FIC: Again 4/5

["Jay" <Swanrvr80@xxxxxxx>]

Title: Again

PART FOUR

Willow sat down on the edge of the bed and when she didn't look up at 
her Buffy sat down and put her arm around her.  Willow tried to smile 
for her but her heart just wasn't into it.  Xander came into the room 
and kicked the door shut.

"Who knew in a town this small that one person would be so hard to 
find?" said Xander, shaking his head.

"That waitress said she never showed at the coffee shop today," 
sighed Willow, repeating what they already knew.

"Hey, how `bout calling Kennedy's mom?  At least she'd know where 
Kennedy lives, right?" asked Xander.

"No!" answered Willow, louder than she meant to.

"No?" repeated Xander, confused.

"Um...she, um...they're away.  On vacation," nodded Willow.  "Already 
tried."

Buffy didn't believe Willow but couldn't understand why she would 
lie.  She decided not to ask her about it...for now.  

"Well, that bartender said she was a regular there and that she 
usually came in no earlier than ten o'clock," said Buffy 
quickly.  "Maybe tonight..."

"Tonight!  Oh, I'm such an idiot!" announced Willow, smacking her 
forehead with her palm.  

"How so?" asked Xander.

"Tonight.  As in night as in when the sun sets.  I did a locator 
spell but I didn't look for..."

"Leigh," finished Buffy.  "Okay, what do you need?  How can we help?"

"Damn it!" yelled Willow, standing up.  "Leigh warned me that Kennedy 
might go after this other vamp.  I didn't think...I could've found 
both of them!  And if Kennedy did go after this vamp..."

"Will, it's okay.  Little reminder, Kennedy is a Slayer.  And going 
after a vamp in the daylight should give her an advantage," added 
Xander.

"Yeah, except that she got her ass kicked in her last two fights and 
combined with the head games she's been dealing with from one Willow 
Rosenberg, I'm thinking it's not such a good idea for her to be 
taking on a vamp right about now," snapped Willow.  "She just doesn't 
believe in herself anymore."

"Head games?" ventured Xander, though he was immediately silenced by 
a warning glare from Buffy.  Just then there was a loud banging on 
the door, as if someone were kicking at it.  

"Anyone not thinking that's opportunity knocking?" frowned Xander.

They all looked at one another before Xander took a step towards the 
door.  Buffy sprang up from the bed and grabbed his arm, stepping in 
front of him.  She pulled the door open and then froze.  Standing 
before her was a girl that could only be Leigh and she was holding an 
unconscious Kennedy in her arms.  Kennedy's head was rolled back and 
there were two bloody puncture wounds on her exposed neck.

"Help us.  Please?" asked Leigh weakly, almost as if she were out of 
breath.  She looked past Buffy directly at Willow.

"Kennedy!" gasped Willow.

"Bring her in, put her on the bed.  This is a motel, you don't need 
an invite," glared Buffy.  Leigh pushed past Buffy and ignored Xander 
as she eased Kennedy gently down onto the bed.

"I couldn't get in touch with you, I didn't know where you were," 
explained Leigh quickly, only glancing at Willow.  Willow sat down 
next to Kennedy and placed two fingers on her neck, searching for a 
pulse.

"I think she'll be okay, it didn't take a lot of blood.  Her 
breathing is uneven so I think she has a broken rib or two," said 
Leigh, her hand tenderly exploring Kennedy's rib cage.  "Yeah, 
here..and here."

"What happened?" demanded Buffy.

"How did you find me?" asked Willow, only glancing at Leigh, 
reluctant to take her eyes away from Kennedy.

"Your scent.  I know your scent," explained Leigh.  "I'm sorry, I had 
to wait for the sun to set.  There was no way to warn you."

"What happened?" repeated Buffy, louder and now with an edge to her 
voice.  Leigh turned to face Buffy.

"She went after this vampire.  We knew where it was.  I told her not 
to...she just wasn't ready," winced Leigh, glancing back at Kennedy.

"How do we know you didn't do this?" demanded Xander.  Leigh turned 
towards Xander and glared at him coldly.  Buffy stepped in between 
them.

"Fine! But shouldn't we get her to a hospital?" suggested Xander.

"No," answered Leigh quickly, now looking back at Kennedy.  "She's a 
Slayer, she'll recover.  Well, physically, anyway.  If it wanted her 
dead she'd be dead.  Kennedy is more valuable to it alive."

