"And you think she's going to drop everything and come
racing up here after some guy she spent one night of
her life banging? Why the bloody hell would she?"
Spike wanted to know.
Anya sighed and looked at him as though he were a
pathetically ignorant school boy, "Experience,
remember? I know how people think when it comes to
these things. What kind of woman talks to a guy for a
few hours and then invites him home for an entire
night of sex?"
"A whore?" he said dryly.
"Whores don't live in out-of-the-way towns and work in
greasy little restaurants--not for long, anyway," she
argued. "Besides, Oz didn't pay for services rendered.
She isn't a whore. She's a lonely, sex-starved young
woman."
"Anya, you think _everyone's_ sex-starved," he told
her.
"Fine," she shrugged and started to stand up. "Don't
take the word of an ex-demon who's crawled inside
minds exactly like hers since centuries before you
even existed."
"Okay, okay," he quickly relented. "I'll take your
word for it. Just--sit down, and tell me how you plan
on getting her here."
She nodded and dropped back down onto the sofa, "It's
already done. I phoned her and told her I'm an old
friend of Oz's. I said he'd come back to Sunnydale to
try to renew his relationship with his girlfriend, but
all he's been able to think about is her. I told her
I
couldn't stand to see him so depressed, and that if
she was interested, I knew he was, too."
"And she swallowed it?"
"Whole," Anya grinned. "Just like I knew she would.
She said she had time off coming, and she'd be here
this weekend."
"If she tells the mutt that someone from Sunnyhell
called her, he's going to figure out it was you,"
Spike told her.
"Thought of that," she replied. "I told her he'd sworn
me to secrecy about her. He didn't want his old
girlfriend to know Ivy was the reason his feelings
toward her had changed. I said he'd never understand
if he found out we'd talked. She was more than eager
to keep that between us. And Oz had already told her
where he was from, so he won't think it's strange that
she knows where to find him."
"You know; it's a shame those pillocks stripped you of
your powers. You're damned good at this," he said with
a smile.
"Thank you," she replied, obviously pleased.
"Think the wolf trusts you enough to listen to a
suggestion?" he asked her.
"I know he does," she answered confidently.
"Good. See if you can persuade him to pour his mangy
heart out to Willow. Tell her how much he misses her,
still loves her, would never want to be with anyone
else--all that sort of rot. But he has to do it before
the weekend," Spike said. "If he hasn't come clean
with her about his little sleep-over with the
waitress, it's a safe bet he never will."
"He knows that would kill any chance he might ever
have of getting her back," Anya agreed.
"Right. And after he's proclaimed his undying devotion
and faithfulness to her, his one-night stand will
wheel into town and blow the truth wide open."
A spark of admiration lit the former demon's eyes,
"You're not so bad at this, yourself. You know that
Buffy and Xander are bound to find out what Oz did
after Ivy shows up. They'll both be ready to toss him
into the hellmouth."
"Exactly. Stupid sod. I'd rip his throat out if I
could. Thinks he can tear Willow's life apart,
disappear for months while she survives the torture of
building herself a new one, and then stroll back into
town insisting he should have a chance to drag her
back into the old one. Bloody git forgot one little
detail--me."
Anya was taken aback by the venom in his voice, "You
really love her."
"Yes," he answered without skipping a beat.
End.