FIRST THREAD: Part Four
October, 1998
"Willow, what are you doing here?"
The redhead looked up from the computer monitor, where she was behind the check out counter. She gave Giles a fleeting glance as he walked into the library, then returned her attention to the screen.
"Oh, just trying to find any information on the Net about that demon Kendra ran into last night," she finally said.
Giles stopped in front of the counter resting his briefcase on it. "I appreciate that, but I can assure you I have a volume that has all the information we'll need."
"Oh." Willow continued to surf. "Well, I-- You know, you can never have too much information about all the nasties crawling around town."
Giles regarded her with concern for a moment. "Uh, no. Of course not. But . . . uh, weren't the four of you going to go off campus for lunch today?"
Willow still kept her focus on the screen. "Yeah. Oz took Xander and Cordelia to the burger place. I told them I needed to do some research here."
Giles nodded and she fell silent.
"Willow," he said. "Are you all right?"
She looked at him. "Yeah. Why? Don't I look all right?"
The seventeen year old did look okay. Outwardly, she hadn't seemed to change a bit since the first time he met her, nearly two years ago. She still wore the usual long sleeve fuzzy sweaters, modest skirts, and tennis shoes, and she kept her red hair straight and long. But the young woman underneath had grown considerably since that time.
"Oh, no. It's just . . . You seem a little--"
"I'm fine." She smiled, but Giles saw that it didn't quite make it to her eyes. "Really. I just didn't feel hungry.
"Yes. Well, if there's ever a time you need to talk . . . about anything--"
Still smiling, she said, "I know who to call."
"Right." He grabbed his briefcase again and rounded the counter to the doorway leading to his office. He paused just before stepping through when his eyes fell upon the steps leading to the upper level of the stacks. The stains were long gone but they were still so painfully visible.
Willow looked up and noticed what he was looking at.
*****
When he came to, his head was pounding loudly between his ears and he found himself lying on the floor of the library. Groaning, he tried to sit up.
"Sir, don't move," he heard a woman's voice say.
He sat up anyway and his heart nearly stopped at what he saw. He was close to the double doors and just a few feet in front of him were two police officers lying on the floor in pools of blood. The young paramedic was checking their pulses and Giles quickly recognized the savage fang wounds on their necks. He knew she would not find a pulse.
When she confirmed they were dead, she turned her attention to Giles, kneeling down beside him. "Just don't move. More help is on the way. I need to help the others."
"The others?" he asked, a bit dazedly.
The paramedic stood and hurried to the other side of the library. Giles looked over his shoulder and his breath caught in his throat. The library looked halfway destroyed. But all the blood on the floor and the counter is what drew his attention. He could just barely see Xander sitting on his knees on the floor. He was cradling his right arm and his gaze was turned down and he seemed to be staring blankly at something.
Giles watched the female paramedic give Xander a quick glance then step around something, out of sight, and joined the second paramedic up on the upper level. They were kneeling around another still form and, as Giles got a little unsteadily to his feet, he realized it was Willow.
"Dear God," he whispered, as he started to move toward them.
He rounded the counter and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw what Xander was staring at.
"Buffy," he croaked. Then rushed forward.
Xander looked up and his eyes seemed to regain focus when he saw Giles. He stood up quickly.
"Giles . . ."
"What are you doing!?" Giles shouted. "Help her!"
Xander wasn't sure whom he was yelling at but he stepped in front of him and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Giles!"
"Out of the way!"
"Giles!" Xander shouted. The Watcher finally looked at him. Saw the younger man's expression. He looked down at Buffy again.
"No."
Giles moved forward again and Xander didn't stop him. Tears were flowing down his cheeks again as he followed the older man. Giles knelt down beside his Slayer and cradled her in his lap. He took off his glasses and dropped them on the floor. He pulled out a handkerchief from his tweed jacket and used it to wipe the blood off Buffy's cheek.
*****
Giles had only stopped for a moment but the entire scene played through his mind in less than a second. He looked away from the spot where Buffy died and stepped into his office.
Willow returned her eyes to the computer screen again and tried to remember what she had been doing. She knew what he had been thinking about. After she had awakened from her coma late that same night, over four months ago, Xander had filled her in with what had happened in the library. Oz was also there at the hospital, but didn't know the situation either. The news of Buffy's death had hit her hard. Even though she was probably closer to Xander, what with growing up with him, Buffy was --had been-- her best girlfriend. If Willow had a sister she would bet the world that it would have felt like the bond she had shared with her. She could talk to Buffy about things she couldn't with Xander. For example, the long-time crush she had on Xander. Before she met Oz, that is.
After a couple of minutes, she finally focused her attention and clicked onto another site. That was when the double doors swung open.
She looked up as Xander, Cordelia, and Oz walked inside. They were carrying sodas and take-out burger bags.
"I thought you guys were gonna eat at the Happy Burger?" she asked, as they approached.
"We were," Xander said. "But we found out something interesting that we should tell you guys about."
"What?" Willow asked, curious.
"Somebody was eatened there last night," Cordelia supplied.
"It's a fast-food place, Cordelia. People are usually eating there."
"Not *eating*. *Eatened*," Xander corrected. "It seems a vampire pulled up to the drive-thru and yanked an employee out the window."
Giles, who was overhearing the conversation stepped out of his office to stand behind Willow.
"How do you know it was a vampire?" Willow asked.
"The only other person that was there was the burger flipper. We were wondering what had happened to the drive-thru window and he told us someone pulled the guy right out and into a limo, he thought it was. He really didn't get a good look at the car because it peeled out of there."
"How horrible."
"Gives new meaning to 'order to go,' " he said, without humor.
"Did he get a look at the vampire?" Giles asked.
"He told the police he didn't see the guy," Oz said. "The vamp must've had it's happy face on, because I don't think he wanted to tell them what he actually saw."
"But he was a little more open with us," Xander added.
"You subtly hinted that you knew what it was he saw?" Willow said.
"Yeah. We were totally smooth about it."
"Cordelia just asked him if he saw a vampire," Oz shrugged.
"Hey," Cordelia responded to the look Willow and Giles gave her. "We only had forty-five minutes for lunch. We didn't have time to play traumatized witness with him. Besides, he works at Happy Burger. He has bigger problems than vampires."
Willow and Giles just stared at Cordelia for a moment longer. Then Giles looked to Xander. "So what did he say?"
"He said it looked like a black man. Well, you know, except for the not being human part," Cordelia answered.
"Hm. Vampires are common enough in Sunnydale," Willow said.
"But not limos," Xander finished.
"Or black men," Cordelia added. Silence. "What?"
Cordelia rolled her eyes and scoffed at them, grabbing her bag off the counter and walked to the study table.
"Uh, either way," Giles said, "It shouldn't be too difficult to find this vampire, and, more than likely, the pack he's running with. I'll brief Kendra on this before her patrol tonight."
