tell her that she's going to die unless we think of a way to cheat death?" The witch's response was full of remorse and anger.

Terri didn't know exactly what to say. She told Willow she'd never been in the position of trying to alter one of her visions. What she saw had always been taken as it appeared. This was completely different. There one was piece of information Pallouda could tell Willow that would give her some hope of altering the future.

"At the Clearing Place…I went there this morning to get my sunglasses I forgot…I was in the kitchen and looking out the back window…Then I saw it…That big oak tree behind the building…in the field? That's the one in my vision."

Willow looked elated. They'd deciphered another part of the vision. "Great. Ok, we need to know when and why Kennedy was there…and me and Sammi…The next meeting's not for another couple weeks."

Terri related how that confused the brown eyed witch also. She had told Willow that her visions always occurred very shortly after they came to her. Some in a matter of hours, others only a few days at the most. "We need to check the forecast…See if rain's expected…That can help us narrow the 'when.'"

Willow agreed and they went to the local cable news channel and waited for the forecast. The message from the meteorologist disheartened them. "…Sorry folks, but it looks like Labor Day festivities might be a wash…The front that's over New York is making it's way over…We expect it to pass through tomorrow night or Labor Day morning at the latest…So, move those parties…" The women didn't need to hear any more details.

"Thirty-six hours?…I have thirty-six hours to figure out why this happens and how to save Kennedy?" The impact of their discovery made Willow disheartened. She had to sit down on one of the kitchen chairs. "We don't even know who's doing this or how to stop it…or even why we're all there to begin with." The task of saving Kennedy's future at that moment seemed almost insurmountable. Then the redhead remembered Dawn's words, "Nothing's written in stone…" Willow knew she could find a way to alter the future; she had to.

"We need to stop what you saw in your vision Terri. We need to figure out how to do that, today." The gauntlet was raised; the mission begun.

"Why'd Dawn take Sammi?…Got some hot girl on girl action planned?" Kennedy had been home for ten minutes. She arrived just after four as she promised her now visibly nervous witch. They were in their bedroom.

Willow wanted to smirk at the comment. 'If only that could be the reason,' she thought. "No. We need to talk, baby, and I asked Dawn to take Sam so we wouldn't be disturbed." That was only half the reason Willow called Dawn. She wasn't sure how her brunette would react to what she was going to tell her and didn't want Samantha to have to see whatever kind of emotion that came off the slayer.

Kennedy got disarmed by her redhead's statement. When she left in the morning, Willow seemed upset. But she didn't get the impression that whatever was on her girl's mind was so critical. She thought that maybe Willow wanted to talk some more about their relationship, now that were communicating better. However, the minute she stepped in the house and saw the redhead, Kennedy knew some thing must have changed. Her girl was jumpy and on edge.

"Ok, babe…What do you want to talk about?" The question was asked with a hint of trepidation.

Willow took a deep breath. "Why don't we sit on the bed?" The witch didn't want to do this standing up. The two women went to their bed and sat on the end. Willow took Kennedy's hands in hers.

The slayer could see in her wife's expression that whatever was going to be said by her redhead would not be good. She saw it in green eyes. "Something's wrong, isn't it?…Is it Sammi?" The last thing Kennedy ever wanted to hear was that something was wrong with their daughter.

"No, Kenn…It's not Sam…She's fine." Willow noticed her slayer let out a sigh of relief. She continued slowly and delicately. "Last night, at the meeting…Terri had…a vision…That's why I was late…The vision was about…you."

Kennedy looked at the witch confused. "Me?…Why would she have vision about me?"

"I don't know…She doesn't know what makes her have them." Willow gripped bronzed hands tighter. "In her…vision…you were…protecting me and Samantha…" Kennedy gave a small smile like she was proud that even in someone else's images she fought for her family. Willow looked at the slayer and gave an understanding half smile back.

When Willow didn't resume talking again after a few moments, the slayer glanced at her and saw the hesitation in her body language. "That's not all that happened, right?…I mean there was something else besides me keeping you and Sammi safe…Was it this phantom thing we've been searching for?…Was that who was after you?"

Willow wanted to be able to tell her slayer that she knew all the answers to Terri's images. She would have been ecstatic to state that Kennedy would find the unknown evil and battle it to its death while protecting her wife and child. But she couldn't. She only had the vision right now; no answers.

"We don't know who you were fighting…but that's not the whole vision…" Willow was finding it so hard to say the words. "You protected me and Sammi…but…but…umm…you…the figure in it…it…" Willow stammered and stuttered, spitting out random words that wouldn't join to let the slayer know her fate. By this time, crimson eyes were beginning to divulge the horrible conclusion that words couldn't grasp.

Kennedy stared at her wife. Never had the witch been so tongue tied in talking to her. They'd been through so many hard situations and tough times that Kennedy had thought there was nothing that couldn't be said between them. Willow's tentativeness wasn't like the way she'd get when they discussed sex. That timidity was embarrassment and quite adorable. What the brunette was seeing now was shear reluctance by Willow to tell the slayer the whole story. Kennedy wondered what could be so difficult or bad that…

Then it hit her. Kennedy's face went blank. She stared straight out behind Willow…at nothing.

"It killed me…I died in the vision…That's it, isn't it?" The words came out with no emotion.

"Oh, Kenne, baby…We won't let it happen…We're gonna stop it." Several unrelenting tears fell down Willow's cheeks. The dead tone that Kennedy used frightened the witch. She fixated on the blank look on her slayer's face.

Finally, she had to speak. "Kennedy…baby…we'll find a way to change this…nothing's going to happen to you."

After a few moments, the slayer blinked and looked at Willow. "When does?…How?…." Kennedy didn't know where to start asking about the event that was to lead to her death.

Willow let go of her girl's hands and embraced her. She held on for as long as she could until Kennedy leaned back, brown eyes needing to have her questions answered.

"We don't know all the details…We know where…and maybe when, almost…" As hard as it was, Willow went on to tell Kennedy everything she knew about Terri's vision. She told her about the events at the meeting the previous night and about Terri's visit that day. Kennedy found out that in the revelation, the battle took place at the Clearing Place, behind the building near the oak tree. Willow described what they knew of the assailant. The witch disclosed every detail as she watched her slayer stare into space taking it all in. Kennedy was told that it occurred on a rainy night, then she was told about the upcoming weather forecast.

When the redhead was done, she waited for some response from her slayer. The woman's lack of emotion and reaction was scaring her. Willow had no idea what was running through her slayer's mind.

While Willow told the details of the vision, Kennedy was undergoing simultaneous reactions. They were captured within her mind and overwhelming her. Part of her listened to what Willow was saying, assimilating the information as it came out. The brunette was memorizing every fact or assumption uttered. She was thankful that Willow and Samantha were spared in the vision. It made her cringe to think that the villain may have been after the redhead or her beautiful daughter. The thought of someone going after Sammi filled the slayer with hatred.

Another part saw the face of her daughter and Willow, with looks of utter sadness for having to deal with losing her. Still another part wouldn't believe what she was being told. There was no way in hell that the pigheaded part of the Prescott character would let the slayer accept that any demon or evil being could take her from her family. She loved her wife and daughter and would never give that up, even if that meant changing fate.

There was, however, one other small part of Kennedy that knew that what Willow was saying was fact. She was going to die at the hands of some otherworldly presence. She was being told about the day that had lingered in the recesses of her mind ever since she became a slayer. It was the piece of her that she never let anyone see, even Willow-- the part of her that understood and accepted the slayer's destiny. Death would come at the hands of her enemy and it would come at a young age. That had been the way of the slayer for all time. Kennedy knew that the fact that there were multiple slayers didn't change that fate. Slayers were marked women, destined to fight by the side of Good and die at the feet of Evil.

As Willow talked, that part of Kennedy's mind wandered and she went back to a time with her watcher, Thomas Sinclair. It seemed so fresh, like it was yesterday. It was the day she began to understand her fate.

"Kennedy…You know that's not what I meant when I said you needed to be more like a teenage." Thomas Sinclair was walking with the seventeen year old Kennedy through Central Park in New York City. It was three weeks after the car crash that could have cost the brunette her life, but had only ended with a broken arm.

Sinclair had been trying to communicate his concern to his charge for the past hour. The night he was informed of her accident was, oddly enough, one of the scariest times in his life. The man had fought vampires and studied many other demonic creatures, and yet, hearing about the girl's crash left him shaking as much as any of his previous demon encounters. It wasn't until he got to see Kennedy afterwards that his racing heart began to settle to normal.

Kennedy Prescott, possible future vampire slayer, had become more than just a job to him. Sinclair had known the girl since she was eight years old. He watched her turn from a precocious child to an amazing young woman. Before his eyes, and with the help of his training, Kennedy had become a beautiful, smart and uniquely qualified potential. The girl's thirst for more…more training, harder sparing, better weapons, was impressive to the man. He could tell when he initially started with the self dependent tyke that Kennedy liked being the best at what she did.

Thomas Sinclair knew from where that part of her character came. He was well aware of Jackson Prescott and his reputation in the financial circles. The Watcher's Council had a dossier on not only Kennedy but on the father as well. Sinclair saw how Jackson Prescott demanded the best from his daughter. And Kennedy always responded. By the time of their talk in the park, Kennedy was an exemplary student, a proficient slayer in training and the epitome of the Prescott family bloodline whenever that was called upon at family or social functions. The brunette knew how to play the part even if she didn't want to. Kennedy did what she needed to do to appease her father so that she could maintain her true passion which was her slayer training.

As the years of training went by, that zeal for her potential destiny was what started to itch at the watcher. Thomas Sinclair watched the slow disintegration of the brunette's bond with her father. She became more distant with him and the rest of her family, more and more emotionally distant. He saw her put up walls to any real display of vulnerability. He could see that Kennedy always played like she was in control, like there was never anything wrong in her life. With each passing year, the brunette became more self-reliant, afraid to let others in for fear of rejection like she experienced from her mother and father.

The more skilled she became and the better she got in terms of taking on the slayer responsibility, the less the girl was willing to admit that she ever needed help. By the time she was seventeen, Kennedy Prescott had an air of cockiness and rich indulgence; characteristics the watcher knew hid a scared girl. "Never let them see you flinch." It was a comment said to him one day by the Prescott father, but the watcher saw that same motto lived by the daughter.

That 'I can do what I want attitude' by Kennedy had a different outlet when it came to her 'off time' from training. Sinclair knew the brunette was gay. That lightening bolt hit him one day as they walked the streets of Greenwich Village. As they made their way to a gym, the watcher noticed how most men ogled over the newly turned sixteen year old. Even then, Kennedy had an overt sensual appeal about her. She was tight in all the right places and curvy where it counted. She walked with a stride that implied she knew how to have a good time. Thomas watched as his charge paid no attention to any of the men's reactions. She just kept walking. The only time he noticed her attention averted was to glance at a very attractive Chinese woman looking at a jacket in an antique clothing store. It wasn't just a look; it was a 'look' that he saw in the brunette's eyes. His conclusion about Kennedy's sexuality was confirmed when he found out about Jackson's wife catching the girl with a girlfriend in a compromising position. A maid who overheard the discussion between Jackson and Julia told him. It wasn't too much later that Kennedy herself revealed her orientation to him.

Thomas Sinclair could have cared less that Kennedy was a lesbian. His focus was on her slayer training. What she did behind closed doors was none of his concern. However, the potential's behavior of late had become reckless, and wasn't limited to her driving which had led to the broken arm. The brunette started to stay out late, all night at times, and was 'associating' with a variety of women. By the time of their Central Park discussion, Kennedy Prescott was pushing the envelope to her 'I don't need anyone' life in many different ways.

The one-on-one discussion was supposed to be Sinclair's chance to put the focus back to Kennedy's life. The problem was the watcher was having trouble deciding what that focus should be. When Kennedy concentrated on her slaying, she was intense. Everything else was shut out of her view. But that was not the life that he wanted for his student. Sinclair also wanted Kennedy to experience living but not at an arm's length distance. He knew the destiny of a slayer, the loneliness and burden carried by "The Chosen." Thomas knew that if Kennedy did become the slayer, then any chance of a normal life was gone. She'd never get to do all those things that girls her age take for granted. She'd never really get to experience love the way it was meant to be or even see her way through her adulthood.

Being the slayer meant a life of sacrifice and an early death. As much as no watcher wanted that for his student and as much as they fought against it happening, the slayer's destiny always won out. So many girls went to their death being able to claim the title of vampire slayer but not much more. As proud as Sinclair was of Kennedy and as sure as he was that she'd make a great slayer, he also wanted her to be just a regular girl.

The watcher found himself in a dichotomy. His job was to prepare Kennedy Prescott to be a vampire slayer. To do that, he had to make her strong and hard of body and mind. The very things he wanted Kennedy to feel inside and hold onto to show she was a real person were the parts of the brunette that he had to train out of her. If she was distant and unaccepting of help, it was partly his fault.

After finding out that Kennedy's car crash was the result of a drunken rage against her father, Sinclair knew he had to do something. He had to make the girl see the fragile nature of her existence. And so, they had their walk through Central Park.

"Thomas, all I got was a broken arm…I'll be fine in a few weeks. Besides, it was a great party that I left…You really need to be more specific when you say have a good time." Kennedy was pretending to be indifferent to the discussion her watcher requested.

"We've talked about this, Kennedy…You shouldn't be so cavalier about your personal life."

The man drew in his lips and sighed. "You think that you can go through life only relying on yourself…You can't…You shouldn't…" Sinclair wanted Kennedy to treasure the life she had now, treat it tenderly and get the most out of it because he knew if she became the slayer it would slip away. The man decided he had to lay the whole dirty truth out in open view.

"Kennedy…You are the best student I've ever had. I've never seen anyone so prepared to be called upon to be the slayer…If you are one day the slayer, I know you'll do the legacy proud…" Sinclair hesitated in his steps and words. He looked at the brunette. "But being the slayer will change your life forever…and not just in the ways you romanticize…You 'will' spend your life saving innocents and keeping evil from gripping onto this world…but…what you give up to do that honored obligation…is a normal life."

Kennedy was now also looking at the watcher. "Thomas, if you haven't noticed, my life isn't so normal now." The watcher chuckled half heartedly. "Besides, I know what happens…you've told me a hundred times."

Sinclair looked away. "No…you really don't…or you wouldn't be so flippant about your life now." He glanced at the brunette and saw a bewildered and somewhat offended expression. "You need to live your life now, not just walk through it uncaring, Kennedy…because if you become the slayer…you won't have that luxury."

The man stared at the potential. He could see that she still didn't know what he meant. He took another path. "Tammy Colder was seventeen, Iony Wie eighteen…Kendra Marley was sixteen…The slayer before her only made it to nineteen…The oldest slayer was twenty-five when she…" Thomas Sinclair looked Kennedy in the eyes. "You can't waste your life…because if you become the slayer…you won't have much time to live it."

The watcher saw the startled and unsettling look come over his charge's face. Never would he have thought that he'd be telling Kennedy such a gloomy picture of her possible future. But the girl was so alone in the world, lots of 'friends' but no real connections, that he worried for her. He saw how distant she was, so unyielding to allowing the chance for someone to get close because she might get hurt. He knew that if she didn't take down her wall now, she'd never be able to once she was a slayer.

Kennedy tried to dismiss his concerns. She pretended that he was just being overly fatherly because of the scare she'd given him. She smiled and jokingly said, "Don't worry about me, Thomas…I'm a Prescott…You wait and see…I'll live to be a hundred."

Sinclair responded quickly. "This is not a joke, Kennedy…Do you think I like saying this?…That I enjoy knowing that my job could lead to your death?" The man was visibly upset now. "You have no idea how precious your time is…all slayers die young…That's why I've trained you so hard…To try to push that day as far back as possible…but I can't stop it from coming…and all I see now is you wasting what real time you have…" Sinclair stopped. He had said too much.

Kennedy stood there and just stared at the man. She knew the slayer story. Knew that one had to die for the next to be called. But Sinclair's words this time resonated in her. It was as if she'd heard them for the first time. The event that she had been waiting her entire life to happen would end up killing her. She opened her eyes to the fact that if she ever became the slayer she'd be living on borrowed time. For the first time in her life, Kennedy Prescott really contemplated her own death and understood the reality of the slayer legacy. As much as she wanted to be the slayer, she now realized that the tradeoff would be death at an early age. A flame that blazed but for a blink of the eye.

That day in the park changed Kennedy's outlook. It wasn't that she no longer wanted to be the slayer; she did. However, the potential accepted the price she would pay for that destiny. After that conversation, she trained for excellence. She knew the only thing she could do was try to forestall death, not send it packing home. She wasn't, however, able to noticeably alter her personality when it came to letting people in. She had set that stone in mortar and it wouldn't be until a delicate redhead captured her interest and heart that the wall would come down.

Kennedy sat on the bed staring into space. Her mind was pulling her in all different directions. She finally looked at Willow. The slayer thought, 'How could I leave her?…leave Sammi?' Then she heard the redhead speak.

With that, Kennedy shot into the present. "You won't fight a damn thing…I don't want you anywhere near whatever this thing is."

Kennedy shook her head. "No, if there's a way out of this, I do it…I won't have you or Sammi in danger."

The redhead didn't understand why her slayer was taking this position. "That's crazy…When we figure out how to change this, I'll do whatever I need to do to keep you alive."

Willow looked upset. "Neither of us are going to die…Terri's vision doesn't have to happen."

Kennedy turned and looked deeply into crimson eyes. "You told me she's never wrong…all her visions were true…You made a big deal about that…I can't take the chance of whatever this thing is getting you too…We don't know what comes after the vision ends."

Willow shook her head slowly, an uncomprehending expression on her face. "What you're saying makes no sense…I have to help you…that's the only way we'll be able to stop this vision from happening…"

The witch was at a total loss for her slayer's reaction. She had expected Kennedy to stomp up and down, screaming and yelling that fate wasn't going to tell her what to do. The brunette's statements sent Willow for a loop. She got off the bed and stood before her slayer. "No, this isn't supposed to happen…it won't…I won't lose you."

Kennedy glanced to the floor and then up at her wife again. So much of Kennedy agreed with her witch. She wouldn't give in to a vision; she would fight to the end to alter her destined future. And she would; she would try to escape her foretold end so long as she was sure that Willow and Samantha would not be in danger of being hurt while she did it. She couldn't bear the thought of Willow or her daughter falling to evil while trying to save her. She wouldn't allow it.

The part of her that wanted to live, that wanted it desperately, knew she had to be able to do it without Willow being there. The witch could help think of the way to beat her enemy, but then she had to keep their daughter away from harm. The match could only involve the slayer and the evil force. If that wasn't enough, then so be it.

"I'm not putting you in danger, Will…that's final…You didn't sign up for that…I did."

Willow got angry. "What the hell does that mean? I can't help my wife to stay alive?…I'm sorry to inform you but that's exactly what I signed up for."

Kennedy wasn't going to let Willow have her way on this one. "No way, Willow…If you can find an out, I'm all for it…believe me, I don't wanna die…but you're not getting anywhere near whatever that thing is in the vision."

"Are you trying to be some kind of a hero?" Willow's voice got angrier. "Because this is no time for the Prescott 'I can handle anything' crap…This is your life we're talking about, Kennedy."

The slayer snapped back. "Don't you think I know that?…Don't you think the thought of leaving you and Sammi scares the shit outta me?" Kennedy was also off the bed and pacing.

Willow reached out and grabbed her slayer by the arm. Adamantly, "Then what is your problem?…Why are you giving in?"

"I'm not…I just don't want you or Sam to get hurt." Kennedy wouldn't look at Willow.

The witch pulled at her arm again. "That's not all of it…I know you Kennedy…I now when you're holding back…What is it?"

The slayer finally looked at her witch. Courageously, "What if the vision's true?…It fits that it's real…" Kennedy hesitated. "I'm a slayer, Willow…We don't get to live like normal people."

Willow got a blank look on her face and she let go of the brunette's arm. She couldn't speak for a few moments. She was taking in the impact of the slayer's words. "You think you have to die?" The witch couldn't fathom how her girl could make such a statement.

Kennedy didn't know how to explain what she felt to her redhead. Before Willow, Kennedy had embraced her slayer potential. She wanted it to happen even though she knew the price would be a short life. She knew the good she would do outweighed the destiny she would join. Then she met that fragile redhead and her life changed forever. She still wanted her slayer calling, but that was tempered by her need for the redhead. When they fell in love with each other, the reality of a slayer's life got pushed back in the slayer's mind. She tried to hide it. The brunette's only thoughts were of spending the rest of her life with Willow. When she thought of the two of them, their lives went on for years in the future. That image only got stronger when Samantha was born. Kennedy refused to think of a future that didn't include watching her daughter grow up.

The 'couple' Kennedy and the 'mother' Kennedy kept the door closed to the reality of her slayer destiny. However, every time Kennedy grabbed her crossbow or stuck a stake in her boot as she prepared for patrolling, that reality whispered to her. Each vampire she dusted or demon killed opened a small passage in her mind where she heard the faint voice of her slayer fate. Never a day went by when she wasn't reminded in some minute manner that she was still a slayer, slave to the ending that begot all slayers. It was a feeling that she never shared with Willow; she couldn't. How could she tell the woman that she loved more than life itself that they were never meant for a long and happy life? Kennedy knew she would love Willow until the day she died. The slayer just accepted the fact that that day would come too soon.

The brunette finally answered Willow. "Yes, it means I die…whether I want to or not."

Kennedy shook her head vigorously. "No…no…I don't want to…but slayer's die…You know that."

Willow was never so angry with Kennedy as right at that moment. "Just because you're a slayer, you think you have no choice but to die?"

Kennedy didn't want to keep Willow's devoted hopes alive. She had to make the girl understand her slayer's destiny. She looked directly at her. "I've known since I was a potential what it meant to be slayer…the obligation…the duty…I also understood that if I became the slayer, I'd be lucky to see twenty-five…"

Willow interrupted. "But that was before…You're not the only one now…It's all different."

Kennedy gave a disingenuous half smile. "Is it really?…You know how many girls have already died…They were all younger than me."

"But you're a better fighter than them…They made mistakes." Willow was frantic to show her slayer why she was wrong.

Kennedy couldn't stand to see her redhead get so desperate. She went over and embraced her witch. "Baby, I want it to be different…I swear I do…but I'm a slayer just like them…I can't expect it to be different because of us."

Willow got rigid and harshly pulled away from her brunette. She had a stern, frightened look. Chopping her words, "NO!…NO!…You will not do this…I will not let you give in."

Kennedy tried to reach for the witch but Willow jerked away. "Willow…I'm not giving up…but I can't pretend I'm not a slayer…The day in Terri's vision has always been out there…We can't…" Willow threw her hands up and cut off the slayer. She spat the words at the brunette.

"Is that how you see this?…You always knew you'd be killed?…You thought that when we got married?…When we had Samantha?…How could you do that?…How could tell me you'd be with me?" Willow's voice cracked by the end of her speech. The tears were streaming down her face and she was visibly shaking. "I fell in love with you…I didn't do the slayer spell to get this…I wouldn't of…I don't want part of a life with you…I want all of it." Willow turned around and headed for the door.

Kennedy ran behind her and wrapped her arms around the witch. She wouldn't let Willow move.

The redhead struggled to get free. "Let me go!…Let me…go." Willow broke down even more.

Kennedy wouldn't release her. The slayer was also on the verge of tears. She placed her cheek on the redhead's shoulder. "Willow, please…baby…don't cry…I did want to grow old with you…I do…Every part of me does…I don't want to die…and leave you and Sammi…" Kennedy held the witch's arms and turned her body facing her. "I love you both so much…" She was now gripping the sides the Willow's face, her face so close to the witch's that they could feel each other's breath. "But I'm a slayer…I can't undo that…I wanna be with you forever, but…I'm…I'm scared, Willow…I'm scared I can't get out of this one."

The two women clung to each other, hearts pounding as they fell to the floor, the burden of the vision too much for their legs to bear. They stayed that way until the frantic emotion emptied from them. Willow pulled back and touched some stray hair on Kennedy's face, pushing it out of brown eyes.

"Baby, don't be scared…Things are different…We're different…You and me, that's why you won't be like the other slayers…I won't let you go, Kennedy."

The witch leaned in and kissed her wife. "Nothing will…but you can't give in…you have to forget all that slayer stuff…and promise me that we'll do this together."

The love in those emerald eyes almost made Kennedy think she could believe in anything. She had taken her witch to the edge of reason and for that Kennedy was deeply regretful. She had never wanted to let the redhead think that their relationship was anything but the truest, purest experience she'd ever had. Every word ever spoken to Willow about their life and her feelings for the redhead was the absolute truth. Kennedy thought about what Willow said, how she couldn't give in or up. The slayer wanted her life. She knew she had to let Willow help her in keeping it. She owed her and Samantha that, at the very least.

"Ok, Will…You and me…We'll find a way to stop this thing from happening." Upon saying those words, seemingly the weight of the world floated off Kennedy's shoulders. Willow hugged her firmly. The slayer heard her say "I love you."

As calmness seeped back into Kennedy, that tiny voice came to her, in a low, soft, hardly cognizant murmur. 'You can't stop it…'

Eyes stared back at her through the rear view mirror as she drove from Sasomet's home. They were the eyes that had made the Native believe every word she told him. He had been a believer since their first encounter. The hypnotic quality of her eyes and voice made sure of that. The seer drove with the feeling of victory in her grasp. She had just told her accomplice of the latest developments in their plan. Of course, the woman only divulged those facts that were necessary for Sasomet to hear. The full extent of the last day and a half was kept from him like a very important secret. As she drove, the seer mulled over the mixed emotions shown by the man.

"It happens tomorrow…Your revenge is near…The slayer will be yours alone." The seer had told Sasomet that the time to kill Kennedy Prescott, descendant of the murderer of his family, had arrived. She told him that she had put events in motion to assure that the brunette's lover, the witch, would not be able to give aid to the slayer in any form. Kennedy would fall for his ruse and agree to help him by herself. The plan would be brought to its fruition in a mere twenty-four hours. The seer explained to the Native that "by the time the clock strikes midnight bringing in Labor Day, the slayer will be dead."

Now that the time was upon him, Sasomet was not as ready as he thought he would be. He had tried to have an empty heart when it came to his mission. A part of him understood that this death would be the only way to begin bringing justice to the wrong done his family and people. When he let himself focus only on the tragedy to his ancestors, the job he was about to do was bearable and even heroic. But just when Sasomet put his mind in the posture for revenge, the face of the slayer would appear.

That face was not of a killer or even one guilty of bitter thoughts. The face he saw was of an extraordinary woman; one filled with a duty of righteousness and bravery. Immediately, the struggle would start. The two halves of Sasomet fought for dominance. Could he take that extra step and take a life? Would he extinguish a being because of the wrongs done by another from another time? In the end, the warrior Sasomet, the man self-charged with protecting the history and integrity of the Wampanoag, won out. Either the seer or his own voice of vengeance would drown out the whispers of forgiveness and cloud the face of the slayer.

"Are you sure they'll come when called?" Sasomet was still astounded by the seer's planned attack. He had been told that his battle with the slayer would not be fought alone. The seer told the man how Kennedy would be defeated once the plan was well under way and the slayer brought to the chosen battle ground. The Native was given the incantation to arouse the sprits of his people. In a manner of speaking, Sasomet was going to raise the dead. He had in his possession the words for a spell that would bring to this dimension warrior spectors from long ago. These "ghosts" would be corporeal but not of human endowment. They could fight and kill but not be mortally wounded by blade nor bullet. They were much like vampires except they were not demonic. These spirit warriors were brought forth for revenge of their legacy. They would help Sasomet defeat the vampire slayer. The seer promised that he and the spirits would easily overpower the slayer. Kennedy Prescott would come to her demise alone and defenseless, much like many of his ancestors. Sasomet knew the powerful magicks that had to have been forged by the seer to yield such results. For the first time, the Native shuddered at the incredible cosmic strength that the woman bore.

The seer saw the anxiousness in the man. "The spell is true. Use it when I told you to and your brethren will rise to your defense." The seer also saw the hesitancy in the Native's speech. "Sasomet, you are so close to avenging your people…to being as brave a warrior as Philip was…Don't be fooled by the slayer's charm and appearance. She is as rooted in the blood of evil as Church himself…You know she must pay…She must die."

Sasomet looked into those eyes that had tied his will for months. When the seer spoke, he believed. Her eyes told him she spoke the truth. He could do nothing but trust the woman. Staring at her, knowing his judgment day was so close, the man nodded. His mind had been strangled again in its desire. "The slayer will die…No mercy…No innocents."

