Misdirection

by LilBit

Copyright © 2007

Epallen@tampabay.rr.com

Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: All the characters from BUFFY: THE VAMPIRE SLAYER are the property of Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy, Inc.
Distribution: The Mystic Muse http://mysticmuse.net
Feedback: Of course. Please!
Spoilers: Post-Chosen.
Author's Notes: This story is the sixth installation and, for continuity, the reader should first read The Sacrifice, Alterations with Time, Parallel, Life Changes Everything, and Stones in the Road (in that order.
Pairing: Willow/Kennedy

He tried to catch his breath as he watched through the side vestibule door window. Father Eduardo Castillo's first inclination was to push open the door and run to the boy standing by the high altar. It had been a tumultuous and heart wrenching few hours and now the priest, known by the townspeople as "Padre," didn't know how to handle the situation before his eyes. He stood with his right hand upon the door handle, watching the boy investigate the items that were on the communion table. They were only there because the priest hurriedly left them when he was frantically summoned to the bedside of his long acquaintance and friend Sister Sarah. It was because of her that the items were in his possession at all. If what the Sister had told him was true, he knew he should run to the boy and snatch the articles off the table and out of his reach. But the old woman had been incoherent and talking wildly before her death. Even when she handed him the two items several hours before her death and told him of their significance, he thought her mad. So as a result, Father Eduardo didn't move, not for this boy.

The young boy's name was Sergio. That the priest knew, but not much more. From the appearance of the lad, the priest gathered he was a street urchin or from a very poor and disruptive household. Father Eduardo had seen Sergio in his church on several occasions. It was always during non-service hours and usually in the early evening when noone was in the church. He was able to talk to the boy briefly once; that's how he knew the name. To the priest, the boy seemed like a lost soul, searching for some place of peace in what the clergy assumed was a very disappointing and harsh life. So the man never pushed the boy; never made him leave the sanctuary. He let the lad roam the main chapel area freely. As a man of the cloth, Father Eduardo wanted the boy to feel welcomed in God's house, to feel His love. This time was no different despite the tragic events that had just unfolded with the old nun. He hoped this time would be different than the ones before. Father Eduardo prayed that the boy would stay and not run out like he had before. He hoped that the lad would finally take a seat in a pew or seek the priest out. So, like the other times, the man called Padre watched and waited.

Sergio scanned the long table before him. This was the eighth time he'd been in this church. He had kept count. It was the largest Catholic church in the small town of Kingman, Arizona. Even though he was only thirteen, the boy had a jaded view of that religious sect, of all religions in actuality. Every beating he received at the hands of his mother, and they were many, were all delivered in the name of Jesus. He was always told that he offended his Savior in some manner to justify the bruises and burns. Each incident only caused him to act out. He got in trouble with the law in rebellion to his home life. That only got him more beatings. Sergio came to this church to try to understand how he could be so unworthy in the eyes of God, to see if there was justification for his mother's brutality. These visits weren't like the ones when he was very young. He faintly remembered going to Sunday Mass with his mother before she turned sour and mean from the desertion of her husband.

The visits now never helped. All Sergio saw in the beautifully ornate church were paintings of more cruelty done to another's son, the Son. All they showed him was more hurt and pain. The young boy never found any answers. He knew the priest of the house wanted to help him find them. The boy occasionally saw the clergy watching outside of the main chapel room. But he was leery of even that man. His hesitation came not from the molestation scandal that had rocked the Catholic Church for years. Sergio's doubt's came from the fact that his uncle was an ex-priest. How the drunk became one at all the lad would never understand. Of course, Sergio was not privy to the devastating events in the uncle's life that proved too much for him to bear, even as a priest. With all the man's drinking and harsh acts, wearing a priest's collar didn't make much of an impression on the boy. Sergio had the attitude of a fifty year old cynic trapped in the body of a young teen.

The teenager looked at the objects on the table again. There was the usual communion fare, the goblets and plate and ceremonial cloths. Something was different though. Amidst those items were two unusual objects. Sergio didn't know exactly what they were. They appeared to be a small, shallow bowl and small paddle or knife of some sort. They were the strangest looking items he'd ever seen. The boy didn't know what they were made out of; he conjectured it to be some exotic wood. They were elegant. Though young, the items still struck his curiosity. Why were they in the church? How could they be part of the holy mass? Why should the believers have such unique things?

His internal dialogue brought a thought of thievery. This wasn't the first time he had contemplated stealing from this church. In fact, he'd taken other lesser items from the place – a bible, a prayer candle and even a sweater left by a parishioner. He stole to barter for food or to placate his mother with a trinket in order to head off another beating. He knew that the unusual items before him would bring a good price from the right person. He might be able to get enough money to buy some badly needed clothes or food that was in short supply at his home. Sergio looked around. He saw noone, as usual. Thursday night after catechism classes was always a good time to visit.

'They have so much here…They won't miss 'em,' he muttered to himself. The decision made, in one quick movement Sergio grabbed the two items and darted for the side exit door.

Father Eduardo watched the boy's quick theft and sudden departure out of the Church. He knew the boy stole, and from his church. He'd had a bible from the church returned by a parishioner who found it at a flea market. The Father assumed that the lad stole for food or clothes. For a fleeting moment all he felt was disappointment. The boy had not found that spark of the Lord within his heart. He had once again chosen the wrong path. The priest briefly wondered if he should actively engage the boy next time he saw him in the Church, take a more hard line approach.

The method necessary to 'save' the young child didn't get much more play in the priest's mind because the haunting words of Sister Sarah jumped into his head. "Evil seeks its grail…protect them at all costs." In that split second, the hair on the back of the priest's neck stood on end and a cold chill ran down his spine. Something in his soul told him that the objects he left haphazardly on the table, the ones stolen by the boy, were of monumental importance…and deadly dangerous. In that instant, Father Eduardo knew he had to find the boy and take the items back. He burst through the door, ran across the altar area and started toward the nave of the church.

When he got almost to the far side corridor, there was a loud slamming noise at the front door area of the church. Father Eduardo stopped instantly thinking the boy may have had second thoughts and come back to return his loot. When the priest turned to face the entrance, the young lad was not what he caught in his view. There a large, looming figure stood by the back row of pews. He could not see a face because the person had a dark hood over his head which protruded down into his face. The figure was too large to be a woman, of that the priest was certain.

Knowing that he could not return to his attempt to chase after Sergio, Father Eduardo gave his attention to the motionless man.

"Hello, may I help you?" the priest said out of breath and with his trademark Mexican accent.

There was no response, but the man took several steps down the center isle toward the priest's location.

"Please, don't be afraid to talk my son. I will listen to anything you have to say." Father Eduardo watched as the man stepped closer. Once he got into the full light of the few sconces on the nave columns, the sight sent a gasp from the priest's throat.

The figure was wearing a long, black leather coat like that worn by cowboys on rainy days on the untamed Arizona plains. The coat was buttoned but the priest could see black jeans and boots. The man's hands were in his coat pockets and his head was still lowered enough to thwart view of his face. There was something about his presence and his movements that told the Father that this was no normal man.

As the man got even closer, only about twenty feet away, the priest felt a chill in the air. It was as if something took the warm June air out of the building and replaced it with dead cold. It was at this moment that Father Eduardo felt the first sting of fear.

Quavering, "Who are you?…What do want?…This is a house of worship…This is no place for trouble."

The man stopped. He was a mere ten feet from the priest. He slowly lifted his head and met the other eye to eye. "Where are they?" The words were said with a deep and penetrating tone.

Father Eduardo stepped back in fright. The face he saw was not human. True, it had the features of a regular man. There was skin and a nose and a mouth. He saw teeth and ears. But it was the eyes that told him something evil stood before him. They were black as coal and lifeless. Nothing but evil could have had those eyes.

"Where are they!" the man shouted as he lunged at the priest. The figure was fast and strong and quickly had Father Eduardo against a marble column. A hand with long spindly fingers squeezed the priest's neck. The thing before him gazed with pure craving for the answer.

The Father was terrified and confused. "I don't…know what you're…talking about," he said, the words snagging on the clenched throat as they left him.

"You lie!" The fingers wrapped tighter.

The priest tried to pull the grip from his neck. He twisted and turned trying to free himself. He was having trouble getting air into his lungs. All he could do was shake his head to enforce his ignorance.

The figure leaned in so he was inches from the priest's face. "Vestatu!" he uttered with complete hatred.

That word caused a change in the priest's expression. Fright was replaced by realization and despair. "Vestatu" was the word used by Sister Sarah to describe herself. It was but one part of a fantastic story told by the nun after her initial brain seizure while at the rectory. It was the story that Father Eduardo thought was born from a mind wrought with dementia. He now knew he was wrong. Sister Sarah in her last hours on earth had involved him in the most unbelievable reality he'd ever imagined.

With eyes wide from disbelief, "La espada del Diablo," the priest whispered as he stared at the black eyes.

The man let out a wail and threw Father Eduardo toward the front altar. He went like a rag doll through the air and landed hard on the granite floor. The figure followed him and pounced once again. He picked the priest up and pinned him against the podium next to the communion table. He looked behind the priest to the statue of Jesus on the wall.

"You'll die like your precious savior if I do not receive that which is mine!" The words were bellowed and they reverberated inside the church. The priest tried to talk but was stopped. "Do not lie clergy…I know the whore is here…I saw her dead body…I know she gave them to you."

Father Eduardo didn't know how this 'thing' knew of Sister Sarah or that she was dead. The fact that he had seen her frightened him dearly. A split second after that reflection, he also realized that the 'man' before him thought that he was in possession of the items that had been stolen by Sergio. The priest grasped onto the understanding that this creature had not seen the boy take the items. Somehow, the obsessed evil hovering in front of him only had the priest in his sights. 'The boy is not in danger…for now,' he told himself.

The Father also knew that he could not tell the truth about Sergio. There was nothing that could be done to him that would make him put the lad in mortal danger and open to everlasting damnation. Instead, Father Eduardo decided to remain silent. He would not speak a word and accept the wrath of the monster before him. Somehow he knew that if he remained silent the boy would be safe.

"Where are they?" the man shouted again through clenched teeth. When the priest remained closed mouth, he yelled it again, "WHERE ARE THEY?" The priest merely closed his eyes.

The evil figure became enraged and threw the priest down to the floor. He stomped on his chest with his boot and ended with the heel dug into the holy man's throat. "Do you think I won't kill you?…That collar around your neck means nothing…Tell me or I will slit your throat open." He kicked the priest's face with his boot and then kneeled on one leg beside him, taking the priest's neck again in his grip. With his other hand the unknown man pulled a shimmering blade from his coat sleeve. Staring intensely at the frightened man, the black eyed figure slowly brought the razor sharp edge to his throat.

"Tell me." It was a demand which offered no leniency.

Those two words were the last that Father Eduardo Castillo heard while alive. Once said, the priest looked at the man…and spat in his face.

The knife cut deep and long across his neck as the man of the cloth said the Lord's Prayer. His last conscious thought was the joy he would receive spending eternity with Jesus.

Crimson blood spilled over the hand of the man in the black leather coat. He had come so far and gotten so close. He knew his journey was almost at an end. The man had hunted down his life to this moment. From the priest's final action, he knew that the holy man was not in possession of the items he so desperately needed. He would not stop though; he couldn't. The figure would find out who was in possession of that which had been ripped from him so long ago. He was driven to find his way to greatness again.

The black eyed man let go of Father Eduardo's throat and flicked the dripping blood off his hand. He then raised the appendage to his mouth and ran his tongue over the liquid that remained on his forefinger. As he stood and turned to walk away, he could hear the priest's throat gurgling air pushed by lungs barely functioning. He knew death would come soon.

"God can't save you now." The words were bitter and sarcastic.

The figure in the long, black coat walked out of the church. The search for his grail continued.

There were muffled voices and sounds of a door being unlocked. The darkness of the hotel room shattered when the door opened and the brightness from the hallway ceiling lights flooded into the entranceway of the couple's tenth floor suite. Kennedy and Willow spilled into the room, the witch practically draped over the slayer's back. They were giggling as Kennedy fumbled to get the door closed and find a light switch. Willow walked by and kissed her brunette on the cheek as her hand slid across the girl's back. Kennedy watched pleasingly as her wife sauntered by. 'What an ass,' she thought with raised eyebrow for emphasis.

Still laughing, "He did not see it," the slayer said to her witch as she stumbled farther into the room and found a table on which to place the room key card.

