Stones In the Road

by LilBit

Copyright © 2006

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 a continuation of Alterations with Time and Parallel and Life Changes Everything – reading those stories and the prequel, The Sacrifice, first is recommended.
Pairing: Willow/Kennedy

Black like the deepest nothingness of space; that was the only way Kennedy could describe the view from her place in the driver's seat of her BMW. Not that she was contemplating the view other than it was impeding her ability to get to Willow. And that, more than anything else, was what drove the slayer through the pelting weather and dead blackness of the night.

"God Willow, please be ok…You've got to be…" The words trembled softly from the brunette's lips. Her hands were visibly shaking even though they gripped the steering wheel leaving her knuckles white. Her whole body was rigid from fear and guilt. "Why didn't I see this sooner…I shoulduv known something was wrong…This is all my fault." Kennedy didn't want or need to think through the events of the last several months. Her mind had already become judge, jury and executioner. The horror in which she found herself she decided could only have been possible because of her own need to be emotionally 'tough.'

Kennedy was driving frantically and recklessly down a windy one lane road. It was typical of the roads found in the back lands of Rhode Island. There were no street lights or other road markers to help illuminate the slayer's course. Only the vehicle's high beams, cutting through the thickness of the harsh night, led her way. Shoulders or emergency pull-off lanes were an unknown commodity in the quaint little towns of the southeastern part of New England.

During any other time, Kennedy would have enjoyed the snaking pathway and precision driving needed to master a "spin" through the countryside. However, tonight, the only thing the slayer saw was the battered pavement in front of her, stretching ever forward into the blackness…leading her to Willow.

The summer storm that invaded the region that evening was at its worst. The rain crushed down all around the brunette. There were times that the droplets seemed so violent against the car that she thought she was in another hurricane. She fleetingly remembered the hammering she and Buffy took from Hurricane Alexander during their fight against the vengeful Roberto DeAntiao in Florida.

That memory was thrust from Kennedy's mind when she almost lost control weaving around a sharp curve in the road, there only because it was easier to place the way around an old first growth oak than it was to cut it down all those years ago. Kennedy adjusted quickly, but not as fast as her pounding heart. She knew she couldn't afford to get into an accident or be impeded in any other way from her mission. She was Willow's only hope…if she made it in time.

The rain continued to fall like sheets against the windshield. The brunette had trouble seeing clearly. It was almost as if she was driving on instinct, her body and its reactions keyed into the universe's energy needed to take her to her witch. Was she driving of her own volition or was she being somehow magickally led by her lover's power? The answer was meaningless to the slayer. She had to reach Willow; how was irrelevant.

As Kennedy anxiously drove, her mind once again stuck on a glimpse of a possible future- Willow dead or dying in her arms. As much as she hated the image and herself for even allowing it to enter into her psyche, Kennedy knew that it was a possibility. That fraction of a moment was enough to evoke the figure of their daughter. The face was of an innocent child, a babe, with the look of utter despair at the loss of her mother. Kennedy knew her present course of action was done for that child as much as for herself…more even. Kennedy had to bring Willow back to their Samantha. That was more important than any other act she'd ever done in her life. With the future of their child's happiness at stake, Kennedy was a woman with one unfaltering goal- get to Willow before she was harmed by the evil that the slayer had finally uncovered.

Kennedy didn't know how long she'd been driving. It felt like days. All she knew was that she was heading for the secretive 'Clearing Place' in Askonnet, Massachusetts. All her focus and energy was directed to that goal. The entire time she'd been driving, the slayer felt a strange charge within, like random sparks bursting inside her skin. She felt nothing else but that and anxious terror.

"Come on, come on," she said through clenched teeth. Kennedy knew the sign for the highway access that would take her to her destination was somewhere near. After that, Askonnet was only a few exits north. She was so close; the brunette could feel her blood quicken its pace through her veins.

Suddenly, Kennedy felt it.

It would have seemed normal under the circumstances for the slayer to have been startled by the 'feeling', but she wasn't. As extreme as the conditions were for the brunette, what happened in that split second calmed her. Kennedy felt something that was more than from herself. There was an outside presence trying to gain her complete attention. She instantly complied. The slayer knew exactly what had occurred.

"Willow." The name was whispered with entwined emotions of glee and fear.

Kennedy, without hesitation, took her foot off the gas pedal and moved it to the brake. As she slowed, the sensation became stronger. She began to try to look on the roadway and off to the sides. Without even the aid of the moon to lighten her view, most of what she saw was sheer blackness.

Just as suddenly again, Kennedy stopped her vehicle. There was a crushing presence around her. She placed the car in park and, in an almost zombie like fashion, got out of the car, leaving the engine running and door open. The slayer started walking to the opposite side of the road.

Kennedy walked as if in a tunnel. The storm quickly drenched her with the colorless wet pellets. Through matted hair and rain soaked eyes, Kennedy slowly made her way along the road's edge. She saw nothing except what was directly in front of her. The surroundings were but a haze of darkness. She noticed only that which was in her limited focused view. But she continued walking, inching her way along the slickened road in the deep Rhode Island night.

Without rational reason, the slayer stopped. Her eyes were still on the ground. A sick feeling washed over her. Brown eyes slowly crept up from the view of the ground in front of her feet and outward toward the trees lining the roadside. Kennedy gradually got into her sight the ditch area several yards from the asphalt's edging.

Her eyes needed to go no further.

The sight shocked her to the core and she lost her breath. Her heart fell to the pit of her stomach and she began to shake.

"Willow?"

There was no expression to describe the way the witch's name left Kennedy's quivering lips. No word that existed that could capture the despair, heartbreak and anguish that filled that name as it barely escaped the brunette's grasp.

As Kennedy stared, she wondered how their lives had gotten so misdirected, so completely out of balance since their arrival in Massachusetts, as to lead to this very moment.

"This place is bigger than it looked last time we were here." Willow spoke as she walked into the empty living room while holding a box marked 'kitchen.' The redhead looked around as she walked further into the house making her way to the kitchen in the back of the place.

"Yeah, well, the realtor did say there was a lot of room…We certainly have more than the condo." Kennedy had followed right behind her wife and was carrying their daughter Samantha. The slayer put the child down who awkwardly took a few steps before plunking herself down on her diaper padded bottom. The tiny girl then started to quickly crawl, slipping on occasion on the wood floor. "You go follow Mommy, Sammi…and make sure she puts the box down in the right place."

From the kitchen a sarcastic, "I heard that" came from the witch.

Kennedy, in a slightly loud voice, replied, "I'm gonna start getting the other boxes. I'm tagging out on Sammi." As she walked into the mud room, the slayer faintly heard "That's fine…I've got her right here."

And so began another chapter in the lives of Kennedy Prescott and Willow Rosenberg. Though too young to know, it was also one for the little year old Samantha Prescott Rosenberg. How they got to Middleton, Massachusetts was as nervous and exciting as their actual initial landing there.

Middleton, Massachusetts was nestled among other similarly charming towns near the Rhode Island/Massachusetts border. It was close to what was considered the beginning of "the Cape" portion of the Bay State. The place was about an hour south of Boston and only twenty minutes from Providence, the states' two capitals. Middleton was also easily accessible from and to Plymouth, Mass., the home of Pilgrims and the landing of the Mayflower, and New Bedford, Mass., the whaling capital of the world when whale products were actually desired commodities. When the whaling industry died, so did New Bedford, and it became to be known as "the armpit" of the southeastern part of the state. Its most recent "claim to fame" was being home to the bar where men gang-raped a woman against a pinball machine as depicted by Jodie Foster in "The Accused."

Middleton, though, had no such similar history. It was a quiet, little New England town with a population of just over five thousand. It was founded in 1635, only fifteen years after those initial scared yet courageous castaways from England dropped anchor off the coast of what was to be named Plymouth. The town was full of hard working, deeply tolerant citizens who judged a person by his or her actions and words and not by the color of their skin, political or religious affiliation, or so-called "orientation." These were people who truly lived the saying "Do unto others…" They were Americans who lived their lives according to their beliefs but who didn't try to force others do the same.

That's not to say that the town was a utopia; it wasn't by a long shot. There was discrimination, petty crime and other ills like every other place in America. But for whatever reason, the degree to which they existed were less evident and the desire to rid the area of such undesirable mindset much more active. Middleton was what would be called a "haven of liberals" according to the talk show hosts of the conservative radio circuit. Like much of the rest of Massachusetts, the town was pro-environment, pro-choice, and pro-gay. They sided with unions, teachers and the poor. They were Americans who loved their country, but wanted it to strive to truly be the beacon of freedom for all people within its borders.

Middleton's attributes didn't end with its strong ties to the progressive agenda. The town itself was what one would expect to see in a brochure for a quick get-away for a quaint "New England" experience. Its roads were windy, having been converted from the original horse trials that carried the early settlers around the area. Huge trees of all types hugged the roadsides and made natural canopies from the sun's rays. There were hills and creeks and ponds. Antique stores sold their wares and a refurbished cider mill dabbled in the apple business. The houses were typical square, two story Cape Cod style or the more modern split level ranch. For some reason, Middleton had escaped the mad housing explosion that had come crushing down on other little towns all over that region of the country.

As a result, there were no massive housing developments with half million dollar mansions gobbling up its real estate. The town remained small with its individually owned homes, densely wooded areas and sporadically located businesses and local governmental buildings. There was one school for K through grade 4, one also for grades 5 through 8, and the same for 9 through 12. Everyone was friendly, for the most part, but also knew to keep their noses out of others' private lives.

The picture painted of Middleton so far made it seem almost too good to be true…and it was. The one fact about the town that was never spoken to outsiders, and never really discussed much by the townspeople, was that it had, per capita, more graveyards than any other town not only in Massachusetts but east of the Mississippi. Only Toadsuck, Arkansas had more. The reason for the abundance of cemeteries resided in the town's history.

Middleton was actually home to Native Americans before those pesky Pilgrims landed. Being of such a giving character, those same Natives, the Wampanoags, allowed the new visitors to stay on the land. The English never left. But they were aware of the fact that the area was of consecrated regard. It contained numerous burial grounds of the Wampanoag ancestry. Because of this, the early townspeople dedicated a large portion of the land that they named "Middleton" for the same purpose. It became commonplace for the deceased of all around the area to be buried there. The end result was hundreds of small cemeteries placed throughout the town. Though the Middleton of today was actually smaller in square footage than it was up until the mid nineteenth century, there were still numerous "sites" that could be found. They were in thick wooded areas, next to ball fields, and in residents' back yards.

The bones that lay beneath the soil were not only Natives and Colonialists, but also of a darker disposition. For a while, during the Puritanical witch hunt frenzy, the town was the site for disposing of bodies thought "touched" by the devil's hand. That they were sent to Middleton was only due to a very hefty 'handling fee' that the head state dignitary was able to allocate to the town. The place was the sight for many unmarked graves of the criminally insane, murderers and other hard line criminals that died in prison or were "helped" to their demise. Also, when the white man decided that the Native peoples were no longer welcome, the all too familiar slaughter took place. Wampanoags and neighboring Narragansetts were murdered and their bodies placed in mass graves on the far side of town.

That angle of Middleton's portrait was hardly known by the regular people of the present time. Even the few historians who did know had some inner voice that told them to keep the information hidden like a seedy affair.

Middleton, because of its "unique" history, became an important place to the Slayer Network. The town didn't sit on top of a hellmouth. It did not have the population, such as that of Boston, that attracted vampires and allowed massive killings to go unnoticed. Its cemeteries mostly lay dormant, except for the two active ones at either end of the town. This meant that there was no inundation of newly turned vampires digging their way to the surface to start their undead life of blood sucking. The town had its share of vampires but not in the kind of numbers as was seen in Sunnydale or Cleveland.

What did become known through much research and diligence on the part of the Watcher's Council members and alliances in the area was that Middleton was a spot of convergence, a spring board meeting place, of sorts, to the demonic world. Some Council jokingly referred to it as the Denny's of the demon world. In the deep of the night, vampires and demons of all kinds would gather to plan, discuss or even just swap intelligence on the "Doers of Good." They met in the hard to find places away from the civilization that made up the town. Many of the horrible "unexplained" killings that occurred in the New England region started with the underworld meeting at Middleton. The Council soon realized that many innocents could be saved just by nipping the schemes in the bud. It was like preventing terrorism by capturing a terror cell during the planning stage.

