Kennedy and Willow's Apartment, São Paulo, Friday Morning Fandom Time
For someone who used to harbor a healthy dose of skepticism about all things mystical, Kennedy took vivid and probably significant dreams, on a fairly regular basis even, pretty much in stride. It was either that or go out of her mind, because shared Slayer dreams were super fun when there were (at last count) about fifteen hundred of them in the network, as it were.
This, however, for the third night in a row… was not one of those dreams.
"It's all wrong out there."
She paced back and forth across the grass, looking out past the school gates into the fog that obscured everything from Apocalypse Avenue on down.
There was a hand on her shoulder, then, and a gentle voice that made some of her agitation ebb away: "I know, sweetie. Shouldn't you be out there, doing your thing?"
She didn't turn around. She didn't need to, just to know Tara was watching her with concern. "Maybe. But it's complicated out there. Here, not so much. Besides, if I walk out those gates this time, there's no guarantee I'll be coming back." That was the deal, apparently, but hell if she knew who'd told her.
"But there's people who need you out there. You know you can't leave them hanging."
Kennedy closed her eyes. "Can't I stay, just for a minute? A short break? I'm getting a little bit tired --"
Then the hand on her shoulder was gone, but the familiar weight of her favorite sword (the massive SOLDIER sword that had been a gift from Zack) was in her hand and when she opened her eyes again to find herself standing in a rising bank of fog on the other side of the gates.
"But --"
Tara was watching her from inside the gates, a hint of sadness in her otherwise neutral expression.
"You know what you have to do. I'm sorry, but --" Her voice was fading and the fog was swirling higher, getting denser by the second, muting the sound.
It had only been a moment, but when Kennedy lurched forward blindly and made a grab for the gate bars, her hand closed on nothing; all she could feel was the cool, damp sensation of mist lingering on her skin.
She woke abruptly and lay in bed for a minute or so, listening to the rhythm of Willow’s breathing until she was pretty sure she could get up without waking her. No big, she just needed a glass of water and a minute or two to pace around the living room and think. It was a great plan, except that by the time she got back to the bedroom Willow was sitting up, the curious and slightly concerned look on her face visible courtesy of the glow of her computer screen.
"Hinky dreams again?"
Kennedy flopped facedown onto the bed and tucked a pillow under her chin. "Not bad-hinky, at least, so there’s that?" Oh, look at her, being avoidy-girl. Not her usual schtick.
Willow took a moment to process that, then said in a very quiet voice, "Oh." Hello, awkwardest pause of all the awkward pauses ever. "Again? Sweetie, that's three nights in a row."
Kennedy rolled onto her side and reached up to put a finger against Willow's lips. "I know. I'm thinking maybe it's important."
They looked at each other for the space of several breaths, Kennedy's expression apologetic and Willow's uncertain; it had been a while since Kennedy had been in touch with Tara from Fandom, and the always-unasked question of whether things went differently in that timeline was hanging in the air. Finally Willow asked, "Like a Slayer-y kind of important? All that dream-GPS has to be pointing you somewhere."
"Yeah, but I'm guessing Fandom, hopefully not over a cliff like that one time in Maranhão," Kennedy said. "All the dreams keep happening there, so probably just a me-important thing, not business, but I guess we'll find out, so I should go."
Willow looked like she wanted to argue that point, but she took a deep breath, nodded, and reached for her laptop. "Okay. So let's book you a portal."
Kennedy watched as she set the laptop on the bed and pulled up a browser tab. "Sure you don't want to come with?"
"No," Willow said, then again with more conviction, "No. I'm okay. Promise. This is a thing you need to do… and you're set. You should arrive at the causeway late afternoon."
It was Kennedy's turn to want to argue, but no, if they were going with the worst-case scenario here about what if you dream them, they will come meant then there was no way she could ask Willow to go through that again. She sat up and leaned in for a kiss so quickly that Willow let out a squeak of surprise against her lips.
"I love you, you know that, right?"
"Love you too." Willow reached down and squeezed her hand. "Guaranteed all the snugglies you need when you get back if you need them, okay?"
Let's hope I don't, Kennedy wanted to say, but she just nodded. "Deal. Guess I should pack a bag, huh?"