"He so did see it…I can't believe you're saying that." Willow was smiling and swaying slightly as she went to the couch in the living room area of the suite. She plopped herself down on the piece of furniture.

"The kid couldn'tuv been more than six…What if he did see?" Kennedy took off her shoes and instantly headed toward her redhead. "You're making too much of this," she said as she made a mock concerned expression.

Willow shook her head and laughed. "You had your hand up the back of my skirt…I don't think little kids are supposed to see stuff like that."

Kennedy also sat on the couch to the left side of the witch. "Well, that'll teach him not to look at people in an elevator…Besides, what're his parents letting him be up this late anyway?…It's all their fault."

"It's some strangers' fault that their kid is scarred for life because you're horny." Willow tried to sound serious but failed miserably.

"Well, if I remember correctly, a certain redhead in that elevator, who will go unnamed, didn't mind all the horniness." With that, Kennedy twisted around and got on top of the witch, pinning her down on the sofa. The brunette's left leg was off the side of the sofa with her foot on the floor. "We're not in the elevator, now," the slayer said seductively. All giggling stopped.

Kennedy ran her hand down Willow's thigh until she caught the hem of the redhead's tight fitting skirt. "Did I tell you I love this skirt on you?" she whispered softly. Despite the fact that Willow didn't dress like a nerdy teenager anymore, she was still hesitant to wear clothes that showed off her magnificent figure. Even if she wore a piece that was form fitting, she tended to place another article over it. It took continued prodding by Kennedy to get the redhead to wear the revealing clothes that made the slayer lose her breath. The outfit Willow wore this night was one that could make traffic stop.

Kennedy's hand played with the fabric then disappeared under the fine silk cloth and grazed its way to the crest of the witch's inner thigh. Once there, fingers navigated painstakingly slow over the redhead's delicate panties and began rubbing and pressing. She could feel that this gesture alone already had the witch aroused. Kennedy's other hand was not still throughout this time. It had sought out a breast and was massaging it; her hand rising and falling from the witch's laboring breath. The bronzed hand sliding over the likewise tight fitting silk blouse sent jolts to the slayer's middle. Kennedy could see her redhead's eyes close a sliver as her body began to react to the sensations.

Wanting to prolong the arousal, Kennedy removed her hand from between the witch's legs and brought it up so that both arms were now straddling her redhead. The slayer slowly pushed her body further up with her left leg, making sure that she pressed her right thigh against the witch's center. Then she pushed herself back down with her arms just as slowly. The slayer began to methodically rock back and forth against her witch, watching the changing face of the redhead as the contact and friction began to build sensation. The brunette knew she was achieving her goal when she felt the redhead's hips push upward to meet her rhythm while alabaster arms reached for the slayer's hips to create more force and contact. Kennedy watched as Willow's mouth opened faintly to let out caught breath. She heard the little sounds the witch made when she was letting go and allowing her body to control her actions.

Kennedy knew that she was in the early stages of seducing her wife. They had the entire night for themselves. The alcohol and dancing earlier primed them for this interlude. It was just them. No child to tend to, no demons to fight or house to clean. It was just the two of them in the hotel room, like in the beginning. 'God I love Vegas,' the slayer thought to herself.

Willow and Kennedy were enjoying their first night in Las Vegas, Nevada. They were there for a long weekend, a mini second honeymoon. It was to be a mixture of business and pleasure, with an emphasis on pleasure. This was the first time since Samantha's birth that they had spent any significant time away from her. The time alone was possible because Samantha was staying with Xander and Jessica.

The couple's 'vacation' started much earlier that day when they arrived in Vegas at noon. They had a room at the luxurious Bellagio Hotel and could see the not-to-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower almost directly across the street at the Paris Hotel. They spent the day seeing the sights, meaning shopping and gambling along the old Vegas strip and the newer one where all the mega hotels were located. They took in the daytime shows outside many of the resorts while snacking and stopping at sundry bars for drinks.

The day was wonderful and the weather glorious. Mid June in Vegas meant it was not too hot or too inundated with tourists. Arriving on a Thursday meant that the weekend regulars, old folks coming in on tour buses, weren't there yet. The two women planned only to stay that one day in the "City of Sin" and they had been determined to make the most of it.

"You want to see a show tonight?" Kennedy would do anything Willow wanted. They had just gotten back to their room from being on the go all day. The slayer had a particular goal set for the weekend – a romantic few days full of fun with her wife. After everything the redhead had been through because of the evil witch Carmilia Horn, Kennedy was resolute in giving Willow the best few days she could. Nothing was going to get in her way of making love to the girl all weekend and having an unforgettable time. Today was Vegas and hedonistic fun but the slayer knew the focus of their trip began tomorrow when they headed for the Grand Canyon. There they would see the United States most stupendous natural wonder and Willow would get to participate in a gathering of those with like 'enhanced' powers.

Willow listened to her slayer's question. She could hear that tone that let her know Kennedy wanted to be accommodating. "What I'd really like to do is to go dancing. We haven't gone to a club and just listened to the music and danced in a long time…remember, like in Sao Paulo." Willow used to be somewhat shy about dancing. But Kennedy made her get over that insecurity. The brunette had gotten the redhead to try, and like, many things she never thought she could do in public. Willow loved to watch Kennedy dance. As naturally sensual as the girl was just standing and talking, she was ten times so while moving to a strong beat.

Hearing her girl's answer, a big smile crossed the slayer's face. She couldn't have been happier with the witch's choice. So after calling Xander to check in on Samantha and having dinner in one of the hotel's restaurants, the couple headed to a gay bar that they found from a magazine that was in their room. They spent the night listening to heart pounding dance music, drinking sour apple martinis and dancing until it felt like their feet would fall off. Saturated with alcohol and feeling 'turned on' from the dancing, the ride back to their hotel room seemed like it took hours. By the time that Kennedy pinned Willow down on the couch to start her assault, both women were ready for sex.

Kennedy's rocking proved true once again. Willow started to move her hips in unison. Her hands left the slayer's sides and reached for the brunette's head. She grasped her fingers around the back of the slayer's neck and urgently pulled her down into a fierce kiss. The redhead kissed the slayer hard and deep…and Kennedy kissed back. Tongues explored while hands caressed and sought out flesh. The slayer felt a jolt race from her core. The feral need exhibited by the witch just from that initial kiss sent Kennedy in overdrive. She had to have Willow and she had to have her now.

Kennedy broke from their kiss and sent her lips on a voyage of tastes. She frantically but expertly licked and suckled on the witch's chin, her throat and down exposed cleavage heaving with expectation. She could taste the mingling of perfume and sweat on the witch's skin. Kennedy became even more ardent in her need to take Willow. There was no time to remove clothes or even unbutton them. Kennedy fervently lowered herself down the witch's body trailing her mouth against the thin material that separated her form heaven. As she did, she once again took the hem of Willow's skirt in her fingers and raised the fabric up. She grabbed the witch's panties and hurriedly pushed them down to get to her needed destination. In her obsessive craving to possess the witch, she actually tore the garment from the redhead. Kennedy had become wild in her desire to devour the woman.

The slayer attacked Willow's core with all the sexual anticipation oft reserved for first time lovers. When Willow tried to run her fingers through Kennedy's hair, the slayer took the searching hands and held them down so that the witch was at the total mercy of the slayer. The brunette was consumed with making Willow writhe in utter euphoria. There was no doubt, Kennedy was fucking Willow. It was the kind of hard, burning immediate sex that new lovers think can never fade and seasoned lovers dream about recapturing.

The slayer didn't stop her onslaught until she heard Willow stammer out her name. She felt the witch buck and tense as her orgasm rolled over her. Kennedy held on tight riding out the wave after wave of contractions, knowing that she was the one who caused them, prolonged them. The slayer only stopped her barrage on the witch's center when she heard her redhead tiredly and softly moan "oh…fu..ck" as the last spasm left. Kennedy knew she had drained Willow to exhaustion when she made the reserved witch use such language.

'Damn, I am still good,' the brunette said to herself as she slithered off the couch and stood up. Willow laid there, eyes closed and breathing heavily. There was no denying it, the slayer was quite proud of what she could do in the sex department.

"Where are you going?"

Kennedy was surprised Willow could talk so soon after what she just experienced.

"To the minibar…Want a Perrier?"

"Yeah…Better make that two…I think I lost most of my bodily fluids."

Smiling, "Wonder how that happened?"

"Don't be all smiley, you…You may know how to push my buttons but you still leave your socks on the floor."

"Well, I could always switch my talents…Be a better housekeeper and lousy in bed."

Willow waved her hand. "No…no…Let's keep your aptitude right where it is."

Kennedy nodded slowly. "Good choice…Now let me get some water before we both dehydrate." She proceeded to walk to the wet bar area in the living room and opened the small door in the front. It uncovered a diminutive fridge which Kennedy opened and retrieved three bottles of Perrier. She then went back to her wife and handed her a bottle.

"Here, baby, drink up. We aren't done yet." The slayer drank a bottle down then placed the third on a nearby table. As Willow started to drink her water, the brunette kneeled down and began to slowly unzip the witch's skirt.

Feeling the slayer's hand upon her, the witch's breath hitched. She looked at her slayer. "Try not to tear anything else off," she said jokingly.

"Yes, dear," the slayer replied as she slowly slid the garment off the witch.

Willow took a long drink from the bottle then placed it on the table next to the arm of the couch. She knew what was coming next. The redhead leaned back and closed her eyes. She was alone with her slayer and they were going to act like they did when they were a brand new couple. Willow knew this was going to be a memorable weekend. Though the planning of their trip was a mutual effort by her and her slayer, it was also only possible because of another.

As she felt the slayer's lips on her skin again, a thought flickered in her mind before the sensation took over…'Thank you, Xander.'

"Look at her eat. She uses a fork…Why don't our guys use utensils?" Xander glanced at his wife while watching Samantha and his sons eat lunch.

"Nate does when he wants to…Face it, your sons are like wild monkeys…Gee, I wonder where they could have picked that up?" Jessie raised an eyebrow to her husband.

"I am not that out of control," Xander replied unconvincingly.

"Please, you were hardly paper trained when we met," his wife joked.

The couple continued their light banter as they got used to having Samantha around. It was Thursday afternoon and Willow and Kennedy had left earlier that morning for Las Vegas. It wasn't like they'd never had the toddler in their house. In the last six months, they'd seen the girl several times.

After the Scoobies spent the holidays together following Willow's hospitalization, Willow and Kennedy made a decision, or rather the Prescott will outlasted the witch's. The day after New Years Kennedy dropped a bombshell on her wife.

"I think we should buy a house in Cleveland."

Willow was stunned and in no way expected that from her slayer. "What?..You want to move back?"

"No. I said we should buy a house there." It was said like the brunette was talking about buying another pair of shoes. Willow was still surprised.

"Why would we get another house?…We already have a very nice one."

Kennedy walked over to her by the kitchen sink and leaned against the counter. She folded her arms. "It was great having everyone here. I forgot how much I missed them." Willow nodded in agreement. The slayer continued. "I don't wanna go another year without seeing them and phone calls aren't enough. I think we need to go visit more…" Then Kennedy got to the meat of her proposition. "But I don't want to be living out of a suitcase in some hotel every time…I think we should buy a house that we can stay at when we're there…It'll be…more…settled."

Willow didn't know what to say at first. The idea of seeing her friends more often was very appealing. But the brunette was actually suggesting that they buy another house just so they wouldn't have to deal with check-in? The redhead instantly recognized the Prescott upper class mentality coming to the forefront.

"Kenn, don't you think that's being a little extreme?…A house?"

The slayer shook her head. "No, it isn't. My family has several houses and apartments all over the world…This kinda thing is done all the time."

Willow smiled. "Not by the people I know. I love your idea of visiting more. I'm just not sure we need to be so extravagant as to spend a bunch of money on a house…Besides, who'll look after it when we're not there?" Willow had made a good point and the brunette contemplated that for a few moments.

"We can get a house in a gated community or have Xander or hire someone to check on it once in a while…Come on, Will, how is this different than when my Mom spent six months in Cleveland and six in Florida?…What about people from Canada who spend half the year here in the U.S.?"

The witch knew Kennedy was right. The security wasn't what bothered her; it was thinking that they needed two houses. Willow knew they didn't. This would be big jump into the world of the very rich, an extravagant act done merely because they could. The redhead still had trouble accepting the fact that she and Kennedy were rich…very rich. It continued to sit uneasy on her conscious.