"Where is the Slayer, anyway?" Xander asked.
"Oh, she had a meeting with Principle Snyder," Willow said. "I think it was something about letting her take some college courses." There was a tinge of jealously in her tone that she was able to hide from everyone except Xander.
"It is weird how Scroogie Snyder has actually taken a shine to her considering how he was with--" he faltered. "Uh, how he is with the rest of the students in school."
Willow shrugged. "Well, I think that has something to do with Kendra's nearly perfect grade point average."
Xander waved a hand, nonchalantly. "Just because she's making straight A's--"
"Straight A-plusses," Willow put in.
"--doesn't mean that she's the smartest kid in school."
"Yeah," Oz added, giving her a knowing look. "A lot of students are up for the honor roll. And they all work really hard for their grades."
Willow gave him a little smile.
"And Kendra is very disciplined when it comes to her studies," Giles offered.
This seemed to succeed in making Willow feel a little better.
"Yeah, but when you consider she spends almost every night out there hunting demons and vampires, not to mention she's trying to read Giles' entire book collection of 'eww', it's amazing how she's able to keep those grades with what little time left she has for school work," Cordelia pitched in. She didn't notice Willow's crestfallen expression as she dug her food out of her bag. "And she can, what, speak and read a dozen languages?"
"Four," Giles said.
"Now, if only she would do something about her wardrobe. I swear, has she never even heard about those nifty little inventions called blouses and skirts? And what is up with those army boots?"
*****
Principal Snyder opened the door to his office and Kendra stepped out first. Snyder was smiling pleasantly at her, which to any of the students in Sunnydale would have been disturbing.
"Thank you again, for coming down, Ms. Zabuto," he said.
"'Tis no problem, Mr. Snyder," she said, in a light but neutral tone. "Is it not me duty-- uh, I mean, 'tis an honor to do me best for the school."
"That's what I like to see in a student. Discipline, dedication, and a respect for order. While I don't approve of your choice of friends, I'm sure a girl as sensible as you would avoid any trouble they might try to drag you into." More to himself, he said, "I don't know why your uncle allows you to associate with them. Fortunately the real troublemaker was--" He stopped and looked at her again. "In just one month you have become a model for the other students to look up to."
"Tank you, Mr. Snyder."
"Well, you should get back to class and continue to make your school proud."
"I will," Kendra gave him a small smile. When the short principal closed his door, her smile faded and her expression became neutral once more.
She turned and headed towards her locker. When she rounded the corner she almost ran into Harmony, Kate, and Aura as the three were chattering to each other not paying attention to where they were going. Kendra's reflexes allowed her to easily side-step the trio.
"Hey!" mewled Harmony. "Watch where you're going, you fashion reject!"
Kendra didn't respond to that and continued down the hall.
"Yeah!" Harmony called after her. "You better know your place, loser!"
This stopped Kendra in her tracks. This certainly wasn't the first time she had run into Cordelia's "friends" and she never gave them much thought, but this time Harmony's words struck something within her. She turned and faced the snobbish, rich girls. They were still looking at her.
"What?" Harmony demanded. "What are you looking at?"
Kendra realized that she suddenly wanted to smash her fist into the blonde girl's condescending expression. But she quickly suppressed that urge. A Slayer was never to harm another human being, no matter how annoying they were. And especially never to let emotions dictate her actions.
Harmony grew worried as the Slayer continued to stare at her without saying a word. "Come on, let's go," she said, to Kate and Aura and turned trying to make her quick walk seem natural. As they disappeared around the corner, Kendra heard her say, "I swear, she's creepier than that Buffy."
Since returning to Sunnydale to stay, she did everything she could to blend in so as not to hamper her duties as the Slayer nor draw attention to the fact that she was the Slayer. Kendra had never attended a school of any kind and she felt that it would complicate her duties. But Mr. Giles assured her that the best way to fit in was to start attending public school, so as to become more familiar with the culture and her surroundings. And it would easily allow them all to gather in the library.
Even after almost two months, Kendra was still not used to letting Buffy's friends sometimes accompany her on patrol. She didn't understand why Mr. Giles would involve innocents in the battle. But her new Watcher was very different than her first Watcher. From the moment she arrived, the differences were made even clearer. She didn't understand the surprise on his face when she had asked him which room in his apartment she would be staying in. Also the surprise on the others' faces when they discovered that she would be living with Mr. Giles.
She had spent practically her entire life with Mr. Zabuto; she could hardly remember her real parents, and he was adamant about letting nothing interfere with the cause. When she was very little there was an amah who tended to her, when she wasn't training with him, and she taught Kendra how to speak Chinese. She wasn't even sure how old she really was. Mr. Zabuto often said such things as time, age, and names were not relevant to the cause. Which is why Kendra was the only name she had. She had taken Zabuto as her last name because Mr. Giles said it was necessary to have one, and also as a way to honor her late Watcher.
With the Council's help, Giles had provided convincing documentation as evidence to support Kendra being his niece and that she had been born here in America but was raised out of the country. That alone solved many problems.
Kendra finally turned and continued to her locker.
*****
Xander nodded. "Kendra does seem to go into 'Terminator' mode whenever she's . . ." He frowned. "I guess that would be all the time."
"She makes Oz seem happy-go-lucky," Cordelia said.
"That's a scary thought," Oz deadpanned.
"That's not really true," Willow said, defensively. "We've all seen her smile. And laugh every once in a . . . well, once."
Cordelia got up from her chair and approached the counter. "Oh, please. Anyone can see that the expressions she gives have been so rehearsed they're almost second nature to her."
"How can you tell?"
"Really! If I had a dollar for every time I've given a false smile or fake laugh at a dumb joke just to let a guy think I'm still interested in anything he has to say, and not his car, his looks, or his wallet, I'd be rich."
"You are rich," Xander said.
She continued, "The point is, I'm an expert at spotting phony expressions and I'm telling you Kendra has a mask for every occasion."
Giles stepped out further from the door to his office. "While I hate to admit it, Cordelia is absolutely right."
She glanced at the Watcher. "Thank you." She turned to the others with a smug grin, then her eyebrows narrowed and she turned to him again. "Hey! What do you mean you 'hate to admit it?' Is it because it's true or because I'm the one who noticed?"
Giles hesitated. "Um . . . Yes." He quickly continued. "You have to understand, Kendra has been taught from a very young age that her duty as the Slayer was her destiny and highest priority and that nothing must ever interfere with that."
"But isn't that an extreme method of training?" Willow asked. "I mean, you never trained Buffy that way."
"Things have changed considerably since long ago times. Zabuto's methods are very old and hardly practiced anymore. Kendra's people are one of the few cultures that still follow the tradition of sending a potential Slayer away from her family to be raised and trained by her Watcher."
"Turn her into the perfect slaying machine," observed Oz.