"Just one?"
"Oh, bite me."
"Sure, when you get home, maybe."
[[eeeeeeeeeeeeeestablishy.]]
This, however, for the third night in a row… was not one of those dreams.
"It's all wrong out there."
She paced back and forth across the grass, looking out past the school gates into the fog that obscured everything from Apocalypse Avenue on down.
There was a hand on her shoulder, then, and a gentle voice that made some of her agitation ebb away: "I know, sweetie. Shouldn't you be out there, doing your thing?"
She didn't turn around. She didn't need to, just to know Tara was watching her with concern. "Maybe. But it's complicated out there. Here, not so much. Besides, if I walk out those gates this time, there's no guarantee I'll be coming back." That was the deal, apparently, but hell if she knew who'd told her.
"But there's people who need you out there. You know you can't leave them hanging."
Kennedy closed her eyes. "Can't I stay, just for a minute? A short break? I'm getting a little bit tired --"
Then the hand on her shoulder was gone, but the familiar weight of her favorite sword (the massive SOLDIER sword that had been a gift from Zack) was in her hand and when she opened her eyes again to find herself standing in a rising bank of fog on the other side of the gates.
"But --"
Tara was watching her from inside the gates, a hint of sadness in her otherwise neutral expression.
"You know what you have to do. I'm sorry, but --" Her voice was fading and the fog was swirling higher, getting denser by the second, muting the sound.
It had only been a moment, but when Kennedy lurched forward blindly and made a grab for the gate bars, her hand closed on nothing; all she could feel was the cool, damp sensation of mist lingering on her skin.
She woke abruptly and lay in bed for a minute or so, listening to the rhythm of Willow’s breathing until she was pretty sure she could get up without waking her. No big, she just needed a glass of water and a minute or two to pace around the living room and think. It was a great plan, except that by the time she got back to the bedroom Willow was sitting up, the curious and slightly concerned look on her face visible courtesy of the glow of her computer screen.
"Hinky dreams again?"
Kennedy flopped facedown onto the bed and tucked a pillow under her chin. "Not bad-hinky, at least, so there’s that?" Oh, look at her, being avoidy-girl. Not her usual schtick.
Willow took a moment to process that, then said in a very quiet voice, "Oh." Hello, awkwardest pause of all the awkward pauses ever. "Again? Sweetie, that's three nights in a row."
Kennedy rolled onto her side and reached up to put a finger against Willow's lips. "I know. I'm thinking maybe it's important."
They looked at each other for the space of several breaths, Kennedy's expression apologetic and Willow's uncertain; it had been a while since Kennedy had been in touch with Tara from Fandom, and the always-unasked question of whether things went differently in that timeline was hanging in the air. Finally Willow asked, "Like a Slayer-y kind of important? All that dream-GPS has to be pointing you somewhere."
"Yeah, but I'm guessing Fandom, hopefully not over a cliff like that one time in Maranhão," Kennedy said. "All the dreams keep happening there, so probably just a me-important thing, not business, but I guess we'll find out, so I should go."
Willow looked like she wanted to argue that point, but she took a deep breath, nodded, and reached for her laptop. "Okay. So let's book you a portal."
Kennedy watched as she set the laptop on the bed and pulled up a browser tab. "Sure you don't want to come with?"
"No," Willow said, then again with more conviction, "No. I'm okay. Promise. This is a thing you need to do… and you're set. You should arrive at the causeway late afternoon."
It was Kennedy's turn to want to argue, but no, if they were going with the worst-case scenario here about what if you dream them, they will come meant then there was no way she could ask Willow to go through that again. She sat up and leaned in for a kiss so quickly that Willow let out a squeak of surprise against her lips.
"I love you, you know that, right?"
"Love you too." Willow reached down and squeezed her hand. "Guaranteed all the snugglies you need when you get back if you need them, okay?"
Let's hope I don't, Kennedy wanted to say, but she just nodded. "Deal. Guess I should pack a bag, huh?"
"Just one?"
"Oh, bite me."
"Sure, when you get home, maybe."
[[eeeeeeeeeeeeeestablishy.]]