After more prodding by Kennedy and several other conversations, Kennedy's persistence won out. The slayer explained her reasons why another house was the best solution. They could find one near Xander or near the slayer school if the witch preferred. They could come and go whenever they wanted. They would be able to keep clothes and other necessaries there to make the traveling easier. Most importantly, Samantha would have consistency and a routine when they visited. In the end, Willow acquiesced. "Ok…but a modest house. We don't need to go all crazy." The witch's comment reminded Kennedy of when Willow gave in and let her find their apartment in Sao Paulo. The slayer didn't go overboard then and she didn't this time either.

With some assistance from her father's realtor, Kennedy found a quaint three bedroom, two bathroom Dutch colonial only fifteen minutes from Xander's house and twenty from Buffy and Jimmy. By late January they had closed and made the first of several trips to their "second home." By June, they had visited once a month. They mostly organized and got comfortable with the new place. Each time they went Samantha spent significant time with Nate and Joey. She had as much fun as her parents.

All the Scoobies' lives were running smoothly. Buffy and Jimmy were still engaged but without a wedding date. Xander and Jessica, along with their boys, could have posed for the "All American Family." Their jobs were hitting on all four cylinders and their sons, despite their rambunctious energy, were good kids.

Even though not in Cleveland, Faith and Miguel were also on solid ground. They spent their time trying to keep New York safe. They were able to make two visits to Willow and Kennedy in Massachusetts.

Good luck didn't only stop at the New York border. Dawn was having an upswing in her life since the harrowing events the prior Labor Day. She'd met another guy who was interested and, though not serious, they were spending significant time together. Terri Pallouda had recovered as much as she could. She was able to walk but had a limp. However, she wasn't able to continue being a nurse in the local hospital. She couldn't stand for that long during the day. She was able to find a position with a general practitioner as a receptionist/assistant.

The Prescott/Rosenberg family life went well after the holidays in addition to the new home purchase. Willow didn't take on any new tutoring students that winter. Her hospitalization and long recovery had caused to her cancel her fall tutoring jobs. By the New Year, the redhead was at a crossroads concerning her involvement in education. Willow loved teaching and she finally decided that she wanted to do more than just tutor. She told Kennedy that she decided to check on gaining a regular teaching position at one of the local schools. "They'd be crazy not to hire you, Will…You're the smartest person I know." Kennedy was nothing but supportive. The witch knew that meant that she would have to scale back on her witch activities. She wouldn't be able to be a mentor and give aid to as many witches nor give her time so freely. That was alright with Willow. Terri had become more involved in the Clearing Place group as well as the Slayer Network and local covens. Until the redhead could confirm that her fall schedule would include a teaching position she didn't want to take on any responsibilities she couldn't see through fruition. She was enjoying her time with Samantha and Kennedy and the frequent visits to the gang in Cleveland.

Kennedy was able to make the Cleveland proposal to Willow because her slaying situation in Middleton had become easier with the addition of slayer Lee Gagno. The twenty year old Italian American girl had been a slayer for almost three years. She was 5'7" with short dark brown hair and brown eyes. She had moved from Cleveland to Seekonk, Massachusetts, a city not far from Middleton. The woman had one other thing in common with Kennedy and Willow besides the move; she was also gay.

Lee Gagno was born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin. The younger sister of five brothers, no one in her family thought much of the fact that she was always on the boyish side. Her mother and father thought it was due to being around all boys. Her older brothers were sports fanatics and motorheads. Lee learned to slide into first base and change the oil on a car before she knew how to make pancakes. It wasn't until she turned thirteen that her mother began to suspect that her little girl was 'different.' Lee never liked wearing dresses or playing doll. She wore her brothers' hand-me-down jeans and t-shirts. She was more comfortable goofing off with the boys than she ever was 'having tea' with the neighborhood girls.

By middle school, Lee Gagno had no doubt that she was gay. As much as she liked hanging out with boys and talking sports, she never got any "tingles" because of them. That was reserved for Heidi Yeadly. That curly blond headed girl was Lee's first crush and the 'lightbulb' that confirmed to her that she was gay.

Life was tough in Madison for a gay adolescent. Lee never told anyone about her sexuality. Although, due her appearance and mannerisms, there was always snickering among her fellow students. The girl was what most would call stereotypical for a gay woman. In reality, she wasn't any more or less gay than the so called lipstick lesbians. It's just that her appearance made it easier for the straight world to consider her "not normal."

She would have gone through life masking her identity if it weren't for Teddy Franklin. He stole a notebook of hers one day in eighth grade and found a love letter to Heidi. It was one Lee never intended to give to the girl. The news of Lee's "perversion" quickly spread and she basically became ostracized from that moment on.

Her high school years were spent just trying to survive the ridicule, pranks and meanness exhibited by so called good All American kids. She couldn't wait to graduate and get out of that city. Lee took vocational classes in engine repair and machine shop hoping to land a job in an auto repair business. Her dream of leaving Madison came quickly one day on a rainy April Monday.

Lee walked into her auto body repair class to find that her fellow students, guys that spent most of their time calling her "dyke", had placed the Camaro that she was fixing up on blocks. They had taken the wheels and rims and spray painted "carpet muncher" on the side. The anger inside the teenage girl was immeasurable. She stood there looking at the damage contemplating how to respond.

That's when it happened.

Lee Gagno felt a surge run through her like nothing she'd ever sensed before. She instantly felt stronger and more alive. Something had happened, of that she was positive. She didn't know or understand why, but she got a feeling that things were different for her now. She was different. As she stared at the guys chuckling at their handiwork and her assumed predicament, Lee Gagno had a realization.

She didn't have to take this anymore.

Without knowing where the force came from, Lee went over to the car sitting with its axles on concrete blocks, and grabbed the base of the front right frame. She easily lifted the car up and kicked the block out of the way. She then went to the remaining wheels and repeated the action. When done, she walked over to the gaping mouthed boys and demanded her tires and rims. The hooligans were speechless and only one pointed to the closet where the items were hidden. Lee placed each tire and rim next to its wheel well and then walked out of the school. She never went back.

The next day, a member of the Council contacted her and within three additional days the girl was in Cleveland finishing high school and learning to become a slayer. She stayed in Cleveland until the position with Kennedy became available. It was good timing for her. She had become stymied by the number of slayers in that city despite the activity caused due to it being on a Hellmouth. She wanted more sole responsibility and a chance to be on her own. That second part was important because she had recently ended a relationship. Lee wanted a change of scenery and an opportunity to start fresh.

Kennedy and Lee hit it off right away. The new slayer was seasoned enough that Kennedy didn't need to really train her. She was serious in her slayer obligation so much so that Kennedy didn't fear leaving the woman on her own. Being gay, the women had an understanding of each other. It was something Kennedy never had with Marla. Patrolling together or separately, the brunette knew she could trust Lee. The activities in the Middleton area had actually increased since the Labor Day incident. The place was no longer just a planning stage and meeting place for the underworld. There were more demons trying to infiltrate the area and make a stake for world domination there. Kennedy and Lee found themselves busy during the months following the New Year. But, having a capable slayer to pick up the slack made the trips to Cleveland easier for the older slayer.

"So what do you think they're up to?…slots in Vegas or catching the sights of the Grand Canyon?" Buffy had stopped by Xander's several hours after the couple left to see how Samantha's first day was going. She and Xander and Jessie were on the back deck watching the kids play after finishing lunch.

Xander smirked. "Having sex."

Buffy sneered at him. "Eww, is that all you think about…a little girl-on-girl action?…How do you stand him, Jessie?" Buffy noticed that Jessie too had a small smile.

"Buff, this has nothing to do with lesbians…Aren't I right, Jess?"

Jessica just kept smiling.

"What are you talking about? Will and Kenn have the chance to do stuff other than zoos and kid parks…Don't you think they'd like to take advantage of that?"

Xander's smile got bigger. "I think they're taking advantage of the fact that they don't have to worry about a kid barging in on them."

Buffy shook her head in mock disdain. "Oh, come on…Jess, help me here. Explain to your husband that women have more interests than that."

Both Scoobies looked at Jessica for the definitive answer. "They're doing it like bunnies," she said succinctly.

Buffy and Xander laughed and then the blonde slayer retorted, "Well, whatever they're doing they can thank Mr. Big Idea here for coming up with the plan."

The couple's vacation all started with a call from Giles to them at the end of May about a Council meeting to take place in Cleveland in mid June. The meeting was to be on a Wednesday and the Massachusetts and New York contingencies were expected to show. Willow and Kennedy planned to make it a weekend and spend some time with their friends. A few days after the couple made their initial plan, Willow told Kennedy that the weekend they were to be in Cleveland was the same one for a "convergence" gathering in Arizona near the Grand Canyon. The three day event was a very secret and private gathering of highly psychic and magickal individuals. Willow had found out about it from her Brazilian friend Mishline several years prior. This was the first time in a long while that the event was in the United States and the witch was theoretically available to go.

Kennedy thought about what Willow told her. The slayer remembered the witch mentioning the event before and could tell even then it was something that intrigued her wife. The slayer spoke to Mishline and Giles about the gathering and confirmed that Willow would be welcomed. During that call, the Englishman noted that he had several manuscripts that needed to be brought to associates of the Council in Flagstaff, Arizona. "If Willow goes to it, maybe she could drop off the manuscripts. It would save me a trip and considerable time and effort."

Though the redhead didn't talk about the Arizona gathering again, Kennedy kept rolling the idea in her mind. Finally, she told Willow that she thought the witch should go. "I know you really want to go to this…I'll stay with Sam in Cleveland or go back home."

Willow declined. "I don't want to go without you and Sam…It wouldn't feel right, me having a vacation while you have to stay here…Maybe we can all go another time."

Then Kennedy got another idea. "Then we'll all go now. We'll do the Council meeting and then head to Arizona. You do your witchy thing while me and Sam take Giles' manuscripts to Flagstaff…We'll be able to get in some fun family time." After a little thought, the suggestion sat well with the redhead.

It was several days later, while Willow was on a phone call with Xander, that the man got involved. Willow told her oldest friend about the plan for her family. "It should be really great, Xan…This time of year, the Grand Canyon should be beautiful…Almost like a second honeymoon…except for having a three year old to nix the 'honeymoon' part."

The clogs in Xander's mind starting turning. He knew the rough time Willow had been through with her illness and the horror that both she and Kennedy had faced with the vengeful Camilia Horn. The man decided the women needed a break. Later that day, he talked to Jessie about taking Samantha for a few days so the witch and slayer could spend some time alone. Jessie was completely agreeable. She knew how important alone time was. Luckily, her family was in Cleveland, giving her and Xander the ability to leave their boys with relatives while they shuffled off for a romantic weekend or longer.

Xander told Willow about his offer; she told Kennedy. It didn't take long for the two women to accept. They too knew that alone time would be greatly appreciated. It was at that point that Kennedy decided to make the trip a memorable one for her redhead.

May went and June quickly appeared. Samantha had her third birthday in Massachusetts. The party at the Prescott/Rosenberg house included all the friends the toddler had made in her tumbling and swim classes. A week and a half later, the family was on their way to Cleveland to celebrate Sam's birthday again and to participate in the Council meeting. Willow and Kennedy, though, couldn't wait for their vacation. They were excited like children waiting to go on an amusement park ride.

The meeting of the Scoobies and Council went smoothly. That night at Slayer Central with all gathered, Giles handed to Kennedy several manuscripts. "These are quite old. Please be careful. They deal with quite a number of curses that the people in Flagstaff are trying to decipher."

Willow got a worried look on her face. "Should we be on the lookout for bad guys?…Is anybody gonna want to steal these?"

Giles responded quickly. "No, no, Willow…These aren't those kinds of curses…" Giles knew from Xander that the purpose of the couple's trip was mainly to relax and have fun after all the rough times they'd had. The watcher didn't want to hamper that in any way. "There's no threat…but if you'd rather not deal with this, I can certainly do this myself or have Andrew do it." Andrew had also made the trip. Giles still hated flying with the man; the sci-fi stories were numbing.

Kennedy answered the elder. "No, it's ok, Giles. We'll handle it. One little side trip…piece of cake."

Xander cringed when he heard Kennedy's remark. Buffy noticed and stared at him strangely. "What's with the weirdness, Xan?"

The man shook his head. "I know it sounds dumb, but…it's been my experience that phrase always leads to trouble."

Xander had no idea how prophetic his words were.

