The room was dark. There was no sound except for the quiet whirring of the air conditioner.

The only light was a thin slither from a street lamp that managed to peek its way in through the blinds on one of the large windows.

Kennedy was seated on one of the wooden benches lining the back wall. Her shoulders were slumped, and her forearm was resting against the length of her thigh. A photograph was clutched tightly in her hand.

Here eyes were so fixated on the image that she didn't look up when she heard the sound of footsteps approaching.

The lights suddenly popped on in the room, and then there was the sound of a light gasp of surprise.

"Kennedy!" Rowena exclaimed with a hand over her chest. "You scared me half to death."

The brunette slowly lifted her eyes to glance at the other woman, but just as quickly she dropped them back down to the picture.

"What are you doing sitting in here all alone in the dark?" Rowena asked as she made her way over to the slayer.

Kennedy was quiet as the blonde approached. Her eyes remained on the photo in her hand. "I couldn't go in there," she finally answered slowly. "It just made me think of…" The words trailed off, and her eyes fell back to the photo.

Rowena's stare soon followed the same path. "You guys look happy," she said softly.

Kennedy looked up from the picture of her and Kadin to meet the blonde's eyes. There was a light shine to the brown depths, and it seemed as though she wanted to say something, but she just shook her head and placed the picture face down on the bench beside her.

"What are you doing in here?" Kennedy asked as she pulled her eyes away from the other woman. "I thought only slayers braved this rugged and stench-filled domain."

Rowena smiled weakly. "Faith wanted me to check on you," she told the slayer softly. "I went to see her, and she asked about you. I left Buffy in the infirmary with her, but there's only so much she's gonna be able to take of that, as you can imagine. The two of them mix like oil and water sometimes."

Kennedy looked up at her with a light smile. "Yeah," she sighed and shook her head. "Guess I should go put her outta her misery. Best friend duties an' all." She slowly rose to her feet. "Not to mention the fact that it was my half-human, half-ravenous beast of a girlfriend that put her in there in the first place."

Rowena looked at the brunette sadly. "Kennedy…"

"Save it," the slayer cut her off with a raised hand. "You don't have to try and make me feel better about this." She leveled her eyes with the blonde's. "We both know how this is gonna play out." Kennedy reached down and picked up the picture from the bench. She gave Rowena one last glance. "If that thing really is all that's left of Kadin…then I'll kill it myself."

Rowena watched in stunned silence as the slayer pushed past her and then disappeared from the room.

The woman was lying on her back with her arms covering her face. She was still screaming as the figure on top of her started to move. Blue skin and stringy black hair came into focus as her arms fell to the side and she forced her eyes open.

The cold black stare of the monster met hers, and the woman instantly grew silent. A tiny drop of crimson liquid teetered on the corner of the creature's mouth before dripping down onto the woman's face. A low growl emitted from the back of the monster's throat.

Seconds later, it leapt from atop the woman and disappeared into the darkness.

"If you stick one more of those in me, you're gonna regret it." Faith reached out and grabbed the nurse's hand just as she was about to stick an IV in the slayer's arm. The woman quickly dropped the needle and scurried out of the room.

"You really don't have to be so unpleasant," Buffy spoke up from her spot next to the brunette's bedside. "She's just doing her job."

"Well, she can go do it somewhere else," Faith groaned and pulled at the wires attached to her chest. "I don't even know what this one is for. I hardly think all these are necessary for one little scratch."

"You call that a little scratch?"

Both women looked over at the sound of the third voice to see Kennedy standing in the doorway to the room. Her eyes were trained on the large bandage covering most of Faith's right upper arm.

"It's nothin', Slick. Just twenty-five stitches," Faith assured her friend. "I've had much worse. Believe me."

Kennedy cast her eyes down to the floor and stuffed her hands into her back pockets.

Buffy shot a look from Faith to the younger slayer. "I, uh…" She pushed her chair back and smiled nervously. "I better go see how Willow's coming along with that…stuff." She quickly made her exit, shooting Kennedy a polite smile as she passed her through the doorway.

Kennedy watched the slayer disappear before she slowly pulled her eyes over to her best friend.

"Not big on the liquid diets either, huh?" she asked with a nod towards the loosely hanging IV bag as she slowly made her way into the room.

Faith's eyes followed the younger slayer as she took a seat in the chair that Buffy had previously occupied. She smiled softly and shifted on the bed. "I think it must be something in the slayer gene. That and I just don't like needles."

