Ch.6
Kennedy grabbed the keys to the Focus and raced after Willow, who had taken the supra. She didn't want Willow to know she was being followed, so she couldn't take one of the nicer cars that were rare around this area. It seemed everyone had a focus, so it was the smartest car to take. Kennedy waited for Willow to be out of the long driveway to start down. She watched her turn left, then waited as two other cars flew by. If she was too close Willow would be able to see that Kennedy was trailing her. She followed closely behind the civic that was ahead of her. She saw Willow turn right, and swore as the other cars, who had been her cover, went straight. She followed her girlfriend at a distance, hating the country roads that surrounded the academy. Kennedy never really hated the woods before, but right about now she wished she could have it all torn down. As Kennedy was cursing at the suicidal squirrels, the road changed from paved to dirt. "Oh, great. This is JUST what I need. Wait, what is Willow doing out here?" Kennedy asked herself aloud. She stopped when she saw the Supra sitting by the side of the road. The wiccan was no where to be seen. Kennedy pulled over and got out, wondering where she had gone. She scanned the woods, noticing a trail. The entrance was practically overgrown, but Kennedy managed to get through. She followed the trail for about ten minutes, growing worried. She was getting deep into the forest. 'Smart Kennedy, go alone into a forest where you've never been, a dark forest that could be home to any number of things, without a weapon, looking for your girl who is keeping secrets from you. I'm a genius.' Kennedy said inwardly, walking forward. Kennedy suddenly stopped, she had spotted Willow in the clearing up ahead. She dove into the bushes and crept towards her silently. When she was close enough to see what Willow was doing she held back a gasp. She wanted to rush forward and get closer, close enough to help her, to hold her, to do something, but she couldn't. She was suddenly paralyzed. She couldn't move. She couldn't bare to let Willow know she didn't trust her enough to let her alone every now and then.
Willow, meanwhile, was kneeling on the ground, her tears falling to the dirt and moistening the earth. She couldn't hold back the tears any more. She let them flow from her, not caring. The memories overtook her. She remembered her girl's laugh, her smile, the sound of her voice when she wispered to her. It wasn't fair. She loved her. She'd been Willow's everything. She didn't diserve to die. She longed to hold her, just once more. "Oh Tara, baby, I miss you so much. I don't know what i'm doing. I love you, but I love Kennedy too. She's wonderful. So full of life and love. I don't want to leave her, yet... I can't do this! I can't make her go through this! I'm robbing her! It's wrong! I love her so much and I can't make her suffer. I don't know what to do. Help me, Tara. I tried to end the world to make them feel my pain. Make them feel how much I was suffering, but then Xander... and sometimes I wish I could have ended this. To stop this torture, but then I look at her, and, and it just... I look at her and everythings okay. But I can't love you both! It's wrong! I just ... don't know what to do." Willow let everything go. She didn't know what to do. She loved them both but wasn't that wrong? Wasn't that horrible to Kennedy? Her tears slowed, but didn't stop. The memories were flashing through her head. Tara. Kennedy. Tara. Kennedy. Tara. Kennedy. She heard a twig snap and knew that she had been followed. She had suspected it, but didn't think anyone would follow this far. She reached out with her mind and felt her. "Kennedy, come out." Willow called softly, tears still falling. Kennedy ran over to her and embraced her "Willow, it's okay. Shhh, it's okay. You didn't do anything wrong. It's good that you still remember her and love her. I don't want you to forget her. I know there's enough room in that big heart of yours for both of us.". Willow looked at Kennedy, and replied shakily "I...it's wrong. I...I can't. Kenn, I love you so much, but I still...". "Willow, it's okay. Everything's okay. Are you listening to me? Good. You have a huge heart and i'm so lucky just to be in it. Willow, I know you still love her and miss her. She's your past. I understand that. I just hope that I can be your future." Kennedy explained. Willow looked into her eyes and saw nothing but love. Not love that comes from a phisical attraction, or from the lure of money, nothing like that, but true, from the heart, I'd die for you kind of love. Willow knew what that felt like because she felt it for Kennedy. She slowely smiled, green eyes watery and filled with happiness, because as long as she was with Kennedy, she was happy.