"Why alive?" questioned Xander.

"Tactics," answered Buffy.  "Alive, Kennedy is a distraction, 
something to worry about.  Dead...that would let Leigh focus her 
anger, use it to fight with."

Leigh nodded in agreement.

"So then why did you bring her here?" asked Xander.  "Why not just go 
after this vamp?"

"She needs her wounds cleaned up to prevent infection...I think she 
already has a fever.  And I needed to know she was somewhere safe 
when I went after this thing that attacked her," said Leigh, grinding 
her teeth in anger.

"You keep referring to this vampire as `it'.  Why?" asked Buffy.

"Yeah, what's up with that?  Kettle calling the pot black, no?" added 
Xander.

"This thing is an animal.  It has no conscience, no respect for the 
Old Ways," explained Leigh.  Her voice turned bitter.  "Our gene pool 
is receding."

"The Old Ways?" repeated Xander.

"There is a code of...I hate to use the word honor, but that'll do.  
This is my town, my turf, given to me according the Ceremonies.  No 
other may lay claim to it for fifty years and only then, if my Mentor 
is dead, can there be a Challenge."

"East Coast vamps are a little left of bizarre," commented Xander.

"Hey, it's kinda like the Jewish Festival of Jubilee," interrupted 
Willow excitedly.  "If a family cannot keep its land someone accepts 
it for them until they can return to it.  It's an honor thing.  
Weird, too, since it's also fifty years..."

Willow noticed that Buffy and Xander were staring at her with blank 
expressions.

"Right.  Um, Leigh, what's this wound here, on her right palm?" 
pointed Willow.

"It nailed her hand to the floor to prevent her from crawling away.  
It knew she was too weak to pull free," answered Leigh, that edge 
returning to her voice.  Willow cringed.  Buffy stiffened and 
clenched her fist.

"I'm going with you," announced Buffy.

"You can't, Slayer.  It will smell you a mile away," warned Leigh 
adamantly.

"Then I'll go," said Willow, standing up but still holding Kennedy's 
hand.  Leigh considered what she said but then shook her head.

"No.  This is my fight."

"Oh?  Well it just became mine too!" snapped Willow.

"Willow, I'm trying to prevent someone from taking something that is 
mine.  There are some things you just have to face alone.  It's the 
only way," said Leigh, though her tone wasn't as harsh as before.

Willow simply looked down at Kennedy and then stared Leigh in the eye.

"Oh," whispered Leigh, just realizing what she had said.

"Like I said, I'm in," stated Willow firmly.  Leigh closed her eyes 
for a moment.

"Willow, when she wakes up Kennedy's going to call for you.  Not 
me...you.  You need to be here," said Leigh, her voice small, almost 
breaking.  "For her."

"Oh," whispered Willow.

"Can you help her?  Magically, I mean," said Leigh, moving around the 
bed to stand next to Willow.

"Nothing major.  Really don't like messing around with stuff like 
that, it's too dangerous.  But I can help ease the pain," nodded 
Willow.

"Good," nodded Leigh.

"How will you find...it?" asked Buffy.

"Won't have to," replied Leigh, again looking at Kennedy.  "It will 
find me.  And I know where I want to be when that happens.  Sorry if 
this lives up to my stereotype but I'm going to really enjoy ripping 
this thing apart."

Leigh turned to go but Willow stopped her by grabbing her arm.

"Wait!  Don't go yet!" said Willow.

"Why?" demanded Leigh impatiently.

"You need to calm down first.  Well, at least a little bit.  I'm all 
for the tearing to pieces here but you have to focus, you need to 
block out..."

"I know what I need to do," nodded Leigh firmly.

"Do you?  Trust me, I know what you're feeling," said Willow, letting 
go of her arm.

"I know you do, Willow.  That's why I brought her to you.  Take care 
of her, okay?"
 
Leigh nodded ever so slightly at Willow and Willow acknowledged her 
by nodding back.  As Leigh turned to leave Buffy stepped in front of 
her.  Startled, Leigh glanced down.

"Here.  Take this," offered Buffy, holding out a stake in her hand.

"Thanks," said Leigh, accepting the weapon.  She hesitated, as if 
suddenly unsure of herself.  

"Be careful.  And hurry back," encouraged Willow.

"Thanks," smiled Leigh.  And then she was gone.