The seer played her meeting with the Native over again as she drove to her abode. She loved her power of appearing like any other woman and yet carrying the ability to make anyone in her web see reality as she deemed fit. She had created the past and present for Sasomet because her real plan demanded it. He was as much a pawn in her game of retribution as were the slayer and the witch. There was no one in her devious play that wasn't being duped on some level. They all had unknowing roles in the greatest illusion that any woman touched by the avenging spirit ever dreamt. Within one day, she would cause the death of one of the world's most powerful witches and one of the most prominent slayers. Those eyes staring at herself in the rear view mirror saw only victory.

"Ok, Dawnie, we're pulling in the parking lot right now." Willow said good bye and closed her cellphone. She glancd at Kennedy, "You know she must think we're crazy."

Kennedy put the car in park and shut off the engine. "I don't care. We needed to make sure nothing happened to Sammi. Besides, it's not like we sent cops over stake out her apartment." The brunette was referring to the fact that on their way over to Dawn's place, Willow had been on the cell phone talking to her the entire time. In fact, the call started while they were still at their own home.

After the slayer and witch had finished their talk about Pallouda's vision and how they needed to work together, Kennedy asked about Samantha. Willow told her that she had Dawn take her to her apartment so they wouldn't be disturbed. Willow could tell that Kennedy wanted her daughter after the emotional rollercoaster she'd been through. "I'll call Dawn and have her bring her back." The redhead did, but got a busy signal. "I think that girl lives on the phone."

When Terri left after their meeting earlier in the day, Willow had originally thought to keep Samantha home with her to help Kennedy focus on the important things in her life as she was told about the vision. Then, the redhead decided that it would be better if just she and her slayer dealt with it. So she called Dawn to see if she could take the child for a few hours. Willow called two times and with each she got a busy signal. She didn't want to bother Terri with another request for help so she called Camiia instead. There was no answer at the younger witch's home. Willow tried Dawn again and got another busy signal. Willow finally decided to give Terri a call. She was directed to the woman's voicemail. When the redhead tried Dawn for a third and final time, she got through.

"Geez, Dawnie, what are you sixteen again?…You spend all your time on the phone."

Dawn told Willow she was talking to a researcher she knew from Brown about demonic premonitions. She was trying to get some new information on Terri's vision. "Will, it bothers me that this is the only vision Terri's had where the images and events aren't clear…Something's up, I know it."

Willow agreed that the uncertainty of the images was perplexing but right now she had other things with which to deal. She let Dawn know of her plan to tell Kennedy and asked if she could babysit for a while. Buffy's sister said yes and within a half hour she was at Willow's ready to take Samantha.

Before she left with the girl, Dawn discussed her concerns with Willow some more. They started to think that the evil force that had been lurking around might be the figure in Pallouda's vision. They couldn't determine however who the thing was after. Of course, Willow thought it had to be Kennedy because she was the slayer stopping so many of the underworld's plots for evil doing. Dawn reminded the redhead how powerful she was and how it wouldn't be the first time the redhead was the target.

Then Willow got a flushed look. "What if it's after Sammi?" The redhead knew that her daughter had not exhibited any kind of magickal or slayer powers. However, she also knew that didn't mean that Samantha didn't possess them. "What if someone knows something about her we don't…or if they think she's got power because she's from me and Kenn?" Willow hated to think that she and Kennedy were the reason that something would be after their daughter.

"Hold on, Willow. First, how could anyone know something about Sam that you and Kennedy don't even know?…You're her parents. You'd know if she was 'special.'…Second, nobody knows Samantha is from you and Kennedy except the Scoobies and your parents…No one has told anybody about that." Dawn realized that Willow wouldn't be thinking rational because of this. It was Dawn's responsibility to make the redhead see things more clearly and from a less guilt stricken position.

"I guess you're right…It does seem more probable that it's after me or Kenne." Willow had regained some sense of calm.

The witch also told Dawn about the strange image that came to her that night with Kennedy and the faint sound of "betrayal." Of course, Willow didn't say that it came to her during their lovemaking; she was much too modest for that. She did say that they were in bed when it happened.

"I don't know who or what it was, Dawnie…It coulduv even been this thing out there somehow getting in my head. I don't know anyone who would do anything to hurt me or Kennedy." Willow didn't tell Dawn that the matter happened the night she and Kennedy had the fight about Terri and Camilia. There was a little part of the redhead that thought maybe what occurred was her mind's way of chastising herself for allowing things to go as far as they did with the two other witches. "Nothing makes much sense to me anymore." Willow was frustrated.

Dawn tried to comfort the witch and told her that they'd decipher all the obscurities in front of them. "We've been in the dark before, Will…We always turn the lightbulb on before it's too late…We'll do it again, I know we will." Though they didn't solve the problems, the talk gave both of them something to contemplate.

When Willow called Dawn to ask her to bring Sammi home, the phone was once again busy. During the time they waited to try the woman again, Kennedy let her mind wander. Then she got a weird look on her face.

"No, I mean we don't know how we all end up at the Clearing Place…How do we know Sammi's not kidnapped and brought there to get us to go?"

Willow saw the wheels turning in Kennedy's head. "But the vision took place at night and it was raining…It's still daytime and not a drop of rain expected."

Kennedy shook her head. "Will, we don't know what happens before what Terri saw…What if someone takes Dawn and Sammi and we don't find them until tomorrow?" There was concern in the slayer's voice.

Initially, Willow thought Kennedy was being too cautious. But the slayer did have a point. All they knew was the scene in Terri's vision. What happened before or after was anyone's guess. "I should go get her then," the witch said.

"No, I don't want you two alone…I think both of us should go. Call Dawn again."

That was how the half hour conversation with Dawn came about. Willow got through to the girl who had been talking to Buffy. The redhead told her their concern and made Dawn stay on the line until they got to her apartment. Then they picked up Sammi and headed home before it got dark.

The Prescott/Rosenbergs stayed inside their home that night. As much as Kennedy wanted to patrol, she knew she had to pass this night. She couldn't risk something happening to her wife and child because she felt the need to scope a few graveyards for vamps. Willow spoke with Buffy and Giles about the recent events. Buffy offered to come to lend assistance but Willow declined. She knew Cleveland was in the middle of some heavy demonic disturbances. She had kept in contact with Buffy and Xander and was informed that the city was shaping up to be a mini-Sunnydale. They'd already lived through a near apocalypse. Willow knew that she and Kennedy could figure out a solution to their problem together. It reminded Willow of the times that the Scoobies prevented apocalypses without seeking out Angel, even though the vampire was only several hours away in Los Angeles. Evil was everywhere, and it had to be stopped many times without the help from others. Willow knew that she and Kennedy worked well as a team despite their lack of doing so in the past few months.

The witch's talk with Giles was to see if the watcher had any input on the evil in the town or Terri's dream. He too had been kept abreast of the force that had been shadowing the Middleton area. Willow now let him know about Terri's vision and asked him if he could look into his resources for any clue to a solution. Giles knew that, being in London, he was only of use to the slayer and witch through his resource materials. There were times when Giles disliked the fact that he ran the Council and Slayer Network. He had basically become the CEO of an international conglomerate. Gone were the days when he could personally assist in the every day lives of the slayers in the world. He missed being able to directly help the Scoobies whom he would always think of as family. He missed the interaction he had with those people and the grassroot affect he had on ridding the world of evil. He was too far removed from the real action now. All Giles could do to help his witch and her slayer was to try to find them some useful information.

Kennedy and Willow talked after they got home about what they would have to do to keep Pallouda's vision from occurring. "One thing we can do is stay home and stay together." The slayer figured that so long as she knew where Willow and Samantha were, she could protect them. No one would kidnap them from their own house if she had anything to do with it. "If we don't go anywhere, the vision can't come true."

"But baby, we can't stay here forever…we need to find a way to kill whatever was after you in the vision." Willow understood Kennedy's desire to keep them safe but hiding from the enemy wasn't going to end their dilemma.

"For right now, it works for me…It'll give us time to figure out how to get this thing."

Willow also told her Dawn's conclusion that Samantha probably wasn't the target of the assailant. Kennedy started to agree and then pondered, "Unless she's gonna be used as bait…We'd do anything…go anywhere to keep her safe." That comment made the redhead begin to worry again about their daughter's safety.

After dinner, Dawn called. She was worried about the state of her friends. She was busy tracking her sources for possible help and planned on meeting a colleague later on that night. Willow told her to be careful and to call with any information.

The witch and slayer continued to talk about a plan. The whole time either Willow or Kennedy held Samantha. Neither parent wanted to let their daughter be without them for a second.

By the end of the evening, a plan of attack had been sketched out. If it was accurate that the following night was the night of the event, then Kennedy knew she would have to fight her antagonist. Terri's vision had laid out one future. As far as Willow could tell, they could alter events to stop it. Just because they knew the actions would be different didn't affect the vision from still going forward. The future in Terri's vision would play out but with the altered actions planned by the couple.

They both concluded that the evil presence that had been around for several months was the form in Terri's vision. "That's the only thing that makes sense." Kennedy agreed with Willow. It didn't matter who the thing was after; it had to be killed. The witch vetoed a plan by Kennedy to go to the Clearing Place on her own the following night. "You are not going there alone…You don't know what you'd be up against."

Kennedy however was not about to let Willow be physically present at the site either. After some argument, they decided to get Faith involved. The only way Willow would be satisfied with not being with her slayer for the fight was if another slayer was with her. Kennedy said that the ones in Boston were not ready for a mission like this. Willow told her about Buffy's unavailability. Kennedy suggested giving Faith a call. Willow knew how well the two slayers fought together and overwhelmingly agreed.

"How about tomorrow afternoon…I've got the site pretty well scoped out and mapped, so you won't have any trouble getting up to speed."

Kennedy's call with the older slayer went easily. She informed Faith of the background facts and her present dilemma. She heard Faith give an understanding "uh huh" when informed that Willow wanted a second slayer present. She told Kennedy that she'd be on the way over as soon as she delivered an ancient talisman to a coven woman in the morning. "Take me twenty minutes max in the a.m. and then I'll hit the big blue skies for your neck of the woods." Since the battle wasn't going to occur until nightfall, Faith's arrival would work out just fine.

They also talked about some other "tricks" that Willow could do to make their altered actions appear to be closer to the one's done in Pallouda's vision. "I've got some potions that'll do the job," the witch said confidently.

"Ok, so we seem to have a good grip on this…The big evil thing is expecting to fight me tomorrow…It'll be at the Clearing Place. I'll show up, but instead of with you and Sam, I'll have Faith." Willow nodded her head in agreement. "You'll stay here with Sammi to make sure nothing happens to her…" Kennedy told Willow that she was the only one who was strong enough to protect their daughter. "Get Dawn to come over just in case…You need to stop anything from taking either or both of you…Maybe you can put a barrier or force shield around the house…That'd keep even the nosey neighbor down the street out." Willow chuckled at her slayer's attempt to lighten the mood.

"But you need to keep in touch with me, Kenne…We can mindspeak if you can't use your cell phone…I need to know how you're doing…If I think you're in trouble, I'll teleport, I swear…" Willow was not going to allow her slayer go off into the darkness without a clue as to her well-being, even if there was another slayer by her side. Willow knew that she could sense Kennedy's presence. Their bond had gotten that strong. If the girl got in trouble, she'd sense her location and teleport to save her. Willow made Kennedy understand that she wouldn't put up with unnecessary heroics by her slayer.

By midnight, the witch and slayer had their plan almost worked out. Samantha was asleep on the slayer's lap. The child didn't know that her future was also on the line. Both parents had an unspoken knowledge that their first real concern was the protection of their daughter. Her safety came first and neither would allow anything to hurt her. She would be kept out of harm's way no matter what the cost. The parents realized the best way to do that was to assure the safety of her mothers. Together, they could stay a strong family.

When Kennedy and Willow went to bed that night, they had Samantha with them. They placed the girl in between them and lay on their sides facing each other. Their arms were draped over the other's hip. They spent quite a while just looking at each other and their daughter. Neither could sleep. They knew the state of their happiness hinged on their plan being successful. Both women kept the thoughts of what a failed plan would mean out of their thoughts. The night was for gaining confidence in what they were about to do.

Kennedy and Willow finally drifted off to sleep, each knowing that in a few hours the fate of their life together would start to unfold.

The heavy darkness lifted like a curtain on a play and Willow found herself looking down at Kennedy holding her in the rainy night. It was as if the witch had a balcony seat to the tragic scene that unfolded before her. The redhead, though, was not physically above for she lay motionless on the ground embraced by her slayer. Though it was still raining, Willow felt no drops upon her skin. She felt no wind, nor cold. In fact, the witch didn't 'feel' herself at all. There was no body hovering above; this was no astral projection.

Willow, the corporeal being, was on the ground. It was the witch's essence, her soul, that was outside the events occurring below. The redhead's presence wasn't in the night surroundings; it was a part of it, as much the surroundings as the air itself.

The entire scene the redhead saw below her was shattering. Willow viewed her car oddly tilted down at an angle in the deep ditch off the side of the road. The right front end was crushed against the trunk of a massive maple tree. It appeared from her vantage point that the front right tire wasn't even on the ground. The vehicle's left head light was still on, beaming a stream of light into the area where her physical self and Kennedy were. The front windshield was shattered on the driver's side as if something or someone had smashed into it. The driver's side door hung wide open on its hinges. The driver's side airbag hung spent from the steering wheel. Dashboard lights flickered. The redhead could see steam rising from the twisted engine compartment and liquid dripping from underneath it.

After scanning that image, Willow's view made its way back to the two figures nearby. The slayer and her self were about twenty feet from the wrecked Infinity. She watched as Kennedy hugged and rocked the body lying on the ground. She heard the brunette beg the witch to hold on, to wake up. The slayer's voice sounded so frightened and lost. Willow could hear strained breathes mingled with crying from her wife. She wanted so desperately to reach out and comfort her slayer, to calm the girl's frantic mind and breaking heart.

Willow knew what was happening to her. She was dying; her essence was leaving this plane of existence to move on to whatever was in the great beyond. She was 'betwixt' dimensions. This was her chance to view her girl for the last time in this world. There was a serene quality about her exit from this reality. She felt none of the living human emotion of regret and loss. Willow knew her death was brought about so that her slayer and daughter could live. Only in her passing did she pave the way for a future for Kennedy and Samantha. Instead of thinking about all the tomorrows she would never have with them, Willow thought only of their wonderful past, the rich and amazing life she'd had because they had been in it.

Looking at her slayer kneeling beside her motionless body, Willow remembered her time with Kennedy. The translucent memories flashed in front of her like a sheer canvass between her and the scene on the ground. The witch saw the day of Kennedy's arrival at Buffy's when the then potential made an open flirtation to her. She saw the time that followed and how she began to notice those chocolate eyes searing into her. There was the witch's own reaction, her mind telling her to ignore the advances but her body tingling in dissent. Then came their first kiss when her mind abandoned its post and joined in with the pleas from her body. How Willow had wanted that kiss. She never told Kennedy that she was grateful for the brunette's aggressive nature. All during their time at The Bronze during their first 'date' and the drive home, Willow fought between her feelings of guilt and her desire to kiss those lips.

The scenes jumped to Willow struggling with her body's new found desire and her heart's birth of new feelings for someone not a blue eyed witch. She witnessed her hesitation, her excuses and then finally her submission. She tried to tell herself it was the moment, the world ending possibility that fostered her feelings for the brunette. She fooled herself into thinking that what she and Kennedy shared was because of the strain of the times in Sunnydale.

The life with Kennedy moved to their first night together when the witch surrendered completely to the brunette. It was that night that Willow now realized sealed her future with Kennedy. The redhead had decided to let go of all control. She knew that for the brunette she wanted to abandon all restraint. She could not fake her way through it; the potential deserved so much more. She deserved everything Willow could give. The witch couldn't hold back with Kennedy; she didn't want to. Her need to experience the potential and the girl's reassuring words allowed Willow to take yet another step toward a new life. It was during that night, in the middle of their first time together, that Willow realized she wanted to move on, that she had to.

Willow's images forwarded to the couple's declaration of their love after the slayer almost gave up her life to the Trudeiro. She heard her brunette express her feelings and could almost still experience the warmth she got when she heard the words, "I love you" said for the first time. The redhead remembered how good it felt to hear that, but how much more filled with satisfaction she was when she returned the words to an ever waiting brunette.

The frames of the slayer's and witch's life rolled on. She saw their time in Brazil and the happiness and sorrow they shared. There were the regular moments in their life, walking on a beach and reading the paper in bed, mixed in the incredible feats done because they were a slayer and a witch. From the mundane to the astonishing, Willow saw everything. From battling a sensitive dishwasher to an insane demon hell bent on revenge, each moment in her life was as special as the one before. None could be left out.

The created life's film slowed when it came to Samantha's conception and her birth. The witch felt the tenderness and love surrounding that time. Their life had been forever changed because of that magnificent child. They had altered nature and were blessed for doing so.

The life kept advancing and there were scenes of the family together and all the precious moments she had with her girls and those she shared with Samantha alone. She watched as she saw her daughter grow and learn, unmasking the traits inherited from her extraordinary parents. There was an overriding sense that nothing more wonderful could ever have happened to the redhead as having her child with Kennedy.

The reel of her existence slowed as the move to Middleton and the ensuing year raced before her. It ended with the view she saw below. Though it felt like a lifetime, the recollection of her past took but a heart beat of time. Looking at the slayer and her self, everything was laid out before Willow. The reason for her impending death, the actions that led to it, was as if scripted from a tragic Hollywood love story. Her essence saw it all. Willow saw her enemy's face, the one that took the form of a betraying friend. She saw the deception and remembered the battle she fought to keep Kennedy and her child alive. Willow knew why she was on the road that stormy night, her effort to fight through her injuries. She knew how and why her car crashed. The essence of Willow knew it all even if the shell of the woman lying on the ground recalled nothing.

There was a peacefulness that was a part of the witch's soul. Even though she was leaving that which meant the world to her, Willow knew Kennedy would go on; the slayer would stay strong. She knew her wife would make certain that their daughter remained safe and loved. Willow felt a happy life in store for her family. That was all she ever wanted; that was why she was willing to give up her life.

The witch's essence felt an upward pull and the view below her grew smaller and darker. Willow had said goodbye to the woman and child she loved, to the life she had cherished, and now was drifting to the next phase of eternity.

Kennedy kneeled on the ground next to Willow, holding her wife as close to her as possible. The redhead had been awake and speaking. The slayer prayed for her girl to stay strong. Then, the witch became weaker. She kept trying to speak even though the slayer told her to keep her strength.

Kennedy tried anxiously to make her witch stay conscious. The slayer was distraught and frightened. Like a scared little girl, she just wanted her girl back. Kennedy wanted the redhead to stay strong until the ambulance got to her. As she rocked the woman in her arms, the slayer saw, really for the first time, Willow's car and the sight of the accident that led to the witch's present state.

Seeing it, Kennedy realized that Willow must have won her battle and beaten their enemy. The brunette knew that the witch had then come looking for her, to keep the slayer and their child out of harm's way. Knowing what she knew now about the twisted lies that had been played upon them both, Kennedy's heart broke even more.

The slayer pressed her face against the witch's neck. Tears had won over the attempted façade of strength. "Please, baby…please, hang on…don't leave me…don't leave me." Kennedy begged Willow to hang on for her and for their child. The anguished plea was more whispered to the witch than said. The reply she got from her wife ended in a faint incoherent mixture of sounds. The last sound of her witch's voice came as a thought in her mind. [I love you…You were my way.]. Kennedy felt Willow lose her grasp to the waking world.

The slayer tried to will her wife to consciousness. Touching her redhead's delicate and bloodied neck with her lips, Kennedy could feel Willow's heart beating lightly upon them. The beat was slow and faint.

A moment later, the slayer sensed a slight twitch of the witch's body…and then it went limp.

The heartbeat that was barely noticeable before to the slayer vanished. Kennedy lifted her head in disbelief.

"NNNOOOOOOOO…" The shrill from Kennedy's scream splintered the storm driven night like a razor sharp dagger.

The night before the expected confrontation with the foretold future was long for the slayer and witch. Though their daughter slept like the innocent child she was, Kennedy and Willow found it impossible to rest. They were only able to doze off every so often. It would have nice if they could have gotten a full night's sleep; that would have allowed them to be fresher and stronger. However, that was not the case. Luckily for the brunette, her slayer body was able to handle the lack of sleep. Her unease came more from the unknown. Kennedy hated not being in control and this was the most she'd ever felt that her life was being directed by another.

Kennedy and Willow spent the morning going over and fine tuning their plan. There were however some things that they had to improvise and still some unanswered questions. They still didn't know why the entire family was at the Clearing Place. If Kennedy hadn't known about the vision, she would have taken the day to do more investigations into the evil in the area. Once it turned night, she would have patrolled like she usually did. There were times that she went near the town where the witch's meetings were held, but she'd never actually patrolled the building itself. She couldn't think how she would end up at that spot.

Additionally, there was no witch's meeting for several weeks. For Willow, there was no reason to go to the place and certainly not with Samantha.

The only thing the couple could conclude was that maybe the answers to these issues would become known in the hours before it got dark.

One fact they were sure of was that Willow would not take Samantha to the Clearing Place. They would not leave the house at all, unless Kennedy's life was at stake, and then only the witch would go. To cover that contingency, Willow called Dawn and asked her to come over. Even though the girl wasn't a witch or slayer, she had been in enough battles to help with protecting Sammi.

"Will, of course I'll come over…I'm just waiting to hear back from a colleague of mine. I can't keep thinking that Terri's vision isn't right the way it happened…And I've got a few books to bring over that we can look through…they're filled with very out-of-the usual demons and evil forces. I got it from a library in Bulgaria…on loan."

Willow was impressed with the girl's resources and network. What the witch didn't know was that Dawn was working on several issues concerning the "force" that was seemingly after her or Kennedy. "Ok, Dawnie, but come over as soon as you can…Call me when you're close because I'm gonna put a barrier up at the house and you won't be able to get near the door."

It was Kennedy's idea that Willow whip up a "good ol' barrier shield". Nothing could hurt or kidnap them if it couldn't get in. It would also allow them the time to identify their enemy and devise a plan of escape or confrontation if there was indeed an attack.

One of the other parts of their plan that they had talked about the previous night was how to keep the events that were supposed to happen as close to Terri's vision without actually having them occur. Willow was pretty certain that whatever was after them would be at the Clearing Place that evening. To have the best chance of changing the future events, they needed to keep as close to script as feasible. It was determined that the witch could manifest an aura of her and Samantha that would attach to Faith as she went with Kennedy to ground zero. It would almost be like a hologram in some respects, the witch and daughter appearing and feeling like they were with the slayer while really being at their home. Faith wouldn't have a glammer, nor would it be the essence swapping they did on Kennedy's mother. This would be more like a wolf in sheep's clothing. The outside world would see Willow holding Samantha, but it would only be a mirage.

The couple still needed to know how they got there. If the baddie took them there, then the 'stunt' mother and child wouldn't work.

The issue of how Willow and Samantha ended up at the Clearing Place was answered just after noon. Terri called and told the redhead that she received a phone message from one of the elder members of her coven that there had been a shift in energy at the meeting house. Pallouda said she was told that there was a magickal presence on the property. It was believed that a spirit that several coven witches had tried to contact had finally decided to answer. The 'spirit' was calling for assistance in an effort to bridge the afterworld and the mortal one. Despite the attempts by the ladies, they were unsuccessful in conjuring up the presence. Terri had been asked if she and Willow could go to the Clearing Place and try to free the departed witch.

"Willow, this must be how you're supposed to get there…It must happen after everyone leaves."

The redhead extrapolated on that point. "Kennedy wouldn't be home normally. She would have gone slaying or whatever…So-o-o, for me to go, I'd have to bring Sammi." The fact that the pieces were falling together scared the witch. The day's events were beginning to be put in motion.

By 2pm, Dawn was at the couple's house. She was in the kitchen busy researching through the books she'd brought. The barrier was up and Kennedy was readying her weapons. Willow made the potion to manifest the 'cloaking' on Faith.

Previously, the slayer had talked to Faith who had tickets on the 11:42am flight to Green Airport. That facility was only about a half hour away. The older slayer was expected at their home by 3pm. The plan was moving along and some of the edginess was gone. Even though the time was getting shorter, the couple felt more prepared.

At 3:30pm, when Faith still hadn't showed, Kennedy called her cell phone. She was sent to voicemail. "Hey, Faith? Where the hell are you? Starting to get a little worried here…Don't need you to be fashionably late…Call me."

Kennedy's relieved demeanor changed when she saw who got out of the vehicle. It was George Rousseau.

"What the fuck?" the slayer murmured to herself. She called out to her witch. "Will…let me get through the door…That guy me and Marla saved in the woods is here." The tone was part statement, part confusion.

The redhead walked into the living room with Samantha following. She stared out the window and gave Kennedy a bewildered look. The slayer shrugged her shoulders. "I'll get rid of him quick," Kennedy said in reply to the witch's questioning look. Willow dropped the shield at the door and Kennedy walked out and met the Native at the bottom of the outside steps.

"George, how did you know I live here?" The slayer had never given that information to the man. She noticed he seemed distracted and frazzled.

"Kennedy, I need your help…I don't have any one else to turn to…no one can help me but you." Sasomet's voice sounded frantic.

"Whoa, George, hold on…How did you know to come here?" With her life and possibly that of her family hanging in the balance that day, Kennedy didn't know if the evil presence after her somehow put the man in her driveway.

Slightly agitated, "I-I…I talked to the shaman in my tribe…he knew…a witch in Boston who can feel power…she knew where you were…." The Native shook his head. "What does it matter how I found you?…I did…because you have to help me."

The brunette could see genuine fright in the man. He was jittery and stammered his words. He wasn't the first person to ask for her help, but he was the first to come to her house. Others were usually told that Kennedy would contact them. But, the slayer also knew that she and this Native had a unique connection. They had been brought together too many times for this meeting to be fortuitous. She had felt for some time that she and Rousseau would meet again.

"My niece…They've taken my niece…." The man's eyes welled up. "Those bastards took her and they'll kill her, I know they will." There was anger in his words.

The Wampanoag told his tale to Kennedy. He explained that his tribe had a long history of conflict with the neighboring Narragansett. "It started before the Pilgrims landed here…and never really went away." Sasomet told the brunette that the two tribes originally battled over sacred land, and then money. "For a while, both tribes were so decimated and weak that the conflict stopped just because there was noone to do the fighting…but then Native Americans began to get more power and their land and strength back…and things changed…"

The Native said how the Narragansett leadership, not all but a select unscrupulous few, was angry when the Wampanoag received a large retributions settlement and very large land grant from the State. "They thought they shoulduv gotten most of it…I played a central part of getting the deal together…I was seen as the reason the Narragansett got nothing…These lunatics said I destroyed documents and lied." The man finished his story. "Those same men swore they'd get revenge on me…make me pay for 'what I did'."

When done, the man looked spent. Kennedy asked the obvious question. "How does your niece fit in?"

The man took a picture from his back pocket and handed it to the brunette. It was one of him and a small, young girl. "Simone…she's only nine…She's everything to me…She's like a daughter to me…They know harming her will kill me."

Kennedy folded her arms. "How do you know the Narragansett took her?…Did they call or leave a clue?"

Sasomet got a fierce look in his eyes. "It's them…They wouldn't be so stupid to call…but there was a eagle feather on her bed…That's where they took her from…out of her own home." The Native spoke flatly and stared at the ground.

Kennedy didn't see the connection. "George?…That doesn't prove they took her…maybe, she went off to see a friend…Kids do that."

Sasomet jerked his head to glare at the slayer. "Not Simone…She didn't leave…They took her…The feather?…That's the Narragansett's declaration of war."

"George, you don't need me…You need to go to the police. They can handle these sorts of things better than me." The slayer really didn't believe she was the right person for this matter.

The Native firmly shook his head. "No…there's no time…The police won't be fast enough…or do what needs to be done." The way the man said the last statement, Kennedy knew he meant 'kill them.' "These men are monsters…They won't stop at just hurting her…They'll kill her."

The slayer fidgeted. "I don't kill people, George…I only kill demons. I can't help you."

The man grabbed her by the arm. "Please!…You have to help me…You don't have to kill them…just do enough to get my niece back…I know where they are…You have to help…This is why we kept meeting…for this, right now…So you can save my niece."

Kennedy just stared at the man. He was so desperate and acted like someone at the end of his rope. Kennedy knew she couldn't kill a human being, but she also knew that she couldn't let a young, innocent girl be harmed. Then the slayer wondered if this was part of the events that led to the vision. She needed to know more.

Rousseau's face saw a shimmer of hope. He responded quickly. "Fort Adams, south of here in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. It's where they hold secret meetings every once in a while. The Fort hasn't been used in over two hundred years."

As the slayer and Sasomet talked, Willow watched from the window. She didn't know what was taking so long. When she saw Kennedy get into deeper conversation, the redhead began to worry that Kennedy was going to do something outside their plan. When she saw the slayer pat the man on the arm and turn to go in the house, she was relived. However, the man didn't get in his car and the worry came back.

