A/n: Hello again. Thanks to everyone who took the time to comment on the last chapter, it's always good to get people's reactions on stuff. I understand some people are probably thinking: 'Oh my God, what are you doing to my poor beloved characters!'.
That's a good question and hopefully it'll get answered before the end of this fic g.
This is just a short part to tie up act 2.
When Faith's Parole Officer had arrived on the scene, Xander had been glad for the distraction allowing him to slip back up the stairs and get dressed. As far as he was concerned she couldn't have turned up at a better time because any more questions about him and Andrew…
He'd dressed quickly, eager to get out of the house and concentrate on labour intensive stuff to take his mind off the freak occurrence, but he'd lingered long enough to brush his teeth again and swirl his mouth with Listerine a few times. Not that Andrew had tasted bad, but…
'Gah.'
He'd glanced in the mirror as he pulled on his wrist watch, shaking his head at his reflection. It wouldn't have been so bad if it had happened when he was drunk! Then he could have blamed it on the drunkenness. But he'd been stone cold sober this morning.
Obviously tiredness didn't just kill, it also made you gay.
With another shake of his head he'd left his room, ducked back in when he saw Buffy and Faith coming up the front stairs and then as soon as they were safely bickering in Buffy's room, he'd headed out.
That had been an hour and a half ago, and an hour and a half in Boudenver buying the stuff he needed to fix up Will and Kenny's room hadn't made him forget the details of Andrew's tongue or shed any light on his reasons for making acquaintance with Andrew's tongue in the first place.
As he pulled the jeep onto Sunset Lane something in the rear view mirror caught his eye and he turned his head to look into it more properly. A cab had pulled in after him. Maybe it was Giles back from seeing the cadet's off at the airport.
He sighed with relief as he pulled around the side of the house and swung into the open garage-barn door. Three less teenage boys goofing around was a hell of a good thing. Especially those boys. It was a pity that Reece kid was staying, he was a total asshead; but Naomi – the tall blonde girly-watcher – he strangely didn't mind so much.
Still three less people crowding the dinner table, hogging the showers and causing low level mayhem was gonna be pretty sweet.
Grabbing the stuff he'd bought out of the back of the truck in both hands, he exited the garage and set it all down again so he could push the door shut, pull the chain through the handles and slip the big padlock through some links. He didn't snap it closed, though. They only had one key at the moment and he'd be damned if he was going to cut through the thick chain every time someone couldn't find it. Once was enough.
Outside, sliding out of the back of the idling taxi came Miranda and Cici. He groaned inwardly even as he smiled at them. They'd got rid of three teens and gained two straight back. That wasn't fair. Couldn't they at least have had a few days with the reduced number of adolescents?
"Hey girls!" He walked closer, stopping by the cab and reaching into his pocket for his billfold to pay the fare. "You came back then?"
"Hey Xander," Miranda returned, smiling big and happy.
"Hello." Cici was also smiling, although she didn't seem quite so bubbly.
"How much?" He asked the cab driver.
"It's okay Xander, I've got this." A familiar male voice said.
Xander looked up over the roof of the car. "Oh hey, Principal Wood. I didn't know you were coming."
He did that inward groan thing again. Not just because they were now back up to three extra people, although Robin Wood was further from being a teenager than he was, but also because he'd always felt a little uncomfortable around the well spoken kick ass demon fighter. He knew that if this guy had been in charge at Sunnydale High instead of either Flutie or Snyder, he would have been a lot more intimidated at being sent to the Principal's office.
But then his old man would have probably insisted that his mom home schooled him anyway, rather than send him to a school run by a black guy.
'Dear old dad, always so full of the enlightened bullshit,' he thought sarcastically as he came around the car to say hello.
He liked Wood's handshake, he decided. It was all firm and manly but he didn't try and crush Xander's hand like most guys did – the polite, although more painful, version of the pissing content. It wasn't as if Xander's hand couldn't take it, he just didn't buy into the 'You can tell a man's character from his hand shake' ball of crap. Plenty of downright bastards had good handshakes.
"I'm not a Principal anymore, Xander," Robin Wood smiled as he went around to the trunk to collect three suitcases: two girly, one normal and half the size. "Don't get out, I can manage," he called to the driver who was sitting obliviously in his seat, just waiting for his money.
Wood cast Xander a glance, his face impassive save for the 'can you believe this professionalism?' look in his eyes.
Xander huffed out a laugh and Robin quirked a corner of his mouth as he set all the suitcases in a neat row and reached, presumably, for his wallet.
"No really, I'll cover it," Xander pulled some notes free from his billfold. "You're a guest and we run a full service hospitality program around here. These two lovely ladies will even act as your bellhops." He nodded to Cici and Miranda who were still hovering – like they didn't live there and could go anywhere they liked.
"Boy's dorm please?" he added. "Which is now fully functional so you might wanna knock just in case."
