Disclaimers: All characters belong to Mutant Enemy. Blah blah. All girl-girl action here, so go away if you can't handle it.

Beginnings

"I'm not used to literally knocking girls off their feet with just the power of my own lips."

Willow watched the horror in Kennedy's eyes, her own body whirling in a mixture of confusion and desire.

"What… what are you?"

She turned and saw her reflection in the mirror, and her world fell away.

Warren.

***

"Come on, I'll make you some tea." Kennedy joked, as she wrapped her arms around Willow, feeling the shakiness in both their bodies. She helped Willow limp into the house, holding on tightly as Willow buried her head in her shoulder.

"This is weird…" Willow whispered.

"What's weird?" Kannedy asked.

"Your arms. Around me. It feels so long since I've had anyone do that."

"How does it feel?"

"Nice."

Kennedy quirked an eyebrow. "Nice?"

"Well, you know, a day of almost losing your personality to someone you once killed tends to take it out of you. Nice is heaven right now."

"Oh." Kennedy shifted Willow's weight to get a better hold help her up the stairs. She considered what Willow said.

Willow frowned. "You're disappointed?"

"I don't know. You strike me as… passionate. Kinda intense. About everything. I was just wondering how long 'nice' will appeal to you."

"Getting insecure already? I thought you were the big, tough, confident girl?"

"Yeah well, I am, with everyone except sexy, red-haired witches." She replied, biting her lip. "You're still a huge mystery to me."

"Kennedy…" Willow stopped climbing stairs and regarded the woman whose body was pressed so tightly against her own. "Look at me, I'm wrecked. Do you honestly think I have any defenses left? I couldn't lie to you if I tried." She leaned in and captured Kennedy's lips with her own, wallowing in the feeling of being needed, desired again. She shoved the nagging feelings of guilt back as far as she could. Tara would want her to do this. She knew that in her heart, as much as she knew anything right at that moment. She wouldn't want her to spend the rest of her life alone.

It was Kennedy who pulled away, breathless. "Ok, I think I get it."

"Good. Now, get me upstairs would you? Between all that magic and that kiss I don't think my legs will last much longer."

Kennedy chuckled. "You certainly know how to make a girl's life interesting."

"Welcome to the hellmouth." Willow replied. "And you're right… I am intense. About pretty much everything."

"Yeah. All of you are. I've never seen anything like it."

"Well, Xander is still the king of the inappropriately timed quip."

"Tell me about it." Kennedy sighed a little. "You guys are such a tight unit. Amazing even. I can't imagine what you've been through."

"Well, if we're unlucky, you'll get to see for yourself." Willow said.

They reached the door to Willow's room, and Kennedy opened it, standing tentatively on the threshold.

Willow looked at her. "Well?"

"I don't know. I'm nervous."

"Believe me, I'm not capable of doing anything to make you nervous, not the way I'm feeling."

Kennedy laughed. "That almost sounds like a challenge."

"Oh, believe me, it wasn't." Willow stumbled in, collapsing on her bed in relief. Kennedy still lingered in the doorway. "What are you? A vampire? Come in."

"Talk about inappropriate humour." Kennedy grunted. She shuffled in and closed the door behind her.

Willow laid herself out on the bed, exhaling sharply as her shaky limbs were relieved of the duty of holding her up.

Slowly, Kennedy inched towards the bed, every step an effort. "Willow? Can I ask you something?"

"Of course." Willow lifted her head up, leaning on her elbow. "Anything."

"Was… was this the room you shared with Tara? The one she was killed in?"

Willow swallowed. "No, it wasn't."

"Not that it matters." Kennedy hurried to say.

"I understand." Willow said.

"I know you do."

Kennedy sat down beside Willow, running a hand through long, red hair. Words failed her.

Willow smiled, suddenly intoxicated by the feeling she saw in Kennedy's eyes. It was… again, the only word she could think of was nice. "You're really falling for me."

"Duh." Kennedy said. But it had broken the tension, just a little. "It's just her name, Will. Tara. It's hardly ever spoken, and when it is everyone looks at the floor, like no one wants to think about it."

"They don't." Willow fell back on to the bed with a thump. "They really don't."

"But why? I don't get it. She was your partner, their friend. She died. But she sounded like such a happy person when she was alive. A good person."

"She…she was." Willow struggled to keep the emotion from her voice.

"The way you've all handled this, it confuses me." Kennedy said. "Would she have wanted her name to be this thing you guys are totally afraid of?"

A few stunned seconds passed as Willow digested Kennedy's words. "I don't think she would."

"I didn't even know her - but I know I like her. Who she was. How she made you feel. Anyone who makes you that happy has my vote."

Willow stared up, shocked and moved. "That's beautiful. Thank you."

"You're beautiful." She leaned over and kissed Willow softly. "And you've got nothing to feel guilty about."

Any reply Willow might have given to that was lost at the touch of Kennedy's lips once more. They revelled in the new senstions for long moments, hands beginning to explore new places on each other's bodies.

"Wait…" Willow croaked as they pulled apart finally. "So, we've established you're good at that." She gave her a small smile. "How good are you at just holding someone?"

"I'm the best." Kennedy said.

"I need you."

"I know."

Willow's heart thumped in a way she had been so certain it would never do again. They settled in on the bed, with Willow wrapped tightly in Kennedy's arms.

After all the guilt and grief and self-loathing, feeling that safe and warm was almost disturbing. She struggled to force the tension from her limbs, to lie and just enjoy the feeling of Kennedy's arms.

"Are you all right?" Kennedy whispered, shifting slightly as Willow wriggled.

"I will be." She replied, her voice so soft Kennedy wasn't sure she heard properly. "I'm just not used to this."

"Well, I'm not going anywhere." Kennedy said, sqeueezing tighter.

Willow sighed. "I know you mean that, but we can't make promises. Not now, not with the First so close."

"Willow." Kennedy said, her face determined. "I'm not going anywhere."

The strength of her declaration made Willow turn around in her arms, their faces touching. "I believe you. As much as I can believe in anything right now."

Kennedy nodded. "That's all I can ask for."

THE END

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