Kennedy didn't know how she was going to tell her witch that plans had changed. "Will, I know we didn't plan for this…but I gotta go and help George."

Kennedy walked to her wife and held her by the arms. "Willow, his niece has been kidnapped…She's in danger…She's gonna be hurt…or killed." Kennedy held the picture of the girl so the redhead could see it. "She's nine, Will."

The witch felt for the little girl she saw. "Why you?…Is it a demon that took her?"

Kennedy shook her head. "No…but a bunch of very bad guys." Willow interrupted.

"Then let him call the police." Willow still didn't see why Kennedy thought she had to go.

"There's no time. The cops won't believe his story. Believe me, I went through all this with him and this is the only way his niece has a chance."

"But Kenn, this could be what gets you to the Clearing Place…and Faith's not even here yet…You need her."

Kennedy knew she had to help the man. She didn't know how she would make Willow understand that. She was a slayer and if she didn't act and innocent would most likely die. She couldn't let that happen. The slayer obligation came down like a lead weight on the brunette. Even though she was in the middle of fighting for her life, Kennedy knew she had to help the man. Despite the crushing pressure of the death of Marla, the added slayer responsibilities, the knowledge of Julia's sickness and the problems with her relationship with Willow, the slayer had to go. Her problems were inconsequential when it came to fulfilling her slayer duty. It was that simple to Kennedy as she looked at the innocent nine year old face in the picture.

"Will, baby, where his niece is at isn't even near the Clearing Place. It's a fort in Portsmouth, Rhode Island…in the opposite direction…These are regular guys, so I'll be able to deal with this pretty easy…I don't need Faith…I can get in, knock out a few baddies, get the niece and be back in no time."

Kennedy let out a frustrated breath. "I'm a slayer. I can't ignore this. I kept running into this guy for a reason, Will…It's gotta be for this…to help him get his niece back…I have to do this, Willow…You know I do."

The witch stared at her slayer. She didn't like the idea of Kennedy leaving one bit. However, she also knew that her slayer would not allow an innocent, especially a mere child, suffer at the hands of evil. She saw that determined and decided look in her brunette's eyes. The Prescott mind was made up. Kennedy was going to go; she couldn't stop it.

"You can't just leave…We need to make a contingency plan…" Having realized that this was going to happen, Willow quickly thought of alternative directions. "I still need to know you're ok…"

The witch and slayer hastily volleyed some new plans. Kennedy would still keep in touch with Willow by cell phone or mindspeak. If anything went wrong, Kennedy was to contact Willow immediately. As soon as Faith arrived, Willow would call the brunette to see what she needed the older slayer to do. Just in case, the witch gave Kennedy the cloaking potion. She cut it in two and saved half for Faith. Willow wanted every scenario covered just in case.

While Willow was busy cutting the potions, Kennedy ran upstairs to her Scooby room. She laid the picture she got from Sasomet on the table and went over to her weapons bin. She grabbed a knife and small club. "Just in case they're feistier than I think," the slayer commented to herself.

She ran downstairs, keys and weapons in hand and was met by Willow coming out of the kitchen with Dawn. That's when she got the potion.

"Kennedy, you really shouldn't go." Dawn was filled in on the situation by Willow and wasn't too keen on the slayer's decision.

They all headed to the door. Kennedy hugged Willow and gave her a confident smile. "Don't worry, babe. I'll be back in time to change my future," she said jokingly. The brunette did have some hesitancy about leaving. She knew she would feel better if she could be in the house with her family, keeping them safe. But she had to go. Kennedy took comfort in knowing that Willow was capable of defending her self and the others. The witch had proven over the years how tough she could be. The slayer also relied on the assumption that Faith would be arriving soon. The present situation was the best she could do.

Willow tried to smile at Kennedy's remark but she was too concerned about her girl. She hugged back. "Just get yourself back here lickity split, ok?"

"Whatever you say…you're the boss." The slayer leaned in and gave her witch a tender kiss. She turned and went out the door. The sky had long since clouded over and the rain was beginning to fall.

Willow and Dawn watched as the slayer and the tall dark haired man got into Kennedy's car. Dawn couldn't really see Sasomet because his back was turned to her.

Dawn saw the concern in Willow's eyes. "You couldn't have stopped her…She's a slayer…You know how they are." They both nodded slowly. Dawn put her arm around Willow's shoulder. "She'll be back soon, Will. You'll see."

Outside the Prescott/Rosenberg residence, off the side of the road about a hundred yards from the couples' driveway entrance, hiding behind a large pine tree that hugged the roadside, was a car. It was the same car that Kennedy had almost seen when she visited 'George Rousseau' after she saved him. It was the same one that Sasomet had seen numerous times. It was the vehicle that carried the seer to him. Had either Willow or Kennedy seen the automobile they would have known it was one that they had seen many times before. It would be much later that they discovered it was the vehicle that carried their betrayer.

The seer was behind the steering wheel. She'd been there quite some time. As sure as she was of her plan, she still knew there were some events that she couldn't foresee or control. She had told the Native when to arrive at the slayer's and witch's house. She had told him what to say. She followed him, unknown by the man, to the Middleton house. The seer parked her car hidden from view and waited, waited to see if her plan would really work. Then the woman saw the man leave in the slayer's vehicle.

A big smile went across her face. "It's begun…Kennedy and Willow will be dead within a few hours…The Native will take care of the slayer and I get the all mighty Willow Rosenberg, witch extraordinaire…" The last words said mockingly.

The seer could feel her need for destruction flowing through her. She was fulfilling her mission, avenging the wrong done to her fellow sisters. This vengeful soul had the weight of the wrong done not only to women in general but to witches in particular. For this seer was both and she carried within her heart the torment and pain done to all. The power of the avenging spirit ran swift and strong through her. To the woman, Willow and Kennedy were as corrupt as they came. They had abandoned their true calling and given in to the charms of the call for equality and 'goodness.' They had the opportunity to not just push but jettison the retribution against those who kept the female species, including witches, down. The two could have spent their lives evening the score against the wrong done to their kind. But they chose not to. To her, Kennedy and Willow were no better than the inquisitors, women beaters or the male establishment. They went along and accepted their bastard role in life. They were corrupted and had to die. Any good done by the witch and slayer was far outweighed by the revenge they let slip through their fingers.

As she sat there, the words churned in her head. 'No mercy…noone is innocent.'

"I shoulda made her stay…Kennedy should have stayed, right?" Willow said to Dawn as she paced the kitchen with Samantha in her arms. The younger woman saw how nervous the witch was.

"Willow, you know you couldn't make her stay…Kennedy's stubborn even without the slayer 'duty' stuff…She made up her mind and you weren't going to be able to change her mind." Dawn was all too familiar with the slayer sense of obligation. Buffy at times was willing to put herself and sometimes the ones she loved in danger to fulfill that duty.

'But it's starting to rain hard and it's getting dark out…It's getting closer to Terri's vision…and we don't even know where Faith is…she shoulduv been here hours ago." Willow was more than nervous; she was downright frightened.

"There must be a good reason for Faith not being here…She wouldn't just not show. But even if she doesn't, we can handle this…We've both been in tough situations and gotten out of them." Dawn was trying to calm the redhead. That duty kept her from her real task. She was still trying to look through her books and was waiting to hear from a friend of hers in the Anthropology Department at Brown.

Willow wasn't able to help Dawn too much on the research front. She was busy tending to Samantha. Even though the girl was only a few months over two, she knew something was wrong. Willow noticed that Sam didn't want Kennedy to leave. She tried to follow the slayer out the door. In fact, the child had been 'needy' all day, clinging to Kennedy and then Willow. After the brunette left, Samantha kept asking for her "Momma" and got upset when Willow told her she "went out for a while." Sammi followed Willow around the house saying she wanted her Momma to come home. At one point, the little girl looked the witch straight in the eyes and said softly, "Me scared, Mommy." That made the redhead take the girl in her arms and rock her. "Don't be scared, niblet, Mommy's here…everything's ok." That seemed to appease the girl slightly. She still kept close to the witch after that.

It had been a while since Kennedy left and Willow had received one call from the brunette letting her know all was going smoothly. Willow let the slayer know that Faith had yet to show up.

Willow couldn't tell, but Kennedy was uneasy that the older slayer hadn't shown yet.

"Well, I'm sure she'll show up soon…" The call ended with both women at least comforted from hearing each other's voice.

Willow and Dawn were still talking in the kitchen when the phone rang. The redhead answered it.

A sigh of relief. "Where the hell are you, Faith? You were supposed to be here hours ago."

"I'm on the fucking plane…We were stuck on the god damn tarmac for almost four fucking hours and…" Faith's voice was furious. She told Willow that after her plane pulled back from the gate, it went about a football field's length and then stopped. They stayed there for some time until the captain's voice came over the loud speaker. "Sorry ladies and gentlemen for the delay. We are having technical difficulties and had to ask the tower to send personnel to look at it…It should only take about fifteen minutes for the technician to get here."

Of course, fifteen minutes in airline jargon meant an hour and a half. The whole time, the passengers waited unable to use any cell phones because they were in the process of "departing." Unfortunately, a problem was found that required a part in the electronics panel be changed. Of course, that again was to take only "fifteen minutes." By the time the plane was in working order and they had waited in line to depart and get up in the air over six hours had elapsed.

"I'm calling you on the fucking air phone just so you know I didn't bail…I hate these fucking airlines." Faith, though known for her 'colorful' language used during the most normal of situations, got even filthier when she was pissed. And she was pissed.

"She's not here…Something came up and she had to go and save a little girl." Willow knew this news would send the expletives flying again.

The redhead tried to calm the slayer down and proceeded to tell her the recent events.

"Christ…That pain in the ass…I don't how you put up with that little shit, Red…She couldn't stay put if her whole fucking body was stuck in cement." Faith let out a huge breath. She knew she was useless to them thirty-five thousand feet in the air.

Willow too heard the slayer's frustration. "I know you didn't expect for this to happen…but we have to deal with what we have now…I'm keeping in touch with Kenn, and Dawn's here. We've got a barrier up." Willow wanted to let Faith know that they were as protected as they could be under the circumstances. "As soon as you land, call me and we'll figure out what the next step is."

The witch and slayer ended their call. Both a little more relieved because at least they knew where everyone was.

Willow filled in Dawn on her talk and before she got a chance to finish, she heard a car horn beeping. The two women looked at each other bewildered. They walked into the living room to look outside and saw two cars in the driveway. One was Terri's and the other Camilia's. Both women, under one umbrella, were at Pallouda's vehicle where the driver's door was open and the older witch leaning in honking the horn.

"What are they doing here?" Willow questioned. She had told Terri after her visit the day before that she didn't want the woman to be put in danger. "You told me everything about your vision and you helped with figuring out some details…but I can't take the chance of letting you get hurt…Me and Kennedy need to take it from here." Willow truly didn't want the woman to be placed in a situation where she might get injured, or worse. This was her and Kennedy's life; she was used to it being tested and them being in tight spots. That was not anything the brown eyed witch ever dealt with nor asked for. When Pallouda left the day before, the redhead told her she'd be in contact when all was done. Willow could see now that obviously wasn't the end of it for the older witch.

The horn blared again and Willow and Dawn went to the door. "Stay here with Auntie Dawn, Sammi. Mommy's gonna go see what Terri and Cam want." Despite grumblings to the contrary, the little girl transferred her clinginess to Dawn.

Willow grabbed a jacket from the coat stand, dropped the shield on the door and exited, putting it back up after she was on the other side. Holding the jacket open over her head, she walked over to the two other witches who were now walking to meet their friend.

"Yeah, I'm fine…we're all fine. Why did you come here? I told you Kennedy and I would handle this…I don't want anyone else to take the risk of getting hurt."

Camilia spoke. "Looks like we didn't listen…Seems as if Terri and me got too worried to stay home."

"We both got here at almost the same time…like we knew we were both supposed to be here." Terri told Willow how she almost ran into Horn's vehicle coming in the opposite direction. They were both arriving at the witch's place at the same time even though neither had told the other that she was doing it. They went to go ring the doorbell but got jolted back when they got near it. Terri deduced there was a shield up and that was the reason for the honking horn.

"I…We thought something might have happened to you." Horn sounded genuinely upset when she said it. She gave the redhead a deep look that made Willow uneasy for a moment.

However, Willow was appreciative that her friends would think so much of her to do this. But she still didn't want them involved. "That's really nice of you two, but I've got things under control…and Dawn's here."

Camilia started walking in the rain to the house. "Well, let's ask Kennedy…If she wants us to stay…"

Camilia turned around and went back under the umbrella. Surprised, "What happened to Kennedy?"

They were all in the kitchen discussing the current state of research. When the two witches started for the front door after finding out Kennedy was gone, Willow had to lower the shield because she knew the women weren't going to stop and would get tossed back a second time. They now were trying to make sure there wasn't anything that had been overlooked. The women had been in the house for about a half hour.

"I'd still like to find out what the hell is after you and Kennedy?" Dawn had not given up on finding the mystery villain. She had looked through five tomes and had two to go.

Pallouda put her arm around Willow. "I'm sure she'll do everything she can to do just that."

A phone then rang and startled all the women. Willow started to head for her phone then realized it wasn't hers. The redhead's expression turned to disappointment. Dawn reached into her back pocket and pulled out her cell phone. The others listened in on one side of a conversation.

"Hello?…Hey, Richard…You found something?…No, I understand. A maybe's better than nothing. So, whatcha find?…."

The other three women listened while Dawn volleyed several "Uh huhs" and "Mmms" until she finally ended the call by saying, "Thanks so much Richard. This sounds pretty close…I owe you one…a very big one. Bye."

As she put her phone back in her pocket and looked up, Dawn saw three faces waiting with baited breath. Willow was the first to give in.

Dawn nodded her head. "I think so…Richard is that friend I told you about. He's been helping me with this whole thing. His specialty is esoteric, multidimensional phenomenon that can't be linked to known demonic sources. He's sorta like those doctors that deal with orphan diseases. You know, ones that are so rare they hardly ever happen, which means nobody knows anything about them. Richard's catalogued hundreds of lone negative energy sources and rogue demons…"

Dawn continued to tell her companions that the only pattern or benchmark that Richard had discerned from the information given to him concerned the nature of who discovered the presence. "Richard said that only women have felt the energy's presence…Will, you told me that it was a coven member that told the Council about it when it first showed up, right?" Willow nodded her head. "And after that, it was women at the Council who were working on this that always found it hanging around again, right?" Willow nodded a second time. And of course the vision came through Terri."

Dawn turned to look at the blue eyed witch. "Richard looked into a kinda similar thing about ten years ago, he said, in Seattle. He wasn't able to actually locate it, but based on what it did, he was able to find identify it."

"It's called 'Vigilan Manes'…It's an energy that goes after women…he thinks."

"Huh?" Terri's question put in words the expression that was on all their faces.

Dawn tried the best she could to retell the information departed to her. "There has been one recording of an ancient band of women, an army really, that went after the power elite…sort of for payback for all the crap done to women. But Richard said the source he read hypothesized that the women only may have been real…It seems it was more of a folklore than proven fact…He also found another reference where an 'energy' was felt by some nuns and soon after that a woman in the village went on a rampage against the mayor and several of the clergy…all men." Dawn looked at each woman as she told her tale. "Richard personally did some research on an incident in Seattle…A women was held by a group of Colville Tribe Native Americans…She'd gone wacko and wrecked three state agencies downtown all dealing with appropriations to women…" Dawn told them that the only connection that could be found was the seemingly total "possession" of the women by some non-earthly presence. The victims of this 'force' were all women; the ones who discovered them were women and the focus of the destruction was women or those who had a direct bearing on the plight of women.

When Dawn finished, Camilia was the first to respond. "That sounds crazy…An evil possession of women?"

Terri nodded in agreement. "I'm with Cam…It sounds like a few women with emotional problems…not some a multi dimensional force seeking revenge through them…This is pretty thin stuff."

Willow listened to Dawn's story and the comments by her fellow witches. She too knew the information was lean. There was no concrete proof that some ancient energy force was doing its bidding through the bodies of mere mortals. It seemed to the redhead that if this was true there would be more written record of events such as the one they were experiencing. But then again, Willow understood that nothing was certain in the world she lived. There was no hard and fast rule about how demons behaved, how evil showed its ugly head or even how it was supposed to be all remembered and written down. For all she knew, there were many forms of evil in the infinite universe that were unknown. That didn't mean they didn't exist. 'If a tree falls in the woods and noone's there, does it still make a sound?' That silly puzzle flickered in Willow's mind. The redhead knew that not being sure of the identity of their villain didn't make what Dawn was telling them any less plausible. It was all they had to go on.

"We don't have anything else…This is as close as we've come in all the time we've been researching this thing…Just because it hasn't been written about a lot doesn't mean it's not doing this…" Willow turned to Dawn. "How do we stop it?"

Terri quickly looked at the redhead. "Just like that?…You believe that story?…the ultimate 'woman scorned' story?"

"Terri, we don't have a thing that even comes half as close to being an explanation…Kennedy's in danger and I've got to with my gut on this…and it says to agree with Dawn."

Dawn wiggled her hand and spoke again. "There is something else…Richard says there may be an entry in one of the books I have that may help. It's one I was getting to but hadn't looked at yet. I've got it in the other room…I can look through it right now."

That news made Willow perk up. "Then let's do that…If it has another clue then we know we're on the right track."

The women started for the living room. Terri tapped Willow on the shoulder. "What are we going to do about the Clearing Place?…Do we go or stay?"

"Terri got a call from Andrea Duval that they needed us down there to help with getting a spirit out of limbo…We figured that was how me and Sammi end up there like in Terri's vision." Terri added, "That's the main reason I came over."

The black haired witch shook her head. "No way. She's in Hawaii…She left yesterday."

Pallouda's stance got stern. "I'm telling you she called me. I know what her voice sounds like."

Camilia would not give up. "She's in Hawaii…Call her daughter…Call Lucille, she'll tell you where she is."

Everyone was very confused. Terri did call Lucille and was told that her mother had left for vacation the day before. She wasn't expected back for ten days.

"It makes sense…it was an easy way to get you and Samantha at the Clearing house…It knew you wouldn't say no to helping another coven member." Camilia let out a small chuckle. "Smart little fucker," she mumbled to herself.

"It wanted me and Sammi there and this was the best bet it had." Willow was starting to realize how devious this 'sprit' was.

"But how does it get Kennedy there?" Dawn was caught between wanting to do the research Richard suggested and piecing together this part of the puzzle.

Terri offered her view. "Maybe Kennedy was supposed to go there and pick you up…No, you have your car…Maybe you ask her to help you with the magick…, no, that doesn't…" Pallouda wasn't able to finish her sentence.

"The ax!…Oh my god…the ax…Why didn't I see that sooner." Willow was staring out into nowhere.

"Will?…What about the ax?" Dawn didn't like the expression on the redhead's face.

"The ax in Terri's vision…What if it's not really meant as an ax or it is but with another meaning, too?" Willow saw three bewildered faces stare back at her. "What if the ax is a symbol…for the thing after her…" The witch could tell they still weren't following her. "An ax…a tomahawk…Native American…George Rousseau is a Native American…He's the one that Kennedy went with…What if his story about his niece is a lie?"

Dawn held her hand to her mouth for an instant. "He told her some sob story to get her to go with him so that he could get her to the Clearing Place…You'd be going too thinking you were helping a friend."

Camilia chimed in. "Wait…The vigilan thingy goes after women, not guys…and what about Sammi?…You don't need to take her because Dawn and me are here."

Willow knew not all the pieces fit, but enough did to make her worried, very worried. "This is too eerie not to be right." Then it hit the redhead. "Kennedy's walking into a trap and she doesn't even know it."

Dawn got out her cell phone. "Then let's tell her." She pressed the speed dial number for the slayer's cell, but got sent to voicemail. "Damn, she didn't answer."

"Something's wrong. She didn't answer me…No…this can't happen…I've gotta go to the Clearing Place…I have to help Kennedy." Willow's voice was a mixture of resolve and fright.

"No, only I'm going. You need to stay with Sam." Willow wasn't going to put anyone else in danger and she needed to make sure Samantha was safe.

"I know, but I need you here to keep Sammi safe…That's the best thing you can do for me."

"It was my vision, Willow. Besides, I'm a witch…I know enough spells to help you get whatever is after Kennedy."

Willow tried again. "Really, Terri, I don't want anyone else in a position to get hurt. I've had my share of fights with demons. I'll know what to do."

"Terri's right. You shouldn't do this alone. This isn't some normal demon…You said that yourself…" Camilia said. "You need all the muscle you can get…You need Terri…and me." Willow went to protest again, but the blue eyed witch stopped her. "Terri and I are pretty strong witches…We're good with spells and potions…We can help you…We want to help you."

Willow didn't know what to do. The last thing she wanted was to see any more people be put in danger as was necessary. These women had never envisioned putting their lives in jeopardy. The redhead wasn't even sure if they knew what they would be getting themselves into. It was one thing to imagine fighting an otherworldy being and quite another to actually do it. Then again, Willow knew she was facing something that she, and everyone one else, knew very little about. She was going into this almost blind. The redhead would need as much power as she could muster to keep Kennedy alive. She had a feeling this confrontation would be extraordinary.

After her internal battle was over, Willow looked at the two witches in a resigned way. "Ok…We go to the meeting house and get Kennedy."

The women made their plan. Dawn was to stay and watch over Samantha. Willow trusted her friend to protect the girl with her life. The redhead would leave the barrier in place, but she altered it so that upon saying an easy incantation, Dawn could lower it if needed. Willow, Terri and Camilia would go to the Clearing Place. At first, the redhead thought of teleporting but then reconsidered. She'd done it herself and with Kennedy, but never three people. She'd never teleported with anyone, other than Kennedy, who didn't have a strong psychological connection and even stronger physical makeup to take the time travel. As much as she wanted to get to the place quickly, she knew they'd have to drive. She was thankful that the drive wasn't too long. It wasn't worth the risk of teleporting not knowing what condition the two witches would be in once they 'landed.' Willow needed their strength and this was the best way to assure she'd have it.

Dawn watched the three witches leave in Willow's car. She had Samantha in her arms. "Don't worry, Sammi. Mommy's gonna be back in a little while…" The woman still had her part of the plan to finish, which was tracking down the other lead Richard told her about. She hoped it was in her manuscripts like she was told.

The three witches headed for the Clearing Place in Askonnet, Massachusetts. What two of them didn't know as they drove to their destination was that the third was the very evil that they sought to destroy.

"It's the next left…over there." Sasomet was directing Kennedy to the back hidden road to Fort Adams. He had been studying the slayer the entire ride.

When Kennedy bought into the man's story, Sasomet knew he was one step closer to fulfilling his destiny. The fact that Kennedy offered to drive her car was one less thing with which he had to deal. He had been prepared to act so nervous that the slayer would have had to suggest she drive. The Native was told by the seer that the slayer and witch kept a very low profile. She didn't want his car to be used so as not to take the chance of it being seen. The woman stated that when the brunette died, her witch wouldn't go to authorities. He would be free from suspicion so long as the witch thought her slayer died while doing her job.

To keep Kennedy from being able to make contact with Willow, Sasomet tried to keep her occupied in conversation. He talked about his made up niece and actually sounded like a distraught uncle. He wasn't worried so much about the ride to the fort as he was about anything that might happen once they were there. He needed to make sure that Kennedy couldn't communicate with anyone once his true plan began, especially if something were to go wrong. As a result, Sasomet asked Kennedy to borrow her phone to "call my sister and let her know we're getting Simone." The slayer had just called Willow. The brunette did as requested and the Native pretended to make his call. He spent a considerable amount of time talking to a dial tone. When done, he didn't give the phone back right away. He engaged Kennedy in discussion concerning directions, and as they talked he turned the slayer's phone off.

The seer also informed the Native that the witch and slayer had 'other' ways of communicating. She told him of the couple's ability to communicate telepathically. Sasomet was startled and impressed with that revelation. To avert that type of contact, the seer gave the man a powder and a small spell. "Sprinkle the powder at her feet…make sure she doesn't see you do it…then say these words to yourself…it will act like a jamming signal to her mind." Sasomet did as he was told and as Kennedy walked around him to do get in her car before they left, the man followed the seer's directions exactly. The slayer never suspected a thing.

As they drove to their destined spot, both saw the sky grow darker and the rain fall harder. Sasomet commented on how he hoped the weather wouldn't hinder their plan to get his niece. "Don't worry, George. I've been in worse." Kennedy smirked thinking back to the hurricane she survived in Florida.

Sasomet couldn't help but stare at the slayer and he found his mind wandering off his stone cold perception of the woman. As much as he wanted to, and as hard as he tried to hate Kennedy, Sasomet found himself almost admiring the woman. First of all, Sasomet knew that the brunette was beautiful. She would be the dream for most men…and women. But she had more than physical attractiveness; the slayer was proud and decent and true. She was as brave and honest as anyone he'd ever met. She would have been a great warrior if she were Wampanoag. Sasomet found it difficult at times to hate the woman the way he had trained himself to do for so long. He had to purposefully remind himself that she was still the offspring to the man that had brought ruin to his people and him. He kept the mantra of the seer in his head to help assist in keeping the benevolent thoughts of the slayer out. He knew he had to focus on his mission. There was only one option for him and it didn't involve mercy for the woman sitting beside him.

After Kennedy turned down the road directed by the Native, she slowly drove through the overgrown pathway. They passed grass and weeds that were as tall as the car. Finally, they got to a dead end.

"We're here…The entrance into the main grounds of the fort are behind those big lavender bushes." Sasomet had been to this place a hundred times. It was an abandoned fort but not one used by the Narragansett for secret meetings. It was once a state park that had succumbed to the pressures of state fiscal budget restraints. It was closed down ten years earlier and left for dead. It had become a good hunting place for quail and duck, and the occasional night fox.

Sasomet quickly opened the car door. He mumbled a few words that Kennedy didn't understand. It wasn't that she didn't hear him; she just didn't understand the language he used. The brunette assumed the man was speaking in his native tongue asking his people's spirits for a successful mission.

As he brought his legs around to get out, Sasomet placed his right hand holding the cell phone on the edge of the seat. When he stood up, he purposely let the phone slip out of his hand so that it dropped into the crevasse between the seat and the door. He didn't want the slayer to have the phone. He knew he couldn't just throw it away, so he did the next best thing; he hid it. The Native didn't want Kennedy to have any connections now to the outside world. She couldn't have the phone. However, he didn't want to be connected to it either. The entire plan was meant to look like Kennedy died doing her slayer obligations. He couldn't be found with the cell phone or any other of Kennedy's things in his possession. Sasomet needed as little evidence of foul play as possible.

When she saw the Native get out, Kennedy went to do the same. Then she remembered that she didn't have her phone. She looked up at Sasomet already walking away from the car. The slayer could see he didn't have it. So, she started looking around the compartment. She finally glimpsed the edge of it as she leaned over across the man's seat. Kennedy reached over and grabbed the phone. 'Don't want to forget this. Willow will kill me if I don't keep in touch.' She opened it and saw that it was turned off. Even though that fact bothered her slightly, the slayer had no time to ponder what had happened. The brunette merely turned the phone back on and put it in vibrate mode. 'Can't have it blaring a call from Will while I'm trying to sneak up on the baddies.' Kennedy reached into the back seat and grabbed the weapons she brought. She then swiftly got out of the car and put the phone in her back pocket. The knife latched to a strap on the inside of her boot and the club was shoved in her other back pocket. She stood up and followed the Wampanoag.

"George, hold up…We need to take this slow…You need to tell me what I'm gonna find when I go in here…I need to know what the layout is and where the guys will have your niece…I need you to tell me and then stay here…"

The Native shook his head vehemently. "No!…I am not staying here…that's 'my' niece they have."

"George, I can get this done…and Simone won't be hurt…But I can't do my job if I have to worry about keeping you safe." Kennedy knew she could handle the situation. She didn't want to have to deal with the Native seeing the kidnappers and seeking his own revenge on them.

"There's no way you can get around in there without me…It's like a series of tunnels…the fort was an underground garrison with a large stone wall built around it. You need me to take you through it." Sasomet started to walk toward the tall bush. Kennedy ran up to him and grabbed him by the arm.

"Wait…You've gotta be more patient. You can't just go running in there…Let me take a look first." Kennedy walked past the man and over by a cropping of large trees and shrubs. To her right she could see the small opening between two lavender bushes. As she peered through the thicket, it took time for her eyes to adjust to the scene before her. The rain was coming down heavy and the view was getting dark like thick molasses. It was only her slayer vision that allowed her to see the outline of the fort's wall and boundaries. The brunette could barely see what seemed like an illumination of some sort at the far end. She sensed that the view in front of her was where she needed to go. She was sure the little girl was there. The slayer turned to talk to Sasomet.

