After swallowing some painkillers, Kennedy had practically crawled up the kitchen stairs, limped along the corridor to the main bathroom and fallen into a hot shower. It only took a few moments under the awesome spray before she was feeling better. Sure, she still hurt all over, but it didn't seem to hurt as much now she wasn't shivering in wet clothes.

She'd been pretty stupid down there. She may have the potential to be Faith's equal in a fight but she wasn't there yet, she knew that. It was why Buffy could have still taken her down with one hand behind her back every time they sparred if she wanted. If she wasn't so worried it would bruise her confidence.

Faith didn't give a crap about her confidence and she didn't always fight fair. Not that she went in for eye-gouging and fish-hooking but she definitely had more of a street-fighter style than the blonde slayer did.

Looking down at her naked body was perfect evidence of that. There was hardly a patch of skin without a bruise on it and they'd only been fighting for ten minutes!

If Buffy saw her like this she probably would go nuts at Faith, but, Kennedy knew, if Willow saw her like this – and knew it was from fighting with Faith – she'd probably go nuttier... at her. She'd see it as another fight Kennedy had gotten into through jealousy and pride. Another fight that she didn't have a hope of winning. Another fight that could have gotten her killed.

After all, Faith still didn't have the best reputation around here.

"Maybe I do have a death wish," she murmured with half a smile as she turned around to let the hot spray sooth the bruises on her front.

That was if Willow even cared about it, but Kennedy had to hope that she would, even if it did lead to another argument. Because if Willow didn't… well, she might as well have a death wish.

Once she was sure the warm water couldn't do any more for her, she shut it off and stepped out of the cubicle. As she was wrapping a towel around her body she remembered with a sinking feeling that she didn't have any clothes in the house any longer. They were all out at the girl's dorm. There was no way she was putting her wet clothes back on to go down there and it was way too cold and wet outside to run out there in just a towel.

She dried off slowly and carefully while deciding what to do. Buffy's clothes would be the closest fit but if somehow Faith saw her heading in there mostly naked… No, she couldn't even be dealing with another argument with her tonight, and another smack down probably would kill her.

Dawn's clothes then? D wouldn't mind and it wasn't like she was here to wear them, but they'd all be way too big on her. She could roll up the sleeves and the pant legs and that might work…

"What about Willow?" The thought left her mouth unbidden, but she knew why at once. "It'd be a way to start a conversation and even if she yells…"

Well, that would suck, but she probably wouldn't not let her borrow clothes even if she was pissed as hell. And they'd fit better than Dawn's for sure. Plus, wearing Willow's clothes would be the closest she'd come to being near her ex for a while. Faith had been right about that at least.

Without giving herself any time to chicken out, Kennedy tucked the towel around herself properly and left the bathroom; already planning a quick explanation for turning up in Willow's room in just a towel so it didn't automatically get her kicked right back out.

She was already moving easier – although not without discomfort – by the time she was knocking on Willow's door. There was no answer, but after knocking gently again, Kennedy just let herself in, figuring if Willow was asleep she could just snag a t-shirt and some sweatpants and duck back out again without disturbing her.

The room was dark and after a few more seconds she realised, empty too. She snapped on the main light and looked around, wondering where Willow had gone. Wasn't she supposed to be on bed rest? And she definitely wasn't in the bathroom, because Kennedy had been – unless she'd been invisible. That thought brought a slightly dirty smile to her face.

It was unlikely though. Maybe Willow was downstairs. She looked around again as she went to the wardrobe on the other side of the room. Something felt… off. Why would Willow be downstairs if she was so sick even visitors had to be kept to a minimum?

There was a tray of half-eaten Thanksgiving food on the dressing table. A pile of Giles' book still by the bed. Catching sight of what was on the bed made her stop halfway across the room. Four dishes of burnt herbs and powders. Spell stuff. That was when she remembered Giles and the others had been coming up to do a spell to help Willow just before she went to the training barn. She hadn't been needed, apparently, so feeling left out again, she'd gone to punch stuff.

That must be it. The spell had worked, Willow was cured and that was why she was downstairs. Kennedy smiled, relieved more than she could say, and the weight that dropped off of her alleviated her aches and pains way more than the shower had.

Still smiling, Kennedy grabbed the tattiest clothes in Willow's wardrobe – less chance of causing an argument that way – and got dressed as quick as she could. She was planning on going down and congratulating Willow on being better. Instead, she found herself sitting on the edge of the bed, just looking around, remembering when this room had been hers as well, and wondering just what it was going to take to make sure it was again.

"That was me. Right? That was me? Me as a vampire? That was…"

His legs still felt wobbly as they hurried down the street but at least the fainting spell had only lasted a moment or so. That might have been embarrassing if the not-coming-around-in-his-own-bed like he'd hoped hadn't taken all of his attention.

