AB/BtVS FF: Nightmares in Waking Life 68-9/?
TITLE: Nightmares in Waking Life
AUTHOR: 38gnihsurc
RATING: en.sea.xvii, overall
PAIRINGS: All the pairings from the previous two stories---and some new ones, too
SPOILERS: Up until Micah for AB; the whole TV series for the Buffyverse; Alive at Last and Living Underground.
WARNINGS: A little bit of fur... bdsm... the usuals for Anita's crazy, crazy world.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anyone---except for any original characters that I whip up to do my bidding ;)
NOTE: This story is a sequel to Living Underground.
Previous chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9-11, 12, 13, 14-5, 16-7, 18-9, 20-1, 22, 23, 24-5, 26-7, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32-3, 34-7, 38, 39-40, 41, 42, 43-44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51A, 51B, 52, 53, 54, 55-6, 57, 58A, 58B, 59, 60, 61, 62-63, 64, 65, 66-7
PART SIXTY-EIGHT
Christine wasn't much happier after the meeting with the lycanthrope leaders and the vampires, but Willow didn't know what else they could do aside from assuring her that Asher hadn't gained an animal to call. Anita didn't have any ties to the tigers through lycanthropy, and there was nothing else to explain the increase in the weretiger population.
The leaders of the various species of shapeshifter all seemed amenable to the arrival of the slayers. They didn't want what happened to Billy to happen to one of their own, and if the slayers could help police the streets and protect those coming in and out of their businesses, then they were all for the extra muscle coming into the city. They were also pleased that they didn't have to allow other enforcers from other cities into their territory.
When the meeting concluded, in the back room of the Lunatic Café, Rafael approached Willow, his bodyguard at his back.
"I want to thank you personally," he said quietly, taking her hand in his. "You didn't owe the rodere anything, yet you came to my littlest one's aid. You healed him when you didn't have to."
"I wish I could've done more, but when I channelled the munin---"
"Raina?" he supplied, cutting her off.
She nodded. "Micah was right to pull me away. The images were too much for me."
The wererat king smiled a little as he nodded. "I understand. Still, you have done me a service you weren't obliged to take on, and I will always consider you a friend for that."
Willow squeezed his hand. "We're in this together. They're not just after rats, Rafael, they're after all of us."
"But, you could go walk among them."
"Not willingly," she murmured sadly, "and not without serious repercussions. My place is here, with the kiss and the pack, and everyone else."
"Then, we're lucky to have you here," he decided. "I know now you don't see this as a debt, but if you ever need anything, let me know. I would like to return the favour."
She smiled and nodded. "Okay. Thanks, Rafael."
He released her hand with a nod of his head and walked away, towards the double doors that would take him to the hallway that bridged the public and private areas of the establishment.
Willow turned and saw Richard talking with Sylvie and Christine; she scanned over the crowd and saw Asher sitting with Anita. Jean-Claude was talking to Micah and Narcissus. Their conversations seemed casual, as the gathering broke up for the night. She smiled as she took them all in; her family was still strong, in the face of whatever was happening to them and their city.
"Hey, Red."
Faith was at her side. She turned, smiled, and gave the slayer a half-hug, mindful of the baby-bulge.
"Hey, what's up?"
"Slayers arrived, got 'em all settled in for the night," she replied. "I can take you to 'em, if you want."
"They're in the apartments Jean-Claude rented, right?" Willow asked.
Faith nodded. "Yep."
"Then, they'll be fine there for the night. I can see them tomorrow some time."
"Fine."
Willow looked into the brunette's face and saw tension in her features. "What's wrong?"
"They sent Robin as their watcher."
"Seriously?"
"He said he didn't volunteer, but I bet---" she broke off and sighed. "I haven't told Damian yet. I want to. I just... don't want those two ever meeting, if I can arrange it."
Willow frowned. "Did Robin... I mean, does he know..." she trailed off and gestured towards Faith's belly.
"He knows I'm knocked up, Will. He's not blind." Faith chuckled and shook her head. "He doesn't know it's a vamp's baby. You know how he is... he'll tow the line like a good soldier, but what he did to Spike? Not on, Red. Not on at all. How do I know he's not gonna go crazy-jealous and---"
"You two broke up. He knows it's over," Willow interjected quietly. "And, I think Damian's more than capable of handling himself."
"True."
"What did he say when he saw you?" the witch asked.
"Oh, just the usual... and then some stuff about how he's gotta meet whoever tamed me. Like I'm a rabid animal."
Willow rubbed Faith's arm. "You're not. And I don't think Damian's tamed you."
"Well, whatever... but, guess who else they sent?
"I don't wanna know."
"Oh, you totally don't," Faith agreed. "Kennedy's here. A few years older, and rocking some serious power, lemme tell you, but... yeah. She's here. Giles was right to send her, since she's used to some hinky stuff, but..."
"Fuck."
Faith snorted.
"Did Giles really think that sending them would be the best thing?" Willow asked.
"I think he sent them because he couldn't send anyone else in their places," Faith replied. "And that's both good and bad."
"Bad because no one else was willing to take the gig?"
"Yeah."
"But, good because they know us and hopefully trust our judgement still," Willow said. Then, she sighed. "This sucks."
"Tell me about it. I'd say that we should grab a beer and drown our nerves in it, but baby's not up to alcohol, so how about some ice cream?"
Willow laughed, but it wasn't an altogether happy sound. "Okay... okay. Do you mind waiting until the crowd thins out a bit? I want to tell Asher and Richard where I'm going, too."
"Sure," Faith agreed. "I gotta check in with the Bossman anyway."
They waited until it was just Richard, Asher, Anita, and Jean-Claude, plus bodyguards, and then they approached the group. Faith went up to Jean-Claude without hesitation, but Willow hesitated on her approach. A sound from the double doors drew her attention; when she turned to the doorway, she saw Edward standing there in his long, outback coat. She froze on the spot.
"Xander?" she asked.
He shook his head. "Nah. I'm not here for you."
"Who, then?"
He motioned to Anita. "Her."
Anita noticed Edward's arrival, too, by that point. "What do you mean?" she asked.
"Could you make friends instead of enemies for once?" Edward asked. "Got a tip. They couldn't hire me, because I don't fit the bill, but I figured I'd have more fun protecting you than taking any other gig, so here I am."
"Has someone placed another hit on Anita?" Jean-Claude asked, turning his attention from Faith to Edward.
"Yeah, with real odd qualifiers on it."
"Edward, spit it out," Anita growled.
"Lycanthrope killers are bein' hired," Edward said in a drawling voice. "Apparently, tigers, bears, foxes, hyenas, rats... anyone you're not all cozy with."
"The rats and hyenas are in league with us," Jean-Claude said.
"But, she's not with 'em."
"This is not good," Willow mumbled. "We need those groups for guarding duty."
Jean-Claude sighed. "I will call both Narcissus and Rafael. See if they can't deny access to anyone, or find a way to forbid those already under them from participating in such behaviour." He looked at Anita. "Call your cats and Damian. Make sure they know not to go to your house. You will be living at the Circus for a while."
"Jean-Claude---"
"Non. I do not care. This is your life."
"But---"
"Non."
Anita sighed. "It didn't work last time," she muttered.
"This is different!" Jean-Claude shouted.
Anita paled. Willow glanced at Faith and then looked away.
"Jean-Claude... what if... well, Edward can stay at my place. We'll up the guards, maybe keep a couple of slayers at the house... they haven't made a move yet. Maybe no one will take the bait." Anita looked at Edward. "Was it a big price tag?"
"Not as big as last time," Edward replied. "In fact, I would've passed. It wasn't up to my level."
"Weird."
He nodded. Then, he shrugged. "Could just be someone's not aware of how the business is run, or could be someone that doesn't really care much."
"But, you're sure someone's gonna take the bait?" Anita asked.
"Not completely. But, I figured it was better to be safe than sorry."
Anita rolled her eyes. "No, you just figured you'd have fun trying to keep my ass safe."
"That, too."
She sighed. "Damn it. Can this week get any worse?"
Willow looked to Jean-Claude. "I can call the apartments and have Robin send a couple of girls to Anita's place," she offered. "It might be a good idea, to get their feet wet... to get them used to the craziness."
Jean-Claude frowned. He looked at Anita and then back to Willow. "Fine," he agreed. He looked back at his human servant. "If anyone makes an attempt on your life, you are moving your happy little family to the Circus. I will not waiver on this, Anita."
She nodded. "Okay... okay. I agree."
"If anyone makes an attempt on your life and succeeds, I will come after you, Monsieur Death," Jean-Claude said in a menacing tone of voice.
Willow turned her back on the group and dialled the number to the first apartment. A slayer she didn't think she knew answered the phone, but told her that Robin was in the other apartment. So, after ending the call, she tried again.
"Hey, Willow," Robin said in a deep, easygoing tone of voice. "I thought I'd be seeing you at the airport instead of Faith."
"I had a meeting tonight, so I couldn't make it," she told him. She avoided the topic of Faith because she didn't want to be the one to tell him who the baby's father was. "Did you guys get settled okay?"
"Despite the usual problems that arise when a bunch of young women are sharing bedrooms and bathrooms, yeah."
Willow smiled. "Do a couple of them feel like some action tonight?"
"What've ya got for us?"
"Just a protection detail. There's a hit out on the Nimir-Ra, apparently, and she's got guards, but we thought a couple of extra fighters might be good in case someone decides to take it."
"This have something to do with the hellmouth crap?"
Willow frowned. She wasn't sure. "It could," she told Robin. "We're not entirely sure where anything fits these days."
"Fair enough. Giles told me things could get bad before they get better, but that's nothing we haven't faced before, now, is it?"
"No," Willow agreed. She felt Richard walk up behind her. She leaned into his body and sighed when he put his hands on her hips. "I can pick them up and take them to the house, if you want?"
"Nah, that's okay. This wereleopard... Giles briefed us as best as he could, but, he couldn't get into many names with us. Major players like their privacy. Do you have a name for her?"
"I do," Willow replied. She looked over at Jean-Claude. After a silent question, he nodded, so she revealed Anita's identity. "She's got a job and stuff, so she'll be busy tomorrow, but I thought it'd be a good idea to get a couple of the girls initiated and they can brief the others at shift change or whatever," she added.
"Sure... sure. How about I send Kennedy with... well, I'll pick someone who's still awake. The girls listen to Kennedy, though, so she'll be the best bet for the first guard job."
Willow tried not to tense up. Richard's hands on her hips helped with that. "Uh... sure. Yeah. She can handle that. Give her my cell phone number, okay? If she has any questions or problems..."
"Got it. Guess we'll divide the others up tomorrow?"
"If that's okay..."
