Chapter 21

Rebirth.

The two knelt by the bathtub, where the arm of a dead slayer was laying, glistening, and covered in an oily slick of brushed on spell components that Jenny doesn't want to think too hard about.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Jenny asks Alex, somewhat hesitantly. She has seen her ward do some unbelievably cool things, but the description that this would just bring Kendra back as something from her world was a little much to take.

Alex shakes her head. "Nope. I hope so though. I owe her. You probably do to."

The phone in the hotel room rings again, for the third time in the hour that they have been using to get this set up. Alex groans, covering her eyes. Jenny quirks an eyebrow. "I'm still not sure why you are so dead set against answering the phone. Sam probably just wants to know what is going on."

Alex nods. "I know. That's why. Look, we are at a huge crossroads here for Kendra. This is either gonna work, or it's not. If it works, she is either gonna come back as a sapient species from this dimension, which would likely be human, hooray for her, or more likely, the only one of her kind as a race imported from a damn fantasy game. Combine that with the fact that she may or may not still be a slayer. We don't know if that is tied to her soul or her physical body. But given what just happened, even if we assume the best case scenario, she comes back a human slayer. Do you wanna be the one that already told the watchers council we were bringing her back and probably spilled the beans to the Tarakans? Cause I sure as hell don't. I want that to be her call. If she wants to break ties, I say we help how we can and set her up to get the duck out of fodge."

Jenny looks pensive. "What are the odds she will come back as something that can pass for human?"

Alex grimaces. "Assuming there is no medical examination, long hair is involved to hide it if her ears go Vulcan, and she is a good enough actor to make a convincing five year old if she ends up a skinny shorty? Fifty-fifty. I can help her odds a lot if she hits in that fifty fifty range, but there are a few things that... Well lets just say that while they are fun to roll when you are playing a pen and paper game would be less fun to be stuck living your life as. This takes about ten minutes, don't distract me okay? This isn't gonna be easy."

Jenny nods once and stands up, stepping back into the doorway for the bathroom. She can see that Alex is holding a small button in one hand, that she claims she has made into a "spell storing object" for the reincarnation she is casting. The other is held just over the severed arm. The chanting begins. As always seems to happen, the words break over her mind and leave no memory to grasp on to. It is truly infuriating for her. Minutes later, Jenny begins to wonder if this is going to work at all. It would seem like there would be some kind of build up to show progress for something this big. But she can see nothing. Finally, as she once again glances at her watch and sees that the ten minute mark is seconds away, there is a flash of purple and red light, a blinding flash that has both Jenny and Alex seeing spots for a few minutes. When it fades, they can see a form laying in the tub.

"She's so small." Jenny breathes in wonder, looking at the tiny form. With a slightly lighter skin tone and broader facial features, she bares very little in common with Kendra aside from obviously being female. But at just shy of three feet tall, to have a fully mature body seems just absurd.

Alex gently starts cleaning the oils out of the tub and off of the unconscious woman, who is so light at maybe twenty five pounds that she practically flops around in Alex's sure hands, forcing her to move slower and more carefully. Alex mutters, half to herself, though Jenny does listen in. "Halfling. Could be worse, could be a lot worse. Given some time I can probably kick out an item that'll do a continuous "Enlarge Person." She looks over to Jenny after she is done washing the tiny woman's long hair. "Towel please?"

Never taking her eyes off the two, Jenny reaches over to the towel rack and collects one, handing it over. Alex wraps Kendra in it and gently holds the slight form to her chest as she takes her back out into the main room and puts her to bed.

Once Alex is sitting down on the chair by the bed, Jenny finds herself sitting on the end of the bed and looking between the two other people. "Is she just young? Will she get any bigger?"

Alex shakes her head. "Not really. I mean, maybe an inch or something. Reincarnation generally brings people back to the equivalent of late teens, whatever that would be for the race. So there might be a smidgen of growing left. But this is probably pretty close to full size."

Jenny is still staring at the tiny woman, enthralled. "Is she supposed to be asleep like this? Sleeping through getting a bath seems odd. Is she going to be alright?"

Alex offers a nod. "She should be. The way the spell works is that if the soul is spell trapped, too badly damaged, or unwilling, it just won't work. My guess is that she is recovering from an hour of whatever that thing was doing to her essence and the strain of being hauled back into the land of the living. If she isn't up and about by tomorrow afternoon, I will look into it further. But right now I am betting she needs rest more than anything. Jenny, if she should decide not to go back to the watchers, if that should happen... Can we take her in? I wouldn't feel right about dropping her at this point, not... Not unless she wants us to."

Jenny's awed smile softens into one of concern and love for her friend. "Of course. If she wants to stay with us, we'll find a way to make it happen."

