Thanks to devianttart, Sutzina Zion,Gina1982, she-witch and Lil' Candy

Kennedy is very annoying, I know. The return of Xander, because he just won't stay away. :)

The sound of the phone ringing echoed through the house. Upstairs, Willow and Kennedy heard, and ignored it.

The front door was flung open and Buffy stepped in, just as the phone stopped ringing. She walked into the kitchen, quickly wrote a note and left it on the counter then, turning around grabbed her jacket from the back of a chair and went outside again, slamming the door behind her.

Willow and Kennedy,

Gone patrolling with Faith. Later,

Buffy.

Buffy collided with Faith on the front step, and steadied herself against the other girl.

"What'cha doing B? Faith asked, "I thought Slayer's were graceful?"

"Sorry" Buffy said, "I thought we'd go patrol. Haven't done it in a while."

"Yeah" Faith agreed, "Cos you never know when some little JustChosen is going to leap out in front of you and do something stupid."

"That's exactly why we should still patrol. So none of the new ones' kills themselves trying to be heroes. Like Dawn would, if she were here."

Hypocrite Faith sniped mentally.

"Where did little sis' go anyway?" she asked.

"Away. Spain." Buffy said, blushing.

"With who?" Faith asked, ignoring Buffy.

"Dad." Buffy said shortly, casting an embarrassed look at Faith. Buffy had refused to see him, but encouraged Dawn to go. There's only so long any normal teenager can object to a trip to Spain.

Faith shrugged. "Okay, so, we really are patrolling tonight." She smiled, and placed one hand on her hip. "Anything else on your mind?" she said cheekily.

Buffy grinned and looked sideways at Faith.

"We're going patrolling." Buffy announced. "Maybe later for that." she said shyly.

"But what about Red and Kennedy?" Faith asked, not really, now the moment came, wanting the witch and the other slayer to have much more alone time.

"What about them?"

Faith paused. "Nothing." She said, shrugging it off.

Buffy eyed her oddly but didn't say anything.

Willow sung her legs over the side of the bed. "Downstairs." She muttered. "Got to do…something."

Kennedy smiled after her "yeah, say 'hi' to her for me, kay?"

"Why'd you just brush the 'Dawn' subject off?" Buffy asked curiously.

"Why wouldn't I. Think I'm so dead inside that I wouldn't care if you're hurt? Hell B, even I know when not to talk about something" Faith snapped. Need someone to stay and make Kennedy behave herself.

Buffy stopped walking. "Faith!" her voice rose as the other slayer kept walking. "I know you care. I'm sorry."

"No, forget it. I didn't mean it." Faith said.

"I think you did. I think we should talk about this." Buffy's expression was serious.

"Honestly B, I don't give a fuck." Faith said in a flat, dead voice.

Buffy fell silent and walked beside her again. The quickest route to the graveyard was already imprinted on her brain from previous patrols, although she and Faith didn't usually patrol together. Faith always insisted she could handle herself.

Faith thought in silence. Might as well get a lot of the crap out at the beginning.

She sighed. Okay, talk.

"You know I'm a killer, right B?" Faith laughed bitterly. Subtle. Real smooth. "Stupid question, what I mean is, don't forget what I did. Don't forget it."

"I haven't forgotten Faith." Buffy said quietly. "But I haven't forgotten what you've been through to make up for it. I have faith in you." she smiled at the intentional pun, and Faith groaned.

"Anyway. We've got slaying to do."

Willow headed downstairs. A stack of magazines on the coffee table caught her eye and she glanced through them idly. Dawn magazines. Dolly, Cosmo, Teen Dreams.

Underneath the magazines was a brochure, one of the welcoming kinds. Shops, schools, local attractions. None of it looked very exciting. At last, she came to one. University of… "Hey Buffy" Willow called excitedly. "We can go back to uni!"

(Forgive the Australian words)

Eventually, Willow realised that a) she just got practically orgasmic over the prospect of going back to school and,

b) Buffy was not home.

I think that qualifies me as a huge nerd.

The phone started ringing again.

Willow made a grab for it, knocking it on the floor in her haste. "Don't hang up!" she cried, snatching it from the ground.

"I'm not hanging up." A male voice said, amusedly.

"Xander!"

"Sure is. How's my favourite redhead?"

"I missed you! What've you been doing?"

Xander laughed. "I could tell you right now- but how would you like to hear it in person?"

"Of course" Willow said, but you're in England and Giles and…"

She paused. "Are you in America?"