"Well," Kennedy sighed with a tired smile. "You did spend like a whole year of your life unconscious and hooked up to one of those things, so I can't really say that I blame you."

"It's not your fault," Faith broke in suddenly.

"Uh, yeah," Kennedy smiled in return. "It was Buffy who…"

"I meant Kadin," Faith interrupted softly.

The smile instantly vanished from Kennedy's face, and she sat quietly for a long moment just staring back at her fellow slayer. "I know what you meant," Kennedy answered. Another small silence passed between them. "Is this the part where you tell me that there was nothing I could have done?"

Faith sighed and shifted on the bed once again. "There wasn't, Slick," she finally replied. "And it wasn't Willow or the gangs' fault either."

Kennedy shook her head with a disbelieving smile as she folded her arms across her chest. "I knew it," she said in a huff. "Everyone around here seems to think they understand what I'm going through and are so quick to assure me that it's not my fault…"

"It's not," Faith asserted again.

"You don't know, okay?!" Kennedy shouted back in answer. She sprang up in her seat and stared down the other slayer. "You don't know what she was going through! I was always so wrapped up in slaying and the Council that I couldn't see!" Kennedy's breathing had increased just slightly, and there was clear pain shining out from behind her eyes. "I couldn't see that she was suffering," she added in a low whisper. "I couldn't see that she needed me because I was just so…so…"

Faith watched in silence as her closest friend started to break down in front of her. She carefully extended her hand and placed it on Kennedy's shoulder as the slayer's body became overwhelmed with deep sobs.

"What do you mean you don't know, Willow?" Buffy asked, annoyed. "We have wards in place. How can that Barbara Ann demon just walk in here?"

Willow whipped around from her workbench to face Buffy.

"First, her name's Baaierdra, not Barbara Ann," Willow snapped. "And second, I'm kinda doing things in order of importance. How she got in isn't nearly as pressing as what happens when she gets back o-or finding out where Kadin went for that matter. So with all due respect, back the hell off and let me work!"

Buffy bit her lip but said nothing in response at first.

"It's not your fault, Will," Buffy told her.

"Buffy…just….go. I've got a lot of stuff to figure out and little time to do it in, okay?"

Buffy nodded and made her way from the room. With a sigh, Willow and turned back to her work bench.

The newly transformed monster hunter stumbled through the alleyway. Her features were hidden by the sweaty strands of her black hair as her body bounced off the walls and crashed into the scattered debris.

The beast finally fell onto her knees near a large pile of rotting garbage. The muscles in her arms tensed, and her head hung low as she breathed deeply and raggedly.

The moon shone down onto her from above, giving the blue hue of her skin a glistening quality. Her head suddenly shot up, and her black eyes locked onto the sky full of stars. Her teeth were suddenly exposed as she pulled back her lips and released a painful wail into the night.

Then there was a sudden sound of rustling followed by a groan. The beast's eyes swiftly focused in as the pile of garbage began to move. A homeless man dressed in tattered clothes and clutching a brown paper bag soon emerged.

"Hey! This is uh…my sh-shpot," the man slurred drunkenly. He swatted at the blurred image before him as he stumbled to his feet. "F-find your…own!"

Kadin's beast form tensed at the man's movements. Her eyes followed his every move as he stumbled closer.

"You gotta a…a problem?" he slurred again. He tucked his bottle in the pocket of his dirty jacket and took a step back from the form. "I ain't sharin', so get…lost!" He reached out and grabbed Kadin by the shoulder.

Her black eyes looked down to the man's hand on her and then up into his face. The hue seemed to darken as the sharp edges of her newly formed canines were once again exposed. With a low growl and a sudden movement, the man soon found himself trapped beneath the much stronger body.

"What the hellsa matter with you?!" the drunk protested as he struggled to free himself from beneath the other body.

"She's hungry," said a sultry voice floating from the end of the alley.

Both Kadin and the man turned their attention to the alley's entrance of the and the source of the other voice.

Baaierdra was standing in the back light of a nearby street lamp, leaning against the wall casually. "She's tried to fight it all night," she went on calmly. "But sooner or later…the hunger always wins."

There was another low growl, and then Kadin was instantly on her feet. The drunken man tried to stand, but instead he only managed to sloppily stumble his way out of the alley.

