A/N: A torture warning is in place for this chapter.

"I'm glad I let you two talk me into going out tonight. The gelato after the movie was a nice surprise. I think I needed a little fun to take my mind off of the crazy," Willow said with a yawn as she climbed the stairs to the apartment with Dawn and Connor in tow.

"I'm still upset. The movie was nothing like the book!" Dawn grumbled heatedly. She had been complaining off and on about the many discrepancies between the book and the movie since they left the theater well over two hours before.

Connor smirked at her, light dancing in his blue eyes. "I agree there were some differences but it wasn't that bad."

Dawn huffed indignantly. "Not that bad? Uhgg! Oh, don't even get me started again!"

Connor was trying to hold back a grin as he watched Dawn while she continued her rant about the movie.

Willow opened the apartment door. "Ruby? We're back!" She deposited her bag by the door, hanging her jacket up. "Rubes?"

Dawn's tirade had finally dwindled and she flopped down on the couch with a sullen huff, as Willow went into the kitchen for a glass of water, half expecting to find Ruby in there. "Huh, that's weird…" she muttered as she came back into the living room.

"What's weird?" Dawn asked.

"Ruby is usually up and tinkering around by now. I know she wasn't planning on doing any training stuff or going out with Vi tonight." She paused a moment before calling down the hall. "Ruby? Are you in the shower?

Connor tilted his head in concentration. "I don't hear any movement. Maybe she's still asleep."

Willow set her water down and edged toward Buffy's room, tamping down a sudden unease already bubbling in her chest. "Ruby? Wake up sleepy head," she said, pushing the door open. The bed was mussed and empty. Willow swallowed roughly, clearing her throat. The paranoia that had been so deeply embedded within her had ebbed slightly with the distraction of their day out but it was quickly returning with interest. Worry edging impossibly fast into a panic. "D-did she leave a note or—"

"She's probably just doing laundry downstairs or something," Dawn said reassuringly. "Maybe she went for a walk."

"I know she likes to hang out on the roof. I can check," Connor volunteered.

"That's probably it." Willow flipped open her phone and frowned. "No text. We've been really big with the checking-in since all this started. She would have said something if she went up there. Are you sure there's no note?"

Dawn shook her head. "Nothing. Maybe she just thought she'd be back before us."

"Maybe— I'll just-" Willow bit her lip as she dialed Ruby's number and the phone went straight to voicemail. "This is just weird, something just doesn't feel right," Willow said quietly.

Connor gave a sharp nod. "I'm gonna go check around, see if I can find anything."

Willow turned toward him, arms folded across her chest, and nodded. "I'll check the building," She hesitated a moment, before glancing at Dawn. "I think you should—"

"Stay here in case she comes back or calls. Yeah, yeah, I'm command central," Dawn finished for her, "I know the drill. Go on."

(*)

It took Willow longer than expected to determine Ruby wasn't in the building. She had gone to the basement laundry room first and checked the tunnel access door. The spell sachet she had placed there was undisturbed. She honestly wasn't sure how many people in the building even knew the door was there.

From the basement she had worked her way up, checking the halls in case Ruby had decided to take a walk inside which she sometimes did when she got bored. By the time she made her way to the roof, Willow was sincerely hoping she was doing some night gardening and tending to the herb beds. However, the only people in the rooftop garden were the teenage boy from the fourth floor and his girlfriend. This wasn't the first time Willow had caught them necking on the bench next to the flower beds and she sent them running like a couple of rabbits.

Willow slumped back to the apartment, shoulders hunched, and the uneasy feeling growing in the pit of her stomach growing larger. It wasn't like Ruby to just disappear like this.

When she opened the apartment door it was to find Dawn sitting on the floor in the space the coffee table used to occupy with a textbook in her lap. Both phones were sitting next to her. She looked up at Willow as she sagged into the chair closest to her.

"Any calls?" Willow asked glumly.

"Just Buffy. They are heading to Belgium. Buffy is super stoked about the chocolate and Spike is all about the beer."

