Title: Fully Qualified

Author: mistymidnight

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: Joss and gidgetgirl own the majority. I own Erin the secretary--er, administrative assistant-- and Maxwell, thus far.

Spoilers/Timeline: Post-Chosen.

Summary: Who really reads this after the first chapter, anyway?

Author's Notes: Not that much to say. To quote Seinfeld: "I am speechless! I am without speech!" (There's a Seinfeld quote for everything. There's also a Seinfeld marathon on ALL DAY.)

Chapter Four: The Daily Grind

At promptly eight o' clock Monday morning, Willow walked into the office, greeted Erin, hung up her coat, and sat down in her office. She didn't have any appointments until eleven, but she wanted to get some filing done. Technically, one might say, filing was Erin's job, but Willow wanted to look over notes she'd made on various patients. Zane, for one. She had to help him get rid of this slayer-vampire conspiracy theory. She knew he was probably doing it for attention, because Zane was by no means an unintelligent child. In fact, he was extremely bright. Bright enough to know that everything he said couldn't possibly be true. But he came from an extraordinary family. His mother was a Watcher, and his father was as well. Zane, in the meantime, was not.

It seems to me, Willow read in her old notes, that Zane feels his academic accomplishments are dwarfed by everything his parents do. Both his parents are intelligent as well, and he feels like nothing special. His visits to me get his parents to pay attention to how he is different from them.

It made sense. But how to show Zane that he didn't have to come to a psychologist to be special?

Then Thayer. Thayer had some problems with her temper. Having Slayer powers didn't help, either. Willow was always getting calls from Thayer's mother and stepdad saying that Thayer had beat someone up again, Thayer had detention again, Thayer was on the verge of suspension again. Willow could not figure out what was making Thayer so angry, and why she couldn't go to the source of her anger. She keeps taking it on on others, she read. She wondered why she had made a note of such an obvious thing. Oh, right. That was written on Thayer's first visit.

Sophie, though, was probably the most difficult case. Sophie was ten years old and had not spoken a word since she was eight--the year her parents were killed. Willow knew that Sophie's parents had been murdered--in fact, Willow and Kennedy were the ones that had saved Sophie from being killed as well.

Kennedy. I wonder how she's doing, Willow thought. She hadn't spoken to or emailed Kennedy for over a week. I can't believe it's been that long! Note to self: email Ken when I get home.

She hadn't seen Kennedy in person since they'd split up a year and a half ago.

I had been completely mutual. Kennedy had wanted to continue being the roaming Slayer. The longest they'd spent in a place had been right after Sunnydale. They had lived in Brazil for a few months, then moved to England to be close to GIles and the new Council for awhile.Well, awhile turned into a few years, and Willow made use of the time earning her degree in psychology. Kennedy had traveled around Europe during that space of time, always coming back "home" every few weeks or so before leaving again about a week later.

Then they had come to Toronto.

Willow felt more at home there than she had since Sunnydale. She had no idea why. Toronto was not what she thought of as her cup of tea. Tall buildings, busy traffic, bright lights, air pollution. But it was so beautiful at the same time. Kennedy, on the other hand, hated it. That was surprising. Willow couldn't see why Kennedy didn't love Toronto. Kennedy wanted to keep moving. There was a Hellmouth in Cleveland she just had to see, thank you very much. But Willow was not willing to leave. In the two weeks they had stayed in Toronto, it was home.

The decision wasn't so hard. Willow would stay, Ken would go. There would be no more WillowandKennedy, it would be Willow and Kennedy. Separate, but still close. Friends.

And the transition was surprisingly easy. They called, they emailed. But neither had moved on to a new girlfriend.

Willow remembered discussing that with Kennedy one day over the telephone. "Do you notice how even though we broke up, neither of us is dating again?"

"I did notice. I'm observant that way."

Willow smiled, even though she knew Ken couldn't see it. "Wonder why."

"Mmm."

"Maybe we're not over each other," Willow said, half-seriously. In complete honesty, she was over Kennedy. But she didn't want to be rude or hurtful.

"Or maybe," Kennedy said, "I used to be intimate with a great friend of mine and now, even though I'm not, I'm afraid to hurt her feelings. Because she means that much to me."

Willow smiled again. "Maybe."

And that was that. They were friends. No more, and certainly no less. But Willow knew she'd never regret her time with Kennedy. It just hadn't been meant to last, that's all.

She turned back to her files. Lola, who was practically leading a double life, and doing it very convincingly for a four-year-old. Lola One was a happy, bubbly preschooler: affectionate, playful, imaginative. Lola Two was a dark and sad little girl. What Willow had to figure out was why, and how to help her. Lola was a new patient, and her third visit was scheduled for quarter of one today, after her half-day preschool class let out for the day.

Willow closed her eyes and breathed in deeply.

Monday, here I come.

TBC...

mistymidnight