Kennedy heard movement through the opening in the lavender bushes. "Shit!…He's gone in." The slayer had no choice but to go after the man.

"I still can't reach her. I keep getting sent to her voicemail." Willow had tried a third time to phone Kennedy.

"Willow, you need to calm down. You're going to get in an accident." Terri was in the front seat. She watched as the redhead tried to drive and call her slayer at the same time. Willow wasn't having the best success at either.

'I'll try another way,' the redhead said as she mindspoke to her girl. [Kenne?…Baby?…You need to answer me. Please answer me.]. That also got no response.

"Don't worry, Willow, Kennedy's fine…You'd know if something was wrong." Camilia said trying to sound confident.

The women had been driving for about fifteen minutes. The weather was getting worse which made driving slower than usual. The redhead was not pleased about her predicament. "Why is it always crappy weather?…and at night?…You'd think this was some stupid horror movie." Willow's attempt to lighten her own mood didn't work. She wanted to get to Kennedy and this was taking longer than she wanted.

"Yeah, you're the one with the experience fighting demons, Willow. What do we do?" Terri had been wondering that very thing.

"We find Kennedy first. If she's not answering me, it may be because she's captured and can't…maybe tied up…or…or…" Willow couldn't bring herself to think anything worse than that. "If she's ok then we help her find the vigilany thingy and, if she needs our help, we help."

The redhead understood the blue eyed witch's statement. 'What if Kennedy's already dead or isn't there yet?' Willow responded plainly. "Then we kill it."

"Willow glanced over to her. "I don't know unless Dawnie calls us with some info on that point…but I find energy blasts and fireballs a good starting place…If you know how to shred a spirit, now would be a good time to tell me."

"Do you think it has a lot of power?" Another obvious question from Camilia thought Willow.

"Yes…They always do…We can't underestimate its potential…We need to be ready for anything." Willow glanced in the rear view and saw Camilia with a contemplative look. Then the woman shifted in her seat in the back.

The younger witch reached her arm into the front seat between the other two witches. There was a bottle in her hand. "We've got this to help us…I made it for you, Willow, and Kennedy…It's basically an enhancer…" Camilia said that after Terri's vision, she tried to think of some way to help the couple. Eventually, she thought that they could use some kind of defense to the thing in the vision. "I thought it'd be good if you had some way to make it harder for the demon thing to get at Kennedy and you…and Sammi. I know you two have done this demon fighting…but I figured a little more 'oomph' against it couldn't hurt…" Camilia went on to say that she made a potion that would heighten the natural abilities of the witch and the slayer. "It sort of works like a mega adrenalin push…It would make you guys be a little faster, stronger, more responsive than you are now…I thought it might give you the edge over the vision thingy."

"Wow, Cam, I didn't know you were that good at potions." Terri was impressed. The potion described took lots of concentration and power over their craft.

Gingerly, "But Will, maybe Kennedy's not calling you because she can't like you said…If she's captured then we're her only hope…and we'll need all the help we can get." Terri understood Willow's desire to not think of her slayer in trouble, but she also realized that the slayer probably was. The brown eyed witch didn't want to lose an advantage they could get.

"I think Terri's right…We need to assume that we're the ones who'll be getting this sprit…So we need to get as prepared as we can." Camilia threw in her support to the older witch.

Willow stared at the road in front of her. She knew what Terri had said was true. She too accepted in the back of her mind that Kennedy might be held by the spirit already. She needed any boost to her powers she could get.

Camilia smiled and took off the cap. "It only takes a little so one swig a piece should work." She handed the bottle to Terri who took a small drink. Then the bottle was handed to Willow who drank some of the liquid. The redhead then handed the bottle back to Camilia who quickly brought it to her lips as the others did. When Willow looked in the rear view mirror again, the black haired slayer was placing the bottle back in her pocket. "There's some left so once we find Kennedy, she'll get the rest." She saw the other two witches licking there lips. "Vanilla…I figure I'd at least make it taste good." The women laughed. "It'll kick in after a few minutes…You won't even feel it."

Within no time, Willow was driving into the front parking lot of the Clearing Place. No cars were there; no lights were on in the building. All they saw was the light from the overhead street light pole illuminate most of the parking lot. There was a low level intensity security blue light, unnoticeable from the street, over the front door which was on due to the rain setting off its sensor. The rain was heavy and darkness had set in.

Willow stared at the building. She was gazing so hard as if trying to look right through the walls to the grounds behind the structure.

"We need to get to the back of the building…We need to be quiet and stay together…Follow me." Willow opened her door and got out slowly. The rain instantly hit her and she quickly became soaked. Terri and Camilia followed suit.

The three witches walked quietly to the front left corner of the building. Willow turned and looked at her comrades. The look told them the confrontation was near.

They began to creep along the side of the structure, with every step, getting closer to the truth.

Dawn didn't stand idly by after the three witches left. Keeping Samantha close to her, the woman returned to her research. She was certain that there was more information that she was supposed to find concerning the Vigilan Manes. She knew if she could get just a speck more information she'd be able to put the pieces together.

Despite her concentration on her project, Dawn kept getting episodes of an 'off' feeling. There was something not right about the whole situation; she just couldn't put a finger on it yet. The Summers girl had a nagging hunch that the evil that they were facing had a closer connection to them than they were willing to admit. Dawn had grown to trust her instincts in matters like these, and something in the back of her mind was telling her Willow and Kennedy were in more danger than they realized. That made Dawn's seriousness to the research even stronger.

Samantha, however, didn't understand the dire straits her mothers were in. She only knew they were gone and she didn't like it. Dawn watched as the toddler kept looking out the window and asking for her Mommy and Momma. The little girl held onto her stuffed elephant, the one that she got when they went to the zoo one nice summer day. Sammi stayed close to Dawn, using her as a surrogate figure to keep her feeling safe. The actions of the girl made Dawn stop occasionally just to make sure she wouldn't begin crying or whining from the lack of her parents' presence.

Samantha had been behaving admirably considering the circumstances. She had found some entertainment in a new doll and blocks given to her only a few days before. Things had settled down enough for Dawn to really concentrate on her books. She had even heard from Faith.

"Why are you there?" Dawn knew the slayer was supposed to land at the Rhode Island airport.

"The god damn storm is sitting over you guys and they had to divert the fucking plane."

"Oh no, that's not good, Faith…things have changed here." Dawn knew she needed to tell Faith the latest events and information received.

"It's not her…Willow's left…Kennedy's heading into a trap…" Dawn told Faith about everything they'd figured out over the last several hours. When done, she heard a frustrated exhale of breath from the other end of the line.

"Shit!…Fuck!…I should be there." Faith sounded pissed off and useless at the same time.

"Faith, it's not your fault. You couldn't control any of this." Dawn, despite her lingering issues with Faith understood that this particular time, the reformed slayer did nothing wrong. "All you can do now is get here as fast as you can."

There was another deep breath released. "You're right…you're right…I'll get a rental and be there as fast as I can. If you hear anything from them, call me on my cell. The number's…" Dawn jotted down the number when given. Then the two ended their call.

After hanging up the phone, Dawn looked at Sammi half heartedly playing on the floor near the couch. "Looks like it's just you and me, Sammi."

The little girl smiled back weakly and then got up and went over and gave her Auntie Dawn a hug. With that hug, Dawn knew if anything tried to come after them, she'd be willing to die protecting that child.

Samantha let go. "I want my blankie." Another one of the girl's security objects was the crib blanket that Kennedy's mother had made when she was born.

With the bottom and top of the stairs fitted for baby gates, Samantha was unable to go get the blanket by herself. The little girl also knew that she wasn't allowed to undo the latch.

"Then we better go get it." Dawn said playfully and picked up the girl. They went up the stairs and into Samantha's bedroom. Her blanket was lying on the bed. The girl ran to it and grabbed it with both hands.

The two headed to the stairs but when they got to the Scooby room doorway, Dawn stopped. She remembered that Willow had told her about a few books Terri lent her. Dawn decided that, if she struck out with her treatises, she'd take a look at those.

Dawn walked in the room and over to the desk. There were several books there and she wanted to check their titles. As she leaned forward to get a better view of the title of one of them, she noticed a picture sitting there on the edge of the table top. At first, her eyes didn't even really glance at it. Then something seemed to force them back to it. Dawn finally took a full view of the picture.

She stared at it, transfixed. "Holy, smoke!" Dawn snatched the picture and held it directly in front of her. "Oh my God!…It's him."

Dawn was looking at the picture Sasomet had given Kennedy to trick her into coming with him. Dawn saw the tall, black haired and black eyed Native. She knew that face; she had seen the man before. He wasn't someone that could be forgotten easily. It took but only a few minutes to recall seeing him in a magic shop. It was one of the times she ran an errand for Willow. But then Dawn remembered something even more crucial. The man was not alone when she saw him. The woman stared some more at the face in the picture trying to make the other person that had been with him appear in her head. She closed her eyes and concentrated. Suddenly, they shot open.

"It was her…It can't be…" Brown eyes darted around trying to make sense of what she recalled. "It is her…I knew I'd seen her before…That means…" The impact of her realization hit Dawn like a ton of bricks. She knew Kennedy and Willow were in serious danger.

In that instant, the pieces fell together. All the strange feelings Dawn had had were valid. She also knew that she had to be positive. She now knew exactly what to look for in her tomes.

Dawn left the room quickly, picture in hand, and got Samantha who was waiting outside the door. They hurriedly went downstairs.

"Sammi? I need you to be a good girl and play here while I look through this book, ok, sweetie?" The little girl nodded and instantly began to nervously play with her blanket and elephant, keeping an eye on her Auntie at all times.

Dawn went over and sat in the chair by the fireplace and grabbed the sole remaining book to be viewed. She started to flip fast through the pages. She knew what she was looking for. She kept turning the pages until she got about two thirds of the way through. Then she stopped and her eyes glared at the page before her. Her heart sank with what she saw.

Dawn read the passage that accompanied it. The page of information dealt with a rare and little known 'avenger'. "The Vigilan Manes," Dawn whispered to herself. Even the information she read was anything but clear on what the spirit was. One thing was apparent, though, the spirit was vengeful and relentless against its targets. Dawn read how men and women alike had met their death at the hands of those "infected" by it.

After reading the passage, Dawn dropped the book. She realized that it wasn't only Kennedy who was walking into an ambush, it was Willow and Terri. She now knew that Camilia and the Native had to be partners in this twisted, horrible plot.

Dawn also knew that she had to let Willow and Kennedy know they were being fooled and were in danger of losing their lives.

She ran to the kitchen and picked up her cell phone. Fingers frantically pushed the preset speed dial number. "You better pick up…You better still be ok."

Kennedy tried to catch up to her companion, but she didn't know the area like he did and kept losing sight of him. Only her slayer abilities kept her from losing him altogether. She heard the rustling of branches through the driving rain. 'Man this guy is fast,' she thought as she hurried to catch him. The brunette was so concerned with staying in view of Rousseau that she failed to see a drop in the ground. Kennedy stumbled and fell hard. "Great! Just what I need," she mumbled to herself. The slayer stood and realized the Native was even farther away now. She was very concerned that he had decided to extol his own justice on the men who kidnapped his niece.

The slayer started after him again, passing overgrown thickets and dodging low lying branches. She could just barely hear him running in the distance. Then she felt the vibration of the phone in her pocket. She instantly came to a complete stop. That call was her reminder of what she left at home, a wife and daughter that were potentially in a great deal of danger. The slayer answered the call.

Kennedy couldn't see the concern on the woman's face at the other end of the line. "Kennedy, you're in danger. You're heading into a trap…Cam's the one's that's after you…She's in it with that George guy you're with…You have to get out of there!"

Kennedy had never heard Dawn so upset and anxious. She was making no sense. Though confused, Kennedy's tone remained the same. She whispered, "What are you talking about?…Where's Willow and Sam?"

Dawn knew she had to tell Kennedy that Willow was also in grave danger. "Sam's with me. She's ok, but Will went with Terri and Cam to the Clearing Place to help you."

Now Kennedy was really confused. "I'm at the fort…Why would Willow leave?…I told her not to go anywhere near that place."

Dawn was running out of time. She had to make Kennedy understand. "Kennedy, there's no time to explain…I think that George guy is going to try to kill you…I've tried to call Willow but she isn't answering…I know Cam's going after her…You need to get out of there and get to Willow before it's too late." Dawn's tone had turned to a frantic plea. "They're both trying to kill the two of you…get out of there Kennedy!"

The slayer didn't know how to take the information. 'Cam's the one we've been after?…How could that be?…How does she know George?' The unanswered questions spun in her head. One thing the brunette also let in was the fact that Dawn sounded genuinely scared. That girl had been through enough of the slayer life with Buffy to know the difference between speculation and hard evidence. If she was frightened, it was for a good reason. That's when it also sunk in for the slayer that Willow was in danger, real danger.

"Ok, Dawn…I'll get outta here as soon as I can…I'll get Willow…You stay with Sammi…You need to keep her safe…Where's Faith?" The slayer hoped that at the least she could get some help there.

"Long story but she's not gonna be able to help." Dawn heard Kennedy mutter "shit" under her breath.

"Keep trying to get Willow…tell her to get her and Terri out…and that I'm coming for her."

Kennedy stood there contemplating what to do. Should she leave or find the Native? The slayer knew that if George Rousseau was part of a plan then he had a mission to kill her. She knew that those types of orders didn't vanish. She had to diffuse this powder keg so that it could never come back to harm her or her family. Kennedy decided to confront the Native, end his part of the plan and then go find Willow. The brunette knew she had to act fast. She started running in the direction where the man had gone.

As she ran, her slayer hearing listening for the slightest sound of the man's whereabouts, her mind grappled the issue of Camilia. Kennedy couldn't believe that the woman who was a good friend to Willow, who'd been to their house and babysat their daughter, was the menacing evil that had plagued her for the past several months. It seemed almost too unreal to accept. She never got any kind of a bad or sinister feeling from the blue eyed witch. The woman had always acted so reserved and shy around her.

Kennedy's inner dialogue stopped when she heard chanting. She stopped running and listened intently. She began to follow the sound. The slayer made her way through a line of dense bushes which opened to an entrance of the fort. It was more like the beginning of a tunnel. The words of the Native came back to her- "It's like a series of tunnels." Kennedy got closer to the mouth of the passageway and the noise grew louder. 'He's in there,' she said to herself. She stealthily but quickly followed the sounds.

The slayer hurried through the tunnel hearing the voice and seeing a glimmer of light. She deduced it was the light she'd seen when she first got out of the car. Kennedy kept advancing, hugging the wall as she went. The tunnel took a sharp turn to the right and so did the slayer.

As she made the corner, the slayer saw him. In what appeared to be an intersection of passageways, Sasomet was kneeling with a red prism shaped crystal on the ground in front of him. There was a torch ablaze on the tunnel wall behind him. Kennedy could see the man was chanting to the stone. He was speaking the same language as when he got out of the car.

At the sound of the brunette's shoes on the dirt floor, Sasomet lifted his head and glared directly in brown eyes. Kennedy felt that same feeling that night at the bar as she left; the brunette felt something else burn into her. Black eyes looked at her with pure hate. At that moment, the brunette knew that there was no niece, no kidnapping, no frantic Rousseau. Only one thing came to mind.

Sasomet somehow knew that the slayer was onto the truth. He could see it in her devastated brown eyes and hear it in her disappointed voice. How she knew didn't matter; that she'd figured it out didn't surprise him. As much as he knew he was going to kill the slayer, he still held her in a strangely high regard. It demanded that she know the reason for her death.

"What do you mean?…I've never done a thing to you except help you." The slayer was at a complete loss for the man's turncoat ways.

Sasomet did not hold back. "Benjamin Church…the man who massacred my family…killed the great sachem Metacomet."

The brunette listened to the man. She had no idea what he was talking about. But "Metacomet" sounded familiar. She racked her brain to make a connection to the name. Then she remembered. One of the trips that she, Willow and Samantha took after their move to Middleton was to Plymouth Rock. There they were told the story of the Wampanoag's which included history on their leaders. One was Metacomet, King Philip, the one who waged war on the colonists and British military. She vividly recalled being told about the manner of the warrior's death.

This time the Native nodded. "Yes. She showed me that you share blood with that murderer."

Kennedy contemplated jumping the man and beating him senseless right then. But she was a slayer and she had a duty to do no harm to mortals unless it was absolutely necessary. The brunette also knew she would need to get information about the entire plan from him. Kennedy thought she could make him see that he was being misled. "I'm not related to him…the seer lied to you…You know me, George. I don't hurt people…I help them…I helped you…I saved you."

Sasomet stared at the slayer, blazing his anger into her. He slowly shook his head. "It doesn't matter what you do…You have to pay…" Then the man's voice got cold. "No mercy…Noone is innocent."

That phrase almost knocked Kennedy over. As soon as it was said, a flurry of images sped before the slayer's eyes. Those were the exact words she heard Camilia say to Willow in the kitchen when she came home that day after Samantha's birthday. That image led to the view of the back taillight of the car she saw when she visited Rousseau after his scare in the woods. She instantly realized it was the blue eyed witch's car. Then came the scene that night in the bar when she first met the Native. The person that she barely saw leaving the bar became the witch. That one statement from the man put everything in place and she knew Dawn was right in every regard.

The slayer's distraction lasted but for a moment but it was enough for Sasomet to reach for the stone, hold it above him and shout the last few words of the spell given to him by the seer. As the last word left his mouth, there was a blinding deep red flash that burst outward from the ends of the crystal. It knocked the stone from Sasomet's hand and was gone as fast as it came. Both man and slayer fixed on what took its place.

There standing where the brilliant light had landed were three Wampanoag warriors, fully outfitted with weapons and war paint.

The three witches slowly inched toward the back of the building. Willow couldn't hear anything but she did see a low hazy light coming from behind the place. She was told by Terri that another security sensor light was in the back also. The coven wanted to protect their meeting place from potential thieves and accidental passersby. As they moved, the redhead tried to think of a plan, a mode of attack if the thing after Kennedy was there. She prayed that she'd find her slayer standing over the body of one very dead spirit. She didn't even know if 'dead' was the right word. One thing Willow was certain of; however, if Kennedy was trapped or hurt, she would give her life saving the slayer. The thought of her brunette gone from her life made her shake. 'There's no way in hell that vision's coming true.' It was a promise the witch made to herself as she walked ever nearer the back of the Clearing Place.

Finally, the three witches got to their destination. Willow turned to the others and put her finger to her mouth. Then she turned back and slowly peered around the edge of the building.

She saw nothing but the rain falling and wind rustling through the trees. She heard nothing except that same rain and wind. It was dark but she could see out partially into the opening because of the light coming from back door of the building. There was a large expanse before a line of trees beginning the woods that backed the property. There was chopped wood stacked next to the stump of what had to have been a massive tree. A picnic table stood alone in the middle of the opening. Other than that, the place was bare. Kennedy wasn't there. Willow's heart sank and she felt a pain in the pit of her stomach. Willow had no idea where her wife was or what had happened to her.

The redhead was startled by Terri's hand on her shoulder. She realized she had frozen with half her body leaning out from around the corner of the building. The hand pulled her back and moved her around. Willow looked at her friends with the expression of someone who was told a loved one was missing. She had a blank, lost look. The redhead felt like she was about to pass out.

"She's not there…Nothing's there." The expression didn't change as the monotone words left the redhead's lips.

"That can't be…She's gotta be here." Horn spoke and walked past Willow and Terri. She marched out into the back yard of the building, the great oak tree from Terri's vision not far behind her.

"No! Cam, don't!" Willow tried to catch the black haired witch's arm as she strode by but was too late. She and Terri watched as Camilia stood in the opening, soaked from the rain, glancing around. Within moments, they followed.

The three women cautiously scanned the area as if uncertain that perhaps something was lurking in the shadows.

After some time, Terri spoke. "Maybe we're too late…Maybe it doesn't happen here." The entire scenario was perplexing for the older witch. Never had she had so much confusion with a vision. She didn't know what they should do now. Her head felt like it was starting to spin.

Willow and Terri instantly turned to face Camilia when they heard her statement. They did so because of the tone to the words. They were said with a tangible sinister sarcasm. The older witches looked upon the younger who had an evil grin spread across her face. Her eyes appeared no longer their stunning blue but had turned a darker, more menacing shade of indigo.

"Shut up, Terri. We're not at a meeting…and you're not the one in charge tonight."

Terri went to walk over to the black haired witch but she stumbled when she got light headed.

"What's the matter, Terri?…Not feeling quite like your old self?" Horn stood there and laughed at the older witch's actions. It was the laugh of evil.

Willow said nothing; she fixated on Horn, watching her every move. She concentrated even as she could feel her mind clouding over. Something had gone terribly wrong. The redhead watched as Camilia walked over to Terri and held her upright, looking the brown haired woman directly in the eyes.

"I never liked you…What a waste of magick you are." Then Horn shoved the witch to the ground.

Horn pivoted around to stare at the redhead. "The truth…That's what's gotten into me…I know the real truth about all of you…How you've turned your back on your kind." Camilia spoke with such disdain.

"What are you talking about?…We've always been here for you…for all the witches in the coven." Willow was attempting to make some sense of the situation.

"Please, they're no better than you are…None of them knows the truth like I do." Cam kept staring at Willow while Terri slowly got off the ground. The older witch went to grab Horn's arm. "Don't touch me you whore!" Camilia swept her arm in front of Terri and the woman was sent sailing through the air, landing several feet back from where she was.

"Leave her be!…She deserves a lot worse…She'll get what she deserves." Camilia was glaring at Terri moaning as she struggled to move on the ground. The younger witch threw out her hand and Willow was stopped in her tracks. It was as if she'd hit a wall.

The redhead was dazed for a second. "What are you doing, Cam?…Terri's hurt…You hurt her." The redhead had never seen this type of behavior from her friend before. It was like she was a different person, a horrible different person.

"I haven't even begun to hurt her yet…or you…traitors…both of you." The words were spat at the redhead.

Willow stood there utterly confused. Kennedy was nowhere to be found even though this was the site for the vision. Camilia was acting like an insane person, acting like she hated her and Terri. 'It's like she's possessed…'

The truth crushed down on Willow. 'She is,' she told herself. 'Oh my God, Cam's the spirit.' In that second, the unknown face that the redhead saw that night in bed with Kennedy morphed into Camilia. Somehow the universe had tired to warn her, but she never took the clue. Willow got a knot in her stomach. Green eyes studied the woman.

Horn saw the redhead struggle with her actions. Then she saw the contemplative stare and then the realization set in. Camilia stared back at emerald eyes. They instantly told her Willow had figured out her identity.

"So, you finally figured it out? From what I heard about you, I thought you'd have done it sooner."

Willow could do nothing but stare at the woman. She didn't understand how someone she'd become close to, had considered a friend, could have fooled her as Horn did. Willow felt repulsed that the woman had looked after Samantha, that she'd held her child. Willow thought back to all the times they shared, the parts of her life that she let the woman see. She felt sick to her stomach.

The only question that came to her was "Why? I thought we were friends?" It was said with such dismay.

"Friends?…You really do think everyone loves you…worships you…I did what I had to do to get where I needed to be…even if that meant pretending to want you…" Camilia gave a sleazy smile. "And you felt it didn't you?…I could tell you wanted it…You liked it when I touched you…You let me get so close." The woman snickered.

Willow was startled at the younger woman's admission but still couldn't understand why the blue eyed witch was coming after them. "Why us?"

For Horn the answer was easy. "Because you rejected your destiny…both of you…Willow, with your power you could have brought civilization to its knees…You should have been going after the society that beat women and witches down…But you do nothing…You let this horrid world exist…You go along with it…So does she…" Horn pointed to Terri still huddled on the ground.

"We don't do nothing…We help people…I help people in trouble…You think fighting demons is nothing?" Willow knew Camilia was speaking filth and she wasn't going to let her get away with it.

"What's killing a demon if you let your own kind suffer…You could take over the world if you wanted to…make the world for witches…all women…but you choose to help a slayer." The way Horn said the last part, Willow got a shiver down her spine. She knew the witch knew where Kennedy was.

Horn laughed. "What ?…You'll kill me?…Believe me, you couldn't if you tried…Not that you'll live long enough to try."

Willow spoke more defiantly even though she was getting more light headed as time went on. "Where is Kennedy?"

Camilia shook her head. "Not here…You thought she was saving the world again…Don't worry, she's getting what she deserves, too…She's worse than you…Her power came from men…men put the essence into the first slayer…Kennedy is tainted with their stench…She does their bidding…the Council's bidding, as much as you do…more even. She only cares about demons…the truly afflicted mean nothing to her."

As she listened, the redhead realized how deranged and twisted Camilia was. The woman was no longer the friend that Willow thought she knew. The person before her was a force of evil, one that was hell bent on destroying any one that she viewed as enabling the status quo. 'She's got to be stopped,' Willow thought. As much as the redhead tried to think clearly of a way to get her and Terri out of their predicament, her head kept getting cloudy. She closed her eyes and tried to shake the cobwebs out.

Horn saw what Willow did. "Not feeling to great yourself, huh?…Yeah, that little power potion I made is really kicking in."

Willow glanced at her betrayer then at the ground. She was feeling dizzy. "What have you done?"

As if talking about the mundane, "Oh, I whipped up a little something that'll weaken your powers…enough for me to kill you…but don't feel picked on…Terri's going too…" The potion that Camilia gave to the other two witches while in the car was not one to enhance their powers but to diminish them. She had faked drinking some when the bottle was passed back to her.

Horn shook her head again. "Don't think so…She'll be dead soon, if she isn't already…I'll make sure she is…I mean, I killed one slayer…How hard could it be to kill another?" She saw the surprised expression on the redhead. "Yeah, slayers don't do so good after they've had their drink spiked. That Marla was so pre-occupied with her friends, I coulda put a bomb in her drink and she wouldn't of noticed…I did like the crash though…very gruesome…I glammered into a deer. Marla never saw me in the road…too 'fuzzy' in the head I bet…I watched the whole thing happen…Guess it's a good thing the one that didn't die has brain damage…Woulda been hard to explain what I was doing there."

"And you are as good as dead…Then it's your slayer's turn…And we certainly know where I can find that sweet little girl of yours." Camilia knew that last statement would torment the witch.

Horn didn't bother to tell Willow about Rousseau's part in the plan. She wanted to keep the redhead off balance, keep her wondering how and when her slayer would die. She knew it would be to her advantage to have the older witch preoccupied with that thought. Horn had planned to kill Willow and Terri and then go to Fort Adams to make sure Kennedy was dead. When she was, the witch was then going to kill Sasomet. She saw him just as guilty as any other man she'd ever met.

Camilia Horn had come to her 'awakening' with the avenging spirit because of her past. It was one filled with heart break and pain. She was abandoned by her parents and shuffled through a foster care system that gave a blind eye to the disservice done to her. She went through multitudes of foster homes, first being neglected, then abused. She was physically beaten and emotionally mistreated. Then the sexual abuse started. She was only ten and unfortunately it occurred all too often enough until she finally left the system for good. Her entrance into adulthood, where she had to fend for herself, was met with hatred and anger and immense repressed pain. Her life with the horrors done against her made normalcy an unattainable goal. After leaving Utah, all she thought of was getting back at everyone that had ever hurt her.

She was the perfect vessel for the spirit. When it entered her just days after her nineteenth birthday, Camilia Horn felt like she'd gone to heaven. Her entire life made sense. She had a purpose and a mission. It was one that she was all too willing and eager to fulfill. The witch had dreams of floating wisps of spirits and the symbol of an unknown crest followed her even in her waking moments. She knew that crest was the identity for her freshly found life. Camilia felt compelled to place that symbol on her permanently, as a reminder of her mission. The tattooist never even asked her what the figure meant. He thought she was like all the other teenagers that were coloring their bodies in revolt to their parents.

Camilia Horn left an unknown legacy of death in her travel across country to Rhode Island. She'd already killed several men before she set her sights on Kennedy and Willow. To her, Marla's death was an added bonus.

The end result of her vengeful destiny led her to plan the demise of Willow Rosenberg and Kennedy Prescott. She would also take down whoever got in the way or became a liability. She had no remorse killing, whether that be man, woman or child. She'd done it before; she would gladly do it again. The façade of a life that she'd lived while getting close to the redhead and slayer would be over soon and she would shortly thereafter plan yet another revenge against some other 'deserving' person. But for now, she had to finish with her present victims.

Camilia went over to Willow and grabbed her by the hair and jerked her head up. "Don't have all night…Whattya say we get this done with?"

That said, the witch flung Willow back sending her crashing into the old oak tree. Willow hit with loud "thud" and fell to the ground.

"This is gonna be easier than I thought," the black haired witch said as she marched over to Willow's body to finish the job.

