Night Falls
Notes: Again, thanks for the reviews. And thanks for sticking with the story; I know I tend to write long ones.
Previously:
"Yeah," Hailey responded, gazing into Willow's emerald eyes. "I want to make this work. I'm not saying that I won't get pretty damn pissed the next time I see Kennedy," she said. "But I love you. And I know that you love me. That's all that really matters."
Chapter Forty-One:
The girls had been excited to see Hailey sitting in the kitchen when they entered for what Xander had dubbed "the breakfast rush." Though Hailey had been happy to see them as well, she felt uncomfortable under the spotlight. She would always relate better to them than Buffy or Faith because she had been a Potential Slayer for her whole life. But she was a Slayer now and that made her different. The girls could see it in Hailey's eyes. Something else lingered there now; something dangerous lurking under the surface that was waiting with bated breath to break free.
The one person, however, that Hailey had been waiting to see with a mix of dread and morbid anxiety was not among the girls that ate with she and Willow. After they had cleaned up, the girls went into the backyard to train with Giles and Wesley, leaving Willow and Hailey alone in the kitchen. "Where was she?" Hailey asked lowly.
"In the doorway," Willow said, nodding to the figure of Kennedy, who was standing in the doorway of the kitchen. Hailey turned and saw the younger girl. She looked scared. In that moment, Hailey realized something very important. She really was no longer a Potential. She was a Slayer and it was her duty to protect all of the girls, even Kennedy. Without warning, she started laughing, despite the concerned and confused looks that Willow and Kennedy shot her. She continued laughing until her stomach hurt, tears were streaming down her eyes, and she could not breath. Finally, her laughter subsided and she wiped her face.
"Sorry," she murmured embarrassedly. "I have no idea what that was about." She felt infinitely better, as though a great weight had been lifted from her chest.
"It's okay," Willow said, gazing at her worriedly.
"Shouldn't you be out there training with the others?" Hailey asked Kennedy. The younger girl nodded.
"Yeah," she replied.
"Why aren't you?" Hailey questioned.
"I figured you would have something to say to me," Kennedy answered warily. "Look, just give it to me straight. I overstepped my bounds. Willow is with you. I should have realized that. And because of me, Caleb kidnapped you. I couldn't apologize enough for that if I tried. So whatever you have to say just say it."
Hailey smiled slightly and stepped forward. "Do I have to hold you back?" Willow whispered.
"No," Hailey whispered back. "Kennedy…to be honest, I thought that when I saw you, I would want to kill you. Funny thing is, I really don't. I kinda think getting kidnapped and tortured was good for my development. I guess what I'm trying to say is…I get it. If she was with you, I wouldn't have stopped trying either. So let's call a truce, okay?"
Kennedy grinned and looked down at the ground a moment before stepping forward and accepting Hailey's outstretched hand. "Okay," she replied.
"Now get out there with the others," Hailey instructed. Kennedy nodded and slipped out of the backdoor.
"That was very mature of you," Willow commented.
"Well, I figured it was about time I started growing up," Hailey shot back.
"What're you doing up?" Faith asked as she and Buffy finally made their way into the kitchen.
"Getting on with my life," Hailey answered. Buffy shot Willow a look and the witch flashed her a rather indiscreet thumbs up. "What's with that?" Hailey asked.
"Just wanted to make sure 'getting on with my life' meant that you and Will were back together," Buffy elaborated happily.
"You're in a good mood," Willow stated. Hailey looked between Faith and Buffy and smirked.
"They finally did it," She said. Buffy instantly turned a shade of bright red.
"Yep," Faith said nonchalantly.
"Faith!" Buffy admonished.
"What?" Faith asked, shrugging her shoulders. "We did."
"So," Buffy said, flustered, "that's none of their business."
"I hate to break it to you," Willow said, "but we could hear you guys through the walls."
"They're not very thick," Hailey furthered explained.
"You may have to explain the finer points of lesbian sex to some of the younger girls, though," Willow added. "They were a little confused."
"Oh, God," Buffy said, mortified, as she covered her face with her hand.
"Don't worry, B," Faith said, slapping her on the shoulder. "I'll give them all the juicy details. You won't have to say a thing."
"You better not," Buffy warned.
Hailey watched her friends banter amongst themselves contentedly, though she had the sudden feeling that there would not be many more moments like that one. Glancing out of the kitchen window, she watched the girls stretch for a moment. Her eyes settled on a new face and she frowned. "Who's that?" She asked.
"I don't know," Buffy said, glancing out of the window.