Willow entered Kennedy at the exact moment her mouth enveloped the slayer's erect nipple. This was a move the redhead had learned long ago drove the slayer wild. The dual erotic sensations made the brunette's body go rigid for a second as she held her breath. Willow started to slowly move her fingers, back and forth, as her mouth tasted her girl's breast. She worked methodically and in unison to cause a universal arousal in the slayer's body.

Willow had been making love to Kennedy since not long after sunlight. The new day had trickled through the curtains' opening, creeping its way to the witch's face, awakening her to a wonderful Friday morning. Initially, upon waking, Willow laid motionless. She was feeling the effects of the slayer's 'talents' from the previous evening. As the fog of sleep left her, the redhead smiled realizing the cause of her 'soreness.' It was a good pain; the kind of discomfort that proved how in love and passionate the women still were.

After a few minutes of acclimating to the tenderness, Willow looked to her side to see the slayer still sleeping on her back. There was an overwhelming contented and peaceful expression on Kennedy's face. 'She knows she's so good in bed she even has a smug face when she sleeps.' That brought another smile to the witch's lips. Moving cautiously, Willow shifted to her side to watch her woman sleep.

'She's just as beautiful now as the day we met,' the redhead commented to herself. It amazed Willow how Kennedy could maintain herself. The brunette hadn't gained a pound since they'd been together. Her body was as taut and silky as Willow remembered from their first night together. The witch didn't know if it was because her wife was a slayer or just because she had fantastic genes.

Either way, Willow considered herself lucky to be with such a stunning woman. In fact, at times, it made the redhead overly conscious about her own body image. Though the redhead never had a weight problem, she did take particular care to eat right and keep in shape so that her body was as pleasing to the slayer as she could make it. Sometimes that feeling she used to get in high school would creep back into her psyche. Now though, she didn't worry about looking nerdy or like a twig, but rather not sensuous enough, not firm or curvy in the right places. It seemed it didn't matter what type of a relationship women were in, there was always that 'body image' demon reeling its ugly head.

That morning upon waking, however, Willow wasn't thinking about her issues. She was concentrating on her slayer. She reached over and lightly ran her finger down the brunette's exposed bare arm. Reaching the base of the bronzed hand, she changed course and traced the finger back to its original starting point. Willow loved the feel of Kennedy's skin. It was so smooth. That small action caused a feeling to rise in the witch. That simple act had aroused the redhead, leaving her wanting more. That was the effect the slayer's body still had on her. The redhead moved her hand so that the back of her fingers were grazing along the slayer's shoulder, then neck. They rounded toward the underside of Kennedy's chin and proceeded south. The touches barely made contact on the brunette's flesh, not enough to rouse the slayer but enough to send the witch in a complete sensual awakening. Green eyes locked onto the sleeping slayer's face; Willow's hand disappeared under the bed sheets. It glided upon soft, bronzed skin and continued on its path until it reached its anticipated end. That's when the redhead began to caress the brunette. She pressed and rubbed.

While her hand was gratifying her own need to touch the slayer, Willow watched for the result it had on the girl. At first, the slayer lay as before, sleeping soundly. But then the redhead saw the twitch of the eyelid, the slight move of the head and the smallest of shift to the slayer's lips. Within a few more strokes of her hand, Willow watched Kennedy go from dreamland to semi-conscious wonderment to conscious arousal. The smile was first, followed by a moan and then brown eyes opening to the glorious morning.

Neither woman spoke. Kennedy leaned her head so she could stare at her witch, the whole time not moving an inch. She stayed still and let her redhead take her body on an early morning journey, watching her lover make love to her. She saw the desire in Willow's eyes, the need to touch her. There had been a time when the redhead wouldn't have had eyes open. She would have been embarrassed to see her lover looking at what she was doing and how she was enjoying it. This was another 'issue' Kennedy got Willow to throw away like stale bread. The slayer loved to look at Willow during their 'sessions.' She also took pleasure in seeing her witch's reactions during lovemaking. Kennedy used to tell Willow that she shouldn't be shy; her reactions made the experience even more erotic for the slayer. "God, Willow…Sometimes it's as if you're looking into my soul." It didn't take long for Willow to be at ease with this and to appreciate how much gazing upon each other added to the occurrence.

By the time Willow entered her, the slayer had long abandoned the hope that she could keep her body still. She was following Willow's lead and moving her form in compliance. It didn't take long for Kennedy's release to hit. It was a deep, lingering fall, the kind she often had during morning interludes. She let the waves roll over her, closing her eyes as they went. The contact and urgency running through the witch soon had her also experiencing an unexpected release. The slayer didn't move for a while after it was over. Willow remained inside her girl staying still until her own fall was over. The women were immersed in the closeness they reached. Then the witch moved herself up on the bed so that her head was resting in the crook of Kennedy's arm.

"Uh, what was that for?" the slayer quipped after a few moments.

"You didn't like?…if you don't like…I won't…" Willow couldn't finish.

"Hell, I liked…I liked very much…Just wondering what rustled your feathers this early in the morning."

"Let's just say I didn't get to thank you as much as I wanted to last night."

Kennedy rolled onto her side to face Willow. "I can assure you that that little thank you just now…one of the best I've ever received."

Willow smiled. "Are you saying that I rank up there with the greatness that is you?"

Kennedy nodded her head. "And you pick up your socks…You are far above me, baby." Both women laughed.

The slayer yawned and stretched her arms. "Am I a bad mother if I said that I'm really loving this?"

"What? Being able to get as frisky as we want and not have Samantha burst in?"

Kennedy chuckled. "Yeah, I'm getting worried she's not buying the 'Mommy and Momma are wrestling' explanation…I swear I lock the door and she still gets in…I think she knows how to pick locks." Now it was Willow's turn to laugh.

The witch and slayer stayed in bed for another hour, a luxury unheard of with a three year old, making light conversation and watching nothing in particular on the hotel room tv. They finally got out of bed, took a shower and got dressed. Kennedy had the day somewhat planned.

"I figure it'll take about three and a half, four hours to get to Flagstaff. We can get breakfast, head out and see some sights if we want…or we can go straight to Flagstaff, drop off the manuscripts and have fun there…or forget that place and head to the Reservation…or the Grand Canyon…" Willow put her arms around the slayer who was brushing her, once again, long dark brown hair.

"Wow, Buffy was right. You have definitely been infected with my babbling."

Kennedy smiled and put down the brush as she turned to face her wife. "I want this to be a great weekend. You need to relax and have a good time…I'm gonna make sure you do…So you get to decide how we have fun."

Willow gave the brunette a quick kiss on the neck. "You are a sweetheart, but this is your weekend too. You've been working nonstop. So we will do what we both enjoy."

Kennedy got a devilish look on her face. "We can't have sex the entire time…Well, we could but then we'd never go out and buy gifts and everyone would know we stayed in our room…" Kennedy stopped mid sentence. "Is there a vaccine for this babbling."

"Sorry, you're stuck with it…and me."

The slayer took her wife in another hug. "I think I can deal with that…So what are we doing today?"

The couple decided that they would head out to Flagstaff and see if anything along the way caught their attention. Willow's retreat didn't start until 9pm so they had plenty of time to deliver the manuscripts and take in some of the sights. It didn't take too long for their room service breakfast to be eaten and to make a morning call to Samantha. The bags were packed and loaded in the rented convertible. The women checked out of the Bellagio and within no time they were cruising south on Highway 95 expecting nothing but sunshine and good times.

The boy named Sergio woke up to the sounds of his mother shouting. He often woke up that way. He could tell by her tone that his uncle must have come home last night drunk and smelling of the cigar smoke from the local tavern. He couldn't understand why his mother just didn't throw the man out of her house. As much as he knew his uncle took some of the heat away from him, the constant badgering was too much even for the young boy.

Sergio got out of bed taking the articles he stole from the church out from under the sheet. He had slept with them. It was too late the previous night to try to unload the objects. He knew a few people downtown that would be interested in the unusual items.

After going to the bathroom and getting changed, Sergio took the two items and snuck out the back door of his house like he had done on many occasions. He hoped that he'd be able to sell the things and bring home something nice for his mother to soften her obvious foul mood. As he snuck by the kitchen, he saw the clock on the wall. '10:46,' he said to himself. The boy knew he would have to hurry if he wanted to catch his buyers while they still had a wad of money in their pocket.

Sergio walked down the back alleyways and dirty pothole laden streets that was his neighborhood. He was headed downtown and had at least a half hour walk. He passed closed down convenience stores, bordered up apartment buildings and graffiti filled abandoned cars. The section of town where Sergio lived was not the area that tourists visited. It wasn't even the place where most of the townspeople dare venture.

Little by little the boy's travel brought him out of the plight of the underprivileged to the shiny, clean part of the city where 'respectable' people were found. The buildings were sound and the property well maintained. The people on the streets walked like they mattered in society. Sergio wove his way through the business people and tourists. This was a side of life that, even at thirteen, Sergio knew would take a miracle to reach. But he kept walking.

As the lad turned onto the main boulevard toward the section of downtown filled with pawn shops, he walked by a local eatery. He glanced in the window and saw it was more crowded than usual even with school having ended the previous week. For some unexplainable reason he stopped and peered in the front window. He saw the patrons in the establishment crowded around the small television in the corner of the long counter top. He could see people with startled faces, talking softly but hurriedly to each other. Sergio felt uneasy about the scene. But he didn't move; he just stood there in front of the store near the entrance.

A man came out of the place and walked right into Sergio.

"Watch out kid," the man said as he continued his quick pace.

Sergio turned to the man. "Hey, mister?…What's the big deal on the tv?"

The man stopped and turned slowly. In a respectful voice, "The padre from St. Thomas was murdered."

Sergio didn't think he heard the man right. He stared into space for several moments trying to decide what he must have heard. Finally, he looked at the man again. He couldn't even speak.

Understanding the boy's reaction, the man nodded his head slightly. "It's true…He was found this morning…That's all they're saying."

The boy lowered his head and gazed at the ground. 'How can that be?' he wondered. 'Priests don't get murdered.' It seemed like a very cruel joke. As much as he hesitated with the priest, the man was the only person who didn't automatically judge the boy. He knew the priest watched him when he went into the church. He never told him to leave or pushed him. Sergio was also pretty sure that the priest even knew he had stolen from the church. The boy looked up again to ask another question, but the man was gone. He was already well down the sidewalk.

Sergio walked into the diner and got as close as he could to hear the newsperson on the television.

"…All we know right now is that at about 7am this morning, a member of the church…we haven't been given a name…went there to pray and found Father Eduardo Castillo dead…We've been told that this is definitely a homicide…unconfirmed reports state that the priest was murdered in a very gruesome manner, although what that is we have not been told…The police have the church sectioned off from the public…"

The boy watched as the news reporter put a finger to his earplug, tilted his head slightly and then interrupted his dialogue. "…There has been a new development in this breaking story and we take you to John Stantos who's outside St. Thomas." The tv screen then changed to the outside of the church which was located at the other end of town.

"Thanks, Roy…I'm outside St. Thomas and we've just learned that the police have found two more bodies…One is apparently the housekeeper for Father Castillo and the other…we've been told…is a nun…There's no word on whether they were also murdered…Why these women were here or where they were found has not been given out to the press…"

Sergio stopped listening to the noise coming from the set. He was numb. 'I was just there,' he said under his breath. 'Were they all still alive?' The moment was surreal.

Then the boy felt the articles still clenched in his hand. He looked down at them. The items seemed to burn in his palm. He had taken from a church that had been the scene of a most hideous act. Could he have done something if he hadn't been so occupied with stealing? Were the priest and others dying at the very moment he took the two pieces? Should he have sought out the priest for help with his problems and would that have altered events and prevented death? The thirteen year old Sergio was not spared the weighty questions. He'd been forced to grow up to soon and that meant that he also was prone to adult reflection.

One thing the boy knew for certain was that he had been in the church last night and now three people were dead. Then an even more severe thought entered his mind. 'Was it because of me?' Sergio began to wonder if his sinful ways brought about the deaths of three people. Was this God's way, Jesus' punishment to him, for being unworthy? When the boy looked at the two items in his hand again, all he saw was damnation.

Sergio ran out of the restaurant and toward downtown. He didn't know why he was running; he just had to. He also knew he had to get rid if the articles stolen from the church. They were blood on his hands as far as he was concerned. He wanted nothing to do with them. They had the stench of death upon them. He vowed to drop them somewhere for someone else to deal with and never think about them again. He promised to start going to church, confess his sins and be the boy his mother told him Jesus expected him to be. That was the plan of the thirteen year old terrified boy.