"Is Alison about?" Miranda asked as she picked up both hers and Wood's cases like they weighed nothing.
Xander cocked his head, listening to some strange grunting noises on the cusp of hearing that could only be wild boars mating or slayers training… or mating.
"Training field at a guess," he suggested and the two young slayers walked away to dump their stuff and find their friend.
Xander wondered how they were doing. No one except Giles and Buffy had really had a chance to talk to the two girls about Kate's death before they'd jumped at the chance to go home. At least they had both chosen to come back, that had to count for something.
He made a mental note to lend a quiet, supportive ear to them both as he made his way back to the indolent driver's window, cash in hand.
"Really, I should…" Robin was starting to protest again.
Xander cut off his well-meaning attempt mid-sentence, "No, you brought Cici and Miranda back with you..." He stopped, confused for a second. "Did you somehow bump into them at the airport? Talk about your efficient coincidences, huh?"
"We arrived by bus actually…"
"Someone would only have had to go get them anyway so you did us a favour, might as well at least let the Council cover the cost. And this," he waved his twenty dollars in the air, "is good old fashioned Council money; and we've got Willow in there trying to fashion some new money for when it runs out," Xander grinned at Robin as he handed the money to the driver, who gave him a look. "I was joking about that last part," he backtracked.
The driver grumbled something non-friendly and drove off without giving Xander his change.
"Nice."
"So's this." Wood was waving around a ten dollar bill now.
"Huh?"
"This is Council money too. Wired to me in advance by Giles. Enough to cover my fares and those of the two girls, but thanks," Wood smiled big. "Now I have enough left to order a pizza tonight."
Xander stared after the cab even though it was long out of sight around the side of the house. "I just got robbed six dollars, tipping for a service I didn't even use, and now you're gonna get pizza."
Wood shrugged, "Well, not right now, later."
He was looking around, checking the place out. Not that there was much to see here between the side of the house and the garage-barn so Xander grabbed up his supplies for the work upstairs and lead the way around the house towards the back, nodding for the ex-Principal to follow him.
"So… how?" he asked as they walked.
"Well I hoped you'd have a phone, but if not…" he looked around again, slightly fearfully, as the wide expanse of open countryside that was their garden came into view. "I suppose my cell phone will actually work out here, right?"
"Receptions actually pretty good out here, unless there's a storm and then you're screwed. Inside it's crackly on a good day but you get used to it." Robin didn't look so sure. "Besides I wasn't talking pizza, which by the way had better not have olives on it, because I'm sharing. How come Giles asked you to do that? Were you going their way or something?"
"Not exactly. It was my first assignment working for the new Council of Watchers," Wood said, with more pride than Xander would have expected him to feel, and then the sentence actually sunk in.
He stopped, a paint roller slipping from the jumble in his arms to hit the gravel. "Giles gave you a job?"
"Yeah, well my last position was terminated rather abruptly," Wood smiled self-depreciatingly before continuing. "And between you and me, I never actually had the qualifications the Sunnydale School Board thought I did. I just knew I needed to be in that town and I hoped, correctly as it turned out, that they'd be too desperate to get any fool in there, that they wouldn't look too closely."
"You're not a teacher?" Xander asked surprised, although he didn't know why because it actually made his academic record make more sense.
He'd always thought the teachers graded all willy-nilly which was why he got great grades in some subjects and could barely pass others while doing the same level of work – not all that much – through out.
"No, I am a qualified teacher, but I only finished with college five years ago. I guess the School Board just hoped I was an over-achiever." He laughed quietly and then seemed to notice Xander was struggling with his load. He bent to pick up the roller before saying, "Here let me help you with some of that?"
"I got it, thanks. If I let go of one thing now, the whole lot will drop." Xander started walking for the back door again. "So you're like, a Watcher now?"
"No, not a Watcher. Just an operative at the moment, but, well, one day maybe; it would be nice."
"I think you might find that day comes sooner than you think. We're crying out for Watchers just now and the pickin's are slim." Xander grimaced, thinking about the cadets again.
"Don't put yourself down," Wood said gently, misunderstanding. "I saw how you were with the girls back in Sunnydale; you really had a way with them…"
"Me?" Xander asked incredulously as a wallpaper steamer hit the gravel with a dull thud followed by a pack of wire brushes. "Oh no mi compadre, I'm no Watcher. Can you really imagine Giles giving me the keys to the magic kingdom? I mean, other than if he wanted me to pop in and mend a wall or if he needed someone to be there to let the plumber in."
"Sorry, my mistake," Wood said slowly, obviously embarrassed. "It's just when you assumed I was, I assumed…" he gave a tiny shrug and picked up the DIY tools at their feet.
"Then I guess we just proved the old proverb true," Xander said lightly. "Come on; let's go see if the boss is back from the airport yet.
