The Undiscovered Country

Phoenixheart70 aka Carl/theblondiebear

Author; Phoenixheart79 aka Carl/theblondiebear
Rating; <Shrugs> PG-13 I think - there's some same sex sexual innuendo here! (Features a f/f and a m/m relationship)
Disclaimer; I do not own BtVS, that privilige goes to Joss Whedon and M.E. I guess I own Sebastian, but the rest I'm just borrowing. I promise to put them back in the toy box when I'm done!
Continuity; Starts ten days after the events of "Chosen"
Distribution; Please ask unless I post it somewhere where you archive it (like some of the yahoo groups I'm on), in which case I bow to that authority.
Feedback; Please! I write for me, but it's a boost to know what people think of my work.
Authors Note; This fic is the sequel to my last story, "A Childe Awakens". If you haven't read that, you should, as portions of this story just won't make sense.

Day 4

Xander woke late the next morning to an empty bed. Quickly pulling on some clothes, he left their room and headed downstairs and into the kitchen. The door leading out to Giles’ backyard was open and as he poured himself a glass of juice, he saw Bastian and Kennedy sparring while Buffy was training with Dawn. He smiled to himself, whilst Buffy still protected Dawn, she knew that her sister was growing up and needed to be able to defend herself. The youngest Summers was becoming quite proficient with a sword too, he noticed.

Stepping through the door, he looked around, but two people were conspicuous in their absence. "Hey guys, where’s Willow and Giles?"

Buffy glanced over from where she was training, continuing her bout with Dawn whilst sparing the occasional look at Xander. "Giles took Willow for a walk. I think he wants to talk to her about the magic, make sure she’s not over doing it." She was about to say more when she crashed to the ground as Dawn swept her legs from under her. Xander let out a small laugh at the utterly flabbergasted look on Buffys’ face. Laying on her back, she looked up at her sister. "Where did you learn that?" She asked.

Dawn shrugged, "Dunno. Probably from watching you. I’ve never done it before, but it just felt right." She reached out and offered a hand, which Buffy grasped. With a tug, Dawn pulled Buffy to her feet, then frowned.

"What’s up?" Bastian asked, as he and Kennedy wandered closer to them.

"Not sure." Dawn answered, "That just felt, I dunno, easier than it should." She looked puzzled.

Xander smiled and laid a hand affectionately on her shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Must be that British food. Maybe they put something in the water?" Bastian punched him on the shoulder, not too hard. "Ow!" He cried out, clasping a hand to his shoulder. "Hey! Stop the domestic abuse!"

Kennedy laughed, "Well, if it’s in the food or water, it hasn’t affected you, that’s for sure."

"That’s right, everybody pick on Xander!" He said, his voice indignant, but with a hint of humour in it.

"Sounds good to me." A soft voice said warmly. The group looked around as Willow and Giles approached them, both with warm smiles on their faces. Kennedy ran over to Willow and swept the witch off the ground. Giggling, Willow wrapped her arms around Kennedy’s neck. "Everything okay baby?" she asked, looking into the other girls eyes and seeing the concern there. Kennedy lowered her gently to the floor and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"Just worried about you. You were always telling me how bad things got with the magic, then one white-haired spell and you’re, well, not worried."

Willow smiled gently at the Slayer and ran a hand through her hair, "Guess I never should have told you all those horror stories, huh? It’s okay, I’ve just had a long chat with Giles about this. I’m not abusing the magic. In fact, I barely use it now. It took it’s time, but Tara’s words finally clicked. She was always talking to me about what magic is, but I never got it. But that last spell in Sunnydale, touching the pure essence of the Scythe, with you there, that’s what made me get it." She trailed her hand down from her lovers hair, gently tracing the side of Kennedys face until her hand cupped her cheek. "The Coven were there, waiting. I talked to them as well as Giles, about everything. Althenea sensed something in me, a change. The spell with the Scythe affected me too. Kinda like it left an ‘imprint’ on me."

Kennedy grinned. "So I can swing you around my head and chop vampires into little pieces with you?"

Willow laughed, "I wouldn’t go quite that far. Although," She leaned in closer and whispered something in her girlfriends ear. Kennedy backed up and gave Willow a look bordering on the incredulous.

