"So, it's been mad here since we last spoke. We have potentials coming out of our ears. Willow's doing great, she and Kennedy seem to have some sort of chemistry going although Willow's taking this real slow, she seems happy. I haven't seen her smile like she does around her for a long time. Kennedy's sick right now, Giles has taken the other potentials away to see that weird Rasta Momma slayer woman. I hope they have better luck with her than I did. Although on saying that, I guess she was pretty useful.

Anyway, Willow's being all coy about what's going on with Kennedy. She's still trying to pretend that she's not moving on with her life. I think she feels a bit guilty still but she's at least giggling about it. She just took Kennedy some tea. I know Kennedy wishes she'd offer her a bit more, but tea is a start. I'll keep you all posted but for now, I have to go and patrol, y'know kick some crazy bringer ass!"

Standing outside the bedroom door, Willow inhaled deeply, the steam from the mug of tea in her hands filling her nostrils and making her wriggle her nose. Deciding that she was calm, she pushed open the door and stepped inside, keeping her eyes locked firmly on the carpet until she was inside.

"Hey, I figured the best thing for a cold is a nice hot cup of..." her voice trailed off as she looked up and saw Kennedy sitting on the edge of the bed, fully clothed. "Boots?" she finished questioningly.

Kennedy looked up at her, realising that Willow had caught her out. "Hey." she offered weakly.

"For someone who's sick, you look surprisingly robust and casual dressy." Willow told her, her confusion drifting from her tone as she realised what was really going on.

"Well, the lighting in here is good. Maybe it's just…."

Willow cut her off quickly. "You were never sick!" she exclaimed.

"No...I was never sick." the potential admitted reluctantly.

"Oh, you are so busted. Xander's gonna have to drive you to the desert and…"

"Willow, chill." Kennedy cut in softly, getting to her feet and approaching the redhead before she had a chance to go into full blown babble. "There's a reason I didn't go. I have a thing. A separate

thing." She explained

Willow watched in confusion. "What?" She watched as Kennedy crossed to the chair and fetched her coat.

"Something's coming down. I have my own mission. And I need

your help."

- Later that night -

Willow sat in the bathroom, her head in her hands and her thoughts running at a mile a minute.

She and Kennedy had spent that night at the Bronze and the potential had admitted her true feelings. Although she had a damn good idea how Kennedy had felt, she was still surprised by her revelation. They had arrived back at the house only ten minutes ago and Willow had excused herself and gone to the bathroom.

"This is not happening!" she whispered into the darkness.

'Why not?' her brain argued back. 'You're smart, funny, ok, a little on the side of 'tried to destroy the world' crazy, but you're better now and you are single!'

"I'm not!" she whispered to herself. "I'm Tara's, only hers!"

'And she'd want you to move on, to be happy!' her brain made a convincing argument. 'She couldn't stand to see you unhappy and Kennedy has at least started to make you feel that again, just give her a chance, it's not like you're getting married or betraying Tara!'

Getting to her feet quickly, Willow realised her brain made a valid point and as she unlocked the bathroom door, she saw Kennedy coming up the stairs. Smiling weakly, Willow opened her door and turned the light on as Kennedy loitered awkwardly in the doorway.

"Well, this is my stop. So...glad we talked" Willow offered.

Stepping into the room, Kennedy knew this was it, now or never. "Yes. Kinda cleared the air." she replied softly.

"Yeah, totally. Air cleared. Check." Willow nodded in agreement. 'Why are you so nervous? Stop babbling!' her mind chastised her gently as Kennedy entered the room fully and came to a halt right in front of the redhead.

"You know, in the spirit of air clearing..." the potential continued, her voice having dropped to a suggestive level.

"Yeah?" Willow asked, becoming slightly breathless as she felt the heat radiating from the other woman's body.

"I feel like I need to be honest about something." Kennedy continued now so close that Willow could feel her breath tickling her lips.

"I-is something wrong?" Willow asked

Shaking her head, Kennedy replied, "No. No, it's just…. I think

you should know..." She leant in closer.

'Oh my goddess, she's going to kiss me!' Willow thought.

"Willow!" Buffy burst into the room and skidded to a halt as she realised what she had interrupted. "I'm sorry guys, but it'll have to wait. Willow, I need you downstairs!" she apologised.