Robin seemed to accept it. Willow gave him the address, told him that Anita would be on her way home soon, and ended the call.
Richard kissed her temple. "What's up?" he asked.
"Ex-girlfriend is one of the slayers in town," Willow mumbled.
"Ah."
"Yeah. And their watcher is Faith's ex. So, we're just... happy."
Richard smiled and kissed the same spot again. "As long as she's not going to steal your heart on us, then, we can be happy," he whispered.
Willow gave a small chuckle and then turned in his arms. "She couldn't," she assured him. "I love you and Asher too much to walk away."
"Good," he replied.
Asher came up to them. "Your former lover is in town?" he asked. When Willow nodded, he reached out and cupped her cheek in one hand. "How difficult will this make things for you?"
She shrugged. "I won't know until after I see her, I guess. We didn't end on the best of terms... so I'm not looking forward to that, but Giles was probably right to send her."
He nodded. After glancing at Richard, he leaned in and kissed her. "Will you do that tonight?" he asked after the gentle touch.
"No, probably tomorrow," Willow replied.
"Bon," he whispered. "Then, I can take you home?"
"Absolutely," she murmured. She eased away from Richard and kissed him. Then, she looked at Anita. "Robin's gonna send Kennedy and another girl to your place soon," she told the necromancer. "You'll have your extra manpower."
"Good. Thanks, Willow."
"Be careful, okay?" she said. "This whole thing smells funny."
Anita snorted. "No kidding," she agreed.
She looked at Edward, motioned towards the door, and he nodded. Anita went to Jean-Claude, kissed him once, and then headed off with the assassin.
Willow turned back to her Ulfric. "Can you stay with us tonight?"
He frowned and shook his head. "Wish I could, but Emily and I have school tomorrow."
"Okay... will I see you tomorrow?"
"I'm gonna drop Emily off at the apartment, so yeah," he murmured, reminding her that it would be Thursday. "Maybe I'll bring supper with us?"
"Sounds good," she murmured back. "Be careful, too."
"I will," he promised.
They shared another kiss and then he, too, left the meeting room. Willow looked at Jean-Claude, Faith, and Asher and shrugged. "Guess it's time to head back to the Circus?"
"Yeah," Faith agreed. "Let's go home."
Willow smiled. "Lemme guess. Baby's hungry?"
"Always!" Faith chirped.
The witch smiled; she reached out and took Asher's hand. "I guess things are gonna get better before they get worse, huh?" she asked.
"We will work through it," he murmured, before tugging her closer.
&&&&
PART SIXTY-NINE
"Emily, get ready for bed," Willow called out as the young werewolf was headed for the bathroom. "I'm gonna check your math homework, and then I'll join you in the bedroom."
"Okay, cool!"
Willow smiled as the young girl hurried off down the hall. She looked at Dawn. "How are things going with you?"
"Oh, y'know... lotsa work, time running out," the brunette replied. She smiled and leaned back on the sofa. "But, things are looking up with Jason."
"Yeah?"
Dawn nodded. "Valentine's Day was perfect. Or pretty close to it, anyway," she said. "He was so sweet... so romantic. Doing all the right guy things."
Willow smiled more. "I'm glad," she murmured. She reached out and touched Dawn's arm. "Did you want me to call and see if he's coming over?"
"Nah," the other girl said with a shake of her head. "If he comes over, then he's here. But tonight's not about me. It's about you, Emily, and pack stuff. I can wait until our next date."
"Okay."
Dawn studied the redhead. Then, after a long pause, she asked: "How are you about Kennedy being in town?"
"Oh... well... I haven't really talked to her yet," Willow admitted. "I went to the apartment today to talk to Robin and the slayers, but I avoided talking to her alone. She tried, but I can be evasive when I need to be."
Dawn frowned. "You can't put it off forever."
"I know."
Willow did know that. But, she wasn't ready to talk things out---or to see Kennedy seeing her happy with her two lovers. She didn't want to justify her life to anyone else; she just wanted the hellmouth problems to go away so she could continue living the way she chose to do so. She knew Kennedy would push her to explain her situation; she knew Kennedy would push until she could understand it and since Buffy and Giles barely understood Willow's life, she knew it would take the other slayer many more days and many more questions and Willow did not want to be around for any of it.
Still, she knew that they needed Kennedy to help influence the other girls' good work. She was a good slayer. She was a strong woman. She would be helpful in keeping them safe.
"Look, I get it. I remember you two breaking up... and I never really liked her all that much to begin with," Dawn confessed. "But, if she's willing to try to understand, shouldn't you try to explain it to her?"
"Yeah."
Dawn took Willow's hand in hers. "It's gonna be okay," the brunette murmured. "We just have apocalyptic events to deal with and exes to get off our collective case, and then we'll be fine again."
Willow chuckled. "I guess Faith and Robin---"
"Faith told him today about Damian. Robin's less than impressed," Dawn said, confirming Willow's deduction. "She knew it had to happen sooner, rather than later, but now, he's pissed. Mostly that she found the things he was offering her in the arms of a vampire."
She turned and looked at Dawn. "How pissed is he?"
"The regular amount."
"Does she need to be careful around him?"
"I don't think she's going to willingly spend time with him unless he apologises for the things he said to her."
Willow frowned. "When did Faith tell you that?"
"At lunch," Dawn replied.
"Robin didn't tell me any of this," Willow whispered.
"He's not angry at you."
She shrugged. "Yeah, but, I couldn't even tell that he was angry. He was just... normal."
"Maybe he didn't mention it because you and Faith both live with vampires?" Dawn suggested. "Maybe he sees you on her side."
"I'm not on---" she broke off. Then, she smiled. "Okay. Yeah, I'm on her side. But it's not really about sides. Faith's happy. Damian's a good guy. This is a good thing."
"I know."
Willow sighed. "Maybe this slayer thing isn't a good idea."
Dawn squeezed her hand. "You can always send them back."
"Yeah."
They lapsed into silence. Willow didn't know what else to say and she didn't know what she wanted to hear; despite the fact that the silence was bugging her, she was glad Dawn wasn't saying anything.
When the buzzer sounded, they both startled.
Dawn pushed up into a standing position first. "I'll get it," she said. "It's probably some of your pack."
"Thanks, Dawnie."
The brunette pushed the button on the intercom. "Hello?"
"Dawn? Is that you?"
Dawn released the button and grumbled under her breath. Then, she pushed it again. "Hi, Kennedy," she said, ice in her voice. "Whatcha doing here?"
"Robin said Willow's here. I want to see her."
Dawn released the button again. She looked at Willow. "I... I don't really want any of the slayers up here," she admitted. "And I don't think fighting inside is going to be a good thing for Emily. And then our guards'll get twitchy, and then---"
"I'm with you," Willow agreed. "Especially if some of the pack gets here and sees us fighting." She sighed and stood up. "I'll go downstairs."
"Thanks, Will."
Willow slipped into a pair of shoes and grabbed her coat. "If I'm not back inside in fifteen minutes, could you ask Patrick---" she broke off and sighed. "Nevermind. He won't let me outside without someone else," she mumbled. She sighed again and then called out for her guard. When he appeared in the hallway, she said, "One of the slayers is downstairs. Can you come outside with me?"
He smiled and nodded. "Absolutely. You all set?"
"Yep."
He went out the door first; Willow followed him down the stairs. He opened the outer door, and went to move outside, but stopped when Kennedy stepped towards him.
"Who---"
"Back off, Willow's here to see you," Patrick said firmly.
"Why can't we just go inside?" Kennedy asked.
"I don't make the rules, I just enforce them," the werewolf told the slayer. Willow bit back a laugh. When it came to security, Patrick was making more of the rules than she'd like, but she was glad he wasn't letting Kennedy know that. "Will you step back?"
"Uh... that wasn't part of my plan, but... sure."
A minute later, Patrick seemed satisfied because he let Willow outside after he stepped out and scanned the immediate area.
Seeing Kennedy that day had been stressful, but not nearly as stressful as it was that night. Willow touched Patrick's arm and scented the pack off of him; that helped her nerves somewhat, but when she looked back at the slayer she once loved, she could feel the jitters in her stomach threatening to take over her whole body.
"Hi," Willow said quietly.
"I wanted to talk to you this afternoon, but you ran out before I could pin you down."
Willow nodded, ignoring the slayer's choice of words and her tone of voice. She then said: "I had other places to be."
"Here?" Kennedy asked. She squinted as she looked up at the building. "It doesn't look like much. But, you live with Dawn, right? That's cool. Like old times."
"That's probably the only thing that's like old times," Willow mumbled. She sighed. "It's not really a great time to chat, Ken. I have plans."
"A date?"
"Sort of," Willow replied.
"Look, Giles wouldn't tell me everything, and I don't want to pry, but---"
"I don't owe you an explanation," Willow said. "My life's working and I'm not going to let anyone screw that up."
Kennedy put her hands up. "I'm not gonna screw it up." She tilted her head. "Well, not on purpose," she added. "I... I guess... well, we broke up because---"
"Because you didn't like magic, and you liked it too much, all at the same time," Willow reminded her. "And because you liked going off on dangerous missions without telling me where you were going."
"Yeah, but now we're both here."
Willow sighed. "Yeah, we're both here. That doesn't mean anything."
"You said you'd always love me."
"In a way, I do," Willow admitted. "But, it's not the same, and I won't give up the ones in my heart now... not to go back to what we had."
Kennedy tensed. For a minute, Willow felt something that wasn't her slayer energy, but she couldn't determine what it was. Kennedy seemed to swallow it all back into her body before Willow could decide what was happening in front of her. She guessed Patrick felt something similar, because the guard went very still. He growled; the slayer glared at him, eyes flashing angrily.
"Easy, Patrick," Willow murmured.
"Lupa, she's making a threat."
"Yeah, but I'm not making it any easier," Willow admitted quietly.
"Is this the welcoming committee?"
Willow turned and saw Jason approaching the stoop, flanked by Stephen and Seeley. She smiled despite the earlier tension and when her familiar was close enough, she reached out and hugged him.
"What's up?" he asked in her ear.
"I'll tell you later, snoop," she murmured affectionately. "Go on upstairs. Emily's getting ready for bed."
He licked her lip and pulled away so she could greet Stephen and Seeley. She hugged them both, too, and when they pulled back they licked her the same way Jason had. Having the pack closer opened her shielding to the others; she could feel Sylvie and Gwen driving closer to the building, and she sensed some of the others on their way, too. She rubbed Stephen's arm and let them both pass.
"You'll be up soon, right?" Stephen asked.
She nodded. "Yep."
"We'll keep a spot in the bed warm for you."
"Thanks," she whispered. "Seeley, you don't have to stay at Anita's tonight?"