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Willow and Kennedy took the Supra home, planning to go back for the focus later. By the time they got back, the sun had set and Buffy was searching the academy high and low for Faith, who was supposed to take a group of girls on patrol tonight. She gave a frustrated groan as she saw Willow and Kennedy. "Have either of you seen...wait, what's wrong? Will? Were you...crying? " Buffy asked when seeing Willow's slightly red eyes. "What? No. I just got wind in my eyes. Convertable. You know." Willow lied. Buffy walked off, calling for Faith, and Kennedy turned to Willow "Huh. Nice lie. But you still have tear stains on your cheek.". Willow groaned. "Now she knows I was lying." Kennedy's arm wrapped around her waist, the two lovers walked slowely up the stairs, smiling. "So how about you show me exactly how much love for me you have in that large heart of yours?" Kennedy suggested. Willow smiled in agreement "First, I have to warn you. There's ALOT of love for you in there. You may be overwhelmed.". Kennedy's eyes got big and she grinned as they reached the top of the stair. Their room was on the fifth floor, as were the other teachers'. That way, they were between the students, on the sixth and seventh floor, and the rest of the school, in case any students decided to try to sneak out. "I don't think so. Ya know, slayer strength and all. I believe I can handle your love." Kennedy replied. Willow spotted the elevator and dragged her inside. The doors closed and they came together in a kiss. They were feverent, wild in their wanting. The doors opened to find them standing next to each other calmly when Xander walked in, Spike still attached to his leg. Willow picked up the little dog and walked with Kennedy to their room. As Kennedy went to unlock the door, Willow whispered, "I don't think even slayer strength can help you now.". Kennedy's eyes widened excitedly as she flung the door open and quickly pulled Willow in. Willow smiled devilish as Kennedy closed and locked the door.
Ch.7
Willow awoke to the sound of the alarm, definitely not the best way to be woken up. She looked over to the young women beside her, sleeping through the shrill buzzing. Willow smiled. Kennedy always slept through the alarm. Willow shut off the alarm and got up, walking to the bathroom. Normally she'd wake Kennedy up first, but Willow wanted some time to think, which she definitely would not get if she woke Kennedy up. She turned the water on and stepped in. She lifted her face towards the oncoming stream of water and sighed. She thought back to two nights before, when Kennedy had followed her to the woods. It's not that she didn't love Kennedy, but some of the things she said were...private. Like, very. She wasn't hurt that Kennedy had followed her, but it felt more like she had been interrupted in the middle of something very personal. She didn't break down often, and the fact that Kennedy, strong, tough, slayer Kennedy had seen it made her feel rather childish. She knew Kennedy understood, but Willow had also never seen her break down.
That thought got Willow thinking. Kennedy understood that Willow still missed Tara and she was still grieving deep inside. How did she understand, though? Did she lose someone she loved? They had never really talked about Kennedy's past before Giles found her. Did her parents raise her, or did she go to boarding school her whole life? Did she have any serious relationships previously? Who was her first watcher? When did she find out she was a potential? When did she start training? Did she attend any college? Had she even finished school? Willow didn't know anything about her own girlfriends past! It had never really come up, the important thing had always been what was going on in the present.
Willow shut off the water and stepped out, wrapping herself in a towel. She frowned when she looked at the clock. It was seven fifty. Kennedy's first class was at eight fifteen. She walked out of the bathroom and over to the bed. She gently shook Kennedy and informed "Kennedy, baby you gotta get up." Kennedy opened one eye and answered "Sorry too early." Willow smiled "It's seven fifty five." Kennedy bolted up and ran to the bathroom. Willow heard a stream of curses from her girlfriend's mouth then the shower turn on and got Kennedy's clothes out. Two minuets later, Kennedy ran out of the bathroom and got dressed into her workout clothes. She had weapons first. She kissed Willow and grabbed her keys. As she ran down the hall she called over her shoulder "Wait for me after fifth, I made reservations for lunch at the Lakeside!" Then she was gone.
Kennedy's first class was one the main floor. "Figures." She mumbled. She made it with two minuets to spare. She opened the door to one of the many large workout rooms. The students were already there. Most were already changed and warming up, or talking. 'Shit' Kennedy thought as she realized that she got a new group today. At least since classes started three weeks ago there wouldn't be much to catch them up on.
Kennedy walked to the middle of the room and said "Alright everybody in!" The girls, aged between twelve and seventeen, grouped around her. "Okay guys, we got some new girls today so while I'm working on catching them up, you're going to spar. And no swords this time, got it? Stick to the basics, ya know, the ones that WON'T do much damage?" she said while looking at Kara, who had a bandage around her arm where the sword had struck her last time she let them spar without protective gear. As the girls who had been there for a while left, and Rose, one of the older students, and one who had already had a watcher and started training, came up to her and asked for the keys. Kennedy gave them to her and ordered "Don't let anyone besides you and Lana touch those throwing stars or the swords. Last time Buffy almost killed me."
She turned to the new girls and looked at the files she had got. More paperwork. Great. She looked back at the five eager faces almost groaned. They were all looked younger then fifteen. Not fun. She started "Okay, obviously you all know why you're here, I'm not even going to go through the speech again because, frankly, it's boring. I'm going to give you a fair warning, though. While you're in here you do as I say or you're going to get hurt, and you're going to get on my bad side. You DON'T want to get on my bad side. Also, have any of you had previous training?" When all she got was a chorus of no's, she did groan. This was going to be a LONG day.