"She must be a newbie," Faith commented.
"Gonna break her in?" Willow teased.
"Just maybe," Faith said, grinning.
"Don't freak her out too much," Buffy yelled after Faith as she left the kitchen for the backyard. "What's up?" Buffy asked, noticing Hailey intently watching the new girl.
"Nothing," Hailey answered absently.
"Any plans for today?" Buffy asked Willow as she pulled a box of cereal from one of the cabinets.
"Trying to change the subject?" Willow teased. "Just to get my girl back on the mend."
"I'm already on the mend," Hailey said, turning her attention from the new girl to her girlfriend.
"You know what I mean," Willow said winking. Hailey smiled.
"Am I to understand that you want to undertake the official duties of being a naughty nurse?" Hailey joked.
"I think I could dredge up a costume," Willow said half seriously.
"That I'd like to see," Hailey remarked.
"This is good," Buffy said, smiling as she watched the lovers.
"What's good?" Hailey asked.
"You two and the being back to normal," Buffy replied. "You guys had us worried for a minute there."
"It's all good, right, baby?" Willow said, moving behind Hailey, and wrapping her arms around her waist.
"Absolutely," Hailey replied.
Buffy glanced out of the kitchen window and groaned. "Okay, I seriously have to stop her," she said, putting down her cereal bowl. Faith was making the new Potential run laps around the yard.
"Everyone's gotta get broken in sooner or later," Hailey called after her.
"You know," Willow said, "there are two very intriguing looking crates out in the foyer for you."
"I know," Hailey replied. "I was hoping to open them. I could probably use some help."
"Sure," Willow said, closely following after Hailey as she slowly made her way out of the kitchen.
"I'm not gonna fall over, you know," Hailey joked, noticing how closely Willow was hovering.
"It's not all about trying to catch you if you fall," Willow said defensively.
"No?" Hailey asked.
"No," she replied. "Some is just wanting to be near you."
Hailey smiled, her smile growing wider when she saw the boxes. "Yep, exactly what I thought," she said.
"What's in them?" Willow asked as she helped Hailey rip off one of the lids.
"Ammo and guns," Hailey said.
"You're pretty excited over some guns and ammunition," Willow remarked.
"You think that's weird? You get excited over eye of newt, okay?" Hailey shot back.
"Fair enough," Willow said laughingly.
"But these aren't just normal guns, or normal bullets," Hailey said, picking up one of the guns and eyeing it appreciatively. "These are for killing vampires."
"No more sharp, pointy sticks?" Willow joked.
"At least not for the Turok-Hans," Hailey said thoughtfully. "I had this weird dream the other night…"
"A dream?" Willow asked interestedly.
"Yeah," Hailey replied. "I was walking through the high school and, all of the sudden, I was in this underground chamber. I was standing on a ledge and there was a valley before me. It was filled with Turok-Han vampires."
"You should talk to Giles about that," Willow said seriously.
"Why?" Hailey questioned.
"Slayers often have prophetic dreams," Willow reminded her. "You could be dreaming about something that's going to happen."
"I hope it isn't," Hailey said, shuddering at the memory of their hideous faces. "But if it is, we're locked and loaded."
"Buffy and Faith will want to see these," Willow said. "And give the girls a demonstration. The last thing we need is a bunch of Potentials with no experience handling firearms trying to shoot vampires."
"There was something else that I wanted to do first," Hailey said. "It shouldn't take long. I just need to call someone."
………………………..
"They broke into the vineyard," the First yelled. "We're lucky they didn't find it."
"They're not going to find it," Caleb yelled back, much to the First's surprise. "I'm sorry," he said, lowering his voice. "I shouldn't have yelled."
"It's alright," the First said slowly.
"But they're not going to find the Scythe. I won't let them. That much I can promise you. I've searched too long and too hard for it to let it fall into their hands," Caleb assured it.
"You've made lots of promises," the First noted. "For instance, you promised that you would kill Hailey. Yet, she still lives. Even after you tortured her. Even after the Bringers were sent to the hospital. You should have gone yourself."
"I will kill her," he said grimly. "Even if it's the last thing that I do, I will kill her."
"Let's hope it's not the last thing that you do," the First replied. "We still have much to accomplish before we're ready to wage our war on the Slayers."
"The army is almost complete," Caleb said. "We just need a little more time before we can unleash them."
"Make sure the Slayers don't get the Scythe. And for God sakes, kill that stupid bitch before she causes any more trouble," the First instructed.
Caleb smiled grimly. "As you wish."