Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow

Previously:

Kara smiled. "Yeah," she answered, studying Dawn carefully. "You know what we need?"

"Yeah, I do," Dawn said, jumping to her feet. "Let's get the others. We have a spell to perform."

Chapter Forty-Seven:

"This is it!" Dawn said from the back seat of her mother's SUV. She, Willow, Tara, Kennedy, and Kara were crammed into the vehicle with a bag of magical supplies they obtained from the Magic Box. Despite their argument that the supplies were needed to prevent further damage to the town, and thereby the shop itself, Anya still insisted that they pay for everything they wanted. Though it pissed her off at the time, Kara found it rather humorous. It had embarrassed the hell out of Xander.

Pulling the SUV over, Kara shut off the ignition and stepped out onto the chipped gravel of the dilapidated access road. In front of them, waves were roaring, crashing onto the blackened beach. The moon was covered by a stretch of clouds and everything seemed much dark than it really was. It was only an hour or so before dawn, yet, it seemed to be in the dead of night. "Well, let's go," Kara said, once the others had joined her.

They took off walking, on what Kara expected to be a fairly decent hike. Dawn and Kennedy walked a few yards ahead of them. When they got close to the cave, Dawn would know. Tara, Willow, and Kara hung back, watching the waves. The two witches didn't want to overexert themselves before they even began the spell. From what Dawn was able to relate, it would be an intense experience. Veronica had wanted Kara and Kennedy guarding the cave because once the spell was over, Willow and Tara would be drained of their power. It would take them several days to recuperate fully.

"So what's the deal with you and Kennedy?" Willow asked lowly, so as not to be overheard. Kara looked over at her in confusion.

"Nothing," she replied slowly. Willow smiled knowingly and nodded her head.

"She likes you," she said, amused. Kara stopped walking and looked over at Willow.

"No she doesn't," Kara argued.

"Keep walking," Tara said, leading Kara on by the arm. "Don't want to raise any suspicions, do we?"

"But she doesn't like me," Kara said again, wracking her brain to try to come up with any instance in which she had thought Kennedy was checking her out.

"I swear she does," Willow maintained. "You can see it in her eyes when she looks at you. But she doesn't think you even see her."

"I see her," Kara lamely replied, still letting herself be dragged on by Tara.

"What do you feel when you see her?" Tara asked patiently.

"Hey guys! We're here!" Dawn yelled back to them, excitedly pointing to the large, gaping entrance of the cave.

"We have to go in there?" Willow asked timidly. "What if there's demons in there? Or frogs?"

"There won't be," Tara said reassuringly. "It's a center of mystical power. Only beings of light can enter it."

"Frogs aren't beings of light?" Kara asked suddenly, her eyes laughing.

Tara smiled, successfully stifling the laughter threatening to spill out of her. "I don't imagine they are."

"How do you know there's nothing in there?" Willow asked, looking to her girlfriend for reassurance.

"I can feel it," Tara said, smiling over to her. "Come on." The two witches began walking toward the cave, leaving Kara behind.

"I don't know what I feel," Kara mumbled to herself dejectedly. Groaning, she followed after them.

While Dawn, Tara, and Willow disappeared into the cave, Kennedy and Kara plopped down side by side on the sand. "Why did I get dragged out on the predawn sit and wait mission?" Kennedy groaned. "I could be sleeping right now."

"Yeah," Kara mumbled, resting her head on her arms and staring out at the water absently. Kennedy studied her for a moment.

"You okay?" She asked, seeing Kara's far off look. She imagined the other girl was thinking about Callum. She always seemed to be thinking about Callum when she got that look in her eyes.

"Five by five," Kara unconsciously muttered. She wasn't thinking about Callum, however, she was thinking about Kennedy. She distinctly remembered that moment in Buffy's basement when Kennedy had woken up after spending the night sprawled out on top of her. Something flashed through the younger girl's eyes that Kara couldn't quite place at the moment. Looking back on it now, it seemed to be a resigned, almost defeated love that flashed through Kennedy's eyes.