As Sergio ran, he heard the sounds of guitars and singing coming from his left. He instantly remembered the outside farmer's market that was open seven days a week. There were organic fruits and vegetables, local arts and crafts, artists and local cuisine. It was a hot spot for tourists and townspeople alike. The boy quickly got the solution to his dilemma. He ran over to the market. He waited until he caught his breath before walking through the dozens of vendors. One part of the market was under an open walled building. The other part was comprised of individual vendors selling their wares under canopies.

Sergio walked in the open portion trying to be inconspicuous, all the while thinking that everyone could see he was responsible for three deaths. He saw fruit vendors, people selling cheeses and breads and many local artists trying to sell their creations. He kept walking until he saw it.

Up ahead, to the right side, was a table full of wood carvings. There were beautiful bowls, vases, plates and even wall hangings all made from a variety of exotic looking woods. 'This is the place,' the boy told himself. He nonchalantly walked to the side of the display and scanned around. The woman, who he figured was the artist who made the wood items, was showing a piece to a potential customer. He looked around some more and realized he was invisible to the world. Sergio quickly placed the small, shallow bowl and knife like object on the corner of the table unnoticed.

Then he ran.

The boy named Sergio kept running. He ran out of the market and down the main street. He thought the farther he could get away from those things, the quicker he made his escape, the closer he was to forgiveness from God.

Sergio ran across an intersection without even looking. He came to a dead stop when he heard the screeching of car tires. He came out of his daze and looked up. He stared at the passengers in the convertible and then started running again.

The two women in the vehicle didn't speak until their hearts stopped racing.

"Christ! Where the hell did he come from?" Kennedy said as she hesitantly pressed on the gas peddle to start moving again.

The witch and the slayer had just arrived in Kingman on their way to Flagstaff.

"You don't think they think we don't trust them, do you?"

Kennedy glanced at Willow trying to decipher that sentence and keep her eyes on the rode in front of her. They'd been driving for about an hour since they left Vegas that Friday morning.

"No…not really. I'm sure Xander and Jessie called her parents when they went out of town." Kennedy tried not to let her hesitancy show through in her words.

"You think I'm being too nervous about this…don't you?…Am I being overly worried?…It was just a phone call…Ok, two phone calls, but I thought I heard yelling when I was hanging up with them the first time…I don't see that as overly concerned…Do you?"

The brunette continued to drive as she took in her redhead's babble. The discussion concerned Willow's calls to Xander to see how Samantha was doing. The couple tried to have the attitude that Xander and Jessie knew what they were doing, having two boys of their own. They had pledged to call once a day to talk to their daughter and try to really have some alone time. It hadn't turned out that way. Willow had already found a reason to call Cleveland several times on the day of their arrival in Las Vegas and once this morning. Finally, on their way to Flagstaff, Kennedy made a comment to Willow that Xander and Jessie might take the calls the wrong way. The witch instantly got concerned.

Willow kept talking. "Of course I trust them…I know Sam's fine with them. They know Sam's fine with them…They know I know Sam's fine with them…You know that I know tha…" Kennedy realized her Willow babble could go on for the rest of their trip so she interrupted the woman to change the subject.

"Look, Will," the slayer said as she pointed out the front window.

The redhead stopped, caught her breath and turned her view at the suggestion of the slayer. What she saw quickly made the matter of her overly protective mother instinct vanish.

The women had been driving through Lake Mead National Park which was lined with a pine forest on the eastern side. The winding roads through the tall pine trees had made the travel serene. When Kennedy made her comment, the car had just come to the end of a wide arch in the road hugged by trees. As they drove past the forest, the scene in front of them was a wide open valley framed in by mountain ranges to the sides. The haze in the air was gone and all that lay ahead was the mesmerizing flatlands of the Arizona countryside. The view, except for sporadic houses sprinkled about, didn't look much different than it did one hundred years ago.

"Wow," was all the redhead could think to say. She'd never seen such simple natural beauty.

"Yeah, I agree one hundred percent…Maybe we should concentrate on this stuff and not so much on the home life…" Kennedy was trying to nudge her wife into forgetting about the calls and the rest and just enjoy herself.

Willow glanced at her slayer and got a tiny smile. She knew Kennedy wanted her to relax, to enjoy just being together. It had become the brunette's goal. "You're right. No more worrying about stuff I know is ok."

Kennedy kept her eye on the road. Without looking at the witch, "I miss Sam, too." A few moments later, the brunette felt Willow's hand rest upon her thigh.

The women continued on and had a glorious drive toward Flagstaff. They spent the time having discussions about the landscape, movies and music. They listened to the satellite radio in the rented Mustang and took in the cloudless blue sky. It was June in northern Arizona and that meant mid to upper 70's during the day and mid to low 40's at night. The forecast they saw before they left for their trip had no rain in sight. "At least nothing bad's gonna happen…It'd have to rain on us for that." Both women laughed as they made their way to the airport gate.

Now Willow and Kennedy were at peace. They were alone together, seeing parts of their country that made them feel proud to be American. The skate punk was blasting on the car radio, the lovers were holding hands and life had no demons, apocalypses or demented witches. They were just two people enjoying a vacation.

The couple kept driving on Highway 93 until they got on State Road 68 which took them through Kingman. They drove down the road as it went from highway scenes to small city views. The women looked at the quaint place which was quite alive for a Friday. The entire ride had been pleasant until the near collision with the boy who darted across the street. That event took them out of their day dreamy kind of mood.

Once the car was on its way again, the women paid more attention to the road. As they went, Kennedy noticed a market off to the right.

"Hey, Will…look over there. Is that a market?…Are you hungry?"

Willow knew that question was in actually Kennedy's way of telling her she was hungry and they needed to stop soon for food.

"It sure does look like a market. I think I see people selling food…" She glanced at the clock on the radio. "It's almost one…Wanna stop and get some food?" The witch knew what the answer was already.

"If you're hungry, we can stop. I'm sure we'll find some good local cuisine here." The slayer drove slowly once they got near the market place until she saw the sign for parking. The women exited their vehicle and headed for another adventure.

"This place is great!…Look at all the jewelry and pottery and paintings." Willow was impressed with the variety and quality of the vendors' merchandise. "We should get something nice for Xander and Jessie…Oo, I could get a necklace for Buff." Willow was like a kid in a candy store. Despite her uneasiness with the Prescott wealth, little by little over the years, Willow had become more 'comfortable' about spending money in certain situations. Buying gifts for others was one of those situations.

Kennedy stood back and smiled with satisfaction. Her girl was having a good time. "Why don't we get something in that beautiful tight little stomach of yours and then you can have at it with the shopping."

Again, Willow knew that meant 'I need to eat soon or you're gonna have a grouchy slayer on your hands.' The witch nodded, "One Kingman lunch coming up." The two headed for the food court area of the market place.

Not so long thereafter, the two women had eaten a very tasty lunch and were now canvassing the artists' goods. They bought several items for the friends back home and more for Samantha and Xander's boys.

They spent some time at the table of a local Zuni Indian artist who specialized in fetishes. There were necklaces, bracelets and earrings with handcrafted animal figurines attached. They were made with the pride of the culture that perfected the art form.

Then the witch drifted over to a wood carver's table while Kennedy scanned the home made knives at another artist's table. Willow slowly walked down the length of the open display, in awe of the talent it took to make a functional work of art. There were vases and bowls made of wood Willow had never seen. Some had the texture or blemishes of the exotic woods used as part of the design while others were smooth as glass and seemingly just as fragile. The witch kept appreciating the items until something caught her eye.

At the end of the table, at the back of it, was a piece, two items actually, that intrigued her. She walked over to the side of the table to get a better look. There on the table was what appeared to be a small shallow bowl. It was about the size of her hand. It had hardly any depth to it and a gentle and slight slope to the sides. It was no more than an inch high on the sides. It wasn't a plate but not any kind of regular bowl due to its shallowness. Willow had no idea what kind of wood it was made out of. It almost seemed too delicate to be wood. Its color was not of regular wood. She decided it had to have been stained but with what she didn't know. The companion piece sitting in the bowl was just as captivating. It was approximately six inches long and two inches wide. It had smoothed edges and a slight bend at one end, just enough to notice. The coloring was the same as its companion. It wasn't a knife or stirrer, that wouldn't make sense with the bowl. Because of the culture of the person who created it, Willow thought that maybe it had a spiritual purpose. She conjured up a medicine woman grinding herbs for a healing potion. Willow stared at the items for several minutes. She picked them up and examined them, saw no price, then placed them back on the table. She gave one last look and then moved to the next vendor.

What Willow didn't know was that Kennedy saw the witch at the table. The slayer had seen enough to realize that the redhead had found something she really liked. Kennedy watched as Willow eventually put the objects down and moved on. "She never buys anything for herself," the brunette mumbled. To Kennedy, it was one of the witch's sweetest and most annoying traits.

After leaving the wood carver's table, Kennedy saw the redhead get consumed by a vender selling books. 'She'll be at that place for a while,' the slayer thought. Books were to Willow what catnip was to kittens. Then the brunette got an idea.

"Excuse me sir, can you tell me how much this is?" Kennedy was holding the bowl and spreader in her hand. Making sure the witch didn't see her, the slayer had gone to the table to buy the items.

The man took them from Kennedy and looked underneath. "There's no price," she said to him, "that's why I'm asking."

"Uh…umm…" The man at the table didn't know what to say. He wasn't the artist who made the sculptures and pieces. He was the tomato vendor behind the woman who did. She had gone to get lunch and asked him to watch her booth. He didn't want her to lose a sale so he searched for something about as small and looked at its price. "Seventy-five dollars," he quoted.

"Seventy-fi…" the brunette started to say surprised. Then she stopped. This was for Willow and it was handmade. She didn't know if she was getting the 'screw the tourist' price or not. She dug out her wallet from her back pocket and handed the man four twenties. She took her change and then the pieces wrapped in tissue and placed in a bag. "Thank you," she said unconvincingly.

Kennedy caught up to Willow and when asked about the bag, she lied and said it was buffalo jerky. Willow gave her a sour face. "You bought more?" The slayer replied, "What?…It's in case I get the munchies…The other ones won't last long." Willow shook her head and walked on.

The couple finished their outing at the Kingman open market. They didn't see any televisions nor did they pay any attention to other people's conversations. They never saw the police cars at St. Thomas Church at the other end of town. They were oblivious to the fact that the town was in the middle of the worst tragedy it had ever known. Willow and Kennedy were just passing through. The last thing on their mind was learning about the woe of that little city.

The couple returned to their rental. The souvenirs bought were placed in the trunk. Willow got in the passenger seat and Kennedy in the driver's side. Willow noticed that she still had a bag with her.

"Don't you want that in the trunk too?"

"No…not this one." Kennedy smiled as she handed it to her witch. "This is for you."

Willow took the bag with a confused expression. She had not seen the brunette buy anything without her being there. The redhead opened the package and then the tissue. Her face lit up.

"Oh, baby, I can't believe you bought this…How did you kno…When did you see…" Willow didn't think Kennedy had seen her looking at the objects.

"I saw you staring at this…I could tell you really liked it…and I knew you'd never buy it for yourself…so I did…for you…because you deserve to have whatever you want."

The redhead let out a small squeal and then quickly leaned over and took the slayer in a hug. "Ken, thank you…you are the best…I really did like this."

The embrace ended and the slayer looked at the objects. "I could tell you liked it…but what the hell are they?"

Willow moved her hand around to get a view from all sides. "I'm not sure, but maybe a dish for grinding herbs or powders or stuff."

Kennedy shook her head. "You mean I just bought you a mortar and pestle?…Hah, and there I was thinking that it had to be some magickal bowl or something if it had you that interested."

Willow shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry, baby, I just thought it was pretty." They both laughed.

Willow put the tissue back around the items and placed them in her shoulder bag that was at her feet. "Speaking of presents…" The redhead said as she pulled a bracelet out of her bag. "While you stopped to eat that fourth taco, I went back to that table that had the Zuni Indian jewelry. I got you this."

The witch handed the slayer a fetish bracelet. It was made of small, white elongated stone with occasional turquoise beads. In four spots on the bracelet were animal fetishes as part of the bracelet itself. Each fetish was made of a different stone.

"The guy made this while I waited…There's a bear fetish for strength, a dog for loyalty, lion for leadership and the dear is for gentleness…Everything you are, baby."

Kennedy took the bracelet and put it on. The colors of the stones were accentuated by the honey tone of her skin. The slayer turned her wrist a few times then leaned over and gave Willow a kiss. "I love it…It's so me," she said with mock pride.