"That's so sad," Willow added. "She's living a life that doesn't really belong to her. At least Buffy still had us and a life whenever she wasn't killing the nasty nightcrawlers. But Kendra . . ." She looked at Giles and there was bitterness in her voice. "How can you let her go on like that?"
Giles was taken aback by this and Willow lowered her head slightly.
"I'm sorry. It's just . . ."
"I know," Giles told her. "Kendra has lived like this for so long, I'm not sure how to show her that there is more to life."
"So now we have to get the Slayer a life?" Cordelia said, indignantly.
Giles removed his glasses and polished them with a handkerchief. "I think the only one whoever got through her . . . 'armour' was Buffy."
"And she didn't even cry when Buffy--" Xander took a breath. "She just stood there."
"Maybe she doesn't know how to cry," Willow said.
They were all silent for a moment.
"We can try to get her to go with us to the Bronze," Oz suggested.
"That's a great idea," Willow agreed. "If only--"
"We can get her there," Xander finished.
"Yeah. She's never gone with us to the Bronze before."
Giles put his glasses back on. There was a determined tint in his eyes. "No. You four go to the Bronze, I'll make sure--"
"Excuse me, Senor Pushy," Cordelia spoke up. "But maybe some of us already do have lives?"
"Cordy!" Xander and Willow said, at the same time.
Oz just tilted his head slightly. "What they said."
Cordelia let her head fall back and sighed loudly. "Okay, fine."
"Right." Giles said, "I'll make sure Kendra is there at the Bronze tonight."
"How? Are you going to lie to her?" asked Xander.
"No. I'm going to tell her that I suspect there might be vampire activity at the Bronze and that she should keep an eye on things there, tonight." He saw the looks he was getting from the teens. "I mean, uh, this being Sunnydale it's quite probable that a vampire or two may show up at the Bronze hunting for someone." They kept giving him the look. He sighed, letting his shoulders sag slightly. "I'm going to lie to her."
"Now that wasn't so bad, was it?" Xander asked.
Giles gave him a critical eye.
"Okay, so that gets her there," Cordelia said, "What do we do with her, then?"
"What young people your age usually do," Giles shrugged.
"Yeah," Willow grinned. "We can get her to relax a little. Get her to try drinking something stronger than water."
"You want to get her drunk?" Cordelia gave her a surprised look. "I always knew that `so innocent' act was hiding a darker side."
"No. I just-- We've never seen Kendra drink anything like soda. You know, nothing fun."
"She does join me for tea, every once in a while," Giles informed them. Willow and the others just gave him another look. "Right," he said, putting his hands in his pockets.
"Ooh! Maybe you can get her to dance with you, Xander?"
"Hey! Why does it have to be my boyfriend? Why can't Oz do it? He's closer to Kendra's level below the personality radar."
"Hey!" Willow exclaimed.
"I second that," Oz said, calmly.
"Well, maybe they can both ask her to dance?" Willow offered.
"Will, let's face it," Xander said. "Kendra's just gotten to the point where she can speak to me or Oz without going catatonic. If either one of us asked her to dance she might actually bolt."
Cordelia frowned. "How can a big bad Slayer be so shy around boys? She makes Willow look like a dominatrix compared to her."
"Now it's my turn to say 'hey,' " Oz said.
"Okay, fine," Cordelia said. "I'll ask her to dance if it makes everybody feel better?"
Giles held up a hand. "All right. I'm sure you all will come up with something. The important thing is to see if we can get her to let her guard down, if not for a moment. You still have plenty of time."
"And lunch is almost over," Xander said. He grabbed his bag and he and Cordelia headed to the table.
"Here." Oz held up his bag to Willow. "We picked up something for you too. I figured you might be hungry with doing all the researching."
Willow smiled knowingly at him. "Thanks."
He waited for her by the doorway as she came out from behind the counter. As they walked towards the table to join the others, Xander leaned in a little closer to Cordelia.
"You never laugh at any of my dumb jokes," he whispered.
Cordelia just looked at him. "And your point is?"
End of Part Four
FIRST THREAD: Part Five
"I don't think she's coming," Willow said, unhappily.
"There's still time," Oz tried to reassure her.
"We've been here almost an hour."
"Maybe she had to stop to do some slaying on the way?" Oz suggested.
"I hope so. I mean, not that I hope she's late because she was in danger, just that--"
Oz rubbed her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. They were seated in one of the couches along the far wall of the Bronze. There was a live band tonight so the dance floor had a good crowd, with Cordelia and Xander somewhere within.
Willow was scanning the club again and her eyes lit up. "There she is!"
Oz looked and saw Kendra walking in. She was in her usual ensemble of baggy pants, and a black leather jacket over a solid dark colored shirt. Her black hair was pulled back away from her face, with a hairclip, so her long curls spilled down her back and on her shoulders. She stopped and started to sweep the place with her eyes. Oz noticed a few of the guys standing close to her take notice of the Slayer. Kendra may not be used to doing the talking thing --or even the making eye-contact thing-- with boys, but she did have the pheromone nets casted and snared her fair share of appraising looks, he thought. Maybe it was a Slayer trait?
Willow raised her arm to get her attention. She saw them and gave them a nod, but her calm expression didn't change. She gave another sweeping gaze towards the dance floor as she crossed the club towards them.
Willow smiled at her as she approached. "Kendra. Hey. Fancy seeing you here," she said, in an innocent voice. "What a surprise." Oz loved how cute she looked when she tried to lie.
"Hello, Willow," Kendra said.
"Hey, Kendra," Oz said.
She glanced at him, meeting his eyes for less than a second then lowered them, but resisted the habit she had of bowing her head in the presence of the young male species of the human race, which Oz felt was an improvement.
"Uh . . . hi," she finally said.
"Why don't you sit down," Willow offered.
Kendra didn't say anything but sat down on the sofa across from them. Neither of them said anything for several seconds. It was hardly noticeable but Kendra seemed just a little nervous. She hid it well, Oz thought.
"So what brings you to the Bronze?" Willow tried to sound casual.
"Um . . . Mr. Giles t'ought dere might be vumpires here."
"Oh, well, you know Giles," Willow waved a dismissive hand. "He sometimes worries a little too much."
"But he was right."
"But it's good that you're here, anyway. You can-- what?"
"Mr. Giles was right."
"He was?" Willow asked, surprised. Kendra nodded. "Vumpir-- uh, vampires are here? Right now?"
"I only see one," Kendra told her.
"Where?" Oz asked.
"In de middle of de dance floor." Kendra didn't look over her shoulder, and continued, "Dancing, rather poorly, wit dat brown haired girl."
Willow and Oz looked. They saw a couple; the guy wearing dark clothes with a `70's feel to them, and a thin, teenage brunette in dark leather pants, a midriff tanktop, and cutoff sleeves. She seemed to be in tune with the music but the guy was obviously listening to something only he could hear. "You mean the one doing the bad John Travolta imitation?" he asked.