"I fed her this morning. I'm not back on duty until tomorrow night, at the earliest," he replied. He eyed Kennedy. "Who's she?"
"An old friend."
"She smells like trouble."
Willow chuckled, but she didn't ignore the warning. "Get inside, would you?"
He licked her mouth again before disappearing into the building.
Kennedy's eyes had gone wide during that exchange. When Willow looked back at her, she said, "They're all your lovers?"
Willow shook her head as Patrick coughed to clear his throat. "No... no. They're friends. They're spending the night," she explained as vaguely as she could.
"But..."
"I'm learning what it means to be a good Lupa," Willow said. "And, my mate thinks it's good for me to bunk with some of the pack."
"Giles said you don't shift."
Willow nodded. "I don't. But, I still carry wolf lycanthropy. I still feel the call of the full moon like they do. I run and hunt with the pack. I just don't shift."
She hadn't meant to admit that much to Kennedy, but when she said it, she hadn't felt regret about revealing any of it. She felt concern, though, because something was in Kennedy's facial expression that she didn't like and couldn't decipher.
"You're with the local Ulfric."
"Yeah," Willow said quietly.
"And a vampire. Both men." Willow nodded. Kennedy frowned. "Lesbianism was a phase, then?"
The witch shook her head. "No... I think it's more about the people I was attracted to than anything else," she said to try to explain. "I love both of them... and they've helped make St. Louis my home. No one will ever change that."
"You don't mind that they have fangs?"
"No," Willow murmured. She smiled and shrugged. "They make me happy, Kennedy. And they don't freak out when I do magic." She watched Gwen and Sylvie approaching behind the slayer. When they crossed the street, Kennedy looked at them from over her shoulder. Gwen smirked and pulled Sylvie close; Sylvie wore a similar expression on her face. Willow wanted to shake her head and tell them both to behave, but she knew discouraging Gwen was like encouraging her at times. "Hey guys," she called out to them. "Some of the others are upstairs, if you wanna---"
"I wanna meet the new girl," Gwen interrupted. "She's got a cute ass."
Sylvie rolled her eyes. "Go inside."
"Hardly. You're the one who pointed it out," Gwen purred. "Let's just stay a while and check her out."
"I don't do threesomes," Kennedy muttered.
"Neither do we," Gwen said. "We just wanna check you out."
"I don't do that, either."
"If our Lupa was checking you out, I bet you'd let her."
"Maybe," Kennedy admitted crossly. Sylvie reached out to touch her, but Kennedy grabbed her wrist and twisted it away from her body. Sylvie growled and pushed with her arm and body, sending Kennedy back into the wall of the building. She cursed under her breath and regained her equilibrium against the brick surface at her back. "Fuck off! This doesn't concern either of you!" she exclaimed, that nervous energy returning.
"Don't show weakness, kitty cat, it doesn't look good on you," Gwen growled. "Besides, it concerns Willow, which means it concerns pack. Something you are not a part of. Run along."
"You don't get to tell me what to do," Kennedy protested. She dusted herself off as she stepped towards the other three women. She seemed to swallowed the nervous energy again, making Willow uneasy; the witch didn't understand what was going on with the slayer and that didn't sit well in her head. Glancing at Patrick, Willow could tell the guard felt similarly. When Kennedy looked at her, Willow felt her insides tighten. Kennedy frowned. "Why are you making this so hard?"
Willow frowned back at her. "What's 'this,' Ken?"
There was a flash of something in Kennedy's eyes---something that made Willow think of Nathaniel, Micah, and a few of the other wereleopards she knew pretty well---and then it was gone.
"You always get under my skin," Kennedy whispered. "I always want to get under yours."
"We broke up a long time ago," Willow said quietly. "Causing problems with my pack isn't going to win me any favours. I'm not one of the slayerettes anymore. I'm the human servant of a pretty powerful vampire and I'm Lupa. You can't bully me into dating again."
"Is that really what I did?" Kennedy asked.
"You pressured me. I fell in love with you, but you pushed a lot," Willow reminded her. "And that's fine, I guess, because I needed to be pushed out of my grief, but we changed. When we were together and apart. You were worse than everyone else, in a way, because you encouraged me to do magic and then you punished me for scaring you or doing too much of it."
Kennedy frowned. "Willow, that's not---"
"Don't lie."
She sighed. "Fine, I handled the magic stuff badly. But, so did Buffy and Giles and Xander---"
Sylvie growled. "Don't speak of him."
Kennedy's eyes widened. "What? Why?"
"He nearly killed her---after he killed his fiancée," Sylvie explained.
Gwen spoke next. "He's the enemy. Many of the pack would kill him on sight for what he did. Other shapeshifters might, too, because he did something no species can ever forgive."
"Guys, I appreciate the protection, I really do," Willow murmured. She touched both women on the arm. "But, he is a part of my past. He was my best friend for years, long before I ever came to St. Louis."
"Doesn't make the sentiment any less true, Lupa," Patrick mumbled.
Willow sighed. "I know," she murmured. She touched his arm briefly, not wanting to distract him from his job. Then, she turned back to Kennedy. "Giles said he picked slayers who weren't on Xander's side. Did he pick badly?"
"I'm on your side," she assured the witch. "I didn't know what happened. He asked if I could be loyal, and I can."
The redhead nodded. "Okay... but why are you pushing the other issue here, Ken?"
"I just want to understand, Willow," she said, almost whining. "I don't understand why you're here... happy... with men."
"Our Ulfric's pretty good for a man," Gwen purred. "He loves her. What does that matter?"
Kennedy made a quiet grumbling, growling sound under her breath. Gwen's eyebrows jumped up and she stepped forward, accepting the non-verbal challenge.
"Gwen?" Willow prompted. "There's no need to throw down out here. She insulted you, I get that, but she's not pack. She doesn't... she's not a part of our world."
Sylvie frowned. "I think she's more a part of it than she wants you to believe," she said contemplatively, as she looked over the slayer.
"I'm having nothing to do with your sick rules and group dependencies," Kennedy growled. She shoved her hands into her pockets. "Willow, I thought you would understand... I thought you'd think the same as me. But... you're just like them."
"Not so much, but yeah, I am, at the same time." Willow frowned. "What's wrong, Ken? Was Giles wrong to send you here? If you're gonna have problems helping to protect me and mine---"
"I'll tow the line and be a good slayer, but I don't have to like it," Kennedy cut in. "I wish you just understood. You used to understand me better."
"You want me to be something I'm not," Willow said quietly. "You want me to be something I refuse to go back to being."
"You like being with the demons?"
"They're not demons," Willow insisted. "We're all more than we understand, Ken. Even you. Remember when we found out what the Shadowmen did to give the slayers their power? Buffy said Dracula saw darkness in her powers and even after she came back... she saw a bit of darkness in it, too, I think. But, there's darkness in people, too."
Kennedy sighed. "I don't like hearing you defend them."
"I'm defending everyone," she murmured. "You, too, I guess."
Kennedy's eyes flashed angrily. "I don't need defending. I'm not weak."
Willow blinked. The press of the slayer's power made her take a step back. "What... what was that?" she asked.
"I don't know what you're talking about," the brunette muttered. She, too, took a step back in retreat. Sylvie tried to follow her, but Kennedy put her hands up. "Don't come any closer."
"Or what? You'll shift?"
"I don't do that."
"Ever? Or just not on nights that aren't full moon nights?" Sylvie asked.
"I'm not like you."
The werewolf nodded. "That's true. You're nothing like me. You think what we do is dirty... so you avoid it."
"I'm not an animal."
Willow studied the slayer. Sylvie was right, there was something about Kennedy that screamed shapeshifter---but only every once and a while, so that Willow wasn't sure what she was sensing. If she was that powerful, she was risking a serious breach of protocol by entering another's territory without permission. But, if she wasn't a shapeshifter, angering those she was supposed to be helping wasn't the best plan either.
She went with her instincts and guessed Kennedy was a wereleopard. "Why didn't you contact the Nimir-Raj?" she asked, not sure how much Anita had told Kennedy about Micah and their pard.
"I'm not a wereleopard," Kennedy insisted.
"Kennedy..."
"Look, maybe coming to see you was a bad idea," she muttered nervously. "I can see you have some sort of wolf thing going on tonight," she added as another two pack members crossed the street and headed towards them. "I didn't know. I thought... I thought maybe you'd understand me better now. I thought we could have a chance to fix things, but..."
"We broke up, Ken," Willow reminded her.
"I know. I just... I miss how things were, before. In Sunnydale."
"Really?" the witch asked.
Kennedy nodded. "Yeah. It sucked, with the First and the Bringers, but some of it didn't suck."
"I know," Willow murmured in agreement. She greeted the newcomers, welcomed them inside, and then returned her focus to the agitated brunette in front of her. She sighed. "Look, let's talk tomorrow or something, okay?"
"In a couple of days, I'll be working at the Circus," Kennedy said. "Maybe you'll be around?"
Willow shrugged. "It's possible, considering I live there most of the time."
"Oh. Okay. Right. Cool. I, uh, I'll see you then, then?"
"Sure. Be careful getting home, Ken."
The slayer hurried off, looking shaken. Willow looked at the other wolves. "That was weird, right?"
"She feels like a shapeshifter," Patrick said in a quiet voice. "But, only some of the time. If she is, she can hide it almost too well."
Sylvie nodded in agreement. "She's not our problem. She's not a wolf... but if you think it's best, call Anita or Micah and see if they picked up anything off of her when she was at the house."
"Thanks," Willow murmured. "That's a good idea."
"That wasn't the only thing that was weird, though," Patrick added. When Willow looked at him again, he said, "She was acting like a jealous girlfriend."
Willow shrugged. "She's always been a little intense."
"Well, she wants you back. Or, she would if you weren't part of the pack. Something about group life really gets on her nerves. Like she doesn't trust it. She was torn up. Indecision written all over her."
Gwen shrugged. "I used to like the indecisive girls," she admitted. She smiled. "They tasted so sweet... so nervous... it was a game to get them to admit they wanted me."
Sylvie rolled her eyes. "Oh, shuddup. She's gay. She's not indecisive about that."
"She never was, as long as I knew her," Willow commented, thinking back to the times when Kennedy chased after her. "But, something's on her mind. I just hope it doesn't get in the way of the job."
"Can we go back inside?" Patrick asked.
Willow nodded and she opened the door. She walked in first, followed by the other two women. Patrick closed the door and made sure it was locked before following them inside. Dawn was waiting, pacing, when they went into the apartment. Willow told her what she could---but left out the shapeshifter-y bits because she wasn't sure what that other energy coming off of Kennedy was about---and said that she was going to meet Kennedy again when they were both at the Circus.