"Well, this was fun…What's next?" Willow really was having a wonderful time and wanted it to continue.

"How's about we get to Flagstaff, drop off the manuscripts and then give that town a run for its money?"

Willow nodded enthusiastically in agreement. "Flagstaff, here we come."

The witch and slayer headed east out of Kingman on Interstate Highway 40. Little did they know, they'd never make it to Flagstaff.

"Whattaya planning to do today?" Xander asked his wife as he ate his morning ritual bowl of Wheaties.

"I was thinking of going to the park or the children's museum. Why, you jealous?" Jessie was making waffles for the children who were in the living room watching the animated children's show 'The Backyardigans'.

"You think I'd rather go out in the nice weather on a Friday with you guys having a blast instead of being around a bunch of smelly construction workers?"

Just then, Samantha came in the room and went up to Jessie, saying nothing, only looking up at the woman.

"What's the matter, Sammie?" Jessie said sweetly.

The toddler fidgeted and whispered something that Jessie didn't understand.

"What was that, honey? I didn't hear you."

Again, Samantha shyly whispered some words.

Finally, Jessica bent down and asked the girl to repeat herself.

"O-oh…Ok, Sam. I'll help you right now. Come on, let's go." As she left with the girl, Jessica mouthed "bathroom" to Xander. The Scooby heard his wife as they walked down the hall. "That was good that you asked…The boys must have taken the toilet paper."

Xander chuckled with his wife's comment. He thought about what it was like having a little girl in the house. It was only Friday morning and Samantha had been there technically only one day, but her affect was felt. She was a sharp contrast to his Nate and Joey. The girl was quiet and sweet. She was already reading and easily occupied herself with the books her mothers left with her. Samantha did spend most of her time playing with Xander's boys, but she wasn't the hell raisers they were. She didn't break things just to see inside.

One thing both Xander and Jessie noticed was that Sam was perceptive. She was thoughtful and had a sense about the people around her. The previous day, she went to the fridge and got Xander a soda. The man had been home from work for a while and sat down to relax. As soon as he did, he realized he was thirsty and wanted something to quench his thirst. Moments later, Samantha came walking in the room and handed him the soda can.

He mentioned that to Jessie that night.

"That's weird, because she kinda did the same thing to me." Jessie told Xander that as she was putting Samantha to bed, the girl told her not to worry. When questioned about what she meant Samantha said, "Everything's gonna be ok." What flustered Jessie was that she was wondering if she'd be able to take care of the girl to the witch's and slayer's satisfaction.

Xander studied his wife's expression. "Xan, it was like she knew what I was thinking."

"She is one perceptive kid…Maybe too perceptive?" Xander got a thought. "You think she could be a witch?…or have some super power?"

"Well, with Willow and Kennedy as moms, I guess anything is possible."

The two had gone to bed that night wondering if they had in their midst another extraordinary woman in the making.

Jessie came back with Samantha from the bathroom. "You better tell your boys to stop hiding the toilet paper…it stopped being funny about the tenth time they did it."

When Jessie finished talking, Sammie looked up to her again and politely asked, "Can I go play with Nate and Joey now?"

"Of course, Sweety." Jessie watched as the toddler skipped out of the room. She turned to Xander who had finished his cereal and was now getting ready to leave for work. "That child is so precious…I still can't believe that that Cam witch said she was gonna hurt that child."

Picking up his briefcase, Xander replied, "Kennedy woulda killed her, then Willow woulda resurrected her and killed her again…That skank was lucky she died when she did." The mention of Camilia Horn always made Xander's blood boil. He saw what she did to his gentle Willow. "We don't have to worry about stuff like that. Sam's safe here…no crazy ass witches in this town…She gets to have a few fun days with her buds."

Xander went over and kissed his wife and started for the door when the phone rang. He answered it. It was Buffy.

"Hey, Buff…I was just heading for work…What's up?"

Jessie saw his usually happy face turn to concern.

"Yeah…ok…we'll be here. See you at three." He hung up the phone. Jessie's expression didn't need words. Xander turned and faced her. Plainly, "Buffy said trouble's brewing…Her and Jimmy are coming over at three to tell us what's going on."

The both stared at each other, speechless. Xander left for work. He knew it was going to be a long day.

Later that afternoon, Buffy and Jimmy were talking with Xander and Jessica in the couple's kitchen. They'd been discussing matters for about fifteen minutes.

"So who the hell are these demons?" Xander hadn't separated his family life from the Scoobies completely. However, he did keep their involvement to a minimum. He was usually only told of matters that had a direct impact on his family. The older he got, the older his children got, the more Xander disliked getting that "we gotta talk" call from Buffy. A part of him wanted nothing more than to be a regular guy, husband and dad. Then he would remember his devotion to his friends and know that the Scoobies and all that came with it would always be a part of his life.

"We don't know yet, unfortunately. We only know some thing or things are in town." Buffy told the other couple how the Council's snitches had been hearing some talk among demons. "They're new in town and keeping very low key."

Jimmy continued. "We don't know who the demons are yet, but we do know they've been asking about Slayer Central and about the slayers in general…There is something definitely in the works."

Xander was confused. "Why are we in on this then?…No slayers here."

Buffy nodded. "We know but the scoop is that whoever these boobs are they're asking questions about the Scoobies too…And that includes you my friends."

Xander and Jessie both took in a deep breath. They could feel their life being driven off course.

"Listen, there's probably nothing to get your panties in a bunch about…but we want to be on the safe side…So until we find out who these demons are, we all need to stay close and keep in touch with each other."

Jessie shook her head. "Kennedy and Willow are going to freak when they find out about this."

"We don't say a thing to them," Xander said quickly. "Like Buff said, this may be nothing. I don't want to send them packing their bags to come home for some false alarm…Besides we can handle this if it is something…There's a bunch of slayers here just dying to put a good ass whooping on some squirrelly undead."

It was decided that, for now, they would let Willow and Kennedy enjoy their time alone and be spared the latest 'issue.'

As Buffy and Jimmy left, Xander looked at the blonde slayer. "Why did we move to a hellmouth?…The only difference between here and Sunnydale is the weather…This demon stuff is getting old, Buffster."

Nodding, the slayer agreed. "SSDD, my friend…At least Wils and Ken are having fun."

That assumption was wrong.

The long, black coat rested across the back of the old metal chair. Lying on top, neatly folded was a black hood. The rest of the room was in the same condition as the chair, dilapidated and worn out. There was grime an inch thick on the file cabinets that hadn't been used for years and the desk likewise abandoned. The window had long been boarded up to hide the pane of glass broken by a youngster's thrown rock. The room had that musty smell reserved for attics which hadn't seen the light of day for generations. The air was thick with dust and other impurities unbreathable for long by the average person. But the figure standing in the middle of the room was no average human. He was not human at all.

Seraph, one of the names by which the man was known, had been in the office of the abandoned gas station at the edge of Kingman since late the previous night. He went there after his killing spree at St. Thomas. The dilapidated building wasn't picked out randomly. The man chose the place before he ever went to the church to retrieve his 'belongings' from the nun. He'd followed her from New Mexico. Seraph was so certain last night would be the end of his journey, the one that had lasted an eternity. He went to the church himself, without aid of his minions, believing he would be able to kill the protector of the grail he sought as he took them from her. But he was wrong. This error caused him to be in the state he was now.

The man in the room was the antithesis of the maniacal creature that had sliced open the priest's throat. Standing alone now, he was weak and fragile, barely enough strength to keep himself upright. His attack at the church had caused more seeping of his power than he anticipated. Seraph realized his time was truly becoming thin.

Seraph knew his condition. He had lived with its worsening effects for thousands of years. There was a time during his crusade when an attack, such as against the priest, would have done little to him. A few moments and he would be ready to torment information from a terrified soul. Not any longer. Time had slowed and weakened him. Sometimes it took hours to recoil where once it took but seconds. That's why his drive to find his grail, that which was a part of him, had become more intense and urgent. Seraph knew that his sand was running out of its hour glass. "Even eternity comes to an end," he muttered to himself.

The creature stood in the room unable to see the bright sun and cloudless sky outside the four shabby walls. He could have had he had the desire. For the figure was no creature of the night; vampires were so vulgar to him. Seraph was something much, much worse. His face showed his struggles. It was no longer lean and rugged like it had once been. His body was gangly and his muscles sinewy. His eyes, no longer the black sinister orbs that frightened the priest, were a nondescript blood shot brown. The eyes were another sign that he was reaching his end. The power that he used to carry in those vessels was also draining more rapidly. He was only able to sustain his will for a few hours instead of weeks like in earlier times. His capacity to 'feel' that which he sought was harder now. The 'sense' the figure got of the items now was akin to seeing through a dark veil. Sometimes he lost track of them altogether even when they were outside the protection of the Vestatu. That one lasting trait of himself in his greatness was the man's only comfort. He still had a connection to that which had been taken from him. Though it too was growing weaker like the dying of a candle's flame, at the moment he could still feel their presence.

"I must get them back," Seraph sputtered as he ran his hand across his bald head. From front to back it went, soothing the ache that came from inside. As the hand moved, fingers gently glided over the piece of ancient metal fused on the back of his skull.

Knowing that he could not waste more time, Seraph decided to try once again to track the whereabouts of his precious articles. He had tried twice since his arrival at the gas station. He had twice failed.

The man concentrated and attempted to shut out the pounding in his head and chest. His only hope was that whoever had his grail didn't know their significance and hadn't taken them out of his 'sight.'

Seraph searched the land in his mind. He could feel himself grow weaker but he did not give up. Finally, when he thought that all was lost, he sensed them. "They're still free." The man sighed relief. He concentrated some more and got the hazy picture of a car, with two women, "…They're driving to Flagstaff." He could see road signs and knew the women were nearing Ash Fork about forty-five minutes west of Flagstaff.

"They must be stopped…They have my strength."

Seraph realized that he could do nothing to retrieve the articles. He had lost the ability to travel time and space when his grail was taken from him. Though he could still be a harrowing and overpowering enemy to encounter when primed with energy, he was doomed to a mortal's mode of transportation. His pursuit of Sister Sarah was done by Range Rover. He knew, being in Kingman, he could not capture the vehicle that had his future resting somewhere inside.

Seraph had no choice. He had to engage others to his bidding. The man went over to his coat and took out a cell phone from one of its pockets. He was dejected by the fact that he could no longer 'contact' his underlings. Only death came to him through thought and feeling. For the kind of communication now necessary, he was forced to use mortal means. He did find amusement in the ability of the supernatural to adapt to the ways of modern technology.

He struck several numbers. On the first ring, it was answered. There was silence on the other end of the line.

"Ash Fork…red Mustang…two women…coming east on 40." The words were direct and monotone.

"Yes, my liege."

The call ended.

Seraph closed his eyes. He took pride in the fact that he still had his legions, both in the mortal and immortal worlds. He was able to hide his weaknesses from others. One foot soldier of a group once questioned his use of twentieth century mortal ways in his quest. "To know your enemy you must walk in his shoes." The soldier was given the crumb of knowledge just seconds before he was beheaded in front of the others. Seraph's actions were never questioned again. Noone knew that he was on the verge, literally within days, of losing it all.

The figure walked to the chair and sat down. He would rest and wait for the call. He didn't like having to leave this monumental endeavor to his underlings, but this time he could do nothing else. He just had to wait until his life was brought back to him.

It was almost 3:30pm and Willow and Kennedy were having a relaxing time. They had left Kingman and were traveling to Flagstaff. The plan was to drop off the manuscripts, say hello to the people Giles told them to say hi to and then head to the Haulapai Reservation to settle into their cabin near the place of Willow's retreat. They were hoping to have time to see some of the Grand Canyon or at least take a quick "roll in the hay." Their attitudes were like when they were first together. Everything seemed to go better with a little sex added in.

The drive to Flagstaff had been much like the earlier part. They talked about the view, the good time in Vegas and what they hoped the rest of the vacation would bring. They discussed Samantha and how smart and advanced she was getting. The women talked about a lot of things. There were times when they just enjoyed the silence of each other's company and the gorgeous June Arizona day.

"Hey look, Kenn, two miles to Ash Fork." Willow read the road sign as they went by and then looked at the map on her lap. "We're about forty minutes from Flagstaff."

Kennedy loved the excited tone in her redhead's voice. She'd heard a lot of that whimsical, carefree quality in the witch's words since their arrival in Vegas. The vacation was turning out exactly as Kennedy had planned. She and Willow were able to spend real quality time together and get back to that part of their relationship that, due to responsibilities to their daughter, often times got less attention than it deserved.