"De what?"
"Sorry. `Saturday Night Fever' reference."
"So aren't you gonna . . ." Willow raised her fist and made a stabbing motion.
"I c'not stake him right here. Dat would sorta give away me secret identity."
"Oh, right." Then Willow's eyes widened. She glanced at Oz. "Did she--?" She looked at Kendra. "Did you just make a joke?"
"Sounded like one," Oz agreed.
"Sorry," Kendra said. "I'll be more careful next time."
Willow was speechless. Oz raised his eyebrows, impressed. "Two in a row."
He wasn't sure but he would bet his favorite guitar pic that she was blushing a little under her soft brown skin. She sounded so serious when she had spoken he doubted she had meant them as jokes. But she didn't seem embarrassed by it. Best to keep the mood going.
"This calls for a celebration," he said. "I'll get the drinks. Will?"
"The usual," she said.
"Kendra?" he asked, as he stood.
"Uh, water."
"They have a wide variety of sodas, even fruit drinks?" he offered.
"Uh . . . no, tank you. Water."
"Cool." He glanced back at Willow and she grinned at him, giving him a nod and he made his way to the snack bar.
Kendra looked over her shoulder just to make sure the vampire was still on the dance floor, then turned back to Willow.
After a few seconds, Willow said, "So, did Giles brief you about what happened last night at the Happy Burger?"
Kendra nodded. "He said dere seemed to be a new group of vumpires in town. I'll patrol de area and see what I can find."
"We can come with you," Willow offered.
"Dat won't be necessary."
"You sure? It's no problem, really."
Kendra was about to reply but stopped and seemed to consider this. She didn't say anything for a moment. Finally, she said, "Maybe."
Willow smiled at this. Looks like we're making progress, she thought.
Oz returned with the drinks. "Here you go, Kendra," he handed a cup to her. He handed Willow hers as he sat down beside her again.
"Oz," Willow said, happily. "Kendra said she might let us go on patrol with her."
"Hm. Sounds like fun," he said, casually.
"Maybe," Kendra repeated. She brought her cup to her lips and took a drink.
She choked and started to cough. Oz leaned forward and grabbed her cup from her hand before she lost it. She held a fist to her mouth as she continued to cough hard.
"Kendra, are you all right?" Willow asked, concerned.
The coughs subsided and Kendra put a hand on her chest. There were tears in her eyes.
"Sorry," Oz said. "Must've gave you the wrong cup."
"What was dat?"
"Sprite." At her questioning look, he said, "It's kinda strong. It can take novice drinkers by surprise. It's best to start out with something with a little less bite. Like 7-Up. Then work you're way up towards the heavier beverages: Coke, Pepsi. My bad."
"You didn't like it?" Willow asked.
"No. It--" Kendra stopped and regarded the cup. Oz offered it to her again. She hesitated for a second then reached out and accepted it. She took a sip, cautiously.
Willow smiled. "I think she likes it." As Kendra's attention was on her beverage, Willow grabbed Oz's hand, holding his cup, and looked at the clear carbonated liquid it held. She narrowed her eyes at him. With a straight face he just tilted his head slightly.
"Check out Slut-o-rama and her Disco Dave," Cordelia fumed, as she and Xander walked up to them. She pointed out the same couple Kendra had told them about. The guy was still showcasing his flair for the `70's. "What was the last thing that guy danced to, K.C. and the Sunshine Band?"
She and Xander took a seat on the couch adjacent to Oz and Willow.
Willow started to say, "Oh, he's not--"
"Kendra. Hi," Xander said.
Then they noticed the faint traces of tears in the Slayer's eyes. Cordelia looked at Willow and Oz.
"What did you two say to her?" she demanded. "You were supposed to get her to have fun, not make her cry!"
"But we--"
"And you say I don't have any consideration for people's feelings," she cut Willow off.
Kendra was looking at them all with a questioning expression and was about to say something when Oz spoke up.
"Hey, they left."
"What?" Cordelia asked.
"The vampire."
"What vampire?" Xander asked.
"Disco Dave."
Kendra had set down her drink and was already on her feet. Willow and Oz hurried after her, leaving behind a confused Cordelia and Xander. They exchanged a look then followed.
They caught up to the others outside. Oz and Willow were standing behind Kendra and they were scanning the dark alley around them.
"Maybe he wasn't even a vampire?" Cordelia said. "They're probably just making out."
They heard a crash some distance down the alley. "Hey!" a girl cried out.
Xander pulled a stake from his jacket and was about to offer it to Kendra when she took off in that direction, pulling out a stake from her own jacket.
"That's not what making out sounds like," Willow said, as they started to follow the Slayer. "Unless I'm doing it wrong."
They rounded the corner to see the vampire, vamped out, holding the young girl against a section of chain-link fence leaning on the building's wall. He was lowering his fangs toward her neck when she suddenly grabbed him by the throat and punched him across the face with her other fist. Kendra and the others stopped in their tracks as they watched the vampire rocked by the blow, staggering back. The brunette hopped up on a wooden crate and sprung into a roundhouse kick hitting the creature in the face again, knocking him to the pavement.
The girl saw she had an audience and approached them, looking at Kendra. "It's okay, I've got it. You're, uh, Kendra, right?"
Kendra just stared at the girl but nodded automatically.
Behind the girl, the vampire was on his feet and charged her grabbing her by the shoulders. She immediately threw her head back, smashing him in the face, not taking her eyes off Kendra.
"I'm Faith."
Faith grabbed one of the vamp's hands off her shoulder and turned on him, twisting his arm behind his back and shoved him against the chain-link fence.
"I'm gonna go out on a limb and say there's a new Slayer in town," Oz said, calmly.
They continued to watch as the new Slayer proceeded to beat the unliving crap out of the poor vampire. She tossed him to the pavement again and turned to face them.
"Mind if I borrow these?" she said, snatching Kendra's and Xander's stakes out of their hands.
The vampire charged her again from behind. Faith waited until the last instant before she sidestepped and slammed Kendra's stake in a backhand swing into his chest. The vamp barely had time to clutch his punctured chest when the brunette spun around and slammed Xander's stake into his back and he was already turning into dust as he arched in pain, then exploded.
Hardly breathing heavy, Faith faced them again, and handed back their stakes. Xander took his back numbly, but Kendra was a little more composed as she accepted hers.
"Thanks," Faith said. "Couldn't have done it without you."
With that Faith stepped around the group and strolled back towards the Bronze and they turned to watch her disappear around the corner.
End of Part Five
FIRST THREAD: Part Six
"The whole summer it was, like, the worst heat wave," said Faith. "So it's about a hundred and eighteen degrees and I'm sleeping without a stitch on."