Willow nodded. "She did say something about it the last time I talked to her. Did-" she shifted uncomfortably "-did you say anything about Kennedy?"

Dawn placed a slip of paper in her book to mark her place and set it to the side. "We didn't really get to talk long, they were packing up and Spike couldn't find his lighter. I didn't see the point of saying anything right now."

"Oh, okay…" she murmured.

"There isn't anything they can do for us anyway, Will. We're kinda on our own. Well I mean there's Vi but—"

"NO! I- I mean no, not right now. Let's just find Ruby first. Maybe she did just go for a walk and we're all in super-worry-search-mode for nothing," Willow said in a nervous rush that belied her words.

Dawn studied Willow's face taking in the circles that had formed under her eyes and the soul-deep weariness etched into her brow. "Why don't you get some rest? No offense but you look kinda rough. I promise I'll come get you if I hear anything. Alright?"

She bit her lip, "I am pretty tired… I'm just really worried."

"I'm sure there's a good explanation. Maybe she decided to go on patrol after all and just forgot to say anything," Dawn suggested a little lamely.

"Nothing from Connor?"

"Just a text like two hours ago saying he might be a while. He had her scent but lost it. He's canvassing the area."

Willow nodded glumly, "Maybe I'll just curl up on the couch. I'm really not sure if I could even sleep, to be honest," she muttered as she moved over to lay down behind Dawn. She pulled a purple throw blanket over herself as she snuggled in with one of the pillows nestled under her head. "I'll just lay here."

Dawn glanced over her shoulder at her and gave a little shrug before turning back to look at her watch. It was nearly three in the morning. "Try to get some rest. She'll either come back on her own or Connor will find her. You'll see. She'll be fine."

Dawn waited for a beat, expecting a response, and twisted around when none came. Willow had already passed out from exhaustion and worry. Dawn chewed her lip as she turned back to her book and glanced at her cell phone sitting next to both of the apartment phones in a neat line. The fact that she hadn't heard from Connor since his last text before Buffy had called was starting to grate like sandpaper.

(*)

Connor edged around the back entrance of a narrow building at the end of the street behind Willow and Dawn's apartment building. He had caught Ruby's scent on the steps out front and then lost it near the street. He'd spent hours wandering the streets before he picked it up again and followed it to this spot, along with a second scent he knew.

Kennedy.

It was a long narrow apartment building, smaller than the one Dawn and Willow lived in. The lock on the door was already broken and Kennedy's scent had started to drown out Ruby's. This was clearly where Kennedy had been staying. The thought that she had been so close this entire time was unsettling.

He flipped open his phone and let out a groan of frustration when he realized his battery had gone dead.

Great, just fan-freakin'-tastic… Now what?

He stood there for a long moment debating if he should go back to get Willow or not. The odds that Ruby had come on her own were extremely slim. She wasn't exactly the type who typically went looking for trouble outside of patrols.

Kennedy's scent was strong here and he found his hunting instincts straining to take over and he took a moment to ground himself. He could smell blood in the air making it all the more difficult. He wasn't sure what he would do if Kennedy had hurt Ruby. He had gotten to know her fairly well during her stay and had quickly found he liked her. Much more than he ever liked Kennedy. She hadn't been his favorite person before he found out about what she had been doing to Willow.

The way she had acted around his father didn't sit well with him. Admittedly he had mixed feelings when it came to his birth parents and the dual memories that fought for dominance within his mind didn't help matters. The one thing he did know without a doubt was that everything his father had done had been out of love.

When his father had come to visit him, Angel had stayed with Willow and Kennedy. Willow had been a gracious host and it was then that he decided he appreciated her for being more than just the witch to put his father's soul back. Twice.

It was also when he decided he didn't care for Kennedy. She had treated him and his father like unwelcome guests the entire time they had been there, even though they had both been welcomed by everyone who actually mattered.

He didn't like hanging out around her so he would normally meet Dawn at the library during Willow's shift. The thought that Kennedy had been hurting Willow even then made his blood boil. And the idea of her hurting Dawn made him see red.

