CHAPTER TWO

We're running with the shadows of the night
So baby take my hand, you'll be all right
Surrender all your dreams to me tonight
They'll come true in the end
You said - oh girl, it's a cold world
When you keep it all to yourself
I said you can't hide on the inside
All the pain you've ever felt
Ransom my heart, but baby don't look back
Cause we got nobody else

Shadows of the Night - Pat Benatar

Buffy stared at the Trevi fountain, feeling like the two tritons who stood within; one with a wild sea horse and the other with a calm one. She hadn't realized that my fountain symbolized the two aspects of the sea until Connor told her. To her, it symbolized her life, all wild danger broken up by bits of calm.

Like now, a calm so enduring she wanted to run naked in the fountain just to liven things up. Connor, Willow, and Giles were somewhere in the Vatican museum getting a special look at some books the Catholic church had locked away forever. Buffy had known Connor only two weeks but she knew in spite of how seriously he took his schooling, he wasn't really 'book guy.' She didn't know why he volunteered to go with Giles and Willow other than maybe to get away from Kennedy. They were like gas and flame, better off not mixing. From the look on Concetta's face as she lounged in the shade listening to Kennedy retelling a tale of glory from Rio for the hundredth time, she was on Connor's side. Alcina, a fifteen-year-old Greek Slayer, seemed half asleep in the warm Mediterranean spring sunlight.

Some days, Buffy was on Connor's side, too. As hard as she tried, Buffy couldn't bury the memories of the mutiny little Miss Brat had led against her. It hadn't been forgiven or forgotten. It simply wasn't spoken about. Nor was her own culpability in that mutiny. If she hadn't been acting like Captain Bligh, giving the Potentials the 'everyone sucks but me speech,' it might not have happened, or at least her sister and her best friends wouldn't have allowed it to get as far as it had.

Still, the one thing she and Faith saw eye to eye on was that little power ploy of Kennedy made her worthy of close scrutiny, especially since she didn't think she had anything to learn from Buffy. The elder Slayers knew it was only a matter of time before Kennedy arrogance got her in trouble. Kennedy was a self-admitted brat and Buffy had tried hard to work with her to tone it down, to show her that things tougher than her existed out there but in the end Buffy gave up and sent her and Willow to South America to find more new Slayers. Buffy just hoped Willow was prepared for the day when Kennedy's attitude cost her big time and hoped Willow wouldn't be the one to pay the price

Buffy felt traitorous to Willow, feeling as she did about Kennedy but she said nothing to her friend about it. If Willow could endure the trials and traumas of her being with Angel and Spike and even Riley, if they both could deal with Anya being with Xander and even coming to like the ex-demon, then she could deal with Kennedy. The girl was young. Maybe she'd mature. Maybe she'd move on as teenagers often did. Buffy knew that it was very selfish of her but she couldn't help it. The best she could do was hide how she felt from Willow. She wished she hadn't ever spoken of it to Faith, fearing the more hot-headed Slayer might say something but Faith had changed, become more mature. They all had, really. Besides, Faith was half a world away in Cleveland and Kennedy was out of her hair.

Of course, if Andrew kept chattering at Kennedy, Alcina, and Concetta like he was at the moment, she might not have to worry about it. He and Kennedy were likely to thrown down with each other. He was just as likely to land a lucky blow from a distance and kill Kennedy or himself. Either way it would be quieter and she knew that was equally selfish. Maybe having time to herself was a bad thing. It led to bad thoughts. Kennedy, Concetta, Alcina, and Andrew were with her for a purpose. They had gotten a call from a priest to check out suspicious deaths. They were just waiting for Giles and Willow to proceed. Connor was just a luxury but she was happy for it.

" I Neanche se lei fosse l'unico uomo sulla terra I ," Concetta snapped at Andrew who was leaning over her, obviously excited about something.

The Italian Slayer's tone dragged Buffy back to her companions when she wanted to remain lost in the world of marble and history.

"What's that even mean?" Andrew sulked, understanding the tone if not the words.

"I don't speak Italian and even I know that means 'not if you're the last man on earth'," Kennedy said and Buffy figured she was right. Terra definitely meant earth.