Dawn wasn't happy about much of that. When Willow asked her about it, she said, "She used to be one of the ones I trusted implicitly. But, she took longer and longer assignments in remote places, and she started to like danger. Kinda like Faith did, but not so homicidally."
"So, she's not rogue?" Willow asked as she looked for her cellular phone.
"No, Giles and Buffy still trust her. I do, too, when it comes to slaying. But she changed. A lot. She's not like the girl we knew in Sunnydale anymore," Dawn warned her.
"Thanks, Dawnie," Willow murmured. "I'll keep it in mind."
"Make sure you do," Patrick added quietly as he went past her and down the hall.
Willow rolled her eyes. She found her phone and looked for the number to Anita's house. As she did, she looked at Gwen and Sylvie. "Do you two have anything else to add?"
Sylvie shook her head.
Gwen grinned. "You have good taste in women, Willow," she said with a playful seductive purr in her voice.
"Think Richard'll find her hot, too?" Willow asked, making Dawn choke on a laugh. "Maybe I should invite her over some day and get her acquainted to the finer points of pack life?"
"Too bad she's a leopard. Richard doesn't like them much," Gwen commented.
Dawn's eyes widened. "What?"
"We don't know for sure," Willow told the younger woman. "She... she felt like a lycanthrope, a little bit. Hard to pin down exactly what was going on with her."
"What are you gonna do?" Dawn asked.
Willow shrugged. "For now, I'm gonna call Anita or Micah and we'll take it from there." She patted Gwen's and Sylvie's arms. "Why don't you guys go get comfy? I'll make this call and join you."
"Alright. Holler if you need anything," Sylvie agreed, dragging her lover off before Gwen could say anything else.
With a few quick presses of buttons, Willow was calling Anita's house. She waved to the werewolves and went over to where Dawn was standing as she waited for someone to answer the phone.
"Hello?"
When she heard Nathaniel's voice, she smiled. "Hey, Nathaniel," she murmured. "You're home early."
"I danced early and didn't have to shift," he explained. "I'm baking cookies right now. What are you up to?"
"Just getting ready for my night with Emily and the pack," she replied. "Kennedy stopped by tonight. I guess their Watcher told her where I'd be tonight... kinda bugs me, but that's not what's important."
"You felt something funny off of her, too?"
Willow blinked, startled. Before she spoke, she reminded herself that she shouldn't be surprised because Nathaniel was often one of the most insightful around them. "What did you think it was?" she asked him.
"We made her uncomfortable," he told her. "Some of the pard was over, because they're worried about Anita, too, and we were comfortable. She was not."
"Just the cuddly stuff made her wig out?" Willow asked.
"Yeah. She ended up trading posts with Edward so she was watching the front porch and he was closer to the bedroom. She had serious problems with us piling into bed together, though," Nathaniel explained as she heard him working in the background. "She did her job well, according to Edward, so Anita's fine with her. But, there's something about lycanthropes that freaks her out."
Willow frowned. "Did Micah say anything about her?"
"Yeah, but you can ask him yourself. He's right here, trying to eat the batter from the sides of the mixing bowl when he thinks I'm not paying attention."
A moment later, after some scuffling and a brief bout of laughter, Micah was greeting her over the phone. "So, you met up with your ex tonight?" he asked, the laughter gone but seriousness not quite yet sinking in. "How'd that go?"
"She acted really weird. I didn't understand... I... we, I mean, kinda picked up on some sort of vibe around her. Were there any problems with her in your house?"
"She didn't seem comfortable with the nudity and sharing the bed, but seemed more at ease when Damian stopped by---maybe because he's something more familiar," Micah replied, recounting his impressions from that night. "She was careful. Really careful. No touching, but slayers aren't like us, right?"
"Uh, yeah. True."
He sighed. "So, uh, what are you looking for, Willow? Can I say 'just spit it out' without getting into a pissing contest?"
"Wow, you're tired," Willow commented. "You know I don't, ah, piss with you."
That earned her a chuckle. "You got me. Alright, I noticed something, but I wanted to wait until I was sure before acting on it... because acting on it could get someone hurt."
"You think she's a wereleopard?"
"I know she's a wereleopard," Micah confirmed it for her. Willow heard---and almost felt---Nathaniel's surprise. "Merle and I knew almost right after she came into the room. Noah figured it out a little while later. Anita doesn't know yet, because her 'shoot first, ask questions later' approach tends to make me cautious, and we'll all pay for that, but this girl's been on her own too long---I'd say almost ever since she was infected. I chose not to challenge her last night because there weren't enough alphas around and she was way too skittish."
"She was like that tonight, a little, too," Willow said quietly.
"Soon, though, I'm going to have to confront her. Anita and I decided a long time ago that we weren't going to have any rogue leopards in St. Louis. Cat lycanthropy's hard to catch and we don't have that many in our pard. She could get herself or one of us hurt---or a complete normal, I guess, too. We aren't going to play with those odds. Especially with things so tense across the country."
Willow nodded. "Okay... yeah. I mean, I do agree, totally."
"I thought you'd get it."
"I'll probably be talking to her in the next couple of days. Anything you want me to say... or not say?"
"Don't challenge her in the Circus," Micah advised. "Don't mention that we know. Just... if you can, figure out what bothers her about our way of life? I will handle this soon---I promise."
"I trust you, so I'll tell the pack that's here---those who noticed, anyway---to keep their mouths shut," Willow told him. "Thank you for telling me."
"Thanks for coming to me, Willow. I already knew, but I appreciate the gesture."
"What're friends for?" she murmured.
He chuckled. "Yeah, true. And, I'll tell you when I've knocked some sense into her, too."
"Why do I think you mean knock in the physical sense and not the metaphorical sense?"
"Because we're wereanimals, Willow, and you're not that naïve," Micah replied. "It's a challenge to our authority."
She sighed. "Yeah... I know. She just... used to be my girl. I don't like to think of her being in trouble."
"It's her fault."
"Yeah," Willow agreed quietly. She sighed again. "You'll keep me informed?"
"I promise. As Nimir-Raj, to Lupa."
"I didn't need anything so formal, but thanks," she murmured, smiling. "I guess I'll let you get back to harassing Nathaniel, then."
Micah laughed a little. "He's threatened to beat me with a wooden spoon, but the cookie dough's worth the risk."
"I bet."
"I'll talk to you soon, Willow."
"Bye," she said before he ended the call. She sighed and looked at Dawn. "Anything you heard, you don't repeat to anyone."
Dawn nodded. "I know the drill." She frowned. "Why didn't she tell us?"
Willow shrugged. "I don't know. Promise me you won't be alone with her until Micah deals with her?"
"Deals with her?"
"Dawnie..."
The brunette frowned. "I just don't like how that sounds."
"She's all but declared herself as rogue, trying to hide herself from Anita and Micah," Willow explained to her. "And she's really nervous about being around groups of shapeshifters. Something about the group part of it sets her off. That's dangerous---the beast needs the group. It heals, it nurtures. Denying herself that, it's hurting her and she's not aware of it."
Dawn sighed. "I know... I know. And Micah and Anita---well, I like Micah more than Anita, but I'm on Team Willow in pentumvirate matters, anyway---aren't bad leaders. I like Nathaniel and Gregory and Cherry and Zane---"
"They're good people," Willow agreed.
"Merle kind of scares me, but that's mostly the leather talking."
Willow laughed. "Yeah, me, too, a little. But, he hasn't survived so long without looking and being tough. The strategy's working for him."
"I guess." Dawn looked at the witch. "You're gonna let Micah and Anita handle things?"
"It's their pard, it's their rules," Willow told her. "If she was a wolf, they'd let Richard and me handle it."
"Okay."
Willow touched Dawn's shoulder. "Can you keep this secret?"
"Yeah. I'm a little afraid I won't be able to pretend I don't know in front of her, but as long as she's not hanging around the apartment, I guess I won't have that problem too often." She looked at Willow. "Let me know when I don't have to be so careful?"
"As soon as I know, you'll be my first call."
"Cool. Okay. Good."
Willow smiled and hugged her. "This'll all get straightened out soon. We'll help Kennedy see sense. I promise you, no matter how you and I really feel about her, we'll make sure she knows we're in her corner."
Dawn nodded. "Okay. Go to bed, would ya?"
"Get your homework done, would ya?" Willow shot back, making the younger girl laugh.
She hugged the girl again before she wandered off toward her bedroom. When she peeked into the room, she saw that everyone was very carefully curled up around an empty spot on the bed. She leaned against the door frame and looked at them all. One by one, with the exception of Emily who seemed to be sound asleep, they looked back at her. She smiled; they smiled back.
"Is that spot for me?" she asked.
Stephen nodded, rubbing his hand over the sheet. "Between me and Emily. Is that okay?"
Part of Willow wished it had been Jason she would sleep next to, but she slept next to Jason a lot more than she did the other pack members so she hid her first reaction behind a smile. Stephen was a friend, too, and she never wanted to play favourites. The smile wasn't a lie; it was the truth, and when Stephen realised that, he smiled back at her.
"Just let me trade my pants for some shorts," she murmured.
"Did you talk to Anita?" Sylvie asked, once she started rummaging in a drawer for sleeping clothes.
"I talked to Micah. You guys all probably heard what I was saying."
"Some of it," Gwen conceded.
"I don't like giving orders, but this is important," Willow said, a pair of shorts in hand. "You guys can't share what you heard with anyone else. I don't want you discussing it amongst yourselves, either. Not until I say it's okay."
"You're letting Micah handle things," Sylvie commented.
She nodded. "It's his pard. She lied to him. It's their thing to sort out."
"Anita's gonna be pissed," Seeley mumbled. "Especially when she knows I know, too. Micah not telling her will be bad enough, but she'll wonder why I don't cough up that information---"
"Because you're pack," Willow said, cutting him off. "Because Anita's not Lupa. I am. I'm the one telling you to keep this to yourself until the leopards sort it out."
Seeley whined quietly. She went over to the bed and touched his bare shoulder. "I'm not pissed, but you need to recognise the chain of command here, Seeley. You live with her and she feeds off of you, but I'm Lupa and she's Bolverk."
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
She let him rise to her knees and lick her upper lip. Then, she pulled him into a hug and inhaled the scent of wolves. Before she could curb the impulse of the pack, she bit into the fleshy juncture between the man's shoulder and neck. She bit down hard enough to leave a toothy impression and then she released him.
"Lie down," she murmured. "I just have to change."
He nodded and fell pretty effortlessly back into position---without crashing into anyone else.
Willow smiled and ducked out of the room to brush her teeth and change her clothes. When she came back, she crawled across the bed and bodies to find her spot between Stephen and Emily. The teenager wriggled into her, even though she was asleep, and the gesture made Willow smile again. She closed her eyes, listening to the pack drifting off all around her.