So, because there were demons in the town, the Council decided there would be slayers residing there also. Once the true nature of the town was discovered, two slayers were to be assigned to it. It had been decided shortly after the Watcher's Council was reformed that never would a slayer have to patrol on her own. There was power, and safety, in numbers. Being from the area, Heather LaGrasse, the first slayer 'born' after the slayer spell, was first given the option to take the job. She declined. The young woman wanted nothing more than to leave that part of the country. She'd had enough of frigid winters and the 'small city' life. She ended up with a position in Phoenix.

That was how Kennedy and Willow became connected to the town. As previously mentioned, it took a while for the 'big picture' of the town to be known. By that time it was April- two months before Willow's and Kennedy's daughter's first birthday. The whole thing started from a stray remark from Giles.

The Englishman was at Slayer Central in Cleveland, on one of his regular visits to the States, to check up on the operation and reconnect with his in-all-but-name family. Giles, Willow and Buffy were in the study talking about slayer assignments. He mentioned the Middleton situation.

Buffy thought about it for a minute then got an approving look on her face. "Hey, Faith's from Boston…Maybe she'd want to go back to the area."

Willow knew how much Faith and Miguel loved their job and life in New York and secretly thought that Buffy's suggestion would be soundly rejected. But she held in her opinion. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask."

"Ask who what?" Kennedy had just entered the room and walked over to sit by Willow.

"Ask Faith if she wants to move to Massachusetts," Buffy replied.

Jokingly, "Forget her…They got the Patriots and gays can get married…Sounds great to me."

Willow nudged Kennedy with her elbow. "Notice how the sports came before the marriage part…That's my slayer."

The brunette gave her best fake hurt look. "Well, we're already married…and besides, we're talking three Super Bowls in four years…that's gotta count."

The conversation continued for a little longer until it was decided that Giles would pose the offer to Faith. "But if she doesn't accept, we'll need to find two slayers soon…There's been growing activity there."

"No." That was the simple and firm response from Faith to Giles' proposal. She didn't ask him to let her think about it or even hesitate. From the way the brunette looked at him when she answered, Giles knew there was a strong reason behind the rejection. He could also tell that it was one that he wouldn't, nor probably couldn't, prod from the slayer.

Faith wasn't surprised that she was given the chance to return to the area where she grew up. She'd heard rumors of the need for slayers in that part of Massachusetts. The slayer also knew that she'd rather live with Andrew and watch Star Wars daily than go back there. Her memories of the Bay State were only bad ones. She never knew her father; the only information she ever got out of her mother on the subject was that he was "a no good son of a bitch" who left as soon as he found out about the pregnancy. Faith grew up on welfare and food stamps. But that wasn't what made her life terrible. Poverty was nothing that she didn't see around her everyday. The horror was because her mother lived like she had no self worth, no pride…no hope. Faith watched from when she was old enough to stand as her mother let others use her and abuse her. The woman took what crumbs others were willing to give because she thought she deserved no better. The people she associated with were the bottom of society, the trash of humanity in both figurative and literal meaning.

As a result, Faith saw her mother beaten down and never once attempt to pull herself up. The woman only saw herself through others' eyes and they were always ones skewed by booze or drugs or a mean disposition. The young Faith hated her life and her inability to escape it. The day that she was raped by her mother's boyfriend when she was fourteen changed everything for her. Something inside of her, a kernel of self esteem that unexplainably rooted itself there, erupted. Faith knew that she was owed a better life, that she could have a better one. So she ran and never looked back.

Once she became a slayer, Faith never openly thought about her mother or the place she used to call home. When she went to the dark side, it got pushed down even further inside her. It wasn't until she was in jail in California that the occasional 'I wonder' thoughts started to surface. When she finally embraced her slayer destiny again and moved to New York with Miguel, the questions started to nag at her psyche. They got to the point that she brought it up to Miguel.

"Go find her." The man stated his solution to the problem as if she he were talking about buying groceries.

"I can't just go back…just like that…What if she's…she's…" Faith couldn't put her fear into a coherent statement.

At first, the Brazilian thought that his woman was scared to find out her mother was dead or dying. Then he wondered if she was worried to find her in the same terrible straits that she was in when the slayer ran away. The man ultimately determined that what Faith was really scared of was discovering that her mother was well, happy and living the type of life that any average person would want. Miguel realized that the brunette was worried that her mother had only been as she was because she had Faith. The slayer didn't want to chance finding out that she was the cause of her mother's pathetic station in life.

"Faith, it was her job to make the best life she could for you…you were her daughter…your childhood was her fault…not yours." Miguel pierced into his slayer's eyes. "I think you should do this…if nothing else, let her know that she didn't break you."

In the end, Faith decided that she would find out the fate of her mother. She had one of her contacts at the NYPD assist her and within a matter of days she had enough information to make contact. And she did.

Faith arrived at the Worcester Facility for Women on a cold spring morning. The building was a half way house for female drug addicts, prostitutes and recurrent small level criminals. Faith's mother had been there for two months after getting out of prison for prostitution and drug possession. She was on cleaning duty emptying trash cans in the communal living room when the slayer walked into the doorway of the room.

The brunette just stood there. She examined the woman who used to be her mother. Time had not been a friend to her. She appeared twenty years past her age; she looked like she had nothing but hate in her heart. Faith didn't say a word. She just stood there until the woman finished her deed and turned to leave the room. When she got to the doorway, the woman didn't even look at Faith. She merely spit out, "Move." But the slayer didn't.

Finally, her mother stared at the person who was keeping her from completing the menial task she was obligated to do. "Move, I said." Still there was no recognition. Still there was no movement from the slayer.

The two women fixated on each other for a few more moments. What Faith saw in those eyes was…nothing. She saw a woman who had nothing to give to anyone. Faith realized it was the same look she'd seen when she was young. That woman was and always had been a sorry excuse for a human being; she certainly wasn't anything to be scared of. Faith knew that the woman had no idea who she was, and didn't care to find out. Strangely enough, that was fine by her.

Faith then stepped aside and the woman passed. The brunette could hear her mumble "bitch" under her voice. A few minutes later, the slayer was in the front parking lot getting into her car. She was going home to her real family, the man who loved her. She was returning to the person who when she looked in his eyes, she always saw nothing but love staring back. As Faith turned onto the street to leave that part of her life behind her for good, she couldn't see her mother looking out the front room window watching her car drive away.

When Giles offered her the Middleton spot, all Faith could think of was that meeting with her mother the couple years earlier. She wasn't like that; she didn't want to be close to it. The brunette had a life that made her happy; she had the man that made her better. Faith knew that she and Miguel were saving lives and helping people. She needed no more. So she declined the offer to stay where she knew she belonged.

The affect of Faith's decision was that two slayers were still needed in Massachusetts. Giles told Buffy and Willow that he would continue to put out feelers for the positions. Kennedy and Willow got interested because of a misinterpreted remark.

Kennedy was out patrolling with several fairly new slayers. There was a gang of vampires rumored to be in Cleveland from southern Illinois. The slayers had been getting information that the vamps were planning a big suckfest at one of the areas carnivals. The plan was to find the demons, kill them and go home. The slayers were canvassing the designated area according to a plan made by Kennedy. They found the vamps, starting fighting them and had them mostly beaten when one slayer, Angela, was killed because she went out of position despite orders from Kennedy not to do so. It took some heavier fighting and a few harrowing moments for Kennedy and another slayer before the vamps were squelched and defeated for good.

Everyone gathered around the fallen slayer and Kennedy tried to determine what went wrong. The new slayers began to tell what they saw or knew or thought should have happened. They were all talking at once and Kennedy had trouble keeping things straight. During the chaos of voices mingling together, Kennedy heard "Buffy shoulda been here" softly said.

As Kennedy carried the dead slayer to the van they'd used to get to get to their spot, she could only think that the slayers thought she had been the reason Angela was gone. To Kennedy, somehow the new slayers still thought of Buffy as the true leader, the one with all the wisdom. The feeling that she was thought of as second best gnawed at her gut. She had helped to train those girls. She'd given them a good plan that should have ended with everyone's safe return. She knew that a slayer was gone because of a bad decision on the part of that slayer. She had strayed from the plan. But yet, the idea that the others saw it differently ate at her.

Several days after the incident, after an internal review was made of the events, it was known by everyone that Angela did, unfortunately, cause her own demise. She had tried to improvise in a situation that demanded it be played by the script. Kennedy also found out that the comment she heard was directed at the numbers of slayers that one member thought should have been present and not her abilities.

Still, that incident made Kennedy think about her position in Cleveland. She was, of course, one of the "seasoned" slayers and well respected for all the battles she'd fought. But she was still one of many. She kept thinking back to when she and Willow were in Sao Paulo. She loved being on her own; she enjoyed being the "top dog." That part of the Prescott pride, and vanity, came out. Kennedy also thought of the time in New York when they helped Faith find the insane vamp, Dalfort. She was excited everyday she got to investigate and put her skills, other than slayer fighting, to use. She remembered the low she felt when it was over. It was a feeling that took a long time to cease even with the news of Willow's pregnancy.

For some reason, Kennedy got a feeling like there was something more she was supposed to do with her life. In a way, she understood why Faith decided not to live in Cleveland. "Too many chefs in the kitchen," she remembered the older slayer giving for the reason she was moving to New York. Kennedy was feeling that same need. She wondered if she'd had that feeling in the back of her mind the whole time. One night, she decided she had to tell Willow how she felt.

"Are you saying you're not happy here?" Willow's expression was one of surprise. She was sitting in her chair in the living room; Samantha was napping in the playpen next to her. The witch had just heard her slayer tell her what was on her mind since Angela's death.

Kennedy shook her head. "No, of course not…I am happy here…I'd be happy anywhere with you and Sam…It's just…just…there are so many slayers here…and…I-I can't explain it…"

Willow didn't know what to say. They'd lived in Cleveland for five years. Their child was born there and most of their friends were there. Willow knew when they first got to Cleveland they hadn't decided that it would be where they would stay. But like so much else in life, time flew by and the years passed before their eyes. It seemed like events kept happening to them that made the stability of their presence in Cleveland fortunate. The thought of being somewhere else "fighting the good fight" frankly left the witch's mind. She just assumed they would remain in Cleveland.

But now she was forced to revisit that issue. Could she see a reason to move? Their life was good from her vantage point. She and Kennedy loved each other; they had a wonderful daughter. They had great friends and work that they both felt good about. Or at least she thought Kennedy felt right with her place in Cleveland. Despite the meltdown her slayer had while in Brazil, Willow knew Kennedy was happiest while there, being the lead slayer. She had seen that leadership mentality in Buffy when she was the only "Chosen One." She saw how the blonde struggled with it when she had to share the title. Was there something in the slayer DNA that gave them that drive to be the best, the one?

However, Willow knew this wasn't just a matter of what Kennedy wanted. This was her life too and she had to examine her own feelings about her satisfaction level. She couldn't deny the fact that she could be happy staying in Cleveland. It was the closest thing to Sunnydale she'd come to, excepting the weather. She was surrounded by her dearest friends and they were continuing to battle for Good like they had for years. Though new people came into their lives and their hearts, there was a certain familiarity about the redhead's life in which she took comfort.

'It would all change,' the witch thought. Willow knew that her life worked because it was known. She had lived in Sunnydale most her life and, except for the year in Brazil, in Cleveland for the rest. She was able to keep her life much the same without having to face uncertainty. The redhead realized how much change scared her. She remembered her turmoil when she realized she was gay. The redhead was also terrified when they first got to Brazil. Her time in her parallel reality in Miami turned her around and made her doubt herself.

Willow realized that though she felt unnerved about change, she had so far benefited from each time it happened. She knew she had to approach Kennedy's suggestion from an opposite view. The witch decided to examine her life and identify those things she felt she needed and wanted to make her life as full as possible and whether only Cleveland could give them to her.

The first thing she knew without hesitation was that she needed Kennedy and Samantha. Her life would be nothing without them. The witch wanted a nurturing environment for her daughter to grow up in. She also wanted her friends but realized that friendships didn't die with distance. Though they were all in Cleveland, Willow had to admit that she didn't see Xander or Buffy as often as she used to. Life had gotten so full with living that there were times when the phone or computer was how they kept in touch. She also still considered Faith and Giles close even though they were in different cities. She had other friends and acquaintances in many areas.

