A.N. Sorry for the delay in finishing this chapter. I've been seriously ignoring this fic for a couple of my other ones; every once in a while I'd write a paragraph or two then move onto something else. Hopefully the next one won't take as long to get out. The next few chapters (I'm thinking at least the next two or three) will be past parts. Enjoy.

Chapter 17

April 30, 2000

Faith stares at the demons cramming into the entryway. Why didn't she sense them, how did a Potential sense them before she did? She's not able to dwell on those questions for very long before the demons attack with a fury.

Instead of fighting along side Buffy, Angelus, Liz, and the others; the Potentials, except for Kennedy and Amanda, cower in a corner with fright. Faith knows right then that none of them will become the next Slayer, even if you're only a Potential that deep instinct of 'kill demons' that becomes stronger when one is the Slayer, will come forth in a situation like this.

Giles, Willow, and Xander join Faith and Kennedy at the front line. Amanda and Dawn stay behind with Cordy, Lorne and Fred ready to get any stragglers. Buffy and Angelus easily take out three in the first minute of combat. Liz is still fighting with her first one but causing significant damage so soon she can kill it with ease.

Liz ducks under a beefy, armor encased arm and raises her right knee up into the demon's gut. The scaly, lizard looking demon doubles over and she delivers a punch and another right knee to its long nose. It falls down onto his back allowing Liz enough time to raise her hand and use her alien powers to blow it up. Instantly she regrets it as her head pounds from the energy it took to achieve that blast.

Wesley seeing Liz waver decapitates the demon he's sparring with and rushes to her side gripping her around her waist. "Are you alright Liz?"

She nods slowly. "I'll be fine in a minute. Go help the others don't worry about me." Liz pushes him away gently and back into the action. Reluctantly he leaves her side and continues the fight while she carefully walks over to Cordy and the others. "Ow I shouldn't have done that." She moans good-naturedly.

"Liz what happened?" Cordelia asks concerned for the brunette.

"Remember those fun powers I've been working on. Well that was one of them—unfortunately I put too much humph in and it hurts my head." Liz shrugs and tilts her head the movement immediately sends a sharp pain to her temples, her mouth falls open in pain. "Ow again."

Cordelia turns to face Liz and doesn't see the demon coming straight for them. "Look out!" Fred yells toward her cousin and friend. The demon sees her rushing toward him and swings his arm out throwing her onto the stairs behind her.

"Fred!" Liz yells. She hurries passed Cordy and resumes fighting. A big thick fist smashes against her face; oh she's going to have a bruise in the morning. The sword the demon carried slices through the air arcing down toward her, diving to the floor she all but misses getting her head cut off but the sword still manages to knick her.

Immediately electricity travels from her open wound, it doesn't hurt all she feels is warm and powerful, all the energy that bubbles beneath comes shooting out passing through the sword still hovering above her arm and into the demon frying him from the inside out. "That's new." She grabs a hold of her arm instinctually and the green lightning flowing stops.

Buffy, Angelus, and the others fighting make quick work of the remaining demons, during the last couple minutes of the fight Lorne helped her up while Cordelia went to check on Fred. She'd have a major bruise on her back and chest but other than that she'd be fine.

Giles could not believe what he saw come out of that tiny girl. Electricity, massive bolts of electricity shooting from her wound and into the demon effectively killing it. He's never heard of this happening before with Potentials. It's all very peculiar. He must sit down and speak with her, immediately.

"Whoa Giles. You are not going near her." Buffy knew what he thought, what he wants to do. No way is so subjecting Liz to that kind of scrutiny. She's been around Giles long enough to have a fairly good idea of what questions he's going to ask and Liz doesn't need that right now.

Kennedy shakes her head. This is unbelievable, first the girl refused to acknowledge her as a leader, a future Slayer, and now she can do weird things. Weirder than Slayer type things. She sees the stares of awe coming from the other lesser Potentials. This girl will be made to think she's the leader, Kennedy can not allow that.

"Ooo, so she has a funky freaky power. It doesn't mean she can fight hand to hand like I can, doesn't mean she's any more special than me and the other Potentials." Kennedy sneers. Ha, that'll make her think twice about showing her up—wait no try to show her up. She's still the leader of the Potentials. Nothing can take that from her.

Liz only raises an eyebrow. She doesn't get it, Kennedy thinks she's the big girl on campus. Maybe more so now that Buffy split. Catty girls at school who thought they were the big fish in the pond always tried to play themselves up like they were important when they were nothing but bait.

"Do you have a problem with people who are strong than you?" She questions. There isn't a doubt in her mind that if she and Ms. High and Mighty threw down she, Liz, would be the one to win.

"You're not stronger than me." Kennedy argues.

Liz doesn't lose the smile on her face as she nods her head. "Yes I am." See no doubt at all. It's always the ones who talk a big game that can't step up to the plate and deliver.

"Really you think you are? Than prove it. Fight me. Put your money where your mouth is freak."

"Did I push a nerve?" Off to the side Angelus lets out a joyous yet evil laugh. Liz is doing this to piss her off. He's impressed.

Kennedy shoves her jean jacket off, tosses it on the floor and puts her hands up in a fighting position. "Come on. Let's see what you got."

"Kennedy!" Giles reprimands. "This is neither the time nor place. Not to mention do you not care that this woman is pregnant? She said so herself, show some smarts. She's playing you so you'll be the first to strike and you don't even notice all that matters is shutting her mouth."

"G—"

"No." He cuts her off. "You have disregarded all your training. Now get back with the other girls."

"Giles, wonderful job in taking charge." Angelus claps and taunts. "To bad you didn't do that earlier. It's obvious those girls need a few time-outs to get it through their heads that they don't matter."

As Kennedy slinks back to the other Potentials Liz takes great pleasure in watching her pout that the Watcher had yelled at her. God one of the first lessons Buffy and Angel taught her was to not let someone provoke her into attacking. That'd only weaken her and probably get her ass killed.

Although if she wasn't pregnant she can't say that she would listen any better than Kennedy had to the teachings. Because of her baby boy she's determined to stay alive and keep him away from harm. Listening to the experts is one of the best ways to do that. They've been doing this for years while she's been training for only month; it's far more likely that they know what to do.

Buffy, staying close to Angelus, looks at Giles. "Say what you want to me Giles but then you and everyone else in the Sunnydale group need to leave." It felt good being able to kick them out for a change.

TBC