Kennedy saw the three huge figures in front of her. Her initial thought was about a story Willow told her. It was the Thanksgiving after she and Buffy started at UC Sunnydale. Willow told her how Xander had disturbed an Indian burial ground and somehow let several spirits out who then proceeded to try to get revenge on 'the white man.' Of course the 'white man' turned out to be them during their Thanksgiving dinner. Kennedy tried to remember how those Native spirits were defeated.

The slayer didn't have time to think because the warriors drew their weapons. One had a tomahawk, another a knife and the third a bow and arrows. The brunette realized that she had to get out of there quick if she wanted to stay alive.

Kennedy made a sudden leap at Sasomet and pushed him into the other three men, toppling them over, as she quickly turned and headed down the nearest tunnel. The Natives on the ground gave the brunette enough time to make a temporary escape. The slayer ran as fast as she could. The tunnels were pitch-black once she got away from the light of the torch. Kennedy followed the wall until she could see the glimpse of light. As she got closer, the brunette saw that she was coming to the opening of the passageway. She knew she hadn't run in the direction of her car, so the exit couldn't have been be near the area of her car.

As she ran through the opening, she immediately found herself outside, but not on the exterior of the fort. She was still inside but in an enormous grassy area. Looking around, she could see the high walls of the fort surrounding her. Kennedy also saw that she had come out of one of four similar openings. There was one in each corner of what was shaped as a square. 'These must be the main tunnels that lead from the inside,' she told herself. She didn't know if all four lead to the outside of the fort. Recalling what she felt and saw during her escape, the slayer concluded that the tunnel she used to get inside led to another main one that probably went the entire way around the fort. There were offshoots to that main passageway; where those went to she didn't know. However, knowing that she was in a place that must have housed hundreds of soldiers, she deduced that the auxiliary passages went to the men's quarters, the weapons garrison, the mess hall and other places needed in a fort. 'This open field must have been where they did field exercises, kept the horses and stuff.'

Having gotten a better idea of her surroundings, Kennedy's mind then went to the enemy she was sure would soon come after her. She couldn't believe that she was encountering something not so different than Willow and the gang did several years earlier. She tried to remember what Willow had told her about how they killed those Native spirits. Then she remembered. There had been a sanctified knife that Buffy used on the main warrior. Upon being cut, the spirit turned into a bear and Buffy killed it with the knife. That, she was told, caused the others to vanish.

Kennedy couldn't remember if the knife was the vessel that carried the spirits or if it was just the hallowed object needed to kill them. That didn't seem to matter in her situation. There was no sanctified knife. The warriors appeared with their weapons. "George didn't have any weapon on him and he only had that crystal that he used…" The slayer whispered. That statement sunk in and she opened her eyes wide. "The crystal…that must be the key."

Just then, Kennedy's slayer hearing picked up on the faint sound of footsteps. She listened intently; there was only two pair. She figured that the enemy had to have split up to find her. The brunette decided that the crystal had to be the way to get rid of the spirit warriors. 'I gotta feeling that they're not gonna die like a regular person.' Kennedy knew her best chance was to get back to the spot where Rousseau had brought forth the warriors. There, she could find the stone and use that and her slayer skills to hopefully send the spirits back to their dimension.

The footsteps grew louder and the slayer knew she had to do something. Even though it was raining, the lightening was prevalent enough so if she tried to run across the field she'd most likely be seen. If she couldn't run to safety, she decided she would climb. Looking up, Kennedy concluded her only chance was to get on top of the fort wall and make her way back to another opening. She hurled herself up and grabbed onto a mortar brick that jutted out slightly. She grabbed on with just her fingertips. She was able to place the front of her shoe on top another brick also sticking out. She had gotten herself up about ten feet and still had at least that far to climb. She slowly and carefully used her slayer brawn to pull herself up the wall. When she got to the top, Kennedy draped her leg over and pulled her body onto the flat surface. Just as she rolled completely there, she heard Rousseau and one of the spirit warriors at the opening of the tunnel.

The two Wampanoags spoke to each other in their native language. The slayer could tell they were furious. She knew one of the voices was Rousseau. Kennedy laid there motionless, hardly breathing, waiting for action by the two men. Finally, she heard them mutter some more and they proceeded to run across the field to the tunnel opening on the opposite corner.

As soon as she was certain they were far enough away, Kennedy stood up, crouched over and began to run in the opposite direction. She knew she had run quite a ways while escaping and decided that she needed to get to the opening that was to the left of the one she was at. 'That's gotta be where George did the spell.' Kennedy ran.

It didn't take her long to be standing on the wall above the targeted entrance way. Kennedy looked around and seeing and hearing noone, she jumped down and landed like a cat, crouched down but ready to pounce. She waited some more before standing up. It made her a bit uncomfortable that her plan had gone easy so far. She decided not to dwell on it and proceeded to go back inside the dark tunnel.

This time she went slowly, allowing her slayer senses to scan for possible trouble. She heard nothing as she walked. The area she was in felt familiar and she knew she was closing in on the spot where the crystal should still be. 'That's if noone picked the damn thing up.' Kennedy had to hope that she would get a lucky break.

The brunette was just about to round a corner when she heard footsteps. They were right behind her. She turned to see two of the warriors. It was the other pair. She didn't know how they got so close without her hearing them. Kennedy had no time to ponder that point because the men came after her. Luckily, the Native with the bow and arrows was not one of the two. She only had to deal with a tomahawk and a knife. The slayer quickly grabbed the knife from her boot. 'This evens things out a little,' she chided under her breath. Kennedy didn't give the warriors the chance to be the aggressors. She too went after them with all her force.

The slayer ran at the men and just before she was on them, she bent down low and swept their legs from under them. Her combatants had been in the process of swinging their weapons and didn't have time to adjust. They went tumbling over and crashed into the tunnel wall. Kennedy stopped on a dime, pivoted around and went back for another attack. She didn't know if she'd be able to kill the spirits but she was at least hoping that she could put them out of commission long enough for her to get the stone. As she fought, she remembered that in the Scoobies fight with their unwelcomed Thanksgiving guests, Willow had told her there was a leader; that being the one Buffy killed. Kennedy didn't recall anything about any of the Natives she saw that would have put one in the spot light over the others. She concluded that there wasn't a leader. 'Hopefully, that means I can kill any of them to make them all disappear.'

That thought filled her mind as she attacked the spirit warriors again. She grabbed one by his deerskin top and pulled him off the ground. Kennedy punched the man and pushed him back down on top of the other Native. She went back and grabbed him again. This time smashing him forcefully into the tunnel wall. Though the passage was dark, the slayer could see because of her acute visual abilities. She continued to slam the man into the wall, each time hearing the grunt of the force come out of the warrior's throat.

Before she could use her knife on the enemy, the second man jumped her, both falling to the ground. The Native had her pinned on her back and he was choking her. Kennedy grabbed his wrists and using all her strength pulled his hands off from around her neck. Still holding his wrists, Kennedy flung the man to her side and quickly jumped to her feet. She went after him, drawing her blade and slashing the Native across the chest. He lay there on the ground, stunned…but not dying.

"Shit!" The slayer exclaimed. The beating she had given the two opponents would have killed any normal person and quite a few demons. She knew the crystal was her only hope. She had to get to it. Kennedy went after the two men again, kicking and punching and stabbing where she could. She attacked in a whirlwind of motion, finally getting her enemy to the point of submission. The warriors were not dead but they had been drained of much of their energy and strength. They lay there writhing from the beating given by the slayer.

Kennedy didn't wait to see if they would get up. She set out again for the spot where this all began. She ran hard and finally made it to the area where the torch still lit brightly. Kennedy frantically scanned the ground. She saw it. Off in the corner on the dirt ground, she saw the scarlet crystal. The slayer ran to it and picked it up. She held the long thin prism shaped stone. In a small way, it looked like a stake. "Now I find one of those guys and kill him," she said quietly.

"That won't happen." Sasomet walked out of the shadow behind her. He was alone. The third warrior was nowhere to be found.

Kennedy turned quickly. She saw her once companion standing there, in his grasp was a tomahawk. She stared at it.

"Didn't think I'd come unarmed did you?…The seer and I got here earlier and made sure certain things were 'in place' before I came for you." Sasomet spoke with such a sinister tone.

"Don't do this, George…I'm not your enemy…That seer was wrong…She lied to you…She used you to get to me and Willow." Despite the man's actions, Kennedy didn't want to harm Rousseau. She knew he had been brainwashed by Camilia to be part of her sick plan. He was still a human being and that meant that she couldn't just kill him.

"You're the liar..I told you, she showed me your ancestry." Sasomet took a step closer.

"She showed you nothing…What'd you see?…A vision?…She tell you to believe her?…Did she give you one picture, one document, one anything that proved what she was telling you?" When Kennedy saw the slight twitch of Sasomet's mouth, she continued. "She didn't…I know who your seer is…She's evil…She's using you and she's probably got plans to kill you, too." That last remark got a reaction.

"No…no. She said this was to get my revenge and to release her…You know nothing about her."

"George, I know your seer…Her name's Camilia Horn…She's got short black hair and blue eyes…She's a witch…She was at the bar when we first met and she was at your reservation that day I came to see you after the vampires attacked you…She's using you, George…She put you under some trance or something…You have to believe me."

Sasomet stared into chocolate eyes. As much as he wanted to ignore the slayer's words, he couldn't. There was something that resonated as truth in what she said. The slayer described his seer to the tee. And she had never given him physical proof of the brunette's lineage; she let him see her vision of the past. He had always seemed compliant around her, like she had some power to make him want to carry out his revenge. Sasomet knew that he felt differently when he wasn't around the seer. The times he was with Kennedy, he didn't feel the hatred that seemed to well up inside of him when the seer was involved. He had spent so much time convincing himself to hate the slayer that he'd never scrutinized what the seer was doing to him. He never wanted to; this was a chance at revenge that he thought he wanted and needed.

Now, however, the brunette was making him see himself in another light. The woman had never lied to him; she'd been nothing but noble. A part of him began to believe her. 'Am I being played for a fool?…Am I part of a bigger plan?…Is this why the seer pushed so hard?' The questions began to drive into his head. Sasomet began to recall all the times that the seer urged him to move forward; the times when she seemed more involved with his revenge than he was. 'Is she using me?…Am I the next one to die?' More questions wrestled with his thoughts.

Kennedy watched the man struggle with what she'd told him. She saw the conflict on his face. She knew she was getting to him.

Sasomet fought the facts told to him. How could he have been blind to the tricks played on him. Away from the seer, his mind saw things clearer; when those blue eyes of the seer were not on him, he didn't see the slayer as a guilty party, just a modern day warrior fighting against evil. Looking at Kennedy, feeling the integrity and honesty that poured out of her, George Rousseau had an epiphany. The seer was a liar and he had been a puppet in her wicked game of revenge.

"She showed me…I saw Church…and then…a baby…you." The words came out chopped and in a confused tone.

Kennedy talked softly. "I know, George. She had us all fooled. None of us knew she was evil." Holding the crystal in one hand, she slowly started to walk over to the man. With her free hand, she grabbed his knife. "Give me the knife."

Kennedy didn't have the chance to take it from Sasomet because just then the three warriors came bursting from the opposite direction. They ran and tackled the slayer. They went crashing to the ground and slid into the hard wall. The warrior that had been with Sasomet got up and placed an arrow in his bow. He held the razor sharp tip not more than a foot away from the slayer's head. The spirit Natives shouted some indecipherable words and the arrow was drawn back ready to be fired.

The arrow never left the bow because in that moment Sasomet charged the warrior and knocked the bow and arrow from his grip. The Native was put off balance. Sasomet ran to get the weapon.

In that time, Kennedy kicked her boots against the warrior on her and pushed him off. She flipped up on her feet standing and threw a right cross which hit the second assailant firmly on the chin sending him flat on his back. Without wasting a second, Kennedy took the crystal that was still in her hand and dove on the opponent that had lost his bow. She raised the pointed stone and plunged its sharp end deep into the spirit's chest. She held it there and waited for the man to vanish.

What happened was something quite different. The warrior grunted fiercely and then took the stone in his hand and pulled it from his flesh. He threw it to the side.

Kennedy was stunned. 'Fuck!…He didn't die.' The slayer knew she had a whole set of new problems. She wasn't able to discern why her plan hadn't worked because the warrior threw her off of him.

In a split second, Kennedy and Sasomet were on one side of the tunnel and the three warriors were on the other. One said something obviously directed to Sasomet. Kennedy saw the man's expression change.

Kennedy knew that they had to find a way to kill the spirits. Her attempt had proven wrong. "You need to send them away, George…Do a spell."

The Native got a blank look. "I can't…The seer told me to do this…She said they would come because they were apart of me…There wasn't anything about making them disappear."

The warriors then attacked Sasomet and Kennedy. The slayer tried to keep the Native from direct combat with the spirit warriors. She knew he was no match for them. Kennedy acted like a mother bear keeping its young from the jaws of the hungry mountain lion. She used her knife and Sasomet's ax to keep the enemy at bay, while her mind tried to think of a way out. Sasomet helped when he could, pushing one of his now opponents off the slayer or pushing one down unsuspectingly.

Sasomet could see that the slayer was not going to be able to kill their combatants. The seer had told him they would be unstoppable because they came from the man's own spirit, his line to the people before him. The brunette would not be able to kill them because they were not real in the human sense even though they had physical form. They were the manifestation of the hatred Sasomet carried in his soul for all the wrong he felt done to his people and family. The warrior spirits existed because hatred in his heart existed. He watched knowing that all too soon the slayer would falter. She would have no choice; she was not as her enemy was. The slayer was of special powers and of strong stock, but she was still a woman, flesh and blood of this world. The warrior spirits would never stop until they had the revenge for which Sasomet had wished for so long.

Sasomet saw Kennedy lash out at the assailants, stabbing and kicking at will. But the warriors kept advancing. No matter how she injured them, the Natives didn't stop. Their numbers were enough to keep their assault in motion. Sasomet looked on as the slayer took a cut to her arm and then a hard blow to the head. The three assailants were too much for the woman who was spending her time protecting Sasomet instead of trying to escape.

It was then that Sasomet truly understood the meaning of nobility. He watched as Kennedy defended him despite his treachery to her, and he knew she would do it to her death. The slayer was as great a warrior that had ever walked the earth. The man felt deeply ashamed for his actions and his willingness to seek the death of one so brave.

The Native also realized at that instant that there was only one way out for them. The warriors beating the fight out of the brunette were there because of Sasomet; they were him. He knew how to stop them.

George Rousseau, the man who called himself Sasomet, became a true Wampanoag sachem in that moment. He shed his own desires and wishes aside and thought only of saving his comrade. He did the only thing he could. As the slayer and spirit warriors continued their battle, Sasomet lunged out from behind Kennedy. He threw himself at his brethren stopping their attack on the brunette. After knocking one down, he jumped back into the fray. He began to fight side by side with the slayer, using his hands as his weapons.

Sasomet was not the fighter Kennedy was nor the spirit warriors. He quickly became the victim of numerous slashes of the knives of his clan. The more he fought, the greater his injuries. The entire time Kennedy yelled at the man to get out of the fight, to get behind her. But Sasomet had had a turn of heart. He let go of his sour revenge and fought on with the real hero in the tunnel.

Sasomet tried to will the spirit warriors away. He rejected their existence and his vengeful soul. With each thought of his renewed spirit, the Wampanoag lashed out at his enemy. Then in one concentrated motion, Sasomet thrust his body at his own legacy. "Di-i-i-i-e-e!" he yelled.

George Rousseau didn't see the tomahawk swung by his brethren. It had been meant for the slayer but the Native's body broke its path. Kennedy screamed as she saw the event unfold seemingly in slow motion before her. It took but a hair's distance of time.

The blade caught Sasomet square on the side of the neck and he fell to the ground. He landed on his back and held the weapon still deep in his flesh as blood poured out. He stared at the slayer. Everyone stood motionless and watched as Sasomet began to cough blood from the corner of his mouth. Sasomet found Kennedy's eyes and looked directly at them. There were no words that left the man's lips. He knew he could not undo the damage done to the slayer or her family. His only apology came in the form of his life.

Kennedy watched as George Rosseau's breathing gasped and then stopped. His eyes were still open and looking at her when he took his last breath.

As soon as Rousseau died, a flash of brilliant blood red light exploded from the crystal lying on the ground beside him. When it vanished so did the warriors. Kennedy didn't have time to examine the area because just as quickly everything went black and when she was able to see again she was in her car.

Kennedy was dumbfounded. 'Well that was a helluva thing,' as she stared around the vehicle. Not only was she in her car, but she had no wounds from the fight nor was she wet from the rain. It was as if she'd never left the vehicle. The slayer had no explanation for how she got where she was. Something told her that it was connected to George Rousseau's death and Camilia's plan.

That thought brought reality back to the slayer. She had survived her battle but knew that her beloved witch was facing the same. Kennedy hoped that she wasn't too late. She started the engine and floored the gas. She headed north for the Clearing Place to stop Camilia Horn from doing any harm to her redhead.

As she sped down the wet road, she tried to mindspeak to her girl without any response. Her anxiety mounted.

Dawn was ready to jump out of her skin. After speaking with Kennedy, she tried numerous times to contact Willow. They all failed. She was frantic that she hadn't heard from the redhead.

She also had Samantha to tend to. The girl had become very agitated. She kept yelling out for her mothers. She cried and couldn't keep still. The child insisted on staying by the window. No matter what Dawn did, the little girl wouldn't calm down. It was as if the child knew her mothers were in danger, like she had some connection to them. Dawn wondered how much the two year old really understood about what was happening.

"I got a hold of Kennedy and told her about Cam…She said she'd get out of the fort and go get Willow and Terri…but I haven't heard from her…I haven't been able to contact Willow." She sounded desperate.

Faith tried to calm her down. "It'll be ok, Dawn…You know Kenn won't let anything happen to Willow…Listen, I just got a rental and I'm on my way outta Boston."

Dawn was glad for that piece of information. "You need to go straight to the Clearing Place…that's where Willow is and Kennedy maybe."

Faith knew that would be the best course. Hopefully she'd be able to help the witch or the slayer to bring down Horn. "What about Kennedy?…I should find her…go to where she went with that Indian."

"No, Faith. The Fort's in Rhode Island. It's farther away than where Willow and Terri went…You need to go to Willow first…It's closest.

"We're fine…I don't think this was ever about Sammi…Cam made it up…She made up everything."

Faith knew she had to trust Buffy's little sister. She just hoped Dawn was right. "Ok, give me directions."

Dawn told the slayer how to get to the place and the call ended soon after that. Not too long later, Dawn got another call.

Less happy, "Sammi's still here with me and she's fine except for missing you. I don't know how she knows but Sammi knows something's up with you two."

Kennedy briefly thought that her child might have a touch of the magick in her. Then back to serious thoughts. "What about Will?…Has she called you?…I've tried her cell phone and I get nothing."

"But I heard from Faith and she was just leaving Boston in a car and she's on the way to meet you there."

Kennedy was relieved to hear that Faith was also on her way. She wanted someone to get to Willow; she didn't care who.

The two talked a few more moments before Kennedy said she had to hang up to concentrate on driving. Before she ended the call, Kennedy told Dawn, "You were right about everything…It is Cam…She's behind everything."

The call ended and Kennedy continued her drive to save her wife. Dawn remained as she was, trying to calm down the couple's daughter and anxiously waiting to hear about the well being of her favorite witch.

Camilia walked over to Willow lying half conscious on the ground. She pushed her on her back with her foot. She saw the redhead's cell phone sticking out her front pocket. The black haired witch smiled knowing that a little spell was all it took to deaden the reception to the phone. She knew noone could have reached the redhead by that means. Her spell given to the native kept Willow from being able to mindspeak with the slayer. The witch bent over, took the phone and threw it into the woods. Horn gave herself an imaginary pat on the back for the thoroughness of her plan.

Her praise was interrupted by the waking redhead. Willow rocked back and forth on the ground, holding her head in her hands. Camilia crouched down beside her.

"Really starting to hurt?…That's the magick draining…feels like your head's in a vise, huh?"

Willow finally opened her eyes and saw the figure above her. She didn't know how she could have been so deceived. "Is this where the vision starts?"

Horn stood up. "Sorry, no vision…made that up…I should thank Terri for that…a little potion in her coffee that night when noone was looking and…presto!…instant vision…Of course, I manipulated what she saw…I knew you'd come here if you thought Kennedy was in danger…You are so predictable."

Willow didn't believe her ears. 'There was no vision?…It was all made up?' Before she could say a word, Camilia continued.

"That's not to say that Kennedy won't die…that traitor certainly will…It just won't happen here and by some thing with an ax…How melodramatic." The sarcasm dripped from her words.

The redhead knew she had to destroy the younger witch. As horrible as she felt, Willow had to find the strength to defeat this evil. She started to push herself up.

"Now, now…can't have you putting up a fight." Camilia raised a hand and was about to hit the redhead with a jolt of electricity when a blast of energy struck her like tank. Camilia went toppling on the ground away from the witch. Willow looked over and saw Terri standing in the falling rain, sparks coming off her fingers. She hobbled over to the redhead.

"Are y-you ok?…C-can you stand?..W-we need to get out of here." Terri spoke wildly. Both women glanced at their attacker who was on the ground writhing.

"I can't go…She'll go after Kennedy and Sammi…I need to stop her." The redhead knew that if they escaped Horn would either come after them or after Kennedy and their child. Willow couldn't let her slayer or her daughter get hurt. She had to finish the battle here.

There was no time to argue because Camilia got over the shock and was getting on her feet again. She stared at Pallouda. "You fucking bitch!…You're stronger than I thought…But not strong enough." Horn threw out her arms and the older witch was lifted in the air and thrown twenty feet to the side. Willow heard a loud groan and then a scream when the witch hit the ground.

"She's a feisty one…but no match for my power, especially with the potion…You know, I think I heard bones breaking when she fell."

Willow searched for movement from the body. There was none. A well of anger began to grow in the redhead. She didn't give Camilia time to turn back to her. Willow lashed out her hand to nearby logs, stacked there ready for the coming cold weather. The wood shot out like they'd been hit with a torpedo. They sped like bullets at the black haired witch. The firewood pelted her fiercely and she was knocked over once again. One of the logs shattered her collarbone.

The redhead's action was not without cost. She'd been feeling the depletion of the energy. It felt like her magickal powers were seeping out of her. She was getting weaker by the moment. The action with the logs made her head spin and she fell to the ground. She forced herself to her knees. Willow knew she couldn't spare a second defenseless. If she wanted to save Kennedy and her daughter, she had to win this fight.

The two witches stood up at the same time. The younger looked shocked. Horn didn't understand why the redhead wasn't dead or at least unconscious by now. 'That potion shoulduv made her into a rag doll by now.' Camilia realized she had underestimated the power of the reserved witch. The tales she had heard were not exaggerations as she had thought. Willow Rosenberg was more powerful than any witch she'd ever met. The avenging spirit knew she would have to battle to the end.

The women faced one another, both injured. Neither moving; each waiting for the other to disclose their plan of attack. The tension was tangible and it took only seconds for the redhead to make the first move. Willow knew her power was leaving her; she didn't have the luxury of time. The redhead struck out at her enemy.

The scene was like the apocalypse. The lightning and thunder of the night storm proved to be the perfect backdrop to the battle of the forces of Good and Evil. The women engaged each other in a clash of universal proportions. Both witches shot at each other, the energy spheres and jolts popping from their finger tips like bullets from a gun. They sprang out of the way of incoming grenade-like blasts. The witches battled, sending items from the yard at their enemy. They circled the opening, hurling large rocks and logs and limbs from trees at the other. There were times when each got the upper hand, when one witch had to run for cover behind a tree trunk or roll out of the way of missile like electrical shocks. The witches fought with all their might and magick. The redhead's persistence brought about from the sheer devotion to her slayer and child.

Willow kept pursuing the avenger; she never let up on her barrage of power. The sight of the conflict resembled a mighty storm in that small area, the rain falling, ground shaking and energy blasts lighting the air around them. If there had been a fight between God and Satan, it would have looked like this. Neither witch gave in or up. Each was battling for the truth they knew to be the way. For Camilia, it was the revenge for a millennia of torment to her sisters. For Willow, it was for the lives of her slayer and daughter.

In the end, as is the will of the universe, the true of heart prevailed. Willow knew she was reaching her end and had but little time before she was drained. The potion was making her weaker by the moment. Her body had taken the brunt of numerous hits from the other and it was starting to show the effects. Willow gathered up all the power she had left and stood up in the open, arms by her side and head bent down. She coyly watched as the realization came over the blue eyed witch that Willow had lost her power, that she was defenseless. The redhead waited for Camilia to begin her final attack. As the witch drew back to throw the last blast, Willow quickly raised her head, opened her mouth and let out a vicious wale of sound mixed with sheer physical power.

The sound pulsated through the air and spread as it went to the unsuspecting witch. It took but a second, but when the air waves hit Camilia it was as if a tidal force the size of a skyscraper hit her. The force lifted her body and carried her like a feather through the air. Camilia could neither talk nor move nor react to the shock wave that pummeled her. The force took her back until she crashed against the giant oak tree. She stopped when her bones snapped like twigs against the upper trunk. A broken limb from the tree sliced through the side of her belly, impaling her. Camilia Horn was plastered against the tree as if crucified. The back of her skull fractured as it met the rock hard timber. She was dead the moment she hit the mighty oak.

Willow fell to the ground, depleted of her strength. She felt the flickers and tingle of the massive power as it left her body. She struggled to raise her head to view her opponent pinned upon the tree. As she looked, small firefly-like sparks began to emit from the enemy's face and hands, starting from her eyes and nails and spreading outward. The embers of light grew in intensity and dimension quickly until the dead witch's exposed skin burst into blue flames. The effect was like dry straw meeting a torch. In a second, the physical being of the woman named Camilia Horn had incinerated. All that was left was her charred clothes still tacked to the oak. That was the moment that Willow knew for sure she had beaten her foe.

Victory was hers and a wave of relief flowed over her. The redhead lost consciousness for a few seconds and then she just lay the on the ground, the rain pelting her body. She couldn't move or think. She just stayed there.

Willow couldn't determine how long she was on the ground but at some point her senses came back. She started to move and felt the damage done to her body. It felt like her insides had been badly beaten and bruised.

Then the witch thought of her family. She knew she had defeated her enemy but she didn't know if her slayer and child were out of trouble. Willow knew she had to find them. She got up slowly and painfully. She saw the remains of her betrayer hanging from the tree. Her mind still fuzzy, Willow went over to where Terri was. The woman was not moving. She hadn't moved since her fall. Willow couldn't understand why Pallouda had to fall victim to the avenging witch.

Knowing that her family could still be in trouble, Willow headed for her car. She had to get to Fort Adams. She knew instinctively that Camilia had led Kennedy there. She didn't know if Kennedy was alone or if there was some other horrible twist to the demented plan, but she knew she had to start there.

As she went to her car, the redhead reached in her pocket for her phone. It wasn't there. In the heat of the battle, Willow surmised that the phone must have dropped from her pocket or had been taken by Horn. She couldn't waste the time looking; she had to get to Kennedy. She was too weak to teleport and realized she'd have to drive even though she was fragile. 'I'll try to mindspeak to Kenn or Dawn.' Even that attempt the witch knew would make her weaker. Every thought she had drained a little more power from her.

Willow made it to the car and got in. She sat there for a moment and then started the engine. Still dazed, she placed the Infinity in drive and took off.

"Please be ok, baby, please." Willow had defeated her villain and was driving south to Rhode Island to save her slayer.

The drive was arduous for the battered Willow. The rain continued to fall, making it difficult for the redhead to see the road in front of her. Even on a regular night, she would have had to drive cautiously. This night, her flight to find her slayer was almost impossible because of her waning energy and serious injuries. Willow had trouble concentrating; her vision was cloudy and blurry at moments. There were times she had to move almost at a snail's pace just to keep her car on the winding New England back roads. But she kept going; Willow would not stop. She couldn't. The only thing more important than her well being was that of her family, the devoted wife and loving child that had become the reason she breathed. 'I've got to find her.' That thought kept Willow driving even while her life was starting to slowly ebb from her body.

Willow was not alone on the road. Occasionally, a car went by in the other direction. She even had one pass her, obviously trying to get home and out of the storm. The redhead persevered and continued on her mission. She was on a rural back road but not so far from civilization and the main highway. She wasn't sure how she'd manage on a real road with competing traffic. 'I'll deal with it when I get there,' she told herself.

As hard as the witch tried to concentrate on her driving, she kept seeing her wife and child's faces before her. She was unable to make contact with anyone and it was too late to go back to her house. She had a compelling invisible hand pushing her to Fort Adams. Her thoughts distracted her for a moment and she unknowingly veered to the right, almost leading her passenger side wheels off the road and onto the soft shoulder. She quickly corrected herself and got the vehicle under control and squarely in her lane. Her heart was pounding, but she didn't know if it was from her close call or the effects of her battle finally taking hold of her body.

