Title: Up Close and Personal

Author: Alan Hitchen

Email: darkmere2000@yahoo.co.uk

Archive: http://www.realmoftheshadow.com/alan.htm

Disclaimer: BtVS belongs to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, TCF and others.

Pairing: Dawn/Kennedy

Rating: NC-17 (Sex)

Spoilers: Season 7. This story is set sometime after 'Bring on the Night' (7.10) and refers to events in 'Potential' (7.12).

Note: A prequel to Team Building, based on the idea that Dawn lied to Anya about Kennedy.

Summary: Dawn doesn't like Kennedy - at first.

Kennedy emerged from the bathroom to find a frowning Dawn waiting for her in the hallway. "She's out of your league," Dawn said bluntly.

"What? Who?" replied the puzzled potential.

"You know who," Dawn insisted. "Willow, that's who. You'll never be Tara. She'll never want you that way."

"Tara being?" Kennedy asked.

"Willow's soulmate. You'll never be that so you might as well give up right now."

"Look, kid..."

"Don't call me that!" Dawn snapped back. "I've seen you, undressing her with your eyes, practically drooling when she brushes past you, it's pathetic."

The slayer-in-training just laughed, making Dawn angrier than ever. "What you really mean is that she'll never look at you that way. You're jealous," Kennedy jibed.

"No, I'm not!" Dawn practically shouted.

Kennedy grinned, Dawn was so easy to read, so easy to tease. "Look at you, sweet sixteen and never been kissed."

"Yes, I have, Janice and I...." Dawn trailed off into embarassed silence, she'd said too much.

Kennedy pressed on. "Oh, so you have a girlfriend do you; does she know you lust after your sister's best friend?"

"No!" Dawn again denied the accusation strongly, "It's not like that. Not even with Janice. We've kissed and fooled around a bit but we're not official or anything."

Kennedy weighed up the situation. If it wasn't Willow Dawn was in love with then it must be this mysterious Tara. She decided to play nice for her advantage. "It's okay, I won't tell anyone, but in return could you tell me more about Tara?"

Before Dawn could answer, her sister's voice came wafting up the stairs. "Dawn, you're going to be late, so get the lead out!" Dawn hoisted her book bag onto her shoulder and sighed. Buffy was such a pain and school was such a bore.

Kennedy commiserated with the crestfallen girl. "Cheer up, it's school, not the end of the world."

Dawn shrugged. "No, but double maths feels just like it. Do you really want to know about Tara?"

Kennedy nodded. "Yes, I'll pick you up after school and we'll talk. If that's okay with Janice," she added with a smirk. Dawn swiftly poked her tongue out at her and ran off downstairs before Buffy could shout at her again.

Later that day, at the Expresso Pump, Kennedy sat back as Dawn poured out the whole story of how the shy, stuttering, dark-blonde wiccan had captured Willow's heart (and clearly her own) and how her life had come to a violent end at the hand of Warren Meers and his gun.

"I'm sorry," said Kennedy, passing over more napkins so Dawn could blow her nose and dry her eyes.

"Yeah, me too," Dawn sniffled. "But then Willow went mad, killed the killer and tried to end the world. Xander stopped her, but only just."

Kennedy was astonished, Willow just didn't look the type. "She has that kind of power?"

"Oh yeah," Dawn confirmed with a nod. "The Charmed Ones have nothing on her."

"So why doesn't she just zap the bad guys with this power?"

"Duh! Because when she uses that power she IS one of bad guys."

"Oh." Kennedy paused, trying to process this unexpected information. She knew Willow would be a challenge, but this... "Well, you were right. Tara sounds like a hard act to follow and as for Willow..."

"Gonna back off then?" Dawn challenged.

"Maybe. Are you?" Kennedy countered with a small grin.

Dawn smiled back. "Maybe."

And so Dawn and Kennedy became friends. Then, for a few tantalising hours, it looked like Dawn would become Kenndy's equal when Willow's spell seemed to identify her as another potential slayer. But, alas, it was not to be. After Xander had left her room that night, and despite his kind words she was still feeling low, she heard a light knock at the door.

"Go away, Xander," she said firmly. She knew it wasn't Buffy. It was never Buffy these days.

"It's me," said a female voice. Dawn quickly rose and opened the door. "Hey," said Kennedy.

