Never Again

By: Sara a.k.a. 'Kenny'

Chapter 1: The Break Up

It had been a day, six hours, thirteen minutes, and forty-five seconds since Willow had sucked the life out of her. Kennedy knew that Willow had once gone deep in it but she never knew that Willow, her new girlfriend would hurt her so much. She didn't even warn her that this could happen. All she really knew now was that she was scared of her. No not scared…petrified and Kennedy hadn't been this shaken up since the death of her watcher. Which she had to admit was a month ago…or was it two? She lost count of time since her stay at Slayer Central.

Kennedy was working in the basement just working off some steam. She hadn't even heard Willow come down the steps. Willow sat down and just watched her girlfriend? She didn't know if Kennedy would still be with her or not. They weren't really talking at the moment. She noticed Kennedy starting to hit the bag harder and harder in frustration. Then in one last once of strength she saw her stand back and faced the wall. In less than a second Kennedy had broke through the cement wall and pull her fist back out to find it bloody.

"Crap…" Kennedy sighed.

She turned around to find Willow rushing towards her. When she reached her Willow tried to cuddle her injured hand but Kennedy withdrew it as fast as she could.

"I'm fine Willow…please just let me by…"

Kennedy tried to walk past her but Willow wouldn't budge.

"Is this how it's going to be Kennedy?" She answered through gritted teeth, "I'm sorry okay I'm sorry but I told you it just happened…I didn't have control over it."

"No control…right Willow. I supported you but the least you could have done was give me some kind of warning!"

"I told you about my past and how bad I got! How could you not take that as a warning?"

With that Willow ran back up the stairs and slammed the door, leaving Kennedy alone. God how much she wanted to hit something but seeing as her right hand was already hurt she decided to go clean it up.

Kennedy went up the two flights of stairs to the second floor stairs. Boy was she grateful that all the other potentials were outside training with Buffy.

When she was finishing wrapping her hand Willow silently came up to the door frame. Kennedy noticed her and turned around. She clutched her hand to her chest as if trying to protect it. Willow decided to go first.

"Look I understand that this is probably it for us if you can't forgive me but I have to go…I have some business in LA that might help us with the 'First'…"

Kennedy was shocked. She thought that they would get through this thing together. She couldn't believe that she was leaving at this crucial moment.

"How long?" She managed to ask.

"I don't know two maybe three days at the most."

The two women stood still in the bathroom letting the news sink in.

"What are you going to LA for Willow?" She asked expectantly.

"I can't tell you that until I know for sure about something."

Kennedy ran her hand through her hair in frustration.

"I just don't know about this Willow…I just don't know about us…"

"There's no pressure Kennedy really…can we continue this conversation when I get back?"

Kennedy looked up in surprise that she wasn't getting what she was doing.

"Willow…" She started slowly taking a few steps towards her, "I don't think we can stay together…at lest not right now."

Willow's eyes went big in realization at what she was saying.

"No baby please…we can work this out…" Tears were coming to her eyes.

Kennedy brought her into a hug but Willow pushed her away.

"Please at least think about this while I'm gone…please baby…"

Willow was desperate and Kennedy had to consider this. Kennedy sighed deciding to give into Willow.

"Fine but until then we are on a kind of break…okay"

Willow wiped her tears away and smiled. She went in for a kiss but Kennedy backed away and just gave her a hug.

"Good bye Will…I will talk to you when you get back."

With that Kennedy let go and walked back down the hall and into Willow's room and shutting the door.

Willow composed herself and walked outside and said good bye to the house hold and drove off towards LA driving as fast as she could so she get home to her borderline girlfriend.

Two days later…

Willow pulled into the drive way slowly and turned off the engine. She unbuckled herself and turned to look at the occupant of the passenger seat.

"I don't know about this Red…"

"Come on it took us five hours to get here, ten if you count my round trip, you can't back down now!"

Faith sighed. She nodded and unbuckled herself, she took a deep breathe and got out of the car. She went up the porch with Willow right behind her.

"Do you think she'll be mad Red?"

Faith asked. Willow turned around and faced her. She looked in her eyes and for once in her life she saw fear in Faith's eyes.

"I think she will be shocked and angry, but she will realize that we need you and the time you spend here will help heal your friendship between her and you…now let's go in."

Willow opened the door and they both walked in. No body was in the living room so they walked in to the kitchen. Still no one but Willow knew where they must be. She opened the basement door and the two made a slow descendant down ward. Faith could hear Buffy talking.

When they reached bottom Buffy stopped talking when she noticed Faith. The whole group turned to look at Faith and Willow when Buffy had stopped talking and started to walk towards the door. They parted so she could pass them. When she stopped she was right in front of Faith.

"So what did you do now Faith? Break out of jail and come to stay with us because this really isn't a good time."

Kennedy was a bit taken back. She had never heard Buffy that tone of voice with anybody before. She had to admit though the chick Buffy was talking to was pretty hot.

"It'll probably surprise you B…I'm here to help you out with the big bad."

Buffy scowled. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She moved her attention to Willow.

"Is this true? Willow is this what you went all the way to LA for?"

Willow met Buffy's gaze. She knew that Buffy was just trying to make everything so she was in control.

"Yes Buffy it's true and we both know some potentials that are barely trained, one slayer, a witch, an ex demon, 1 vamp with a soul, two ordinary men, and a retired watcher is not enough to beat the first. So yes it's true I went to get more help. We need here whether you like it or not."