Finally making it to the back door, Wood – trying to juggle the least amount of items – opened it, politely letting Xander go first.
Which was why, even with his impaired vision, he was able to see Willow jump three feet backwards from Oz; a shocked, scared look on her face.
"Everything okay?" he asked, keeping his voice totally casual and pretty impressed that he did. "And if not, you might want to leave explanations 'til later because we have a new houseguest."
"A…another one?" Willow's voice was a low squeak.
Xander stepped aside to allow Robin Wood to enter.
"Hello Willow," he entered, smiling warmly, before looking at Xander again, "Uh where..?"
"Just put them on the table, I can take them upstairs in a minute." He demonstrated by dumping his armload onto the scarred pine surface.
"Robin, hey!" Willow did a little excited jig on the spot.
Xander couldn't tell if she was that pleased to see him or just that pleased of a distraction. He glanced at Oz, but as usual his old friend's face was unreadable.
"Giles said you were arriving today," Willow continued. "Did you pick up the girl's okay? Where are they?"
"Boy's dorm." Xander said simply, wondering why he was always the last to know everything.
"Wow," Will grinned. "They're moving quick."
Robin chuckled as he said, "They took my bag there for me. It's nice to see you again Willow, but I'm not sure of the etiquette here, do I shake your hand or is a kiss on the cheek allowed."
"Yeah, we're a little short on rooms at the moment, what with one thing and another. Thing being people turning up all the time and another being the rooms we have burning down." Willow chuckled, adding, "And a kiss on the cheek would be nice."
Grinning, he leaned down to do just that, "Well, providing Kennedy doesn't come after me."
As Wood leaned away again, Xander could see the brittle smile on his best friend's face. Okay, he'd missed something somewhere – Damn stupid one eye.
"I've never kissed a Principal before," she giggled a little.
"Well as I said to Xander, I'm not a Principal anymore."
"Oh now you've gone and ruined it," she mock-groaned.
"Is Faith still here?" Xander asked idly as he went through all the stuff on the table, making sure he had all he needed. "Or is she on her way back to prison already?"
"Still here as far as I know," Willow answered. "At least I haven't heard any sirens or anything. And you could sound a little like you cared."
"I care," Xander replied without much feeling in it.
"Faith's here?" Robin asked, sounding surprised, and if Xander was guessing correctly, pleased.
He looked up and caught Willow's eyes. She looked concerned, but he couldn't help seeing the funny a little. He tried not to let it show though.
"She got back this morning, or well, last night, only we didn't see her until this morning," Willow explained. "Because she and Buffy, well they had some… some catching up to do, of the… of the, you know, kind." She winced a little as she begged: "Please tell me you get my drift?"
Xander looked up to see if he did.
He did.
"Okay, I think I missed a lot." Oz spoke for the first time since Xander had entered the kitchen. "'Cause it sounded there like you were saying…"
"Oh, man, you have no idea," Xander interrupted him, grinning. "The amount of stuff that has happened since you left would fill about thirty of Giles' Watcher diaries." He thought about that. "In fact it probably does."
He noticed Oz was looking at his eye-patch, but tactfully not saying anything.
Xander looked down, losing the mirth a little. "Yeah, like this," he tapped the elastic running through his hair. "I'll tell you about it sometime."
"Long story?" Oz asked, his voice neutral – not that that was unusual.
"Not really. Just gruesome, and easier to handle after a few beers," he admitted.
The joviality in the room had dropped into minus figures after the small exchange, which left Xander feeling bad for being the cause even though he hadn't actually caused anything. He looked up eagerly when the kitchen door opened slowly, and his enthusiasm only dropped a little when he realised it was Faith entering.
Any distraction was better than no distraction.
"Faith, you're still here!" Willow said happily. It was hard to tell if it was genuine or if she was just glad of the interruption too. Her face dropped as she noticed the other woman's cautious entrance. "Unless you've only come to say goodbye. You haven't have you?"
Okay, she was genuine then.
"No Willow, I got me a reprieve, no thanks to you," Faith smirked.
"I'm really sorry…" Willow began, but Faith waved her off.
"Don't be stupid, I was just kidding. It's not you're fault I don't think before I do. Wish it was. It'd make some of this shit goin' around…" she tapped the side of her head "…easier to deal with."
She entered the kitchen fully, letting the door close behind her. She seemed smaller than usual. Maybe it was seeing her in Buffy's comfy lazy-day clothes that did it; they certainly weren't her usual style.
"I didn't think redemption was supposed to be easy," he said, looking back down at his tools.
"It's not." Was all she offered before registering the other people in the room. "Oz, hey, long time no see."
"No offence, but I actually thought it would be longer," Oz said casually.
"Me too," Faith smiled. "Can't say I'm sorry it's not though." She stretched her arms high above her head.
Normally it would have been a practised move to show herself off, but today it just looked like a comfortable stretch.