Kadin's icy black stare was immediately set on Baaierdra's human form, but the demon did not seem intimidated. "I've been there," the blonde cooed as she finally started to make her way towards Kadin. "Only I didn't fight it. I gave in willingly, and the power…" Her words trailed off, and her eyes flashed a deep yellow before instantly returning to blue. She grinned and started to walk around the still form of the monster hunter. Her eyes traced over every inch of the blue skin on display before her.

"You feel it now, don't you?" she asked, leaning in towards Kadin's ear. She smiled just slightly. "You can feel the power surging through your every fiber, and you like how it feels."

Kadin's head whipped over, and she growled again.

Baaierdra chuckled in the back of her throat. "Don't be so testy. I know it's not really you. It's the power. It's telling you to fight…kill…feed."

Kadin's eyes locked onto the she-demon, and for a moment, the tense expression faltered.

"We're the same now," Baaierdra went on. "You and me," she added in a husky drawl. "We both feel a power that no one else could possibly comprehend…or control. But I can." She slowly reached up and pushed back the loose strands of hair from Kadin's face.

"I can help you control it," she soothed before dropping her hand back to her side. "If you let me."

Kadin seemed to be considering the offer as her body slacked and her black stare drifted. Slowly, she lifted her hands and stared down at the beast-like claws that had taken over.

Baaeirdra watched the action with a satisfied smirk. "I'm the only one who understands. I'm the only one who knows how to control it." She lifted a hand and placed it on Kadin's arm.

Instantly, the hunter's skin and features returned to normal.

Her deep brown eyes were suddenly staring down at her human shaped fingers and hands. Her head whipped around, and she stared at the demon in confusion.

"There is no limit to your power," the she-demon answered in response to the silent question. "If you can control it." She dropped her hand away, and Kadin's features instantly morphed back into the beast.

"I can show you," Baaierdra whispered as she stepped up towards Kadin. "All you have to do is give in…"

Kadin watched silently as Baaierdra's features transformed into her demon visage. She made no move to retreat when the demon slowly leaned in and placed her lips on Kadin's.

Faith had moved closer to the edge of the bed as she kept a gentle hand resting on the younger slayer's shoulder. Kennedy's head was hung, and her eyes were downcast as the silent tears dripped down her cheeks.

The moment was quickly broken when the door suddenly opened and Buffy burst into the room soon followed by Willow.

"I found her," the redhead announced instantly. "I found Kadin."

Kennedy looked over at the witch and then back to the other slayer with a teary gaze.

"Go," Faith instantly answered. "I'm five by five here."

Kennedy hesitated for only a moment before quickly standing and following the witch from the room.

Faith looked over to see Buffy standing in the doorway. The blonde gave her a light smile before turning to walk out, softly closing the door behind her.

Faith stared silently at the closed door as the heart monitor continued to beep behind her.

Baaierdra's lips were still firmly attached to Kadin's. Her gangly brown hands were now resting on the blue flesh of Kadin's stomach where the ends of her tattered shirt had exposed her torso.

As the kiss prolonged, a sudden arc of white light began to grow and emanate from where their lips were touching.

Kadin's eyes shot open. Their dark black hue seemed to have lost some of its depth. The color was beginning to drain from her face as she struggled to fight back out of the demon's grasp.

Baaierdra growled in the back of her throat. She latched onto Kadin's sides, the ends of her claws digging into the flesh.

The white light between them was almost blinding.

With some force of unseen power, Kadin was finally able to push herself away from the demon. The motion sent her stumbling back into the nearest wall, and she fell into a heap on the ground beneath her.

Her eyes lifted, and she watched the demon approach. Her body was gasping for breath as the color of her flesh slowly began to return. Her eyes began to darken again, and it seemed as though the signs of life were returning.

"My patience is beginning to wear thin," Baaierdra nearly growled from the back of her throat. She stalked closer to the fallen beast, her eyes never leaving her face.

In one swift movement, the she-demon reached down and wrapped a hand tightly around Kadin's throat. She effortlessly lifted her into the air a moment later.

"It is mine!" Baaierdra screamed. "You have no claim to it!" She gave the beast's body a little shake for emphasis. "I want it, and you will give it to me. One way or the other."

Kadin's eyes never left the demon's as she slowly lifted one clawed hand, placed it on the arm around her neck, and squeezed.

There was a low growl and then the sound of snapping bone.