Ch.8
Kennedy and Willow sat at a table at one of their faverite resterants, The Lakeside. Willow was determined that she was going to talk to Kennedy about her past today. Willow looked at Kennedy, who was watching her, and smiled. Kennedy smiled back, and Willow looked at her hands, which she had placed in her lap. She didn't know why, but she was nervous. Maybe it was because of the fact that Kennedy never brought up the past. Atleast not her past. Kennedy watched Willow, who was know staring into space, frowning. Kennedy knew she was deep in thought, and even though she was reluctant to say anything because Willow was extremly cute when she was thinking, she had to know what was on her redheads mind. "Will? What's that cute red head of yours thinking about?" Willow looked at Kennedy, then smiled a little "Kenn, why don't I know anything about your life? I know almost nothing about you from before you moved to Sunnydale.". Kennedy's smiled drooped a little and her eyes became slightly clouded. She shook it off and said "Does it matter? My life is here now, and the past is the past. It isn't important." Willow's looked away dejectedly, knowing that this would be practicaly impossible. When Kennedy saw how disappointed Willow looked, she gave in. She supposed she had to tell her eventually. With a sigh, Kennedy spoke up "Okay. I guess it's only fair that I should tell you, since you've shared your past with me. Please, though, let me warn you. It's not going to be pretty." Willow looked at her girlfriend and said "Kennedy, I just want to know what you were like before I met you. Like, for instance, did you go to any college? Did you even finish high school?" Kennedy replied, "Willow, of course I finished high school. I didn't get a chance to go to college, what with the running and the fleeing and the hiding." Willow paused then asked "Remember the first time we got attacked? Back in Sunnydale? You knew what you were doing. Why? Did you have a watcher? How long have you known you could be a slayer?" Kennedy looked away for a moment, her eyes closed. She was afraid if she opened them she would cry. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. The tears threatened, then receded. She looked at the table, feeling Willow's beautiful green eyes on her. "I was told when I was thirteen. I went into training a few days later. I was assigned a watcher," she gave a sad little laugh, "he was practicaly an exact copy of Giles, but a few years older, maybe. My Dad couldn't accept that his daughter was destined to help in saving the world from evil 'demented fairytale creatures', as he called them, so, I was sent off to a boarding school. First near Boston, then one in Austria, then in France, then close to Liverpool. I kept getting kicked out, they said I was too 'violent' and I didn't fit in the standards for their schools. I finally got sent to school in London. I was in training the entire time, and my watcher, Brian Kelton, started taking me out on patrols. I almost got killed the first few times." She laughed a little, "My first patrol, we ran into this vamp who thought he was elvis. God, I would have laughed my ass off if I hadn't been frozen in fear. I never killed anything without help; except the newest ones."
"Brian would tell me stories of the slayer who had come back from the dead, and who had disregarded all of the councils restrictions. He said she fought beside civilians. She fought next to a vampire and a werewolf and a witch. She loved a vampire with a soul. He told me all about Buffy and you guys. I looked up to Buffy, and I wanted to meet her more then anything. I hated the council, too. He told me so much that I was in love with you before I ever even saw you."
"Then the bringers came. That day, I was supposed to be training with Brian, but I had just graduated and I wanted to celebrate. I was at a nightclub, and I felt someone watching me. I turned around and saw one of the bringers coming towards me, a knife in his hand. I ran. I didn't know who or what it was, but I knew I didn't want a knife in my back. I left the club, and glanced around. It was raining, and I could see two more bringers coming out of a nearby alley. I pulled out my stake, 'cause, hey, vamps or not, pointy things in the gut still hurt. I didn't know if I could fight them though, so I ran back down the street towards Brian's house. I slipped and fell, and I knew they were gaining on me. I stood up and ran, finally reaching his house. The bringers were almost on top of me. I ran inside and closed the door, hoping that Brian would know what they were. I leaned against the door for a minuet, then turned around and took in the scene. I didn't see him. I walked into the living room and" Kennedy paused, trying to hold back the tears, succeding for the time being, then continued, "He was lying on the floor in a pool of blood. All I could think of was that there was so much blood. So much. How could one man bleed that much? He was dead. I knew when I walked in the door that something wasn't right."
"Giles found me later that night. I had thought it was my fault that Brian was killed because I was supposed to be training with him but I left. I went dancing. He died because I had to go dancing. I wanted revenge. I don't know if it was the bringers or a murderer or a demon or what. I knew I couldn't take a demon, and a if it was human I couldn't hurt it. Much. I didn't know if I could kill a bringer or not, but I was sure as hell going to try. I ended up coming up against a big old vamp. It beat me up pretty good before I could stake it. Giles found me lying in an alley with a concusion and a broken arm, and I went with him and Molly and Annabelle and eventually we ended up in Sunnydale, and the rest, well, you know. You were there."