"Right there!" Willow said, stepping back from the potential who rolled her eyes and glared at Buffy.

Stepping into the hallway after the slayer, Willow cast an apologetic look back at Kennedy who had slumped, defeated onto the bed.

"So, my timing sucks uh? At least for Willow and Kennedy but hey, I'm sure they'll get back to the smooching at some point. What I had to tell them just couldn't wait."

In the living room, the Scoobies sat around the small coffee table, each one wringing their hands or trying to hide their panicked expressions unsuccessfully.

"C'mon Buff!" Xander said as soon as the slayer came into sight, "What the hell's going on?" The others looked at her with the same demanding look and even Andrew hovered on the outskirts of the conversation awaiting new news for his 'big board'.

As Willow took a seat on the arm of the couch, Buffy took a deep breath and began. "I went with Spike to look into getting his chip fixed or something." she began, "When the initiative guys arrived and were removing it, which by the way, I'd like to add that I knew all along the florist's thing was just another government conspiracy!" Willow raised an eyebrow and Buffy quickly returned to her story.

"Well, I was sitting out in this dank little corridor and I saw mom!"

"Well, it's obviously The First. You called us here pretending that it was urgent and you are telling us what we already know, you have attention seeking issues!" Anya complained loudly.

"Anya, shut up!" Buffy snapped, silencing the former demons words. "It wasn't The First. She hugged me."

Tears welled in her eyes as she remembered her mothers arms wrapped lovingly around her and the soft aroma of her perfume. "This is where it gets weird," she warned. "She told me that I have an option, one that means I can do whatever I want."

Hopeful eyes settled on her and she shook her head sadly. "Not that option!" she told them. She knew they were thinking the exact same thing she had at the time. "I can't get rid of The First or even make us win, but I can have anything else."

Xander looked confused. "So what, she said you can have three wishes as long as you don't ask for anything we really need?" he said.

"Pretty much." Buffy nodded. "I made my first wish already!" she admitted coyly. Her plan had been to tell the group and let them help her decide what would be best to wish for but her first thought had been to make the wish that would make it all a little easier for everyone.

"Well?" everyone asked in unison.

"What was it?" Willow asked softly.

"Part of the conditions mean we won't find out until the morning!" Buffy explained. "It's like Christmas when we were kids, y'know, go to bed and in the morning Santa has been and delivered all your presents!" she told them weakly.

Sighing collectively, the gang got to their feet one by one. "I guess this means we'll be saying goodnight!" Xander said with the merest hint of a giggle in his voice.

After saying their goodnights and waving goodbye to those who were leaving and shackling most of those who were staying, Willow and Buffy headed upstairs.

"I'm sorry about before!" Buffy said softly as Willow reached for the handle to her door.

"It's ok Buffy, I'm not sure I'm ready for this anyway!" she admitted sadly.

"She'll be good for you."

"Yeah, but it still feels too quick."

Buffy hugged the redhead tightly. "Do what feels right Willow. You deserve some happiness!" she whispered before pulling back and disappearing into her bedroom, closing the door silently behind her.

Willow opened her door and stepped into the gloom. She could see the familiar shape of Kennedy under the bedcovers and could tell from the rhythm and depth of her breathing that she was sleeping.

Collecting her pyjamas from her sleeping bag, she snuck back into the hallway and closed the bathroom door behind her.

After changing into her night things and brushing her teeth, Willow regarded herself in the mirror. The same face, same freckles, same green eyes, the same Willow she had always been and yet she knew she was a completely different person. "G'night Will!" she told herself, smiling softly as she turned the light out and returned to her uncomfortable sleeping bag on the floor of her room and eventually falling into a restless slumber.

"So, I interrupted their nearly kissage, I know it's what Willow wanted even if she wasn't going to admit it herself. I couldn't sleep and so I laid awake thinking of everything we had lost. My mom, nearly Dawn, Jenny and Tara. It seemed like an impossible thing we were heading out to do, I mean, the First Evil right, how the hell were we gonna beat that. I honestly thought that was going to be my biggest worry. I knew the wish I made would make everything in the house better if it worked, and there's no reason it wouldn't. If I'd only known what was to happen that next day."