"Hey yourself," said Dawn, allowing her inside. "But if you've got an inspiring speech to give me I don't want to hear it."

"No speeches," promised the older girl, "but I do bring gifts. Banoffee ice-cream and two spoons." Dawn looked puzzled. "Well, you're not going to eat it all yourself are you?" Kennedy explained.

"No," Dawn said happily. Ice-cream was always better when shared.

So they sat on the bed together and ate Dawn's dessert, which she had previously described as "food of the gods", it being Glory's favourite treat as well.

As they reached the end of this impromtu feast Kennedy impulsively leaned close and kissed Dawn on the nose.

"What was that for?" Dawn enquired.

"Stray ice-cream."

"And?" Dawn added. The ice-cream had been nice and cold but in her opinion the brunette in front of her was hot, and hopefully Kennedy thought the same about her.

"And I think Willow's not the only sexy woman living in this house," Kennedy said softly and with an unaccustomed shyness.

Dawn was thrilled, not so much by the "sexy" part, nice though that compliment was, but by the word "woman", at last someone had realised that she had grown up. She decided to be as bold as Kennedy. "And now you're on a bed with this sexy woman whatcha gonna do?"

"Kiss her." Kennedy captured Dawn's lips with her own, her hands twirling in Dawn's glossy chestnut tresses for a long time; then she broke the kiss and ran for the door.

"What are you doing?" Dawn piped up in alarm. Was she really such a bad kisser? Janice had never complained.

"Locking the door," said Kennedy. Dawn sighed in obvious relief. "You didn't think I was running out on you?" Kennedy continued. Dawn just nodded, feeling a bit foolish as her potential lover returned to her side. "No chance of that," Kennedy reassured, and kissed Dawn again.

Her tongue traced along and then between Dawn's pearly whites to meet the younger girl's own questing organ coming the other way to do erotic battle together.

They eventually parted, breathing heavily. "You okay with this?" Kennedy asked, requesting permission to proceed.

"Oh yes," Dawn purred, already removing Kennedy's clothing, eager to taste the bare flesh that lay beneath.

Soon they were both naked, flushed, and damp with anticipation. Kennedy invited Dawn to explore her body and lay back on the bed to let the younger girl work her will in any way she chose.

"You like that?" said Dawn, revelling in the moans her fingers were producing, just from tweaking the other girl's stiffening nipples. "Then you'll love this," she said with a wicked grin, her head dropping between Kennedy's thighs.

"Oh, God, Dawn!"

Dawn's mind briefly pondered how painful a full Brazilian wax must be before returning her full attention to the pearl of love nestling inside Kennedy's naked folds. Swirling her tongue in circles around it, sucking, licking, lapping up every drop of nectar. Driving Kennedy closer and closer to the edge, until, with a barely suppressed scream of release, she orgasmed violently into Dawn's sucking mouth.

"Did Janice teach you that?" Kennedy panted, frankly amazed by Dawn's skill.

"Oh no, we're just..."

"Friends who fumble," said Kennedy. "Yes, you told me. Then how?"

"Lesbian Sex for Dummies."

"What?"

"It's a book that comes with a DVD."

"Oh..." Kennedy quirked an eyebrow at Dawn's oh-so-serious expression. "You're joking aren't you?"

"Yes," Dawn laughed. She moved up on all fours to kiss Kennedy, and added: "So, you going to show me what you know?" The last word went up a semitone as she felt Kennedy's finger gaining entrance to her honeyed depths.

One finger became two, and two became three. Dawn began to feel uncomfortably full, not so innocent she may have been, but she was still very much the virgin. She reached down and gently removed Kennedy's hand and tranferred it to her breasts, annointing each pebble-hard nipple with her own juices. Taking the hint, Kennedy followed with her mouth to taste her lover.

Her eyes said 'more' and Dawn was quick to oblige. Now straddling Kennedy's face, she held herself open to better accommodate the probing tongue that flickered around her internal walls, searching for that magic spot that would drive Dawn wild. And find it she did - many times - as Dawn and Kennedy surrendered to mutual bliss in a lengthy session of 69 before fatigue claimed them both.

Just before she fell asleep, Kennedy whispered, "You may not be a potential, Dawn, but you'll always be special to me."

Dawn's answering smile became a yawn and the long day finally ended.