"At least she changed her clothes," commented Willow.

"Black pants, black sweater...bonus points for not wearing leather 
but still so not like our Willow," nodded Xander.

"Did you notice when she asked for help she used the word us?" asked 
Willow.  Buffy nodded.

"Did you notice I didn't stake her?" answered Buffy.  This time 
Willow nodded.

"You're getting soft in your old age," goaded Xander, only half in 
jest.  He glanced back at Kennedy and frowned.  "I'll go get some 
ice."

***

She moved briskly, almost running, not caring if she made noise and 
in fact wanting to be heard.  Down through the South End with its 
dark machine shops, more than a few boarded up.  The scent of grease 
and oil permeated the damp air, part of the very soil now.  Off in 
the distance a dog barked.  Leigh followed an abandoned spur line 
down to the double tracks of the railroad that led off west to New 
York, crossed them impatiently, resisting the urge to slow down, to 
be cautious.  This was not the way she preferred to hunt.  Even this 
far away she could smell the salt air, though she doubted any human 
other than a Slayer could hear the waves breaking. 

Leigh walked past the parking lot entrance for the beach, smiling at 
the sign that warned `Park Closed At Sunset'.  She moved on past the 
boardwalk, the sound of the waves much louder now.  Her footsteps 
crunched loudly on the gravel between the parking lot and the woods 
and she dragged her heels to make her presence known.  Only a weed-
entangled rusty fence blocked her path now but she easily walked 
around it; the barrier was only meant to keep out cars.

The gray pavement of the old abandoned beach road was broken in many 
places with green grasses pushing their way through the cracks.  
Leigh smiled again, this time at the futility of nature, knowing that 
a month from now most would be brown and withered from the hot sun.  
She kept to the center of the road, following the almost entirely 
faded double yellow lines.  Surprisingly there was little broken 
glass but there were a few shattered clam shells, picked clean by 
hungry gulls that had cleverly dropped them to break them open.

Vines crept up along the base of the streetlights on the south side 
of the road.  The once brown poles were now sun bleached bone-gray, 
though higher up dark rust trailed downwards from iron spikes driven 
into the wood, staining the weathered pole like blood from a wound.  
The lights themselves were mostly intact but it had been decades 
since electricity had lit this street.  Up ahead the road curved 
northwards, away from the beach.  To the eye the poles blended into 
the trees as if being claimed by the woods.  Further up the road 
disappeared into the Point known as Land's End.

Leigh often walked here alone, late at night, sometimes until dawn 
reddened the eastern sky.  Once she even had to bury herself in the 
sand for the day because she had lingered too long.  Yes, the fight 
should be here.  If a homeless vampire could claim anything as her 
own, this was it.  Here, she could calm herself, focus her anger, 
prepare for the fight.  This road, so close to the beach and yet so 
desolate, evoked a time now lost to her.  The older kids didn't 
bother coming here very often as they preferred parking with their 
dates down by the water.  Once in a while some under-aged kids would 
drink warm beer here knowing that the police wouldn't follow them in 
but the younger kids, for the most part, stayed away, too afraid not 
to believe in the ghost stories about the area and too embarrassed to 
acknowledge these fears to their friends.  These ghost stories were 
kept alive by creatures like herself.

She paused for a moment, staring at an old gnarled tree, a favorite 
of hers.  By the first week of August its leaves would be tinged with 
orange, weeks earlier than any other tree here, as if it grew tired 
of life and impatiently sought solace in the dark of winter.  Along 
the edge of the woods the plentiful white Queen Anne's Lace had 
closed for the night and Leigh forced aside a sudden melancholy, a 
longing for something she could never have again.  Tonight was not 
the night for such thoughts.  She needed to calm herself, to prepare, 
not be distracted by what once was.  It was hard enough to divert her 
thoughts from Kennedy.

The insects of the surrounding night were suddenly silenced.  
Instantly Leigh understood that she was no longer alone.  The wind 
was at her back so she instinctively knew that her enemy, somewhere 
on the road ahead, was aware of her.  

Leigh's face transformed into her true countenance and she smiled.  
It was time.

***

Buffy pushed aside the curtain and peered into the empty parking 
lot.  Shaking her head, she looked back at Willow, now pressing a wet 
wash cloth to Kennedy's forehead.  Xander had fallen asleep in a 
chair.

