As usual, all characters are property of the brilliant Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy Productions.
Author's Note: This story (as with most of my Buffy fics to come), takes place after the seventh season…sort of. I work with my personally edited version of season seven. In my fics, Kennedy did have a thing for Willow for a while, but they never got together, Andrew died in the high school instead of Anya, and the rumored possible storyline in the finale about Buffy using a wish to bring back Tara came true. Spike is in my stories, because he came back via the amulet, and the Scoobies have now moved to Cleveland. The setup is similar to JetWolf's fics (The Chosen series-you should definitely check it out), because they run a school for the newbie slayers. Who is they? Buffy, Spike, Giles, Faith, Kennedy, Willow, Tara, Xander, Anya, Dawn, and Wood. Phew, now on with the story…
Fall From Grace
(Part One of Two)
Intro: "Good News and Bad News"
"Oh come on, is that all you got?" A medium height brunette woman taunted her opponent, rocking back and forth on her heels. There were few things in the world that gave Faith Lehane a charge the way her job did, and right now, she was in fine form. She stood opposite a woman about her same size in a well-outfitted training facility surrounded by a crowd of girls whose ages ranged from teens to early twenties.
"I was just demonstrating what not to do," her challenger calmly proclaimed, "before I show the girls how to come from behind to kick someone's ass." The crowd 'oohed' and 'ahhed' at the cocky retort, and Kennedy smiled to herself, well aware she was pushing the other slayer's buttons.
Faith wasn't going to take the bait, though; she liked to think she was smarter than that. No, she was going to wait for Kennedy to make a mistake, which she felt should be any minute now. The two women still stood with about five feet separating them on the mat, neither wanting to make the next move too quickly. Kennedy gave in first, and with her ponytail whipping through the air, thrust her fist in Faith's direction.
Much to everyone's surprise, her hand made contact with the side of Faith's face. The once chattering group of girls now stood by in stunned silence, but not for long. Before Kennedy could pull her hand back, Faith reached up and grasped Kennedy's arm. Using the younger slayer's momentum from her charge forward, Faith flipped Kennedy down to the mat, flat on her back. The girls let out an audible gasp at the sound of Kennedy landing with a thud.
"The way I see it," Faith explained, "in order to come from behind, you have to be on yours." She stepped forward, holding out her hand to help up her sparring partner, but Kennedy declined, quickly pushing herself up from the mat. The young girls, all slayers in training themselves, applauded the elder slayer's performance.
"Didn't anyone ever tell you to pick on someone your own size?" Buffy Summers spoke from the doorway in the back of the training room.
"No," Faith replied sarcastically, "maybe I should show them how to kick your ass next." Buffy smirked at the challenge but declined with a shake of her head.
"How long have you been back there?" Kennedy wondered aloud, grabbing for a water bottle.
"Long enough," Buffy answered vaguely, "Next time, don't lead so much; it'll make it easier to pull back out when you need to."
"Right," Kennedy grumbled in response to the 'Chosen One's' advice. As if her pride needed anymore beating for one day.
"What's up, B?" Faith asked.
"I actually need to talk to you for a minute," Buffy's tone was complete seriousness, "It's important."
Faith furrowed her brow in confusion, but she couldn't read Buffy's face. She glanced over her shoulder back at Kennedy. "I've got it," Kennedy reassured her, "I think the class can survive an hour without you. Not that the girl's don't value time spent watching you throw me to the floor." Faith chuckled. "But," Kennedy continued, "we'll be just fine. I'll teach them how to kick an opponent unconscious from a lying position."
Faith grinned, "You do that." Kennedy called the girls to attention, and Faith followed Buffy out the door into the hallway. "So," Faith began, "You gonna tell me what's going on?"
"We found your mom," Buffy stated, getting straight to the point.
Faith wasn't sure how to react to this news; her expression remained indifferent. After all, her mom had been an alcoholic, absentee parent; she barely even remembered what she looked like. "Yeah," Faith continued, "so where is she?"
Buffy paused, her expression more somber now. "She's dead, Faith; we got a hit on her name in a search of Boston area cemeteries. I'm sorry."
Faith just stared blankly, a million emotions rattling around inside of her, but none of them powerful enough to show just yet. Memories of her hometown rushed through her head, her empty childhood all coming back to her in brief flashes.
"Are you okay?" Buffy asked genuinely, snapping Faith out of her daze.
"Huh?" Faith stumbled for words, "Yeah. I'm…uh…I'm fine." Faith looked down at her feet, still trying to push the thoughts of her past out of her mind. "Thanks for telling me."
Faith turned to reenter the training room, but Buffy reached out and touched her shoulder, stopping her momentarily. "Are you going back to the class?" Faith turned to face her again, rolling her eyes, "You know you don't have to."
"And leave Brat alone with a roomful of slayers that barely know the pointy end of a stake from the handle?" Faith tried to play it cool, like the news had no effect on her, "Even I'm not that cruel."
Buffy crossed her arms, not amused, but still clearly concerned. "I'm serious Faith," she spoke in a more gentle tone, "If you need someone to talk to…"
Faith shook her head, "Five by five." With that, Faith turned and left Buffy in the hallway to reenter the training room. On the outside, she was tough, ready to give the young girls in the class direction, but on the inside, Faith felt indescribably lost.