Baaierdra screamed and jerked her injured arm away.

When Kadin dropped from the demon's grip, she easily landed on her feet. The heavy thud of her boots resounded against the cement.

"It is my claim," Kadin growled, an intense anger burning in her eyes.

The demon looked at the beast in shock. "How did you…?"

"…It's my birthright," Kadin snarled.

Kadin took a step forward and grabbed Baaierdra by the neck. She lifted the demon into the air and then sent her flying into the opposite wall. Dust and shards of broken cement flew off in all directions as the crumpled demon's body fell to the ground with a hard thud.

There was no time to recover. Kadin was on her again in an instant.

This time, the blue claw came down against the demon's face, leaving a wake of angry red slashes across the demon's pale brown flesh. The beast's other hand came down against her side. The claws embedded themselves deep into the flesh. The blood oozed down over Kadin's hand as she used the grip to lift the demon's body from the ground.

Baaierdra groaned and howled in pain when her body was forced back against the rough surface of the grimy alley wall. The cold stare of the beast was suddenly on her as Kadin leaned in with a growl and quickly withdrew her hand from the demon's limp body. Blood poured freely out of the open wound.

Suddenly, there was the crushing force of a bloody hand around the demon's throat. She forced her eyes open to gaze into solid black. The white of Kadin's teeth were gleaming with saliva as she growled with her mouth poised inches from the demon's face.

Baaierdra's eyes flashed, and in an instant, her hand was raised to push against the beast's chest. The blue body was sent hurtling backwards through the air, before landing in the pile of garbage as it fell to the ground. The demon took a step away from the wall as she dropped her eyes to the wound in her side. Then she set them on Kadin.

"It didn't have to end this way," Baaierdra said as she calmly stalked over to the fallen beast. "I was hoping that you would accept your fate. I was willing to allow you a quick and easy death." She stopped at Kadin's feet and reached down to grab her by the arm. She lifted the beast's slumped body into the air. "But now…you've just pissed me off."

The she-demon slammed Kadin back against the wall with a forceful shove. She lifted a hand and then brought it down in an angry slash across the beast's stomach.

Lines of flowing crimson rose in its wake, and Kadin groaned in protest at the pain.

A moment later, Baaierdra's other hand came down across her face and then against her side. Before another of the vicious blows could be delivered, Kadin's hand shot up and clutched the demon's wrist in a fierce grip. She planted her feet against the wall behind her and pushed off with all her strength.

A low growl rumbled from the depths of Kadin's chest, and her grip on the demon's arm tightened as they were both sent flying through the air.

Baaierdra's back connected solidly with the opposite wall, but the added force of Kadin's body was too much for the concrete to withstand. It cracked and then crumbled, sending the two figures straight through into the building.

"How much further?" Kennedy asked from her place in the backseat of the Council Jeep as it moved through the city streets. Buffy sat next to her.

Willow glanced down at the map in her lap and then turned from the front passenger seat to answer, "It's just up here." She pointed to a spot through the front windshield and then glanced over at the driver.

Rowena nodded once and stepped on the gas.

"Hang on," Willow told them as she reached for the hand bar.

Buffy and Kennedy looked at each other and suddenly the shift of the car forced Kennedy into Buffy as Rowena made the sharp turn, not bothering to brake.

Willow smiled back at Buffy and Kennedy as the slayers righted themselves.

"I warned you," she said sheepishly.

Both slayers gripped their hand bars.

"She drives worse than me," Buffy muttered.

Strands of saliva and blood dripped from the ends of razor sharp teeth. A growl reverberated from the back of a throat as cold black eyes bared down into yellow.

A similar growl answered the first, and then the body on top was propelled into the air. The demon was on her feet in an instant, and she turned just in time to see the beast land on her own not far behind.

Baaierdra charged, but the beast was able to turn and face her at the last moment before contact. The demon's body slammed into Kadin's just as she dug her feet in to brace for the impact.

The concrete below gave way as the beast and the demon locked into a fierce embrace. Chunks of the solid ground shot up from around the beast's heavy boots as she was rapidly forced backwards.

They skidded along the warehouse floor before Kadin's back slammed into the opposite wall. The whole building shook around them as she was pulled back into the demon's grasp.

The beast just managed to dodge a crushing blow as the she-demon landed a hard right into the wall beside her head. Dust and plaster clouded the air around Kadin's head. Seconds later, she struck out with a blow of her own, landing a hard head-butt against Baaierdra's skull.