Buffy's gaze went back to Faith as she pointed an accusing finger at her.

"Fine but we're running a strict order around here. So know goofing off."

Buffy started to walk back up to the front of the group when she turned back around.

"Oh yeah and your helping with training so you better be in shape."

Faith groaned and Buffy ignored it. Willow walked so she was in front of Kennedy. Everyone knew something was up between them because the past couple of days the very outgoing potential had been really quiet and in deep thought. Once she accidentally taken a fifteen minute shower instead of a five minute and used up all the remaining hot water, making all the potentials very angry at her no matter what she was going through.

When Willow was in front of Kennedy she smiled a little in some kind of hope to see what Kennedy chose, but all the got in return was a slight nod saying that she had made up her mind. Kennedy reached out and grabbed Willow's hand pulling her in a little bit closer and then whispering in her ear.

'We'll talk later…'

Then she let go of her hand and put her remaining hand in her pocket. Willow took that gesture as a bad sign but kept her head high as Buffy got back into speech mode. She rambling on what she saw was coming.

"Their coming and not just one by one. If the first gets its way they will come on millions upon millions. It's almost as if there is one Turok Han for every person on earth. We need to train and train fast. So tomorrow morning the potentials and we slayers will take a run to start off our new training schedule. After the run will be breakfast and you will be told which training group you will be in. There will be three training groups; Mine, Faith's now, and Kennedy who I have to admit is well trained so will also be instructing you younger ones. Now any questions?"

When no one raised their hand or spoke out Buffy decided to wrap it up.

"Good now I suggest you all get some rest…we start the run at six am sharp. Meet on the porch when you're ready to go."

With that done everyone filed out of the basement except for Spike who, with the help of Buffy, chained himself on the wall. When they had reached the top of the stairs Kennedy grabbed Willow's arm and pulled her out to the porch. She then sat on the swinging chair. Willow felt out of place and very nervous. She knew this was the moment.

"Willow I have thought about this for two days straight…and…"

When she didn't continue Willow went over to her and kneeled down in front of her and took her hands into hers. She looked up into those chocolate eyes and got her answer there.

"Kennedy…please we just found each other…" Willow started to cry.

"I know baby I know it's just that maybe after this whole thing is over we could try again, but I not only thought about me, I thought about you…how you would react if I died all of a sudden and I think this way is much better than my death hurting you…"

Kennedy couldn't stand Willow crying in front of her so she got up and walked to the door. She turned around to find Willow looking back at her.

"I am sorry Willow…" She breathed.

Willow's response was just to bury her head in her arms and cry. Kennedy went inside and went straight for the fridge. She found the milk, or what was left of it, and instead of getting a glass to pour it in she just drank it from the carton. When she finished it off she threw it away and turned around towards the island to find that dark haired chick staring at her.

"Hello."

She said just to be polite. She didn't like this intense stare this women was giving her. Faith started to walk around the island till she found a chair and sat in it. She grabbed a bag of chips that were on top of the island and started to munch on them. When Kennedy didn't move she turned around to face her.

"Well are you going to stare at me now or are you gonna sit down?"

Kennedy got the hint and sat down next to her. Faith offered her some chips. Which she gladly accepted and they ate in silence.

"Your Faith right?"

Kennedy stated the obvious since the scene in the basement. Faith just nodded her head.

"And I'm guessing your that volunteer trainer right…Kennedy."

"Yep that's me…"

They both went back to the chips.

"I got the perfect nickname for ya…Kenny!"

Faith said with a big grin. She loved to make them up. It was just something like a trade mark for her. Kennedy looked at her in surprise, her dad had called her Kenny, and no way would she want anybody ever to call her that again.

"NO…I mean no…it's just Kennedy or Kenn…" She nodded her head in affirmation.

Faith got up from her stool and took the chips with her. Before she was gone she turned around and smirked.

"Okay just Kenny!" She said triumphantly.

Faith hopped off and Kennedy just shook her head. For some reason to her Faith calling her Kenny seemed right to her. She shrugged and got up to go watch some TV knowing that Willow would probably be out there for a long time.

Upstairs In Buffy's Room…

Buffy was getting into bed when Faith bounded in with her chips.

"So B where am I sleeping?"

Buffy sighed in annoyance already bothered by Faith's presence.

"Go talk to Kennedy…she seems to be the queen of sleeping arrangements…"

Feeling that Faith had been dismissed she hopped back down stairs. Luckily she didn't skip over any of the sleeping potentials. When she entered the living room she found Kennedy half asleep on the couch.

She came over and gently tapped her on the shoulder. When she didn't respond Faith pinched her arm. Kennedy woke up with a start. She grabbed her arm in pain and looked for the source. She found Faith sitting in front of her chuckling.

"Ha ha…very funny…what do you want?" She asked suspiciously.

"You're in charge of sleeping arrangements."

"Yeah and?"

"Well where am I sleeping Kenny?" She asked innocently.

"Um…"

Kennedy desperately looking around but finding no such area. If she and Willow were still together Faith could sleep on the couch but seeing as they weren't together Kennedy found this area for the night at least.

Faith decided for her and hoped on the other side of the couch. Kennedy was speechless as she took the blankets from her.

"Just don't hog the covers okay Kenny…?"

Author's Note: Well? How is it? Please review! )