"I wonder if there's a good diner in Ash Fork." The grumbling in the slayer's stomach had given her comment on eating emphasis.

Willow looked at her amazed. "You're hungry again?…We just had…" Willow didn't finish the sentence because Kennedy shouted "Oh, Shit!" The witch was jerked to the right when the car suddenly veered.

The car veered back and Kennedy slowed down.

"What the heck happened?" questioned the redhead as she took a quick glimpse out the back window. She saw something that didn't quite look like a man in the road. "Kennedy?" the witch asked with a tone of fright in her voice.

Kennedy was visibly upset and was staring in the rear view mirror. "Was that a demon?…Doesn't anybody in this frickin' state know how to cross a road!…What the hell was that thing doing jumping out in the middle of the highway?"

What they saw next was just as unnerving. There was a black car with dark tinted windows barreling around traffic and coming straight at them. Kennedy kept steady on the gas. Both she and Willow were barraged with confusion from the quick and strange series of events unfolding.

"Oh, great!…Now I gotta deal with NASCAR Bubba behind us…What bug is up that fool's ass?…Jesus, he must be really late for something." Kennedy assumed the car would go around her also. But it didn't. Instead, it got inches away from her back bumper. Kennedy kept switching from looking in the rear view mirror to straight ahead.

"What is this asshole up to?…I'm really starting to get irked off here!"

That's when the car nudged into the rental.

"Kennedy!…What is happening?" The event reminded Willow momentarily of when she went 'dark' after Tara's death and did the same to Xander and Buffy…except with an eighteen wheel rig.

"Will, I have no idea what this guy is doing…" Kennedy said as she cut the wheel and drove off the Ash Fork exit ramp. "…But I'm going find out right now."

The slayer drove the vehicle to the end of the ramp. She started to slow. Her plan was to stop and use a little slayer 'persuasion' to get the driver to leave them alone. She was still trying to make sense of the near demon head-on moments before on the highway. When she got near the end, three cars one after the other turned up the exit from the street below and headed the wrong way up the exit road directly at her and Willow.

"Oh, fuck!" the slayer shouted. "Hold on Will!" she commanded as she drove the car onto the shoulder of the exit road. Kennedy sped the rental past the oncoming traffic, weaving in between two and barely missing the last. She kept driving. Willow looked out the back window and saw the first car behind them and the other three make u-turns and come after them too.

Nervously, "They're all still back there, Sweety." The witch thought fast and within a few seconds the hood of the first car flew open and the car veered out of control and skidded off the road into a tree. A few seconds after that, the second vehicle in line blew out a tire and also drove off the road landing on its side in a ditch. Willow smiled until the third car got closer.

"That's it!…Demons are one thing, but shit ass drivers get no mercy…We're ending this now!" Kennedy made a hard left turn down a side road. She drove as fast as she could, scanning the area ahead to see if she could stop the car. The slayer didn't know what was happening, but she was ready to do a little personal intervention. She couldn't believe they were being chased. "If this is some gang initiation, I'm gonna punk their asses."

There was finally a clear spot about two hundred yards in front of them. When she got close, Kennedy hit the brake and the car came to a screeching halt. She jumped out of the car and ran to the middle of the road glaring at the two cars barreling towards her. The slayer heard the sound of their brakes locking and the cars sliding to a grinding stop ten feet before her.

The brunette started to run to the side of the closest car but stopped when the door opened and a hideous looking man-like creature got out. Soon, the passenger door opened along with the front doors of the second car. Out of each came similar looking beasts. There were four in total. Each looked like the 'thing' that Kennedy had almost hit on the highway.

By this time Willow had departed the rental and was standing behind Kennedy.

Shocked, Willow sputtered, "What the heck are those?"

"Guess this is no initiation prank." Then Kennedy turned her head to look at Willow. "You think we'd be able to go on one little demon-free vacation…but nooo."

The brunette turned back to see her combatants. "So, any of you know a good place to eat around here?"

The demons attacked.

"Guess not," the slayer chided as she took Willow and ran to their car. She pushed the witch behind the vehicle. "Stay here, and when you get a clean shot, hit 'em with everything you got…see if that kills the fuckers."

Kennedy then ran back into the incoming group. She jumped onto the group of them, sending everyone to the side of the road. They were on a deserted one lane street that had no traffic. The fight raged on. Kennedy was able to pick one of them up and she threw it into another that was getting ready to hit her. She noticed that the creatures had long pointy fingernails and thought, 'Note to self-stay away from the nails.' She also noticed that they were fast when going in a straight line but not when they had to move side to side. She used that to her advantage. She kept moving quickly, using her fighting style learned in Brazil as she had since her return from that country.

Willow intently watched the fray, waiting for Kennedy to cause one of the creatures to make a mistake. She didn't want to hurl an energy ball into the area unless she was certain her brunette would not be in its path. She had her arm raised at the ready, waiting like a dutiful soldier until the precise tactical moment. One finally came. The slayer got one of the demons off balance and the brunette hurled it onto the side of the road. It was an open target and the witch sent her best shot.

BAM!

The little sphere of lightening exploded when it hit its target and the demon was blown into a thousand pieces.

The other creatures were startled and ceased for just a moment to comprehend what happened. A second later and they were on the march against the slayer again.

Kennedy fought with instinct and the usual expertise of a seasoned slayer. Because she didn't know why the creatures were after them, or who they were after for that matter, the brunette purposely kept the battle away from the rental. She didn't want Willow to become involved in the hand to hand combat. Though she knew the girl could fight, the witch hadn't really been in the mix since the episode in New York with the demented one fanged vampire. The slayer knew her witch could assist in bringing down the 'bad guys' just as effectively safely behind their car.

The fight raged on with Kennedy using her best moves to disorient the attackers and get them off balance. She was able to send another away from the main action where the witch once again quickly vaporized it. "Take that you creep," the witch quipped as the burst hit the creature. "Two down, two to go."

The brunette lost her footing on loose gravel and for a second started to fall. That was enough for one of the demons to assert an attack and it jumped on the slayer. They both fell backwards and landed on the ground close to the couple's parked car. The last rushed after them. Within seconds the slayer and demons were in a tangled mass, with arms and legs flailing for dominance. Willow couldn't get a clean shot at either creature. She also couldn't try to send them to another dimension because they were holding onto Kennedy. She wasn't sure if a dimensional shift would take the slayer also. So she did the only thing she could. She ran over to the battling soldiers and hit a demon on its head when it got close to her.

That was enough to distract the monster. Unfortunately, it also brought its attention to the redhead. The thing went to stand up to target Willow but Kennedy grabbed its leg and the creature went face first in the dirt. The brunette kicked the other demon off her and lunged at the one who had just tried to go after her girl. It swung at the slayer, ripping a gash in her forearm. The slayer winced from the blow but charged on. She wrapped her hands around its head and jerked to the right. She heard a cracking noise as its neck snapped in two. Kennedy kept twisting and pulling until the head came off altogether. The slayer was kneeling on the ground holding the hideous body part in her hand. She dropped it when she saw the final demon head for the car.

"Watch out, Will!" she shouted and sprang to her feet. The redhead was unprepared for the last attacker. Her eyes had been glued to the decapitation. When the witch finally heard Kennedy's words and looked, the demon was almost upon her. She tried to ready herself for an assault.

Suddenly, the demon changed directions and headed for the rental. It grabbed the back driver's side door handle. Willow was completely bewildered by the move. However, she didn't hesitate another second and sent a blast at him which killed the thing.

The witch took a second and then ran over to Kennedy who was clutching at her arm. She gently took the slayer's hand and uncovered the wound. "Let me see, baby." She examined the deep cut.

Kennedy knew the witch would be concerned with the cut. "Don't worry, Will…It looks worse than it is." Then to change the subject to a lighter mood, "…And look at you, Miss 'Big Powerful Energy Ball'…You kicked ass!"

Willow wasn't persuaded by her slayer's obvious ploy. "Don't give me that 'It's nothing' story…heard it before…didn't believe it then…don't believe it now. You're really hurt and we don't know if that thing had poison in its nails."

"I'm not hunching over in pain or howling like a werewolf, so it's probably ok."

"Don't joke, Kennedy. I've seen things like this before…It could take a while for it to kick in…Buffy once…" Kennedy started shaking her head and holding up her hand.

"Enough. Don't wanna hear another 'Buffy went through some weird shit' story. If it wasn't the same kind of demon, then it's irrelevant…besides we should get outta here…We'll go over everything later." Kennedy looked at her watch. "Damn, it's getting late…We need to forget about Flagstaff for today."

"What?" the redhead exclaimed. "That's where we were going. We have to drop off the manuscripts."

"We can do it tomorrow. We need to get to the reservation so you can go to your retreat."

Shaking her head, Willow replied, "They're expecting us today, Kenn. We can't just not show up."

"We'll call and tell them we can't make it…We can say we had car trouble or whatever until we figure out what happened here."

Willow tried to dissuade her slayer but Kennedy was adamant. "No, Giles said the manuscripts aren't any big deal…There's no deadline…You're not missing your retreat. This is your vacation and you are going to do everything you came here to do." The brunette wasn't about to let a run-in with a few demons keep Willow from having a great weekend. This above all else was her goal.

Finally, Willow assented. "But we'll call them right away and let them know we'll be there in the morning." That was agreeable to the brunette.

They walked over to the rented vehicle. It had a dented back bumper and broken tail light. "Crap!" the slayer muttered.

"What's wrong?" Willow asked.

"I declined the extra collision insurance on the car."

Willow shook her head and laughed as she got into the front passenger seat. The slayer stared at her as she got in on her side. "What?…It's usually a big, fat rip off…like the prizes in a Cracker Jacks box."

Kennedy started the car and the women figured out where they were. While the brunette got them back to the highway, Willow tended to Kennedy's arm. She noticed that it was already starting to close. 'The miracle of slayer healing…It's a wonderful thing,' she though to herself.

The couple finally got back to Interstate 40, this time going west. They were heading for the Hualapia Indian Reservation which was north of Peach Fork on the famous Route 66. Their final destination was a remote part of the Tribe's land sitting on the south rim of the Grand Canyon. There they hoped to rest and decipher their latest episode before Willow's first experience with the "convergence."

It would turn out to be an interesting evening for both witch and slayer.

"Oh my God, how do you put up with this?" Buffy said to Xander with a frazzled and almost frightened look on her face.

Xander laughed. "It's definitely not for the squeamish…This takes real guts."

The "this" to which Xander referred was a Friday night dinner outing at Chuck E. Cheese. Buffy and Jimmy were with Xander, Jessie and the three kids at the "child friendly" pizza establishment.

"Geez, I've seen vamps that were less scary than some of these kids." Buffy could not believe the mayhem that was being exhibited before her eyes. There were children screaming and playing and running around. "This is the ultimate birth control," she joked to Jimmy. The man stared back at her likewise shocked by the scene and agreed with a nod.

"Wait til you have kids of your own…You hardly notice it after a while." Jessie sounded so nonchalant.

"Yeah, kids suck all the sensory perception out of your brain," Xander added only half joking.

After the meeting they'd had earlier, the adults decided to stay together and go out to dinner. The Harris' told their single friends that they needed to go somewhere to eat that wasn't too nice. "Nate's in the stage where he wants to empty every salt and pepper shaker and Joey won't stop trying to eat stuff off the floor…They're not civilized enough yet to go to a real restaurant." Hence the decision of Chuck E. Cheese.

After everyone's belly was full, it was decided that they call it a night. Buffy said she'd call Xander as soon as she found out any news about the new evil in town. Jimmy insisted on paying for dinner, so the Harris clan, which included Samantha, headed for their SUV while Jimmy and Buffy paid the bill.

As they walked the back parking lot to their vehicle, Jessie had to tell her boys twice to stop spitting on the ground. Each time she did, she then looked down at Sammi who was holding her hand. The little girl was being quiet and calm. Jessie didn't know if the child was really that perfect or just a bit melancholy because she was without her mothers. She knew this was the first real time away from them for her. Sam caught Jessie looking at her. The woman smiled.

"Nate and Joey are goofy, huh?"

The toddler nodded and said matter of fact, "Yeah…it's ok."

Jessie smiled at the tolerant nature of the girl already. 'Will and Kenn are certainly doing something right,' she thought.