One thing Willow did find herself dwelling on was her magick. She'd become a tutor, in a manner of speaking, to witches all over. This was one area where she had always wanted to do more. What she did know was that there were many contacts in the New England region. The place was a hotbed for covens and witches of all varieties. There was also a very good school system in those states and she knew that doing something in the teaching profession would be available to her. It would also be great for Samantha when old enough.

In the end, Willow decided that she had to keep her desire for the known and comfortable from pushing away a real discussion on the possibility of a move. That night, she let Kennedy know that they should talk about it more and see if it would be the best thing for all of them, Samantha included. They understood moving would mean being in a place where they knew no one and where family interaction would be very limited. As it turned out, it was the toughest decision they had ever had to make…and rightfully so.

Over the next several weeks, the couple discussed the matter. They talked at length about what a move would mean in terms of being without the support of their friends. Kennedy wanted Willow to be sure that she could leave Buffy and Xander and not have guilt or loneliness creep under her skin. The brunette remembered how depressed Willow was in Brazil, being unable to get together with her long time Scoobies. She needed to know that Willow would be alright despite the miles apart. Kennedy promised herself that if she felt Willow was agreeing to move just to make her happy then they wouldn't go. If her redhead needed the Scoobies to be happy then they would stay in Cleveland and Kennedy would make the best of it. The slayer knew her girl had strong ties to Buffy and Xander. Her tie was to Willow; where she lived could be secondary so long as the witch and her daughter were happy.

Besides dealing with the personal issues involved if they moved, the couple also checked out as much as they could about Middleton and the surrounding area. They did let Giles know that they were considering taking one of the slayer slots. They asked him not to mention it to anyone because they needed time to decide for themselves. The couple, sans Samantha, visited the area and the town in particular. That's when the tide really started to turn.

They fell in love with the place. The small town feel appealed to Willow. She found out the school system was very highly regarded. It was easy to get to the slayer outpost in Boston if needed. There were several covens in the area. But most importantly, the town was beautiful. It had that "Yankee charm" they'd heard about. They could see Sammi playing in a big back yard and the whole family going for walks in the woods. There were several bigger cities close by so they wouldn't be stuck out "in the boonies" when it came to cultural activities. As they left at the end of their three day stay, both women were impressed and secretly each making up their mind.

"Ok…That's the last box…the furniture's all in and except for unpacking we are officially moved in." Kennedy said it like she was making a proclamation.

"Baby?…I believe unpacking is still part of the moving in…" Willow saw the tired look on her slayer's face. "But we can start that tomorrow. We have Sam's room all set except for some little things…and I saw that you were nice enough to make sure our bed was set up." Kennedy raised her eyebrows. "Just so you know…sheets and pillows are already on it." That got a wide smile from the slayer.

"Great!…I say you call for pizza.…Then we can eat, relax and enjoy our first night in our new home." The women sat on the couch with Samantha in Willow's lap. Though excited, they both had knots in their stomachs hoping that the move really was the right thing to do.

Willow and Kennedy moved to Middleton two weeks after Samantha's first birthday. They knew they had to stay in Cleveland for that event. Their goodbyes were hard. They knew they were leaving their family. Breaking the bonds that were there did take a toll. They realized that though there would be miles between them, they would always remain close and in each others hearts. The Scoobies would call and write, and text message and visit as often as possible.

There were many tears shed by the friends at the get together the night before the three left. "Nate won't have Sammi to play with anymore." The sadness in Xander's voice brought Willow to tears. The Scoobies tried to view this separation like their initial one to find slayers after the spell. But, deep down, they knew this was different. They were different. Each had their own new life, loved ones whose welfare and happiness came first. They were grown-ups in every sense of the word. The Scoobies knew that meant sometimes moving on. They were all sad yet happy for the witch, the slayer and their beautiful baby girl.

"If you don't distribute the weight on your feet evenly, you're gonna miss every time." Kennedy's voice had a definite tone of frustration in it. "I've told you this a hundred times, why don't you listen to me?"

The lackadaisical stare she got in return from the curly headed blonde made her know that she was talking to a wall. Kennedy was at the training facility in Seakonk, the town next to Middleton, with Marla Bradshaw, the other slayer stationed at Middleton. The brunette had just given the eighteen year old a lesson in how to throw a proper punch. Marla wasn't impressed with how easily Kennedy avoided her throw.

"Why are we doing this?…We're slayers…We work off the adrenaline of a fight…Who cares what happens in practice?…I know what to do when it matters." Marla had been a slayer for ten months and had been in several skirmishes with vampires. Her watcher in Boston told her she had good reflexes.

"Because we need to sharpen our skills…not everything is an automatic response…The better trained you are the better you'll fight and the longer you'll live." Marla's attitude did not sit well with Kennedy. The girl was recklessly cocky and unreasonably closed to advice or direction from her.

"Whatever…Listen, I know you think I can't handle myself…but I can…I just work better under pressure."

Kennedy watched Marla as she began to walk to the changing area. The brunette saw the immaturity in the teenager. There was that imagined invisibility to harm carried by all young adults her age. Marla didn't fear death because noone her age did. She was at the stage of her life where she had only herself with which to be concerned. There was no true love, no children and no real experiences with how cruel and terrifying the world they knew existed could be. A part of the slayer understood that only time would make the girl grow up; Kennedy just hoped that she could keep her alive long enough for that to happen. She decided that nothing more could be done that day; so, she too headed for the showers.

Marla Bradshaw found out she was a slayer during the middle of a swim meet, during the middle of the 200M freestyle race to be precise. The teenager was a senior in high school and on the swim team. Though not athletic in the strictest sense, she did have some natural ability for swimming and thought it a great way to keep a good figure. She was average in skill. If she were as good at swimming as she was popular, she would have been state champ.

She was on the backside of her first lap when she was 'born.' There was a slight falter in her stroke and for a second her coach thought that she'd pulled a muscle. Then, out of nowhere, she took off. She easily caught up to her competition and passed them. She beat the undefeated entry from Mansfield High and broke a county record. In that instant, Marla knew her life had changed.

The new slayer was above average height and attractive. She had curly blonde hair and blue eyes. She wasn't shallow but did place more emphasis on the social aspect of school than the learning. Marla had contemplated going to college or beauty school; she couldn't decided which.

When the representative from the Slayer Network contacted her and told her of her "powers", she didn't accept it at first. She may have loved scary movies but she always thought they were just that…made up stories. It took several weeks to convince her otherwise. During that time, Marla won several swimming honors and began to like her new found abilities.

Her belief in her slaying prowess came one night when she drove home from an out of county swim meet. She had to stop at a 7-11 for gas and decided to pick up some potato chips. While inside, two masked gunmen entered and tried to rob the store. The robbers told the three people inside to lie down on their stomachs and keep their eyes closed. As one of the criminals made the cashier open the register, the other stood among the ones on the floor.

Lying there, Marla felt a surge of power rush through her that she'd never felt before. She could almost feel her blood pumping within her veins. The swimmer had an overriding desire to take the perpetrators down. She opened her eyes and looked up at the masked gunman standing beside her.

The robber glanced down and saw her blue eyes staring straight at him.

"What the fuck did we tell you!…Shut your fucking eyes!" As the man shouted at her, he went to kick her in the thigh.

With a reaction on instinct, Marla flipped her leg out quickly, catching the other's in mid air. She kept moving her leg, catching the man off guard and off balance. The teenager sat up and grabbed the leg with both hands and lifted up, sending the robber backwards onto his back. The new slayer was up and on the criminal in seconds. She pulled him up and threw him over the counter and into his accomplice. Both went down to the ground. Marla jumped over the counter also and kicked one of the bad guys in the head, knocking him out, and shoving the other's head into the metal shelving of the counter. He too went unconscious.

The cashier and patrons, after realizing the threat was over, gathered around Marla. The expressions on their faces were something the young woman had never seen in her life. There was true gratitude on each one of them. Knowing that she'd be required to explain more than she wanted to the police, she left the store immediately. She drove home and called the Slayer Network rep. College, of any kind, was taken off the board.

Marla spent the next nine months acquiring a watcher, training and going out on patrol. She did it in Boston. She was still seventeen and her parents refused to let her go to Cleveland. Two weeks before she got the Middleton assignment, she turned eighteen. Even Middleton was because of her parents. They didn't want their daughter too far from home, regardless of what her "destiny" was. Marla wasn't disappointed in the position. She had a life she wanted to keep. She valued her friends, who were never told of her true abilities, and enjoyed the popularity she had in the area because of her swimming achievements. She wasn't only beautiful and well liked; she was now one ass kicking powerhouse. The blonde had always thought she was destined for something great; she figured this was it. She had been able to get by on her spur of the moment attitude before. She saw her slayer powers as a reinforcement, a reward almost, for that way of acting. Marla wasn't about to let things change her now, especially another slayer, even if that slayer was the one that had been touted as the most efficient fighter.

"God, Will…I don't know what to do with her…she thinks she knows everything." Willow could hear the frustration in her slayer's words.

"You two have only been doing this for a few months…Give her more time, she'll come around." Willow knew Kennedy was at a loss on how to make Marla see the seriousness of what they did.

"If she stays alive that long…Jesus, was I that thick headed with Buffy?" Kennedy knew she was a 'confident' potential when she walked into the Summers' house, but she'd also had eleven years of training under her belt.

Willow went over to her slayer who was sitting on the edge of their bed running her fingers through her brown tresses. The witch sat next to her.

"No, you were definitely not 'that' thick headed." Willow smiled teasingly when she saw Kennedy quickly shift her eyes to her after the remark. "You were…how shall I say…formidable." Willow put her arm around the slayer's shoulders. "But you were so well trained when you got to Sunnydale…you kinda had the right to butt in sometimes…Besides, you were never as immature as Marla acts some times." Willow tightened her hug. "It's one of the things that I admired about you right away."

The tension in Kennedy's mind eased and she looked at her redhead. "Thanks, babe." Kennedy's tone softened. Her witch always knew what to say to make things better. Her eyes then closed slightly and she pulled Willow back on the bed with her. "I'd like to say that your adult-like demeanor was what first got to me…but I'd be lying." She started tickling the witch on her side.

Betweens giggling and squirming, "Oh, yeah?…then what…was it?"

Kennedy took one hand and grabbed onto Willow's backside. "It was this magnificent ass," Kennedy said while continuing her attack.

The witch kept squiggling around. "Oh, you liar," she laughed out.

Kennedy then moved her hand to the redhead's breast. "You got me…It was these…You're not the only one who's a breast girl you know."

By this time Willow was in full laugh mode and was trying to swat her girl's hands away. Kennedy finally complied and took her redhead in a hug. Her mood instantly changed and Willow could feel the affection in the embrace. She ceased laughing and rested her head on her slayer's shoulder. Kennedy lowered hers so her mouth was nearer the witch.

Softly and genuinely, "It was all of you…I'd never seen anything so beautiful."

Willow's heart melted. The brunette could still say things that swept the woman off her feet. She leaned closer to the slayer and smiled.

Kennedy felt the smile form on her girl's mouth. She smiled too when she heard the sweet reply, "I love you."

Kennedy knew how lucky she was and she also knew why she couldn't wait to come home after training or patrolling every night. Despite her problems with Marla, the rest of life was running smoothly.

The first few months of the Prescott/Rosenberg life in Middleton went like most other family moves. It was hectic initially and then everyone settled in. The family's belongings had been taken by movers to the new house. Their two vehicles were also sent by enclosed carrier. Kennedy didn't want any road debris damaging her BMW convertible or Willow's Infinity. The couple and daughter flew to their new home state. Kennedy did leave directions that the trailer with their belongings was to be left out front of their house. They did not want strangers finding their Scooby paraphernalia, meaning Kennedy's weapons and Willow's magick supplies. The two women decided that it would be better they tire themselves out moving in by themselves than risk questioning stares and thoughts from a bunch of husky men.