AUTHOR: 38gnihsurc
RATING: en.sea.xvii, overall
PAIRINGS: All the pairings from the previous two stories---and some new ones, too
SPOILERS: Up until Micah for AB; the whole TV series for the Buffyverse; Alive at Last and Living Underground.
WARNINGS: A little bit of fur... bdsm... the usuals for Anita's crazy, crazy world.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anyone---except for any original characters that I whip up to do my bidding ;)
NOTE: This story is a sequel to Living Underground.
Previous chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9-11, 12, 13, 14-5, 16-7, 18-9, 20-1, 22, 23, 24-5, 26-7, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32-3, 34-7, 38, 39-40, 41, 42, 43-44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51A, 51B, 52, 53, 54, 55-6, 57, 58A, 58B, 59, 60, 61, 62-63, 64, 65, 66-7
PART SIXTY-EIGHT
Christine wasn't much happier after the meeting with the lycanthrope leaders and the vampires, but Willow didn't know what else they could do aside from assuring her that Asher hadn't gained an animal to call. Anita didn't have any ties to the tigers through lycanthropy, and there was nothing else to explain the increase in the weretiger population.
The leaders of the various species of shapeshifter all seemed amenable to the arrival of the slayers. They didn't want what happened to Billy to happen to one of their own, and if the slayers could help police the streets and protect those coming in and out of their businesses, then they were all for the extra muscle coming into the city. They were also pleased that they didn't have to allow other enforcers from other cities into their territory.
When the meeting concluded, in the back room of the Lunatic Café, Rafael approached Willow, his bodyguard at his back.
"I want to thank you personally," he said quietly, taking her hand in his. "You didn't owe the rodere anything, yet you came to my littlest one's aid. You healed him when you didn't have to."
"I wish I could've done more, but when I channelled the munin---"
"Raina?" he supplied, cutting her off.
She nodded. "Micah was right to pull me away. The images were too much for me."
The wererat king smiled a little as he nodded. "I understand. Still, you have done me a service you weren't obliged to take on, and I will always consider you a friend for that."
Willow squeezed his hand. "We're in this together. They're not just after rats, Rafael, they're after all of us."
"But, you could go walk among them."
"Not willingly," she murmured sadly, "and not without serious repercussions. My place is here, with the kiss and the pack, and everyone else."
"Then, we're lucky to have you here," he decided. "I know now you don't see this as a debt, but if you ever need anything, let me know. I would like to return the favour."
She smiled and nodded. "Okay. Thanks, Rafael."
He released her hand with a nod of his head and walked away, towards the double doors that would take him to the hallway that bridged the public and private areas of the establishment.
Willow turned and saw Richard talking with Sylvie and Christine; she scanned over the crowd and saw Asher sitting with Anita. Jean-Claude was talking to Micah and Narcissus. Their conversations seemed casual, as the gathering broke up for the night. She smiled as she took them all in; her family was still strong, in the face of whatever was happening to them and their city.
"Hey, Red."
Faith was at her side. She turned, smiled, and gave the slayer a half-hug, mindful of the baby-bulge.
"Hey, what's up?"
"Slayers arrived, got 'em all settled in for the night," she replied. "I can take you to 'em, if you want."
"They're in the apartments Jean-Claude rented, right?" Willow asked.
Faith nodded. "Yep."
"Then, they'll be fine there for the night. I can see them tomorrow some time."
"Fine."
Willow looked into the brunette's face and saw tension in her features. "What's wrong?"
"They sent Robin as their watcher."
"Seriously?"
"He said he didn't volunteer, but I bet---" she broke off and sighed. "I haven't told Damian yet. I want to. I just... don't want those two ever meeting, if I can arrange it."
Willow frowned. "Did Robin... I mean, does he know..." she trailed off and gestured towards Faith's belly.
"He knows I'm knocked up, Will. He's not blind." Faith chuckled and shook her head. "He doesn't know it's a vamp's baby. You know how he is... he'll tow the line like a good soldier, but what he did to Spike? Not on, Red. Not on at all. How do I know he's not gonna go crazy-jealous and---"
"You two broke up. He knows it's over," Willow interjected quietly. "And, I think Damian's more than capable of handling himself."
"True."
"What did he say when he saw you?" the witch asked.
"Oh, just the usual... and then some stuff about how he's gotta meet whoever tamed me. Like I'm a rabid animal."
Willow rubbed Faith's arm. "You're not. And I don't think Damian's tamed you."
"Well, whatever... but, guess who else they sent?
"I don't wanna know."
"Oh, you totally don't," Faith agreed. "Kennedy's here. A few years older, and rocking some serious power, lemme tell you, but... yeah. She's here. Giles was right to send her, since she's used to some hinky stuff, but..."
"Fuck."
Faith snorted.
"Did Giles really think that sending them would be the best thing?" Willow asked.
"I think he sent them because he couldn't send anyone else in their places," Faith replied. "And that's both good and bad."
"Bad because no one else was willing to take the gig?"
"Yeah."
"But, good because they know us and hopefully trust our judgement still," Willow said. Then, she sighed. "This sucks."
"Tell me about it. I'd say that we should grab a beer and drown our nerves in it, but baby's not up to alcohol, so how about some ice cream?"
Willow laughed, but it wasn't an altogether happy sound. "Okay... okay. Do you mind waiting until the crowd thins out a bit? I want to tell Asher and Richard where I'm going, too."
"Sure," Faith agreed. "I gotta check in with the Bossman anyway."
They waited until it was just Richard, Asher, Anita, and Jean-Claude, plus bodyguards, and then they approached the group. Faith went up to Jean-Claude without hesitation, but Willow hesitated on her approach. A sound from the double doors drew her attention; when she turned to the doorway, she saw Edward standing there in his long, outback coat. She froze on the spot.
"Xander?" she asked.
He shook his head. "Nah. I'm not here for you."
"Who, then?"
He motioned to Anita. "Her."
Anita noticed Edward's arrival, too, by that point. "What do you mean?" she asked.
"Could you make friends instead of enemies for once?" Edward asked. "Got a tip. They couldn't hire me, because I don't fit the bill, but I figured I'd have more fun protecting you than taking any other gig, so here I am."
"Has someone placed another hit on Anita?" Jean-Claude asked, turning his attention from Faith to Edward.
"Yeah, with real odd qualifiers on it."
"Edward, spit it out," Anita growled.
"Lycanthrope killers are bein' hired," Edward said in a drawling voice. "Apparently, tigers, bears, foxes, hyenas, rats... anyone you're not all cozy with."
"The rats and hyenas are in league with us," Jean-Claude said.
"But, she's not with 'em."
"This is not good," Willow mumbled. "We need those groups for guarding duty."
Jean-Claude sighed. "I will call both Narcissus and Rafael. See if they can't deny access to anyone, or find a way to forbid those already under them from participating in such behaviour." He looked at Anita. "Call your cats and Damian. Make sure they know not to go to your house. You will be living at the Circus for a while."
"Jean-Claude---"
"Non. I do not care. This is your life."
"But---"
"Non."
Anita sighed. "It didn't work last time," she muttered.
"This is different!" Jean-Claude shouted.
Anita paled. Willow glanced at Faith and then looked away.
"Jean-Claude... what if... well, Edward can stay at my place. We'll up the guards, maybe keep a couple of slayers at the house... they haven't made a move yet. Maybe no one will take the bait." Anita looked at Edward. "Was it a big price tag?"
"Not as big as last time," Edward replied. "In fact, I would've passed. It wasn't up to my level."
"Weird."
He nodded. Then, he shrugged. "Could just be someone's not aware of how the business is run, or could be someone that doesn't really care much."
"But, you're sure someone's gonna take the bait?" Anita asked.
"Not completely. But, I figured it was better to be safe than sorry."
Anita rolled her eyes. "No, you just figured you'd have fun trying to keep my ass safe."
"That, too."
She sighed. "Damn it. Can this week get any worse?"
Willow looked to Jean-Claude. "I can call the apartments and have Robin send a couple of girls to Anita's place," she offered. "It might be a good idea, to get their feet wet... to get them used to the craziness."
Jean-Claude frowned. He looked at Anita and then back to Willow. "Fine," he agreed. He looked back at his human servant. "If anyone makes an attempt on your life, you are moving your happy little family to the Circus. I will not waiver on this, Anita."
She nodded. "Okay... okay. I agree."
"If anyone makes an attempt on your life and succeeds, I will come after you, Monsieur Death," Jean-Claude said in a menacing tone of voice.
Willow turned her back on the group and dialled the number to the first apartment. A slayer she didn't think she knew answered the phone, but told her that Robin was in the other apartment. So, after ending the call, she tried again.
"Hey, Willow," Robin said in a deep, easygoing tone of voice. "I thought I'd be seeing you at the airport instead of Faith."
"I had a meeting tonight, so I couldn't make it," she told him. She avoided the topic of Faith because she didn't want to be the one to tell him who the baby's father was. "Did you guys get settled okay?"
"Despite the usual problems that arise when a bunch of young women are sharing bedrooms and bathrooms, yeah."
Willow smiled. "Do a couple of them feel like some action tonight?"
"What've ya got for us?"
"Just a protection detail. There's a hit out on the Nimir-Ra, apparently, and she's got guards, but we thought a couple of extra fighters might be good in case someone decides to take it."
"This have something to do with the hellmouth crap?"
Willow frowned. She wasn't sure. "It could," she told Robin. "We're not entirely sure where anything fits these days."
"Fair enough. Giles told me things could get bad before they get better, but that's nothing we haven't faced before, now, is it?"
"No," Willow agreed. She felt Richard walk up behind her. She leaned into his body and sighed when he put his hands on her hips. "I can pick them up and take them to the house, if you want?"
"Nah, that's okay. This wereleopard... Giles briefed us as best as he could, but, he couldn't get into many names with us. Major players like their privacy. Do you have a name for her?"
"I do," Willow replied. She looked over at Jean-Claude. After a silent question, he nodded, so she revealed Anita's identity. "She's got a job and stuff, so she'll be busy tomorrow, but I thought it'd be a good idea to get a couple of the girls initiated and they can brief the others at shift change or whatever," she added.
"Sure... sure. How about I send Kennedy with... well, I'll pick someone who's still awake. The girls listen to Kennedy, though, so she'll be the best bet for the first guard job."
Willow tried not to tense up. Richard's hands on her hips helped with that. "Uh... sure. Yeah. She can handle that. Give her my cell phone number, okay? If she has any questions or problems..."
"Got it. Guess we'll divide the others up tomorrow?"
"If that's okay..."
Robin seemed to accept it. Willow gave him the address, told him that Anita would be on her way home soon, and ended the call.