"Sunrise isn't that far off.  I should go look for her," said Buffy, 
her tone one of seeking permission.  Willow tossed the wash cloth 
aside and stood up, shaking her head.

"No, you don't have to.  The fight's over.  Leigh might not come 
back, but I know it's finished," shrugged Willow confidently, as if 
she didn't care.

"You...how?"

Willow only smiled but there was no joy in the effort.  Before Buffy 
could press her to explain there was a soft rapping at the door.  

"Let me," announced Willow, not waiting for Buffy's reaction.

Willow opened the door and inhaled sharply.

"Leigh!  You're hurt!"

"Not anymore," answered Leigh, looking past Willow at Kennedy with 
her head slightly tilted to one side because her left eye was swollen 
and closed over.

"How bad is it?" cringed Willow.

"Been worse," said Leigh, attempting to smile but cringing with pain 
as she leaned forward.  To keep herself standing she grabbed onto the 
door frame.  "Been better."

Willow stepped towards her, letting Leigh put most of her weight onto 
her arm.

"Let's get you inside, it'll be light soon.  You should've waited 
somewhere, you'll be stuck here now," said Willow, helping her move 
forward.

"I had to know.  Is she..."

"She's going to be okay.  The fever broke.  She just needs some 
rest," reassured Buffy.  Behind her Xander stirred and opened his 
eyes, startled by what he at first thought was Willow dancing with 
Leigh.  Willow slowly eased Leigh over to the bed so that she could 
sit down next to Kennedy.

"Tough fight?" inquired Willow.  Leigh's clothes were ripped and torn 
but most of the blood on them didn't seem to be hers.

"Bad fight.  Teeth, claws...you don't wanna know how I killed it," 
answered Leigh, her eyes not leaving Kennedy.

"I know how you killed it," replied Willow.  Leigh reluctantly looked 
away from Kennedy and smiled approvingly at Willow.

"So that was you.  Wondered how those street lights came on after so 
many years," nodded Leigh.

"Thought you needed a distraction at that point.  Well, not you, but 
the vamp chewing on your arm," added Willow.

"It was helpful," conceded Leigh.  "But why didn't I sense you?  Were 
you downwind?"

"She wasn't anywhere.  Willow, you never left this room!" protested 
Buffy.  Leigh eyed Willow suspiciously.

"A good magician never reveals the secrets to her tricks," grinned 
Willow.

"Magician my ass, witch!" laughed Leigh, though she immediately 
grabbed her side in pain.  She turned back to face Kennedy and gently 
placed her palm against her cheek.

"Her pulse is strong.  Whatever you did, it helped," smiled Leigh.  

"It wasn't much," shrugged Willow.  "But she'll sleep for a while."

"Thank you," said Leigh sincerely.  She stared at Kennedy for a 
moment, then glanced at Willow.

"Go on, I know you want to," said Willow softly, turning away.  Leigh 
leaned down and kissed Kennedy on the lips.

"I'm sorry," whispered Leigh.  She closed her eyes for a moment and 
then eased herself back up.

"Willow, can you help me stand?  I should wait in the other room."

"Leigh, it's okay, you can sit here," offered Willow.

"No.  When she wakes it's you who she should see.  It's you she's 
going to call for.  I don't...I don't want to..."

"I understand," nodded Willow.  "Is your leg broken?"

"Not sure.  Maybe," shrugged Leigh.

"Here, let me," offered Buffy.

"I got it," said Willow, waving her off.  She offered her shoulder to 
Leigh and lifted her up.  "Is that...is that Kennedy's sweater?"

"Yeah," smiled Leigh.  "Funny how my favorite clothes are the ones 
that smell like her."

"She has a favorite perfume?" asked Xander.

"Kennedy doesn't wear perfume," answered both Willow and Leigh at the 
same time.  They looked at one another and shared a smile.  Making 
their way awkwardly into the next room, Leigh stopped before they got 
near the bed.

"This is good enough.  You don't want blood stains on the bed, tends 
to piss management off," said Leigh.

"At least sit in the chair and not on the floor," protested Willow.

"I'm fine," insisted Leigh, easing herself from Willow and leaning 
against the wall.

"Xander, make sure those drapes are closed all the way," ordered 
Willow.  Xander nodded and gave Leigh a wide berth as he moved past 
her.

"Buffy, I saw a butcher shop a few blocks down the street.  Could you 
get Leigh some blood?" asked Willow.  "It'll help with the healing."  

