After The Fall
by wolfkin
Chapter 3
[reviews]
Author's Note: Okay, there've been requests to 'get to the W/B action already.' and I understand that, but I'll give fair warning; That's not really gonna start happening, *consciously* on Willow and Buffy's part, anyway, for a few more chapters. This chapter does start to rearrange the relationships, but it only starts the process and there will be more Faith and Xander and Dawn and Kennedy stuff in between. Even Vi and Rona get a couple paragraphs, so I ask for patience. My friend and beta, Willowfan, who has read the scene where Willow and Buffy get together thinks it's worth the wait. I hope you do too.
Chapter 3
Dawn glanced back over the assembled teens, counting noses, making sure that everyone who'd said they wanted to go with them to the movies was there. She nodded when the count came up right and turned back toward the entrance of the hotel. [Come on, Buffy,] she thought. [Need the money so we can go! Movie starts in less that thirty minutes and it's the only one tonight!]
At the *ding* of the elevator, she looked that way, just in time to see her sister, Willow and Kennedy step off and head their way. Sighing, the former Key stops fidgeting and frowns. "It's about time! I thought I was gonna have to call it off!"
"It's only been fifteen minutes since you guys said you wanted to go, Dawnie," Buffy explained, her voice one of strained patience. "I had to get the money from Giles, then I stopped to check on Xander." She made a face. "He said he didn't want to talk to anyone right now."
Dawn grimaces at the blonde's sad tone. "Yeah, I know. I tried to talk to him before I came down, but he asked me to leave. He's never asked me to do that before," she said despondently.
Willow looked on the verge of tears and Kennedy automatically wrapped an arm around her. "He even asked me to leave him alone. Me!" She lamented, leaning into the Slayer at her side. "I know he loved Anya, we all did, just not the same, of course. Goddess knows I'm sorry she's dead and I'll miss her too, but..."
Buffy shook her head. "Not the same Will, and you know it. I'm pretty sure, if she'd made it through the fight, they'd have gotten together again. I mean, you guys saw'em the last few weeks, right?"
"Yeah, okay, you have a point," the redhead concedes. "It's just... He shouldn't go through this alone. I had to and it nearly killed me." The witch sighs deeply, a tear breaking free and rolling down her cheek.
Kennedy reaches up to wipe it away, but Buffy beats her to it. The new Slayer looks at the blonde, irritation surging through her, but, to her own surprise, no jealousy. After a few seconds to think about it, Kennedy decides the feeling she's getting from the act is closer to someone interfering with her job. Shaking her head, the brunette decides there's no jealousy simply because Buffy is Willow's best friend and therefore not a rival.
A small part of her, however, is not satisfied with that answer and continues to worry the question like a dog with bone.
Dawn nods vigorously. "Willow's right! We have to show Xander that we're all here for him and that we just want to help!"
"I know, guys, but not everyone does this the same way," Buffy responds. "I love Xander, just as much as you or Dawnie do, but maybe we should do what he says and give him a little time," she adds after a moment.
"I just hate to see him so sad," Dawn adds, sounding upset. "I'm gonna go ask if he wants to come with us to the movies!"
"No!" Buffy almost shouts, throwing her arm up in front of her sister.
Sighing heavily, she drops her arm and says, "Okay, here're my thoughts on it. We're giving Faith time to deal with Principal Wood's death and she only knew him what? Three, four days? Xander knew Anya since our senior year in high school and was in love with her for most of that time. We give him a day or two, then if he's still holed up in his room, we'll talk again about how to cheer him up." There was a pause, then, "Agreed?"
Willow paused, then reluctantly nodded her head, sighing. "Yeah, okay. A couple days."
Buffy waits for Dawn to promise, but the teen says nothing. The Slayer turns her most quelling stare on her sister and cocks an eyebrow.
"Okay! I'll leave him alone for a little while. Promise!"
"Thank you, Dawn. Don't worry, we'll all help him, but we can't until he lets us, right?" Buffy asked.
"I get it, Buffy, okay? I said wouldn't bother him and I won't, so can we just drop it now?" Dawn growled out her answer, clearly angry.
"Okay, okay! Calm down, Dawnie!" Buffy waved her hands in front of her in a kind of warding gesture, then dropped them, closing her eyes. Taking a deep breath and releasing it, she opened them again. "Look, I'm still kinda wiped, what with the fight and being stabbed and all. If anyone needs me, I'll be in my room, okay? Dawn, I promise. If Xander doesn't come out of his room by lunch tomorrow, then we'll start planning Operation Cheer Up Xander, okay?"