Richard kissed her temple. "What's up?" he asked.
"Ex-girlfriend is one of the slayers in town," Willow mumbled.
"Ah."
"Yeah. And their watcher is Faith's ex. So, we're just... happy."
Richard smiled and kissed the same spot again. "As long as she's not going to steal your heart on us, then, we can be happy," he whispered.
Willow gave a small chuckle and then turned in his arms. "She couldn't," she assured him. "I love you and Asher too much to walk away."
"Good," he replied.
Asher came up to them. "Your former lover is in town?" he asked. When Willow nodded, he reached out and cupped her cheek in one hand. "How difficult will this make things for you?"
She shrugged. "I won't know until after I see her, I guess. We didn't end on the best of terms... so I'm not looking forward to that, but Giles was probably right to send her."
He nodded. After glancing at Richard, he leaned in and kissed her. "Will you do that tonight?" he asked after the gentle touch.
"No, probably tomorrow," Willow replied.
"Bon," he whispered. "Then, I can take you home?"
"Absolutely," she murmured. She eased away from Richard and kissed him. Then, she looked at Anita. "Robin's gonna send Kennedy and another girl to your place soon," she told the necromancer. "You'll have your extra manpower."
"Good. Thanks, Willow."
"Be careful, okay?" she said. "This whole thing smells funny."
Anita snorted. "No kidding," she agreed.
She looked at Edward, motioned towards the door, and he nodded. Anita went to Jean-Claude, kissed him once, and then headed off with the assassin.
Willow turned back to her Ulfric. "Can you stay with us tonight?"
He frowned and shook his head. "Wish I could, but Emily and I have school tomorrow."
"Okay... will I see you tomorrow?"
"I'm gonna drop Emily off at the apartment, so yeah," he murmured, reminding her that it would be Thursday. "Maybe I'll bring supper with us?"
"Sounds good," she murmured back. "Be careful, too."
"I will," he promised.
They shared another kiss and then he, too, left the meeting room. Willow looked at Jean-Claude, Faith, and Asher and shrugged. "Guess it's time to head back to the Circus?"
"Yeah," Faith agreed. "Let's go home."
Willow smiled. "Lemme guess. Baby's hungry?"
"Always!" Faith chirped.
The witch smiled; she reached out and took Asher's hand. "I guess things are gonna get better before they get worse, huh?" she asked.
"We will work through it," he murmured, before tugging her closer.
&&&&
PART SIXTY-NINE
"Emily, get ready for bed," Willow called out as the young werewolf was headed for the bathroom. "I'm gonna check your math homework, and then I'll join you in the bedroom."
"Okay, cool!"
Willow smiled as the young girl hurried off down the hall. She looked at Dawn. "How are things going with you?"
"Oh, y'know... lotsa work, time running out," the brunette replied. She smiled and leaned back on the sofa. "But, things are looking up with Jason."
"Yeah?"
Dawn nodded. "Valentine's Day was perfect. Or pretty close to it, anyway," she said. "He was so sweet... so romantic. Doing all the right guy things."
Willow smiled more. "I'm glad," she murmured. She reached out and touched Dawn's arm. "Did you want me to call and see if he's coming over?"
"Nah," the other girl said with a shake of her head. "If he comes over, then he's here. But tonight's not about me. It's about you, Emily, and pack stuff. I can wait until our next date."
"Okay."
Dawn studied the redhead. Then, after a long pause, she asked: "How are you about Kennedy being in town?"
"Oh... well... I haven't really talked to her yet," Willow admitted. "I went to the apartment today to talk to Robin and the slayers, but I avoided talking to her alone. She tried, but I can be evasive when I need to be."
Dawn frowned. "You can't put it off forever."
"I know."
Willow did know that. But, she wasn't ready to talk things out---or to see Kennedy seeing her happy with her two lovers. She didn't want to justify her life to anyone else; she just wanted the hellmouth problems to go away so she could continue living the way she chose to do so. She knew Kennedy would push her to explain her situation; she knew Kennedy would push until she could understand it and since Buffy and Giles barely understood Willow's life, she knew it would take the other slayer many more days and many more questions and Willow did not want to be around for any of it.
Still, she knew that they needed Kennedy to help influence the other girls' good work. She was a good slayer. She was a strong woman. She would be helpful in keeping them safe.
"Look, I get it. I remember you two breaking up... and I never really liked her all that much to begin with," Dawn confessed. "But, if she's willing to try to understand, shouldn't you try to explain it to her?"
"Yeah."
Dawn took Willow's hand in hers. "It's gonna be okay," the brunette murmured. "We just have apocalyptic events to deal with and exes to get off our collective case, and then we'll be fine again."
Willow chuckled. "I guess Faith and Robin---"
"Faith told him today about Damian. Robin's less than impressed," Dawn said, confirming Willow's deduction. "She knew it had to happen sooner, rather than later, but now, he's pissed. Mostly that she found the things he was offering her in the arms of a vampire."
She turned and looked at Dawn. "How pissed is he?"
"The regular amount."
"Does she need to be careful around him?"
"I don't think she's going to willingly spend time with him unless he apologises for the things he said to her."
Willow frowned. "When did Faith tell you that?"
"At lunch," Dawn replied.
"Robin didn't tell me any of this," Willow whispered.
"He's not angry at you."
She shrugged. "Yeah, but, I couldn't even tell that he was angry. He was just... normal."
"Maybe he didn't mention it because you and Faith both live with vampires?" Dawn suggested. "Maybe he sees you on her side."
"I'm not on---" she broke off. Then, she smiled. "Okay. Yeah, I'm on her side. But it's not really about sides. Faith's happy. Damian's a good guy. This is a good thing."
"I know."
Willow sighed. "Maybe this slayer thing isn't a good idea."
Dawn squeezed her hand. "You can always send them back."
"Yeah."
They lapsed into silence. Willow didn't know what else to say and she didn't know what she wanted to hear; despite the fact that the silence was bugging her, she was glad Dawn wasn't saying anything.
When the buzzer sounded, they both startled.
Dawn pushed up into a standing position first. "I'll get it," she said. "It's probably some of your pack."
"Thanks, Dawnie."
The brunette pushed the button on the intercom. "Hello?"
"Dawn? Is that you?"
Dawn released the button and grumbled under her breath. Then, she pushed it again. "Hi, Kennedy," she said, ice in her voice. "Whatcha doing here?"
"Robin said Willow's here. I want to see her."
Dawn released the button again. She looked at Willow. "I... I don't really want any of the slayers up here," she admitted. "And I don't think fighting inside is going to be a good thing for Emily. And then our guards'll get twitchy, and then---"
"I'm with you," Willow agreed. "Especially if some of the pack gets here and sees us fighting." She sighed and stood up. "I'll go downstairs."
"Thanks, Will."
Willow slipped into a pair of shoes and grabbed her coat. "If I'm not back inside in fifteen minutes, could you ask Patrick---" she broke off and sighed. "Nevermind. He won't let me outside without someone else," she mumbled. She sighed again and then called out for her guard. When he appeared in the hallway, she said, "One of the slayers is downstairs. Can you come outside with me?"
He smiled and nodded. "Absolutely. You all set?"
"Yep."
He went out the door first; Willow followed him down the stairs. He opened the outer door, and went to move outside, but stopped when Kennedy stepped towards him.
"Who---"
"Back off, Willow's here to see you," Patrick said firmly.
"Why can't we just go inside?" Kennedy asked.
"I don't make the rules, I just enforce them," the werewolf told the slayer. Willow bit back a laugh. When it came to security, Patrick was making more of the rules than she'd like, but she was glad he wasn't letting Kennedy know that. "Will you step back?"
"Uh... that wasn't part of my plan, but... sure."
A minute later, Patrick seemed satisfied because he let Willow outside after he stepped out and scanned the immediate area.
Seeing Kennedy that day had been stressful, but not nearly as stressful as it was that night. Willow touched Patrick's arm and scented the pack off of him; that helped her nerves somewhat, but when she looked back at the slayer she once loved, she could feel the jitters in her stomach threatening to take over her whole body.
"Hi," Willow said quietly.
"I wanted to talk to you this afternoon, but you ran out before I could pin you down."
Willow nodded, ignoring the slayer's choice of words and her tone of voice. She then said: "I had other places to be."
"Here?" Kennedy asked. She squinted as she looked up at the building. "It doesn't look like much. But, you live with Dawn, right? That's cool. Like old times."
"That's probably the only thing that's like old times," Willow mumbled. She sighed. "It's not really a great time to chat, Ken. I have plans."
"A date?"
"Sort of," Willow replied.
"Look, Giles wouldn't tell me everything, and I don't want to pry, but---"
"I don't owe you an explanation," Willow said. "My life's working and I'm not going to let anyone screw that up."
Kennedy put her hands up. "I'm not gonna screw it up." She tilted her head. "Well, not on purpose," she added. "I... I guess... well, we broke up because---"
"Because you didn't like magic, and you liked it too much, all at the same time," Willow reminded her. "And because you liked going off on dangerous missions without telling me where you were going."
"Yeah, but now we're both here."
Willow sighed. "Yeah, we're both here. That doesn't mean anything."
"You said you'd always love me."
"In a way, I do," Willow admitted. "But, it's not the same, and I won't give up the ones in my heart now... not to go back to what we had."
Kennedy tensed. For a minute, Willow felt something that wasn't her slayer energy, but she couldn't determine what it was. Kennedy seemed to swallow it all back into her body before Willow could decide what was happening in front of her. She guessed Patrick felt something similar, because the guard went very still. He growled; the slayer glared at him, eyes flashing angrily.
"Easy, Patrick," Willow murmured.
"Lupa, she's making a threat."
"Yeah, but I'm not making it any easier," Willow admitted quietly.
"Is this the welcoming committee?"
Willow turned and saw Jason approaching the stoop, flanked by Stephen and Seeley. She smiled despite the earlier tension and when her familiar was close enough, she reached out and hugged him.
"What's up?" he asked in her ear.
"I'll tell you later, snoop," she murmured affectionately. "Go on upstairs. Emily's getting ready for bed."
He licked her lip and pulled away so she could greet Stephen and Seeley. She hugged them both, too, and when they pulled back they licked her the same way Jason had. Having the pack closer opened her shielding to the others; she could feel Sylvie and Gwen driving closer to the building, and she sensed some of the others on their way, too. She rubbed Stephen's arm and let them both pass.
"You'll be up soon, right?" Stephen asked.
She nodded. "Yep."
"We'll keep a spot in the bed warm for you."
"Thanks," she whispered. "Seeley, you don't have to stay at Anita's tonight?"
"I fed her this morning. I'm not back on duty until tomorrow night, at the earliest," he replied. He eyed Kennedy. "Who's she?"