At this, Xander perked up with interest. They were back on the sofas on the far side of the snack bar. Faith was sitting on a stool, higher than the others, as she continued her story without stopping to catch her breath. They were all listening, though Cordelia wasn't all that impressed, mostly because of how interested Xander seemed to be, and Kendra just regarded the new Slayer with quiet stoicism.
A waitress made a quick stop to place a tray of muffins on the coffee table they were gathered around.
"And all of a sudden, I hear this screaming from outside. So I go tearing out, stark nude, and this church bus has broke down, and there's these three vamps feasting on half the Baptists in South Boston. So I waste the vamps, and the preacher comes up, and he's hugging me like there's no tomorrow, when all of a sudden, the cops pull up and they arrested us both."
Finished, she reached down and grabbed one of the muffins, immediately tearing into it. Xander just sat there with an awed expression on his face.
"Wow. They should film that story and show it every Christmas."
He didn't see the look of daggers Cordelia gave him as his attention was on Faith.
"God, I could eat a horse," the brunette Slayer said, around a mouthful, ripping off another piece of muffin and stuffing that into her mouth as well. "Isn't it crazy how slaying just always makes you hungry and horny?"
This caused everyone to look at Kendra whose expression suddenly flickered in slight discomfort. Taking into consideration the fact that her first Watcher prohibited her from even speaking to boys, Willow decided to refocus the attention.
"Uh, so, um, what brings you to Sunnydale, Faith?" she asked.
Faith actually took time to finish her current mouthful before she answered. "Well, there was nothing really happening in Boston and I heard my Watcher mention how this place was on top of a Hellmouth, whatever that is."
"Oh, that's your basic doorway to hell," Xander said, casually. "So what was that story, uh, about the alligator? You said something before . . ."
"Oh, there's this big daddy vampire out of Missouri used to keep them as pets." With the remnants of the muffin in her hand, she started to make grappling gestures with her arms. "So he's got me wrasslin' one of `em, okay? The thing must have been twelve feet long and I'm--"
"So was this, um, also naked?"
Faith gave him a teasing smile. "Well, the alligator was."
Xander laughed along with her and Cordelia finally spoke up.
"Xander, find a new theme," she said, with the promise of dire consequences if he didn't.
"Did the alligator get hurt?" Willow said, concern in her voice.
Faith tilted her head nonchalantly. "Only a little." Willow was expressing her relief when, "Then it was dead."
"Oh."
Faith shook her head in remembrance. "I tell ya, I never had more trouble than that damn vamp." Then she must've put the memory aside because she rested her elbows on her knees and propped her chin on her fists. "Anyway, this seemed to be where all the action was so I decided to have a look. I heard that the last Slayer died here."
This suddenly sobered everyone and Faith narrowed her eyebrows as she saw this. "What?"
"Uh, Buffy . . ." Willow started to say but faltered.
"We knew her," Oz stepped in. "She kind of died saving the world."
"Oh." Faith brushed her hair from her face with her hand. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."
"Well, it was--" Xander stopped. "Well, it wasn't too long ago, but we're dealing."
"You couldn't have known," Willow added.
"So your Watcher sent you here?" Kendra asked.
The sudden change in subject caught everyone off guard. It took Faith a few seconds before she realized what she had been asked. "Uh, no. My Watcher went on that retreat in England." She paused for a moment, then asked, "Didn't your Watcher go? I thought it was, like, this big deal once a year for all the Watchers?"
"Unless he packed up and left right after school," Xander said, "he's still
here."
"There's actually a retreat for Watchers?" Cordelia said. "*That* sounds like fun." Nobody missed the sarcasm of her words.
"I don't remember Giles ever making a trip to England before," Willow said.
"And he's never mentioned this retreat thing either," Xander added.
"I wonder why he's never gone?"
Kendra spoke up. "Mr. Zabuto was very strict about duty. Once I was called he stopped going. He said it would interfere wit me training."
"So maybe Giles thinks that as well," Oz commented.
"Mr. Zabuto?" Faith asked Kendra. "Was he another Watcher?"
"He was me first Watcher."
"What happened to him?" Faith asked.
"He died about two months ago." Kendra's expression hadn't changed as she said this.
"Man," Faith said. "I'm sorry to hear that." She seemed to consider her next words. "That's got to be rough?"
Kendra nodded once. But to Willow it didn't seem like a nod of thanks for Faith's sentiments, but more like a "it happens" nod of acceptance. It was as if Kendra was back in what Xander had called her "Terminator" mode. And they had been so close to bringing her out from behind her Slayer-first facade. Now she understood what Cordelia meant about her having a mask for every ocassion. She realized this was Kendra's "untouchable" facade. What was even more frightening, Willow thought, this may actually be her only "real" face.
*********
"So what do you think? Workable?" Mr. Trick asked.
The sharp-dressed black man took a few steps in front of the parked limousine. He appeared to be in his early thirties but was in fact much older. Being a vampire did have its advantages. He casually turned in place to survey the rundown firehouse around them. It seemed as if the place had been in the middle of renovations when it was abandoned. Carpentry tools and equipment were still laying about where it looked like they hadn't been touched in years. Probably the victim of budget cuts or a union strike.
Or maybe the workers just kept disappearing mysteriously and the project was canceled, he thought. With this town's history it wouldn't surprise him. Either way he felt this would be an ideal location to set up shop.
He still hadn't recieved a reply to his question and turned to look at the master. The large vampire had made himself at home on a dust-covered easy chair, just sitting solemnly. Another vampire had already lit some incense and was casually swinging a censer as he walked around filling the firehouse with a thin haze of smoke.
The master was usually more open to his ideas than this, Trick thought. Which was one of the reasons why he didn't allow his vampires to kill him when Trick had been their human prey. Instead he was turned because the master recognized a quick and imaginative mind in him. Unfortunately, as of late, the master had become quite a different demon, which Trick was finding hard to adjust to. They had had a perfectly good operation going in Boston for the past decade, nothing like his home state of Missouri. There was the occasional human, or group of humans, who stumbled onto the reality of vampires and tried to stop them, but they had been dealt with without much effort.
But then the Slayer appeared.
Almost out of nowhere she started giving them problems over the summer. Word had it that the young girl had only been called to duty just a few months ago, which meant she was a newcomer to the business, and yet she had quickly reduced their numbers in half, making the city a very dangerous place for the nocturnal breed. Despite all the master's planning he hadn't been able to kill the Slayer, much less find out who she was, until Trick took it upon himself to put into action his own plan. The master had been most displeased that Trick had commandeered a few of his minions, behind his back, to act as decoy and keep the Slayer busy while he captured her with a camcorder and later fed her image into a computer search. But the end results stayed any punishment he would have otherwised received had the search proved fruitless. Luckily, Trick had more faith in modern technology than the others. The master was one of the oldest, if not *the* oldest, vampires in history. Just as luckily, it turned out the young Slayer was very much the juvenile delinquent and he quickly found her place of residence.