Connor clenched his jaw as he eased the door open, his thin frame allowing him to slip into the abandoned building like a cat. He worked his way through the halls almost methodically until the sound of a scream came from the floor above him. "Well, that can't be good," he muttered under his breath.

Connor ran up the stairs, where the screams grew louder, and made his way into the hallway. He could hear Kennedy's voice and followed the sound to a door at the end of the hall. A glance out of the long window told him exactly why Kennedy must have picked this apartment; it had a perfect view of the street where Willow would pass on her way to work.

Another scream pierced the air, setting Connor into action. He quickly positioned himself in front of the door to kick it down. A cloud of moldy, smelling dust flew up as the door hit the floor and Connor took a split second to take the scene in front of him.

The apartment was in a word, disgusting yellow-orangey drips decorated the walls from what might have been a combination of tobacco smoke and heating oil. What color the walls had been originally would forever remain a mystery although they had an ugly greenish tint to them.

Ruby was strung up in the center of the room. Her jeans had been ripped so badly that they barely covered her anymore, and there were bloody gashes across her thighs, but it was nothing in comparison to the state of her arms and torso. Ruby jerked at the sound of the crash and it caused her to spin on the hook. Connor saw with a sickening jolt that her back had been nearly flayed. Bright red patches on her shoulders glared boldly where the skin used to be. Scarlet streaks ran down the length of her torso, leaving streaks of various shades of red and pink, some brighter than others, as though inflicted over a period of time. The site made his stomach twist violently.

Kennedy turned quickly, dropping a paintbrush into what looked like a glass of water. He glanced over the streaks of red dripping down Ruby's exposed flesh and repressed a shudder.

Ohh God… she's been- oh…

Kennedy let out a deranged war cry as she charged Connor. "You again!" she yelled vehemently, "you nosy little bastard! You couldn't just leave well enough alone, could you?!" She screamed as her first blows landed.

Connor blocked a kick bringing up his arm in a defensive move and catching another strike. "Says the bat shit crazy bitch to is torturing my friend!" He snapped back at her.

"Friend?! She's a vampire! She's— I'm not the bad guy here! Why can't anyone see that?!"

Connor snorted. "Last I checked, the good guys usually aren't big with the torture, so you know, if the shoe fits," he ground out as he delivered a series of kicks that sent Kennedy crashing back into the apartment. The momentum sent her tumbling over a low table that the jug of holy water was sitting on. The jug toppled splashing holy water over Ruby's lower extremities.

Fresh screams erupted from her throat, tears rolling down her face. Connor looked up at her with horror in his eyes. The fresh onslaught of holy water had sent her thrashing against her restraints. Raspy screams resonated from Ruby's chest as she kicked and flailed in pain. Rivulets of steam erupted from the exposed skin of her legs and feet, leaving bloody raw patches behind.

The fight continued as Connor and Kennedy continued to trade blows and kicks. He sent a particularly powerful kick to her solar plexus, sending her crashing into the window. Her arm went through it, scraping it badly in the process. She pulled back with a jerk and ripped one of the ratty-looking curtains down. Kennedy held the filthy-looking fabric to her freely bleeding arm glaring at Connor. "You're going to regret this! You all will!" She spat, charging past him.

Connor spun, grabbing hold of her shirt but she kicked him off. Running out the door she threw herself through the window crashing down onto the roof of a patio café below in a shower of glass glittering in the early morning sun.

Connor threw himself after her, catching himself on the window seal as he watched her roll off the patio roof, onto a table, and dart out into the street still clutching her arm. "Dammit!" he hissed heatedly.

A whimpered sob came from the room behind him, and Connor rushed back to Ruby. She looked like something found in a meat packing plant. "Oh God, Rubes. I'm sorry but this is gonna hurt. I got to get you down."