"An old friend."
"She smells like trouble."
Willow chuckled, but she didn't ignore the warning. "Get inside, would you?"
He licked her mouth again before disappearing into the building.
Kennedy's eyes had gone wide during that exchange. When Willow looked back at her, she said, "They're all your lovers?"
Willow shook her head as Patrick coughed to clear his throat. "No... no. They're friends. They're spending the night," she explained as vaguely as she could.
"But..."
"I'm learning what it means to be a good Lupa," Willow said. "And, my mate thinks it's good for me to bunk with some of the pack."
"Giles said you don't shift."
Willow nodded. "I don't. But, I still carry wolf lycanthropy. I still feel the call of the full moon like they do. I run and hunt with the pack. I just don't shift."
She hadn't meant to admit that much to Kennedy, but when she said it, she hadn't felt regret about revealing any of it. She felt concern, though, because something was in Kennedy's facial expression that she didn't like and couldn't decipher.
"You're with the local Ulfric."
"Yeah," Willow said quietly.
"And a vampire. Both men." Willow nodded. Kennedy frowned. "Lesbianism was a phase, then?"
The witch shook her head. "No... I think it's more about the people I was attracted to than anything else," she said to try to explain. "I love both of them... and they've helped make St. Louis my home. No one will ever change that."
"You don't mind that they have fangs?"
"No," Willow murmured. She smiled and shrugged. "They make me happy, Kennedy. And they don't freak out when I do magic." She watched Gwen and Sylvie approaching behind the slayer. When they crossed the street, Kennedy looked at them from over her shoulder. Gwen smirked and pulled Sylvie close; Sylvie wore a similar expression on her face. Willow wanted to shake her head and tell them both to behave, but she knew discouraging Gwen was like encouraging her at times. "Hey guys," she called out to them. "Some of the others are upstairs, if you wanna---"
"I wanna meet the new girl," Gwen interrupted. "She's got a cute ass."
Sylvie rolled her eyes. "Go inside."
"Hardly. You're the one who pointed it out," Gwen purred. "Let's just stay a while and check her out."
"I don't do threesomes," Kennedy muttered.
"Neither do we," Gwen said. "We just wanna check you out."
"I don't do that, either."
"If our Lupa was checking you out, I bet you'd let her."
"Maybe," Kennedy admitted crossly. Sylvie reached out to touch her, but Kennedy grabbed her wrist and twisted it away from her body. Sylvie growled and pushed with her arm and body, sending Kennedy back into the wall of the building. She cursed under her breath and regained her equilibrium against the brick surface at her back. "Fuck off! This doesn't concern either of you!" she exclaimed, that nervous energy returning.
"Don't show weakness, kitty cat, it doesn't look good on you," Gwen growled. "Besides, it concerns Willow, which means it concerns pack. Something you are not a part of. Run along."
"You don't get to tell me what to do," Kennedy protested. She dusted herself off as she stepped towards the other three women. She seemed to swallowed the nervous energy again, making Willow uneasy; the witch didn't understand what was going on with the slayer and that didn't sit well in her head. Glancing at Patrick, Willow could tell the guard felt similarly. When Kennedy looked at her, Willow felt her insides tighten. Kennedy frowned. "Why are you making this so hard?"
Willow frowned back at her. "What's 'this,' Ken?"
There was a flash of something in Kennedy's eyes---something that made Willow think of Nathaniel, Micah, and a few of the other wereleopards she knew pretty well---and then it was gone.
"You always get under my skin," Kennedy whispered. "I always want to get under yours."
"We broke up a long time ago," Willow said quietly. "Causing problems with my pack isn't going to win me any favours. I'm not one of the slayerettes anymore. I'm the human servant of a pretty powerful vampire and I'm Lupa. You can't bully me into dating again."
"Is that really what I did?" Kennedy asked.
"You pressured me. I fell in love with you, but you pushed a lot," Willow reminded her. "And that's fine, I guess, because I needed to be pushed out of my grief, but we changed. When we were together and apart. You were worse than everyone else, in a way, because you encouraged me to do magic and then you punished me for scaring you or doing too much of it."
Kennedy frowned. "Willow, that's not---"
"Don't lie."
She sighed. "Fine, I handled the magic stuff badly. But, so did Buffy and Giles and Xander---"
Sylvie growled. "Don't speak of him."
Kennedy's eyes widened. "What? Why?"
"He nearly killed her---after he killed his fiancée," Sylvie explained.
Gwen spoke next. "He's the enemy. Many of the pack would kill him on sight for what he did. Other shapeshifters might, too, because he did something no species can ever forgive."
"Guys, I appreciate the protection, I really do," Willow murmured. She touched both women on the arm. "But, he is a part of my past. He was my best friend for years, long before I ever came to St. Louis."
"Doesn't make the sentiment any less true, Lupa," Patrick mumbled.
Willow sighed. "I know," she murmured. She touched his arm briefly, not wanting to distract him from his job. Then, she turned back to Kennedy. "Giles said he picked slayers who weren't on Xander's side. Did he pick badly?"
"I'm on your side," she assured the witch. "I didn't know what happened. He asked if I could be loyal, and I can."
The redhead nodded. "Okay... but why are you pushing the other issue here, Ken?"
"I just want to understand, Willow," she said, almost whining. "I don't understand why you're here... happy... with men."
"Our Ulfric's pretty good for a man," Gwen purred. "He loves her. What does that matter?"
Kennedy made a quiet grumbling, growling sound under her breath. Gwen's eyebrows jumped up and she stepped forward, accepting the non-verbal challenge.
"Gwen?" Willow prompted. "There's no need to throw down out here. She insulted you, I get that, but she's not pack. She doesn't... she's not a part of our world."
Sylvie frowned. "I think she's more a part of it than she wants you to believe," she said contemplatively, as she looked over the slayer.
"I'm having nothing to do with your sick rules and group dependencies," Kennedy growled. She shoved her hands into her pockets. "Willow, I thought you would understand... I thought you'd think the same as me. But... you're just like them."
"Not so much, but yeah, I am, at the same time." Willow frowned. "What's wrong, Ken? Was Giles wrong to send you here? If you're gonna have problems helping to protect me and mine---"
"I'll tow the line and be a good slayer, but I don't have to like it," Kennedy cut in. "I wish you just understood. You used to understand me better."
"You want me to be something I'm not," Willow said quietly. "You want me to be something I refuse to go back to being."
"You like being with the demons?"
"They're not demons," Willow insisted. "We're all more than we understand, Ken. Even you. Remember when we found out what the Shadowmen did to give the slayers their power? Buffy said Dracula saw darkness in her powers and even after she came back... she saw a bit of darkness in it, too, I think. But, there's darkness in people, too."
Kennedy sighed. "I don't like hearing you defend them."
"I'm defending everyone," she murmured. "You, too, I guess."
Kennedy's eyes flashed angrily. "I don't need defending. I'm not weak."
Willow blinked. The press of the slayer's power made her take a step back. "What... what was that?" she asked.
"I don't know what you're talking about," the brunette muttered. She, too, took a step back in retreat. Sylvie tried to follow her, but Kennedy put her hands up. "Don't come any closer."
"Or what? You'll shift?"
"I don't do that."
"Ever? Or just not on nights that aren't full moon nights?" Sylvie asked.
"I'm not like you."
The werewolf nodded. "That's true. You're nothing like me. You think what we do is dirty... so you avoid it."
"I'm not an animal."
Willow studied the slayer. Sylvie was right, there was something about Kennedy that screamed shapeshifter---but only every once and a while, so that Willow wasn't sure what she was sensing. If she was that powerful, she was risking a serious breach of protocol by entering another's territory without permission. But, if she wasn't a shapeshifter, angering those she was supposed to be helping wasn't the best plan either.
She went with her instincts and guessed Kennedy was a wereleopard. "Why didn't you contact the Nimir-Raj?" she asked, not sure how much Anita had told Kennedy about Micah and their pard.
"I'm not a wereleopard," Kennedy insisted.
"Kennedy..."
"Look, maybe coming to see you was a bad idea," she muttered nervously. "I can see you have some sort of wolf thing going on tonight," she added as another two pack members crossed the street and headed towards them. "I didn't know. I thought... I thought maybe you'd understand me better now. I thought we could have a chance to fix things, but..."
"We broke up, Ken," Willow reminded her.
"I know. I just... I miss how things were, before. In Sunnydale."
"Really?" the witch asked.
Kennedy nodded. "Yeah. It sucked, with the First and the Bringers, but some of it didn't suck."
"I know," Willow murmured in agreement. She greeted the newcomers, welcomed them inside, and then returned her focus to the agitated brunette in front of her. She sighed. "Look, let's talk tomorrow or something, okay?"
"In a couple of days, I'll be working at the Circus," Kennedy said. "Maybe you'll be around?"
Willow shrugged. "It's possible, considering I live there most of the time."
"Oh. Okay. Right. Cool. I, uh, I'll see you then, then?"
"Sure. Be careful getting home, Ken."
The slayer hurried off, looking shaken. Willow looked at the other wolves. "That was weird, right?"
"She feels like a shapeshifter," Patrick said in a quiet voice. "But, only some of the time. If she is, she can hide it almost too well."
Sylvie nodded in agreement. "She's not our problem. She's not a wolf... but if you think it's best, call Anita or Micah and see if they picked up anything off of her when she was at the house."
"Thanks," Willow murmured. "That's a good idea."
"That wasn't the only thing that was weird, though," Patrick added. When Willow looked at him again, he said, "She was acting like a jealous girlfriend."
Willow shrugged. "She's always been a little intense."
"Well, she wants you back. Or, she would if you weren't part of the pack. Something about group life really gets on her nerves. Like she doesn't trust it. She was torn up. Indecision written all over her."
Gwen shrugged. "I used to like the indecisive girls," she admitted. She smiled. "They tasted so sweet... so nervous... it was a game to get them to admit they wanted me."
Sylvie rolled her eyes. "Oh, shuddup. She's gay. She's not indecisive about that."
"She never was, as long as I knew her," Willow commented, thinking back to the times when Kennedy chased after her. "But, something's on her mind. I just hope it doesn't get in the way of the job."
"Can we go back inside?" Patrick asked.
Willow nodded and she opened the door. She walked in first, followed by the other two women. Patrick closed the door and made sure it was locked before following them inside. Dawn was waiting, pacing, when they went into the apartment. Willow told her what she could---but left out the shapeshifter-y bits because she wasn't sure what that other energy coming off of Kennedy was about---and said that she was going to meet Kennedy again when they were both at the Circus.