"Yes, Xander, that was you… once," Giles assured him.

"Wow, but that was me! I mean me! With the fangs! The big, big fangs!"

"It wasn't you, Xander," Willow said sympathetically. "I mean, it wasn't you you. You're you you."

"No, not me me. Vamp-me. Me the vamp. With the fangs!"

"You need to stop freaking out, Xand," Buffy said.

"Stop freaking out? Did you see the me?"

"Yes! And I'm the one who has to stake the you! So you need to stop freaking out before you make me freak out even more than I am about it."

"Stake me?" His voice went more high-pitched. "You can't stake me!"

"Not you you! Vamp-you."

"Oh, right. No, wait, I don't like that either! Just because its vamp-me doesn't make it's not me me too!"

"Xander, you know that's not how it works," Giles said. "That thing ceased to be you the moment you were turned."

"But, still," he said weakly.

"Giles, I have to go after them faster than this or I'm going to lose them," Buffy said.

"You can't leave us," Willow said, sounding panicky.

"Catching them up is the only way I can save you!" Buffy said to her.

"Yes, but if Willow were to sneeze…" Giles began.

"Actually – or I mean, that too – but actually I was talking about all the vampires that are peering out of the windows at us."

"What?" Buffy looked around wildly and saw what she meant. There were yellow eyes at nearly every darkened window on the block. "Dammit, I thought I was just getting that vampy feeling from Xander and Jesse. The vamps previously known as Xander and Jesse," she added quickly, before Xander could lose it again.

"Yeah, Buff," he said eagerly. "No point staking me to save Will if she's just going to get eaten by other me's fangy friends anyway."

"Oh boy, this is getting confusing," Buffy sighed.

"Confusion is the least of our worries," Giles said. "Sunnydale appears to be over run with vampires."

"So what's new?" Xander asked. "So the shops shut a little earlier and there's no people on the streets…"

"Ask yourself why there are no people on the streets?" Giles said.

"It was never like this," Buffy said before he could. "Even at the height of vamp season there was never this many in town. And why are they in the shops? They don't need people food. Most of them don't bother about soap."

"Maybe they're just in them because they can be," Willow said with a little shrug.

"It's always been that way. Shops are open to the public, Will. Anyone can go in."

"No, I mean, because there is no one to stop them. They can go where they like because there isn't anyone in Sunnydale to keep them under control. That they're scared of pissing off."

"You mean no slayer?" Xander asked, looking around even more warily than before. "Sunnydale without a slayer? How does that work?"

"Like this I should imagine," Giles said, waving his hand.

"Hey, it has a slayer," Buffy said indignantly. "I'm here, aren't I?"

"Yes, now, but perhaps the you of this world isn't."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Your mother very nearly moved to the Cleveland area, you know?"

"She did?"

"Let me guess…" Xander began.

"Boudenver?" Willow beat him to it.

"Yes. Strangely enough," Giles gave a weird little grim smile. "Only two schools in the country were prepared to accept you after what happened at Hemery."

"But that wasn't my fault!" Buffy whined.

"Your mother chose Sunnydale High over McKinley High because she wanted to keep you closer to your father."

Buffy huffed irritably. "Maybe if she'd chosen Cleveland he might've invited me to Thanksgiving."

They had speed-walked the length of Main Street now. Half a block ahead was the alley to the Bronze – assuming the Bronze still existed in this world. Xander looked behind them. A few of the vampires had wandered out of the shops and were following them casually down the road. His double and Jesse had run into the alley, chasing Willow, but he didn't like the idea of following. Not just because it might mean him – on some level – getting staked, but also because walking down there with a bunch of vampires following didn't feel like a good idea. He'd had enough of those close encounters back in real-time Sunnydale.

"Hey, maybe Will-of-this-world doesn't really need saving. She might be okay without us following her into a dark alley."

"So you're just happy to bite me without even trying to save me?" Willow asked, majorly hurt.

"It's not you you, Will!"

"It's more me me than it is you you…" Willow began.

"Oh, God, don't start that again," Buffy begged, and Giles echoed her sentiments.

"Well, I'm right! I'm still human at least. And what? Sixteen? I still have my whole life ahead of me!"

"Yeah, but it's not your life, it's her life!" Xander stressed.

"Her life is my life!"

"I think I'm getting a headache," Giles said.

"You and me both," Buffy backed him.

"Okay, fine, we'll go save you," Xander said exasperated. "But shouldn't we at least deal with these guys first?"

He turned to point behind him and then took a giant step back, the vampires had stopped being so casual and we closing in. Only five of them but with Willow's magick on the fritz and the rest of them without weapons any more of them would have been overkill. Or at least, a really lot of kill.

At his reaction the other three turned as well. Giles copied his step back and pulled Willow with him. Buffy stepped forward, bracing herself for a fight.