This put him in good standing with the master and setting the trap went off without a hitch. But the master made the mistake of not killing the girl right off. He wanted to make her suffer first. Toy with her. He was a sadistic old bastard, Trick thought. If anyone had asked him, Trick would have said the master deserved what he got. Of course, he would also make sure he was a couple of state lines away when he said that. Until then, he had to deal with the master and his new obsession. Very dangerous obession.
"I'll take that as a 'yes,' " Trick said. The master still didn't say anthing. "Of course, we'll have to check the wiring, see what type of electrical support we have here. And with this town's history we can blend in quite nicely. The long-term benefits--"
"The only thing you need concern yourself with, Mr. Trick," the master's low gravelly voice interrupted him, "is finding me the Slayer. Nothing else matters."
Trick, very wisely, suppressed a sigh. This old riff again, he thought. The guy had a one-track mind. Oh, well, Trick knew how to play this game also.
"As soon as we get set up I'll start a computer search," Trick said. "Since the town is small, it shouldn't prove difficult looking for one runaway. Even if she is a Slayer."
"A Slayer," a voice said, loudly.
The master bolted out of the chair and swung around in the direction the voice came from. The other vampires gathered around as well, ready to spring into action at his word. Trick focused his gaze at the dark alcove located underneath the second floor, and made out the outline of the person standing there. His face was suddenly illuminated as the stranger lit a cigarette with a zippo lighter. He flicked the lighter closed and shoved it in the pocket of his long leather coat as he stepped out of the shadows, taking a long pull on the cig.
Exhaling the smoke, the newcomer indicated the cigarette he held between his fingers. "Don't mind if I smoke, do you? Incense plays bloody murder on the sinuses." The stranger looked at the group without concern, then centered his eyes on the master. "You're Kakistos," he stated.
"Who are you?" Kakistos demanded, in a threatening tone.
The stranger grinned. "Spike."
End of part Six
FIRST THREAD: Part Seven
Patrol was pretty uneventful last night. Aside from the vampire Faith had staked, Kendra hadn't run across any other nightcrawlers. The new vamps in town must be laying low, not wanting to draw attention to themselves. But she asked herself what they could be hiding from? Maybe they knew a Slayer was already in town? Buffy never really had much success in keeping her secret identity a secret and word had a way of spreading among the demon community about such things.
She had decided to patrol alone after all. Willow seemed disappointed by this which only reinforced what she suspected. That Giles sending her to the Bronze had been something arranged by them in an attempt to . . . she wasn't sure what they had been trying to do. She figured they might be wanting to make her a friend, the way Buffy had been their friend. While their company wasn't unagreeable, Kendra was still unclear on how she felt about having them as friends.
With Buffy, that was different. She had been a fellow Slayer, a comrade in the fight against evil. And Mr. Zabuto didn't seem to have any objections to her associating with her, or Mr. Giles. But any other relationship she could have had was deemed irrelevant. All that mattered was her duty.
Which was also why Giles confused her sometimes. On those nights he happened to be awake when she returned from patrol, the first thing he would ask was if she was all right. At times it was like her well being was more important than fulfilling her obligations.
She reasoned that with the loss of Buffy, he may not want to lose another Slayer under his care. Mr. Zabuto had often said that if the Slayer was killed then the Watcher had failed in his duty.
Giles wasn't awake when she had returned from patrol last night, so she didn't wake him, which was also different from Mr. Zabuto. As soon as she would complete a patrol Mr. Zabuto wanted her to report to him promptly. Even if there was nothing to report and if he were asleep. After the first couple of nights Kendra had wakened Giles, he explained that it was perfectly all right to wait till morning to make her report. Unless of course it
was an emergency or something world threatening.
The arrival of the new Slayer, though significant, wasn't what she would consider an emergency, but she did inform him about Faith as soon as he awoke. He was quite eager to meet the new Slayer.
"Yes, there is a Watcher's retreat every year in the Cotswolds," he said, as he paced back and forth on the other side of the table in the library.
Kendra was standing beside Faith. Willow and Xander were sitting on the edge of the table.
"It's a lovely spot," Giles continued. "It's very serene. There's horse riding and hiking and punting and lectures and discussions." A faint smile of longing tugged on his lips. " It-it's a great honor to be invited." The smile disappeared and he said, almost bitterly, "Or so I'm told."
Willow gave him a pouty expression, feeling bad for him, but before she could say anything, Faith spoke up.
"Oh, it's boring," she said, offhandishly. "Way too stuffy for a guy like you."
"You realize you are talking about Giles, right?" Xander said.
"I know," Faith said, not backing down, giving Giles another look. "If I had known Watchers came that young and cute I would've requested a transfer."
Faith didn't see Kendra frown at her and Xander's expression almost turned ill. Giles chuckled softly, and then cleared his throat.
"Uh, well, leaving aside for a moment, my youth and beauty, uh, I'd say that it was fortuitous that Faith arrived when she did."
"You're talking about the new vamps in town?" Willow asked.
"New vamps?" Faith said.
"Yes," Giles said, picking up a newspaper. "It seems two more people have disappeared from the Sunset Ridge District." He handed her the paper and Faith looked it over. Kendra had already seen it so she just watched the new Slayer. "They seemed to have arrived in town about two days ago."
"I should not have gone to dat club last night," Kendra said. "I might have been able to stop it."
"Kendra, the abductions could have occurred on the same night when the first victim was taken," Giles said. "And you can't be everywhere at once."
Willow watched Kendra as Giles said this to her. But from Kendra's expression it seemed as if he was wasting his time consoling her. Kendra had just stated a fact, she wasn't blaming anything nor accepting blame herself.
"I will patrol dis Sunset Ridge area," she told him. "Maybe dey are still close by. I mean, if dat is ah'right wit you, sir?"
"If you think that's best," Giles said. But Kendra didn't reply, still waiting for his answer. He forced himself not to sigh, and said, "Yes, that's a good idea." From the corner of his eye he saw Willow looking at him and she gave him a tiny tilt of her head towards Faith. "Uh, actually, I think it would be a good idea if Faith accompanied you."
Kendra looked at the brunette. Faith grinned.
"Hey, I'm all for a little action. Two Slayers working together. Bad news for the vamps, if you ask me."
Kendra just nodded.
Feeling like she should take up the slack for Kendra's non-verbalness, Willow said, "You see, Faith? You'll never be bored here. Sunnydale is a hotspot for demonic activity." Then she brightened as she got an idea and hopped off the table. "Hey, why don't we give you a tour of the school?"
"Yeah," Xander chipped in. "You wouldn't believe the kind of things we have to put up with in this place. A lot of weird stuff happens here."
"In this library alone, we--" Willow stopped and her smile faded. She resisted the urge to look over her shoulder at the stairs behind her.
"C'mon," Xander said quickly. "Say yes, and bring your stories."
