Note: First off, thank you everyone for you feedback and concern with the car accident. Thankfully besides minor aches and pains the only damages were to the cars. The others people's insurance company has sided with me and they paid for the damages to my car. And the car was fixed within 2 weeks of the accident and everything is back to the way it was.

I meant to update this fic and a bunch of others this weekend but I was dead tired from work, love having a job, love who I work with and for but it's a physically demanding job and after an eight hour day I just want to collapse and did these last few days. Anyway, here is the next chapter. The tests will be split up between 2 or 3 chapters. Here is the first round of tests. I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 32

As the temporary slayers went to prepare or relax before their round of tests, Giles stopped Kennedy from leaving the room. "One moment please Kennedy."

Willow stayed with Kennedy. "What is it Giles?"

"Actually I'd like to speak with Kennedy alone if you don't mind Willow." Giles firmly stated.

Willow shook her head negatively. "No, if you have something to say, I can be here too." She left her arms at her sides but by her stance she was defensive and unwilling to give Giles and her girlfriend a private word.

If Willow thought that her presence would deter him, she didn't know him as well as she thought she did. "Fine. What happened in the basement last night is never to happen again."

"Is that what this is about? She's already been talked to and I was one of the talkers." She didn't understand why everyone was making such a huge deal of this. Yes, Kennedy was wrong but that was no reason to continuing harping on it.

"This is a serious matter Willow. It can't just be brushed aside. Kennedy could have seriously hurt that young lady and more importantly, her baby. She had no business interfering in any way with a training session that she had only just seen the last chunk of." Giles turned to a swollen faced and only slightly arrogant Kennedy. "What you did was reckless, irresponsible, stupid, dangerous, and not the actions of a true slayer."

"I will be the next slayer and you just said that the instincts of the slayer want to fight everyone else around them. Now you're criticizing me for it?" Kennedy put her hands on her hips.

"I highly doubt you are the next slayer. Have you seen Buffy beat up on any of you since you all got slayer powers? No you haven't little girl because even though Buffy has the instincts she has the ability to keep them in check and not pick a fight with everyone she doesn't like. If that were the case you'd surely be beaten up with more frequency because we all know Buffy would rather have a ferret at her side than you."

"Giles that's uncalled for. Kennedy is sorry, she messed up but that's no reason to get down on her like this." Willow argued.

"Stay out of this Willow. You are not a slayer, never will be one, there are rules to be a slayer, rules you clearly don't understand so keep you comments to yourself." Giles coldly told the girl turned woman turned friend. "As for Kennedy being sorry, she hasn't apologized to Liz or Spike and even if she did I wouldn't believe it."

"I…"

Kennedy didn't even get a chance to say anything else because Giles turned his steely gaze back onto her and spoke in a tone that wasn't to be argued with. "Quiet. You get one more shot here Kennedy. If you cause problems you're out, no arguing, no trial, five minutes to pack whatever you can grab, and on your way with no slayer powers. I'm sure these tests will prove you're not the next slayer, but God help this world if you are."

"Giles, if Kennedy is kicked out, then I go too." Willow threatened. There was no way Giles would want her to go.

"Then, because of our shared history, you'll get ten minutes to pack." With that Giles left the two young women standing alone in the lobby.

Hyperion Hotel; 10:30 a.m.

At exactly ten thirty sharp, everyone, a completely chastised Kennedy included, were back in the lobby. Liz stood with the other temporary slayers and was dressed in a form fitting, but not tight, work out outfit. The clingy pale yellow tank top highlighted her pregnant belly, her khaki colored cotton/spandex pants clung to her thighs and were a little baggier at her calves and ankles, and with her white tennis shoes and hair pulled up in a pony tail she was ready for what the test would throw at her.

Around her the other girls were dressed in a variety of different work out clothing and some of the girls wore their normal everyday clothes. Buffy, Angel, Giles, and Wesley were dressed similarly to most of the others, comfortable clothes that were easy to maneuver in. Spike of course was in his typical black shirt, black jeans and black boots. The only thing missing was his leather jacket which was on Liz's bed.

Buffy walked forward from her spot. "The first test is part one of your physical strength test." Off to the side were steel beams in various sizes. "The task is straight forward." She walked over to the metal, picked up one of the medium size beams and bent it down the middle. "Bend two beams. One small, one medium. Ignore the large beams for now, they will be used later."

Giles stood back and watched Buffy explain the task. This test, as with most, was two fold, the obvious was to bend the beams, however the second was how well one followed directions. While important to listen to instinct, it was also important to know when to follow orders.

The girls all grabbed the appropriate sized beams. Many bent the small beam easily. One of the girls was clearly straining.

Billie bent the small beam but it was a challenge. She tried the medium beam next but only managed to bend it a couple inches.

The spell was already beginning to wear off, Giles noted. Wesley wrote down each other young ladies progress and how well they completed the task.

Liz set aside her two bent beams. It had been remarkably easy to shape the steel, she kept her surprise hidden. While she knew logically that she'd be stronger she hadn't realized how strong she would be during this spell. It was incredible but she'd be happy when it wore off and she'd be a normal girl, with a dash of alien powers thrown in.