The contact dazed the demon long enough for her to release her grip and stumble backwards. Kadin was on her again, landing a quick slash against her shoulder before grabbing on with both hands. She released a hearty growl and then threw the demon's body into the air.

Before Baaierdra could make contact with anything solid, Kadin leaped into the air and was once again locked onto her with a deadly hold. Roars and growls filled the air seconds before two bodies slammed against the concrete wall.

The Jeep came to a screeching halt at the alley's entrance. The doors were quickly shoved open, and a set of feet landed hard against the pavement.

Kennedy adjusted the strap of her crossbow and glanced around the alley in all directions. "You sure this is the place?" she asked, turning to Willow.

The redhead was now out of the van and standing next to the slayer, her eyes glued to the map. "This is it," she answered slowly. She pulled her eyes up to meet Kennedy's and furrowed her brow just slightly.

"Well, maybe it's off by a street or two," Buffy added, walking up behind the two women. She too carried a crossbow in her hands.

Willow glanced over to her friend and then dropped her eyes back to the map with a sigh. "Maybe…"

There was a sudden loud crash, and then the ground beneath their feet shook with an unseen force.

Kennedy shot a look towards the building and then at the witch.

"Or maybe we're just not looking in the right place." Kennedy took off towards the building with Willow, Buffy, and Rowena quickly following.

There was a sudden flash of blinding light followed by a roar-like scream. Kadin flew backwards through the air, flipping head over heels before landing on her feet at the other end of the room.

The light died away, and Baaierdra's form slowly faded into focus behind it. Her eyes were glowing yellow, and her jaw was set in a tight snarl.

"I've tried to be reasonable," the demon started as she pushed herself away from the wall. Pieces of broken cement and dust fell from the shattered impression as she stepped away. She reached up with one hand and swiped at the dust on her shoulder. "But now…you must die."

Kadin stared down the demon. She flexed her claws once and then planted her feet. Her black eyes seemed to glow…and then she smiled.

The gesture enraged the she-demon. She let out a piercing wail and charged Kadin at full force. The beast just managed to lift her hands to intercept the demon as their bodies were forced together in a thunderous crash.

Blows from each side started to reign between them. A slash was blocked by a blue arm and countered with a slash of its own. There was a scream and then another slash across the beast's face.

Kadin's head snapped to the side, but she quickly recovered with a snarl and a slash to the side of the demon's face. Baaierdra stumbled back, seemingly dazed from the blow. Kadin gave her time to regain her balance before she was on her with devastating slashes to each side of her body.

"ENOUGH!" Baaierdra shrieked. The word was screamed so loud that the ceiling shook and a cloud of dust coated the room.

There was the sound of grappling bodies then a loud grunt. Then, out of the dust, Kadin came flying. This time her body twisted and crashed into a pillar supporting the center of the room. The concrete split right down the middle as her body fell to the ground in a motionless slump.

Suddenly, the door imploded, and a steady stream of light filled the room.

The motion attracted the she-demon's attention, and her yellow eyes set dead upon a human figure as it stepped in from the well-lit street outside.

Kennedy's eyes flashed over to the slumped form of beast-Kadin, and then they instantly locked onto the demon standing between them.

"Sorry to interrupt," Kennedy said as she stepped closer, her fists clenching at her sides. "But that's my girlfriend over there, and I get really testy when things try to kill her."

Baaierdra's eyes gravitated from the intruder to the fallen beast and then back to Kennedy. "You?" she snarled with a half smile. "You are the reason she fights?"

Kennedy seemed confused by the comment, and her stance faltered just slightly, but she never took her eyes from the demon.

The sound of rapid footsteps approached from behind, and then three new sets of eyes transfixed on the demon in the center of the room.

"Hey!" Buffy called out instantly as she stepped forward to stand near Kennedy. She raked her eyes over the demon's form, looking unimpressed. "For a demon you're pretty scrawny."

Baaierdra's roar reverberated throughout the room. "Slayers!" she howled with clenched fists raised into the air. "The only thing more worthless than mortals!"

She turned to face them full-on, her yellow glare seeming to penetrate through them. "I would do the world a favor to rid it of two sl – " The word froze on the tip of her tongue and then died away with a sudden intake of breath.