Gripping the steering wheel of the Infinity, Willow took a quick glance in her rear view mirror. Her peripheral vision caught the view from the child seat mirror that was clipped onto the driver side visor. It was of the empty babyseat in the back used for Samantha. Willow was at first grateful that her daughter had not been with her but instead was in the protective circle of Dawn. Then, however, Willow thought a most horrible notion; life without her daughter. The idea that Camilia might have already taken her child from her made her stomach turn and her heart ache. The redhead couldn't catch her breath thinking that her beautiful child might be gone from this world. The tears of uncertainty began to form over emerald eyes. That mother's desperation made the witch even more committed and persistent to get to her destined location. Her only solace was knowing that Kennedy would do everything in her power to keep their child out of harm.

That thought of Kennedy brought the brunette's face in front of the redhead. It was as almost unthinkable to imagine a life without her slayer as it was to think of one without her daughter. In the years they'd been together, Kennedy had become not only her true love, but her best friend, her protector and her confidante. The witch and slayer had become one in so many ways. They depended on each other and supported one another. Kennedy made Willow a better and happier person. She was the one that had shown the redhead that anything was possible. The brunette was the person who had demonstrated the utter selflessness and devotion that one can have for another. Though the brunette had said it first, Willow meant it when she floated her thought to the slayer- 'you're my way.' Kennedy had become Willow's path through life, her guiding light. The thought of losing that was unbearable. The possibility of the world losing that pure a soul was unthinkable. Willow knew she had to save her slayer. She pushed on through the rain and agony.

The witch's torment was ended with the view of the highway entrance road in front of her. Despite her pain and confusion, she drove onto the country highway. It was a four lane divided road with street lights to assist the traveler. The redhead hugged the right side lane and drove as fast as she could without jeopardizing her or others on the road. She could feel herself getting closer. With each passing of a street light, she got slightly inspired and hopeful. "I'm coming, baby…I'll find you."

Though still blurred, Willow saw an exit sign for Westport, the one that would take her to Fort Adams. She changed over to the exit lane and soon found herself driving on yet another typically windy Rhode Island road. She devotedly followed the one paved lane, feeling weaker with each passing minute. Her vision was getting worse because of the loss of street lights. The continuing rain hampered her ability to see even further. The witch was moving and acting on sheer will power; her absolute need to take this evening's events to their end.

The redhead made her way past houses nestled in the sanctity of their wooded lots, tucked deep behind sprawling pines, accessible only by slithering driveways. Lights might have been on inside those abodes, but Willow didn't notice. She saw only the road in front of her. The mailboxes perched at the ends of those sporadic driveways, the even less frequent abutting road ways were invisible to her. She never saw the street sign for Clifton Road as she went by it. Those were outside distractions and the witch could only, would only, focus her attention on reaching the fort.

The redhead was so concentrated on staying conscious that she never saw the deer jump out from the woods into the road ahead of her. It, like so many other creatures that night, was seeking better shelter from the storm. The headlights from the witch's car caused it to stop, indecision as to fight or flight freezing its movement.

By the time Willow saw the animal in front of her, in the path to her slayer, it was too late. The first thing the redhead noticed was the creature's eyes; they were staring directly at her. For a moment, the witch thought the deer was the one she sacrificed to resurrect Buffy. Then the thought flashed in her mind that it was Camilia's final battle move against her. In the end, Willow realized it was merely a poor defenseless animal that had made a bad choice to cross an empty road.

Willow jammed on the brakes and jerked the steering wheel to the left to try to avoid hitting the deer. The rain slick road gave no mercy. The Infinity's wheels locked and the car began to slide sideways, the back end slipping to the edge of the roadway. The back passenger wheel caught the lip of the street and the vehicle whipped in the other direction, the movement much like the crack of horseman's whip. Willow frantically tried to correct the position of the Infinity but to no avail. The car veered off the road, trampling over low brush, along the ditch and finally careening head first into a large maple tree.

The car hit with a harsh force, sending Willow jostling forward and then about the interior of the vehicle. If it weren't for the airbag, the redhead would have been ejected through the front window. As it was, she had forgotten to put on her seatbelt. After the airbag deployed, she was jerked forward again and crashed into the front windshield. Her chest hit into the steering wheel. She still had her right foot on the brake when the initial force hit, causing her ankle to break. The pinball effect of her body being thrown about inside the car caused her left shoulder and thigh to jam up against the driver's side door. The shoulder dislocated and her thigh received a deep wound from the arm rest which tore off revealing the sharp metal clamps underneath.

By the time the Infinity came to a standstill, there was already blood seeping from Willow's head wounds. Her thigh was also bleeding severely. In a total state of confusion, but not unconscious, the redhead somehow managed to open the driver's side door. It helped that the latching mechanism had broken. The door flung open and Willow, dazed and in shock, dragged her legs out of the car. As soon as she put her right foot down and placed pressure on it, a jolt of pain ran up her leg and into the base of her skull.

Even in the unreal situation she was in, the witch remembered one thing; she was trying to get to her slayer. Not even understanding what had happened to her, Willow forced herself up and out of the car. Her eyes were open but she saw nothing but a hazy blur. She felt the rain and the cold of the September night on her skin. And she felt the pain…the mounting, unbearable pain.

Willow took one step forward and started to fall. Her momentum took her stumbling down and away from the car, each step on the ground more painful than the one before. Finally, her body reached the level bottom of the trough and she fell to the ground on her back. She tried to move but her injuries from the battle and her crash engulfed her. She closed her eyes. She lost all her strength and could do nothing except be prey to the night's elements.

The witch would have cried if she'd had the strength left. Instead she carried a silent apology- 'I failed…I didn't save you.' The thought was tragically meant for her slayer, for her daughter.

Willow fell unconscious believing that she had lost her family, not knowing that her beloved slayer was but a short distance down the road, only a few heart beats away from finding her.

"NNNOOOOOOO…" Kennedy heard the piercing scream and didn't realize it was coming from her own throat until she collapsed onto the lifeless body of her witch, her lungs drained of breath.

The sight of her Willow dead in her arms sent an immeasurable stabbing pain threw her heart. The agony shredded her insides. The slayer couldn't breathe; her heart pounded like it was trying to burst its way out of her chest. She had never felt anything so intensely painful in all her time as a slayer, as a person.

Kennedy couldn't believe her redhead was dead. "No!…No!…No!…You can't be…come back, come back," she cried as she held her delicate wife.

The slayer had never prepared herself for this event. She never let the thought of losing Willow enter her mind. She was the slayer; she was destined to be the one to go first. Anything else was unimaginable and unacceptable. If she hadn't lost Willow during their ordeal in South Beach, then she wasn't meant to lose her. If someone had to die, it was supposed to be the Chosen One. Kennedy understood her role as a slayer. Willow was meant to stay in this world, to help those in need and make sure their child was happy and safe. The redhead wasn't supposed to die trying to save the slayer. Kennedy was fraught with torment thinking her inaction, her inability to solve the mystery sooner, had led her love to do the unthinkable.

Kennedy held her witch as she raised her head and eyes skyward. "WHY?…Why?…You bastards…You shoulduv taken me." The powers-that-be would not respond. This was not their bidding.

As the slayer lowered her sight, for the first time she saw the whole view around her. She never let go of her witch as she took in the vehicle wedged into the tree trunk, the broken window, the hissing and leaking engine. She saw glass everywhere and the beaming headlight. As brown eyes followed the debris, she saw more glass and a trial of blood.

'Oh my God,' the brunette said under her breath. The wreckage in front of her became all too real. Kennedy didn't know if the crash had been part of her redhead's battle with Camilia. It didn't matter. The horror that her girl must have experienced tore at the slayer's soul. Kennedy felt that her witch had been traumatized both physically and mentally with the events of the night. That knowledge ripped open her heart even more.

To a devastated soul, the time spent wallowing in the despair at the moment of losing a loved one seems to last for an eternity. And so it was for Kennedy. The slayer's whirlwind of emotions and thoughts after the moment Willow's last breath escaped seemed to last forever. In reality, they were but a few blinks of the eye.

Kennedy's overwhelming sense of loss and her inability to accept the witch's departure, made her instantly react.

In but a matter of moments after her expression of desolation, the slayer knew she couldn't let Willow go 'gently into that sweet night.' She would rage against the coming of death for the woman who was the reason for her existence. 'I won't let you go,' she commanded.

Hurriedly, the brunette lowered her witch to the ground on her back. Kennedy began to immediately perform CPR on the redhead. She started the steps that she and Willow had learned several years earlier after Sammi was born. The redhead had been insistent that they become certified in the event their daughter ever became in need of it, "We can't rely on magick all the time. We need to know this just in case." Kennedy was never more thankful for her wife's prodding.

The slayer did the resuscitations and then the chest compressions. She was terrified, frantic and determined in her acts. The routine continued, two resuscitations, fifteen compressions…over and over.

As she worked, Kennedy felt herself holding onto to the fact that she would never let her redhead go. The slayer had made a vow to her gentle redhead to love and protect her. That promise had been accepted by the slayer long before she and the witch ever exchanged wedding vows. There had been a moment in time years before which had cemented Kennedy's fate to Willow. It was when the brunette knew that Willow's life would be ever entwined with her own.

That moment was when the still potential was staring down the barrel of a gun held by the distraught witch. As Willow struggled to hold on to herself and not be taken over by her guilt induced personification of Warren, the murderer of Tara, Kennedy came to a realization. She was not afraid to die if it happened while saving Willow. The brunette was willing to chance being shot to death by the very woman she wanted to help bring back to a real life.

At the time, the brunette didn't even know how Willow felt about her. She wasn't sure if they could have any kind of relationship, on any level. It wasn't until later that the potential would even come to realize her own deep devotion. But in Buffy's back yard that day, none of that mattered. All Kennedy knew was that Willow needed help. She had to be there for the redhead, whatever the cost. And she was fine with that. She wanted it, needed it somehow. It had nothing to do with being a potential or the next possible slayer. It was purely about one woman's desire to help another; one soul reaching out as a lifeguard to another in distress.

As she now tried to bring her witch back to life, Kennedy had that same commitment. She would never give up. She would do whatever it took to save her witch. "Death really doesn't have the same meaning after you've done this for a while…" That was a comment made to her by her witch several years previously. It was what made her know she hadn't lost her redhead in Florida and it was the force that kept her pushing now. The slayer knew that she would do anything for Willow. Kennedy would do or give her all, her life for the witch. She had to; the slayer had no choice. Willow was her life and her destiny.

At that instant, a thought crept into the slayer's mind. As her actions continued, Kennedy began to unwind the meaning of her devotion to Willow. She would be willing to give up her life for the redhead; she had almost on several occasions. The slayer knew her witch needed her life-giving powers back, that spark like the combustion of an engine.

Kennedy gazed at Willow's expressionless face. While her body was mechanically pushing air and blood through the witch's lungs and veins, the slayer's mind and soul had begun another effort to bring the witch back. Willow needed not an ember but a wildfire of energy.

'That's it!' In the free flow of thought, the answer to Kennedy's most harrowing moment came to her like a thunder clap.

Kennedy closed her eyes and, with all her might, pushed her thought to the heavens. [Take my power…Bring her back.]. Kennedy was not about to lose the woman who made her life complete.

Kennedy looked about her. It took a few moments for her to realize she was standing. It took another to see that she was out of the rain and inside a large rocky cave. The slayer blinked her eyes several times and shook her head. She was warm and dry in a cave. In front of her sat five dark skinned men. They were old, with long, thin graying hair. Each had markings on their face, arms and feet. Though they were seated, the brunette could see that they had some type of animal leather worn on their torso and legs. Around their necks and wrists were magnificent bead and bone necklaces and bracelets. For a minute, Kennedy thought she was looking at aborigines she'd seen while in the deepest parts of the Amazon in Brazil.

After another second of confusion, Kennedy remembered that she needed to be with Willow to save her. The fact that she wasn't beside the redhead trying to bring the woman back to life was enough to put the brunette in a state of fervor. She started to yell at the men who were just staring at her, unmoving.

"Who are you?…Where am I?…I have to go…I have to be with Willow…What have you done with Willow?" The slayer's voice was demanding by the end of her speech.

None of the old men said a word nor acted frightened. The one in the middle merely raised a finger and pointed behind the slayer.

Kennedy turned and saw the opening for the enclosure she was in. But the hole in the cave did not lead to the outside. The slayer did not see sky nor land in her view. Brown eyes gazed upon the hazy scene of her performing CPR on her witch in the rainy night. The opening to the cave seemed to be a portal, the ethereal gateway to another worldly plane. It had a liquid, almost three dimensional look to it, like she could put her hand through the space and not have it come out on the other side. The brunette could see that she was still trying to bring her witch to life, but she was also in the cave. She didn't understand her present situation.

"What the hell is going on?" she said turning back to stare directly at the old men. None answered. The slayer studied each of them. They looked so aged that Kennedy couldn't even begin to place a date to their bodies. The more she looked though, the more familiar they became to her. It was as if she'd met them before. It had a déjà vu quality to it.

Kennedy took a moment to try to decipher how she came to her location. She had been frantic to save Willow. She knew the witch needed something to jolt her back to life. Kennedy thought back to Brazil when Willow touched her during their mind meld in the operating room. The witch had pushed her energy into the slayer's dead body to make its heart regain its beat. It was that same type of desire that Kennedy had in her mind in the instant before being in her present spot.

Kennedy had told the Powers-that-be to take her slayer power so that Willow would live again. She had demanded those same Powers-that-be to use her to bring Willow back to life. Though she was recalling the chain of events precisely before her relocation, she still couldn't understand the reason for the men in front of her.

Kennedy heard the reply from the old man to her far left. Though spoken in a language that the slayer had never heard before, she knew exactly what he said. She instantly translated it in her mind. "You demanded it," the old man uttered.

"You're the Powers-that-be?" Kennedy didn't expect quite what she had before her.

Calmly, "Because we are the father to your power…through the Glory, we can be its executioner."

Kennedy took in the answer from the man. She understood they weren't the powers-that-be. As she continued to stare at them, the truth came to her.

"You're the elders to the First Slayer." As soon as that realization came, it all made sense. She was in the presence of the shamans that had placed the spirit into the woman that became the first "Chosen One." Kennedy's slayer instinct, that piece of her genetic make-up she shared with that ancient woman told her it was true. The unaffected expressions on the other parties confirmed her conclusion.

"Why should I deal with you?…You forced your will on the original slayer. You gave her no say…Why should I believe you'll do what the Powers want instead of what you want?"

The shaman in the middle shuffled slightly and clenched his teeth together. As before, and as would be during the brunette's entire encounter, the man spoke a language long since dead, but of which Kennedy understood. "Do not believe, and your witch lives in the afterworld…The Glory have used us to open a pathway…This is unheard of for mere mortals, even slayers, and will not be in the face of your suspicion."

Kennedy felt like she was being allowed to be privy to the force that ran the universe. The mention of Willow made her eyes widen and her heart quicken. She glanced behind her at the surreal view of her continuing actions in the night storm to resuscitate her love. A voice inside her head told her that this was her only chance to save Willow. Kennedy took the step into blind faith.

The smallest shaman, the one with a twisted arm and haggard skin, started to laugh. It was a high squeaky tone. Then the old man got very serious. "Life is not blinking an eye…to be done whenever one wants…This is an obligation, a changing of the order of the Glory."

The slayer didn't like what was said. She had been told to believe only to be struck down in her request. "Why then am I here if you won't bring her back?"

Kennedy got even more irritated. She had no time for the game being played by the men before her. She needed Willow back and if they wouldn't help then she wanted only to get back to her reality. 'If it's not that they won't then why…' The brunette's thought stopped in mid sentence. She suddenly understood what was said to her.

"You can bring her back if I give up my powers?" The slayer had been so preoccupied with being with the shamans that she forgot what had brought her there to begin with. She had demanded the Powers-that-be to take her powers and transform them into the energy needed for Willow. The brunette knew that was how she'd bring her witch back from the dead.

"Again, the blink of an eye." This time it was the oldest looking man who spoke for the first time.

Kennedy was back to her confusion. "What?..No blink…just do it…I want you to, now…before it's too late."

The first to speak to her leaned forward and canvassed the slayer's form. He spoke again. "You know not what you ask…We are here to show you your mistake."

Kennedy barked back. "There's no mistake…Willow has to live and if the only way to get there is for me to stop being a slayer, so be it."

The same shaman got an angry look and grumbled at her. "You see so little of the slayer in you…Our reason for making the power is bigger than one witch…it's bigger than you alone…You cannot throw away your legacy until you know the truth."

"Willow is my truth…That's all I care about." Kennedy wasn't about to let a stranger tell her the 'insignificance' of her witch.

"I find that hard to believe…I know plenty of slayers who'd be glad to go back to a normal life."

The oldest elder chimed in. "Ahh…but the mind and heart are two…No slayer has truly wanted to free their body of the power…as much as they struggle with it…The magnificence has always kept a grip on them…Their spoken words are shaded to the desire deep within."

"Well, I don't give a shit about other slayers…I need Willow back, so take my power."

The lead elder slowly got up and walked to the brunette. He stood his ground directly before her, not more than a few inches away. Kennedy could feel his breath on her face. The man's yellowing black eyes gripped onto hers. It was like he was searing her in two. The stare was so intense.

"Know what it is to be the slayer," the elder said softly as he placed his hand squarely upon the middle of Kennedy's chest.

The feeling that swept through the brunette's body was indescribable. It was nothing like the surge of the slayer power after Willow's spell during the battle with the First. That had made her feel completely alive, and whole. This sense was closer to having millions of insects running not over her skin but in it, as a part of it. There were not the tingling ripples of electrical impulses she'd experienced in fights and during some spells with her witch. This seemed to have a living quality to it, as if her entire body was going through some metamorphosis. It lasted but for a few seconds, then it was gone and the shaman removed his hand.

The elder fixed on the slayer, staring keenly at her reaction. The brunette, initially, made no move or action. Kennedy absorbed the incident. Then brown eyes shot to the old man and the muscles on her face tightened. She looked at him with a new found expression.

The shaman knew that Kennedy had inside her the legacy of her slayer destiny. He nodded his head ever so slowly, acknowledging the immensity of what the slayer now knew.

Kennedy found it hard to understand what the elder had done. The placing of his hand on her had opened her to the future. Though nothing had changed in the brunette, she had infused in her being her life as a slayer. These weren't just pictures she was shown of future actions on her part. They weren't planted memories. Kennedy Prescott, vampire slayer, was in the mind and psyche of herself many years from now. It was as if her body now had the soul and essence of her from years to come. She didn't need to see future accomplishments because in her mind, they'd already happened and she had the memories of all. She could feel the joy and happiness from the thousands she saved, the pain and sorrow from those that were left behind. The slayer felt the aches and tenderness from the effect the years of battling placed on her body. Kennedy held the faces of the innocents she kept from death in her mind and the same for every demon she killed. Through the mixed emotions that ran rampant in her head, one outshone the rest…accomplishment. There was a deep feeling of a life well lived as a slayer. Kennedy knew that she had given her all for the cause of Good and that the world was a better and safer place because of it. She lived the true noble life of a slayer and carried her sacred obligation to its destiny. The mission was what mattered and she had come as close to perfecting her trade as possible.

Kennedy never took her gaze off the elder. He gave her time and watched as the changes in mood and realization marched across her face. The shaman knew that the brunette had no idea the life she would have doing the slayer's obligation. He knew that no slayer really did. Some never met their potential; some never tried. The shaman also knew that it was that promise of greatness, the carrot at the end of the slayer stick that kept the Chosen from truly wanting to give up their title. No one had ever freely decided to return as they were before being the slayer. The elder was certain that Kennedy, once she understood her destiny, would take that same path. The slayer's loyalty was to the mission, the duty, and no love, no matter how strong, could break that. The elder stood there and waited for the brunette to realize her true devotion. As he watched, he said but one thing to the brunette, "Give up your power and that is gone."

Kennedy didn't change her expression to the old man. The slayer slowly turned around so that she was looking into the doorway to her other dimension. She saw herself in the actual reality of her life. Then she remembered the promise she made to herself about Willow.

"Take it." Kennedy said firmly, never turning to look back at the elders as she gave her answer.

The shaman standing before the brunette closed his eyes for a moment and then walked back to the others and took his rightful place sitting next to his brethren. Without discussion or acknowledgment to each other, the elders bowed their heads. Kennedy didn't see the old man walk away from her or what the elders did for that matter. She was only concerned about her redhead.

Kennedy jerked her head up as soon as she felt a hand on her shoulder and heard someone talking to her. She instantly realized that she was back next to Willow, doing CPR in the rainy night. She saw several EMS paramedics around her and heard the siren.

One of the Emergency crew bent down beside her. "Miss, you need to stop…Let us take over…We can help her." The slayer felt the EMS woman pull her away from Willow. Kennedy was so depleted of energy that she fell backwards onto the ground.

"Stan, make sure she's ok…" said the female paramedic pointing to Kennedy. "I'll handle this one…Rick, get the defibrillator. I'll check for vitals."

Kennedy next saw another person, a man, dressed in EMS attire kneel down next to her. "Are you ok?…Were you in the accident?"

The lead paramedic bent over Willow and placed two fingers to the witch's neck under her chin next to the windpipe. Because the EMS person named Stan was trying to revive Kennedy, he wasn't paying attention when the lead member shouted to the third who had run back to their vehicle.

Faith had never driven so fast in her life. Even though she knew there was a good possibility she'd be spotted by state troopers looking for holiday speeders, the slayer didn't care. She had to help her friends. If she had to deal with law enforcement, she would.

Luckily, the brunette wasn't bothered by the police and she made record time in her race to the Clearing Place. She executed the highway and windy roads in the rain as if she were a world class racer. Faith had received directions from Dawn before she left Boston. During her drive, she called Buffy's sister several times to see if there were any new developments and to make sure she was on course.

Faith pulled into the Askonnet property and slid the car to a racing halt. She jumped out of the rental and scanned the area as she headed for the back of the building. She saw nothing except the security light shining over the front doorway.

As she got closer to the back of the place, she quickly slowed so that she could investigate the view before leaping in to assist however might be necessary. She stopped when she reached the end of the building and peered around the corner. The brunette saw noone, but she could tell people had been there. The clearing in front of her looked like a war zone. There was debris everywhere and marks on the ground and trees as if grenades had exploded.

The slayer slowly walked out into the middle of the destruction. She scoured every inch of what she could see. There was no Willow or Kennedy. Then Faith saw something on the large tree to her left. She made her way there and saw what looked like the charred remains of clothes fused to the tree and on the ground. There were burn marks in the bark of the oak. Faith could only hope those remains were of Willow's enemy and not the redhead herself. The brunette didn't let her thoughts linger on the latter prospect.

"Fuck!…Where the hell are they?" The slayer needed answers. She called Dawn again on her cell phone.

"Dawn?…It's Faith. I'm here and there ain't a fucking person in sight…Willow's car's not here…Neither is K's."

Dawn could hear the frustration in the slayer's voice. Buffy's sister was disheartened by the news. "God, Faith, where could they be?…Kennedy said she was heading there…I haven't heard from either of them."

Both women were confused and angry. They didn't know the whereabouts or the fate of their dear friends.

"Shit…Maybe I should head to that fort…maybe something happened and they're back there." Faith really didn't know what to do. They had no leads or any information to help make any sort of calculated move.

Just then, Faith's slayer hearing picked up on a noise coming from the high grassy field to her right. She stood still and cocked her head to listen more intently. She heard a noise again.

"Wait, Dawn…I hear something in the field…maybe it's them." Faith didn't hang up but she ran to the spot of the noise with her cell phone grasped firmly in her hand. She saw a body as she got closer. "There's someone here…moving!" Faith ran closer and finally got a clear view of the person lying wet and hardly living on the soaked grass.

"It's not Red or K." The disappointment was overt. Faith leaned over and took a good look. "Holy shit!…It's that Terri chick." Faith recalled meeting Pallouda when she visited her friends and during Marla's funeral. "She's alive…I gotta go…I'll call ya back as soon as I can." Faith didn't wait for a response from Dawn. She ended her call, shoved the phone in her pocket and kneeled down beside the witch.

It was obvious that the woman was severely injured. She was lying on the ground in an odd position. Her hips seemed to be turned too far in one direction and her left arm was definitely broken. There were slight murmurs coming from the witch's mouth and an occasional movement of her head. The slayer couldn't see any blood or exterior wounds on the witch. From her years of being a slayer, the brunette knew the woman needed a hospital and she needed it fast. Faith didn't have the luxury of leaving Terri and calling 911. She decided that she had to help the witch and temporarily halt her search for Willow and Kennedy.

Faith put her arms under Pallouda's body and lifter her up. When she did, the woman let out a loud moan.

"Terri, it's me, Faith…Kennedy and Willow's friend…Remember?…You're hurt real bad and I'm taking you to a hospital…You're gonna be ok, but I need you to try to stay still." The slayer didn't know if the woman could hear her or if she was alert enough to make any sense of what was said.

Faith walked quickly to her car and held the witch with one arm as she opened the back door of the vehicle with the other. The slayer carefully placed Pallouda down across the back seat. Faith ran around to her driver's side and got in. "Ok, now where do we go?" The only hospital Faith knew was Rhode Island General Hospital in Providence. She figured that was the best place to go since she was sure none of the little towns she'd driven through would have had their own facility. She guessed that she wasn't too far from the hospital. Askonnet wasn't that far away from the Rhode Island border.

"That's it…Providence here we come…I'll call Dawn to let her know." The slayer sped off to hopefully save the innocent.

When life hangs in the balance, time takes on an altered perception. What passes in a split second to normal senses takes a lifetime for the distraught. Whether the answer to that dichotomy is that time really does slow down or that it is the psyche's way of dealing with a horrendous event is unknown. To the person experiencing the tragedy, the resolution is irrelevant. The pain and anguish is real, all too real. Surroundings are shut out as is the reality of time. This altered perception does not, however, affect the happenings outside the devastated world of the afflicted. Actions that seem incongruent to the course of unfolding events are in fact quite plausible.

Such was the case for the witch and slayer. Known only to the universe was the fact that Willow's accident took place only several minutes before Kennedy found her. The brunette's hesitation upon first seeing Willow lying on the ground was but for a heart beat. The slayer's examination was as brief as the couple's discussion. Kennedy's pleas to Willow and their heart wrenching serenade took but a whisper of time. The slayer's CPR lasted for a couple minutes and her concomitant journey to the shamans was but for a flicker of an instant. Though to Kennedy the travesty seemed to stand still as if caught in time's web, the entire episode evolved over the span of less than fifteen minutes. While the slayer's world was in excruciatingly slow motion, the real world was at high speed allowing for every possible chance to save the witch.

What Kennedy didn't know was that the emergency vehicle that first came to the scene was not sent because of her 911 call. It was there because of the fact that Kennedy demanded that her witch drive a "good" car. Before they moved to Middleton, Kennedy insisted that Willow get a new vehicle. What they ended up purchasing was the high end, special edition Infinity sedan. The car came loaded. It had the best safety record, richest leather interior, purest sound quality cd/stereo system and a high performance engine. It also had an onboard GPS tracking system. "Kenne, what do I need that for?…I know where all the restaurants we like are, and I'm not planning on going on a trip where I'll need directions." The Prescott stubbornness won out after arguing the possible benefits of the system to their fight against evil.

The vehicle that Willow drove that rainy night, the one in the accident, had a fully operational tracking and security system. The Infinity was programmed so that if an airbag was deployed, a sensor in the car's computer would send a signal to the same satellite used for tracking. The signal would then be beamed back to a security company notifying it of the event. A security employee would then call through, using the vehicle's on-board component, to the driver to find out if an accident occurred. In effect, someone would contact the driver to determine if emergency measures were needed. In the event no contact could be made, the security company was to track the location of the vehicle and call 911 for assistance. All that technology in a sexy looking vehicle for the price tag of a mere $65,000. Kennedy thought it was a no brainer.

As a result of the slayer's rich upbringing and snobbery when it came to personal transportation, the moment that Willow's airbag released, a notice of that event reached some minimum wage employee sitting at a desk. He pushed a few keypad buttons and discovered he couldn't make contact with Willow. Just doing his job, he pushed a few more buttons and was instantly speaking with the 911 facility closest to the spot where his monitor told him the Infinity was located. By the time Kennedy called 911, the paramedics were already well on their way to the accident scene. When they arrived, the brunette had only been doing CPR for a few minutes at the most.

The fog lifted and Kennedy heard someone talking to her. Her eyelids twitched and she finally opened her eyes. What she saw was a man leaning over her, keeping the rain from hitting her face. As she looked further, the man was in uniform and he had a medical kit next to him. He was holding the slayer by the arm.