"Too see me?" Oz asked surprised, although it barely showed.
"Well, you're not so bad, but I actually meant to be out, you know, of jail. It's a nice feeling knowing I'm out 'cause I'm supposed to be and not just because I have to be." Faith explained.
Oz looked at Xander again, one eyebrow slightly raised.
"If you're free, we'll go for a beer one night this week, and I'll bring you up to speed." He promised with a smile. "2000 to 2003: The 'growing up is hard to do with the demons inside you' years."
"Sounds good," Oz smiled.
Xander nodded, feeling, not giddy with the prospect, because apparently that was not a man-type emotion, but something manly akin to it. Finally a dude to bond with over beers who wasn't a little nerd like Andrew or, well let's face it, an older nerd like Giles.
"Hello Faith," Robin stepped forward from where he'd been standing back by the door again. "How are you?"
She must have already seen him there. It was a big kitchen, but there were only five of them in the room and Wood was definitely the biggest. She looked as if she had been trying to avoid saying hello more than anything, but having that option taken away from her, she was instantly all friendly.
"Rob, how's it going?" She walked forward confidently, gave him an obvious once over, and hugged him briefly before stepping back to reclaim her own space. "Keeping up with the training I see." She gently punched his abs.
He rubbed his stomach lightly where her fist had connected, "Yeah well, never know what fiend from hell might be around the next corner," he grinned.
"I didn't know you were living here too. Jeez this place is like one of those freak-ass communes or something." Faith chuckled. "And does that mean we all get a share of the food? 'Cause I've been starving since before yesterday."
"Well, you missed the complimentary continental breakfast, what with it happening at breakfast time." Xander told her, not looking up.
He had too, but he'd grabbed a burger from The Mouth after his trip to the hardware store.
"So that's it, kitchens closed?" Faith asked.
Out the corner of his eye, he saw her look hopefully at Oz, who was still standing by the sink. – Willow had silently disappeared into her Magick room, shutting the door behind her – "I don't live here," Oz shrugged.
She looked to Robin next, "And I arrived just five minutes ago, but I was thinking of ordering a pizza later if you'd like to join me."
"That sounds great, Rob," Faith replied, "But it doesn't really help me now."
"And she's not having my share just because she's got Slayer parts you want to…!" Xander caught himself before going any further and gave a grim smile. "…train with."
"We'll get a large," Robin said smoothly. "With no olives."
"Or mushrooms," Faith put in.
Xander looked up, ready to argue that he liked mushrooms on his pizza but the kitchen door swung open and Giles walked in.
"Oz, nice to see you again. Are you here about Eric?" The Watcher-man asked.
"Came to pick up the notes you made," Oz nodded. "Then I'll go and see him, find out how he feels about last night."
Giles nodded. "Yes, I'm sure he will find your presence very helpful. Willow tried her best, put together a dossier of werewolf facts for him, but obviously she has no idea what it truly feels like to experience the lunar change."
"Rupert," Wood spoke up, catching Giles attention.
"Robin! You're here, good. Was your journey okay?" Giles walked forward to shake hands and continued without waiting for an answer. "I'm sorry, things are pretty much go, go, go around here at the moment, but this is wonderful timing. For your first assignment I'd like you to work with Oz here. We have a young werewolf running around I'm afraid, and his parents efforts to restrain him last night didn't quite go to plan. Oz, having some experience in this matter, has agreed to talk to him, but I'd really like a Council member there too. If that's okay with you of course, Oz."
Oz must have nodded because Giles started steering both men out of the kitchen towards his office, but Xander didn't see because he was at the sink drawing a bucket of scalding water to take up to Willow's room.
Just before Giles left the room completely, he spoke to Xander, "Has the plumber been yet? All these bodies, the shower block has become something of an urgency. Get on to him for me again, will you please? And be around this afternoon in case he needs any help?" It sounded like a question, but it wasn't.
Xander gave him a tight smile, turned off the faucet and went over to the phone, "Sure."
"Thank you Xander." Giles left.
"'Cause it's not like I have a million other things to do too," he muttered once the door was fully shut. "Phone the plumber, Xan-man. Cut the grass, Xan-man. Build a training room, Xan-man. Clean up the damn soot stains and make sure Willow and Kennedy's bedroom isn't about to fall into my pompous den of Old Spice, Xan-man…"
He trailed off when it was obvious the plumber guy wasn't going to answer his phone and replaced the receiver back on the wall-mount. He'd have to try again later.
"You know, I don't think I've ever heard Giles call you Xan-man," Faith said irritatingly from behind him. He'd forgotten she was there and as he flinched slightly at her voice, he hoped she didn't notice. "Sure you're not just putting all that work on yourself?"
"I'm sure," he told her as he went to the basement door beneath the stairs and walked down into the dark.