Kennedy jumped, startled by the violent shake in the demon's body. The slayer's eyes widened just slightly before she slowly dropped them to the front of the demon's rigid body.

Several drops of blood formed in the center of her chest. They began to bead before erupting forth in steady streams of the crimson liquid. The demon lifted her eyes and locked them with Kennedy's as another thick stream began to drip from the edge of her mouth. Her body roughly jerked forward, and then she crumpled to the ground.

Kennedy's eyes followed the body as it fell; then they slowly lifted again.

Kadin was standing over the she-demon's motionless form. The claws of her right hand were bathed with the demon's blood as she stared down at the body, breathing heavily and snarling.

"K…Kadin?" Kennedy breathed her lover's name as she watched the beast before her seething with rage.

Kadin's black eyes suddenly snapped up and locked onto Kennedy. The snarl faded away, and the expression on her face softened just slightly.

Kennedy watched her carefully before finally taking a hesitant step towards her.

Kadin flinched at the motion, her foot catching on the demon's side. A claw reached up and grabbed her around the ankle. She jumped, startled at the unexpected contact.

Baaierdra smiled up at the beast as more of the blood bubbled and oozed out of her mouth. "You…you will n-never control…it." Her grip tightened just slightly. "It will…consume…you." She took in one final gasp of breath, and then her head fell back to the ground. Her grip on Kadin's leg slackened, and her hand fell lifelessly to floor.

Kennedy watched the exchange, frozen in place before finally setting her eyes on her lover. "Kadin…"

The beast once again slinked back away from the outstretched hand. She blinked and shook her head. A low moan erupted from her throat as she staggered and then fell to the ground.

"Kadin!" Kennedy rushed forward, her hand outstretched towards her fallen lover.

Just as she was about to step over the motionless corpse between them, she was suddenly sent flying backwards as a steady stream of white light shot up from the she-demon's lifeless body. Kennedy was blown towards the far wall where Willow was trying to shield her eyes. Buffy was blown in the opposite direction where Rowena had already been knocked off her feet from the shockwave.

The stream of light arced and then slammed into Kadin's chest. She howled as she was lifted from the ground by the light. It quickly consumed her entire body. Moments later, it faded, and Kadin fell to the ground motionless.

Willow dropped her arm away. Her eyes locked on Kadin's prone form and then shifted to the she-demon. The once prominent demon visage was now shrunken and gnarled. Her body was the mere essence of bone and withered muscle.

"What the hell was that?" Buffy asked as she rose to her feet.

"I believe that's what you'd call 'going out with a bang'…literally," Rowena replied, taking Buffy's outstretched hand.

Kennedy groaned from her place on the floor, drawing Willow's attention. Willow quickly made her way over and leaned down to help the slayer to her feet.

"You okay?" she asked softly as she helped the woman stand.

Kennedy groaned and cracked her neck before turning to the witch with a grimace. "I…think so." She placed a hand behind her back and popped it into place. "Really didn't see that comin'."

"That makes two of us," Buffy snorted. "I just don't get why they insist on that one last – "

The movement was so fast that not one of them had time to react.

Kadin was on her feet, leaping through the air to land beside Kennedy and the Willow in a flash. She placed a hand on the slayer's shoulder and pushed her back with a powerful shove. Her body slammed back into the wall, and she let out a groan of pain.

Willow's eyes widened in fear when she felt the beast grab her by the shoulder. She turned and came face to face with a cold black stare.

Kadin snarled, and her grip on the witch's shoulder tightened.

"Willow!" Rowena called out for her lover and stepped forward, but she was quickly halted as Buffy placed a restraining hand on her arm.

"Don't!" the blonde slayer warned her. "You'll just make it worse."

"But she – "

Buffy just shook her head and pulled Rowena back with both hands. The woman was forced to watch in horror as the beast loomed over her lover.

"Ken! Stop her!" Buffy shouted.

"Oww!" Kennedy groaned and raised a hand to the back of her head. "What was that f-" The world seemed to slow to a standstill when she saw Kadin's hand raised above the witch's head.

"Kadin! No!" She leaped forward and slammed her shoulder into her lover's body with as much strength as she could muster. Her frame shook with the impact, and then she fell backwards to the floor.

Kadin cut her eyes to the fallen slayer, but she quickly focused them back on the trembling witch.

"Willow! Do something!" Rowena called over to the redhead.

