A/N: Any mistakes are my own. : ) feel free to review
"Everybody out now!" Kennedy heard Faith shout. She looked around and watched as the Turok-Han began to turn to dust, a result of the now glowing Spike. Looking around one final time to make sure all of the potentials, slayers, who were still alive were leaving, she took off for the stairs. She passed Buffy and Spike who were staring intently at one another.
Without hesitating, Kennedy took off at a dead sprint towards Wood's office. Her only thoughts were for Willow. She pushed herself, reveling in her new found speed and strength, and prayed to whoever would listen that Willow was alright.
She burst around a corner and slammed her body into the door of the office, flinging it open. Lying on the ground, right were Kennedy had left her, was Willow. Her eyes were closed and fearing the worse, Kennedy rushed to her side.
"Willow!" Kennedy dropped to her knees beside the redhead. "Willow?" She tentatively reached a hand out, carefully placing it on the side of the witch's face. She gasped in relief when she felt Willow begin to stir under her touch.
The redhead's eyes fluttered open and she looked up at the now slayer. "Hi," She said quietly, a smile lighting up her face.
"Hey," Kennedy responded, her voice a broken whisper. For one moment, one moment too long, she thought that she had really lost Willow.
Willow looked around, taking in the sight before her. "We brought the house down huh?"
"Yeah and it's still coming down." The urgency was back. Kennedy thought of everything that had happened, that was happening still. "We need to get out of here now."
Without waiting for an answer, Kennedy grabbed one of Willow's arms and slung it around her neck before using her other arm to grip the redhead's waist. She hauled Willow to her feet, making for the door. She stopped when she felt Willow lean heavily on her.
"You ok?" She asked, concern etched on her face.
"Mhhm," Willow moaned, her eyes closed. "Still a little burnt out,"
Kennedy tightened her grip on Willow's waist. "Just lean on me, Will. I got ya." With a nod from the woman in her arms, Kennedy took off again. She took care to avoid the fallen debris in the halls, all too aware of the weakened witch she was practically carrying.
"Kennedy!" Kennedy stopped running, bringing herself and Willow to an abrupt halt. She looked to her left and saw Dawn and Xander running towards them. She looked them over quickly, they looked relatively unharmed. "Willow! Oh God…is she OK?" Xander rushed to the redhead's side, Dawn right behind him.
"She's fine, just tired." They all ducked as more of the ceiling collapsed around them. Dawn gave a little screeched of fear as ruble came down near her. "We need to go now!" Without waiting for the others, Kennedy continued on.
"Has anyone seen Anya?" Xander asked, worry evident in his voice.
"No, but I've been a bit busy." Came the slayer's response, strained from the stress of the situation.
"Anya?" Xander stopped, looking around for the blonde woman.
"Xander! Kennedy's right. We need to get out of here!" Dawn yelled, desperate to get the one eyed man moving again.
The group rounded the corner, speeding past the fallen Turok-Han and Bringers.
"Anya? Anya!" Xander yelled desperately.
Kennedy kept moving. Her only concern right now was getting Willow and herself the hell out of the collapsing school. She rushed through the entrance of the school, glancing around wildly for the others. When she spotted the bus, she turned back.
"The bus!" She shouted to be heard above the cacophony of noises. Dawn, pulling along a distressed Xander nodded her understanding.
The four raced to the bus, quickly climbing the stairs when they reached it. Kennedy walked to the back of the bus, looking for a private space away from the other slayers. Gingerly, Kennedy lowered Willow into a seat. She sat down immediately when she saw Willow close her eyes and lean her head against the window.
"Will?" Willow turned her face towards Kennedy, but kept her eyes closed. "Willow, are you OK?" Kennedy's voice was low, wanting to avoid unwanted questions from the other occupants of the bus.
"Yeah, just tired," Her eyes flew open as soon as the words were out of her mouth. "Buffy!"
Kennedy gave her a confused look.
"Buffy," Willow repeated. "Where's Buffy? Is she OK?"
Kennedy placed a comforting hand on Willow's shoulder. "Will, breath." She paused before continuing. "I'm not sure where Buffy is. Last I saw she was still down with Spike." Seeing the fear in the red head's eyes Kennedy placed a soothing hand on the side of Willow's face. "I'm sure she'll be OK.
Willow nodded unconvinced, and leaned into the hand gently caressing the side of her face. She jerked forward though when Faith hurtled up the stairs of the bus, telling Robin to go.
"No," She mumbled. Standing up quickly, Willow made to move over Kennedy, trying to get to the front of the bus. But as she stood her head began to swim, blurring her vision and causing her to stumble. She felt Kennedy place a steadying arm around her waist and pull her gently onto her lap.
"Easy, Will." Kennedy place her other arm across Willow's thighs as the red head attempted to stand again.
"But Buffy," Willow started.
"Can take care of herself," Kennedy finished. She steadied the girl on her lap as the bus took off at a break neck speed, throwing everyone into the back of their seats. There was a deep rumbling that caused Kennedy and Willow to whip around.
"Oh my God," Kennedy breathed as the two girls stared in awe. The entire town of Sunnydale was collapsing in on itself, taking everything with it. She felt Willow throw an arm around her shoulder as she pressed herself further into the girl beneath her.
Everyone on the bus held their breaths as the bus sped through town. Willow looked out the back of the bus as the town she had lived her whole life in disappeared before her very eyes. She felt a pang of sadness as she thought of all the memories she had built in that town. She had met two of her best friends, fought for her life, fell in love, had broken and been slowly put back together in this town. And now it was being destroyed.
Kennedy looked up sharply as there was a dull thud from the roof of the bus. She turned to look at Willow as the witch turned to face her, a brief smile lighting up her exhausted face. "Buffy!" She breathed excitedly. Kennedy returned the smile.
She tightened her arms around Willow. They had made it! Everything was going to be OK. They had defeated the First. And while a whole town had been destroyed, was in the process of being destroyed, they really had saved the world.
Kennedy released her death grip around Willow as Robin guided the bus to a stop just outside the boundary of Sunnydale. She looked out the back of the bus to see that the ground was no longer collapsing beneath them. But now, where Sunnydale had once stood proud, there was nothing but a giant gaping hole. Sunnydale was nothing more than a memory now.
Kennedy looked back up when she felt Willow's eyes on her. "We did it," The red head breathed. "We stopped the First."
Kennedy laughed quietly out of relief. "Yeah we did," She smiled softly as she felt Willow's hand on the side of her face, caressing it with her thumb. She closed her eyes as she felt Willow press their lips together in a kiss born of relief, happiness, passion, and even possibly love.
The girls deepened the kiss, wrapped up in each other's tight embrace and only vaguely aware of the others on the bus with them. They only broke apart when they heard the door behind them open and something hitting the sturdy ground beneath them.
Willow looked over Kennedy's head and her smile grew even bigger when she saw Dawn embracing Buffy. Kennedy gently stood both of them up and helped the witch to the front of the bus and down the stairs.
Kennedy watched as Willow looked around with a tired, but happy smile on her face. All her life Kennedy had kept everyone around her at bay. She had never let anyone in, never told them what she was really thinking. That is until Willow. She had immediately felt drawn to the quirky red head. She felt she could trust her. Even though they didn't know what was coming next, Kennedy wasn't worried. As long as she had Willow by her side everything would be ok.
Willow looked down at her girlfriend, having felt her eyes on her. "Kenn? Is everything ok?" Willow could see the vast array of emotions flitting across Kennedy's face.
Kennedy smiled at the other girl, tightening her grip on her waist. "Yeah," She replied softly. "Everything's ok."