"Okay," Dawn responded petulantly. "But, no longer than lunch!"
"Fine." Buffy's voice was equal parts annoyance and exhaustion. "Be quiet when you come in the room, okay? I'll probably be asleep."
"Whatever." Dawn almost snatched the money from Buffy's hand and turned back to the waiting Slayers, not bothering to watch Buffy leave, a hurt expression for Dawn's actions on her face. Impulsively, she turned back to Willow and Kennedy. "You guys wanna come along?"
Red hair flying, Willow shook her head. "Not me. That spell and... other things," she blushed, "have me kinda tired too. I wanna just go back to the room and meditate some. Kenn?"
The brunette Slayer looked torn. "I'd kinda like to go, yeah. Still *way* too keyed up for sleep yet." She slid one hand up and cupped Willow's cheek. "You don't mind?"
Willow smiled. "Not at all. Like I said, I want to meditate a while, so have fun!" Her eyes narrowed playfully. "Just don't flirt with the girls at the theater!"
Kennedy gives her a playfully shocked look, then a real one as Dawn slips an arm through the crook of her own.
The younger teen smiles at her friend/sister. "Don't worry, Willow. I'll make sure she behaves!"
The redhead's face gets a worried look, though there's a twinkle in her eye. "Okay, now I am worried. I knew about you and Kit, you know, so having a girl who likes girls watching over *my* girlfriend? Not that reassuring!" She winks to show she's playing, then laughs at Dawn's crestfallen expression. At the Key's questioning look, she just smiles and shakes her head. "Not saying how, so don't ask. Now go on," she points at a nearby clock. "You're gonna be late!"
Dawn looks at the clock and nods, but pins Willow with a stare. [We are gonna talk about this, you know!] She mentally sends to Willow, frowning when the witch's smile gets broader. "Come on guys. We're gonna miss the movie."
She and Kennedy in the lead, the group of girls head off through the front doors.
* * *
Faith walks back into the lobby of the Comfort Inn feeling strangely good. She'd stopped a girl a little younger than her from getting raped and even scrapped up a vampire hunting among the tractor trailer rigs parked across the road.
The demon was pretty experienced and gave her a really good fight, which she hadn't minded in the least. She'd needed to burn off some steam anyway, so she'd had a blast toying with the vamp for a few minutes, then staking it. Thinking about his expression when the stake slid home made her smile again.
Heading back through the lobby area, she stops as she recognizes Willow's voice from her left. Curious, she eases over to hear what's going on. The dark Slayer figures if it's not about her or slaying, she'll know pretty quick and can get on to her room to shower and take care of how worked up she is from tonight's action.
"...shouldn't go through this alone. I had to and it nearly killed me." "
Dawn's voice comes quickly on the heels of that statement. "Willow's right! We have to show Xander that we're all here for him and that we just want to help!"
"I know, guys, but not everyone does this the same way," Buffy responds. "I love Xander, just as much as you or Dawnie do, but maybe we should do what he says and give him a little time," she adds after a moment.
[Him?] Faith wondered. [Him who?] Leaning closer, she consciously jacked up her hearing.
"I just hate to see him so sad," Dawn says, sounding upset. "I'm gonna go ask if he wants to come with us to the movies!"
"No!" Buffy almost shouted, then Faith heard her sigh heavily. "Okay, here're my thoughts on it. We're giving Faith time to deal with Principal Wood's death and she only knew him what? Three, four days? Xander knew Anya since our senior year in high school and was in love with her for most of that time. We give him a day or two, then if he's still holed up in his room, we'll talk again about how to cheer him up." There was a pause, then, "Agreed?"
Faith heard a deep sigh, then Willow's voice. "Yeah, okay. A couple days."
A fairly long pause, then Dawn says, "Okay! I'll leave him alone for a little while. Promise!"
"Thank you, Dawn. Don't worry, we'll all help him, but we can't until he lets us, right?" Buffy asked.
Faith hears the teen's growly reply and smirks. "I get it, Buffy, okay? I said wouldn't bother him and I won't, so can we just drop it now?" Faith shook her head in bemusement, knowing intimately how much Buffy liked to drive a point home, now matter how much you told her you understood.
"Okay, okay! Calm down, Dawnie!" Faith heard the blonde sigh. "Look, I'm still kinda wiped, what with the fight and being stabbed and all. If any one needs me, I'll be in my room, okay? Dawn, I promise. If Xander doesn't come out of his room by lunch tomorrow, then we'll start planning Operation Cheer Up Xander, okay?"
"Okay," came the petulant sounding reply a moment later. "But, no longer than lunch!"