Leigh's eyes opened in surprise and she glanced at Buffy to see her 
reaction.

"Sure.  Beats having her stare at my neck," smiled Buffy.

"He doesn't open until six so you have to go around back and knock at 
the door.  Ask for Ed and mention my name.  He thinks I'm a gourmet 
cook so he doesn't ask any questions about why I need blood."

Buffy stared at her.

"And thank you," added Leigh reluctantly.  Buffy nodded.

"Will, you should be with Kennedy.  We can keep our guest company," 
said Buffy.

"We?  If you leave that we is me," complained Xander.  

Willow hesitated but then smiled and left.  Buffy stood in the 
doorway between the rooms but Xander sat on the edge of the bed at a 
comfortable distance from Leigh.  Leigh gingerly eased herself down 
into a sitting position on the floor.   

"I don't bite, Xander," grinned Leigh.  "Okay, I do, but am I making 
you nervous?"

"Nope," answered Xander, not taking his eyes off of her.

"Is it that you don't trust me, Xander, or that you don't like me?"

"I'm thinking it's a little of both.  No, wait, actually it's not so 
much the little as just plain both," corrected Xander.

"Let me guess, you're hung up on this whole lack of soul concept?" 
asked Leigh, wincing as she shifted her weight slightly.

"Kinda hard to ignore, no?" answered Xander.

"I see.  Demons don't have souls.  And if you don't have a soul then 
you're evil, right?" asked Leigh, staring at Xander.

"Um...that's not exactly what I meant," frowned Xander, suddenly 
unsure of himself.

"Would you agree that demons are evil?" asked Leigh, now not looking 
at Xander, her eyes unfocused as if she had repeated these lines 
before.

"Sure.  I mean, some are," nodded Xander.

"Like Buffy's friend Clem, for instance.  He's evil, right?"

"Clem?  No.  He's harmless," protested Xander.

"But Clem is a demon and therefore he does not have a soul," reminded 
Leigh.  Xander started to say something but changed his mind.  He 
looked to Buffy for help but she only smiled.

"Tell me, Xander...did Anya have a soul?" asked Leigh softly.

"Anya was human!" answered Xander, raising his voice.

"Was, Xander.  She was also a Vengeance Demon.  Demons do not have 
souls, therefore..."

"No, see, when Anya was a Vengeance Demon...well, the second time 
around, anyway, she..."

"Didn't harm anyone?" ventured Leigh.

"No!  I mean, yes, but she regretted what she did!  She asked 
D'Hoffryn to undo what she did!" yelled Xander.  "Even when she was a 
demon she knew, deep down, that evil was wrong!"

Leigh simply turned and smiled at him.

"You didn't know her," growled Xander.

"You don't know me," countered Leigh.

"Buffy, how `bout helping me out here?" begged Xander.

"With my demon dating track record?  Sorry big guy, but you're on 
your own," laughed Buffy.

"Okay, you sitting there all still-like isn't fooling anyone.  Hurt 
or not, you're dangerous," said Xander, pointing his finger at her.

"I'm not making any sudden moves, Xander, because you trying to stake 
me would just end badly for both of us," answered Leigh, her eyes on 
Buffy.  Buffy winked at her.

"Well, that's..that's good.  Yeah.  I'm glad we've gone over the 
ground rules," nodded Xander.

"You have a soul, don't you Xander?" asked Leigh.

"Are you implying I somehow don't?" challenged Xander.

"Of course not.  I just don't think you should judge people based on 
souls."

"Oh really?  You judge people who have souls.  You kill them," 
countered Xander.  Leigh smiled.

"Yeah, I judge them.  Has nothing to do with souls."

"Girl's gotta eat," agreed Xander.  Again Leigh smiled.

"Did you happen to notice a frail elderly woman pushing a shopping 
cart around today?  She hangs out around here.  See, there's lots of 
dumpsters nearby and she can find bottles or cans for the deposit 
return.  You must've seen her.  Gray hair, torn, dirty pants, wears a 
ragged old sweater...homeless, if you haven't guessed by now.  Louise 
is her name," added Leigh.

"Yeah, I remember her," said Buffy.

"What's your point?" demanded Xander.

"My point.  Hmm...did either of you soul-blessed people give her any 
money so that she might get some food, maybe make her life just a bit 
easier?"