The major fact about the move was that Kennedy and Willow bought the house in which they would make their home. Up until that time, they had rented; even their condo in Cleveland was a lease option that was not owned by them. The leap into home ownership was a daunting ordeal for the two women. Despite being rather rich, until then the 'extravagances' in their lifestyle revolved around automobiles and jewelry for the most part. The purchase of real estate was the first "big" financial thing they had really done together. More importantly, the couple understood that, though not necessarily a life long commitment, their purchase was a signal that they were putting down roots.

The house was an old, two story white colonial built in 1889. There was a free standing two car garage off to the side of the house. Both structures sat on three acres of land in a private area of the town. The couple knew that they still had to be careful of keeping exposure of the slayer network and their lives at the lowest possible level. The street fronting the house was light on traffic, basically only used by the people in that immediate area. The house had woods backing it and a long line of mature pine trees lining each side of property allowing privacy from their neighbors. For further delineation, three sides of the property still had the original rock fence which was the common method of segregating land back during the 18^th and 19^th centuries. The front and back yards had large maple and oak trees. There was one particular tree in the back that Willow knew would be perfect for a swing for Samantha.

The inside of the house was just as authentic. The floors were first growth red oak planks, the walls the old time style wire mesh plastering. There was a large entrance room, called the mud room, which led to the spacious living room with its ten foot tall ceilings. There was a formal dining room, sun room and a pantry hidden in the kitchen. The house had four bedrooms and three baths, one of those baths being downstairs. The second floor, where the bedrooms were located, had been remodeled. It looked like something straight out of "This Old House." All in all, it was a great 'first home.' The couple knew that their wealth had made the house choice possible. With the soaring housing market, the new Prescott/Rosenberg residence came at a hefty price. Willow almost hyperventilated when she saw the number, "That's a lot of zeros." She practically fainted when Kennedy suggested they pay cash for at least half of it.

Once moved in however, Willow instantly fell in love with the old house. They furnished and decorated over the first several months there. Most time was spent with Sammi in the back yard enjoying the beautiful Massachusetts summer weather. Kennedy liked seeing the mailbox at the end of the driveway; the sure sign of their family unity.

Over the initial months, Kennedy got acquainted to the lay of the land. She also met Marla and they started to get to know one another and establish a routine for training, patrolling and debriefings with the connections in the Slayer Network. It was during this time that Kennedy quickly realized the hard task she would have with Marla. The brunette did admit that the girl was good during a fight. It didn't take long for them to figure out where the hot spots were and which establishments could yield needed information from its patrons. Even with as hidden a history as Middleton's, there was still society's fringe around. They were in the seedy bars and deserted buildings in the area.

Within a week of starting, the two slayers uncovered a vampire gang ready to infiltrate into Boston. The slayers caught them at an abandoned fishery and did battle. Marla was quick, calculated and strong. She had good instincts and did well with their first outing as partners. However, during the fight, Kennedy noticed that Marla ignored several things they'd discussed beforehand. Those few missed directions caused for an extended fight. They were never in danger of losing, but it was something that Kennedy chalked up to Marla's "newness" and stored in the back of her mind. When the same thing happened on their next two demon encounters, Kennedy realized the younger slayer was intentionally ignoring their plans. The blonde was going on pure adrenaline and instinct. That's when the lectures began and the returned complacency. Within months, Kennedy had learned to watch out for herself as well as try to make sure the younger slayer didn't make that crucial mistake that would cost the girl her life.

As frustrating as her fellow slayer could be, Kennedy loved her new position. It was known by both slayers that Kennedy would take lead. The brunette felt more like she did in Brazil, like she had those several weeks in New York with Faith. She had a station of her own. She was responsible for scoping out the intel, making the proper connections and bringing the bad guys to their demise. Area Council and even coven members knew she was the new sheriff in town.

At home, things were just as good but also so different from Cleveland. Back in Ohio, there were lots of people ready to baby sit Sammi; many wanted to. It was easy for Kennedy and/or Willow to deal with Scooby issues if needed, take care of household matters or even just go see a movie. They had a non-regimented schedule during Sam's first year. In Middleton, that was different. Those initial months were hectic with caring for their daughter, settling in and the demands on her and Willow as far as their other responsibilities were concerned.

Willow was also finding her way in their new life. The witch had quickly begun corresponding with the area covens. The redhead had learned from her time in New York that she couldn't sit idly by and watch Kennedy save the world. Willow knew she had the ability to help more with saving innocents. Though not patrolling with Kennedy like they did in Brazil, the redhead became more active in the research and investigative aspects of the Slayer Network. She assisted Kennedy and Marla with tracking down clues and deciphering information received. In fact, it was Willow's knowledge of certain folklore that led to the discovery of that first group of vamps.

Willow had also decided that she would not give up on tutoring. She had always loved school and wanted to keep involved on some level. She was able to pick up a few tutoring jobs that were to start with the beginning of the school year. Until then, the witch kept incredibly busy with the couple's daughter.

In the beginning, Willow and Kennedy were able to map out a schedule that worked. They would have spent most of their non work time at home if not for Dawn. As it turned out, their best babysitter was someone as far away from her loved ones as they.

By the time that Willow and Kennedy moved to Massachusetts, Dawn was a graduate student at the Ivy League Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. She'd graduated from Boston College, with honors in her degree, and felt the need for more education. Dawn specialized in extant civilizations and their languages and religions. She was at Brown because it had, unknown to many, a very well respected Master's Anthropology program. In reality, because of the age of the New England area and its deep roots with Europe, it was natural for one of the preeminent universities in the United States to be 'neck deep' in that subject matter. Brown had an excellent library of source materials and connections to many more around the world.

Dawn's apartment was only a few towns over from Kennedy's and Willow's. Dawn was ecstatic when she found out the three were moving. Though she missed her sister and the rest of the Scooby gang, Dawn no longer 'needed' to be with them. She was a grown adult who had learned to fend for herself. She wasn't the "little sis" dependent on her big slayer sister to feel safe in the world. Her years at college and away from the hellmouth life had brought out in her the qualities Buffy knew were there and had hoped would shine. It seemed that Dawn had much of the same spunkiness as her sister.

Dawn, in addition, was involved in her own relationship. She met Frank Hunter two days into her Brown experience. He was in the Governmental Studies Program. The man wanted to learn how best to govern. He had an inclination toward government service, the elected kind. Even with that strike against him, Dawn was taken in by his boyish charm. By the time of the big move, she and Randy were quite the item. He even came over to help her watch Sam several times. Willow thought they looked "cute" together. Kennedy was suspicious until she found out Frank was originally from New York and a Mets fan. Though she too was from New York, Kennedy didn't trust anyone who was a Yankees fan. That was too easy to do. Being a Mets fan took guts.

Dawn visited the couple's home as often as possible. She had missed out on seeing Samantha grow her first year and didn't want that to happen any further. The girl loved kids, always had. She couldn't wait to hear Samantha call her Aunty Dawn. That initial summer, Dawn was able to help Willow and Kennedy also get used to the new location. She showed them places to eat and shop. She baby sat while the slayer and witch spent some alone time together. Her being there made it so much easier for the couple. They didn't feel completely alone and without family. The early months in Middleton went by quickly. Life, though filled with more deadlines and structure, was still good and the witch and slayer content.

'It was all of you…' The words still floated in the witch's mind as she rocked her body against Kennedy. Willow was on top of her slayer; they were naked under the covers of their bed. Those sweet words from her lover caused an instant reaction in the redhead. Life had definitely changed for the two since they met at Buffy's all those years ago, but one thing remained. Kennedy still stroked Willow's fire. To the witch, the brunette was just as beautiful and just as soft on the inside as those uncertain early days. The slayer's voice could still make the redhead's heart race and those brown eyes make her want to disappear in them. Time had mellowed their constant need for each other's body, but like all good relationships what replaced it was a deeper connectedness of their beings. What before required a night of physical expression to convey now was accomplished by a night of tender embrace and heart felt words of love.

That's not to say the couple didn't still hunger for each other. That desire was there but moderated only by the passage of time and the intrusion of all the other demands that make up life. But this night, the need returned.

Willow moved rhythmically back and forth on her slayer. Her movement was eased by the light sheen of sweat forming on their skin. They had been "in the throes" for some time and both were well past the point of foreplay. Willow's expert fingers had been taunting her girl, rubbing and pressing on her lover's center, assisted by the arching of the slayer's hips. She could hear small sounds escaping the brunette's lips. Their love making had taken on a quieter tone at times as their daughter grew older. Tonight, though, Willow didn't want Kennedy to hold back. She purposely rubbed harder as she nibbled on the sensitive spot of the slayer's neck. The action made Kennedy gasp and moan louder. Willow gave a small smile with the desired result and continued with her plan.

"Ohhhh…g-g…god…f-f-f…uck…" Kennedy could barely speak. She knew only incoherent sounds left her. She didn't care. All she felt was the sensation of Willow inside her, sending her to the edge. Bronzed arms were wrapped around the redhead, her hands urgently massaging a cream back and trailing through crimson hair. When her release hit, honey fingers clenched onto freckled shoulders as brown eyes shut tight. Willow had sent the slayer to the edge of the world once more.

With tremors still tingling through her, Kennedy fought through her lingering euphoria and took Willow by the waist and raised her toward her. At the same time she lowered herself down the bed. The brunette stopped when she had her destination above her. Willow put her hands on the headboard; the slayer held the witch by the hips. Kennedy could feel the heat and readiness from her girl. Kennedy loved taking Willow this way. Every twitch, move and shudder by the redhead seemed magnified. The brunette could feel every little nuanced shift of her lover, everything that Willow did to heighten the experience. But it was when the release came that Kennedy truly enjoyed herself. That was when she could feel Willow strain to keep Kennedy's mouth on her; when the witch's muscles and body action told her that she wouldn't let that contact stop until she was satisfied.

That dance was the same this night. Kennedy did her "magick" and the slayer brought the witch over the edge like so many times before. Alabaster legs tightened and hips pushed down on the slayer. Willow's body demanded more and its captured servant willingly complied. The shudders came in waves and then slowly receded.

After a few moments, Willow moved to the side and slid down next to her wife. She kissed her woman deeply, then planted kisses down her neck and ended with her head rested against the slayer's shoulder. The women had satiated their need. Sleep would come easily for them now.

The silence was cut by the faint crying of Sammi down the hall.

"Do you think we woke her up?" Kennedy knew she had been louder than usual.

"No, baby…She had a full day today…She was a little hard to put to bed tonight." Willow started to get out of bed.

"No, you stay, I'll go…I didn't get to see her much today." Kennedy got out of bed, put on some boxers and a top and headed for the door. Willow didn't protest. She'd come to value whatever sleep she could get, even if that meant letting Kennedy handle a late night outburst after a full day of training and patrolling and a "roll in the hay." The redhead quickly fell asleep.

Down the hall, Kennedy turned on the tiny nightlight and went over to the crib. Samantha was standing against the front railing and holding out her arms. She was crying and saying "Momma" at the same time.

"Shhh, Sweetie…Momma's here," the slayer said softly. Kennedy picked the child up out of the crib and held her close. The little girl's arms naturally went around her mother's neck. Within seconds, the crying stopped. Kennedy just held her child and rocked gently from side to side. It didn't take too long for the baby girl to fall back to sleep. Kennedy held her for a while longer and then walked back over to the crib and lowered the sleeping child. The brunette watched as her daughter slept. She couldn't get over how incredible it was to have Samantha. It was so much more than she'd anticipated. Remembering those months before the birth and the event itself made her marvel even more.

Kennedy leaned over and barely touched her daughter's hand. "You were definitely worth all the worry you caused." That little girl had already given her mothers and all her extended family a lifetime of concern.

Willow's pregnancy went uneventful for the most part. That she would have a "normal" pregnancy wasn't a foregone conclusion given the way the child had been conceived. After she and Kennedy made the announcement at Xander's Thanksgiving dinner, the Scoobies went practically hysterical. Buffy jumped out of her chair and hugged her best friend while Dawn squealed with joy. Xander was clapping and hooting along with Jessie and Jimmy. Miguel congratulated Kennedy as Faith looked at the two with the widest smile to ever cross her face. Everyone was happy for the couple.

Then the questions started. Willow had said they were having a child. It wasn't until an unknowing Xander tactlessly asked about the daddy that the women explained that the child was "theirs." After a very brief explanation, and a few minutes of them staring at open jawed expressions, Willow and Kennedy were treated to another round of congratulations. The couple was happy to know that they had the full support of their friends.