"Yeah, I believe that for a second," Kennedy said. After hanging around Faith enough, Kennedy had learned that the phrase five by five clearly meant that nothing was five by five, but the person saying it didn't want reveal his or her true feelings. "Seriously, what's bothering you?"

Kara turned her head, still resting it on her arms, and looked deep into Kennedy's eyes. She could see that same look there now. She thought it should be weird that she was starting to have feelings for another girl, but then she had been partially raised by two lesbian parents, and after them, Willow. Sighing, she looked back out at the ocean again. "I think I'm falling for you."

............................

Dawn, Tara, and Willow sat in a triangle formation on the cave floor. They had walked several yards in, until they could no longer hear the crashing of the waves. They didn't want anything to distract them. It took them a few minutes to set up a ring of candles. The light was dancing on the cave walls in a rich, amber glow that warmed their hearts. "So how does this work?" Willow asked, once they were set up.

Breathing in deeply, Dawn answered, "We have to be in a state of meditation. Then, I can access the knowledge and will telepathically link both of you to it."

"That's deep stuff," Tara said, eyeing Dawn carefully. The girl seemed older now, more mature, more focused. It was as if harnessing her powers as the Key had changed her somehow.

Dawn smiled. "Let's begin." As the three women fell deeper and deeper into a meditative state, a pale blue glow began to form around them, emanating from Dawn. Willow and Tara both gasped as the knowledge of the spell flooded their minds. The candles flickered and the spell began. Clutching Tara's hand tightly, Willow let her girlfriend's strength and calm flow into her. Dawn opened her eyes and watched as Willow's hair suddenly changed from red to white. "Wow," she muttered to herself as the blue light was replaced by a glowing golden light that filled the entirety of the cave. Suddenly, the light disappeared for a moment before bursting out more brilliantly and racing out of the cave. Willow and Tara fell forward in a heap, each panting, recovering from losing so much power.

"That was incredible," Willow muttered in between breaths. "Worked too, unlike some of my other ventures."

Dawn laughed. "Let's get you guys out of here," she said, her voice laced with affection for the two witches. She had a whole new respect for them after seeing the display of their power. "I like your hair," she murmured as she helped Willow to her feet.

"My hair?" Willow asked, looking down at a strand of her now white hair. "What the hell?"

"It'll wear off in a few days," Dawn said laughingly.

"I think it looks kinda sexy," Tara said, wrapping an arm around Willow's waist, in part to support herself, and in part to support Willow. Both were stumbling a bit.

"Anyone up for breakfast?"

...............................

Kennedy blinked, unsure if she had even heard the other girl correctly. "I'm sorry, you're what?" She asked after a few moments, desperately hoping that what she heard was true.

"I'm falling for you," Kara repeated, looking over at Kennedy. Kennedy's eyes were shining wet with unshed tears. "You okay?" Kara asked, suddenly concerned. Reaching out, she gently caressed Kennedy's cheek, her fingers studying the potential's face.

Kennedy smiled, reaching up and grabbing Kara's hand. She squeezed it tightly, as if she was afraid Kara would vanish if she let go. "Never been better," she said. Kara smiled and scooted closer to the girl, reaching up with her free hand and entangling it in Kennedy's raven locks.

"I've never really done this before," Kara whispered as she and Kennedy leaned closer to each other, only a few inches apart.

"First time for everything," Kennedy murmured as her lips crashed into Kara's. Both girls moaned into each other's mouths as their tongues grazed and dueled. They broke apart, breathing heavily, their eyes glazed over with desire. "You're so beautiful," Kennedy whispered, tucking a strand of Kara's dark hair behind her ear.

Suddenly Kennedy's eyes were filled with a glowing amber light. It flashed brilliantly before disappearing. "What the hell," Kennedy muttered, blinking several times. She felt different, stronger.

Kara smiled widely. "You're a slayer now."