"Alright," Faith replied.
"Kendra," Willow said, as they were about to leave. "Are you coming?"
"No, I have to prepare for tonight's patrol," she said.
Willow tried to suppress her surprise at this. If there was one thing that Kendra always was, it was prepared. She glanced at Faith who was looking at Kendra and Willow could have sworn she saw a flicker of disappointment in the new Slayer's eyes.
"Oh, okay," Willow said. "Well, we can all meet up at lunch. We can buy you a Sprite," she suggested with a grin.
Kendra's head tilted slightly and it almost looked like there was a small tug of a smile on her face. But it was only a flicker and was gone.
"I'll see you den," Kendra said.
Willow smiled for real, this time. "Cool."
"Hey, later," Faith said, to Kendra then pointed at Giles. " *We* will talk weapons."
She walked with Willow and Xander out of the library. Kendra watched them disappear through the double doors then turned towards the weapons cabinet in the book cage. Giles regarded her with quiet concern.
Finally, he said, "Well, this, um, new girl seems to have a lot of zest." He sat on the edge of the table.
Kendra was holding the bookcage's door open and looked over her shoulder at him. "She seems t'be well trained."
"You said you saw her slay a vampire last night. How would you rate her performance?"
Kendra only took a second to consider. "She did an adequate job. It took her longer dan it should have for her to slay de creature. She was a bit --how would you say? --flashy."
Giles nodded. "You feel she wasn't focused enough on the task?"
Kendra shook her head. "She was focused. Dere was just too much energy wasted." She paused for a few seconds. "She is a bit emotional."
This perked Giles' interest. "Really? What makes you say that?"
Again, Kendra took time to consider her answer. This was new territory for her. Evaluating strategy, fighting technique, and opponents' strengths was something she excelled in. Forming an opinion of one's emotional state was something she rarely did. Usually, Giles would have to be the one to broach the subject, so she really surprised him by bringing it up first.
"She seemed t'be having fun," Kendra said, uncertainly. "De way she was telling her stories."
"Well," Giles began, removing his glasses, "that's not surprising. Many tend to put, uh, a lighter touch when recounting dangerous, life-threatening experiences."
"But a Slayer is not to let emotions interfere wit her duty," Kendra insisted.
"Yes. I realise that was something your Watch-- uh, Mr. Zabuto emphasized in your training, and I don't mean to disrespect his dedication to you." He paused to take a breath. "But that may not have been the best way to teach you."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Well," Giles began, then took a breath. "Kendra, I will always try to be here for you, but there, undoubtedly, will come a time when you will have to rely on yourself. And I won't be able to help you."
"A Slayer is trained t'be prepared for any situation," Kendra stated.
Giles nodded. "Yes. As Watchers we do our best to instill everything a Slayer will need to know in order to survive, should anything happen to us, but . . . there are some things that cannot be taught." Kendra was listening attentively, as she always did, and didn't say anything. "You may find yourself in a situation where you will have to improvise and make decisions for yourself. Go with your instincts, and, quite possibly, go against your training." She titled her head at this. "Uh, do you understand what I'm saying?"
"I tink," she said, but Giles wasn't sure she really did.
He put his glasses back on. "Um, we can discuss this further later today."
Kendra nodded. "I should return to class."
The Slayer closed the bookcage, leaving behind the weapons she never really needed for her patrol. Giles watched her until she disappeared through the doors.
"Please don't let me fail another," he whispered to the empty library.
******
"So what do you think?" Spike asked, as he entered the tunnel.
"It looks like we're in the right place," a short vampire said.
Spike nodded his head and, in a casual tone, said, "Well, since it looks like the right place I'll rip out your teeth if it isn't. Hmm? How's that sound?"
The vampire was frightened by this. "Uh, this is the right place."
"How long?"
"Another day, at least. Maybe two."
Spike stepped up close to the vampire and looked down at him. "Well, I certainly don't want to wait two days, so I suggest you start digging, because if I don't have it in my hand by tomorrow we'll find out just how detachable you really are."
The vampire couldn't say anything and just nodded. He quickly grabbed a jackhammer and joined a few other vampires further up the tunnel where they were loudly drilling into the rock.
Lucius stepped up behind Spike who was pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.
"How did the meeting go?" the tall vampire asked.
"These new players should stay out of our way. Looks like a new Slayer is also in town and they're after this bird. You ever heard of a fella named Kakistos?" Lucius shook his head. "He's this real old guy. Not too bright but makes up for it in girth. Turns out this Slayer, Faith, did a real ugly one on him, we're talking real ugly." Spike made a casual slashing move with his fingers down the right side of his face from forehead, over his eye, and down his cheek. He chuckled slightly. "Not that he was the prettiest bloke to begin with, but he's got his mind set on really making this girl suffer."
He released a puff of smoke.
"All we got to do is play nice," Spike continued, "let them think we're helping them find this girl."
"Do we?" Lucius asked. "Help them find her."
"I already know where she is. It's likely she's made contact with the homebase Slayer. She's alone, on the run, no doubt she'd be looking for allies. It shouldn't be too hard for our new friends to find them. And while they're busy killing each other, we'll be able to work without any pesky Slayer interruptions."
Lucius nodded and looked up the tunnel where the digging continued.
"Do you really think it's here?"
"I'm sure of it." Spike's voice took on a faraway quality as if speaking to someone not in the room. "And once I have it, this whole town will burn."
******
"Oh, and over there in the lounge is where Spike and his gang nearly massacred us all on Parent-Teacher night," Willow said, as she and Xander led Faith down the hall.
During the tour, Willow noticed how impressed Faith seemed to be with all the things they told her had happened in the school. Even though she was a Slayer, she had only been active for the past five months or so. That wasn't nearly enough time to compare to the year and a half she and Xander had spent with Buffy dealing with the evil forces. She felt the usual pang of sadness in her heart that always made itself known whenever she thought of her dead friend. Every time she thought she was making progress in healing the pain of loss, it seemed to always return in force.
As they continued down the hall, she noticed the stairs leading up to the next floor. Willow pointed them out to Faith, more to distract herself from her own thoughts.
"Oh, a-and up those stairs, I was sucked into a muddy grave." She actually made her voice sound light.
They stopped walking and Faith stepped in front to face both of them.
"And they say young people don't learn anything in high school, nowadays" Xander said. "But I've learned to be afraid."
Faith laughed with a grin. "You guys are a hoot and half. If I'd had friends like you in high school, I . . ." She stopped to consider. "probably still would've dropped out. But I might've been sad about it, you know?"
***
Kendra reached the end of the hallway when she heard laughter coming from around the corner. She stopped and looked down the other hall to see Faith; her back to Kendra, facing Willow and Xander. They were the source of the laughter. Kendra was about to step out into the hall when Faith's next words stopped her.
"So, what's up with Ken? She seems kinda--"
"On nonstop active duty?" Xander supplied.