The months that followed were typical of an expecting couple. Willow had the pregnancy confirmed by a doctor and then began on a prenatal program. She went to visits, along with Kennedy. They both marveled when they saw their child for the first time on the sonogram. That picture promptly got stuck on the refrigerator door. Morning sickness set in as anticipated. Luckily, the redhead was spared the worst. She got nauseous often in the morning but sick sparingly. Although, there were times that she felt bad enough to have to spend time in bed in the morning to allow the feeling to pass. The witch quickly found out that the smell of eggs and cream of chicken soup sent her running for the bathroom. Those were two things the couple did without for the entire pregnancy. The symptoms subsided by her fifth month and after that she felt fine.

Telling the parents about their impending grandparent status were interesting events. Kennedy and Willow decided to be honest with them and tell them the truth about the conception. They never went into anymore detail than to say that Willow had gotten pregnant with the assistance of magick, that the child would have her and Kennedy's genetic make-up, and, most importantly, that Willow and the baby were perfectly healthy.

After the initial shock, all parents were happy, for the most part. The Rosenbergs kept shaking their heads wondering how it was possible. Their intellectual, scientific minds wanted to tell them it was impossible. Then they remembered everything that they'd come to learn about witchcraft and the supernatural and decided this too was something they could accept.

They had seen their daughter grow and mature in her years with Kennedy. Both knew the long and tough road that stretched ahead of the two women. A lesbian relationship was hard enough in the often unforgiving culture that existed. Raising a child in that temperament would surely be a struggle. Shirley Rosenberg, however, had faith in the two women. She saw how much they loved each other and the way that each protected the other. She knew they would shield their child from as much of the harshness of the cruel world as possible. To the Rosenbergs, what Willow and Kennedy were doing was as right and true as any other couple having a child.

Kennedy's mother felt much the same. Gabriella Gonzalez had no doubt that the two women would be good parents; they were good human beings. She envisioned being able to pamper her grandchild. She felt guilty that Kennedy had never been able to really know her grandmother. The woman was wonderful with the girl during the time Gabriella was still in her life. She promised herself she would be there for her granddaughter. She looked forward to taking trips to Cleveland to spoil the child.

Jackson Prescott was the most reserved of the group. Kennedy had told her father alone on the phone. She knew that her step mother, Julia, wasn't privy to the Scooby side of their life. She left it to her father to use a 'donor' cover. After she gave her father the news, there was silence on the other end of the telephone line. Kennedy waited, and waited. Finally, she had to say something.

"Dad?…You there?…You didn't pass out from the shock, did you?"

Jackson Prescott knew his daughter was trying to lighten the mood. Her attempt at levity didn't change his concern or bewilderment.

"How can this baby be yours?" he said flatly.

"I told you, Dad, we did a spell…It's true, believe me."

Kennedy's father had come to accept his daughter's gayness, her slayer destiny and her marriage to Willow. But there was only so much a level headed, free enterprise minded man could absorb. He found it hard to accept that Willow was so powerful that she could change the rules of nature. In addition to the doubt he had as to that aspect of his daughter's news, the man also questioned their judgment on having a child at all.

"You're so young, Kennedy…and so is Willow…You both have so much potential…You could do so much in the world." He didn't want to see either of them give up on the possibilities that existed for them. He knew the weight of family ended many dreams.

Kennedy silently laughed at the remark. "We do a lot already, Dad…and we're not too young…We're not immature kids who don't know what we're getting into."

"But Kenney, do you realize how hard your life will be?…Your child's life?…You may be ok with who you are, but there are others out there who will ridicule you." Jackson Prescott saw a child in a lesbian relationship as just one more hurdle that his daughter and Willow would jump over time and time again. They couldn't live in a bubble. He knew that they would be subject to the scorn of many parts of society.

"Dad, this kid's gonna have a whole lotta people who'll love it and protect it…We don't care about the rest of the world." The statement was said with pride.

Jackson Prescott realized that Kennedy and Willow would do what they wanted. It seemed the once quiet, shy redhead was absorbing some of that Gonzalez stubbornness. The man also understood that they'd have to take some hard life's lessons along the way. In the end, the father tried to be happy for his daughter, but there stayed that lingering doubt and trepidation for them.

"See right there…You're having a girl." Willow's obstetrician was pointing at the sonogram picture on the screen. Even thought they knew that their child would have to be a girl, Willow and Kennedy were still surprisingly elated by the news. That day family and friends were told that piece of good news.

The second trimester went well. Kennedy was particularly impressed with the hormonal shift in Willow. The notorious second trimester "hornies" kicked in. At times it was like the witch was having her own version of the slayer Double H's. Kennedy didn't complain, though. She quite liked having the redhead all over her when she walked into the condo after a night of patrolling. The slayer was also caught off guard a few times when she was in the shower. Out of nowhere, her redhead would appear and proceed to "quell" her needs.

During that time, the couple started to get their second bedroom ready for the baby. It had been a make shift weight room. Barbells and weight benches were removed and the room totally redone. Xander had guys he knew do it and Kennedy insisted on sparing no expense. The men remodeled, painted and re-carpeted. They made some repairs to the walls caused by a few of Kennedy's overzealous workouts. Xander personally moved the furniture in that the two women chose. He also hand made a toy chest for the baby. Xander told his friends that the chest was the Harris' gift to them and the baby. The finished room was bright with lots of colors. No signs of witchcraft or the supernatural. The expecting parents wanted to keep things as close to normal as possible. The space was perfect and only missing its resident.

An unexpected thing happened to Willow as her pregnancy progressed. She became very conscious about her weight. Despite always being wispy and never one with a weight problem, the redhead found herself stressing about her body's change. She felt like she was growing fatter, losing that physical appearance that attracted Kennedy to her. At times, she wondered if it was flashbacks to her teenage years and the ever present self doubt she had back then. Instead of worrying about being a 'stick figure' girl, now it was visions of a beached whale that entered her mind. Even though she knew the changes were because of the pregnancy and would go away after the birth, Willow still felt some self doubt about how Kennedy saw her. She never told the slayer about it and, frankly, Kennedy never gave her reason to think she was anything but beautiful, expecting or not.

Willow's pregnancy continued on its course. As she grew bigger, the expectation and apprehension likewise grew for both women. Willow and Kennedy did have a few late night talks about their child. Specifically, there was the unknown about the baby's possible "heightened" capabilities.

"Do you think she'll be a slayer?" Kennedy asked the question with slight unease. She and Willow were in bed and watching a movie on the tv. The question came out of left field.

Willow assumed that her brunette had to have been asking herself that question for a while. She knew she'd been and a lot others. "I don't know, baby. We really don't know how it happens…if it could be genetic somehow."

"I don't want her to be one." The tone was stern. The slayer knew the hard life lived by "the chosen." Despite all the good she did, she carried inside a heavy burden. She saw too much of the horror in the world; it was her destiny to. She also held the unspoken fact that she would never get to live the happy, long life most others take for granted. Each day, somewhere in the back of her mind, a little voice would tell her 'this could be your last.' That was a weight she never wanted her child to bear. She wasn't even born, and yet, Kennedy wanted nothing but a long and prosperous life for their daughter.

Willow hugged Kennedy. She knew she couldn't say that it was impossible for their child to be a slayer. They were dealing with the unknown. She did know that there had never been a case where female relatives, at any degree of kinship, were slayers. No sister/sister act nor aunt and niece had ever happened before. There certainly had never been a mother/daughter legacy. It seemed unlikely that their daughter would be. But, then again, she was conceived in a mystical way and did have a witch for a mother. Willow comforted her slayer the best she could.

"I think it's probably unlikely, since there's no history of any relatives being chosen in the slayer line."

Then Kennedy got another inquisitive look on her face. "Will she be a witch?"

That question too had entered the redhead's mind. Willow found it overwhelming at times that besides the usual angst of expecting parents, that being the health status of their unborn, they also had to worry about the supernatural impact possibilities. 'Will she be a witch?' The redhead knew that she'd never had an inkling of her magickal capabilities until she met Buffy. She had wondered on occasion if the power was locked inside there to be tapped or not, or if she acquired her abilities through learning them much like she gained other knowledge in school. Was she always a witch? Or did she become one? She knew Tara came from a family full of witches, but that still didn't answer the fundamental question. She listened to different explanations from various coven members but still remained unsure of the answer. In a way, her 'birth' as a witch was as much a mystery as Kennedy's slayer 'awakening' from the spell. There were times when the redhead had to stop thinking about it just to give her mind some peace. Now, however, the storm was back because she was contemplating those same issues and how they would affect their daughter.

"I wish I knew the answer to that one too." Willow felt useless not being able to respond knowingly despite all of her so called 'witchy intuitiveness.' "I guess we'll have to figure out things as we go along."

Kennedy shifted and molded her body closer against the redhead. "Yeah…gotta feeling the powers-that-be are gonna make us wait on that stuff…I just hope she's healthy."

"Me too," whispered the witch as she leaned in and kissed her girl on the forehead. There was a shared sense that they were betting on the cosmos to shed good fortune on the couple and their unborn child.

Willow passed the critical twenty-eighth week of her pregnancy. That was the point when premies still had a good chance of survival. For the redhead, all seemed to be running smoothly. Besides the normal pains that came with stretching muscles and an aching back, Willow and baby were the poster couple for prenatal health.

That all changed three days into the witch's thirty-second week of pregnancy.

The couple would never forget that morning. They were in their condo doing their usual routine of a late breakfast and reading the paper. Kennedy was standing by the kitchen sink talking to Willow who sat at the table eating oatmeal. The witch was complaining of a tight muscle. She'd forgotten her coffee on the kitchen counter and got out of her chair to get it. She walked in front of Kennedy, got the mug and turned to go back to her breakfast. Kennedy looked as she went by.

The slayer's face turned pale.

"Willow?…What's that blood on your pants?" The words sounded as scared as was the slayer's expression.

The redhead stopped and turned around. "What blood?"

As soon as she said that, Willow felt something wet on the inside of her left thigh. She looked down and saw blood stains on her pajama pants on the inside of her thigh. At that instant, the witch felt the crimson liquid traveling down her leg.

Willow panicked. In a terrified voice, "Oh my god, Kenn…I'm bleeding!" She froze not knowing if she should sit or stand.

Kennedy was just as scared and frenzied as her redhead. She rushed to Willow and took her by the arm. "You should lie down…" She led the woman to the living room couch. Willow willingly went, not able to think what she should do. Kennedy placed a throw under the witch and set her down gently. "I'm gonna get a towel for you and then call Dr. Greenberg." The words were squeaky and chopped, Kennedy's mind and the fear gripping it having trouble forming thoughts. The slayer rushed to the bathroom and grabbed several towels. When she got back to Willow, the witch had begun to cry.

The events after that felt surreal and mind numbing. Calls were made and Willow ended up being taken to the emergency room of Women's Hospital in downtown Cleveland. The next several hours were a series of doctors and nurses, prenatal monitors and intravenous medications. Tests were performed and by 1pm the decision was made that Willow had gone into labor and the placenta had slightly perforated somehow. There was no explanation to the cause other then "sometimes this can happen." It was hardly a relief to know it wasn't anything that could have been prevented. Dr. Greenberg was there to tell the women that Willow would have to have the baby that day. Some of the medicine was to induce the labor further. The doctors hoped that Willow was dilated enough to allow a conventional birth. They knew, however, that if the baby's vitals dropped even slightly, they would have to perform a c-section.

At 2:07pm, Willow gave birth naturally to a four pound, five ounce baby girl. The delivery room had PICU specialists there. The baby was unable to breathe properly. The room filled with organized chaos. The specialists frantically worked on getting oxygen to the baby while others made sure Willow's safety was assured.

The whole time, Kennedy stood there to the side of Willow, suited up in the required hospital garb, holding her wife's hand. The slayer was stunned, crazed and desperately trying to soothe Willow's fears even though she shared them. Neither could see the infant as the doctors worked. They kept asking if she was ok. The nurses reassured them that everything possible was being done.

"Kennedy?…Is she gonna be ok?" The question was said with so much anguish. Kennedy knew that Willow was frantically looking to her to make sense of all the craziness. Scared green eyes begged for an answer.