The two decide to sleep in shifts, as somebody should be awake to help Kendra with her new situation should she awaken in the night, and early in the morning as Jenny is leafing through the game books that Alex has said are connected to the abilities she possesses in an effort to finally get some inkling of what she is capable of, she hears a stirring behind her and turns to see Kendra sitting up, rubbing her eyes and yawning.

There is a moment when Jenny isn't sure what to say, and Kendra looks around the room and at the softly snoring form of Alex. "Why are you all so big? And didn't I die? I thought I died? Why is my voice all wrong?" She looks terribly confused. "I died, and then there was horrible pain for a time, and a call from a pure guide that wanted to help me, so I answered. And now this." Jenny is looking at her, still trying to wrap her mind around how to explain to the young woman what to say. Kendra only stops talking for a moment though before she continues. "I am almost positive I died somewhere in all of this though. Is this heaven?"

Jenny can't help it and lets out a slight chuckle at that. "No, I am sorry to say that it isn't. You got taken by that Soul Shredder thing, do you remember that part?"

Kendra offers a hesitant nod. "It sounds familiar. Like I read it in a book about me. Everything is so strange!"

Jenny nods. "Before you were taken, you told Alexandra what was hunting you, and when she realized what was in store for you she..."

Alex, who had been woken up by their conversation at some point, breaks in at this stage. "Said to hell with that. Brought you back. Sorry I couldn't keep the original form, but with what was left for me to work with this was the best I could do."

Kendra lays back. "And I am now small, like a child? Am I still the Slayer?"

Alex sits up herself. "Yeah. You are small now. I guess the easy if somewhat blunt way to say it is that you are going to be a tiny person like this forever. I may be able to help with that some with magic, but it won't be a permanent deal. Just a temporary one. As for the Slayer aspect, I honestly have no idea. I would imagine that it depends on whether whatever makes you the slayer is attached to your body or your spirit. I know Buffy kept her upgrade when you got called, but whether that just means "once a slayer, always a slayer" or something else I really couldn't say. But it's easy enough to find out. Once it gets light out we can send out Jenny to pick you up some clothes that will fit and go find something for you to try to break I suppose."

Kendra looks at the two of them. "Why is my watcher not here? Where is Zabuto?"

Alex slowly shakes her head. "If you truly want to call the man, I won't stop you. But given that the last time you worked with him got you killed I didn't want to make the choice for you. You look nothing like you did, and the Order of Taraka is probably still in town. If you would rather stay with us, you would be welcome. You saved our lives. Gave yours for ours. I'd offer the help even if you hadn't, but given that you did it isn't even a question. If you need or want help, it's yours."

Kendra looks down at her form and clenches her tiny fists around the edges of the thin hotel comforter. "I will have to think about this. But for now, is there food? I am very hungry."

Alex grins. "I can imagine. You've never eaten."

Jenny offers a smile and reaches over towards the bedside table for the phone. After getting an order placed, Jenny and Alex start rambling about the hotel room planning their day. The need to pick up the replacement materials for the mobile shop is now the priority, so that as soon as Kendra has made a decision they can get the hell out of watcher central. The whole place is making Alex's skin crawl.

When they are done eating breakfast, and Jenny has returned from an impromptu shopping trip for children's wear, the three sit down and Kendra speaks.

"Can I stay with you for now? I may return to my watcher at some point, if he needs me, but... I do not want to die again. It was not fun, and I feel I have done my duty."

Alex smiles. "Of course. But before you decide for sure, you need to know something. I do not want to deal with the council. I don't mind helping out a bit now and again, but I have no plans to join, be controlled by, or take orders from them. Because they are such busybodies that can't leave me the hell alone, I have kept a few things from them. Nothing bad!" She declares, seeing the look on Kendra's face. "But definitely things I would rather that they didn't know. Give me your word that what happens when you are with us stays with us, and I won't have to keep secrets from you. Honestly I'd rather not. I owe you a lot."

Kendra looks at her oddly. As though surprised that she is being offered this level of trust. But she nods. "I swear on my honor to keep your secrets unless they are hurting people or endangering the world."

Jenny smiles warmly, and Alex offers a lopsided smirk. "That's fair I suppose. I need to call Sam and Giles, let them know that Jenny and I are alright. Then we need to make a couple of stops in the city."

Sam picks up on the first ring. His voice sounds hoarse, and cracks as he speaks. "Zabuto."

"This is Alexandra. Just letting you know that your slayer died last night. Something reached through a rip in dimensions and plucked her from the world. Nearly killed me in the process. Is their a reason you declined to inform me that you were dealing with Tarakans when we were on the phone yesterday? Kendra was a bit more forthcoming during the car ride back to the hotel."

There is a sigh from the other end of the phone. The words, when spoken, are steeped in so much sorrow that Alex can't quite find it in her heart to hate the man, for all that might make life easier. "It was believed that it was worth the risk to get the demon statue off the street. I am sorry for the risk you were forced to take. For what it may be worth, we had believed at the time it was a minor one."