"You want to try that? Seriously?" Willow smiled seductively and nodded. "Well, that’s something to look forward to after the raw heart." Kennedy continued, grinning.

Willow’s smile faded and she looked more serious as she spoke. "When are you going?"

"Soon. I don’t know how long it’s going to take me to track it down, so I figure the sooner I start the better."

Willow nodded in agreement, "I spoke to Oz this morning. We aren’t sure if you have to track it alone as well as face it alone, so we figured it best if you do. Oz said that the forest here is the best place to start, near where the tracks were found the other day. They stretch for miles, thinning out occasionally and with small breaks for roads."

As she spoke she lead them into the kitchen, where a map lay on the table and a backpack sat on a chair. Unfolding the map, she pointed out the woods. "He also thinks that your best bet will be to head towards the heart of the forest."

Nodding in understanding, Kennedy folded the map up, tucked it into a pocket and opened the backpack. Stepping up behind her, Willow wrapped her arms around Kennedy’s waist and rested her chin on the younger woman’s shoulder. "I packed you enough food and water for three days, but I doubt you’ll need it. I was going to include a compass, but I know you have a great sense of direction, I haven’t met a Slayer who didn’t. There’s also some matches and."

She was cut off as Kennedy turned in her arms and kissed her passionately. Once the kiss broke, they stayed close, savouring the contact, knowing it could be their last. After what Willow thought was not nearly long enough, Kennedy pulled away from her, stroking Willow’s face and brushing away the tear that rolled down her lover’s cheek. Willow opened her mouth to speak, but Kennedy placed a finger over her lips.

"Shh Red, I’ll be fine. I might be a spoiled brat, but I’m a survivor." Quickly, she darted in and placed one last kiss on Willow’s lips before closing the backpack, slinging it over her shoulder and heading for the door. Pausing in the open doorway, she turned to take one last look at her lover, seeing love and concern in Willow’s eyes. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she turned away, her path a long and lonely one.

Willow was stood in the doorway, watching Kennedy’s form slowly fade away. She flinched and jerked away as something touched her. She looked around to see Bastian stood to her right, his arm outstretched. She offered him a gentle smile, turning her attention from her partner. "Sorry Bastian, you startled me is all."

He turned his head in the direction Willow had been looking, lowering his hand to his side. "She’ll be fine Willow, I know it."

Willow turned her gaze outwards again, Kennedy was now completely out of sight. She took a deep breath. "I know. It’s just, I wish I could..."

"Help her?" Bastian asked. Willow turned to face him, and bobbed her head in agreement. Bastian smiled at her, reaching out and laying a hand on her shoulder. "You are. You love her and she knows it. That’s all the help she needs."

She placed a hand over the one on her shoulder and squeezed it gently. "You’re right Bastian. You’re right." She smiled and headed into the kitchen, filling the kettle and setting it on the stove to boil. She glanced over her shoulder at Bastian. "Want a drink?"

"Sure. Is there any hot chocolate?" He sat at the table and watched as Willow set two mugs on the counter, before looking for the coffee and chocolate. With a triumphant noise, she set the two jars down and pulled up a chair beside him while she waited for the water to boil.

"You and Xander seem closer." she said. Bastian glanced out of the still open door to the garden, where Xander was now sparing with Dawn while Buffy and Giles sat watching them, an amused look on the eldest Slayers face. A smile slid over his face as he turned back to the witch.

"Yeah. We had a few," he paused before continuing, "I. I had a few concerns, but we’ve sorted that out. I feel like a weight’s been lifted."

Willow stood up as the kettle began to whistle, spooning powder into the mugs and adding water. Stirring them, she returned and set them on the table before grabbing a carton of milk from the fridge and then sitting down. As she added milk to her coffee, she spoke. "Let me guess, Xander’s confused?"

"Yeah. I should have figured it out. I know this is his first relationship with a guy, it must be strange for him."

Willow’s head bobbed up and down, then she took a sip of coffee before answering, "When I first started dating a girl, it was after Oz had left. It was so confusing, emotionally. But love won through. Xander loves you, it’ll just take a little more time." She smiled, "Besides, I think he’s adjusting a lot quicker than I did, he knows how his friends will react." She glanced out the door, "You two are already far more relaxed around us than you were less than a week ago."