The slayer's fear and doubt was pushed aside. At that moment, Kennedy knew that she needed to be there for Willow. She looked deeply in those frightened emerald eyes and squeezed the witch's shaking hand tighter. She bent over and stroked the hair from Willow's forehead. The brunette got closer so she could whisper in her wife's ear.

"Willow…Our baby's going to be fine." The slayer said the words so quietly and with absolute certainty.

The slayer had said her name a thousand times. Willow had heard it spoken in just as many different ways. This time, the witch heard that indescribable quality in the voice, in her name, that put the witch at ease. Kennedy was telling her that all would be well. That was all the new mother needed. The activity continued, but Willow felt in her soul that all would be good.

Kennedy's words to Willow proved true. The doctors were able to get the baby breathing, albeit with the aid of a machine. The tiny child was rushed to PICU where she stayed for several weeks. Her lungs had to develop; they had not matured enough to support her when she was born. Not so long after the birth, Willow was strong enough to be able to see the baby along with Kennedy. They knew they weren't out of the woods even if they felt like things would improve.

The room was painted in bright yellows and greens. There were animal caricatures hand designed and painted. Five prenatal incubators stood in the room with a rocking chair next to each. Unfortunately, each incubator had a patient. There were monitors and machines humming and thumping, and medicine bags and fine plastic tubing leading pinpoint needles into miniscule veins.

Willow and Kennedy walked to the back of the room to the station with the chart labeled "Baby Girl Rosenberg." They were so scared to look inside, to see their own flesh and blood hooked up to a machine. The first view made them both start to cry and reached for each other's hand. Their baby was so small. She lay there motionless, eyes closed, chest being moved up and down in jerking motions by the mechanical device keeping her lungs functioning. All they wanted to do was hold her and make everything better.

Willow did all she could to hold back her natural instinct to immediately perform a spell on the child. She didn't where she was or who was in the room. The witch knew if ever there was a time and reason to use her power, this was it. The redhead, though, kept her composure and gathered her thoughts. After several minutes, Willow leaned in and touched her daughter's chest lightly. She willed whatever healing power she had to the struggling baby. It was only for a moment, but the witch knew that the girl had been given strength. Willow didn't want to risk overpowering the infant; she was so fragile and the redhead's desire to heal so strong that the witch feared that she'd transfer too much and actually do more harm than good.

When Willow touched their daughter, Kennedy knew what was happening. She expected nothing less from her wife. The slayer knew there was no way that the witch would leave the state of their child solely in the hands of medicine and mere mortal doctors. Kennedy was never more proud of Willow than in that instant. She was protecting their child in the most fundamental of ways.

After Willow finished and leaned back from the incubator, the brunette knew she also had something to do. She too leaned in and took her daughter's hand. As Kennedy held that tiny wrinkly hand that first night, she grew a resolved but gentle expression on her face.

"Hi Samantha…We're your parents…" Kennedy knew that if their daughter had her name and a family then the little one would fight to keep them.

The first few days were terrifying. There had been several set backs. The news of the birth and the complications involved spread quickly. By the second day, Willow's parents were in town, as well as Gabriella. Even Kennedy's father made it to Cleveland by that second night. Of course, the Scoobies were there. For those several wary days, everyone prayed and hoped and prayed some more.

The tide turned soon enough and the doctors were telling the proud parents that Samantha would make a full recovery and be a healthy baby girl. Although she had to say in the hospital much longer than her mother, Samantha Prescott Rosenberg eventually got to go home. The smiling gurgling baby girl was met by a group of people who knew how precious life was and who planned on showing the tiny miracle just how special she was.

The Scoobies' lives settled down once the scary time with Samantha passed. After she got home, Willow and Kennedy began the period of adjustment. It was no longer just the two of them. More importantly, their life was not theirs; practically everything they did, or didn't do, was dictated by the little bundle of joy. The couple didn't care; they were caught in the dichotomy of parenthood. They loved every moment with their daughter at the same time they drudged through the early morning and late night feedings, dirty diapers and the realization of the 24/7 care that the baby required. They laughed, lost sleep, got grouchy and joyful, sometimes all within the span of minutes. In short, they were new parents.

"Watch out!…Hiroshima coming through!…" Kennedy rushed past Willow in the baby's room and placed a dirty diaper in the diaper pail.

"I wish you wouldn't call it that." 'That' was the brunette's code word for a very stinky diaper. Putting baby clothes in the bureau, Willow laughed as she watched her slayer hold her nose and drop the diaper like it was filled with radioactive uranium.

"Hey, it fits…those things are lethal. You think she'd been eating chili and bratwurst."

Kennedy then headed back to the other side of the bed where Samantha lay bare bottomed waiting to be re-diapered. The baby was four months old. Her true eye color had finally come in; they were a brownish hazel. Not the emerald or dark chocolate color of her mothers, the baby's were more of a light brown sugar make-up with green mixed in. Her hair, of which she had plenty when born, was brownish auburn, a mixture of the brunette and red of her parents, with more of the witch's color influence. Even as young as she was, it was apparent she had inherited the Latin skin tone. Overall, she was the perfect combination of her two very beautiful mothers.

Willow watched as Kennedy changed and played with the baby. The witch was terrified when they brought Samantha home from the hospital. It was enough that she'd never been around babies but even more terrifying because Samantha was so small. She didn't even fit into premie clothes. The redhead was at a lost as to how to be a mother. The "new parent" class they took only made her feel more inept. Seeing Kennedy take to things made her feel more unsure. The brunette seemed to know how to do all the baby things taught to them in class. "Will, I had a baby sister…I used to change diapers and do a bunch stuff when she was little."

Kennedy's ease with Samantha was evident the first time Willow watched her hold the child in her arms. The slayer seemed to cradle Samantha just right. She knew how to rock and for how long. Changing diapers and swaddling were done like she'd been doing them for years. Willow never told Kennedy how grateful she was for the slayer's experience in those first few shaky months. Willow did 'catch on' and she knew she did it much easier and quicker because of Kennedy.

What Willow didn't know, because Kennedy didn't want to cause any more anxiety in the witch, was that the slayer was nervous most of the time those early months. Kennedy may have known how to hold a baby and change a diaper, but she never had to do it as the parent. As a big sister, she didn't worry about anything dealing with her sister, Emma. If the she got sick or hungry, Julia was there. The future slayer never had to get up in the middle of the night or wait on tests to make sure full lung development was attained. Kennedy was scared so often about the health of Samantha, and even her size. She worried about Willow and how she was adjusting. Her characteristic Prescott "deal with it" attitude made her keep it all inside. Luckily for her, life did get easier.

"You thought your name was strange?" Willow's mother had a hurt look on her face. Her daughter had explained how they chose the name Samantha. Sheila Rosenberg was visiting for the second time after Samantha's birth. She flew in the day of the birth and stayed for a week. Then she flew back in to Cleveland after a few months to see her new grandchild and make sure her daughter and Kennedy were handling matters.

"Well, when I was younger…Now, I love it…I just meant that me and Kenn don't have conventional names per se, so we wanted something like that for her…But not too out there…We liked that the nickname Sammi could be used for a girl or boy." Willow felt like she was trying to justify their decision.

"I like that…Throw conventionality out the window…Society is too defined by roles…including names…" Sheila went on for another five minutes about how naming the child Samantha would help end sexual inequality in the world.

Willow listened as her mother ranted. The woman had become sort of a mystery to her. Growing up, Sheila Rosenberg was all brains and logic. She never neglected Willow, but she was a working professional woman, not one to be found making cookies in the kitchen. She tried to bring up her daughter to be independent, smart and with a thirst for knowledge. They read together and went to museums. Homework came first and tv was limited to one hour, educational programs preferred. The witch didn't think of her mother as cold or distant, just focused and determined. She knew she didn't have the "let's go shopping" relationship growing up like some girls she knew had. But the redhead never doubted her mother loved her and only wanted all the world's possibilities available to her.

That woman that Willow thought she knew was starting to transform before her eyes. The witch saw her mother actually act silly with Samantha, play with her and bestow unabashed attention on her. When not visiting, the woman called more often than before to touch base on the newest developments of her granddaughter. She hounded Willow for updated pictures. In short, Sheila Rosenberg, serious professional dynamo, was turning into a…grandmother. Willow saw her mother soften. It bemused her at first, but then she was happy that Sammi would get to know that person as her grandmother.

During the first year of Samantha's life, Kennedy's mother was also involved. Until the beginning of January, she was in her Cleveland townhouse. Gabriella had a place both in Cleveland, where she could be close to her daughter and Willow, and in Naples, Florida. She usually returned to Florida right after Labor Day but when Sammi was born, she extended her residence.

Gabriella helped the two women as best she could without getting in the way. She baby sat and helped clean the house. She did what she could to help ease the burden a new baby brought. Her need to help was tainted by her experience and the crushing feelings she felt after Kennedy was born. She never wanted either woman to get even the inkling of that sense of being submerged with no way out.

The woman was the typical Latin mother. She didn't believe it was possible to hold a child too much. She lathered on the affection to Samantha. Gabriella felt all the feelings that she should have. There wasn't one moment that she would have changed. As Sammi got older, she watched as the girl exhibited some of Kennedy's traits as a baby. The child was precocious, trying to explore things even before she could crawl. And she was brave, always smiling when she was spun around or tossed in the air. Gabriella loved that little girl with all her heart. Why she ever left all those years ago were a mystery every time she looked into to those soft hazel eyes.

The first year with Sammi brought big changes for the witch and slayer. Their entire life was reshuffled. They both decided that they would spend as much time at home as possible. Willow gave up her tutoring and cut back drastically on her witch mentoring. Kennedy also decreased her slayer activities with the school and her patrolling. The couple made sure that whenever anything had to be done, one of them was at home with Samantha. They spent time just being a family. Even if the girl slept most of the time, they were still there for her and each other. They were a team.

That lasted until both women began to get fidgety from the lack of outside stimulation. They realized they were having a form of cabin fever. Kennedy was itching to do more slaying and Willow missed the contact with other witches. Though it took a while for them to talk about it, they finally did.

"Do you think we're terrible parents because we don't want to stay home all day?" Kennedy was definitely having a case of the "guilts." She knew they didn't have to work; their financial security meant they would never have to work if they so chose. Julia had stayed home after Emma was born. But then again, the woman did have a nanny and maids who took care of things when she went out to have her hair done or for social commitments. Kennedy didn't know how to feel about not wanting to spend all her time with their daughter.

"No, baby…We're not terrible. We need to be ok with our life…besides, most people don't do what we're doing…Everybody else works and their kids are just fine." Willow tried to reassure her slayer. She knew that Kennedy grew up in money which meant mothers didn't work and everything was given to the child.

Willow had had a talk with her mother. She decided being a working mom and a social worker made the woman uniquely qualified to give perspective on the matter. Sheila Rosenberg talked with her daughter and made her realize that doing things outside the house and even separate from Kennedy and Sammi was healthy and not something to torture herself about.

After more discussion, the witch and slayer decided to get back into some form of their previous routines. They worked out a schedule for Willow to mentor and Kennedy to help at the slayer school and patrol more. When one was out, the other was with Sammi. They didn't forget about time for them either. Because of the extended Scooby family, there was always someone around eager to baby sit. Even Faith and Miguel watched after Sammi when they were in town. Willow and Kennedy were able to go to movies or out to dinner. They even went to a few gay bars to let loose like they used to do. In that first year, they had a great situation. They were as happy as could be. The couple had a beautiful daughter, a full life and wonderful friends. Friends who had also been living their lives and sorting things out.

"You put both your names on the birth certificate?" Buffy was looking at the birth record that the couple received in the mail from the State of Ohio. She was at the couple's condo visiting.

"Damn straight we did…We're her parents…Why shouldn't we?" Kennedy said with a slight tone of indignation.

"I've got no problems with it…except you do show up under 'Name of Father.'

Kennedy shrugged in defeat. "Well, I can't help the fact that their forms don't allow for the possibility of a magickal girl-on-girl conception."

Willow saw the conversation heading south and put a halt to it. "We figured whoever saw the paperwork would think 'Kennedy Prescott' was a guy…That'll be something we explain to Sammi when she's old enough."

"And is she a Prescott hyphen Rosenberg, or middle name Prescott, last name Rosenberg?" Buffy couldn't tell from the birth certificate.