Kendra took a step back behind the corner but was still able to see them.
"Yeah," Faith said. "What's her story?"
"Well, uh, Kendra," Willow began. "All her life she was . . ."
"Oh, water," Faith said, pointing behind them. She walked back from where they came from to the water fountain next to the door of the cafeteria.
"Oh, and then your alligator story!" Xander called out to her. Still gazing at Faith as she bent down to take a drink, he said, to Willow, "She's got something, doesn't she?"
"What is it with you and Slayers?"
Willow and Xander turned to see Cordelia suddenly standing behind them.
"So, those are your friends?" said a voice behind Kendra.
The Slayer spun around and found herself facing a girl her age. She was dressed in a simple dress with matching twin set, carrying a couple of text books in her arm. She had light brown hair that hung straight and cut evenly at shoulder length.
"Who are you?" Kendra asked, a little sharply, but that was more to do with her not realizing someone was behind her than at the girl herself.
The girl either wasn't offended by her tone or didn't care, but her mouth curled slightly in a smile. "Oh, you can call me Anya." When Kendra didn't say anything, Anya said, "And you're Kendra."
Kendra's eyebrows narrowed slightly. "How d'ye know my name?"
"I've seen you around," Anya said, pleasantly. "You've been quite the talk around school lately."
"What d'ye mean?" Kendra asked.
But Anya was looking past the Slayer at Willow, Xander, Cordelia, and Faith. "Those are your friends? They look like nice people." She returned her gaze to Kendra. "Why aren't you with them?"
Kendra just continued to regard the girl for a silent moment.
"Don't you want to be with them?" Anya asked.
"Ye're not human," Kendra told her.
Anya's pleasant expression fell, but then she smiled broadly. "Very good. I see we won't have to waste time getting to know each other."
"What d'ye want here?" Kendra demanded, but kept her voice low so as not to attract attention from the occasional passing student. There was no telling what this creature in disguise was capable of. And she couldn't just slay it right here at school. But as long as it was willing to keep things nonviolent, then Kendra can as well. Until she got this thing someplace more private.
Anya just shrugged. "I'm just observing."
"Observing what?"
"You."
Kendra blinked. "What?"
"I'm observing you," Anya said.
Kendra was silent for a few seconds. "Why?"
Anya took a step closer. Kendra started to ease her hand inside her jacket.
"Oh, calm down," Anya said. "I'm not going to try anything right here. And besides, I don't thing you really want to draw that kind of attention to yourself. It would blow your secret identity or at least make you more an outcast than you already are."
Kendra was surprised at the sudden anger she felt at hearing those words.
Again, Anya looked past her and nodded her head toward Willow and the others. "Look at them. They're all so lively."
Kendra looked over her shoulder, before realizing she was turning away from an enemy, but could not stop from looking at what she saw. She saw that Cordelia was walking away from the others and Willow and Xander were watching Faith talk to a male student by the water fountain. The brunette was smiling at the young man and he in turn was smiling at Faith. She seemed to be speaking to him with such ease --something Kendra could not yet do-- without a trace of awkwardness on her part. Faith looked in total control of the conversation as well.
Kendra recognized the student. His first name was Scott. She had never heard his last name or she would have remembered it.
Anya continued, "They may not always be happy, but they do have that . . . human quality about them."
Kendra turned her head sharply to give Anya a threatening look. The smile on her human looking features widened.
"I believe we struck a nerve," she said. "But it's not you're fault really. Despite what you've been told, do you honestly believe Slayer's are really human?" She tilted her head forward towards the Faith. "Sure, that one may have the act down, but then you've been in the game much longer than she has. You know the truth."
"I tink you should leave now," Kendra said, in an even tone.
Anya didn't respond to the threat, just gazed into Kendra's eyes. Almost as if searching.
"You truly do not realize how unique you are, do you, Kendra?"
Her voice had softened as she spoke. Intimate sounding, as if passing a secret. Kendra wasn't sure how to reply to that, so didn't.
"And I'm not talking about you being a Slayer." Anya's voice dropped lower. "What if I were to tell you that you weren't even supposed to be here?"
Kendra resisted the urge to ask what she meant, refusing to play this creature's games. But she couldn't deny that she wanted to hear more. As if sensing this, Anya continued.
"I don't mean here in Sunnydale. I mean alive. Right now. You shouldn't be here." Anya paused. As to explain, she said, "The universe is an endless plane of possibilities. Every choice every person can make exists in one reality or another. Say you were walking down a street and decided to turn right. In another reality, you did choose to go left. Maybe as you were crossing the street you get hit by a bus or a truck. In that reality where you went left, you're now dead. But in the reality you went right, you're still alive."
Kendra narrowed her eyes at her and started to turn away. Anya quickly grabbed her by the arm. Kendra's response was immediate. She twisted her forearm under Anya's grip and freed herself as she grabbed the creature's arm. Anya was taken by surprise and Kendra had almost twisted her arm back, but the false schoolgirl recovered and flexed her arm, stopping Kendra's move. The Slayer wasn't surprised by Anya's strength, she knew she wasn't human but the fact that she was able to match Kendra's was cause for alarm.
But Anya didn't seem to want to escalate matters into an all out fight. Her voice only gave the slightest hint of her struggle against Kendra, but she kept a pleasant grin on her face.
"Are we going to dance right here in the hallway where everybody can see us?" she asked.
Kendra took a quick look around. No one had noticed their small conflict yet. After a few more seconds, Kendra released her. Anya smiled at her as she rubbed her forearm with her other hand while balancing her books in her arm.
"God certainly wasn't stingy when it came time to passing out muscles to you Slayer-types, was He?"
"And who d'ye worship?" Kendra asked.
"I'm one to be worshipped. I don't answer to anyone."
"What d'ye follow'rs call you den?"
"Uh-uh. I can't just tell you everything right now. Where would the fun be in that?" She smiled teasingly at her. "Don't worry. We will talk again."
"Kendra," she heard Willow's voice from behind her.
She looked over her shoulder and saw the redhead walking towards her. Behind her, she saw Scott handing a small piece of paper to Faith and the brunette told him she would see him later. Kendra returned her gaze to Anya and--
Didn't see her.
The hallway before her was empty. It was also too long for her to have slipped away in the short time Kendra had turned her head. And she hadn't heard her make a sound. Before she could dwell on what just happened, Willow was by her side.
"Hey, Kendra. Were you talking to someone?"
Kendra glanced at her then scanned the still empty hall again. She finally turned to Willow. "No." She noticed Willow's expression becoming a little concern so she said, in a more even tone. "No. Dere was nobody here."
Willow didn't respond right away. "Oh. Okay. Come on. We were just gonna go to lunch."
Kendra nodded and started to follow the redhead towards the cafeteria. But she took one more look over her shoulder down the hall before she rounded the corner.
End of Part Seven