The brunette didn't move for a while until she got her senses back. Then she remembered Willow and she shot up in a sitting position.

"Whoa!…Hold on there…Not too fast." The EMS person was trying to hold her still.

Kennedy grabbed his hand off her arm and started to get up. "Willow?…Is she ok?…Where is she?" The last thing the brunette remembered was telling the shamans to take her power and use it bring Willow back to life. The slayer needed desperately to know the status her witch.

Stan Minick, the EMS member whose job it was to assess the brunette, couldn't hold her down. He followed her when she stood. "Miss, your friend's in good hands…She's over there." The man pointed to the EMS truck.

On the road, the slayer saw the vehicle with lights flashing. The siren had been silenced. By the back of the vehicle were two other paramedics with their backs to the brunette. She could see that there was a gurney in front of them and a person lying on it. Kennedy immediately recognized Willow. There were IV bags and bandages it seemed everywhere on the redhead. Kennedy looked back at the man beside her.

In a consoling tone, "She has some very severe injuries…She lost a lot of blood…but thanks to you, she's got a chance." Stan put a blanket around Kennedy as he spoke.

The slayer didn't expect to hear that. Kennedy thought Willow would be fine, her decision being used by those in 'charge' to change fate and make her redhead whole.

The EMS crewmember saw the unhappy expression on his patient's face. He touched her arm. "She's alive because of you…That CPR you did worked…I don't know how long you did it for, but when we went to take over, your friend already had a heart beat…It's because of you she even has a chance."

'She's alive.' That fact about Willow finally sunk into Kennedy's head. Her witch, her life was alive. At least she had that. The slayer let out a long deep breath of relief.

The other two EMS crew shouted to their co-worker. "Stan, we're ready to take her outta here."

Stan looked to Kennedy. "They're taking your friend to the hospital. We called another ambulance for you because we weren't sure you were gonna wake up…but now, we can take you both…You need to get checked out."

Kennedy kept her view on Willow's stretcher. "I'm fine…and, yes, I'm going with Willow." She didn't even wait for the man to start walking; Kennedy headed for the red EMS truck. "She's my wife," the brunette said as she walked.

There was a flurry of activity and everyone was quickly loaded into the vehicle. As she pulled herself in, Kennedy glanced to the street and saw that the road on both sides had been blocked by local police whose vehicles were positioned as barricades. There were several cars in each direction that had been forced to sit there waiting for the accident personnel to clear. The slayer sat down and the doors were closed. A siren began to blare again and the vehicle took off in the now sprinkling rainy night.

As she sat on the metal seat near the door, Kennedy watched the medical personnel continue to render care to her witch. There was an oxygen mask over the redhead's nose and mouth and several IVs running into her veins. There were bandages on her face and arm. There was a large gauze covering on her hip where the deep cut was. Kennedy couldn't help but notice that Willow looked so defenseless, so weak.

[Hold on, baby…You're gonna make it…I love you, Willow.]. Kennedy thought her feelings to her wife with all the love she had.

A moment later, there was a slight movement to the redhead's head. Her eyelids flickered and Kennedy then saw the emerald eyes with which she had long ago fallen in love. Those eyes found Kennedy instantly.

Though Willow could offer no other sign to Kennedy, that look was enough. The slayer had a momentary feeling of guilt but then thought, 'At least she's alive.'

"Willow?…Kennedy?…Where are you?" Dawn was pacing frantically around the couple's living room. She kept peering out the window like doing so would magickally make the women appear. She'd had little luck in getting Samantha to calm down. The child remained on edge as if knowing her parents were facing danger. Dawn noticed that the girl became even more upset not too much after she talked to Kennedy and then Faith. Samantha started to cry and call for her mothers. She tried to leave the house and Dawn had to hold the infant to console her enough to stop the sobbing. Buffy's sister knew that Samantha had some 'connection' to her mothers. Being the offspring of a witch and slayer, the girl was practically bound to have a heightened sense.

Dawn was finally able to get the little girl quiet even if she still had an anguished expression. When the phone ran, Sammi immediately sprang to her feet, ran to the kitchen and stared at the phone on the wall. Dawn followed right behind and answered it.

Dawn could tell that Faith was on her cell phone and that she was in her car. "Nothing. I'm really getting worried…Where are you?"

"I'm on my way to Rhode Island General. Terri's really bad off…I don't know how long she was out there, but she looks half dead."

"Should I come down there, too?..I don't know what to do…What if Will or Kennedy calls here?…or if they come home and Sammi's not here…They'd freak." Dawn had been going out of her mind just waiting at the house. However, she knew that was where Kennedy and Willow had wanted Sam. The house was safe for her.

"Listen, you can't do a thing for Terri at the hospital. I'll stay with her. You need to stay at the house and keep calling Willow and Kennedy. Someone needs to be there in case they call or show up…I'll call you as soon as I get Terri some help and know something."

"Ok, Faith. I'll wait for your call…and I'll let you know the minute I hear form either of them."

After hanging up, Dawn looked down at Samantha who had a questioning look. "Well, kiddo, that was Aunty Faith. We're gonna stay here and wait til we hear from your Mommies, ok?" The child didn't appear to accept the answer totally, but she did wrap her arms around Dawn's legs. "Don't worry, Sam…Your mommies are pretty smart. They'll be ok and hugging you in no time." Dawn talked to the child in her most convincing voice.

About twenty minutes later, the phone rang again. Something about this ring made both Dawn and Samantha stare at each other for a moment. Then they ran for the kitchen again.

Dawn grabbed the receiver. "Hello?" After hearing the voice on the other end, a relieved smile came to the woman's face.

"Oh my God, Kenn, what's happened?…Where have you been?…Is Willow with you?…" She would have asked a thousand more questions but was interrupted by the slayer.

"I'm pretty sure she did…I think she killed Cam…but something happened to her…maybe on her way to me or you…Her car ran off the road and into a tree."

Dawn was speechless. That was the last thing she expected to hear about Willow. "Is she ok?"

There was silence from the slayer. Then, "She's hurt really bad…really bad…an ambulance had to come and get her." Kennedy knew there was much more to the story than she was telling her friend. However, for the moment, she just wanted to make contact, to let her know that both were at least alive.

"I'm at Rhode Island General Hospital…Can you bring Samantha here…She needs to be here." Kennedy wanted her daughter near for several reasons. The foremost was that the brunette was certain Willow would try harder to live if she knew her daughter was there. The slayer, however, also just needed to hold her little girl, to make sure that she was fine. Kennedy knew it would make it better for both of them.

"Of course, we'll be there as soon as we can…" Then a realization hit the woman. "Wait, you said Rhode Island?…Faith's there, too…or will be…She found Terri."

"I got a call a little while ago from her…" Dawn then told the brunette everything she'd been told by the older slayer. "…Faith says Terri's in bad shape."

"I'll check to see if they're already here…Can you get out of the house?…I know Will put up a barrier." Dawn told Kennedy that wasn't a problem because she had the spell to dissolve it. She finished her call by asking the slayer if she was unharmed and received an affirmative response.

Kennedy put her cell phone back in her pocket. She was standing just outside the doors to the triage room where a team of medical personnel were working on Willow thinking about their wild ride there.

The slayer agonized the entire way to the hospital. She told herself she should have figured out that Camilia and the evil energy force looming over them for so long were the same person. Thinking back, there had been signs; she merely didn't see them. The girl was very secretive and very biting about many topics despite claiming to be shy. The slayer knew she should have recognized the car and have noticed the fact that the woman wasn't around during critical times. Though she didn't know exactly how Horn had fooled them all, she was certain she should have been able to solve that mystery.

Kennedy held Willow's hand as much as the paramedics would let her on the trip to the hospital. She refused any aid, telling Stan that she was fine. Kennedy's only concern was for Willow. The brunette kept praying for her redhead to stay strong.

When they arrived at the emergency entrance, everyone quickly got out and Willow's stretcher was whisked into the building and directly in a triage room. A nurse and Stan took Kennedy by the arm and led her to another room. In an authoritative voice, Stan spoke to the slayer. "You need to be checked out…Cooperate and you can go see her real soon." The slayer, finally realizing where she was, slumped on the examining table, the blanket that had been draped around her fell to the floor. She was exhausted. Whether it was from her own battle, her actions to save Willow or the totality of the evening's events catching up to her, she didn't know. The slayer gave in and let the nurse and a doctor check her for injuries.

Within not too much time, Kennedy had received the "ok" and was at Willow's triage door looking on as the medical staff assessed her redhead. She was optimistic when she didn't see a crash cart or other critical life saving equipment be brought out immediately. However, there were numerous doctor-looking types that went into the room and there was much activity on the witch's wounds. It was during that wait that Kennedy called Dawn. She knew her redhead was struggling and wanted her daughter there. The slayer knew that the witch would be able to feel their daughter's presence.

Just after making the call to Dawn, a doctor came out of the room and motioned to Kennedy.

The slayer shook her head. "No, a ceremony in Ohio." When she saw hesitant look appear on the doctor's face, she added, "But we're each other's health surrogate. I've got the papers at home…I swear." Kennedy was once again grateful for the Prescott ways which demanded that all personal and financial contingencies be covered. The Prescott family lawyers had made sure that Willow and Kennedy would be able to legally act like a married couple even if society wouldn't let them officially become one.

After a moment's thought, the physician nodded. "You can see her for a moment." The slayer acted like an obedient servant and followed the woman in the room. She walked over to her wife. Willow had a breathing tube down her throat and numerous machines hooked up to her, tracking a variety of vital signs. The witch wasn't conscious.

Kennedy looked terrified at the doctor who had spoken to her. "What's wrong with her?" It was said almost like the slayer was afraid to hear the answer.

"She has a severely dislocated shoulder. There is a large deep laceration on her thigh…That caused her to lose a lot of blood. She must have hit the windshield because she had numerous contusions and abrasions on her face, neck and arms…Her ankle is broken…But the real problem is internal…Your wife has severe trauma to almost every organ…I've never seen anything like this…It's as if her insides were shaken around…She has bruised kidneys, spleen and lung…There also appears to be some damage to the liver."

Kennedy stared at her witch. "But she looks like she's just sleeping…How can there be so much wrong?…Is she gonna be ok?"

The doctor walked over to the brunette. "We have to do surgery to make sure the damage isn't worse…There's some minor internal bleeding and we need do laparoscopic surgery to stop that…We'll do everything we can…but she's been under a tremendous amount of trauma and we can't say how severe the damage is…We don't know how she'll be…but we're going to do all we can."

Kennedy didn't recall much of what happened after that because she shut out the activity around her. 'Will might not pull through?' She couldn't get a handle around that statement. 'She has to be fine. They brought her back to me.' Confusion filled her mind as she felt a hand lead her out of the room. A nurse talked to her but all she saw was a mouth move; the words didn't penetrate. Kennedy saw a pair of hospital scrubs in the nurse's hand. She realized that she was being offered the clothes because hers were wet from the rain. The slayer declined with a slight shake of the head.

The brunette was led by the nurse down a hall and she found herself in a waiting room. The nurse helped her to a chair and then said some other words that Kennedy didn't register. She looked blankly at the woman. The brunette finally noticed that the nurse was asking her if she needed anything to which the slayer again responded with a shake of her head. The nurse left and Kennedy was alone, in a room full of other distraught family members all of whom also thought they were alone.

Kennedy sat there for a moment and for no reason put her hand in her pocket. She pulled out the potion that Willow had made for Faith. The slayer stared at it in the palm of her hand. Little did either of them know at the time that the potion was completely useless. The entire vision and their resulting plan to thwart the slayer's 'destined' death was all a lie. It was a farce thought up by a twisted and vengeful witch. Kennedy slowly placed the article back in her pocket and put her hands to her head. She raked her fingers through her damp hair. The slayer knew all she could do was wait to find out the future of her redhead and her and Samantha's life. If the slayer hadn't been so overwhelmed by the event, she would have gotten sick from the uncertainty.

The brunette didn't know how long she'd been there when she heard a familiar voice. "Yo, there you are brat." It was Faith.

Seeing her friend was the first thing that had actually lifted the younger slayer's mood. She stood up. "Faith…You finally made it." The comment was said the way old friends talk. The brunette was glad to see her sister-in-arms.

"She's in surgery…They don't know if…" The sentence trailed off as Kennedy lowered her head.

"Hey, don't worry, K. Willow will make it…She's strong and she's got you and Sam to fight for." Faith saw the devastated look in the younger slayer's face and in her tone. Dawn had called the older brunette after talking to Kennedy. She told Faith that Kennedy sounded "bad." The woman didn't wait to find her friend.

Both were silent for a minute then, "Christ, what the fuck happened today?" Faith was still ignorant of most of the events that took place.

"We got double-crossed," Kennedy said angrily. "Cam was behind everything…I don't know what happened between her and Will and Terri." At the mention of Pallouda's name, Kennedy remembered that Willow wasn't the only one who had taken Horn's wrath. "How is she?…How's Terri?"

Faith shook her head. "She's in bad shape, too. I lied and told them I was a cousin just to get some info…They said she has a fractured pelvis and her back is broken in two places.…She's in surgery, too."

The slayers stared at each other. Faith placed her hand on Kennedy's shoulder. "What's Red's problem?" Kennedy hung her head again and softly told Faith the many injuries suffered by the redhead. Neither could believe the damage done by Camilia Horn.

"Fuck, I shoulda been here." Faith took her hand off Kennedy and ran it across her own mouth. "I shoulda fucking drove from New York."

Kennedy finally looked at her friend. "You didn't do anything wrong…You got stuck…Nothing you coulda done about it…You got here and Terri's alive probably because of you."

Faith gave a small smile. She knew Kennedy was trying to cheer her up. "Dawn told me you found Will…You probably saved her life, too."

Kennedy huffed. "That's what I tried to do…but it didn't work the way it was supposed to."

The older slayer was just as confused by that statement as the previous one. However, she could see that Kennedy didn't want to talk.

The slayers had been sitting for about fifteen minutes when Kennedy's daughter came stampeding into the room with Dawn following.

Kennedy grabbed her girl and took her in a big embrace. She hugged the girl and swayed from side to side. She was kissing the toddler's head while saying, "Momma's back…Momma's fine." Every ache and worry Kennedy had left for a brief moment while she reunited with her child.

When she had finally had enough, Samantha looked at her mother and said softly, "Where's Mommy?"

Kennedy's heart broke. The girl looked so sad that she only had one mother to hug. Reassuringly, "Mommy's not here right now…She had to go with the doctor so she could make Mommy's boo-boos better."

The plain truthful words of the child floored Kennedy. For a second, she didn't know what to say. Then, the brunette started deep into her daughter's eyes and said, "Yes. Mommy's coming back…I promise." In that moment, Kennedy was positive that the witch would make a full recovery for her family. She decided that she had to focus on that one thought, for her daughter's sake, and hers.

Everyone continued to wait. Dawn made numerous phone calls to the Scoobies and Willow's parents. Kennedy was going to do it, but Dawn knew the slayer needed to be with her daughter, so she made the brunette stay and she handled that matter. Faith stayed with her friend and also kept checking on Terri's status.

Willow was the first out of surgery. The surgeon told a frantic Kennedy that all had gone well. "The bleeding was minor and we stopped it…but we still don't know how she'll do with the internal damage…the next twenty-four hours are critical." The slayer was told she could see her redhead as soon as she was taken to her ICU room after recovery.

As for Terri, she too came out of surgery. By that time, Dawn had called the woman's mother who rushed to the hospital with Terri's sister. The gang found out from them that the doctors were not too optimistic that the woman would be able to walk again.

By three in the morning, Kennedy was at Willow's side. Because of her age and Willow's delicate physical condition, Samantha wasn't allowed in the ICU. The nurses did let her look in the window to the unit. Kennedy held her daughter up and pointed to her mother. "There's Mommy. She's sleeping right now…Wanna tell Mommy you're here? I bet she'd want you to." The little girl leaned away from her mother and placed her hands on the window. "Hi Mommy…I miss you." Kennedy kissed her child on the cheek. "That was so good…I know that'll make Mommy better."

After that, Kennedy asked Dawn to take Samantha so she could sit with Willow. They decided that Dawn wouldn't take Samantha home. Somehow they knew that it was better for Samantha to be in the hospital, near the witch. Dawn went to the lounge waiting area down the hall and sat with Sammi. It didn't take too long for the child to fall asleep. Even Dawn dozed off. Knowing that her friends were alive was enough to let her mind relax.

Faith went between checking on Dawn and Terri's family who also decided to stay until Terri woke up. The witch's mother and sister stayed by her side, spending the night using what magick they knew to help Terri make a stronger recovery.

Back in Willow's unit, Kennedy faithfully sat by her wife's side. She had been at the hospital long enough for her clothes to become almost dry. She held an alabaster hand and stroked it tenderly. Kennedy spoke to Willow. Her words were soft and loving. She told the witch how much she loved her, how much Samantha loved her. The slayer talked about their life and all the wonderful things that were in their future. The only thought Kennedy let in her head since her return from the elders was Willow's well being. Her own state, the outcome of her meeting with the shamans, was tossed to the recesses of her mind. She had decided to give up her slayer destiny to save her witch and the consequence was something that she'd deal with at a later time.

One other fact did cross Kennedy's mind, that being how little she could actually do for her redhead in the hospital. When the slayer was in a hospital bed in Brazil, her witch used her magick to help heal the slayer's spine. Kennedy knew however that she didn't possess the powers of her wife; she never had. Slayer abilities were her strength, but that meant nothing now.

Sometime in the early morning, Kennedy felt a slight movement under her hand. She quickly looked at the redhead's hand she was holding and saw it move. Her glance moved up to the witch's face and she saw emerald eyes just barely visibly through slightly opened lids.

"Willow, baby." The brunette got out of her seat and still holding Willow's hand leaned in so her face was close to her witch's. She had a giant smile and then a small tender kiss on the forehead. "Hey, welcome back." She stroked the redhead's cheek with her free hand.

Willow closed her eyes again and a faint smile appeared in the corner of her mouth.

Kennedy let go of the hand and reached for the nurse call station button. She pressed it watching her witch the whole time. When the nurse came, Kennedy told her of the recent event. "That's a good sign," the nurse said as she left to call the doctor.

By mid day, Willow was partially awake, going in and out of sleep, and still very weak. The doctors were hesitant to make any prediction about her stability. "It's still too early to tell." The slayer refused to leave her wife's bedside. "I'm not moving until I know Will's ok." The woman was true to her word.

At approximately 6:30pm, Willow opened her eyes after another bout of sleep. Like before, the brunette was by her side. Kennedy had her head resting on the edge of the bed on top of her hand which was still holding onto the redhead's. Willow could tell that her girl wasn't sleeping; she was staring into nowhere. As weak and tired as she was, the redhead summoned up what strength she had to make contact with her slayer.

That thought startled the brunette and she quickly sat up and stared at the witch.

"Willow…You're awake." The statement held more meaning than merely that the redhead was no longing sleeping. Both knew that it was meant to confer that all would be well. Willow was back to the land of the living and would stay that way.

"Y-yeah baby, I am." The redhead gave her wife a gracious smile through the fog of the drugs. Somehow Willow knew that Kennedy would be the first face she saw. She knew deep down that the woman had to be responsible for her being alive at all. Time would divulge all but, for now, seeing Kennedy was all she needed to feel the safety and comfort she had grown so used to with the brunette.

Kennedy let out a sigh of relief. "I bet you can't wait to see Sam?" The toddler had been taken home by Dawn once Willow woke up the initial time. After a good rest and some hot food, Dawn returned with the child.

At the mention of their daughter's name, Willow's eyes widened slightly. "She's h-here?" Kennedy nodded and told the redhead of the girl's whereabouts down the hall. Within a few minutes, mother and daughter were reunited. Samantha at first was hesitant to go near her mother. She stood at the door holding Kennedy's hand. The little girl stared at Willow lying in bed. With a scared face and worried voice, the child said timidly, "Mommy?…Mommy?…You hurt?" To Samantha, the witch wasn't sleeping like she was before. Now, the child could see her mother awake and looking different than she'd ever seen before.

Willow struggled to turn her head toward the child. She could see that her daughter was scared. The redhead couldn't imagine what was going through that little head of hers. She knew she had to make sure the girl knew there was nothing to fear.

"Sweety…M-mommy's ok…I-I'm just a…a little tired…Don't w-worry…Come'ere S-Sam."

Despite concerns from the nursing staff, Willow didn't hesitate to let Samantha hug her. Even though it was painful, Willow allowed her daughter to do what was needed to feel safe. The redhead tenderly wrapped one arm around her daughter as she kissed the toddler's head. Even though she was still very weak, the witch needed to hold her child. That act alone seemed to make her stronger.

After a good visit from Samantha and Dawn, Willow was left to get some much needed rest. It was at that time that the witch insisted that Kennedy also get some sleep. "I know that you stayed with me…You didn't get any sleep…Slayers need at least some sleep." She ordered the brunette to go home with their daughter and get a good night's sleep. Kennedy didn't argue with her redhead; she was exhausted and did look forward to being with Samantha knowing that Willow would be fine.

Before leaving the hospital, Kennedy visited Terri. She kept informed of the woman's status through Faith and Dawn. Terri had also awoken during that day and was surrounded by family. Despite her full consciousness, the doctors said it would still be days before they knew whether or not the woman would walk again.

Also during that day, before Willow's reunion with her daughter, Willow's parents, Buffy and Xander also showed up at the hospital. Dawn's phone call to her sister had included a firm suggestion that this was a necessary time to have a Scooby reunion. Quick visits were made to the witch who was half asleep when her parents and extended family went to her room. Kennedy filled them in on the witch's condition and the good signs that had occurred so far. It was decided that Faith and Willow's parents would stay at the couple's house while Buffy and Xander stayed with Dawn.

Labor Day ended with many anxious feelings for those who loved Willow Rosenberg. But they all knew that she was showing signs of recovery. Those who waited had hope. Good had once again reigned over Evil. Willow, Kennedy and Terri were alive and, for now, that was enough.

Hands moved gingerly yet eagerly across a bronzed taut stomach. They searched upward as if discovering a new world. Each inch of movement was planned to arouse that which had been forsaken for so long. Alabaster fingers enveloped hardened and waiting peaks. A heaving chest, lost in the touches, made the pleasing hands intensify their pressure.

Willow's mouth followed her hands like a subservient slave. She kissed rippled muscles straining to stay in control. A mouth kissed along the thin slender scar from the slayer's previous fight with the Fear Caller demon. She slowly worked her way to her slayer's breasts; the witch could feel how her actions made the woman beneath her hunger for more. It was a feeling she had missed dearly; it was one she knew she would never do without again. As her hands massaged and caressed the brunette's breasts, her mouth captured a waiting peak. The moment her tongue grazed the tip, Willow felt Kennedy gasp and hands grabbed for the redhead's hair. Bronzed fingers combed through the scarlet tresses while growing sounds came deep from the slayer's throat.

Once her momentary torment was complete, Willow continued her journey upward. Her own desires were growing within, her ascent quickened. She kissed the almost nonexistent scar from the distant Trudeiro meeting and the underside of the slayer's chin. By the time she took Kennedy's lips, the witch's kisses were urgent and deep. Willow placed one hand to the side of the slayer and holding her weight on it, she reached behind the slayer's neck with the other. She pulled the brunette to her and took the woman in a strong and penetrating kiss. She probed the brunette's mouth with her tongue. She glided over the slayer's stud, something that had become as much a part of the slayer as the thing through which it was pierced. Even though it had been there for years, the redhead still felt shock waves run through her body with its touch.

The deeper the kisses, the stronger the redhead's need was for the slayer. Willow felt the want rush through her. The intensity bordered on obsessive. The witch wanted to touch and taste and smell every infinitesimal part of her lover's body. The desire had become so strong that the witch's body began to shudder with its inability to do everything it desired. Willow wanted, needed to consume the brunette, to express in the most primal of ways the physical manifestation caused in her body by the woman. There were many ways that the couple showed and proved their undying love for each other. Sharing of the flesh was but one of them.

Willow couldn't keep her mouth off the slayer. She grazed her lips down the slayer's cheek, along her chin and to the soft, delicate skin behind the woman's ear. A mouth nibbled on the brunette's neck. Then Willow guided herself back to a waiting gasping mouth once again. Before she kissed her slayer, Willow hesitated and gazed into the face of her forever. Kennedy's eyes were shut tight, long ago giving into the feelings pulsating through her. The witch saw that look of utter euphoria painted across the brunette's face. Willow knew that she alone caused that expression; she alone was privy to its existence.

Feeling the lack of contact by her redhead, brown eyes opened, pupils dilated like an addict on the most magnificent high. The slayer was panting and sweat glistened from the heat resonating off her naked body.

When emerald eyes saw those of brown, Willow trembled. She drew her mouth to the slayer's ear and whispered, "I love you." Those were the only words that the witch could say to her wife. There were no others that were big enough. Those three little words carried every emotion, every thought within the witch. If she could have crawled inside the slayer and become a part of her, Willow would have at that moment.

The need to get lost making love to Kennedy overcame Willow once more. Her body took charge and her mind succumbed to the need to make her slayer beg for deliverance. Willow's gentle touch turned feral.

Kennedy felt the change in the witch's actions. She could tell that Willow was allowing her innermost desires come forth. The slayer was the submissive in this encounter. She allowed the redhead to set the pace and tone and soon found out that Willow's mood was that like a wild animal let lose from captivity. The slayer exalted in the escape.

This was not the first time they'd made love since Willow's return from the hospital. But it was the first where there was no hesitancy or concern. Until this moment, there had been trepidation on the part of the slayer for the extent of the witch's physical recovery. The road leading to that glorious abandonment of control was long and weary.

Willow stayed in the hospital much longer than anticipated. Though she was out of "life and death" danger after the initial twenty-four hours, the witch didn't make the progress that the doctors had anticipated. She seemed to gain some strength only to have it vanish. Her shoulder, ankle and thigh were slow to heal. Her many lab results and tests indicated that some of her organ functions were still dangerously low. The prognosis wasn't life threatening but one of a life filled with serious medical ramifications. "If she doesn't improve, we could be looking at dialysis, possible diabetes and maybe even the need for a liver transplant." The witch's condition was still dire. Kennedy mentioned trying to 'meditate' to the redhead to help the healing process. "I would but I don't have enough energy to do even that."

After almost two weeks in the hospital, Willow determined that Horn's potion, the one she drank before their battle, must have been stopping her from improving. "The stuff was meant to weaken me…take my magick away…It must still be in my system somehow." Dawn was immediately placed on research duty. After obtaining as much information from the redhead as she had, Buffy's sister 'hit the books.' Within two days and some help from a distant Giles, the woman had identified the potion and the 'vaccine' to hopefully reverse the effects. Dawn smuggled the liquid potion in and Willow, aided by Kennedy, drank it down. It took another two days before Willow's lab results showed improvement. The redhead began to slowly gain energy. She had another relapse and had to take more of the potion. The witch was in the hospital for another eight days until she was stable enough to go home. She remained on several medications to try to get her liver and kidneys back to normal working condition.

When Willow finally did get home, she was met by the same group of friends who'd been by her side that first harrowing day after she arrived in the hospital. Buffy and Xander were waiting at the couple's house, along with Dawn and Faith. All the Scoobies stayed during Willow's admission. The demon troubles back home were no match for their devotion to the witch. Until their sweet friend was home and safe, Cleveland and New York would have to be guarded by other slayers. They visited her everyday at the hospital to keep her spirits up. Faith and Buffy patrolled numerous nights for Kennedy so that she could spend more time by her witch's bedside. Other times, all three patrolled together. Kennedy was grateful for the help, and company.

Willow's mother also stayed until her daughter was out of the hospital. Sheila Rosenberg took care of Samantha and the household chores for Kennedy. She feared for her daughter's life and then celebrated when she was told her 'baby' would be fine. Both she and Larry Rosenberg saw the closeness and devotion shared by their daughter and Kennedy. There was no mistaking that Willow, Kennedy and Samantha were a family unit; they had a foundation made of stone. Sheila saw how her daughter really did have her own home. Willow was all grown up and Sheila Rosenberg couldn't have been prouder.

Willow's parents weren't the only ones concerned. Kennedy's mother called everyday to keep up with Willow's condition. Jackson Prescott also called and even offered to have specialists flown in to consult on the witch's diagnoses. They were as much a support for the slayer as they were for the patient.

In the end though, it was the Scoobies that increased the speed of Willow's healing. Once at home, Willow tried to meditate to enhance her healing. The medication she was on, however, had serious side effects that impeded her concentration ability. "Will, why don't you give the medicine some time to do its thing and then you can take over." Kennedy didn't want the witch to hurry matters and put herself in danger again. Willow begrudgingly acquiesced and let several days go by without using magick. She relied on the wonders of modern medicine to heal her tattered and bruised body. When she was clear enough in thought, she did meditate to make her external injuries, the ankle, thigh and shoulder, heal completely. It took longer than expected but it worked.