Bastian smiled at her, "I know. We chatted about it, I think I understand. It’s just a difficult concept for me to grasp. I’ve always known I was gay, I can’t imagine the confusion you went through."

"It wasn’t as hard as it sounds, for me. And Xander’s almost there, I think. He’s just not used to being ‘out’. Give him time. He’s becoming more comfortable all the time, but if he backs off occasionally, it’s nothing personal." She smiled again, "I think me and Kennedy are helping there."

"You and Kennedy?" He asked, his voice confused. Did his boyfriend like them too?

"Our relationship, how open it is. I’m proud to say I think we make good role models for the confused Xander’s out there. And between you and me, confused is a fairly common state for him." She grinned at Bastian.

He laughed softly. "That you do, that you do." He leaned back in his chair. What Willow had said reinforced what Xander had told him two days ago. He had to shake his concerns, if he let them eat at him, they could ruin what was looking like a beautiful relationship. He knew he just had to let Xander adjust, it was, after all, a big thing for someone who had never been in, heck, never even thought about, a same sex relationship before. "But like I said, we’ve talked about it and, now that I understand, it’s easier. He’s alleviated my concerns." He smiled affectionately.

Silently, Kennedy slipped through the forest. Moving swiftly, her Slayer senses on full alert, she headed deeper and deeper. Any trace of tracks had long since vanished in the underbrush, so she moved on instinct. Occasionally she would stop, her attention caught by the evidence of wild animals. A carcass, almost a week old. The occasional pile of dung. Signs of a kill. But it was random, some of it could have been from the Barghest, but just as easily much of it could have been from many more common forest creatures. Still, the signs of a large animal gave her some confidence, despite that they really offered no true clue as to whether or not she was heading in the right direction.

Giles sat besides Buffy, watching in silence as Dawn and Xander continued to spar, the younger Summers sister running circles around her friend, flashing in with her sword occasionally and laughing.

"Come on Xander!" she chided him. "Fight like a man!"

Grunting, Xander made a lunge with his own sword. Deftly, Dawn side stepped him, leaving one foot protruding. With a startled cry and a soft thump, Xander hit the ground. Rolling over, he stared up at Dawn, who now stood astride him, grinning down at him.

Laughing gently, he raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. I surrender to the Mighty Dawn."

Offering him a hand up, Dawn laughed too. "And so you should!"

Smiling at the pair, Giles and Buffy stood and joined them. Giles was about to speak when a ringing could be heard in the kitchen. Looking up, they saw Willow answer the phone, talking for a few moments before resting the handset on the kitchen counter and walking over to the door.

"Giles." She called, "It’s for you."

"Excuse me a minute." He said and went into the kitchen, picking up the receiver and starting to talk. Willow and Bastian left the kitchen and walked over to the small group. Bastian glanced around.

"It’s almost time. If we want to catch her trail, we’d better leave now."

Willow looked out at the fields leading to the trees, where Kennedy had disappeared from view only minutes earlier. "Thanks for coming with me Bastian. If she knew we were following her she’d kick up a stink, but I think secretly she’d be glad of the help."

Buffy nodded, picking up one of the swords and Bastian drew his Katana. Joining them, Willow stared intently at the trees in the distance, thinking of her lover facing that beast alone. She felt the presence of someone beside her. Turning, she saw Dawn standing at her side, also staring at the trees. Xander stood beside the youngest Summers. Both had swords in their hands. Softly, she spoke. "Dawn, don’t you think you should stay here?"

Buffy turned to see Dawn standing beside Willow. "Oh no Dawn, you are staying here."

As her sister stepped forward and looked past Willow at her, Buffy was struck by the passion in her eyes. "No." Dawn said, her voice firm. "We’ve done this before Buffy. I’m not stupid, I stayed behind when you went to confront Seldon. But I’m not staying here now." Her tone softened a little. "Not when friends are in danger." Her face hardened and she stepped past Willow towards Buffy. "Besides, the only way I’m staying here is if you knock me out."

Buffy sighed, staring at her sister. "Fine. But don’t blame me if you get eaten."