Buffy tried to ignore them but it was hard. She was as antsy as they were waiting on their overdue friends and seeing Andrew, Buffy really wanted to ask Giles what it was about Watchers' training that turned everyone into pompous windbags. Andrew was worse than Wesley had been in his Sunnydale days. Then again, Andrew never shut up from the first day he darkened her door. Xander kept insisting Andrew's ability to remember all that geek minutia would translate to him being a good Watcher since memory was key. She didn't dispute that and with as many Slayers they had now, they really did need all the Watchers they could get. She and Faith were functioning as both Watcher and Slayer most of the time.

"I just don't like seeing pretty women alone," Andrew said, gazing at Concetta.

"What makes you think 'Cet wants you?" Kennedy stabbed her tongue into the slushy treat she had gotten from a nearby vendor.

"We have too many lonely hearts," Andrew continued as if not hearing her. "Poor Dawn all alone in London or Faith back in the States."

Buffy noticed Andrew failed to mention he usually was in London with Dawn. She knew her sister had shot him down fast and hard when she moved there after finally admitting they just couldn't afford the schooling in Italy, not being citizens. It was ridiculously expensive. Buffy had no choice but to trust her sister's care to Giles. She knew it would be good for Dawn in the long run to get out of her shadow and to become her own person.

Buffy felt sorry for Faith. Robin had died of his wounds before they had even gotten their injured to L.A. She knew Faith had been devastated almost as much as Xander had been over Anya. She figured that was why he volunteered to go to Africa.

"Even our bright, beautiful Buffy is alone now that the dark shadow of Spike and Angel are gone," Andrew said with a theatrical sweep of his arm towards her.

Buffy rolled hers eyes. Andrew had no business talking about her love life but she knew there was no stopping him. He loved playing match maker, which was why she was glad he was usually in London with poor Giles. Her Watcher had been letting Ripper out to play once or twice and Andrew had squealed on him to her. She told him let Giles have his fun. If any man deserved it, it was Giles who had given up nearly a decade of his life babysitting her and her friends.

"Buffy's not alone," Alcina said, her nearly black eyes dancing with glee. "I think she likes our little boy."

Buffy smiled, ducking her head, feeling almost shy. 'Our little boy' was a name the Slayers she was training had hung on poor Connor. In two weeks he had become their mascot, more or less. He seemed embarrassed by it but that didn't keep him from fighting at their sides.

"Oh, she'd never have any interest in that rough little man," Andrew scoffed, waving a dismissive hand at Alcina.

"You could say that," Buffy said, "But you'd be wrong."

Andrew looked pole axed. "But why?"

Buffy thought about it. It wasn't that she put conscious thought into her attraction. Certainly Connor didn't have Angel's smoldering intensity, Spike's fluid sensuality or even Riley's innocent good looks. Connor was a little scrawny, kind of oddly put together with big hands and nose; he had hair like he wanted to be the Monkees' Davy Jones and the only sign that he was a boy was the large adam's apple pushing against the skin of his slender neck. He was androgynous.

Still, he combined a lot of traits of her past lovers. His moodiness and sexy sneer - how he managed to turn that negative into something sexual she didn't know - put her in mind of Angel. In a fight, he moved with such speed and cat-like liquidity that she saw Spike in her mind's eyes. His soft sad blue eyes reminded her of Riley. Maybe it wasn't healthy to be interested in someone solely based on his resemblance to past lovers or maybe she just had a type that she liked. That was common enough. Connor was different if by the sole fact she was actually interested in someone younger than her for a change.

"You must not like him very much," Andrew said when Buffy didn't answer fast enough. "He reminds me of Wormtongue."

"Actually he's more like Legolas," Buffy said, indulging in a moment of Orlando Bloom lust. She enjoyed the stricken look in Andrew's eyes. He never expected her to pull out a geek card, which she could from time to time. "I like Connor a lot. He's intense. He's one hell of a fighter and he's sweet when he wants to be."

Andrew snorted. "But you have no idea how Connor fights like he does. He could be a demon, you don't know. That's why you called in me and Mr. Giles." Off Buffy's cocked eyebrow, he added. "And Willow."

"Yeah lucky us. I miss Rio," Kennedy muttered.