Ruby choked out another sob. "I know, just do it," her voice came out more like a gasp and she steeled her jaw as Connor wrapped his arms around her waist. She barely contained a scream as his sweater caught against the raw skin of her torso and a patch where the skin had been flayed completely from the small of her back. She gasped in pain.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" Connor uttered apologetically. He gripped her, lifting her to unhook her wrists and deposited her as gently as possible onto the floor in a gasping heap, and knelt beside her. "God, what did she do to you?"

Ruby took a deep, shuttering breath in an attempt to steady herself. "Where's Willow?" She gasped.

"Safe. Let's get you back before the sun finishes what Kennedy started here."

Connor reached for the other ratty curtain, ripping it down. "Do you think you can walk?"

Ruby pulled herself up onto her knees using an ugly metal chair, covered in cracked olive green vinyl. "Might need your help, but I think my legs work."

Connor helped her out the rest of the way, gingerly slipping the curtain around her like a toga. He clasped another curtain from the second window but turned to Ruby before pulling it down and gesturing with his head. "You might want to move over there before I do this. The sun is up."

Ruby gave a weak nod and shuffled over towards the door, using the wall for support. Connor ripped down the second curtain and the room flooded with early morning light. Ruby stumbled back with a yelp as a beam of sunlight hit the top of her naked foot. "Bloody hell, add insult to injury!" she swore.

Connor shot her an apologetic look. "Hey, I tried to warn you," he said, drawing closer to her and draping the second curtain over her head and shoulders. "Come on, let's get you out of here. We should be able to get to the tunnels from here but it's gonna be tricky."

Ruby hissed in pain as he wrapped a supportive arm around her back, trying to be careful of her injuries, but finding it impossible. "We're just gonna have to take it slow, but not too slow. I don't know how well these curtains are going to hold up against the sun.

Ruby nodded. "Less talk, more go, mate."

(*)

The sound of the neighbor's door slamming shut startled Willow awake. Damn him and his early morning jogs… Early morning… ohh goddess…

Willow shot up from her place on the couch looking around the living room frantically. "Dawn?"

Dawn poked her head in from the kitchen looking tired. "I'm here. You want coffee?"

She scrubbed a hand over her face, "I'm not sure if caffeine is going to cut it but I'm not going to say 'no'. Any word?"

"Not one. I tried to call Connor but it's going straight to voicemail," Dawn replied as she started fixing a cup of coffee for her.

Willow frowned at that and waited until Dawn came into the living room before continuing the conversation. "Did you get any sleep at all?"

Dawn shook her head as she handed over the coffee. "Not even a little. With Ruby and Connor being MIA and this stupid paper I have to write and Buffy calling me to say they got to Brussels safe but there was something wrong with their reservation. It was some big thing and Buffy was upset. I guess Spike finally got things figured out, but you know… I've been too wigged out to even think about sleep."

Willow furrowed her brow, unsure if her tired brain had truly comprehended what Dawn had said. "That's good I guess. I, eh… how long was I out?"

"Not super long, a couple of hours."

Willow carefully held her coffee steady as shifted the blanket off herself, adjusting to sit a little straighter. "I really hate this. All the waiting stuff," she said, taking a sip from her cup.

Dawn sat in the chair next to her with a huff. "Join the club."

(*)

Ruby slumped against the stone wall as Connor pushed at the heavy metal door to the utility room in the basement of their apartment building. He turned, pulling her up to stand. "Almost there now," he said reassuringly as they made their way in. Connor paused briefly to secure the door and replace the little spell sachet he'd dislodged before they headed into the laundry room.

Ruby nearly collapsed into him. Her legs had turned into rubber somewhere around the halfway point and it seemed like it had taken them a glacial age to get back through the tunnels. Ruby was grateful she didn't have to breathe since it hurt to do so. That said, each time her curtain shroud rubbed against her skin—or lack thereof—a purely involuntary breath would birth a whole new set of agonies. "I need a break," she panted.

Connor set her down on a plastic chair and leaned against the wall of dryers. Ruby's face contorted in an effort to force back a cry of pain as blisters on the back of her thighs threatened to burst. "I can—" he started to say when Ruby stopped him with a quick shake of her head.