Buffy glanced at Xander and they both looked down at the floor.

"Thought as much.  And yet, here's a perfect victim for a hungry, 
soulless vampire, wouldn't you agree?  I mean, who would miss her?  
So...why is she still alive?" smiled Leigh.

"Because old people taste funky?" shrugged Xander.

"Okay, there's that," agreed Leigh, nodding.  "Even so, I wouldn't 
hurt her.  I feel sorry for her.  Yet...I don't have a soul.  Isn't 
that supposed to mean that I'm...what's the word again?  Oh yeah.  
Evil."

Leigh closed her eyes and leaned back against the wall behind her.

"Others see you in a certain light and so you begin to see yourself 
that way too, you become the image.  It doesn't have to be that way," 
sighed Leigh.

"You're confusing me with evil logic!" announced Xander as he stood 
up.  "I'm going to the butcher shop to get you some blood.  I don't 
want you staring at my neck either."

"Xander," said Leigh softly, stopping him.  He looked back over his 
shoulder at her.

"I'm sorry about what happened to Anya.  She...it sounds like you 
were good for one another," nodded Leigh.  Xander looked down for a 
moment before answering her.

"Still think you're evil," said Xander.

"Fair enough," nodded Leigh approvingly.  Xander smiled and quickly 
walked out of the room.

"Do I get any bonus points if I tell you I've never turned anyone?" 
inquired Leigh.

"I'm thinking not," answered Buffy.  "You seem to know a lot about 
us."

"Kennedy knows a lot about you.  I'm just a good listener," explained 
Leigh.  

"So...is it my turn now?"

"Pfft!  I know better than to mess with a Slayer," grinned Leigh.  
Buffy smiled at the joke.

"Oh, come on!  You have me interested.  Never met a vamp who tried 
to, well, fit in like you," said Buffy.

"Just trying to survive," replied Leigh, one corner of her mouth 
raised in a smile.  "Helps if you blend in to the background.  You 
don't want to draw attention to yourself."

"No, there's more to it than that," said Buffy, sitting down cross-
legged across from Leigh.  Leigh looked at her and decided that she 
was genuinely interested.

"Maybe there is," nodded Leigh.  "Surviving isn't just living, it's 
more than physical, it's emotional."

Buffy raised her eyes both in surprise and in agreement.

"In his book Walden, Thoreau sought out the solitary life.  What did 
he say?  Oh yeah, to live deliberately, to front only the essential 
facts of life...to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life." 

"I don't think he meant that literally!" frowned Buffy.

"That's your interpretation.  Anyway, he was wrong on one point.  You 
can't live in this world without people.  And no, I don't mean as 
snacks," pouted Leigh.  "It's just...it's just too lonely."

Buffy narrowed her eyes in doubt but her expression softened as she 
noticed that Leigh wasn't looking at her, as if that last admission 
was embarrassing.  Leigh turned her head, focusing on Buffy's hands.

"What?" asked Buffy uncomfortably.  She slipped her hands under her 
legs.

"A Slayer's hands, rough by trade yet soft when they have to 
be...when they need to be," said Leigh, her voice almost a whisper.  
She looked Buffy right in the eye.  "I know I have no hold on her.  
And yet..."

Leigh leaned her head back, resting it on the wall.  She stared at 
the ceiling, not saying anything.

"Yeah," agreed Buffy.  "I get the `and yet' part."

This time Leigh didn't smile.

"You got it bad.  Is there anything you don't like about her?" 
laughed Buffy.

"Sure.  For one thing, she leaves toast crumbs in the butter dish."

"Huh?" managed Buffy.  

"When she butters her toast, she..."

"But you don't..."

"I know, I know," smiled Leigh with a shrug..  "Go figure." 

Leigh tried to shift to a more comfortable position but immediately 
stopped because of the pain.

"You hurt bad?" asked Buffy.

"Might say that.  There's some wounds that just don't heal."

Buffy waited a moment, watching Leigh, but Leigh wouldn't look at her.

"I meant...you know what I meant," nodded Buffy.

"Of course I do.  We understand each other, Buffy.  You and I, we 
feel everything more intensely.  It's the demon inside," said Leigh, 
tapping a finger to her chest.

"We?  What do you mean we?" challenged Buffy, her voice rising.  

"You know exactly what I mean," accused Leigh.  

Just then Willow appeared in the doorway between the rooms.