Faith rolled her eyes at the younger brunette's tone, suddenly grateful for the first time that the others had never really been that interested in her and her problems. She just wasn't sure she could take them all running around, making her crazier, thinking they were helping. There really could've been bloodshed, then she'd have had to say she was sorry, and feel guilty and all that crap. All in all, maybe that little part of her earlier time with the Scoobs was for the best.
"Fine." Buffy's voice was equal parts annoyance and something Faith figured was exhaustion. "Be quiet when you come in the room, okay? I'll probably be asleep."
Faith heard the teen's answer of "Whatever", but she'd already started to move away, so anything else to the conversation was lost. On autopilot, her feet carried her to her room while she thought over what she'd heard, it mixing with what had happened while she was out.
Once in her room, she glances at the alarm clock, noticing it was still pretty early, but her mind still on the events of the evening and the comments she overheard. Mechanically, she strips and heads for the shower, setting everything up and stepping into the tub.
When the first drops of water hit her though, her body urgently reminds her that she fought and slayed recently and that there something she needs to take care of right now. She starts to take care of things, but impulsively decided to not masturbate. The part of her controlled by her libido screams in frustration, but, using the control she learned in prison, Faith simple cleans up quickly and steps out of the shower.
After drying off and ruthlessly suppressing another urge to scratch certain itches, the dark Slayer sits on her bed for a moment staring at the darkened television. Abruptly, she stands and dresses, then leaves the room.
* * *
Buffy groaned and sat up, looking at the door to her room with near hatred as the sound of the light knocks died away. She debated ignoring it and lying back down, but the knocks were repeated before she could. Growling, the blonde stands and goes to answer it, promising herself that if it was Andrew, Faith wouldn't be the only Slayer guilty of murder.
"Okay, okay!" She muttered as she reached for the knob and opened the door. Instantly, her eyebrows contracted in confusion. "Uh, Will? What's up?"
A faint blush crept up her fair cheeks as Willow smiled hesitantly at the Slayer. "Nothing's wrong, if that's what you're thinking. I... just started thinking on the way to my room and I remembered something. Can I come in?"
Buffy stared for a second, her exhausted brain needing time to make sense of the words. Blushing a little, she mumbled, "Oh! Uh, yeah. Sure," as she stepped back.
Willow smiled as she walked passed, then turned to wait for her best friend as she closed the door and crossed to sit on the bed. "How's your side?" She asked before Buffy could speak.
"Huh? Oh, it's okay," Buffy replied offhandedly. When Willow fixed her with a knowing glare, she twitched, then winced and admitted, "Okay, it hurts like hell, but it's getting better. You know how Slayer healing works; if I don't die, it'll heal eventually." She shrugged nonchalantly. "It's healing."
Buffy looked expectantly at the door, then frowned and turned her gaze to to the redhead. "Where's Kennedy?"
Willow shook herself from her thoughts. "Huh? Oh, she went to the movies with Dawnie and the girls."
The Slayer was incredulous. "You passed up a chance for a date? Are you guys having problems or something?"
"No, we're fine. I just didn't wanna go." She pauses, then her features sharpen a little as she makes a decision. "Buffy, I know you heal fast, but I'd like to help, if I can. Will you let me?"
Buffy frowned in confusion. "Uh, yeah, but I thought healing spells didn't really work. At least, not without really funky side effects, anyway. Other than best friend moral support, how're you gonna help?"
Willow smiled even as she made and "eww" face. "Remember when that demon cut off my skin and ate it? How I helped myself heal?"
Her face clearing in understanding, the Slayer smiled. "Oh! When I helped you by lending my strength so you could heal faster? Yeah, I remember that. Is that what you wanna do?" Suddenly, she frowned again. "I don't know the spell or whatever. I can't use that trick, Will."
"It's not a spell, Buffy," Willow explain with a fondly exasperated smile. "It's a form of meditation. Besides, you don't need to know how it works, not unless you just want to know. I'll be doing all the work, you'll just be providing the 'umpht'"
"What d'ya mean?"
"Basically, I'll be pulling the energy from the Earth, sorta transforming it a little to a healing type of energy, then feeding it into you. Then you add it to your Slayer healing power and sorta 'will' it to fix the damage that turok-han caused." Willow smiled at her blonde haired friend. "Simple, right?"
Buffy stared at her crazy friend for a second, then nodded absently. "Oh. Simple. Yeah. *If you're a witch.* Which I'm not, in case you forgot."
Willow frowned at the Slayer. Reaching out, she took her hand and led the way over to the bed and indicated that they should sit down. Her eyes lit up as Buffy groaned as she sat and she suddenly knew how to explain it. "Okay, how about this; You take the energy I give you and think about what hurts and really want it to stop and get better." She smiled cautiously. "You get that, right?"