Dawn wasn't happy about much of that. When Willow asked her about it, she said, "She used to be one of the ones I trusted implicitly. But, she took longer and longer assignments in remote places, and she started to like danger. Kinda like Faith did, but not so homicidally."
"So, she's not rogue?" Willow asked as she looked for her cellular phone.
"No, Giles and Buffy still trust her. I do, too, when it comes to slaying. But she changed. A lot. She's not like the girl we knew in Sunnydale anymore," Dawn warned her.
"Thanks, Dawnie," Willow murmured. "I'll keep it in mind."
"Make sure you do," Patrick added quietly as he went past her and down the hall.
Willow rolled her eyes. She found her phone and looked for the number to Anita's house. As she did, she looked at Gwen and Sylvie. "Do you two have anything else to add?"
Sylvie shook her head.
Gwen grinned. "You have good taste in women, Willow," she said with a playful seductive purr in her voice.
"Think Richard'll find her hot, too?" Willow asked, making Dawn choke on a laugh. "Maybe I should invite her over some day and get her acquainted to the finer points of pack life?"
"Too bad she's a leopard. Richard doesn't like them much," Gwen commented.
Dawn's eyes widened. "What?"
"We don't know for sure," Willow told the younger woman. "She... she felt like a lycanthrope, a little bit. Hard to pin down exactly what was going on with her."
"What are you gonna do?" Dawn asked.
Willow shrugged. "For now, I'm gonna call Anita or Micah and we'll take it from there." She patted Gwen's and Sylvie's arms. "Why don't you guys go get comfy? I'll make this call and join you."
"Alright. Holler if you need anything," Sylvie agreed, dragging her lover off before Gwen could say anything else.
With a few quick presses of buttons, Willow was calling Anita's house. She waved to the werewolves and went over to where Dawn was standing as she waited for someone to answer the phone.
"Hello?"
When she heard Nathaniel's voice, she smiled. "Hey, Nathaniel," she murmured. "You're home early."
"I danced early and didn't have to shift," he explained. "I'm baking cookies right now. What are you up to?"
"Just getting ready for my night with Emily and the pack," she replied. "Kennedy stopped by tonight. I guess their Watcher told her where I'd be tonight... kinda bugs me, but that's not what's important."
"You felt something funny off of her, too?"
Willow blinked, startled. Before she spoke, she reminded herself that she shouldn't be surprised because Nathaniel was often one of the most insightful around them. "What did you think it was?" she asked him.
"We made her uncomfortable," he told her. "Some of the pard was over, because they're worried about Anita, too, and we were comfortable. She was not."
"Just the cuddly stuff made her wig out?" Willow asked.
"Yeah. She ended up trading posts with Edward so she was watching the front porch and he was closer to the bedroom. She had serious problems with us piling into bed together, though," Nathaniel explained as she heard him working in the background. "She did her job well, according to Edward, so Anita's fine with her. But, there's something about lycanthropes that freaks her out."
Willow frowned. "Did Micah say anything about her?"
"Yeah, but you can ask him yourself. He's right here, trying to eat the batter from the sides of the mixing bowl when he thinks I'm not paying attention."
A moment later, after some scuffling and a brief bout of laughter, Micah was greeting her over the phone. "So, you met up with your ex tonight?" he asked, the laughter gone but seriousness not quite yet sinking in. "How'd that go?"
"She acted really weird. I didn't understand... I... we, I mean, kinda picked up on some sort of vibe around her. Were there any problems with her in your house?"
"She didn't seem comfortable with the nudity and sharing the bed, but seemed more at ease when Damian stopped by---maybe because he's something more familiar," Micah replied, recounting his impressions from that night. "She was careful. Really careful. No touching, but slayers aren't like us, right?"
"Uh, yeah. True."
He sighed. "So, uh, what are you looking for, Willow? Can I say 'just spit it out' without getting into a pissing contest?"
"Wow, you're tired," Willow commented. "You know I don't, ah, piss with you."
That earned her a chuckle. "You got me. Alright, I noticed something, but I wanted to wait until I was sure before acting on it... because acting on it could get someone hurt."
"You think she's a wereleopard?"
"I know she's a wereleopard," Micah confirmed it for her. Willow heard---and almost felt---Nathaniel's surprise. "Merle and I knew almost right after she came into the room. Noah figured it out a little while later. Anita doesn't know yet, because her 'shoot first, ask questions later' approach tends to make me cautious, and we'll all pay for that, but this girl's been on her own too long---I'd say almost ever since she was infected. I chose not to challenge her last night because there weren't enough alphas around and she was way too skittish."
"She was like that tonight, a little, too," Willow said quietly.
"Soon, though, I'm going to have to confront her. Anita and I decided a long time ago that we weren't going to have any rogue leopards in St. Louis. Cat lycanthropy's hard to catch and we don't have that many in our pard. She could get herself or one of us hurt---or a complete normal, I guess, too. We aren't going to play with those odds. Especially with things so tense across the country."
Willow nodded. "Okay... yeah. I mean, I do agree, totally."
"I thought you'd get it."
"I'll probably be talking to her in the next couple of days. Anything you want me to say... or not say?"
"Don't challenge her in the Circus," Micah advised. "Don't mention that we know. Just... if you can, figure out what bothers her about our way of life? I will handle this soon---I promise."
"I trust you, so I'll tell the pack that's here---those who noticed, anyway---to keep their mouths shut," Willow told him. "Thank you for telling me."
"Thanks for coming to me, Willow. I already knew, but I appreciate the gesture."
"What're friends for?" she murmured.
He chuckled. "Yeah, true. And, I'll tell you when I've knocked some sense into her, too."
"Why do I think you mean knock in the physical sense and not the metaphorical sense?"
"Because we're wereanimals, Willow, and you're not that naïve," Micah replied. "It's a challenge to our authority."
She sighed. "Yeah... I know. She just... used to be my girl. I don't like to think of her being in trouble."
"It's her fault."
"Yeah," Willow agreed quietly. She sighed again. "You'll keep me informed?"
"I promise. As Nimir-Raj, to Lupa."
"I didn't need anything so formal, but thanks," she murmured, smiling. "I guess I'll let you get back to harassing Nathaniel, then."
Micah laughed a little. "He's threatened to beat me with a wooden spoon, but the cookie dough's worth the risk."
"I bet."
"I'll talk to you soon, Willow."
"Bye," she said before he ended the call. She sighed and looked at Dawn. "Anything you heard, you don't repeat to anyone."
Dawn nodded. "I know the drill." She frowned. "Why didn't she tell us?"
Willow shrugged. "I don't know. Promise me you won't be alone with her until Micah deals with her?"
"Deals with her?"
"Dawnie..."
The brunette frowned. "I just don't like how that sounds."
"She's all but declared herself as rogue, trying to hide herself from Anita and Micah," Willow explained to her. "And she's really nervous about being around groups of shapeshifters. Something about the group part of it sets her off. That's dangerous---the beast needs the group. It heals, it nurtures. Denying herself that, it's hurting her and she's not aware of it."
Dawn sighed. "I know... I know. And Micah and Anita---well, I like Micah more than Anita, but I'm on Team Willow in pentumvirate matters, anyway---aren't bad leaders. I like Nathaniel and Gregory and Cherry and Zane---"
"They're good people," Willow agreed.
"Merle kind of scares me, but that's mostly the leather talking."
Willow laughed. "Yeah, me, too, a little. But, he hasn't survived so long without looking and being tough. The strategy's working for him."
"I guess." Dawn looked at the witch. "You're gonna let Micah and Anita handle things?"
"It's their pard, it's their rules," Willow told her. "If she was a wolf, they'd let Richard and me handle it."
"Okay."
Willow touched Dawn's shoulder. "Can you keep this secret?"
"Yeah. I'm a little afraid I won't be able to pretend I don't know in front of her, but as long as she's not hanging around the apartment, I guess I won't have that problem too often." She looked at Willow. "Let me know when I don't have to be so careful?"
"As soon as I know, you'll be my first call."
"Cool. Okay. Good."
Willow smiled and hugged her. "This'll all get straightened out soon. We'll help Kennedy see sense. I promise you, no matter how you and I really feel about her, we'll make sure she knows we're in her corner."
Dawn nodded. "Okay. Go to bed, would ya?"
"Get your homework done, would ya?" Willow shot back, making the younger girl laugh.
She hugged the girl again before she wandered off toward her bedroom. When she peeked into the room, she saw that everyone was very carefully curled up around an empty spot on the bed. She leaned against the door frame and looked at them all. One by one, with the exception of Emily who seemed to be sound asleep, they looked back at her. She smiled; they smiled back.
"Is that spot for me?" she asked.
Stephen nodded, rubbing his hand over the sheet. "Between me and Emily. Is that okay?"
Part of Willow wished it had been Jason she would sleep next to, but she slept next to Jason a lot more than she did the other pack members so she hid her first reaction behind a smile. Stephen was a friend, too, and she never wanted to play favourites. The smile wasn't a lie; it was the truth, and when Stephen realised that, he smiled back at her.
"Just let me trade my pants for some shorts," she murmured.
"Did you talk to Anita?" Sylvie asked, once she started rummaging in a drawer for sleeping clothes.
"I talked to Micah. You guys all probably heard what I was saying."
"Some of it," Gwen conceded.
"I don't like giving orders, but this is important," Willow said, a pair of shorts in hand. "You guys can't share what you heard with anyone else. I don't want you discussing it amongst yourselves, either. Not until I say it's okay."
"You're letting Micah handle things," Sylvie commented.
She nodded. "It's his pard. She lied to him. It's their thing to sort out."
"Anita's gonna be pissed," Seeley mumbled. "Especially when she knows I know, too. Micah not telling her will be bad enough, but she'll wonder why I don't cough up that information---"
"Because you're pack," Willow said, cutting him off. "Because Anita's not Lupa. I am. I'm the one telling you to keep this to yourself until the leopards sort it out."
Seeley whined quietly. She went over to the bed and touched his bare shoulder. "I'm not pissed, but you need to recognise the chain of command here, Seeley. You live with her and she feeds off of you, but I'm Lupa and she's Bolverk."
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
She let him rise to her knees and lick her upper lip. Then, she pulled him into a hug and inhaled the scent of wolves. Before she could curb the impulse of the pack, she bit into the fleshy juncture between the man's shoulder and neck. She bit down hard enough to leave a toothy impression and then she released him.
"Lie down," she murmured. "I just have to change."
He nodded and fell pretty effortlessly back into position---without crashing into anyone else.
Willow smiled and ducked out of the room to brush her teeth and change her clothes. When she came back, she crawled across the bed and bodies to find her spot between Stephen and Emily. The teenager wriggled into her, even though she was asleep, and the gesture made Willow smile again. She closed her eyes, listening to the pack drifting off all around her.