He didn't bother flipping the light on, the big duffle bag he used for tool-luggage was on top of a rack of shelving right at the bottom. There were two things he liked to be able to lay his hands on in a hurry – and with his friends they were both just as important – A good solid weapon and his tool bag.
When he went back up to the kitchen Faith was still standing just inside the room, swinging her arms, not seeming to know what to do with herself.
He finished his answer. "When I took my construction management exam I had to learn all about Worker's Rights. You know, things like tea breaks and maximum weekly working hours on site. I guess it's not fair to blame Giles," Xander unzipped his big canvas bag and started packing all his purchases into it so he could take them upstairs easy. "The old Watchers Council didn't even go in for Human Rights, let alone Workers Rights; and librarian-ing isn't exactly hard labour – except maybe the first week of school."
Bag in one hand, he bent to the cupboard under the sink to grab a fresh dish cloth and a big yellow sponge; dropping them in the bucket of water, he picked that up by the handle.
"So is there something I can eat around here," Faith asked, realising he was about to go up the stairs. She was rubbing her tummy now and either she really was hungry, or they were about to have a thunderstorm.
"You're in a kitchen, use your imagination." He looked back at her from four steps up. "This isn't prison, Faith; gotta start doing stuff for yourself now."
She just stared at him, a look he didn't get on her face. He shrugged and started up the stairs again. He did not have time to play baby-sitter to Faith, and he sure didn't want to.
If her time in the clink had wiped the memory of how to use a can-opener, then she'd just had to re-learn it again quick wouldn't she? If anyone should appreciate the survival of the fittest aspect here, it was Faith.
Buffy was still in the training barn with Kennedy, but they'd both grown bored of the magazine, but till feeling the need of an outlet for her frustration, she was trying to teach Kennedy the Tai chi Angel had once spent hours teaching her.
Except she couldn't really remember it so she was improvising the slow, graceful moves as she went, and Kennedy, standing to her left, copied her perfectly. The longer they continued though, the bigger the young slayer's grin became.
"You're making this up as you go along, aren't you?" Kennedy finally chuckled as Buffy lead her in a move reminiscent of Daniel-san's stork position before dropping down to squat like a frog.
"I am not," Buffy insisted indignantly, concentrating on keeping her breathing nice and even.
Kennedy looked at her and with a straight face said, "Ribbit!" before jumping a foot forward.
Buffy kept her indignation for a second longer before giving in to giggles and plopping backwards onto her butt.
"Okay, all I remember is the opening stance," she admitted. "It was a long time ago!"
"Well if you can remember what we just did, come next April Fools Day, we should definitely get the girl's lined up and doing it." Kennedy popped out of her squat and offered Buffy a hand up, which she accepted. "Andrew could video it for the internet and we could make a fortune."
"Stick a snazzy tune to it and it might become next year's big dance craze," Buffy agreed. "So did you wanna do something more Slayerly instead? Lift weights. Beat up the punch bags. Spar?"
"All of the above sound good," Kennedy admitted.
"At the same time?" Buffy joked.
"Don't think you could handle it?" Kennedy smirked. "Maybe you're getting old."
"And maybe you need me to kick your ass to remind you who the senior Slayer is around here," Buffy shot back, hoping to entice the other girl to spar.
"Yeah senior as in old," Kennedy goaded. "You couldn't kick my ass if I turned around and bent over in front of you."
"Oh really?" Buffy gave her a challenging look.
This was just what she needed. Going ten rounds, well Kennedy would probably only manage a couple, with the cheeky rich kid would take her mind off Faith for a little while and help her work out some of her frustration – both with and because of Faith –at the same time.
"Care to put that ass of yours where your big mouth is?" she asked, doing a little goading herself now.
"And take the title of Alpha Slayer away from you, Buffy?" Kennedy asked with a smirk. "But then what would you have left? Nah, I'm happy to let you keep deluding yourself while I get on with the real work around here. Which I'm gonna go do now." She hitched her thumb at the doors before turning on the spot and heading for them. "I've got Watcher training to do. Go swing your scythe and recount your glory days or something."
Buffy's mouth was a tight infuriated line and, as Kennedy turned her back, she kicked the younger girl's butt with the side of her sneaker – hard enough to lift her feet clean off the floor and carry her almost to the door of the training barn.
Kennedy landed firmly on her feet and turned back, the look of surprise on her face as she used both hands to rub her ass – that was most likely stinging a little from the impact of Buffy's foot – made the blonde crack up.
"Just a little lesson, Kenny: always respect your elders." Buffy said as smugly as she could. "You might have youth and enthusiasm on your side, but I've got all that experience and wiliness on mine. But don't feel bad, better Slayers than you have taken me on and… holy!" Buffy fell back to the side, ducking her head.
Kennedy was flying through the air once more, only this time she was doing it under her own steam. Her foot was out, ready to kick, ninja-style – all that was missing was the 'Hai-ya!' – And if Buffy hadn't moved fast it would have connected solidly with her face.
