Chapter Ten

On her way up the stairs, Kennedy was still reeling from what Faith had just told her. It explained a lot of the anger she felt from her. The only thing she wondered is why Buffy never knew how Faith felt. Kennedy could sense something had happened between the two slayers before everything fell apart. That was why it was so easy to keep the wolf in Faith from attacking Buffy the night before.

When she got to the the top of the stairs, Buffy and Willow were opening the door, on their way down. When Kennedy saw the older slayer, something in her snapped. She suddenly attacked the other girl, pushing her back into the kitchen and yelling at her.

"Where were you when Faith wanted to die? How could you not know she needed help? Oh wait, now I remember, you were shoving a knife in her gut. How could you do that to her? How could you turn your back on your mate like that?"

A pin drop could be heard after Kennedy said the last line. Once she said it, she realized what she had sensed between the two slayers. They had mated. That is why she took Buffy's reaction to the accident so hard. Kennedy knew, but Faith didn't, wolves mate for life. That is one reason she was taking it slow with Willow. She knew how she felt, but not how the red head did. So she let Willow set the pace of the relationship.

Faith had just made it to the top of the stairs when Kennedy said the last line. She gotten frightened by the emotions coming through the link that she shared with both her sister and Buffy. Then the yelling started. When her sister said what she did about Buffy and her being mates, her jaw hit the ground. She knew she didn't tell anyone what had happened that night after her and Buffy had danced at the Bronze and was sure Buffy hadn't either. So how did her sister know what she did.

Buffy was too shocked to say anything. All she could think was why did Faith tell Kennedy what had happened. When she heard Faith enter the room, she realized Faith didn't know how Kennedy knew that either. The dark haired slayer was as shocked as she was at that revelation.

Willow was the first person to come to her senses. She quickly went to her girlfriend's side, trying to calm her down. "Kennedy, sweetie, you need to calm down. A lot happened back then. You can't know everything Buffy and Faith were going through."

When Kennedy felt Willow put her hand on her side, the cloud of anger that had her suddenly lifted. She then realized what she had said. She couldn't believe she just went off like that at Buffy. Silently, she lowered her head and let Willow lead her to the living room.

When they got there, Willow sat Kennedy down on the couch and sat next to her, never letting go of the other girl.

"Kennedy, how did you know Faith and Buffy are mated? From their expressions, I don't think they told anyone that."

"I could sense something was going on between them since Faith came back to Sunnydale. I just didn't know what it was till just then. I wasn't thinking, I was just reacting to what Faith had just told me, then seeing Buffy before I could process it all." Her head suddenly snapped up, "I need to apoligize to Buffy. I shouldn't have gone off on her like that. I don't know what came over me."

"I do, and think Buffy will understand. It was the wolf in you protecting her pack, her kin. You just lost control for a second. Don't worry about it. Right now, we need to get you and Faith ready for tonight."

"About tonight, I don't want you downstairs during the change. Then afterwards, don't come too close to me. After what just happened, I'm not too sure how my control will be. Can you promise me that?"

"But I want to be there for you."

"I know, but I am not too sure what will happen. It's different with Buffy and Faith. We don't have to worry as much."

"Because they are mates? That didn't stop Faith from hurting Buffy before."

"Like you said before. A lot happened. Plus Faith has changed now. I'm sure you can tell that about her. Even I can see it, and I wasn't here before. She would rather die herself than let Buffy get hurt."

"Yeah. You should have seen her when I told her what was going on here. It was like she couldn't get here fast enough. Ok enough about your sister and my best friend. I will be down there tonight. I've been through this before, Kennedy."

"You have? When?"

"In high school, I used to date a werewolf. Didn't you wonder how we knew what to do last night? Why we have tranquilizer guns?

"I just figured you guys prepare for anything. Did.. did you mate with him?"

"That is a hard question to answer. Yes we had sex, but I don't think you would call it mating. He held back a lot. Then he cheated on me with another wolf. When that happened, he decided to leave to find himself, to try to get some control over his wolf. When he came back, I had already started to fall for Tara. He accepted this and left again."

"Ok. I still don't want you down there tonight. Nothing I can say will change your mind then, will it?"

"Nope. That is one thing girlfriends do. They are there for each other, no matter what."

"But I might hurt you."

"But you won't."

"How can you be so sure of that when I'm not."

"Because I know how you feel about me. You feel the same way towards me that Faith feels towards Buffy."