"Okay, this should be just like old times," she said, not a hint of worry in her voice, rolling her shoulders as she reached around to the back of her pants.

Not finding what she was looking for, she patted the small of her back a few times.

"Buff, you have no stake!" Xander reminded her.

"Well, don't tell them that!" Now she sounded kinda worried.

"You can't fight them unarmed, Buffy," Giles said, alarmed.

"Sure I can. It'll just be better exercise." But now she was taking a step back. "Not like you forget how," she added under her breath.

"Watch out!" Willow suddenly yelled.

Xander heard the old engine before he looked up to see the van hurtling down the road towards them. Buffy tackled him to the sidewalk as Giles and Willow pulled each other back as fast as they could. Buffy helped him up by the scruff of his shirt and pressed him back against the brick wall as the van barrelled into the vampires.

One was thrown across the street and another was crushed beneath its wheels. The van screeched to a stop and three men jumped out.

All four of their jaws dropped… again.

"Giles?" Buffy said in shocked whisper as her years younger, but somehow more haggard looking, Watcher belted one of the still standing vamps with a baseball bat and then staked him as he dropped.

"Larry!" Xander's voice was equally hushed and surprised; staring as his ex-bully rushed another of the vamps like a line-backer, bowled him clean over and broke his neck. He turned quick for his size and staked the vamp while he writhed on the ground in pain.

The last vampire ran towards them, arms out, pleading with Xander to save him. As the third man spun around and shot him through the heart with a crossbow they saw who he was.

"Oz!" Willow said, with as much astonishment but without the also needed amount of hush.

"There's another one," Oz said all too calmly for the situation as he turned to the shout of his name, and fired straight at Xander.

"Ye G…" Buffy reached out and caught the crossbow bolt just before it pierced his chest. "…ods."

And he was going to faint again.

Buffy grabbed his arm tight and Willow latched onto his other just as the poofed vampire dust went up her nose and…

"Aaaachoooo!"

…was the last thing he heard for a while.

Faith had cleaned up the training barn. Not, she made clear to herself, because of what Kennedy had said, but because it seemed like the right thing to do. And if the brat wasn't going to do it, then she had to. She'd make Kennedy pay for it somehow down the line.

Kennedy couldn't have been further from her mind right then though, as she quickly dried herself off with a towel in her room and got in to some fresh and sexy clothes. Jeans and a tight t-shirt, because let's face, she thought as she brushed her hair, B digs the classics.

I hope, she added almost subconsciously, not wanting to admit that she didn't really know what Buffy dug about her. She had a feeling leather pants and spandex tube top might be a little much for making a pumpkin pie, though, and a mini skirt just wasn't practical for the slaying she was going to do after.

Hair straight and actually looking good despite her dunking in the water cooler, and bruises already fading on her face, she checked herself out in the mirror one last time and left her room.

She'd avoided the kitchen on her way up, not wanting Buffy to see her looking a complete mess and giving her grief for fighting with Kennedy, but now she was ready. Maybe not for serious talking yet, that still gave her a weird shivery feeling up her spine for some reason – okay she knew the reason – but for baking a pie and shooting the breeze, she was ready.

As long as Buffy didn't push they could have a nice hour or so together before it was time for her to go on patrol. It was something Faith had been shying away from since the disastrous date and something Buffy had been too, despite constantly asking to talk. Hadn't yesterday been evidence of that? As soon as Faith was prepared to sit down and force their way through the awkwardness, Buffy had made up an excuse to run in the other direction. She didn't blame her, she was guilty of it too obviously, but it had to stop if they were going to get beyond where they were; and if she was ever gonna get laid again.

She went down the front stairs two at a time, trying not to grin nervously because it made the bruise on her cheek ache. She wondered why the fire wasn't lit as she went through the living room, Xander had normally done that by now and it made the room cold. She'd ride him for it later though; right now she had bigger stuff on her agenda.

She pushed through the swing door and the over-cheerful, "Hey, B!" had already left her lips before she realised she was alone in the kitchen. "Huh. Okay then."

There was something burning, or actually, already burnt, she realised as she went quickly to the oven, turned it off and pulled the door open. Smoke billowed out around her, making her cough, and she backed away quickly to open the back door.

As the smoke left that way, she looked around the kitchen. There were half-full dishes of food all over the place. Notes on scraps of paper Buffy had left on the counter. The oven being left on. Obviously B had only stepped out for a minute but it had taken longer. Maybe she was upstairs with Will.

Faith grabbed a plate of something that looked like overfried bhajis – but probably wasn't meant to – from the side and a beer out of the fridge, and then sat down at the kitchen table to wait.

"Is he awake yet?"

Willow looked up at Buffy as she spoke and then back down at Xander's head resting on her lap.