Okay, so Kenny did want to play after all. Good.
Kennedy, grinning like a maniac who'd just been introduced to her first chainsaw, covered the distance back towards her in four fast running-strides, obviously preparing to launch herself into another kick.
Buffy, expecting the younger slayer to sail harmlessly over her head as she dropped low to avoid it, was ready to laugh at her. Except the younger slayer didn't. Kennedy dropped too, sliding the last two feet across the floor – probably grazing her bare knees galore – straight towards Buffy – again with the ninja foot out!
Buffy slapped the foot away hard before it could connect and leap-frogged over the other slayer while she was still sliding along. Kennedy reacted quickly, lifting her whole body onto her hands so she could use both legs to sweep Buffy's out from under her. Buffy hopped over both of them like she was playing jump-rope.
"You're not even trying," Kennedy grumbled as she scrambled back to her feet.
"Yes I am, I'm trying to make you look like an idiot," Buffy grinned. Leaning to the right to avoid a careless high kick and then to the left to avoid another, she added gleefully, "And so far it's working."
"Fine," Kennedy stopped her exertions, slightly out of breath. "You're the master; I bow down to your greater skill."
"Nice of you to say so," Buffy smirked. "But I think you should actually do it, you know, just to seal the deal."
"Bow?" Kennedy gave her an incredulous look.
Buffy shrugged, not expecting for one moment that the proud girl would do it, but loving rubbing her easy victory in the younger slayer's face all the same. "Just to make sure the lesson has truly sunk in."
"Okay," Kennedy shrugged, bowed low and hooked her hands around the backs of Buffy's ankles.
'Really shoulda seen that coming,' Buffy thought, once she was lying on her back. 'Pride, fall – remember it.'
She rolled out of the way before Kennedy could land across her stomach and pin her shoulders to the floor. She was halfway to her feet when she was tackled from the side; and then they were wrestling and Buffy couldn't get enough space to pull any wily moves that would out-class the other slayer.
Down here on the floor it was all about who had the most strength and stamina. Faith always won these little bouts, always managing to pin her first, her height an obvious advantage even if their stamina was evenly matched.
Buffy shook her head slightly; she wasn't wrestling Faith, she was wrestling Kennedy. Probably a good idea to remember that. Not just because of the tactical advantages it might give her, but also because she'd be less likely to try and rip the other slayer's clothing off that way.
She'd wrestled like this with Faith the night before. Well not quite like this – less rowdy, more naughty – but it was bringing back a surprising amount of memories.
With that in mind – and not wanting it in there – Buffy pushed one arm roughly between herself and Kennedy, and forced the other slayer back enough to throw her off completely with her knees.
Kennedy landed a foot away, almost in a crouch as if ready to spring back on to Buffy at some sign only she would see. Her eyes were alight, her hair half out of her pony-tail and she was grinning as she panted, her tongue poking just slightly out from between her lips as she watched Buffy carefully.
Buffy watched back, just as carefully. Burning the image into her mind. This was Kennedy – not Faith – this was Kennedy, Willow's girlfriend. Remember that.
'God, please remember that!' she thought as Kennedy telegraphed her pounce and Buffy rolled backwards, and to her feet, just in the nick of time.
Well, sort of. Kennedy, with the momentum of her pounce, wrapped her arms around Buffy's waist and took them both back to the ground.
The jarring impact stung Buffy's butt at least as much as her kick must have stung Kennedy's earlier, and this would probably be a good time to stop and call it even, but to do that Buffy had to gain the upper hand first. Why? Just… because.
It took a few more minutes of them rolling around together, grunting as they both tried to get on top, before Buffy claimed victory. Sitting astride the other girl's middle, arms straight and elbows locked to keep both of Kennedy's wrists flush against the wooden floor, Buffy grinned down into Kennedy's flushed face.
"I win. Say it." She teased.
"Never." Kennedy struggled a bit, but Buffy had her held fast.
"Kennedy, you lost, I won, all fair and square. Now be a good little slayer and say I'm the best, and then I'll let you up."
"And what do I say if I don't want you to let me up?" Kennedy's breath was still heavy from the fighting, but it was her eyes that gave away what she was feeling.
"Uh, Kenny," Buffy started cautiously. 'Not Faith, not Faith, not Faith.'
'Cept, she kinda looked like Faith, almost, sort of, in this not very good light. And Faith didn't want to know anyway, and apparently neither did Willow so would it really be so bad…?
'Willow!' Buffy breathed out heavily.
She couldn't do it to Willow, no way. She could do it to Faith, especially as right now Faith was doing it to her, but Willow was an innocent bystander and it was in no way fair to drag her into The Faith and Buffy Show, just to get back at her cheating, manipulative not-girlfriend.
"Not a good idea," she said softly.