Xander's SUV was in the last row of the parking lot behind the restaurant. It was three down from Jimmy's car. Only several other cars were near them. There was a line of trees at the edge of the asphalt and only one overhead security light at the corner of the lot. In the area of Xander's car there hardly any light. The family walked into the semi darkness, that area being much darker because of the trees than the dusk exposure to the other parts of the lot.

Then Xander heard a noise, a rustling sort of sound. It was the sound he'd heard before, many times before, in Sunnydale. He instantly got on guard. "Jessie, get the kids close…Don't move." He quickly went over to Joey who was walking ahead and grabbed him in his arms. "Come on, little man, we're going over here." He put the child down by his mother. Staring seriously at his wife, he firmly but in a calm tone said, "Take the kids back to the restaurant and get Buffy." When Jessie began to question him, Xander sternly added, "Just do it, now."

Jessie knew something was wrong and trusted that Xander had a grasp on the situation. She tried to act cheery when she told the kids to follow her.

They hadn't taken more than five steps when a sinister voice came from behind the trees. "No move."

Jessie stopped instantly as did the children. She turned around while telling the kids to stand still. What she saw stunned her.

Stepping out from behind the row of trees were five hideous looking creatures. They were short and squatty, with greenish skin. There arms were long and thin but the hands were oversized. They had three claw-like fingers. Their legs and feet were much the same.

Xander looked disgustingly at the things. "How can you guys look so gross and yet speak English?" The one thing that never left the Scooby, even when he was worried or scared, was his sense of sarcasm.

The middle one, the one that had spoken originally, wasn't amused. It advanced slowly on Xander. It scanned the group. "Where?…Where is chosen one?"

Although he was shaking inside, Xander knew he had to try to stall until Buffy and Jimmy got there.

"Sorry, don't know that one…I know 'Where's the beef?'…or 'Where oh where has my little dog gone?'"

The creatures screeched and attacked. Jessie and the kids screamed and started running back to the building. Xander also screamed and ran towards Buffy's car. Jessie and the children had gotten about fifty feet closer to the restaurant when they saw Buffy and Jimmy round the building's corner.

"Buffy!…Something's after us!…Help!"

Buffy and Jimmy reacted. "Make sure the kids are ok and I'll get to Xander," Buffy ordered. She ran toward the noise and action while Jimmy headed to the children and Jessie to get them to a safe place. He knew he had to do that before he could go and assist Buffy.

The blonde slayer quickly caught up with the monsters chasing Xander. Buffy had to admit, Xander was very adept at running away from things. He was fending off the creatures by keeping Buffy's car between them and him. It was an almost bizarre game of keep away.

Buffy didn't hesitate. She ran up to one creature and kicked it to the ground. She grabbed another and tossed it in the air about ten yards. It landed on its head with a big "thud!" She pulled a spike out of her boot and plunged it into the neck of a third one. The first creature had regained its senses and was already standing back up.

"You demons just never learn to stay down…Don't they teach you anything in ugly demon school?" The slayer went after it again.

Xander, by this time, had gotten some of his nerve back. He ran up behind one of the creatures and punched him in the head. "Y-y-o-o-w-w-!…That hurt! " he said as he held his fist. The creature's head was as hard as a bowling ball. "Take this them." Xander lunged at the thing and tripped it. He then ran behind the car again. "This one's ready, Buff."

The slayer had just finished killing a third demon, a nice breaking of the neck followed by gouging of the eyes. She heard Xander's statement and went off and finished number four by shoving her stake through its face. "Found this works from killing the one over there," she jibed to Xander.

Buffy quickly got up and looked for the fifth creature. It was nowhere to be found. "That's right, "she shouted, "run like a little girl," she said into the darkening night. She and Xander scanned the area. At the spots where the dead creatures had been were only puddles of green ooze, like a thick anti-freeze.

The two Scoobies stared at each other for a little while.

"This is another reason to hate Chuck E.Cheese…I've never run into demons at Olive Garden." Buffy heard some footsteps and turned to see Jimmy coming. "Sorry, honey, show's over…and by the way…we're never coming here again."

Xander took the time to make sure the kids were fine and not upset about what happened. He tried to cajole them by saying that there had been several "little people" who were just playing a prank. It didn't take much convincing. Xander also told Buffy and Jimmy what the creature had said. Soon everyone was ready to leave again.

They walked over to their respective vehicles and Buffy and Jimmy said goodbye and told Xander and Jessie she'd call in the morning. "We'll talk about this some more." They watched the SUV leave the parking lot. As Jimmy drove away, Buffy looked out the front window and said plainly, "I think we've found our demon problem."

Xander and the rest couldn't have been home more than fifteen minutes when they got a call. Jessie glanced at the caller ID. "It's Willow," she said nervously and picked up the phone.

"Hey, Willow."

"Hey, Jess. How's things going there?…Samantha behaving?"

"Oh, she's a doll…We just got back from dinner…" Xander shot her a stare. Jessie stuttered a bit. "H-how's the vacation going?…having fun?"

"Uh..yeah…fun…Yes…we're having a…great time…"

Willow and Jessie continued to talk. Neither side of the conversation sounded worried or concerned. Jessie didn't want Kennedy and Willow to worry about something that they weren't even sure what it was. The couple had been through so much and they deserved a few days without any distress. Jessica knew that Buffy and the rest would be able to find out what was going on and take care of it. This wasn't the first time that they'd come close to evil. She didn't want to the two women to think that they couldn't trust her and Xander to care for Samantha.

After Jessie was done, Xander talked to Willow for a few minutes. He sounded cheerful just like Jessie. He portrayed the time with Samantha so far as nothing but fun, fun and more fun.

Once he was done, he let Samantha talk to her two mothers. He and Jessie held their breath while they listened to the little girl. Luckily, she never said a thing about the "pranksters." After a few minutes, Sam said goodbye and handed the phone back to Xander.

The two talked some more and then, "…You guys take care…and don't worry about Samantha…She's having a blast with Nate and Joey…We'll talk to you in the morning." Xander hung up the phone.

"We handled that very well, I think." The Scooby was proud of his performance.

"Willow sounded so upbeat…It woulda been a shame to tell her…especially since we don't even know what the things were…They really must be having a wonderful time." Jessie, though hesitant at first about not saying a word concerning the evening's event, was now glad she didn't.

"I know…Will said they're going to Flagstaff tomorrow…They got behind sightseeing today." Then the man thought. "Right, I bet you they were taking advantage of not having a kid around."

Jessie rolled her eyes. "You and sex…You know, I'm sure Willow and Kennedy have plenty to do besides that."

Xander nodded. "Either way, at least they're not dealing with demons."

"I'm glad she's being good for you…She actually can be quite the stubborn girl when she wants to be…Gets that from Kennedy of course." Willow was talking to Xander on the phone. It had been only a couple hours since their roadway attack.

"Of course she does…" Xander laughed into the phone receiver, "…because you've never been stubborn in your whole life. Listen, I'm just glad you guys are having so much fun. You deserve it. Well, I should let you go since you've got your witchy meeting tonight…You guys take care…and don't worry about Samantha…She's having a blast with Nate and Joey…We'll talk to you in the morning." Willow said goodbye, heard the line go dead and then closed her cell phone.

"So?…Did he suspect anything?…You sounded normal to me." Kennedy was concerned that Xander or Jessie might have caught a slight worry in Willow's voice.

"No, he didn't say anything. In fact, he said he was glad that we were having such a good time." The witch shook her head knowing that the truth was somewhat different.

"It sounds like Sammi's having the time of her life…I could hear the boys yelling in the background when I was talking to her." Kennedy smiled knowing that her daughter was enjoying the company of her friends.

"I know…At least we don't have to worry about demons with her…Can you imagine if she was here today? I am so grateful she's with Uncle Xandy." Willow sighed in relief. Kennedy nodded in agreement.

After the demon attack outside Ash Fork, Kennedy and Willow drove to their intended final destination. The Hualapai Indian Reservation was where the "convergence" was taking place. More specifically, Kennedy and Willow were going to stay in a cabin in a remote part of the tribal land sitting practically on the edge of the Grand Canyon.

As they drove down Route 66 toward Peach Springs, where the entrance road to reservation was, Willow called Giles' contact in Flagstaff to tell them they wouldn't be able to deliver the transcripts until the next day. She told them that they'd had car trouble but would definitely be there tomorrow. Kennedy had requested that she "fib" as to the reason for the delay. "Will, Giles really didn't want to have us do this to begin with because he thinks we've been under so much strain lately…I don't want him to think that a little demon problem side tracked us this much…He'll think that I can't get the job done."

Willow knew how proud the brunette was when it came to her slayer obligations. Kennedy hated failure or anything which resembled it. The witch knew that Giles had wanted the couple to take time off to 'decompress' and get a new and fresh perspective. Letting Giles believe he shouldn't have given the assignment to Kennedy was a fact that the brunette didn't want to accept. "We had a little glitch is all…Nobody, especially Giles, needs to know." In the end, Willow agreed that the demon incident would be kept between the two.

As they drove they discussed the attack. "You know, it could just be a random gang of demons…That happens," Kennedy stated. "It's not like this hasn't happened to slayers before."

The witch agreed that that was one possibility. "The strange thing though is that last demon…before I blasted it…I don't think it was coming after me…it went for the car." Willow's tone was mixed with confusion.

"Well, this is a nice ride," the slayer said smirking.

"I'm being serious…If it's your run of the mill 'Ooo, I'm a demon and I'm gonna rip your head off and eat your eyeballs', why didn't it come after me?…It had the perfect opportunity."

The slayer thought about what the witch said. It made sense. The demon could have gotten to the redhead. 'Why didn't it?' thought the brunette. Then an idea came to her. "Maybe it 'was' after something…maybe the manuscripts?"

"But Giles said there wasn't anything dangerous about them." Willow was certain that if there had been any chance of danger the watcher would have told them about it.

"Maybe it's something he didn't know about. Maybe nobody at the Council did."

Willow contemplated the suggestion. It made sense. "I guess that's always a possibility. It does fit in with what the last demon did."

Then Kennedy shot a look at the redhead. "Or…it was after my buffalo jerky."

Willow gave her a disgusted look. "If that's what it was, I shoulda let it take the stuff."

That comment was met with a pout from the slayer. "You don't know how good it is unless you try it." They both laughed. "It was probably just a one shot deal…But whether it was a freelance attack or some group after the papers, we'll be over it tomorrow…We'll let 'em know at Flagstaff so they can be on the look out…Hell, they may be able to tell us if it was a rogue bunch of uglies."

"Good plan to me," the witch concurred.

The topic of the attackers was finished and the couple went on to talk about the evening's event. The meeting was to start at nine. It was to take place within walking distance from the women's cabin. Willow told Kennedy that she would walk to it so that the slayer could relax. Kennedy said no. "Just to be on the safe side, I'll walk with you and then I'll come back when it's done and walk you back to the cabin." The redhead knew that it wasn't even worth trying to argue with the slayer that she didn't need a chaperone. A little bit of her was glad that the brunette was so protective.

Before they knew it, the witch and slayer were driving through Peach Springs. They followed the directions they were given and soon found the remote and obscure road leading to their weekend residence. They were told ahead of time which cabin they'd been assigned and how to get there. There was no "checking in." The plan was for all the retreat members to appear at the convergence location at 9pm sharp that Friday.

Kennedy drove along a winding path, around tall pine and birch trees. It was starting to get dark but they could still see the palette of colors from the setting sun. There was a big streak of pink and yellow streaming across the sky, like a water color stroke. It was accentuated by the crisp dark lines of the tree tops poking their tips up toward the heavens. That simple view of an Arizona sky was awe inspiring. The women stayed silent as they drove their way through the snaked road until they saw a small cabin ahead.

"This must be it," the slayer directed as she drove the car next to the building and stopped the vehicle.

They looked around for a second then at each other. "Let's settle in." Kennedy could hear the excitement in Willow's voice.

The women unloaded the car, and in two trips, had their belongings in the cabin. The suitcases were placed on the bed in the separate bedroom. The manuscripts had been packed in one of the suitcases before they left Vegas. As Willow put her suitcase down, she also placed her shoulder bag on the chair in that room. Before she left she took out the items Kennedy bought her at the market that morning. She held them in her hand, softly smiling at the sweetness of her girl. The texture of the material intrigued her. It was nothing she'd ever seen before. She could only assume it was some sort of rare wood. She then replaced the items back in her shoulder bag and headed to the other room. The souvenir bags were left out in the main room, a combination kitchen, living room. There was a bathroom next to the bedroom.

"Wow, this is really nice," the redhead said impressed as s