"I think he's getting there." She stroked his brow. "Do you have any idea where we are?"

"Other than somewhere dark, cold and kinda olde-worlde-y, no," Buffy said regretfully as she looked around them some more. "Giles should be back soon though. How are you doing?"

"Snottier than ever… and the seat of my pajama-pants is getting kinda damp."

Buffy chuckled softly. "Well, I can't do a lot about your butt but the offer of my sleeve is still open."

Willow gave her a strained smile. "Its okay, I have my own, you know."

"I didn't say you didn't!" Buffy started harshly. "Jeez, can't you just not…"

"I didn't mean it like that," Willow said quickly. "I was just… well I do have my own, see." She pointed at it. "No point using yours until mines all… too gross to use."

"Oh." Buffy's anger died down as quick as it had risen. "Sorry. I guess I'm just tired."

"Yeah, it must be late. We're all getting a little cranky."

"Hard to tell the difference with us these days."

Willow glanced at her quickly. With Buffy's low tone, she couldn't be sure if it was a genuine comment or if the Slayer was being sarcastic.

"Yeah," was all she eventually said.

When Buffy looked over at her, a familiar glint in her eyes, Willow thought she was about to warm to the topic again. She really didn't have the energy to get into it but didn't have the energy to fight it either.

She was saved from both when Xander suddenly launched into a sitting position. He swayed slightly before looking around at them.

"This isn't home."

"Nope," said Willow.

"Do I have fangs?" he asked next.

Buffy answered this time. "Nope."

He checked his teeth anyway. Satisfied they were nice and blunt; he sagged slightly before manoeuvring himself around to sit against the old wall between them.

"Did I faint again?"

"Yep!" They both answered.

"You've done that a lot tonight," Buffy added.

"Twice! Twice isn't a lot. Besides, you'd faint too if you saw yourself as vampire."

"Hey, I got snuggled by my vampire-self once and I didn't faint," Willow said with a slight giggle.

"Whatever," Xander said woozily sullen.

"Hey, be nice," Buffy told him. "We're having a mellow moment."

"We are?" He looked around without moving his head from the wall. "Where are we having this mellow moment?"

"No idea yet," Willow admitted.

Xander suddenly sat forward again fast. "Where's Giles?" He turned to Willow accusingly. "Did you sneeze without him?"

She leaned away, feeling hurt. "I would never do that."

"Chill, Xan, he's just gone to get the lie of the land."

"So you might sneeze without him!" he said to Willow.

"Xander, do you not get the concept of mellow moment?" Buffy demanded softly.

"Well, you were out cold with the fainting!" Willow snapped at him, getting beyond sick of his bad attitude with her. "What would you have preferred us to do? Leave you here or carry you?"

"Are we in Sunnydale still?"

"No."

"Then you should have left me here."

"What?" Willow asked, annoyed.

Buffy summed it up better. "So now you have a death wish too?"

"If I had a death wish I would have stayed in Sunnydale," he barked, equally annoyed by their assumption. "But if you two had any sense you'd have stuck with the guy with the better chance of getting you home again – Giles!"

"For your information, Giles insisted on going alone," Willow told him. "But even if he hadn't I wouldn't have left you!"

"Ten more minutes of this attitude and I might've done," Buffy muttered.

Xander turned his head to glare at her. Buffy glared back. Giles walked out of the thin fog before either of them could speak.

"Ah, Xander, I'm glad you're back with us," he said with a smile before turning to Buffy. "We are in Ireland, I believe."

"Ireland, really? That's kind of cool. How can you be sure, though?" Buffy asked as she stood up.

"There were people talking in the square. They have pretty thick accents," he explained. "Hard to miss."

"What year in Ireland?" Willow asked, feeling a little left out of the conversation.

After all, she was the one who had zapped them there. Okay, not a strong selling point usually, but in this instance she had the right to join in.

"I'm not sure, but from their attire I'm assuming a few centuries prior to the present at least."

"Wow, we're really quantum leaping it tonight, aren't we," Xander said after a low whistle between his teeth.

"I could keep saying sorry," Willow said, trying to smile, "but it's probably getting boring for you guys by now, right?"

"It's not your fault," Giles promised her. "And at least we're all still together. There is a tavern on the other side of the square. I suggest we head over and try and find out more about where we are."

"A tavern, huh?" Xander jumped to his own feet. "Yeah, that's probably the best place to find out stuff."

Willow's legs were dead thanks to Xander's head resting on them in the cold for so long. She held her hand out to him for some help up, but he didn't notice.

Buffy did notice and took her hand, gently hauling her up.

"Thanks." She stamped life back into her feet on the cobbles.

"Do you think the tavern takes dollars?" Xander asked Giles, already walking into the fog with him.

Willow shared an eye-roll with Buffy before they followed close behind.

Tbc...