"Dawn." Buffy stepped into the room and left the door ajar. "Are you here? I was hoping we could have a talk."
It was a ploy, plain and simple. She needed to get Kennedy out into the open.
"Willow? Xander?" She sighed. "I know you guys have dinner plans with Giles tonight. I was hoping we could talk before that. Please."
"Wow, Buffy, you just missed them." Kennedy came out of the bedroom to the left wearing the sweater Buffy had knitted for Willow. "I think they were going shopping for a gift for the old guy. Willow had convinced them they needed to apologize or something."
Buffy looked down at the ground, and rubbed one booted toe against the other. Draw her in. Make her feel confident.
"Haven't seen much of you since you left for Rome. You never come over the visit those of us manning the hell mouth." Kennedy flicked her hair back over her shoulder.
"I think seven slayers can handle it. I manned one by myself for years." Buffy looked up at Kennedy with a glimmer of anger.
"Yeah, you did. Didn't you?" Kennedy leaned back against the kitchen counter. "But you had back up. I mean Willow, Xander, Dawn, and Giles were there with you. Oh, and Anya, Tara, and others, too. Right?"
Buffy slumped down a bit more and let the anger coil inside her. Kennedy was enjoying the game. How had they all missed the sadism just under the surface of this girl?
Buffy felt her pendant warm against her skin.
"You need to pay more attention to your duties." Kennedy's voice was pitched low, and she held something clenched in her fist. Buffy shivered as the magic tightened around her. "You need to move away from Giles. Be independent. Try South America. Good hunting there."
Kennedy was looking at her intently, and a sudden spark of memory flared. She remembered having a conversation with Kennedy just before they left for Rome. She'd been playing with her necklace then too.
"You need to make those poor people safe. It's your responsibility."
Buffy nodded slowly as if accepting the other slayer's words. The warmth of her necklace against her skin pulsed, radiating heat in waves through her body. She took a deep breath as something within her responded and the heat within her grew stronger. She took a deep breath and smiled as Oz's concern and love flooded through her mind. She could sense him in the hall, waiting. That was easy with her slayer senses, but now there was more. She couldn't fight the smile.
"You think they need me in South America?" Buffy tilted her head. "Or will just any slayer do? I mean one like you that only takes on the minnows."
"You will not talk to me like that." Kennedy snarled and moved toward her. Ethan's amulet pulsed against her skin as it repelled another magically laced suggestion.
"Are you gonna be the one that stops me?" Buffy shook her head. "I don't think so. You see, I read the reports, every one that comes in on every slayer. Yeah, I've been fighting alone these last three years, but you haven't. You've been leaning on the other girls and leaving the big bads for Faith. You are lazy or afraid? Either way, it won't be you that takes me down."
"You think you're so hot, but you're a joke. The girls all giggle about it. You and your vamps, Buffy the Vampire Layer. Too bad they're all dust, must be lonely." Kennedy pushed away from the kitchen counter. Buffy caught the glint of metal in the other slayer's hand. A kitchen knife, how charming. "I was the one that kept them from telling you your precious Spike was back. Do you miss him? Does it ache deep inside?"
"Really? You're going with the emotional attack?" Buffy shook her head and moved further into the room forcing Kennedy to retreat. "That's just so original."
"You should have died." Kennedy snarled.
"I did. Twice." Buffy smiled. "May be third time is the charm, but it won't be you, not today, not ever."
Kennedy rushed her, and it was simple.
Buffy stepped away from the arm with the poorly concealed knife and feinted toward the other arm.
Kennedy smiled and swung the short blade out. A quick strike to her wrist sent it clattering across the floor.
Buffy felt Oz enter the apartment. She spun to face him and caught the scythe that he tossed to her, nodding to the room she thought Willow was in.
"You can't touch me with that. You won't kill a human." Kennedy's disdain was clear in her tone.
"I don't need to touch you with it. I've been living with it for three years, fighting with it. I know this weapon." Buffy spun the shining red weapon in a circle. "I know what it can do."
"You can't take me in a fair fight." Kennedy slid to the side, trying to move closer to the door. "At least not fast enough to save your precious Willow."
"That's what gets you. Isn't it?" Buffy moved to stop her. "It's all mine, the fame, the friends."
"Let's not forget the pain. I made sure you've had your share. Your little amulet might be buying you some pain free time, but it won't last. Mine was given to me by a vengeance demon."
"Yeah, figured that. The grimoire didn't have a trace of Anya on it." Buffy knocked Kennedy back with a casual wave of the flat side of the axe blade.
"You can't know that." Kennedy stepped back and stumbled over one of Xander's shoes.
"Sure I can, Kennedy. Anya made a lasting impression in more ways than one. She had a scent made for her exclusively. Always wore it. Didn't Xander ever tell you about it?" Buffy smiled. "So, when did you meet Halfrek?"
"I have no idea where you get these ideas." Kennedy's floor widened artfully.
"Nope, I knew Hallie. She wasn't so bad. She helped Dawnie and me in her way." Buffy shrugged. "Friend of a friend, you'd understand if you had friends."
"What do you want from me?" Kennedy glared at her.
"Willow's in bad shape, Buffy." Oz stood in the doorway. "I'm not sure it's safe to move her."
Buffy noticed Kennedy's grin and the shift of her hand toward her pendant. It was all pat and parcel of the same stupid magic. She pulled her necklace off and tossed it to Oz.
"Get that on her. It should help." She swallowed as he nodded and turned back toward the room.
"So brave and so sacrificing." Kennedy smiled. "But without your trinket you're useless. The curse won't let you hurt me, and I still have all her power. Let's talk about South America again. Right after I kick your ass."
Kennedy came at her then, and Buffy blocked her strikes easily.
"You can't fight me." Kennedy tried to kick her and Buffy evaded the blow.
"I haven't tried to fight you, yet." Buffy grinned. "Let's see how it goes."
Buffy threw a series of punches landing each one. Ribs cracked and nose bleeding, the other slayer stood stunned.
"You can't. It's not possible." Kennedy wiped at the blood pouring from her nose. She stared at the blood on the back of her hand in shock.
"Curse is broken." Buffy smiled and snapped a kick to Kennedy's jaw. The other slayer swayed on her feet for a moment, holding her chin.
"Spike's dead. There's no one to love you left. I made sure of it."
"Turns out, I'm very lovable." Buffy knocked Kennedy to the floor and pressed her knee on the brunette's sternum.
"No, the curse can't be broken. I made sure it was foolproof."
"You don't deserve to be a slayer." Buffy pressed her hand over Kennedy's mouth. The scythe tingled against her senses and suddenly power was flowing into her, through her. Buffy rolled her shoulders when it stopped and yanked the necklace from around her throat.
"That's mine." Kennedy tied to get up and sprawled when her legs failed.
"Pretty sure it's Willow's, but you keep the sweater. I'll knit her a new one." Buffy stood and smiled.
"What did you do to me?" Kennedy fell again.
"I guess I cursed you in my own way." Buffy nodded as Giles came into the suite with a recovery team. "I took my power back from you."