Slowly, the blonde nodded as the concept soaked into her fatigued brain. Now it was simple. Make it stop hurting. That she could do. Looking up at the redhead, Buffy noticed that Willow was looking at her expectantly. "Oh, I guess you wanna do this now, huh?"
"If - If it's okay," the witch said quietly, somewhat hesitantly.
"I don't know, Will. *Really* tired right now, y'know? I haven't gotten a lot of sleep lately and today's kinda started to catch up and kick my ass."
"Please, Buffy?"
Willow turned her best pout on the Slayer, a real 'Please, pretty please can I keep the puppy?' kind of expression and Buffy felt her resolve beginning to crumble. Truthfully, there wasn't much she was prepared to deny Willow at the best of times and right now, when her mental faculties were so low...
Willow took Buffy's silence for further reluctance, so she looked down a little and sold her real reasons for insisting. "Please, Buffy, let me do this. Xander... He won't let me help right now and I want to do this for you. Please? Let me take the pain from one member of my family?"
Buffy sighed quietly and looked up into sad green eyes. "What do I do?"
The witch smiled gratefully and scooted toward the center of the bed, but closer to the foot. "Like last time, only backwards. We sit cross legged and hold hands. When you feel the energy start to enter through your hands, just use it to make the pain go away," Willow chirped.
Despite herself, Buffy found herself smiling at Willow's sudden bubbly enthusiasm. [Okay, this is worth putting off sleep for a little while,] she decided. [Besides,] another part of her mind offered up the thought. [Will's really cute when she's all bouncy].
That thought jolted the blonde out of the start of her meditative trance. Since when had she thought of Willow as cute? [Um, okay. I-it was just a friend thing,] her thoughts suddenly moving quickly, like a kitten on ice. [Yeah, girlfriends are always thinking and telling each other that their cute or look good.] Hazel eyes widen nervously at that thought. Buffy is well aware that Willow can talk to anyone she wants telepathically.
[Friends who just happen to both be girls, not girlfriendly type girlfriends! Not like her and Kennedy! Just Willow's a girl and I'm a girl and we're friends.] Quickly, she thought of her current favorite actor and what she'd like to do with him if she had him to herself for a night. She mentally sighed in relief when she felt her body react excitedly at the thought of the man naked. [See? Nothing weird here.]
"Buffy, you're not concentrating."
The Slayer's eyes snapped up and locked onto Willow's. She made a little apologetic face. "Sorry, Will. Weird thought that wouldn't go away." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm ready now."
Willow watched as Buffy seemed to center herself, but the sensitive wicca could tell there was something still bothering her friend. Shaking her head, she decided to worry about it later. Centering quickly, she tapped into the Earth's energy and began to slowly feed to Buffy.
The Slayer felt it start to enter her and consciously directed the power to each of her bodies many aches. Nagging at the back of her mind, her subconscious asks, [Do I think Willow's cute?]
* * *
Looking around as she waited in the concession line, Dawn finally noticed the creepy looking guy who was staring at her. Looking more fully at him, she tried to suppress a shudder, but just wasn't quite successful.
He might once have been hot, but not anymore. Now, he looked like a jock who'd O.D.ed on steroids twice so far and was determined to go for three, even though he already looked like he should be living in a cave and hunting mammoths. She could almost hear what he was thinking as he undressed and devoured her with his eyes.
Trying to think of a way to keep the troll in the making from coming any closer, the brunette thought frantically, trying to come up with something that would deter him. Glancing to her other side, she suddenly felt like hitting herself.
Reaching out, she snagged Kennedy's hand and snuggled closer to her friend, trying to hide the older teen's surprised reaction from Mr. Caveman. She shook her head quickly as she saw Kennedy about to question and pull away, then jerked her head a little to her left.
"See the thing over there?" She asked in an urgent, whispered hiss. "I *really* don't wanna deal with a Neanderthal tonight, so please, pretend like we're together, at least until we're in the theater, okay? Please?"
The young Slayer cast an appraising look at the evolutionary throwback and decided he wasn't gonna be any kind of a challenge if he decided to get stupid. Looking back at Dawn, she frowned ever so slightly. "I don't know, Dawn. Kinda seems like I'm cheating on Red, y'know? Almost like I was here on a date with you."
Kennedy managed to maintain a straight face, but it was close. Glancing at the guy again, she was pretty sure she wouldn't have wished him on a vampire, let alone a friend. Teasing aside, she was already mentally rehearsing her apologies to the theater staff for decking the loser.