"Don't be thick. We made it this far. I just want to get some blood and sleep for a month," she rasped.

"I bet," he said with a huff as he started peering into the dryers and started digging through one.

"What are you doing?"

He pulled out a green granny-style housecoat with buttons up the front. "It'll fit you like a tent but it might be better than those moldy curtains."

"Ta. Good thinking, that." She pulled herself up to stand and started stripping out of the curtain toga and jeans with shaking hands. There was so little left of her jeans that they practically fell off of her once the clasp was undone. She hissed as they fell around her burned and blistered ankles and she had to grip onto the arm of the chair to steady herself as she gingerly stepped out of them.

Connor stood, bashfully gazing at the notice board and holding the housecoat out to her.

"Oi, nice of you to behave the proper little gentleman and all but I ain't exactly blushing here. Going to need a hand with that thing."

Connor quickly helped her into the garment and stepped back from her with a grimace. "You still kinda look like you just crawled out of a horror film," he said dubiously.

"Feel like it too. Thanks for that, you nit."

"Too soon?"

"Remind me to kick your ass when my skin grows back," she huffed a pained laugh.

(*)

"Can you pass the sugar?" Dawn asked glumly as she poured cream into her coffee cup.

Willow placed it in front of her and joined her at the table. "I wish I had more books."

Dawn raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Says the librarian?"

"I mean spell books. I know there's a missing person tracking spell in one of the books in Giles' collection but I can't remember all of it. It would be really useful right now."

Dawn took a sip of her coffee and stirred in another spoonful of sugar. "There is this cool thing nowadays called a phone. You could just, ya know, call him."

"That's another thing. If I was smart enough to set up cool tracking systems on the Slayeretts' phones, then why haven't I done the same thing for Connor or Ruby?" She chewed her lip in distress, took a large sip of coffee and reached for the phone in the center of the table.

Willow dialed the number to the castle and waited as the phone rang several times before one of the girls picked up. It turned out that Faith had taken half of the girls on a long run and neither Giles or Xander were currently in the castle. She didn't even bother asking if she could get the book for her since she knew for a fact Giles was in the habit of locking the door to his suite any time he left. Instead she just left a message for one of them to call her back. She frowned down at the phone in her hand, willing it to ring and longing for the simple dynamic of the original Scoobies back in Sunnydale.

She was pulled from her musings when there was a loud banging at the door that made both of them jump. Willow and Dawn exchanged frightened looks.

"Are you sure Kennedy can't get in the building?" Dawn whispered.

Willow hesitated, frozen on the spot. "I- I don't think so—"

Another loud bang reverberated through the apartment.

"Willow? Dawn?" Connor called through the locked door.

Dawn shot up, rushing to let him in. "Con— oh my God! Ruby! What happened?!" She exclaimed as she helped Connor bring Ruby in and deposit her carefully onto the couch.

Willow rushed forward, worry lines etched into her brow as she regarded the pained look on Ruby's face. "Goddess… Ruby… What happened? Was this Kennedy? Did she do this?"

Ruby nodded weakly.

"This isn't even the worst of it. Willow. She's going to need blood, lots of it. Bandages. Lots and lots of bandages," Connor paused, "she was using holy water on her."

The color completely drained out of Willow's face as she froze on the spot. "What?"

With shaking hands Ruby started pulling at the buttons on the housecoat undoing it enough to let Willow pull it off a shoulder gingerly.

Willow's hand shot back to her mouth at the sight of her flayed skin. "Goddess no… no… she did this… she… ohh god…" she whimpered. Coffee and bile threatened to come back up. The similarities between what Kennedy had done compared to the way she had killed Warren struck a sickening cord within her chest. At least what she had done had been quick— this was— evil—

This is just another sick and twisted message from Kennedy: "I know what you did."