"Buffy!" She turned on the spot at the sound of the voice, seeing Giles emerging from the house, "We have a problem." He came to a stop in front of them. "That was one of the Watchers. We’re needed in Birmingham. A gang of what appear to be Slayers have gone on a rampage."

Buffy stared at him. "They what?"

Clearing his throat, Giles sat on the bench and addressed the group. "Apparently, they slipped through the net when we were gathering Potentials last year. Even as Potentials, they appear to have been drawn to each other. They formed a girl gang and have spent the last few months being generally disruptive. However, with the spell, their crimes have become more serious. Three guards, two police officers and several civilians have been hospitalised."

Buffy let out a sigh. "How many?"

"Four. It will take all three of you and the others to stop them without resorting to deadly force."

"What about Kennedy?" Willow asked, her voice filled with concern. "We were about to follow her. We can’t just leave her alone."

"I’m afraid we don’t have any choice, Willow." Giles said softly. "These girls must be stopped before they cause any deaths. Kennedy will be fine." Standing, he laid a hand reassuringly on the red headed witches shoulder. "If it will make you feel better, we can ask Oz to follow Kennedy. He will probably find it easier to track her than we would anyway." Squeezing her shoulder he smiled warmly. Letting his hand fall away, his face turned harder and he addressed the whole group. "Come on everybody, we need to leave as soon as possible."

Without another word, he turned and led them back into the house. Quickly they gathered a few items, additional weapons and some strong chains. A short while later, as they were loading the additional gear into the back of the Land Rover, Buffy turned to Giles, concern on her face.

"What are we going to do with these girls, Giles? I mean, we can’t just lock them up or keep them chained in the basement."

Turning to his Slayer, Giles sighed. "I don’t know Buffy. At the minute, I’m hoping that if we show them who and what they are, they will find the lure of battle to much to resist and will channel their energies into their Slayer duties."

"And if they don’t?" She asked.

Closing the Land Rovers door, he looked her in the eyes. "I haven’t the slightest idea Buffy. At best, a temporary solution would be to secure them in one of the surviving Council strongholds, but that’s a far from ideal solution. We need to radically overhaul what’s left of the council before we go entrusting perfectly healthy Slayers to them, let alone ones with god only knows what emotional problems."

"And at worse?" She prompted him, her voice heavy as she knew his answer.

"Buffy, these girls have incredible powers and strengths. They cannot be allowed to harm any more innocents." He answered, his voice flat. "If they won’t listen and we can’t subdue them...." His voice trailed off, unwilling to air the final solution. Buffy nodded sadly in understanding. In silence, the pair returned to the house where the others were waiting for them, having an early lunch before they departed. As Buffy and Giles joined them at the table, the phone rang again. Giles answered it and the others listened as he talked to whoever was on the other end.

"Ah, hello. You have? Excellent news." As he listened, he nodded occasionally, "Yes, yes. We could do with you here. Use the card I gave you. See you in a couple of days." Hanging up the receiver, he turned to address the group. "That was Faith, she’s wrapped things up in Chicago and will be joining us in a day or two." He joined them at the table, reaching out for a sandwich.

Willow looked up at him, "I called Oz, he’s already left to watch Kennedy for us."

Giles nodded his understanding, "She will be fine, Willow. She’s resourceful and with Oz watching her back as well, I’m sure we will see her again in a few days time."

Willow smiled thinly, obviously still not fully convinced. "I know Giles, I know. It’s just, I want...."

"To be the one watching her?" She bobbed her head slightly in agreement. "Willow, you have to trust that she will be okay. What we’re going to face won’t be easy and you need to be on top form." He paused, thinking, for a moment. "You know Kennedy better than anybody here. What would she say if she heard you worrying?"

"She’d say." A small smile appeared, "She’d tell me to get a grip, that she can look after herself. And that I know it."

"Do you?" He asked, seriously.

"Yes." She said, her voice soft.

"Then don’t worry." He held a hand up as she started to protest. "I know it’s a natural part of a loving relationship to worry about the other person, but trust is also important, extremely so. If you trust and love her, that trust should counter-balance the fear and worry you feel." He smiled softly, reassuringly, at the young Wicca before him.

To be continued....

Back to Chapter Six