"What do you mean you're leaving?" Buffy said loudly.
"I mean, we're leaving." Kennedy said, continuing to pack. Willow sat on the bed, fiddling with her socks, her neatly packed suitcase beside her.
Buffy shook her head and turned to Willow.
"Moving out, why?" she asked more calmly.
Willow met her eyes for a moment before looking away. She looked at Kennedy, who smiled, and stroked her hand.
"We are going back to Kennedy's parent's house, in Boston."
Buffy shook her head. Then she smiled.
"Well that's great Will; you've never met Kennedy's parents have you?"
Willow shook her head. "No, but they aren't there. Her parents are on holidays in the Maldives."
"Yeah." Kennedy grinned. "'Sides, we're not staying in the big house exactly, I have a house about half a mile from the main house."
Xander knocked on the door and called out "Everyone decent?"
"Yes!" they shouted back, and he entered. "Sorry, force of habit. I got sick of being pelted with hairbrushes and shoes in England." He said, smiling around at them all before continuing "So sorry to eavesdrop, but did I hear you say you have a house?"
Kennedy nodded tightly. "It's that only child thing. My parents want to keep me close, so they gave me the guesthouse when I turned 18. It's a ten minute walk through the grounds from the main gate."
Xander whistled and then looked around. His eyes fell on Kennedy's open suitcase.
"Are you leaving?"
"Woo-hoo" Faith muttered from downstairs. She waited impatiently for her coffee to boil and argued fiercely with herself.
Look on the bright side, at least Kennedy will be gone.
Yeah. Gone to where there's no one around to help the witch.
Yeah because you've been, a great help so far.
Shut-up brain. I have to talk to Red again.
"But I just got here, I want to see you!" Xander protested. Willow stared stonily back at him and Kennedy, seeing that Willow wasn't going to reply, intervened.
"Don't worry Xander, we're not going to Africa, or to be locked in a tower, you can come visit us at our place. Its time for Will and me to go."
"Now all we need to do is dig up another house for me and Giles to be gay in and everything will be fine!" Xander shot at Willow. She stared at him, horrified, before a smile began to creep onto her face.
The group cracked up.
Xander, laughing and making sounds of disgust at the same time said, "I cannot believe I just said that!"
"Scary visuals!"
"I'm sorry Will. I guess I'll just miss you." Xander said softly, giving the redhead a hug. Willow smiled into his shoulder. "I'll miss you too!" she said earnestly.
Xander squeezed a bit tighter and Willow winced. "Ow." She said, pulling away.
"Sorry, did I hit a bruise?" he asked.
"Yeah, I hit my shoulder on the door frame." She said.
"Dill." Buffy laughed.
"So you're definitely going then?" Faith stood in the doorway, a scowl on her face.
"Yes." Willow said, avoiding the darker slayer's eyes.
"What about m…Dawn? You promised her you'd always be here for her."
Faith rolled her eyes mentally. Great Faith. That was the best you could come up with? Now they think you're really insane.
Sure enough, Faith received weird looks of everyone in the room except for Willow, who looked thoughtful.
"Dawn will understand." She said at last, stressing the final word.
"But, what if she doesn't? What if she thinks you are better off here?" Faith replied, eyes locked onto the redhead.
"She'll have to keep quiet about her opinion." Willow said softly. "I know what I'm doing."
Xander raised his eyebrows at Buffy, who grabbed Kennedy's arm.
"Come on," she mouthed; "I think this is a private conversation."
Hardly aware that their audience was leaving, Faith turned her head in time to catch Kennedy give Willow a poisonous look, and only the anxious look on Willow's face stopped her from punching the younger slayer out right then and there. Faith strode forward, grabbing the witch's arm.
"What are you doing? Why would you put yourself somewhere no one can help you?"
Willow looked insulted. "I can help myself if needed, I've got my magic."
"Yeah? Then how come you haven't zapped Kennedy into a puddle yet?"
"I can't use my magic on her!" Willow cried recklessly. "It's…it's not right."
"You did it to Tara." Faith shot, exasperated, then watched as her bolt stuck home.