"I was just joking around," Kennedy said just as softly.
The look on Kennedy's face said different though, and the fact that Buffy still wasn't getting up probably said different too. Kennedy shifted beneath her, pushing up slightly. It could have been a hint to move or it could have been… Buffy pushed back down against a tensed stomach and saw Kennedy suck in a silent breath. She did the same but hers was way more subtle, probably only noticeable by the darkening of her eyes.
'What am I doing?' Buffy's inner-self yelled. 'I don't want to do this. I am in no way attracted to my best friend's girlfriend. Half the time I don't even understand why my best friend is attracted to her girlfriend! So… What…the hell am I doing?'
"If you and Faith always feel like this after fighting, I get why you can forgive her so easy," Kennedy breathed, a corner of her mouth quirking up.
Buffy chuckled softly, feeling the joke break the tension – but not the hot gaze – between them. Maybe looking away would help with that. Maybe she was never going to find out.
"I haven't forgiven her." She purred, lowering her elbows to the ground so that her forearms were laying over Kennedy's, bringing their faces inches closer.
"Really, then how come you let her in your pants so fast?"
"Well, it helped that I wasn't wearing pants in the first place; and besides it was more about need, pure physical 'I haven't had sex in way too long' need, than anything to do with forgiveness."
"So it's not that you love her or anything?" Kennedy asked sarcastically. "You were just desperate."
"Yeah. I mean, no! I wasn't just desperate. I mean I was desperate – for her that is, but…" Buffy closed her eyes, smiling awkwardly. "You know what, never mind. Let's just say, I was pleased to see her, but she's got a long way to go before she reaches absolution for leaving me high and dry in the first place. What about you and Will?"
Kennedy shrugged, her shoulders lifting off the floor a little, touching their torso's together, causing both of them to blink at the slight contact – damn slayer hormones!
"For all I know, she's in there getting jiggy with her ex right now. She certainly dropped me soon enough when he showed up this morning. Anyone would think she was cheating on him with me, not the other way around." Kennedy's head was still off of the floor, her lips not quite craning towards Buffy, but it was possible an outsider would read it as that.
"Willow wouldn't cheat…" Buffy began before biting her tongue.
Except for the time she had – cheated on Oz in fact. Life really was just some big crazy circle, wasn't it? And as much as she really wanted to kiss Kennedy right now, she had to admit it was easier imagining Willow with the quiet, unshakeable Oz than the brash, mouthy sla…
'WHAT? Okay brain, you know I don't really want to kiss her, it was just a… just a…' Buffy tried to slam on her brain's brakes – obviously this wasn't right – but her brain was pretty strong, at least the evil side of it was. 'Oh to hell with it, just kiss her already before the moment passes. Wouldn't hurt to find out if I'm suddenly attracted to all girl's lips now and not just Faith's, anyway.'
"I know about Xander in high school, so I know she's capable of it," Kennedy insisted before changing tack. "So if you're going to kiss me, do it now because I'm starting to get neck ache leaning up like this."
'At least we're on the same page.' Buffy thought.
Which was more than they could say for their partners, so maybe this wasn't so wrong after all. Buffy rested more of her weight on Kennedy as she lowered her head, pausing just shy of contact to lick her lips and prolong the nervous tension building in her stomach.
Kennedy strained her neck closer, her arms still pinned above her head by Buffy, and brushed their lips together, feather-soft, not even really a kiss at all because Buffy wasn't quite close enough. "Come on," she murmured. "If we're doing it, let's do it."
"Okay," Buffy murmured back, deliberately trying not to think that 'it' could very well mean more than 'kiss'.
It was too late to worry though because her lips had gotten bored with the hovering, and were now pretty much attacking Kennedy's. And as much as that might have sounded like a tired cliché, it was also a pretty damn accurate description for the way they were kissing.
It reminded her of kissing Spike, back in those first days of their illicit affair, before feelings – hers anyway – had played any part in it. Hard, raw, passionate, but with very little emotion.
That was fine. It was exactly what Buffy needed as a counterpoint to all the emotion she had going on with Faith. Faith had never kissed her the way Kennedy was; if she had Buffy would never have understood how profound their connection could be and certainly wouldn't have fallen in love with her in three days flat. Maybe eventually she would have fallen for her anyway, given enough time, but it wouldn't have been on the strength of just one kiss.
Of course, it had been more than a kiss that had made Buffy fall in love with Faith, it had been lots of other stuff too, but it had been the kiss in the basement that had unblocked whatever it was that had been in the way of Buffy seeing it before.
Not that kissing Kennedy was bad, she decided as Kennedy tried to free her arms, wrap her legs around her, roll them over, anything to gain the upper hand here – and Buffy denied her every time – it was actually a lot of fun in a totally bad, wrong, burn in hell kind of way.