Willow was fixed to the spot, afraid that if she so much as moved everything in her world would come crashing down on her. Kennedy had gone too far this time. Rage started to boil in her gut. The caffeine mixing with adrenaline that had started to surge through her bloodstream .

If she's going to drag my past up and shove it in my face. Punish Ruby for what I did… I can show her what happens when a witch is pushed too far… I can— I can—

A soft cool hand gripped hers and she looked down to see Ruby's fingers twined with hers. Bright blueish sparks of magic cracking on her own fingertips. She took a deep shuddering breath realizing just how close to the edge she really was. "Let's get you cleaned up, Rubes. I have some stuff that should help," she said, trying to get herself under control.

"Lead the way," Ruby replied tightly.

Willow turned to Dawn. "Can you get the yarrow, marshmallow root and calendula out of my herb cupboard?"

"On it," Dawn practically ran to the kitchen.

"Connor, there's a wooden chest by the window in my room. I need the greenish jar of salve in there and the rose quartz. Ohh… and I think I'll need the tea tree and lavender oils in there too."

Without a word he disappeared as Willow helped Ruby into the bathroom and started the water in the tub.

In a matter of minutes Dawn and Connor had delivered the essential items Willow had requested and she added them to the bath. She slowly helped Ruby disrobe, taking in every detail of the damage Kennedy had inflicted. It was sickening to think that someone she thought she could love had been capable of doing something so horrific and yet here was the proof. She tried her best to push thoughts of Kennedy out of her head as she helped ease Ruby into the herb-infused water, giving her the care and attention she needed.

Ruby grit her teeth in pain as the water covered her wounds. She sat upright with her knees bent slightly, afraid to let more of her body touch the walls of the tub than necessary. After a few moments the pain slowly started to ease a bit into the water's healing caress.

Willow watched her face as the herbs started to work their magic. "Feeling any better?"

Ruby nodded weakly. "A bit."

"I'm going to try to clean up your back, it's pretty bad," Willow grimaced.

Ruby dipped her head in compliance, too tired and weak to even protest as Willow started pouring water over the worst of her wounds with a cup. She was afraid to do more than that. She had no idea how long she sat there with her, just tending to her injuries before Ruby finally took a slow deep breath. The tension in her shoulders ebbed a fraction more as Willow continued.

A soft chuckle escaped Ruby's throat making Willow raise an eyebrow. "What's funny?"

Ruby shook her head. "All the times I thought about being naked with you, never looked like this," she said with the ghost of a smile playing on her mouth as she lifted her head toward her.

Willow felt warmth rise in her cheeks and cleared her throat. "Ah, yeah… not really how I pictured it either…"

(*)

Willow collapsed onto the couch, exhausted in seven different ways. Ruby had finished off two large containers of blood and was resting as comfortably as could be expected. She was currently laying face down on Buffy's bed looking like an extra from a mummy movie. Willow had lost track of Connor but she was pretty sure she would find him passed out on Dawn's bed. Dawn had helped Willow get Ruby bandaged up and into bed and then she also disappeared. After the whole ordeal she just couldn't bring herself to even think about protesting the sleeping arrangements.

She pulled a throw pillow into her lap, fidgeting with the stitching along the edge and contemplating having a good cry when the phone rang. She looked at the caller ID with bleary eyes and answered. "Hey Xan."

"Uhh ohh, that's not a happy Willow voice," Xander responded with concern.

"It's been a really, really, really rough day… or days… I don't even know."

Willow could practically hear Xander frown.

"I take it, that's why you called?"

"Yeah that's—" Willow started but stopped when she heard an unfamiliar British woman's voice in the background.

"Xander, I've got the popcorn but I couldn't find the pretzels. Could you-"

Xander cleared his throat, stopping her. "Sure, Viv, but give me a minute. Willow is in need of some best friendness."

"Xan?" Willow interjected. "Is that— are you hanging out with Spike's cousin?"

"I- hum— well yeah, I am but it's cool. Go on, Wills, I'm here. Shoot. Best friend at the ready. Locked and loaded. Hit me with your best shot," he said enthusiastically.