Willow responded. "No hyphen. Her name would never fit in any form if she had to write all that down."

That made sense to Buffy. "So why's your name last?" With Kennedy's sense of pride, Buffy wondered how the brunette was able to give that legacy away. As if she'd read Buffy's mind, Kennedy answered quickly.

"Alphabet…P comes before R."

Willow smiled and added, "We're very reasonable here." Buffy nodded and thought how noncompetitive Kennedy was with Willow.

Buffy was at the couple's place, catching up on life and checking in on her niece. Since the notification of Willow's pregnancy, Buffy's life had also survived a few rocky events.

The blonde slayer was so excited and happy for the Willow and Kennedy when she was told the exciting news Thanksgiving Day. Willow had confided in her that she'd found a way that the two might be able to have a child. Buffy remembered her friend being too worried about the possible ramifications. The blonde had been the one to tell Willow to throw caution to the wind and try for their dream. However, that was the last time they discussed the matter. Buffy didn't bring the subject up again because she knew it was a sensitive and personal matter between the two women. Finding out that her best friend had taken the jump and succeeded only made the slayer even more delighted. She couldn't wait to be an 'aunt' again. She enjoyed spending time with Nate and knew she would be just as enthralled with Willow's and Kennedy's child.

While the months passed during Willow's pregnancy, Buffy had continued her life much on the same course with Jimmy. They still lived together in Jimmy's condo. They had begun that part of their relationship when they began to "learn" things about the other, those strange, unique quirks and habits that really define a person and a relationship. Jimmy learned about those parts of Buffy's past not written in the slayer journals or passed down among the Council. He found out she squeezed her toothpaste tube and not rolled it. She liked iced tea but preferred to sweeten it herself instead of ordering sweet tea. She slept on her back but always ended up on her left side by morning. For her part, Buffy learned that Jimmy liked liver and onions, "that's just disgusting," and was a closet ice skating fan. She also found out that his drive to aid the helpless came from being beaten up a lot at school when he was young- "I was so different, a bookworm and only interested in the occult." The slayer's and watcher's relationship grew stronger and deeper.

That winter and spring were smooth for everyone as far as Buffy knew. Christmas was especially nice as was New Year's. Buffy's life had never been more even keeled. She had been assisting Jimmy more at Slayer Central and had found a comfortable level of slayer activity that didn't make her feel like she was giving over her whole life to the 'fight' again. She continued her job with the school system. All seemed right with the world.

Samantha's premature birth and the problems associated with it were jolts of reality for Buffy. That summer was tough on everyone. The Fourth of July was a blur and it wasn't until Labor Day that everyone started to breathe easier. During the whole ordeal, Buffy was there to help Willow and Kennedy with anything they needed. She did shopping, took over Kennedy's slayer obligations and just sat with Willow when the redhead needed it. The entire time, Jimmy was behind the scenes making sure Buffy had the time and energy to help her friends.

The rest of the holidays that year went smoothly and joyfully. On the first New Year's Eve after Samantha's birth, Willow and Kennedy had a party for the Scoobies. It was a small gathering but one to show the couple's gratitude to those near that had helped them through scary times with Samantha. That night turned out to be anxiety filled for the blonde slayer.

The countdown for midnight had started and everyone was standing in front of the tv watching the ball in New York City's Times Square fall. At the stroke of midnight everyone shouted "Happy New Year!" and kissed the one they loved. Buffy and Jimmy were no exception. However, once done, Jimmy took Buffy outside onto the back deck. It was blistering cold but the man looked like he didn't even notice the temperature. They walked to the end of the deck, out of view from those inside. They stood next to the railing and looked up at the thousands of stars in the sky. It was a cloudless night and each light in the sky seemed to shine twice as bright. Jimmy put his left arm around Buffy's waist. The slayer leaned into him. Then his right hand came up in front of him; he dropped his arm from the slayer's waist and as he turned towards Buffy he got down on one knee.

Jimmy took Buffy's hand and in a sure, heart felt voice said, "Buffy, I love you…I want us to be together for the rest of our lives…Will you marry me?" When he finished, he let go of the blonde's hand and opened the box. There sat an exquisite two carat diamond in a marquise cut with two smaller solitaire cut diamonds, one on either side. Jimmy looked up with the expression of a man who couldn't wait to start the rest of his life.

The panic started when Buffy saw Jimmy start to get down on his knee. The only thing that would have made her more uncomfortable was if there were people around them. Buffy watched as Jimmy's proposal unfolded. She couldn't move; she just glared at the ring held in Jimmy's hand. The thoughts spun in her head. 'Why are you acting like this?' 'Why are you freaked?' A part of Buffy knew she should be jumping for joy. The man she loved had just proposed. But why wasn't she acting that way? The slayer didn't know how much time had passed since the ring came out; all she knew was that she hadn't spoken or looked at Jimmy. She knew she had to do something.

"Jimmy…I…I…don't know…what to…say…This is so…sudden." Even to her own ears she sounded pathetic and disingenuous. She looked up at Jimmy, but not squarely in the eyes.

The man fidgeted slightly. "Well, you could say yes." This time the words didn't have the same confident tone to them.

Buffy finally 'looked' at Jimmy. She stared, silent for what seemed like hours even though it was only a matter of moments. It was long even for Jimmy to comprehend the situation. "I see," the man said dejectedly as he stood.

He closed the box and went to put it back in his pocket. Buffy grabbed his arm.

"No, Jimmy…you don't understand…It's not that I don't…I love you…I just…" But the words never came to the slayer. She stood there looking confused, lost between her heart and her head. Jimmy started to walk back inside. "Jimmy…please…wait…Can't we talk about this?" Buffy was desperately trying to hold on, to turn the disaster she'd created into something other than the beginning of the end of another relationship.

"Talk about what, Buff?…" the watcher said flatly. "I asked you to marry me…It was an easy question…I thought…I was wrong." The man went back inside. He discreetly got his jacket and left without anyone noticing, except for Kennedy that is.

Buffy stayed outside, frozen from the previous scene and not the cold. After a long while she heard footsteps on the deck. She hoped it was Jimmy. Her moment's happy expectation was snuffed when she turned and saw it was Willow.

"God, Buff…What are you doing out here?…You're gonna freeze your toes off…" The redhead stopped talking when she saw the dismayed look on her friend's face. "Are you ok, Buffy?" Willow had seen that expression on the slayer before. It was a long time ago when the blonde lost Angel. Willow couldn't imagine what had happened to bring that look back. As far as she knew, Buffy and Jimmy were quite happy.

Buffy merely stared at the witch and shook her head. Willow saw Buffy look at her but blue eyes were gazing through her, at nothing.

"Buffy?…What's wrong?…Where's Jimmy?"

The mention of his name was all it took. Buffy started crying. Willow rushed over to her and put her arm around her friend. "What happen, Buff?…Did he do something to you?" The last sentence was said with hardness. Willow remembered how Spike had tried to manhandle her friend, and though she didn't believe Jimmy would do that, she also understood that nothing was impossible.

Buffy quickly composed herself. From the tone, she could tell what Willow was implying. "No…no…he didn't do anything to me…" Then the slayer gave out a slight huff of air. "Unless you count proposing."

The statement caught the witch by surprise. She stepped back. "He proposed?…as in marriage?" The redhead was totally confused.

"No…as in a business venture…of course marriage." Buffy was trying anything to make herself not feel like the world's worst person.

"So what happen?" Willow was still bewildered how such a great moment could have left her friend in such a state.

"I couldn't answer him," the slayer said plainly and truthfully.

The redhead looked at her best friend confused. She didn't want to push but she knew the slayer loved Jimmy. How the blonde ended up speechless had her at a loss. "You don't want to get married?"

Buffy shook her head. "I don't know what happen…I saw the ring…and…and panicked, I guess." Buffy was beginning to be confused as to the reason for her actions. "It was weird. I saw the ring…and then me and Jimmy…it felt so set in stone…like this was it."

The redhead treaded lightly. "Buff?…Do you love Jimmy?"

The blonde nodded her head and responded quickly. "Of course I do."

"Then why the freak out?…You guys have been together for a long time…Didn't you ever consider that Jimmy would propose?"

Buffy stared at her dazed. "Honestly?…No."

That answer had the witch floored. She saw how well the two fit together, how at ease Buffy was with the man. He was the first relationship that Buffy didn't have to justify or explain.

The blonde started to get a head ache. "Look, I need to find Jimmy…and try to talk to him."

At that moment Kennedy came out on the deck. "Hey, there you are…" She'd been searching for Willow. She saw the expressions on the two women and stopped.

Buffy started to walk inside. "I gotta find Jimmy."

"He left, Buff, about an hour ago." The brunette glanced at her wife who gave her an "I'll explain later look." Buffy kept walking and Kennedy heard her say "Damn" as she walked by.

The blonde slayer went home only to find Jimmy not there. She got scared. The first number she called was Jimmy's cell phone.

"Yes Buffy?" The sound of Jimmy's voice was so sad.

"Jim…please come home…please…I'm so sorry for how I acted…please come home so I can explain."

Just as sad, "No Buffy…I think I need to be by myself tonight…I'm gonna stay at the school."

"But Jimmy."

"No…Buf…I'll…I'll call you tomorrow."

Buffy didn't sleep that entire night. She spent the whole time trying to understand why she responded like she did. She was only half truthful to Willow when she said she never thought of Jimmy proposing. In her daydreams, they were always already married. She'd had thoughts of them as a married couple, happy as they'd always been. But seeing that ring brought some other sensation to the forefront. There was a part that Buffy, over the course of the night, figured out was fear. Seeing Jimmy down on one knee flashed an image of their married life. It would be a slayer married to a watcher. In that instant, the realization hit that her life would always be shackled to being a slayer and being entwined in the slayer network. In that split second out in the cold night, that was how her mind saw it…shackled. Even though she'd been a slayer since she was sixteen and accepted her destiny, it all came crushing down. She and Jimmy would never be able to just walk away from it. That future was so imposing.

However, by the time the sun peaked over the horizon, a different picture emerged. That initial fear and shock was gone. She'd had her moment of self doubt which was replaced by the fear that she'd lost the man with which she did want to spend the rest of her life. By sunrise, she knew she wanted to marry Jimmy Petson and live whatever kind of life the universe had in store for them. The only thing she knew for sure was that she wanted to live it with him. Buffy only hoped that she wasn't too late. She knew she'd have to wait for Jimmy to call so that she could start on the path of apologizing for having been the biggest horse's ass.

At 7:00am, the doorbell rang. Buffy ran to it thinking that it would be Jimmy. It was Willow. The witch looked so worried as if she'd stayed up all night.

"I couldn't wait…I had to find out if you're ok…Did you talk to Jimmy?…Is he here?…Should I go?" Willow had turned the babble on high.

Buffy smiled. "Wils, relax…I'm ok…That's not really true…but come in…I think I screwed everything up with Jimmy."

The redhead went inside. The blonde made some coffee and the two old friends sat down. Buffy told Willow what had transpired and the two talked like they did when they were in high school. Willow heard Buffy discuss her fears and realization. They talked until Buffy didn't feel like a horrible person. "Just tell him like you told me, Buff…He'll understand…He loves you." By mid day, the friends were talked out and Buffy knew only she could make things right with Jimmy. As Willow left, Buffy hugged her. "Thanks, Will for coming over…I don't know what I'd do without you."

Jimmy did eventually call that day and Buffy did begin her 'groveling.' The watcher went home and the two talked, for a long time. Buffy explained everything to the man. His response wasn't the automatic forgiveness that would have occurred had they been characters in a Hollywood chick flick. This was real life, and in this reality Jimmy had been hurt deeply. A part of the trust he had for Buffy was lost that New Year's Eve. It took a while to get it back. Buffy didn't push. She was happy she hadn't ruined another relationship. The watcher needed time to regain his focus and the slayer gave it to him. She knew it was enough to be with him; she could stay like that or take the next step. All Buffy knew was that if Jimmy ever dared take the chance again, she'd be jumping in his arms saying "yes."

That chance came months later. There was no holiday, no special occasion. It was just him and her having dinner at a nice restaurant. At the end of the meal, Jimmy took Buffy's hand, reached his other into his pocket and pulled out the same ring. He slid his hand across the table so Buffy could see the ring. The man gazed into beautiful blue eyes and said, "Will you marry me this time?"