Buffy wanted to remind the younger Slayer that was only half the reason she had been recalled to Rome. Willow and Kennedy were supposed to be picking up South American Slayers but every time they checked in they were playing around in Rio. Giles was going to reassign them even before Buffy called him about Connor. Kennedy was a bad influence on Willow. Buffy couldn't imagine Willow being that irresponsible on her own. She had really wanted Willow to stay with Giles, to make sure she wasn't relapsing on the magic addiction after the last huge spell in Sunnydale but that wasn't an option. The core group had spread to four of the seven continents in an attempt to find more Slayers. Xander was due to go to Australia in a month and Giles was thinking of sending Willow and Kennedy to Asia.

For her part, Willow seemed just as excited about Connor's differences as Giles was and she found Rome even more romantic than Rio. Buffy concurred. Buffy figured Kennedy was jealous of all the time Willow spent with Giles and Connor, not to mention her. She knew Kennedy mistrusted her closeness to Willow.

"I really doubt he has any interest in you, Buffy. The way he fights like a Slayer he's probably one of those women trapped in a man's body kinda person," Andrew said and all three Slayers executed a group eye roll. Buffy rather suspected that if anyone was a woman, it was Andrew.

"Boy, I'm glad they brought you here from London for your expert opinion." Kennedy trashed the paper container for her slushie. "Woman trapped in a man's body."

"Who's a woman trapped in a man's body?" Connor asked, pushing through the crowds. Willow and Giles were right behind him.

"According to Andrew, you." Kennedy smirked and Buffy wanted to kick her.

"Really?" Connor's lips peeled away from his strong, white teeth in a vicious sneer; the kind that screamed, 'Angelus.'

Buffy put a hand on Connor's arm. "What do you have there?" She nodded to the paper folded around golden balls that smelled delicious. She was hungry and if she could distract him from Andrew at the same time all the better.

" I Suppli di riso. /I Have some. They're fried rice balls stuffed with mozzarella," he said.

Buffy tried one and found them to be as good as they smelled. She ate a few more. "Thanks. I don't know how someone who eats so much can stay so slim."

"I have a good metabolism," Connor said, offering the rice balls to Concetta and Alcina, Buffy noticed. She didn't doubt he had shared them with Willow and Giles earlier but was denying the bounty to Kennedy and Andrew. Connor could be as cold as Norway when it came to people he didn't like.

"He's our shrew," Willow bubbled, resting a hand on his shoulder, oblivious to Kennedy's vitriolic look. Buffy wasn't.

"Buffy, when you called you said there was something we should look into," Giles interrupted as if sensing the tension.

"Which is why we're guessing you called out the Calvary." Willow linked arms with Kennedy, resting her head on her shoulder for a moment.

"Father Cardinelli, one of Father Gabrielle's under priests, called the complex. Someone killed one of his parishioners in the confessional last night and the priests think whoever it was escaped into the nearby I Catacombe di Domitilla /i ," Buffy said.

"Vampire?" Willow almost sounded bored with the idea.

Buffy shook her head. "No marks on the body anywhere. Father Gabrielle said this was the fifth death in the area just like it. No one knows how they died. He thought maybe we ought to have a look since he thinks it could be supernatural. Since you're our research guys I figured you and Will would want in on this and Connor might come in handy if we have to go into the catacombs."

"Well, those catacombs run for miles," Connor said. "We should break into groups if we have to go down. Me, you, Alcina, and Giles and Willow, Kennedy, Concetta, and Andrew."

"Who put you in charge?" Andrew glared.

"Logic. I broke the team into two super strong warriors, one Watcher a piece and hey your team gets the added benefit of a mage, not to discount Giles' abilities with magic. My team gets the extra warrior," Connor argued. "But if you want Buffy, I'll take Concetta."

"No, the teams are fine as is," Buffy said hurriedly, knowing she had divided it up the same way. "If we're lucky, we won't have to go into the catacombs."

"It'll be fun, Buffy, just like Indiana Jones." Andrew smiled in anticipation, clapping his hands together.

"Yeah, maybe the rats will get you," Connor muttered.