Willow raised a silent eyebrow, but shook it off. "I can't even begin to-" she paused with a sigh and decided to just start from the beginning. She told Xander everything and as she did she started to feel more than a little ashamed but also relieved to get it all out.

(*)

"That mega bitch!" Xander exclaimed heatedly, as Willow told him the entire dreadful story. "Will, that's horrible," he was struggling to keep the rage out of his voice, "it's beyond horrible. That's just plain evil!"

Vivian eyed him with intense interest as he continued his conversation with Willow.

"Yeah, tell me about it," Willow answered sullenly, fatigue etched deeply into her voice.

Xander bit the inside of his cheek. "You sound like you need some sleep."

A poorly repressed yawn met his ear. "Yeah, totally with the super sleepage," Willow admitted.

"Go on, I'll have Giles call you tomorrow."

"Okay— thanks Xan."

The phone clicked and Xander wondered if Willow had even heard his parting words. He gave a shrug. He didn't know Ruby particularly well but she seemed to be good for Willow and that was good enough for him.

Seething anger toward Kennedy started to rise higher and Vivian shifted in her seat towards him a little. "Everything alright?" she asked.

Xander scoffed as he slouched back into the couch cushions. "I'm so sick of Kennedy and her bullshit. I never thought we would see her again after Giles sent her to Australia, but this…"

Vivian shrugged. "See this kind of thing a lot in my line of business. It usually just gets worse."

"The psychopath tortured Ruby. I don't even want to think about 'worse'," Xander frowned.

"That's the one William has been mentoring, yes?"

"I still can't get used to you calling him that— but yeah; and Willow's sort of new girlfriend. I just wish we could get rid of Kennedy already," he huffed.

Vivian chewed thoughtfully on a piece of popcorn and swallowed, letting her face shift. "Wish granted."

"What was that?" Xander asked obviously as he reached for the remote to turn on the movie.

"Pretzels. You know, before we get engrossed in the whimsy that is Bugs Bunny," she answered, turning her human face back to him.

"Oh, right! Can't get all into 'Space Jam' without the pretzels!" He clicked the remote. "You can get started, I'll be right back," he said, with a grin as he got up to make a kitchen run.

(*)

The street lights had just come on in Rome. Kennedy stood outside on the street on the sidewalk, eyeing the spot where Willow had disappeared a few minutes before probably curled up on the couch she imagined. She gazed at the window plotting her next move.

The kid, Connor, definitely has to go. He's an abomination after all and Ruby… hell I should've just killed her when I had the chance. She thought sourly.

The bandage on her arm itched annoyingly as the deep cuts underneath started to heal. It would only be a few days before she was back to full health and then she would be able to exact her revenge on them all.

Maybe I'll just burn down the whole freaking building. Now there's an idea.

The thought had no more than crossed her mind when out of nowhere, a piano dropped out of the sky onto her head, crushing her beneath it like a bug under a boot.

(*)

Inside the apartment Willow woke up with a jolt, the cacophony of the piano crashing to the ground, mixed with the sound of Dawn and Connor running out into the living room, awoke her with a shock. "What the heck was that?" she asked the other two.

Connor moved forward pulling the drapes aside to look out and reeled back in surprise. "Holy shit!"

"What? What is it?" Dawn asked as Connor proceeded to open the blinds.

The three of them looked out the window, people had started to gather gaping in confusion to see something straight out of the Loony Toons. Well Loony Toons if it had been a horror movie instead of a children's cartoon. Blood and gore seeped out from underneath the broken piano on the street and Willow pressed a hand against her mouth as she noticed the freshly drawn staked heart on the wall behind the horror show on the street.

"What the— How did-" Dawn stammered in shock.

Willow spun away from the sight, collapsing onto the couch. Her emotions were a tsunami of shock, realization and relief then guilt in wake of that relief.

"What the hell happened out there?" Dawn finally managed to utter.

Willow dropped her hand from her mouth. "I think I know."