"But it's different between them."

"Why? Just because they mated, once, years ago? I would think we had a stronger connection."

"Willow, wolves mate for life. Faith will never feel complete without Buffy now."

Willow's face fell a bit. "Oh, that's the difference then? So if we..."

"Willow, I am not going to do this tonight. I'm not going to force you to do something you aren't ready for. I, I love you too much for that."

Willow stood up and paced across the room, "Oh wow. You really feel that way?"

Kennedy stood up and went to Willow. She gently placed her hand on the older girls cheek. "Yes. That is why I can wait. I know it will take some time. Needless to say, I hope not much more, but I will wait."

Willow looked deep into Kennedy's eyes. She felt everything the young SiT felt for her shining through. She tried to let everything she felt shine through back. "And if I don't want to wait? Will you push me away?"

Kennedy was a little shocked at what she saw in Willows eyes. Something she hadn't dared to hope for just yet. True, Willow hadn't said the words yet, but sometimes they weren't needed. "Are you sure? Once we do this, there is no turning back."

"I'm so sure about this. I need you, now." Willow then leaned over and slowly started kissing her soon to be mate.

Meanwhile down stairs Faith and Buffy were sitting on the cot in the basement, trying to get over the shock of what had happened in the kitchen.

"So, we're mated, huh? That wasn't just a get some, get gone we had back then?"

"I'm guessing not. I knew it felt different from my other, uh, encounters. I just thought it was because how I felt for you."

"Felt, as in passed tense? You mean you don't feel that way now?"

"What does it matter to you how I feel now?"

"Because it does. What we shared that night was special. It was incredible. I'd never felt anything like that before, or since."

"Then why did you turn me away? When I needed your help the most, you turned your back on me."

"I was scared. I didn't know if it felt the same for you. Then when the incident with Finch happened, you seemed to shut down. I didn't know how to get you to let me in. So instead, I pushed you away. It was my fault you went to the mayor, wasn't it? Because I couldn't give you what you needed."

Faith turned and grabbed Buffy's hands. "No, don't you ever think that. I was messed up back then. The night with you had me on an incredible high, then when I killed Finch, I hit rock bottom." Faith dropped Buffy's hands, stood up and went to look out the window, "So much lost time. So much water under the bridge. Can we ever get that back?"

Buffy went over put her arms around Faith's waist and laid her head on her back, "I don't know. All I do know is I am willing to try again. This time we can do it right. No more walls. No more secrets. We have to be open with each other. Think you can do that?"

Turning around, Faith rested her forehead on Buffy's, "All I can do is promise to try. I've never felt for anyone what I feel for you. There hasn't been a day that I haven't thought about you. I feel sick everytime I remember what I did to you. How can you just let all that go? I was so cruel."

"Because you are not that person anymore. Heck, I'm not the same person as back then. We've changed, grew up. Maybe the time wasn't right back then. I don't know. All I do know is how I feel now. I want to give us a chance."

"It's going to be hard. Especially now, with me turning all furry three nights a month. Think you can handle all that?"

"I've dated two different vampires. I think I can handle dating a wolf. Besides, you are going to work with Kenn on your control. If there is one thing I do know about you, you never give up. It's one of the things I love about you. I'll be there for you. It won't be easy, but I think we can do this together."

"Together, I like the sound of that." Faith leaned down and kissed Buffy softly. Once they were done, they just looked into each other's eyes for a moment. Suddenly, Faith got a huge grin on her face.

"Ok, what is that all about?" Buffy asked with a smirk of her own.

"Seems we won't be the only mates down here tonight. Also looks like we are going to have to set up by ourselves. My sister and Red will busy for a bit."

"Huh, what are you..... OH!!!! Damn, it's about time they got to it. All that sexual frustration was getting to me."

"Well, we have some time now if you want to take care of all that."

"Maybe we should just take it slow this time. Sound good to you?"

"It just might kill me, but I can try. For you. Just not too slow, ok?"

Laughing lightly, Buffy replied, "No, not too slow." Then she got a serious look on her face. "You do know how I feel about you, right?"

"If it is half of what I feel, I am the luckiest girl in this house."

"No, I am. Now lets go get those chains and stuff for tonight."

"Wow, never thought you were into kink. Besides, what happened to slow."

Buffy lightly slapped the other girl on the arm. "What am I going to do with you?"

"I can think of a few things, but I don't think we have time for that right now. Come on. Let's get set up."