Buffy stuffed a rice ball in his mouth before he could start a fight. She stole another for herself as they headed for the church. Giles and Willow listened intently as the priest lamented the loss of his parishioner. The Slayers as a whole were having trouble sitting still, even Concetta who had to translate from time to time when Father Cardinelli's English failed him. At least they got all five names of the victims so Willow could do her computer mojo and look at the autopsies to see if that shed any light on the potential killer. Father Cardinelli introduced them to Father Marachetti who had seen a dark shadowy thing slink out of the confessional and into the catacombs. Giles asked to speak to Father Gabrielle, the head priest, as well but the man wasn't available.

Buffy had no desire to go into the catacombs. Andrew, Giles, and Willow looked like they were about to go to Disney World. Father Cardinelli helped set them up with guides and into the grotesque depths they went. It felt like days while they poked around the gloomy volcanic underground. She listened to Giles talk about how the Romans would come down here and picnic with their deceased family. She was just as glad that custom died out because the idea of sitting down at her mother's grave with a bucket of chicken and Pepsi grossed her out. The loculi where bodies had lain were even freakier. She found herself wishing for a vampire just to end the slasher movie tension.

Giles, Alcina and the guide went around one bend while she and Connor took another. He paused to look at mosaic. Buffy had to wonder why anyone would put the time and effort into laying thousands of colored shards into a pattern for any reason let alone miles underground in a crypt.

"Is that Jesus?" Buffy nodded at the mosaic.

Connor nodded. "And St. Peter and St. Paul. It's beautiful."

"I guess...creepy." She glanced down a gloomy tunnel, trying hard not to dwell on the strange smell. "I don't think we have a prayer of finding whatever it is down here."

"Agreed. Too many places to hide." Connor touched one of the glass pieces quickly as if he were making a huge transgression. "We don't even know what we're looking for."

"We should get Giles and round up the others," Buffy said.

Connor's eyes didn't leave the mosaic, obviously getting something out of it she didn't. "Why was Andrew calling me a woman in a man's body?"

"It's his theory of why you fight like a Slayer." Buffy grinned. "Mostly he's just jealous."

"Because Andrew thinks I want someone other than him?" Connor turned, smirking at her. "Or because he thinks you want someone other than him."

"I'm really not sure." Buffy felt her grin broadening. "Andrew doesn't think you have any interest in me."

Connor shrugged. "Because I haven't done this?"

He moved in and kissed her. Standing under a mosaic of Jesus surrounded by the dead, Buffy knew it should feel very wrong. It didn't. His mouth was hot. She was so not used to that any more. He tasted of rice and cheese and a cappuccino he must have had not long before he met her at the Trevi Fountain. Now that would have been a proper place to kiss her instead of a crypt. He took a step back. "I probably could have picked a more romantic setting," he said as if reading her mind.

"I'm a Slayer." Her face took on a rueful cast. "This is as romantic as it gets."

He smiled one of his huge, "I need to be continued on the next man" smiles. "Well, in that case."

Buffy didn't wait for him to kiss her. She pulled him to her, feeling the strong muscles in his shoulders tightening as her tongue explored his mouth. How someone so thin could feel so powerful, she had no idea. She knew his strength. They had sparred. She nearly lost to him twice. He might be young but there was talent in his tongue and lips as he all but devoured her.

"I'm afraid that this is a hopeless endeavor. Until we know what we're looking for, we're wasting time," Giles said, coming around the corner with Alcina and the guide. Buffy jumped back, knowing she had to look guilty and red-faced. Giles just gave her his tight-lipped, 'I'm irritated' look and plucked his glasses off for a cleaning. Alcina just beamed, obviously feeling justified in her suspicions about the elder Slayer's interest in their 'little boy.'

"You know, Giles, one of these days you're going to polish straight through the glass," Buffy said, pushing past him. "Let's find Willow and get her started on finding the autopsies. Maybe we can narrow the field."

She looked back just briefly and saw Connor and Giles exchange glances. She was expecting a fatherly disapproval but Giles flashed one of his 'cheeky' smiles as he would most likely call it. Connor looked utterly unapologetic. Buffy wondered why she felt so guilty. Maybe because she had such a bad habit of making out when she was supposed to be patrolling. She had done it with Angel, Riley, Spike and now Connor. Maybe she should feel guilty since she had only known the young man for two weeks and could probably count on both hands the things she actually knew about him.

She tried to push him out of mind and concentrate on work. Somehow she knew it wouldn't be as easy as that.