Everyone in the restaurant turned to the table in the corner when they heard a loud "Yes!" and saw a blonde woman dash out of her seat and jump into the lap of the gentleman on the other side. The whole place started clapping and cheering when they saw the man slip the ring on the blonde's finger and kiss her.

"Don't they look perfect together?" said a smiling elderly woman to her just as elderly husband.

The big news didn't stay secret for long. Buffy called everyone that day and told them. They didn't have a date and frankly, that would be for another day's discussion. The engagement was enough for now.

"It's about damn time you two…Jessie and I were about to do an intervention…We decided we weren't gonna wait for you two to figure it out…we want more married friends." Xander was ecstatic for his slayer friend. He was slowly, but surely, seeing all those he cared for find the happiness he had with Jessica. For Xander, his life continually got better.

Bliss. That's the word Xander would choose if only one word could be used to describe his life since that Thanksgiving after Nate's kidnapping. The episode in New York brought a whole new perspective for Xander. He came to understand the depth of his love for his family and the lengths to which he would go to protect them. He also found out that his wife was so much stronger than he ever knew. The Harris family stayed in Cleveland despite the fear that was ever present in the back of the Scooby's mind. The Harris family flourished. Nate got bigger and stronger. Soon he was walking and talking. During the time with Samantha's hardship, Xander and Jessica held their son a little more often, thankful that he was with them and healthy.

Professionally, both parents were doing quite well. Jessica had been promoted to assistant principal of her school. Xander's business continued to gain respect in the community and clients as a result. The house had finally gotten "done." Xander insisted on having Christmas at his house, partly to share in his good fortune both financially and personally, but also to let everyone see just how nice his house turned out. "Not bad for a little 'ol carpenter, huh?" Everyone was duly impressed. Xander Harris was walking on the clouds. His life was where he never dreamed it could be. All the heartache and heartbreak, the struggle and fighting had finally led him to happiness. His bumpy road was behind him; all he saw in the future was good times.

After Sammi's birth, as soon as she was able to crawl, Nate started playing with her. The two became buddies. The news of Willow's and Kennedy's decision to move hit the Harris household particularly hard. Xander had envisioned his and Willow's family living near each other while their children grew up together. There were even flashing thoughts in his mind of a Nate/Sammi marriage. The least he thought was that the two kids would be life long best friends like him and Willow.

The departure of the couple had an extra sad side to it. No one knew it the time, but when Willow and Kennedy left Jessica was almost three months pregnant with their second child. Xander and Jessie found out about it when the two women were seriously contemplating the move. Xander remembered Willow telling him how tough a decision it was to make and how she kept feeling guilty about the friends she'd be leaving behind. Xander and Jessie decided not to tell anyone about the pregnancy until after the move. As much as they wanted the three to stay, they knew that Willow and Kennedy had to do what was best for their family, free from extra pressure. They were sad when they said good bye to their dear friends. Xander and Willow embraced especially long. This was a new chapter in the Prescott/Rosenberg life and as happy as Xander was for them, he knew that a little piece of him would never get over not having his gentle friend within a stone's throw. Deep down, he knew Willow felt the same.

Willow's and Kennedy's decision to move to Massachusetts was met with positive feelings by at least one other person beside Dawn. Faith had reason to be happy. "Boston's closer than Cleveland…besides, you'll be Red Sox fans." The only thing about Boston that Faith didn't discard was her love of the Sox. It appeared that, for people from that region, that bond was too strong to break. If there was one thing about New York she hated, it was having to put up with Yankee fans. On occasion, when their smug attitudes had gotten under her skin, she'd walk into a bar wearing her t-shirt that said, "Yankees Suck." The first guy who tried to 'put the little missy in her place' usually got the fingers on his hand sprained. There was never a second person who tried to teach her that same lesson.

By the time that "Red" and "K" moved into the Middleton house, Faith was doing well and waiting for them to settle in so she could visit and check out the place. Much like Buffy, how Faith got to that personal state of mind was filled with some hard times.

The reformed slayer was just as happy for the witch and slayer when she found out that the trip to New Hampshire had 'worked.' Even though she didn't have any real role models from which to compare, Faith knew that the two women would be great parents. They were good, faithful and strong. The fact that they were lesbians was something that Faith never considered a 'drawback.' She saw how Willow and Kennedy looked at each other, how much they loved each other. That fact, and that fact alone, was the only really important quality to her. The slayer knew the couple would invest in their child as much energy and time that they did for each other. So, like the rest of the Scoobies, Faith waited until the newest Scooby member was born.

The brunette slayer kept up with Samantha's struggles mostly through phone calls. She was able to make a two day visit during the first few days but then had to go back to New York. She and Miguel had a minor apocalypse, as degrees go in world ending prophecies, that needed their immediate attention. They were able to thwart the evil that was at the bottom of the attempt, but in the process stayed out of the direct loop of Willow's and Kennedy's troubles. Faith made a trip back to Cleveland when Samantha was out of danger. After that, Kennedy told her she'd keep the older slayer abreast of further developments with frequent calls. Faith felt a little guilty for not being there but guiltier for feeling glad that she didn't have to be.

It wasn't that Faith hated kids; she was indifferent to them. Though she never wanted bad things to happen to children, she generally didn't think about them much. Of course, Samantha was a different story because she was her friends' child, someone that she knew. She was truly worried when she'd heard of the little one's fight in the beginning days of her life. Faith was sincerely happy when she was told the baby girl would be fine. Once that concern was squelched, the brunette's attitude went back to its usual mode.

By the time she was at Sunnydale for the final battle, Faith was already convinced that she would always be single. She viewed herself in that perspective from all angles. She didn't want to marry nor deal with kids in any manner. Her past life history gave her good reason for her attitude. Meeting Miguel changed her view on men but nothing else. Though her relationship with the man was strong, she still didn't want to get married. It wasn't that the Brazilian ever asked. There seemed to be an unspoken understanding between the two that their arrangement worked just fine for the both of them. Faith knew that Miguel had several brothers and sisters in Sao Paulo that were all tied down in their marriages. She knew the Brazilian valued his life as it was. The slayer thought that they both wanted things to stay exactly as they were.

That belief started to be questioned by Faith every time they went to Cleveland on slayer business or just to visit. If she really thought about it, Faith would have said she first noticed the doubt in her mind when the Harris' visited during the Dalfort incident. Though Faith and Miguel were only able to see Xander's son for one evening, the slayer noticed a difference in the man around the baby. She let the feeling go and thought about it no further.

The same attitude came from the man when they got together at Xander's for Thanksgiving and later when they were in Cleveland for a Council matter. Each time Miguel was around Nate, the man's personality changed. He was child like almost. He loved playing with the boy and seemed genuinely happy around him. That attitude remained when Samantha was the child with whom he was spending time.

With each contact, Faith got a stronger feeling in her gut that Miguel didn't see 'eye to eye' with her on the subject of children. She was even certain she'd heard a tone of sadness when the man had to leave them. It became obvious to the slayer that Miguel wasn't like her in at least one way. She could see that the man not only liked children put shined around them. He seemed so at ease with them, being able to capture their attention, being not only able to deal at their level but also wanting to. At that point, the brunette felt the sudden pang in her stomach. Miguel was the type of man who'd want kids of his own eventually. He was only pretending to be different because of her. Faith knew that, with her, Miguel would never have that option fulfilled.

That realization did something to Faith. She didn't talk to Miguel about it; she knew he'd just deny her suspicions. Instead, the slayer did what she did best; she ran from the issue. She didn't literally run, but she did become, slowly, distant from Miguel. She started patrolling more often and for longer periods of time. She thought of reasons why Miguel couldn't come with her and made the man handle more of the office matters.

The changes in Faith were not just in the slayer aspect of her life. She began going out more. Miguel understood that there would be times when Faith had to be by herself. He accepted that 'lone wolf' part of her and knew it would never totally vanish. The man also knew that she wasn't out with other men or even trying to see if she could still "turn an eye." Sometimes, the woman just had to be on her own. However, she'd curtailed her 'alone time' to a minimum since the Dalfort matter. Her recent increased activity didn't go unnoticed by the man. He also didn't miss that her outings had taken on a different flavor.

Besides her slaying alterations, Faith was stepping out more often and not just to be alone in a fight. Several times, the slayer returned home in the wee hours drunk and smelling of a smoke filled bar. From the sweat on her clothes, Miguel knew the woman had been out dancing also. This behavior continued and the two began to fight about her actions. The more they fought, the more Faith went out. Finally, Miguel had had enough. He exploded one night after Faith came home at 5:30am. The argument started out with a loud voice and it only got louder as they went.

"What the hell were you doing out so late again?"

"Nothing…I wasn't doing a damn thing."

"Don't lie to me, Faith…You're drunk…You're dressed like a…a…"

"Say it, Mickey…dressed like a whore, right?…That's what you think ."

"That's not what I was gonna say…What the hell were you doing?"

"I wasn't fucking around…if that's what you're worried about…I just needed to go out…Hey, this is me…you don't like it, then fuck you…I ain't changing for no one."

Miguel couldn't understand why Faith had changed so much. There wasn't any incident in their work or personal life that he could point a finger to and say "That's it!" He didn't know what was running through the brunette's mind.

"Who told you to change?…I never did…I never pushed you."

"Yeah, well, even if you wanted me to..too fucking bad…I ain't no little wifey type that you can weasel into doing something I don't want to do."

Miguel was totally confused. The slayer was speaking gibberish to him. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

Faith didn't care anymore. She had enough liquor inside to make her able to let it out. "Listen…I ain't never gonna be some fucking goody two shoes who wants the big house and fucking little rugrats around…I want my freedom…I won't change." The slayer was staring at the man with dead seriousness.

"Where the hell is all this coming from?…Who said anything about a house and kids?" Miguel was shouting loudly now.

Faith shook her head. "You think I'm stupid…like you gotta say it…Christ, you practically turn into Ward Cleaver every time we go to Cleveland."

"Who the hell is Ward Cleaver?"

Faith wasn't amused by the Brazilian's lack of American 50's tv sitcom knowledge. "That doesn't fucking matter…You're never gonna get what you want from me."

Miguel stood there dumbfounded for a minute. He let the words sink in. He couldn't understand why Faith thought he wanted children. "I don't want kids, Faith…Is that what you think?"

The slayer knew the man would renounce that fact. "You're lying to yourself, Mickey…I see how you are with them…You aren't gonna get that with me…This is me…drinking hard, playing hard…I'm anything but the mother type."

The more he watched Faith, her body language and her expression, the more the Brazilian got the feeling the woman was really terrified deep down. 'Does she think I want kids?' 'Does she think I'd leave her because she doesn't?' The man's face calmed and his voice returned to normal.

"Faith…I may get along with kids but that doesn't mean I want to have any…I have lots of nieces and nephews. I was always around them when I lived near them…But I don't want children…I was very happy with my life with you."

Faith chuckled; she didn't believe the man. "You're just saying that cuz that's what you think I wanna hear…You'll change your mind…sooner or later."

"I could be dead 'sooner or later.' Did it ever occur to you that I've already thought this through just like you?…I like the freedom I have…not having to change things because of some kid…being worried about them…I do have fun with Nate and Sammi…because I know I can give them back…They're someone else's deal to worry about…Jesus, Faith…I don't want kids for the same reasons you don't."

The slayer stood there silent. She had long ago sobered up. She heard the words and saw the genuine expression on the man's face. Faith didn't speak; she just let what Miguel said swirl around in her head. She'd been so convinced that he wanted children, that he would come to realize that and discard her. Now, the man was in a way pleading with her to make her understand that she was wrong. He was like her; he wanted only her. The words rung true and the feeling of immense guilt set in. The brunette realized that, yet again, she'd lost her way and was only brought back by the man in front of her. She felt ashamed that she had ever questioned his desires. Faith lowered her head.

"I'm sorry, Mick…It's just…the way…you…were…and I thought…"

Miguel could see how hard it was for the slayer to apologize. He knew the woman had had a tough life, that she'd been misled and lied to many a time. He thought he'd won her complete trust. He realized there might always be a part of Faith that would never truly give in to him. She'd have a doubting voice somewh