Willow looked at Kennedy and said, "Kennedy, it wasn't your fault. If you had been there you might not be here now. I don't wanna think about that. I don't wanna think about life without you. Kennedy," Willow paused, she had never said this to Kennedy. It would open the doors into her heart and she would never be able to close them again. It would let Kennedy in. Kennedy could hurt her so much. If she left, Willow was afraid of what she would do. Kennedy would never leave her, though. Kennedy had said so. Kennedy loved her too much to. "Kennedy, I love you. I'm sorry that your watcher died. I am. I mean, hey, I tried to hurt Giles as much as possible, and I thought I wanted to kill him. But, Kennedy, I am glad that you weren't there, 'cause I wouldn't have made it through the fight, through the spell, if not for you." Kennedy smiled, and replied, "I love you too, Willow. So much."
Kennedy's smile got sad. She was scared. Willow was NOT going to like what she was going to say. "Willow, I need to tell you something."
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Ch.9
Willow frowned, and looked into Kennedy's eyes.'Why does she sound so...strange?' Willow could feel a bombard of emotions. Then one emotion covered all the others. Willow was almost knocked out of her chair by the intensity. Kennedy was afraid. "Kennedy, you need to tell me, quick, 'cause you're about to knock me over you're so scared." Kennedy had never heard Willow be so forceful. Willow could always feel when someone had a really strong feeling, whether they are scared, happy, lonely, anything. Kennedy guessed it was a witch thing. "Alright, but, you can't say anything to anyone. This is my problem and I'll handle it. Promise?" When Willow hesitated, Kennedy pressed, "Baby, promise me?" "Okay. I, I promise." Kennedy quietly continued "Will, I think I know what happened to Brian. See, there was this... girl." Willow repeated "A girl?" Kennedy sighed. "Yes, a girl. When I was younger, I didn't think anything of her, 'cause she had always been there. She was like a ghost, and she seemed to follow me everywhere, but she wasn't a ghost, atleast I don't think so. Unless ghosts can hurt people. Then she is a ghost. When I was little, I used to talk to her. I remember that she never talked back, though. I even named her. I called her Tory. And no one else could see her; just me. My mom said that she was my 'imaginary friend'. I knew she wasn't imaginary, though. Then, one night, I think I was four. My mom hit me lightly on the hand, as a reprimand. She had never done it before. I remember crying, then the next thing I knew Tory was sitting next to me on the couch, my mother was lying on the floor. The first I got into a fight at school, it was actually with my best friend, Lilly. I was so angry. I hit her, and she hit back. Later that night, after school had ended, one of the janitors found her floating in the school pool. Every person that ever made me really angry, sad, or scared, ended up dead. That night, when the bringers attacked, I was mad because Brian wanted me to train and that's all I ever did. I stopped seeing Tory so much as the years went by, but she was still with me, and I think that she might have killed those people. She hated when I was angry, sad, or scared. She especially hated crying. When I would cry, she would let out a high pitched screech that only I ever heard. After the first three times, I never cried again. Willow, she only killed the people I loved that made me angry. That's why I'm telling you. I love you, and I don't want to put you at risk. I hadn't seen her since Brian, but the other day, I was in our bedroom, and I remember being angry because we had had an awful fight and you had left. I didn't know where you were and I was so afraid that you wouldn't come back, I just felt like something was going to happen to you. I was sitting on our bed, and I looked up. In the chair, the one in the corner? She was sitting there, and I didn't move, afraid that I was hallucinating. She held up the picture of us, the one from palm beach, and smiled. She dissapeared, and I ran out to the car, that's when I came to find you. I was so afraid she would try and hurt you. Willow, I can't keep living like this. I want to know what she is, and how I can get rid of her. I'm afraid-" Kennedy stopped. Her eyes widened and Willow asked "What is it Kennedy?" Kennedy was looking at the empty space next to Willow's chair. Except it wasn't empty. Tory stood there, smiling. She still looked like a normal five year old, except that no one else could see her. In her head, she felt Willow, and she thought 'Willow, don't move. She's standing next to you. On the right. We're going to leave. Stand up to the left of your chair. Don't say anything about her or look for her. There is something in her hand and I have no idea what it is. Come on, baby, stand up.' Willow didn't move. She closed her eyes and searched with her mind. She felt something. Kennedy saw Tory frown and glare at Willow. 'Willow, no! She can feel you! Get out of her mind! Now! She's going to kill you!' Willow's eyes opened suddenly and she gasped. They stood up and quickly left. Outside, Kennedy put her arm around Willow's waist to steady her. Willow leaned against Kennedy's 240SX and gasped for air. "Kennedy, she trapped me. I was inside her head, and I couldn't get out. I saw the things she's done." Kennedy inhaled sharply and asked, "What did you see?" Willow looked at her, eyes wide with fear "We have to go to Giles. Now!"