"Hey.  Just checking.  It was a little on the quiet side.  Thought 
there mighta been a little poofing incident," said Willow warily, 
glancing at Buffy.  

Buffy looked at Willow then looked back at Leigh.  Leigh shook her 
head. Without waiting for a response from either of them, Willow went 
back to sit with Kennedy.

"Then again, maybe you don't," said Leigh, staring in the direction 
Willow had gone.  Buffy cast a glance in that direction too, then 
gave Leigh a puzzled look.  

"Tell me, Buffy, did the Immortal break it off between you two or did 
you?"

Buffy hesitated, trying to think of the best way to answer that.

"Thought as much," nodded Leigh.

"No, it wasn't like that," answered Buffy with a forced laugh.

"Hey, you don't have to...I just...I'm sorry.  That's all I meant.  
I'm sorry.  I remember what it feels to be dumped by a guy."

"By...oh.  You had a boyfriend," stammered Buffy.

"Once upon a whenever.  Hell, I was still alive then!" laughed Leigh.

"Oh.  Well, sure.  I guess it's pretty common.  I mean Willow had a 
boyfriend too, ya know?" winced Buffy.

Leigh just smiled.

"Gonna help me out here?" smiled Buffy.

"With what?" asked Leigh innocently.

"Okay.  Sooo...before you were turned...did you like girls?" asked 
Buffy, raising her chin as if issuing a challenge.

"Not so much, maybe a little experimenting.  How `bout you?" asked 
Leigh without missing a beat.

"Me?" smirked Buffy.

"Okay, maybe not before you were turned `cause you were what, like 
fifteen?  But, well...have you ever?" questioned Leigh.

"Slayers aren't turned!" protested Buffy.  Leigh simply waited for 
her answer.

"No," answered Buffy quickly.

"Too bad," replied Leigh sadly.  "We both feel sensation so much more 
intensely than they do.  Oh, you have no idea what you're missing."

"Than they do?"

"Yeah, you know.  Humans," explained Leigh.  Buffy sat up just a 
little straighter.

"A Slayer is human.  There is no demon inside," said Buffy firmly.

"Sure.  If you say so," nodded Leigh.

"You know, you took a big chance coming back here knowing that I'm a 
Slayer," warned Buffy.  Leigh leaned forward just a bit despite the 
pain it caused.

"I should be afraid of you when the girl in my sordid love triangle 
next door can twitch her nose like on that television show and make 
me go poof?"

"Television show?" asked Buffy, confused.

"Um, yeah, you know, the one with the witch married to that human?  
Um..."

"Bewitched?" tried Buffy.

"Yeah!  That's it," nodded Leigh.  Buffy blinked.

"Exactly how old are you?" laughed Buffy.  Leigh inched back against 
the wall again.

"I was turned in the summer of seventy-two," frowned Leigh weakly. 

"Girlfriend, you got a long way to go before you can claim old!  You 
know how old my boyfriend was?"

"Which one?" smiled Leigh.

"Nice comeback," nodded Buffy.  And then her face quickly became sad, 
almost compassionate.

"Leigh, did you...where you fought tonight, is that where you died?"

Leigh lowered her eyes and nodded ever so slightly.

"Oh," whispered Buffy.

They sat in silence for a while, occasionally glancing at the doorway 
into the next room.

"She's going to need your help, you know.  She needs you even if she 
won't tell you so.  Especially since she won't tell you," said Leigh 
softly.

"I know.  Once a Slayer loses her confidence, it's tough to get it 
back," agreed Buffy.  "I can help her."

Leigh shook her head.

"I know you can help her.  But I didn't mean Kennedy.  I was talking 
about Willow."

Buffy made an effort to say something but ended up just looking at 
Leigh with her mouth wide open.

"I'm going to close my eyes.  I need some sleep.  Suggestion?  Might 
wanna put a do not disturb sign on the door," said Leigh.  "It'll 
save you an interesting explanation to the maid."

"But...no, wait!  Why did you say..."

"Goodnight, Slayer," responded Leigh with a wink.  She closed her 
eyes.

Buffy stared at Leigh and then slowly turned her head towards 
Willow's room.  She absently glanced at her hands and then with one 
finger slowly traced a line over the rough calluses on her palm. 

END OF PART FOUR







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Willow: "It's a good fight, Buffy, and I want in."
Buffy:  "I kinda love you."
                     'Choices'

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