"I've never cheated on anyone before," Kennedy told her as they broke for air, both breathing heavily. "Never had a girlfriend in the traditional sense of the word to cheat on."
Buffy was leaning up on her elbows again; looking down into Kennedy's flushed face while she waited for her breath to come back. "Willow's your first?" she found that hard to believe.
"First steady girlfriend, not first…" Kennedy's hands ran up and down Buffy's back. "…You know."
Buffy did know. She nodded, "Me too, although I guess I'm not really cheating on anyone now either. Faith seemed pretty sure this morning that she doesn't think we're together."
"So it's just me then?"
Buffy shrugged, "Guess so."
She leaned back down; capturing Kennedy's lips in another kiss which was returned for maybe half a minute before the younger slayer pulled her lips away, letting her head thunk onto the cement floor below.
"I'm in love with Willow!"
Buffy had been about to follow her down for more kissing, but this statement stopped her head halfway and popped it back up again. "You are?"
"Yeah," Kennedy said sheepishly.
"You love her? As in, really love her?" Buffy checked.
"Yeah. I mean, I think I already knew, but… now I guess I really know, you know?"
"Then what are you doing kissing me?" Buffy sat herself up so she could look down on Kennedy better.
"I didn't know, I've never been in love with anyone before; and then… your tongue was in my mouth and bang!" Kennedy frowned, her head was still resting on the floor and her eyes were kinda faraway. "I knew it was the wrong tongue to have in there, because it wasn't Willow's."
"Well that didn't seem to faze you before you realised!" Buffy pointed out angrily as she got to her feet. "You were quite happy to kiss me when you thought you just liked her a lot!"
Kennedy jumped to her feet too, "You were quite happy kissing me and you knew without doubt that you're in love with Faith. So why are you yelling at me?"
"I don't know." Buffy admitted, her voice still raised. "I'm just a little spun right now, okay? I can't believe I kissed the woman who's in love with my best friend. How're m'I going to tell Willow?"
"No!" Kennedy raised her hands as if she was going to keep Buffy's mouth shut with just the gesture. "You can't. I haven't even told her I love her yet, if you tell her this first she'll never even listen to me, let alone believe me." Looking down, she asked herself: "Shit, how am I going to tell Willow I love her?"
"I can't keep something like this from her," Buffy insisted. "She's my best friend! I can't go through life knowing I'm living a lie."
"It was just a little kiss," Kennedy tried to reason with her.
"No, Kenny, that wasn't a little kiss. It may not have been heart-stopping, but it wasn't little either. This is a little kiss…"
Buffy grabbed Kennedy by the shoulders and planted a kiss on her lips. At first the other girl was frozen with surprise, but only at first.
They were both breathing heavy again by the time Buffy released Kennedy's shoulders.
"That wasn't a little kiss!" Kennedy yelled, touching her lips.
"I know!" Buffy yelled back. "I was there!"
Okay, she was getting hysterical. She could use a paper bag to breathe into or… or a stinging slap to the side of the face.
"Oooow," she rubbed her cheek. "What the hell?"
"You were hysterical."
"So were you, but I'm not hitting you." Buffy's face was still stinging.
"No, you were kissing me…" By the look on Kennedy's face she suddenly had a thought. "And…if you don't promise not to tell Willow, I'll tell Faith first."
Buffy gave a harsh bark of amusement. "Go ahead. It'll give the two of you something to bond over. In fact if you leave now you can probably catch the first regaling of how easy I was last night – Faith is probably holding a discussion group at Barnies right this minute."
She started backing up towards the door as she said this. Not that she really had any intention of telling Willow that she'd accidentally kissed her girlfriend, because it had just been an accident and one they both had never meant to happen, hence the accidentalness. She just had to get out of the barn before accidents could happen again.
"Buffy, please. If you tell her, she'll dump me and it'll be all your fault. You know how you went through you're Bette Midler phase?" Buffy blushed. "Well Limp Bizkit helps me. Loud. At four in the morning." Kennedy wheedled. "Can you live with foisting that on the rest of the house?"
"I'm sorry, Ken. Really I am, but I think Will should know what kind of…Yikes!"
Kennedy was running, launching herself with full Slayer speed and power towards her, and Buffy had no time to duck or slide out of the way before their bodies crashed together and the impetus knocked Buffy from her feet.
'Xander is going to be mad we put a hole in his training barn door.' Buffy thought as she waited for the wood to splinter around them.
Only somehow they made it outside without that happening, Buffy knew they did because when she landed, with Kennedy on top of her, she landed on grass, and there was sky above. Dead give away they were outside. So the question wasn't where but how?
"Sorry, didn't know you two were… doing that."
Kennedy looked down at her with real panic in her eyes as four sets of feet surrounded their out-of-breath, tousled selves with their perspiriness and their tangled limbs.
Buffy groaned, 'Damn it!'
[End of act 2
Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Feedback always welcome.