Willow turned her head away and a tear slid down her cheek.
"And she left me for it. What I did to her was horrible and I won't do it again. I'm not a monster."
"No, you're not. You weren't then either." Faith said angrily.
"What would you know? You weren't even here!"
"Red, I know what monsters look like. I've been off the edge of the map, and trust me, that's not you."
Faith's voice was still rough with anger, but Willow heard it gratefully and smiled tremulously.
"Faith?"
"Yeah?"
"Would you mind very much, if I gave you a hug?"
Faith laughed, and stepped awkwardly towards the smaller girl. One hand touched her hair. A hug that's not a prelude to fucking, how weird.
"Thanks Faith." Willow let her go. "Thank you for everything."
Willow left the room. Faith followed, watched her walk down the stairs and whispered, "Thanks Red."
Buffy stood at the foot of the stairs. Faith was at the top, seemingly lost in thought.
"Your coffee will get cold." She called. Wow that was a very mum thing to say. Now remind her to make her bed before she goes outside.
She opened her mouth but decided against it, Faith might not get it.
"I thought we should go slaying tonight, all three of us, and Willow too if she wants to." She said instead.
"What about Xander?" the man himself asked, sitting at the table. "Should I stay home in my apron and cook dinner for you?"
Faith rolled her eyes, and Buffy laughed. "I don't know if I trust you with my cooking thingy's…"
Night.
Willow and Xander followed behind the three slayers, watching them politely.
"Just like old times, huh Xan?" Willow said.
"Except without you crunching on a bag of chips and Anya complaining." He replied, sobering somewhat as he remembered his girlfriend.
Willow squeezed his hand gently, and motioned towards the slayers.
Buffy was walking normally, stopping to chat with Willow and Xander, stake held loosely in one hand. Faith walked beside her, her eyes lit up, a grin on her face as she searched for monsters and beasties.
Kennedy walked to the side of both of them, a scowl on her face. Around her neck, she wore a cross.
When the vamps came, she heard them a millisecond after the two more experienced slayers, and launched herself into action angrily, pulling out a long bladed knife she hamstrung the vampire before she killed it, his Mohawked visage dissolving into dust. Beside her, Faith teased her vampire, knocking him down and letting him up again with a sneer. Buffy stood by, half amused. Xander and Willow watched silently. "Put the critter out of his misery." Kennedy said at last.
The look Faith gave her was so poisonous she took a step back.
"I haven't had a good fight in ages, I should thank you" Faith said to her vampire.
He snarled at her.
"It's a shame to kill you, really, it's hard to find guys with hair that good who are still alive." she laughed.
"Bye!" she said at last, putting her fist through his chest.
Xander whistled. "Good punch."
"Thanks X-man" Faith said, exhilarated, slapping him on the shoulder.
Buffy Willow and Xander ran ahead, and from the words that floated back, Faith could hear they were talking of the past.
She picked up her stake, which she'd dropped at some point and came face to face with Kennedy. "What's your problem Faith?"
Faith bit her lip. "Get out of my way. I will hit you if you don't get out of my fucking way."
"Just try it," Kennedy sneered, "I don't know what your problem is but-"
Faith launched herself at the other girl, striking hard with closed fists.
"You little bitch! Touch her again and I'll kill you!" Faith shouted, all the anger and tension suddnely rushing to the fore, making her stronger, making her powerfully angry.
The other three were far enough away that only Buffy heard her. She turned around. The younger slayers were fighting ferociously; Faith landed a kick to the other girls jaw and knocked her off balance, kneeling on her windpipe she watched as Kennedy began to turn red.
"Faith!" Buffy shouted, sprinting towards them.
"Back off B." Faith shouted back at her, dropping her voice she added, "Don't waste your time on scum like her." She leant harder, Kennedy clawed desperately at her denim clad knees.
"Please..." she gasped.
Faith stared stonily into her eyes, glanced up at Buffy and gasped, the pressure on Kennedy's neck loosening slightly.
"What the fuck?" she said, looking behind the blond slayer.