Alex's eyes narrow a bit at that. "If you believed there was any risk at all, why would you have your slayer out risking herself doing this crap? Why wouldn't you have kept her safe until you had dealt with the danger?"

There is a click, and the line goes to dial tone after a few seconds. Alex looks up, and sees that Kendra is looking at her with more than a little irritation. "Sorry Kendra." She mumbles. "The council and their "slayers are a tool not a person" mentality really pisses me off though."

Giles answers on the fourth ring. "Giles speaking."

Alex smirks into the phone. "Heya G-Man, hows life back in the states?"

There is a slight pause, then a carefully measured response. "Things here are fine. I had heard that there was trouble on your end though, and I deeply apologize for any problems that might have come about."

Alex flashes her eyes up to Jenny and Kendra, then speaks again to Giles. "Did they mention the part where they had Tarakans sniffing after their Slayer, decided not to tell us about it, and made a plan that sent her off with Jenny and I to get slaughtered when the soul shredder summoning ass clown that was after Kendra found us? Gotta say, Giles, not loving being collateral damage. Also not loving your organizations stock method of dealing with paid assassins after their slayer being to trade up to a younger slayer. I am not working with or around them again, don't ask me to. I don't care what kind of shape the world is in. Find another way. I swear I'll kill the fuckers if they pull this shit again."

There is silence for a few moments. "I understand. I hope the rest of your trip goes better. Keep in touch." With that the older man hangs up the phone and Alex sits back down on the bedside chair to calm down.

Kendra walks over, looking fairly adorable on bright green overalls with a sky blue shirt and red shoes. "You don't really think they were setting me up to die, were you?" Her eyes are watery, with just the hint of tears not quite fallen. Tears she hadn't let fall for a long time. But then, she'd been through a lot in the last day.

Alex just squeezes her eyes shut. "I don't have any proof, if that is what you are asking. But when Buffy was dealing with Tarakans, they didn't do shit, expected her to live or die on her own merits. Weren't willing to risk their own pasty asses. I can only assume they did the same here. If you have something you love that is in danger, you keep it safe. Not send it out into the streets." She looks up. "I am not saying that Sam is bad or doesn't care about you. Just that he takes orders from people that see slayers as something that are interchangeable and replaceable."

Kendra's tears are falling now, and Alex continues. "They're wrong, you know. Met two slayers now. Both individuals. Both unique. Both have saved my life. Both have given their lives for me, one of them for me and the whole town or world besides. Saying that you are something that can be replaced as easy as a carton of milk is just evil, and the fact that they believe it makes them a bunch of jaded old fucks that need to get their priorities straight at best. As evil as what they fight at worst."

If asked later, none of the three could tell you how it happened that they all ended up back on the bed in what Xander would later term a "cuddle puddle" while a newly two and a half foot tall sixteen year old had a bit of an emotional upheaval. But afterwards, when they are getting the delivery secured into the portable hole, it is obvious that it has helped her a lot.

It must be said that the ten foot vertical leap she made to exit the pit after helping with the delivery both answered some lingering questions and did wonders for her confidence.

In all, it takes them ten days to get clear of England. But that is because it takes that long for Jenny to secure legitimate identification through her clan for Kirsten, the name Kendra has chosen to go by.

Introducing her to the homunculus was an exciting time, and after that Alex gets new measurements and starts producing luggage and a wardrobe for her.

After Jenny hands her the new identification, Kendra (now Kirsten) looks up at her. "This says I am almost six feet tall, how am I ever going to pass for that?"

A hand sticks up out of the pit that has been in the middle of their hotel room floor for the duration, and dangling from it is a choker, an ear piece, and a belt with a pair of what to a normal person would be vicious daggers hanging off of it. To her they are closer to overbuilt short swords. "Sorry. Best I could do with the time window I had. We can work out some armor for you on our next stop, and upgrade your daggers. Right now they are pretty basic. Earpiece works with mine and Jenny's, as well as a few people in Sunnydale we work with. One mile range. Top button is on and off, bottom button mutes the mic. Easy peasy. I figure you know how to use a pair of swords, but the choker can activate an "enlarge" spell at will and indefinitely. It won't make you Kendra again. It won't make you human either, so I don't think kids are gonna happen unless some of the really weird source material ends up being true." Alex stops talking for a second and shudders. "But as long as you keep your hair covering your ears it should make it pretty easy to pass for human."

Jenny looks down at the two from where she is sitting on the bed, and sees Kirsten use the choker for the first time.

Her smile does a lot to heal all three of them.

Authors note.

Ick. All these feels are infesting my story. Something might need to die next chapter. Like, a lot.

Just saying.