Several more setbacks were followed by additional doses of the potion Dawn made to combat the one used by Camilia. Willow discovered that the blue eyed witch's potion had been very sophisticated. It had the innate ability to reproduce itself in the bloodstream. Giles had to talk Dawn through several modifications of her serum to finally get all of the nastiness out of the redhead's body. What they thought would take days turned to weeks. Willow's recovery again took much longer than she or anyone else expected. But she was able to overcome the dreadful effects of the Horn concoction and her body began to heal itself, albeit very slowly due to her lack of energy and inability to do any real magick. Willow, however, wasn't satisfied with the pace of her recovery and wanted to 'speed' things up.

"Are you sure you want to do this?…That you're up for it?" Kennedy was still tentative about the witch using her magick and getting drained.

Willow smiled. "I'm sure it'll be ok…I feel strong enough. I just want some more juice to make things go faster…You know, just in case."

"If you're sure." Kennedy walked over to their bed and sat beside her wife, staring into emerald eyes.

The witch tilted her head slightly. "I am…So?…Mega slayer gonna help or just oogle?" Willow questioned mockingly.

It was Kennedy's turn to smile. This was the witch's first attempt at healing meditation for her internal injuries. The brunette was going to assist Willow. Though over the next few days, Buffy would also channel some of her power to the witch, but this initial try was solely by the brunette.

"I am so ready to meditate with you…I'll oogle later." Kennedy crawled on the bed and sat facing her wife. Willow took both hands, closed her eyes and concentrated. Before long, she could feel Kennedy's power flow into her. The fact that Kennedy had her slayer power to give was as much a miracle as was Willow's return from death.

After her 'meeting' with the shamans and reemergence to her reality of that stormy night, Kennedy didn't think about her slayer powers. She had freely given them up to bring her wife back to life and that was the end of the story for the slayer. Kennedy was exhausted when the paramedics appeared and that lack of energy followed her through to the hospital. She was so concerned for her witch that everything else left her mind. The toll from the last day's events had made her frazzled and tired on top of the anxiety and guilt she carried for her wounded redhead.

When Willow woke up and spoke those few words after coming out of surgery, Kennedy was overcome with relief. Her world was spinning again and the sun would appear the next morning. Once more, the only thing in the brunette's mind was that of the recovery of her witch. It was all about Willow and the fact that she would live.

Kennedy left the room when the doctor came to examine Willow after she woke up. She waited outside while the doctor poked and prodded and jotted down notes on the redhead's chart. The brunette watched, leaning against the window, as Willow slowly opened her eyes and sluggishly answered the physician's questions. Soon the exam was over and the doctor was in front of Kennedy telling her that Willow's action was a "very good sign." After patting the brunette on the back, the doctor left. The brunette glanced around and then slowly walked to the end of the hall and through a door to the stairwell. She needed to be alone.

Kennedy just stood there momentarily, then leaned back up against the wall. It started to really sink in…Willow had made it through the worst. The brunette closed her eyes and let that fact twirl around in her head.

'She made it,' the girl thought to herself. As she said the sentence in her head, the palms of her hands gently pressed against the wall behind her. She thought it again, 'She made it.' This time it was more positive and her hands slapped against the wall, slightly harder. Once more the thought ran through her mind. This time, however, the fact was shouted in her head, 'She's made it!' Kennedy balled her hands into fists and struck them hard against the wall as an exclamation point to her happiness.

This time, however, the force from her thrust severely cracked the wall to her right side and sent her other fist partially through the concrete. Kennedy had made a small hole in the wall where her fist stayed…stuck. Since she was facing away from the wall, the brunette couldn't see the extent to which her hand was immersed. The only thing the woman could do was…yank. In one swift movement, the brunette pulled her hand out of the wall. It was scraped and bleeding. She turned and gazed upon her handiwork.

"What the…?" Kennedy was stunned at what had just occurred. The brunette had hit the wall hard, but not 'that' hard. For the first time since she returned from the shaman visit, the slayer took time to inventory her slayer senses. She honed her hearing and noticed that she could hear the nurses whispering down the end of the hall by Willow's room. She could hear an IV drip plopping droplets of medicine in the plastic tubing of the man in the room forty feet from where she stood. And, the slayer felt that low level humming she knew only appeared after a particularly hard slay. She could tell that the 'slayer feeling' that she had become so accustomed to as to forget it was there…was there.

"How…?" It didn't take Kennedy long to realize that she had her slayer powers. She was not a 'mere' mortal; she was still one of 'the chosen.' Her state both exhilarated and confused her. She had no idea why she had her slaying abilities.

Kennedy spent the rest of the night tending to Willow and Samantha before Dawn took the child home, while at the same time having a discussion with herself about her 'slayerness.' She didn't tell anyone about what she had done to get Willow back and certainly didn't mention that her powers were now back. Part of the reason for her silence was the fact that Kennedy wasn't sure now what had actually happened. The girl spent the next several days trying to determine if she had lost her powers at all. She brought everything into the dialogue, from the Powers-that-be to the shamans to the paramedics. The only thing the brunette managed to get was a headache. The entire matter may have stayed with Kennedy if not for a comment by Willow several nights into her hospital stay.

The redhead was out of danger but still weak. It was late, very late, and Kennedy sat in a chair next to her wife, holding her hand. Samantha was long since home with her grandparents. Kennedy watched as Willow slept, a small low bed light above them barely illuminating their silhouettes. The slayer looked at the needles in the redhead's hands that allowed life-saving medicines to be rhythmically pumped into the girl. She saw the bandages on her face and thigh. Though the brunette knew her wife would live, she felt so bad to see her in that condition. Kennedy leaned her forehead against the witch's hand.

Softy and apologetically, "Oh, baby…I am so sorry you have to go through this." Even before she finished her words another emotion grabbed her…relief. Willow would get through this and come back to her and Samantha. She had not lost her family. Noone had left and they would go on living their life as the family they were.

The emotions mingled and blended and soon the brunette found her self quietly crying. It amazed her how easier that act came to her now. There had been a time when the brunette would never have cried in the presence of another, regardless of who that was. Tears were a sign of weakness. The girl only showed her vulnerable side when alone. It always happened during the deep of the night. That was the time that had often captured Kennedy's true emotions and fears. The solitude of the wee early hours was something that always seemed to make it justifiable for the tough-acting woman to show her true colors. However, ever since her association with the gentle witch, Kennedy's susceptibility to showing real human emotion grew. She had learned from Willow that she was allowed to cry, that it didn't mean anything other than she had feelings. It was one of the best things that the slayer learned from the redhead. That night, next to her witch, Kennedy let the tears gently fall. All the pent up anxiety and guilt and relief were captured in each capsule of liquid human frailty.

Kennedy didn't see Willow awaken. The witch made not a move but watched the emotions flood over her slayer. Willow could feel the warm wetness on her hand.

"Don't cry, baby." No one had to tell Willow why her girl was crying. She'd been with Kennedy long enough to know her real tender side. The witch had been around long enough to experience several of the brunette's late night breakdowns.

Kennedy lifted her head and wiped away her tears. She no longer tried to hide them from her witch. She didn't always feel the need to be strong in front of her redhead. She knew Willow understood her action.

Willow focused on her slayer's brown eyes. "I'm pretty sure…that I'm here only because…of you."

Kennedy gave her an inquisitive look. They had not talked about the events of that dreaded night.

The redhead saw the confusion in those brown eyes. "I think I was floating away…almost gone…when I…stopped…Something brought me back…Was it you?"

Kennedy sat expressionless, not knowing what to say or if she should say anything. She decided that she had to tell Willow; maybe the witch could help her make sense of what happened.

"I found you on the side of the road…after you'd already had your accident…" Kennedy wasn't sure how to tell her wife of the condition in which she found her. She also didn't know if she could tell Willow that she'd died. Somewhere inside, Kennedy knew she had to. "You were really hurt…bad…I called 911…"

"And then I came to…I woke up," the witch added. She was starting to remember things.

"Right. But you were really weak…I tried to get you to talk a little and then save your energy…but…but…" The slayer couldn't say it.

Willow took over. "I couldn't hold on…I remember telling you that you were my way." The redhead thought of that moment fondly. Kennedy had become her way.

The slayer tried to lighten the tone of the discussion. "Yeah, I heard it…But, Will?…As sweet as that was…you kinda stole my line." The slayer knew she'd succeeded when she heard her witch chuckle softly. The moment quickly passed and the redhead was contemplating the course of events. Her expression grew grave at her realization.

"I died?…I died." An expression of resigned acknowledgment crossed the witch's face. She looked at Kennedy. Hesitantly, "You brought me…back."

Kennedy knew it was her turn to be confused. "I tried to…wanted to…I'm not sure what really happened now." The bewildered look she received from the witch made the brunette know a better explanation was necessary. "I couldn't let you go…I knew all you needed was your power…like a jump start…I told them to take my power."

For the next half hour, the slayer told her witch of her journey that night to the shamans. She let Willow know that she freely decided to give up being a slayer to bring her back to life. Kennedy explained how she was allowed to be inside her future self, to know her accomplishments.

Willow was amazed at the story, and also intrigued. "Kennedy, they showed you that you became the best slayer…You did so much good…Why did you give that up for me?"

The slayer took her wife's delicate hand and held it close to her heart. Willow could see the shadow of a smile on her slayer's face.

"What I felt was that I'd been a good slayer…I'd done the mission well…That's all that was there…I was a slayer…not Samantha's mom or your wife…There wasn't any other part of me left…I didn't feel the memories of you…There weren't memories of Samantha flooding my mind…losing you meant I lost me…I lost being a real person…The only thing I had left was being a slayer…With you and Samantha, I have everything…I'm not just a slayer…You did that for me…I promised myself to protect you and Sam…There was no way I was going to lose that…I don't want to be the best slayer if it means I do it without you."

Willow was speechless. She realized she shouldn't have been surprised with the actions of her slayer. She knew that Kennedy would do 'anything' for her, be that giving up her life or her destiny. Willow also knew that her girl's character had nothing to do with the fact that she was a slayer. Kennedy's loyalty and devotion was part of her genetic make up. It was the best of the Prescott traits.

The witch couldn't think of words that were special enough for the moment or the way she felt. She merely placed her hand on top of her brunette's and squeezed gently. She knew the enormity of the gift Kennedy had given to her. "Baby, you gave up being a slayer…for me…"

"Well…not exactly." The hesitantly said words made Willow crease her eyebrows. Kennedy shrugged her shoulders slightly. "I told the shamans to take my powers…but I still have them." The cringe of the brows turned into a stare of confusion. "I don't know what happened…"

Kennedy went on to tell Willow how she discovered that she still had her slayer abilities. She told the redhead that she wasn't sure that they were ever taken. "The paramedics said that when they went to take over, your heart was already beating…Did it start before I told the shamans to take my power?…Did they take it and bring you back?…Did someone decide that I should still be a slayer?" In the end, Kennedy asked Willow what she thought the truth was.

Easily, "You brought me back to life…Whether it was CPR or your powers, it was still you…and I think some one or thing saw how brave you were and knew the world still needed you in it…as a slayer."

Kennedy gave her wife a warm smile. The witch and slayer spent another hour opening their souls to each other. In the early hours, with quiet all around except for the soothing rhythmic sound of Willow's machines, the couple reconnected. They discovered that they were both saved that night. Each had gone to the brim of existence in her own way and found her path home. The universe, the Powers-that-be or luck had shone fondly on them. How and why, they would never really know for sure. The lesson they learned was that they didn't need to know. That they were still together was all that mattered.

"Ahh…o-oh…uhh…" The moans became throatier the closer Willow brought Kennedy to the edge of her release. The slayer was now grabbing onto the headboard railings, tensing her arm muscles every time a tongue or finger touched its welcoming destination. Kennedy was at the witch's mercy and Willow was going to make sure she gave the girl 'everything' she deserved. The redhead kept stroking and touching until she felt the shudders begin and her slayer's muscles tighten. She heard her slayer gasp in deeply as the waves of her release crashed over her. Willow held on to the girl's hips and continued contact with the brunette's heated core, sending the slayer into even further contractions of delight. The witch didn't let go until the last ripple passed and her girl lay still, spent.

It had been a long time since Willow made Kennedy writhe in that way. Her convalescence had taken months, much longer than she anticipated or wanted. Her body ached and she easily became tired. Kennedy made sure that she rested and did not over exert herself. This included keeping a 'low profile' in the romance department. After Willow got out of the hospital, many nights were spent snuggling and just holding each other. The brunette was careful not to hug or tease too hard. Frankly, for quite a while, Willow didn't have the desire for physical contact; she felt that bad and tired.

The passing of more weeks brought additional action on the part of the slayer. Kennedy started to massage her witch, to aid in the healing of her body. Finally, the slayer felt it safe enough for them to engage in foreplay, the brunette always regulating the intensity so that things didn't get "too out of hand." Kennedy let Willow know that she wanted to soothe the witch, make her body relax, released of any kind of tension. "Making sure you're ok is enough for me right now…I don't want you to overdo anything." The poor slayer actually thought that Willow could do physical harm to herself by pleasing the brunette. Despite the slayer's concern, Willow did manage to 'engage' her brunette once or twice. Even then, Kennedy kept things very basic and Willow's actions to the least amount necessary to get the slayer over the edge.

After enough time of self absorption, Willow knew that she needed to 'have' Kennedy. The brunette had handled her with kid gloves and now it was time to take them off. Willow knew her slayer deserved and needed more than a feeling of accomplishment in gratifying her witch. The brunette was a slayer, and slayers weren't known for their mild libidos. Kennedy would never show any signs of frustration, but the redhead knew that there had been more than one cold shower over the course of the prior few months. Willow felt like herself again, both emotionally and physically, and it was time to show her slayer just how well she had been nursed back to health. Willow didn't care that her 'attack' on Kennedy came early on Christmas Eve morning. She had to make her slayer 'feel' and nothing was going to stop her.

After Kennedy had regained composure from the sudden onslaught of her witch's advances, she grabbed Willow by the arms and brought her up to lay beside her in bed. She drew the covers over both of their naked bodies.

Still out of breath, "Wow…I think we can safely say that you are one hundred percent healed…Where did all that come from?"

Proud of her affect on the slayer, Willow smiled cheekily. "I've been saving it up…Guess I kinda hit boiling point."

"Any more 'boiling' and I think we woulda woke up the neighbors." Kennedy had to admit that she didn't care how much noise she had made that morning. Her 'she-cat' was back and the slayer was elated.

"Since we now know that I won't get all Epstein-Barr doing…uh…this, I assure that we will be doing…this more often." Willow turned a little red and saw Kennedy roll her eyes. "What?…Why the eyes?"

Kennedy turned to her side and held up her head with her elbow. "You still can't say 'fucking' or 'having sex'." Willow swatted her arm. "What, it's true…it's so cute. You're almost thirty and you still can't say the words."

Willow really swatted the slayer's arm. "Hey! I am not almost thirty…I am way far from thirty, little missy…Besides, I like to think that I'm too sweet to say the nasty words."

Kennedy laughed out loud. "Yeah, well, a few minutes ago you were going to town on me which I don't think would classify as 'sweet'." For that, the slayer got another play slap to the arm. "Ouch. Don't kill the messenger just because you don't like the message…Look, say it or don't so long as we keep doing it."

That statement sounded like a good compromise to the witch and an easy way to end that line of discussion. "Ok, baby. I think I can manage to keep 'doing it' with you…for another sixty or seventy years."

The brunette rolled onto her witch and gave her a hug. Then she leaned back quickly and looked at Willow. "Hey, it's the first day of Chanukah…You're getting a present today." That particular year the start of the Jewish holiday fell on Christmas Eve. Unknown to Willow, Kennedy had big surprises in store.

"Thanks for doing this…Christmas and Chanukah. I like that Sammi will get to know about both."

As if on cue, there was a noise of a door knob turning and then the bedroom door opened and Samantha came walking in with her favorite stuffed animal in her hand. She went over to the side of the bed where Willow was.

"Mommy?" Nothing more needed to be said. Willow picked up the girl and put her on top of the sheets in between her and Kennedy. The family snuggled and soon were asleep for a few more minutes before their holidays began officially.

"Kennedy?…What's going on?" It was two in the afternoon and Willow shouted her question to the brunette in the other room while she looked out her living room window to the driveway. There was a car the redhead had never seen before pulling in. Dawn was sitting on the couch and tried to look as bewildered as Willow even though she knew what was in store.

Kennedy came in from the hallway and smiled. 'It's started,' she thought to herself. "Huh? Whattya talking about?" she said innocently.

Willow partially turned her head to glance at the slayer. "There's a car coming up the driveway…" She turned back to look. "Why is som…" Before she could finish, the vehicle stopped and the front door's opened.

Willow's eyes got wide and a big smile crossed her face. "Ahhh! It's Xan and Jessie!" Before the slayer could say a word, Willow was out the door and heading for the car. She almost toppled over Jessica who trying to get Nate out of his car seat in the back. Xander was spared the same as he got Joey out of his.

By this time, Kennedy, Dawn and Samantha were also outside, with jackets on and one in the slayer's hand for her wife. They went over to the car and waited for Willow to finish with her hugging. Kennedy and Dawn welcomed the couple and their boys. Finally, the redhead's curiosity took over her surprise.

She stared at Xander. "What are you guys doing here? You didn't tell us you were leaving Cleveland for the holidays."

Xander just stared at Kennedy as did Jessica. "You mean you didn't tell her yet?" they said in unison. Kennedy shook her head.

"I decided it would be better this way…more spontaneity…I was right. Look at her face." They all looked at Willow.

The slayer couldn't hide the surprise any longer. "Remember when we talked a while back…about keeping in touch more with everybody…Well, I got to thinking that phone calls and emails weren't enough…With what you went through, I kinda decided that we needed another Scooby reunion…Except without the hospital and almost dying part." Kennedy went over and embraced her witch. "Happy Chanukah, Will…We're all gonna be together for the holidays…I know it's supposed to be one present a day for eight days, but I thought we could bend the rules just this once and have 'em all in one day."

Unknown to Willow, Kennedy had arranged for the Scoobies to fly in for a week. Buffy and Jimmy were due in any moment also. Faith and Miguel were expected by 4pm. Even Giles had managed to make the trip for a few days. His plane was due at six. Willow's parents were expected the next day and had arranged their schedules to spend three days with their daughter's family. Kennedy had booked everybody rooms in several quaint B&Bs in town which were only a matter of minutes away. The entire tab was taken care of by the slayer. When the recipients were told why Kennedy was doing this for Willow, everyone graciously accepted. "I wanted you to have your whole family around, here, in your home…in our home."

Willow was floored by the slayer's gesture. She took her slayer in a big hug and kept saying, "Thank you, thank you" over and over. It never ceased to amaze her how generous and thoughtful Kennedy could be. "And once we're through with this visit, we're gonna go spend a few days with my Mom and then a few with Dad and the rest." Kennedy had found a new sense of family from the recent events. The trip to her father would be even more special since Julia had recovered from her operation and therapy and was given a clean bill of health. She had even undergone reconstructive surgery and looked almost like her old self.

The remainder of the day went by in a blur. The other Scoobies and relatives arrived as scheduled and everyone settled in to catching up on their lives in general and Scooby matters in particular. Presents for Xander's boys and samantha were placed under the tree in the couple's living room. Willow watched as Kennedy brought out extra presents. Talking to Buffy, "She is so sneaky, Buff. I didn't know Kenn bought all those…I have no idea where she hid them." By dinner time, there were presents galore for everyone to open the next day. Old friends talked like they'd never been apart.

Eventually, the conversation steered toward Camilia and the day of the battles and accident. The Scoobies were able to talk freely because Samantha and Xander's boys were happily and noisily playing in the family room. They rehashed all the facts that had been put in place since the incidence occurred. Kennedy and Willow now understood the full extent of the betrayal played by Horn. They knew the vision was a lie and that they had both been deceived. Though there were still some dead spots, Willow remembered how the accident happened. Everyone knew that George Rousseau had also been duped by the evil witch and had given his life in an effort of redemption.

Giles was able to shed some light on Kennedy's appearance, unharmed, in her car after Rousseau died. "I think that Rousseau said a time bending spell when he got out of your vehicle at the fort. He may not have known what it was for…Horn, I believe, had planned to kill him. The spell would vanquish the spirits and put events back to their condition before his death…It's quite impressive really. She didn't skip time altogether but did more of a selective reorganization." It was obvious to Giles that Camilia Horn had some very special and advanced powers. He thought how much good she could have done if only she'd been on a different path.

Terri wasn't able to join the gathering that night because she was with her family, but she did plan to visit the next day. She had gotten out of the hospital after seven weeks and was still doing extensive rehab and being re-taught to walk. Her sister had moved in with her temporarily to assist in her recovery. The doctors were hopeful that she would heal fully but stated that it would take months and she would always walk with a limp. Willow and Kennedy visited the older witch at least once a week.

As for Camilia Horn, much was learned after the fact. Giles had several council members research her background and her 'affliction.' They found out that the woman had begun trailing the couple and making her plan for revenge almost immediately after the two women moved to Middleton. She never did work at a bank. They found out much about her childhood and upbringing. The black haired witch had told the truth about being in foster care and living out west. She did pick up her magickal skills from Native Americans. However, whether she was gay or just used that as part of her ruse against Willow was unknown. The girl had kept to herself and had no friends. The Council learned additional facts about Vigilan Manes and stored that information for possible future need.

The group also discussed the actions that took place after the fights and Willow's accident, the "man behind the curtain" feats done to make what did happen invisible to the mainstream world. After Faith brought Terri to the hospital, she eventually realized that the Clearing Place would have to be 'cleaned up.' She was also told that the police had Kennedy's BMW towed to the local precinct. She got the keys from Kennedy and picked it up the next morning, driving it to the hospital. Once she was told that Willow was out of life and death danger that first night, she knew that there were other loose ends, besides the Clearing Place, that needing tending. She took care of that with one phone call.

"Giles, it's Faith. Red and Kennedy are alive. They got the bad guys…Red's in the hospital. She's hurt bad but she's gonna make it." Then the slayer got to the meat of the call. "There are two cars at the kid's place that shouldn't be there and I'm pretty sure we've got a few dead people on our hands…And the place where Red was at looks like a bomb went off." Faith knew that Giles would know how to "clean" the operation.

Faith was right. By the next morning, the Clearing Place grounds looked as if it was never touched, and Horn's and Rousseau's cars were gone from Willow's driveway. Terri's car was driven to her house so that her mother or sister didn't need to come and get it. George Rousseau's car was taken to Fort Adams. His body wasn't found for two weeks when it was accidentally discovered by a group of boys hanging out at the fort for fun. The death was marked a homicide which the police investigated. There were never any real suspects found. Because of the man's views, it was believed that a disgruntled critic had 'quieted' him. The mystery never would be solved.

Camilia Horn's vanishing was much easier to cover. She had very little contact with the outside world. Other than the Clearing Place women, noone expected her anywhere. She didn't interact with her neighbors who merely thought the renter next door moved out. There was no employer or friends to persuade. It turned out that Camilia had made money by using her magick for personal gain. The women at the Clearing Place were told that she went back to New Mexico to care for her ailing mother. They were told that Willow and Terri had been in a car accident. Overall, the "clean-up" went smoothly.

Christmas Eve went on without a hitch. The entire Scooby gang enjoyed themselves at the Prescott/Rosenberg residence. The children played and laughed as did the grownups. Everyone was impressed with the home and the life the witches and their daughter had made for themselves. Kennedy didn't patrol that night. After the "Labor Day Accident" as it came to be known, the Council in Boston started looking for a fill-in slayer. By the time Willow got out of the hospital, they had one. Her name was Lee Gagno. The brunette didn't know if the girl would be become permanent but she did seem to take her position far more seriously than Marla ever did. Secretly, Kennedy didn't mind having the time off. Though she didn't stop patrolling all together, she did curtail significantly so she could be home with Willow.

The gang had finished a late super. The children had fallen asleep and were upstairs. The Scoobies were in the couple's living room. They were filled with the holiday spirit and conversation was light. The Scoobies were back to being that close knit group that made them so special.

"I am so happy that you're all here with us. I can't think of a better way to spend Christmas." Kennedy was sincere in her comment.

"Yeah, this is incredible. It means so much to have everyone here…like old times." Willow was standing beside Kennedy.

Xander spoke first. "You have such a nice place here, we decided we're not leaving…any of us…I hope you have lots of toilet paper." That got him a nudge on the arm by Jessica. "What!…It was a joke."

Xander jumped in again. "We should go on vacation…all of us…We could go camping…or each get a Winnebago and head for the open road…You know like 'The Scoobies do Disney.' This time his shin was the target from his wife. "Again, Ow!…Well it doesn't have to be Disney."

"I for one am not camping or having anything to do with a Winnebago," Giles uttered. "That one time with Spike during Glory's tirade was enough for me."

Buffy reigned in the discussion. "Why don't we all think about it and I'm sure we can think of something that doesn't involve a rat dressed in gloves and pants."

"Family reunion," Miguel said out of nowhere. Faith looked at the Brazilian like he had three heads. "Why not have a reunion each year like a lot of families do."

Faith shook her head. "I ain't meeting once a year at some stupid park to eat potato salad and wieners…You're getting way too Americanized…Besides, I figured you'd love the Disney idea." Faith laughed when she said it, knowing the man's affinity for the Disney character when he was a little boy.

Jessica watched as the ideas flew around. Even though these people weren't blood, they were as close, or closer, than any other family she knew. She was so proud to be a part of it. She got out of her chair and headed to the kitchen. Looking at Willow, "Is it ok if a get a little more to drink?"

"Of course it is. I'll go with you," Willow said as she started to walk in Jessie's direction. The two started to head out of the room.

As Jessie walked past the fireplace, she glanced at the mantle piece. On it she saw something that caught her eye.

The redhead caught the woman's line of sight and looked at the framed object being reviewed. "Yes, it is."

Jessie took it off the mantle. "When did you guys do this?…Why didn't you tell us?"

By that time, everyone was staring at the two women and wondering what they talking about. Of course, Kennedy and Dawn already knew.

Jessie held out the framed document for the rest of the group to see. "It's a marriage certificate…They got married."

Willow and Kennedy told the group the story behind the certificate. They had sworn Dawn to secrecy so they could find the right time to tell their friends. After the witch's discharge from the hospital, the coupe spent long hours talking about their life. They opened up to each other and spoke about their fears and joys and hopes. Both realized that they had distanced themselves too far from each other and others in their lives that they loved. They vowed to see their friends more often. They wanted and needed that Scooby connection to keep their life as full and happy as possible.

The witch and slayer also rededicated themselves to their partner. This ordeal and everything they went through once again showed them how precious life was. They knew they couldn't take a day for granted and certainly not each other. They had gotten even closer if that was possible. They knew they were together for the long haul, for as long as the heavens would allow them to travel the journey through life.

As part of their re-found devotion, Kennedy and Willow decided to take yet another step into the formalities of society. They now lived in Massachusetts. Because of that fact, they were legally entitled to get "married." They both knew that, to them, they already were, but this would be an official state sanction to their existence. They could have that in Massachusetts; the only state that recognized that love was love, whatever form it took.

So, on the anniversary of the day that Kennedy first walked into Willow's life, the same anniversary day that they had exchanged vows and rings in Cleveland, Willow Rosenberg and Kennedy Prescott added another memory to their life. On that cold December day, the witch, the slayer and their miraculous daughter went to the Bristol County Clerk's office. They were accompanied by Dawn and Terri who gladly went along walker in tow. The couple filled out the paperwork and then had the clerk notary marry them right there. Dawn and Terri were the witnesses and Samantha giggled the whole time. Willow and Kennedy didn't wear wedding dresses this time. But they did carry with them tokens of their past. Willow wore the hummingbird necklace and engagement ring given to her by her slayer, while Kennedy wore her butterfly necklace from the witch. When they said their vows, they once again placed their wedding rings on welcoming fingers. It was a wonderful day for the two women who had been through so much together.

Jessie placed the framed marriage certificate back to its spot. "That sounds so sweet."

Willow walked back over behind Kennedy and put her arms around her wife's waist. "It was."

The witch leaned her chin on the slayer's shoulder. Both knew how special that moment had been. They knew how lucky they were to have found each other in an all too often cruel and dangerous world. Challenges and pain would always be a part of their life, being a witch and slayer working against evil made that inevitable. But, they also knew that with each other they had the tools to make that life, and that of their daughter, as happy and full as possible. They were together, their loved ones were safe and healthy…and the days ahead never looked better.

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Stones In the Road

by LilBit

Copyright © 2006

Epallen@tampabay.rr.com