Dawn scowled indignantly. "Aw, come on! It's not like I'm asking you to make out or anything! Just hold my hand till we're in the theater, then you can sit on the other side of the room if you want. Just keep tall dark and creepy away from me, okay?"
She glanced at the guy and he seemed to have made up his mind and was starting toward them. Frantically, she turned back to Kennedy. "Please?!" She begged, getting desperate. "I'll - I'll tell Willow you saved me and to be *really* nice to you! Please?"
Kennedy took one more quick look at the lumbering male approaching and decided to let the younger girl off the hook. Looping an arm around Dawn's shoulders, she pulled her closer and smirking at the wanna be giant, the Slayer pressed a soft, slow kiss to Dawn's lips.
The Key's initial reaction was try to jerk back, but Kennedy had foreseen that and Dawn had limited movement, the way Kennedy was holding her. After a split second to decide that, no, it didn't mean anything other than saving her butt, Dawn relaxed into the kiss and returned it.
Sudden cat-calls and whistles caused her to pull away and she blushed bright red, even as she smiled nervously at Kennedy. Kennedy smiled back, but continued to keep one eye on the now disgruntled male. She could tell he didn't like the idea that his new obsession was someone else's and he locked eyes with the Slayer, pulling his most ferocious expression. Kennedy snorted.
He knew it was a scary and mean looking face. He'd seen this face in the mirror, watched as some of the town's toughest bullies backed down and let him have his way. Which was why he was confused when the little girl, shorter than his planned fucktoy for the night, returned his stare with one of her own that seemed to just beg, '*Please*, fuck with me!'
He started to take her up on the challenge, but something, maybe a deep seated instinct for self preservation, or maybe just a sudden understanding, but the behemoth ponderously changed his mind. His was the mind of a scavenging predator, but some part of him recognized the more dangerous predator looking back at him. A lioness to his jackal. He took two steps back, though he continued to stare.
Kennedy snorted in amused disdain, then pointedly ignored him to turn and place her order for snacks. She nudged Dawn, then paid for both of them. Stuffing candy into various pockets, the Slayer handed Dawn both tubs of popcorn, the balanced the drink carrier in one hand. Wrapping the other around around Dawn's waist, she lead them by the baffled ogre. Smiling, Kennedy said, loudly enough for him to 'overhear', "Come on, baby. Let's get inside and ignore the movie, 'k?"
Dawn just nodded, completely confused and not a little blown away by the older girl in full flirt mode. She risked a glance back over her shoulder and saw the guy that had been terrifying her turn dull red with confounded rage before he looked quickly around and stalked off.
"He's gone."
Kennedy looked up at Dawn. "Huh?" She stopped their progress and turned to look behind them. "Oh. Good!" She smiled, then rotated back to find Dawn staring at her. "Oh!"
Dawn felt a confusing mixture of relief and sadness as Kennedy dropped her arm.
"Sorry about the kiss." The Slayer shrugged. "I just figured it was the fastest way to get'im to back off. And it worked, too!" She smiled triumphantly, then it dimmed a little as she thought, [Oh, um, sorry Willow!]
Dawn shook her head, brown hair flying a little. "No, no! I get it! And thanks! That was way more than what I was asking though." She looked shyly at the darkening theater in front of them. "Um, we better... Um, get inside. Here," she offered the Slayer one of the popcorn tubs.
Kennedy looked confused, then understood. Dawn wanted them to sit separately. She opened her mouth to agree, but found she couldn't. Glancing back over her shoulder, she faced the younger teenager. "He, uh, he might come back. We probably should sit together, right?"
Dawn blushed and peered around nervously. "Yeah, okay. Come on then." She immediately spun and headed into the dark room.
Kennedy smiled a little and trailed at her heels. She let Dawn pick out the seats, then divided up the snacks. Both girls sat back to watch their movie, but they both also kept casting quick glances at each other.
Kennedy tried to pay attention to the screen, but found her conscience was bothering her about the kiss. She knew she shouldn't have done that, if for no other reason that it might hurt what she and Willow had. Kennedy didn't want to mess up the good thing that was their relationship.
But, like she'd told Dawn, it was the fastest way she could think of to get clueless to back off. Glancing at Dawn, she suddenly realized something. Yes, her conscience was bugging her about kissing Dawn, but it seemed like it was more for the confusion it had caused the other teen than any 'betrayal' of her girlfriend. [Why aren't I more worried that Red'll be mad I kissed another girl?] She wondered.
AN 2: I hope you liked it and I'll have chapter 4 up soon. Probably by saturday. :)