Her gaze drifted toward the other girls. Most didn't have problems with the beams, Kennedy included. There was a small part of her…okay maybe more like a large part, which wished Kennedy had been the ones that had issues with strength. Liz didn't want to be the Slayer but she also didn't want her rival to be one either.

Ten minutes later once everyone was done and the four instructors talked about their findings, Giles turned and addressed the group. "Next test will involve reflexes. Normally, as Buffy well knows from her first watcher, we'd throw a knife to show the Slayer that she is in fact different, however since we don't want to permanently injure any of you we will use these tennis balls instead that I will throw at you, using some magical help. Let us go outside, Spike and Angel will be outside as well but staying in the shade."

The group filed outside, Giles instructed them to wait at the edge of the property where the wall around the hotel stood. As they moved to where they were told Giles stood on the other side where candles were burning and began chanting quietly. Once the Potentials were all at the wall Wesley addressed them.

"All right. We will begin by calling you up one at a time. There will be a series of tennis balls thrown in your direction. Your task in this challenge is to deflect the tennis balls. You can use anything you can think of, anything in your skill set, just deflect or avoid the balls."

Wesley didn't bother to tell them that tennis balls would be sent at them from many different angles. There had to be some surprises in store for them.

"First up, Shantelle." The girl, fourteen years old, came up to where Wesley indicated. Her twin Sharyl rubbed her hands together, nervous for her sister. Without warning tennis balls came flying through the air toward Shantelle, some one at a time, others came in groups of two or three.

Buffy stood on the side watching closely. "What is so wrong with Watchers giving a little warning?" Remembering the time the Watcher's Council came to Sunnydale and were testing, more like irritating, her when Glory had become an increasing problem.

The girls went one by one. All had except one, Kokumo, a sixteen year old Potential, made mistakes, some were minor, others large. Wesley made notes next to each other girl's names on what they needed more training on.

Kennedy was up next. She was confident in her abilities, perhaps a bit too confident. Fuzzy yellow tennis balls began hurtling toward her and she deflected them with relative ease. Out of the corner of her eye she saw two coming at her, wanting to do something cool and different from the others she did a spinning kick but it didn't turn out as she planned.

Instead of cleanly knocking the balls away one zoomed under her lifted leg, pass her body, swung around and connected with her back. The other was only grazed by Kennedy's calf but the graze was enough and it fell useless to the floor.

"I thought these things were supposed to move in a straight line?" She grumbled.

"Enemies rarely move in a straight line Kennedy. You have to be prepared for anything. Especially combatants who can duck and weave under a spinning kick." Buffy stated flatly.

Frustrated that she didn't get a perfect score she took her place with the others. With her arms crossed she watched as two more potential slayers took their turn. She stood up a little straighter when Liz was up. This would be amusing. She'd definitely do worse than she did. Liz was pregnant and not nearly as disciplined as she was.

Although it was debated previously with him, Angel, Buffy, Wesley, and Spike, that the tests should be a little different for Liz, in the end it was decided that Liz would have to do the same tests as everyone else. It wouldn't be far to them or Liz if they took it easy on her, the monsters wouldn't, so they couldn't.

Spike didn't like Liz being put in danger. He argued that some of the tests, this one included, could hurt the baby. Giles tried to reassure him and tell him that he would make sure none of the tennis balls hit hard or hit her stomach, but they had to see how well Liz preformed, even through her pregnancy.

Liz stood and waited with nervous anticipation. She wondered how she would do; she hoped she wouldn't do badly, especially in front of everyone. It would be a huge humiliation to fall flat on her face.

As with the others Liz didn't get any warning that the "threat" was coming. It was a miracle that from behind her she heard a fast whiz getting closer and crouched down. The flying tennis ball zoomed over her head and back toward Giles who sent it off again.

Another ball, this time one she saw, came at her from the side, she batted that one away. Next two tennis balls came at her, one from either side. She saw one and dodged out of its way but missed the other one which hit the back of her leg gently. That's ok, Liz thought, it's just one. Determined to do at least better than Kennedy.

Keeping loose Liz felt, more than saw something coming from above her. Lifting her gaze to the sky she saw two tennis balls hurtling toward her head. Liz quickly went over her options. Only one stood out as the best. With a flick of her hand green lightning shot from her fingers and fried the now blackened projectiles. Liz stepped out of the way and they fell to the ground exploding into ash from the impact.

Silence from the potentials showed their shock at her actions. While Spike smiled and came over to her. "That's my girl, showin' them something new." He kissed her quickly.

"That's cheating!" Kennedy argued. This could not be happening.

Spike growled and Liz rolled her eyes. Did the girl not hear the rules or did she just not care? Spike started to advance on Kennedy but Liz held his hand keeping him next to her. "It's ok." She whispered to him, calming him.

"No, she used whatever was in her set of skills. If you could do something, like what Giles did for example and magically force the tennis balls away from you that would be fine to demonstrate. Liz took a previous experience of missing one of the projectiles and used an ability she had that would take care of both. It wasn't cheating Kennedy." Wesley argued back.

When no one stood up for Kennedy, not even Willow, she angrily leaned back against the perimeter wall with her arms crossed.

"Excellent work everyone." Giles quickly changed the subject, not wanting to have more arguments. "Why don't you all take a twenty minute break while we set up the next bunch of tests?" With that Buffy, Angel, Giles, and Wesley went to set everything up.

TBC