"I am. I'm also approximately 22 minutes from your house."

Willow hung up and dashed upstairs.

Approximately 18 minutes later Willow waited in the hallway. Kennedy watched her for a few minutes, silently, and then disappeared into the lounge room, starting to stretch out her legs.

Soft footsteps on the steps outside and willow rushed forward, ignoring the censuring stare Kennedy threw at her through the open door, and flung open the front door.

"Xander!" Willow cried, rushing over to hug her best friend. He dropped his head and kissed her hair. "Will." He said softly, and then, more cheerfully "Did you miss me?"

Willow hugged him tighter and mumbled, "Little bit, yeah."

He gently disengaged himself from his friend, and asked. "What's up Willow? Is that a spark of sentiment I see in your eye?"

Willow blushed and jumped three foot in the air as Kennedy appeared in the doorway and cleared her throat.

"Jumpy Willow?" Kennedy and Xander said in unison. Xander laughed.

"Hey." Kennedy said flatly to Xander. Great. The Best Friend is back, one more person trying to steal Willow away from me. Well, at least I can take him without breaking a sweat. And if Faith tries to steal Willow away for a 'walk' again, I'll take her too.

Kennedy felt a tiny pang of regret as she watched Willow and Xander sit down. I liked Faith. She wasn't always a little bitch like Buffy. She used to be cool.

She sat down on the lounge next to Willow.

"Where's the Buffster?" Xander asked, one arm around Willow.

"She's out patrolling." Kennedy said. "With Faith."

"Not you though?' Xander asked innocently.

"No." Kennedy snapped.

"Anyone want coffee?" Willow asked, standing up and looking anxiously between the two of them. Soft drink? Xan you want a coke? I'll"

"Chill Treegirl." Kennedy said, -a little scornfully- Xander thought. "I'll go."

Kennedy stalked out of the room. Xander watched her go curiously. "A bit of tension there?" he said softly. "You two have a fight?"

"No." Willow shook her head quickly. "We're all good.

Kennedy came back in the room and tossed Xander a coke, opening a can herself.

"So, what do you think I take my ladies out for tea tonight?" he said, smiling.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay in, I could cook something."

Xander shook his head and smiled at her. "Willow, you know you can't cook. Tara always did that."

Kennedy bristled like a dog. Willow nodded.

"Anyway, I feel like some good American junk. Nothing with mash on." Xander said.

(Kennedy): Mash?

"Yeah, mashed potato, you know. English food."

Half an hour later all were changed, Xander waited near the front door for the two girls to come down. The door opened and Buffy and Faith stepped inside, Faith was halfway through a crude joke and the two girls were holding hands.

Buffy's gaze fell on Xander and her face lit up. "Xander! What are you doing here? Where are you going?" she dropped Faith's hand and grabbed him.

"I'm a popular guy" Xander joked, readjusting his eye-patch that Buffy in her enthusiasm had knocked aside.

Xander hugged her and patiently explained he was there to visit, and was taking them out to dinner. "And that includes you," his gaze fell on Faith "two, now that you're home. So hurry up and get ready. You have twenty minutes to take showers, and get dressed. Faith nodded, her expression cool. Buffy looked at Xander as if he was an alien. "20minutes? Do you remember what a female is Xander? You've been spending too much time with Giles."

"Well, generally we have to stay away anytime showers are mentioned with the slayers" he laughed, and gave her a gentle shove towards the stairs.

"Come on B." Faith said, walking upstairs with her. "We'll shower, we'll dress, and this isn't the Miss Universe pageant."

Xander continued staring up the stairs and then shrugged his shoulders, heading over towards the living room he tossed back a comment over his shoulder. "You've got two showers, hey? Cool, that's better than in England. Nothing but female bathrooms, due to of course" he said to Kennedy, "all the female slayer types.

Giles and I were designated the least girly of the bathrooms, but every time he goes to shower he gives me this look that says, "Why am I here, training slayer's when I could be relaxing in an apartment in London?"

Kennedy turned her back on him, grabbing a wrist weight, and stretching her hands now.

Xander shrugged. Don't know what Willow sees in that girl.

I'm asking for some suspension of disbelief. Honestly, I forgot Dawn existed, and as it seems a bit late to kill her in the explosion, I've eliminated her in another way. Lol sorry. Alternatively, if you can't suspend disbelief to that extent, then insert whatever plausible scenario you like. Dawn is too small and annoying to be in this story.