"I'm trying," Willow yelled back before returning to whispering an incantation under her breath. Her eyes widened in horror as she watched the raised claw make a rapid descent towards her head.

There was a twang then a ssthunk noise. The claw was suddenly frozen in mid-air.

Willow's stare darted from the clawed hand to lock onto Kadin's eyes. The deep black of her once icy stare had been replaced with an empty hollowness. The color slowly faded to brown as Kadin's features returned to their human form.

Kadin sucked in a raspy breath as her body began to crumple. Willow watched in stunned horror as the hunter slowly dropped to her knees and then fell to the floor on her side.

The light caught the end of the shiny silver crossbow bolt protruding from Kadin's chest as she struggled to suck in a last breath.

Willow quickly turned to see Kennedy still holding the small crossbow tightly between her hands.

"Oh…no," Willow gasped, lifting a hand to cover her mouth. "Kennedy…"

From across the room, Buffy and Rowena looked on in stunned silence as they held on tightly to each other's hands.

"Kennedy," Willow breathed and then fell to her knees at the woman's side. She studied the slayer's shaking hands and then brought her eyes back up to her face. "Why did you do that?"

Kennedy didn't answer. She merely pushed herself forward and then onto her feet. Her eyes cut over to the motionless body lying on the ground a few yards away.

Willow sucked in a shaky breath. With careful movements, she eased her way around the stoic slayer to close the distance between herself and the fallen hunter. She gently dropped to her knees and reached out with a trembling hand to place it against Kadin's neck.

A moment later, she turned her eyes towards Kennedy and then slowly removed her hand.

The slayer clenched her jaw, and her grip on the weapon tightened with a force that turned her knuckles solid white. Without a single word, she turned and headed for the exit.

Rowena watched Kennedy for a moment before turning her eyes to Willow. "Is…she…?"

Willow didn't answer. She just let her eyes drop back to Kadin's lifeless body.

The room was silent as the main members of the council sat around the large table. Everyone was present except Kennedy and Faith.

No one made eye contact as the steady tick of the clock echoed in the room around them.

Kadin's body lay motionless on the cold metal slab. A thin sheet of faded white covered her up to the neck.

Kadin's eyes were closed, and the wounds on her face had begun to discolor.

There was no sound in the room except for the steady tick of the clock on the wall.

Kennedy was seated on the end of the bed, her eyes staring straight out in front of her.

The clock ticked away on the nightstand beside her.

The large metal clock hung above the door as the only decoration in the otherwise sterile atmosphere. The long, thin red hand ticked with every passing second. The sound was deafening in the silent room.

It moved slowly to click away one final second and then stopped.

Faith slowly opened her eyes and turned to glance up at the clock hanging on the wall beside her.

Her brow furrowed slightly when she noticed that the second hand had come to a complete stop.

The slayer suddenly leaped up from the bed and quickly disappeared from the room.

The clock on the nightstand ticked away one more second, and then it was still.

Buffy was the first to look up when the loud ticking had come to a sudden stop.

The other sets of eyes soon followed hers as they focused in on the large metal clock.

The second hand was still, and the room was once again silent.

The doors to the room swung open at full force.

Kennedy stared into the room through blood-shot and tear-filled eyes. She stumbled in and began a frantic search for the body of her slain lover. Her motions came to a sudden stop when her eyes fell upon the empty metal slab.

The faded white sheet was hanging haphazardly over the edge, blowing in the slight breeze of the room's cooling system.

She took a step forward and reached out to place a hand against the material. Her hand froze a second before it made contact. She stopped and looked up at the sound of the doors slowly swinging shut behind her.

The slayer swallowed as she turned.

A gasp erupted from within her when she saw Kadin standing before her.

The hunter's skin was a pale blue, and the deep black of her eyes shined in the dim lighting of the room. All traces of her wounds were completely gone.

Kennedy remained frozen in shock as she watched the image of her dead lover standing before her. She could hear the sound of Kadin's ragged breathing in the air as she continued to stare back into lifeless eyes.

Before Kennedy had time to react, Kadin hopped up onto a nearby table and leaped clear across the room to land on the one closest to the small window. She stopped to spare Kennedy one last glance over her shoulder before she shattered the thick security window and then disappeared into the night.

Kennedy stood motionless, her eyes locked onto the window as the tattered vinyl blinds flapped in the wind.

The steady tick of the clock echoed in her ears.

Fade to Black

To be continued...