Reset

By PSUBrat

Truths

Anya first noticed Xander about an hour ago, leaning against the wall across the street and then pacing outside of the Magic Box talking to himself. She wanted to go out to him and hold him in her arms and to forgive him for being such a stupid idiot. But she knew that he'd never let her do that. Maybe he would have, if they were still comforting a distraught Willow. But she had granted Willow's wish and now she was stuck back here in this time and place. "Well," she thought to herself, "I'm not really stuck and besides, at least they don't remember that I'm back to my old demon ways." That was a plus, right?

She sighed. Why couldn't Willow have wished them back to before Xander had left her at the altar? It would have made things so much easier. "Leave it to Willow to only think about her pain," Anya grumbled to herself. If Willow had thought about anyone else but herself, maybe Anya wouldn't be a demon again. Not that she was really upset about that, because she was good at wreaking vengeance on the male population of the world. At least, she used to be. Although, despite her best efforts, she had only granted one wish since she had returned to being Anyanka. And that wish had been Willow's.

She hadn't seen Willow since the wish granting but she was sure things were going well. Tara was still alive and the Magic Box was still in one piece. A very good thing indeed. Where else would she earn her money? She stopped doing inventory for a moment when she realized that she didn't need the money anymore. She was a demon now. She had done without money for centuries.

Looking around the shop wistfully, the notion suddenly occurred to her that she had become too attached to her human surroundings, and her human friends. "Who am I kidding?" she said aloud. They weren't really her friends, were they? No. They were all his friends. So why should she care anymore? It wasn't like they were coming to visit her or anything. In fact, they were avoiding her. Well, at least Buffy had been. Not that she blamed her. The sex with Spike had been a one-time thing. How was she supposed to know that Buffy and Spike were together, or whatever the relationship they had had been referred to as. She wondered if it would have made any difference if she had known. She was drunk that night and in a lot of pain. She had reached out and Spike had eased that pain, even if for a moment. What she didn't understand was why it didn't make her feel better that her actions had brought misery to Xander.

All these thoughts were depressing her.

"Anyanka, really," An unexpected voice said from behind her. "You should just give this place up and come back where you belong."

Anya screamed as she whirled around, bumping into the display she had set up earlier that evening. Both she and the display went crashing to the floor.

"Halfrek!" Anya said, feeling like her stomach was in her mouth, "Can't you knock or ring a bell or something before you just pop into someone's place of work?"

"Sweetie, I just couldn't turn my back on your pain. Do you have any idea how loud it's coming across? I thought it was bad before, but since you've granted that mortal's wish it's been downright unbearable." Halfrek brought her face closer to Anya's and lowered her voice, "And D'Hoffryn isn't happy with you either."

Before Anya could reply and before Halfrek could help her up, the front door crashed open and Xander came flying through. Both demons just stared at him.

***

"I should have stopped him from the beginning," Buffy said as she kicked the vampire in the chest knocking him to the ground. "But nooooooo. I had to keep him around like a cute little puppy dog."

"Sure. I knew how he felt. How he adored me and loved me. Love. What a crazy word. Can demons really love?" She asked the vampire whom she now held up by the neck. The vampire just gave her an exasperated look. "Never mind. Don't answer that. I don't want to know." With that, she plunged the stake into his chest and he turned into dust.

She looked around the graveyard hoping to find some more demons to take her frustration and hurt out on. She sighed. There was nothing. "Awww," she said pouting, "I was just getting warmed up too."

Buffy pulled her coat tighter around herself and continued walking. The truth was, her heart just wasn't into patrolling this evening. Her heart wasn't into much of anything these days, what with being dead and having to take care of Dawn, not to mention her oh-so-wonderful job. The last thought sent a shiver through her. Spike was right, that place was going to kill her eventually.

"Okay. Could I possibly go one minute without thinking about him??" She had stopped walking and noticed that she was now standing in front of a very familiar crypt. Anger engulfed her. He had no right to try to force himself on her! None! She had cried out the word 'no' repeatedly, but then, hadn't she said no to him plenty of times before, only to give in? "Still doesn't justify your actions."

There was no one around to hear her musings. The images of what happened in the bathroom came flooding back to her. She leaned against the outside wall of the crypt and hung her head, crying softly. "Damn you, Spike."

Would he have continued if she hadn't kicked him off? She wasn't sure if he would have. She had changed the rules on him without telling him. However, she had never once wavered on her conviction of breaking up with him. He should have known that she meant what she said, but he didn't, and for that, she was partly to blame. She also knew that she wasn't as helpless as she seemed that night. She was the Slayer after all. She could have stopped him at any point before it had gotten worse, but hadn't. Why was that?

That was what bothered her the most.

***

Back at the Magic Box, Xander stood glaring at Halfrek. "I'm sorry about the door, An, but I heard screaming…"

"It's okay Xander," Anya said quickly, "Halfrek just stopped by while I wasn't paying attention and it startled me."

Xander continued glaring at Halfrek and stated with a flat voice, "Yeah. I can see why that would happen."

Anya pulled herself off the floor and swiftly moved to stand between the two. Halfrek had already taken a few steps toward Xander and Anya just couldn't deal with the two of them getting into a shouting match, or worse. She was mad at Xander, sure, but she didn't want Halfrek doing anything to him without her consent.

"Anyanka. Please. Just one little spell. It's not like I'd hurt him or anything. Much." Halfrek sweetly stated while locking her eyes with Xander's.

Never letting his gaze leave Halfrek, Xander stood his ground and said with an even voice, "Bring it on freak."

"Freak?!? Why I should…" Halfrek said taking another step toward the male mortal.

Anya turned to both of them and yelled, "Xander! Hali! That's enough!" Then she started crying.

Halfrek and Xander's standoff ended immediately at the sight of Anya's tears.

"Sweetie," Halfrek was now moving to Anya's side, "Everything will be okay."

Anya looked up at Xander through her tears. His face was full of concern. She pulled herself together and asked, "Xander. Was there something you wanted to talk about?"

She had caught him off guard. "Uh. Huh?" Xander stood there blinking at her.

"Was there a reason you've been pacing outside of the shop for over a half hour now?"

"I. I-uh. I thought maybe we could talk," he said everything coming out in a rush.

Anya turned to Halfrek, "Hali, could you give us a minute please?"

"I will not," Halfrek said looking at Xander with contempt. "Anyanka, I can no longer stand here and let this go on. You don't belong here. He is not worth the human feelings you continue to have for him!"

"See," Xander stated, "us crazy humans have this thing about feelings. We like having them. Even if they hurt."

"She's not human," Halfrek blurted out venomously, "so she doesn't need them! And she doesn't need you!"

Anya's breath caught in her throat. "Hali. It wasn't your place to tell him," she said in a whisper.

Xander stared at Anya for what seemed like an eternity. "Is this true? Are you a demon again?" His voice was pleading, questioning.

She moved towards him as she said, "It's true. But we can…"

He cut her off from her explanation. He moved away from her as she approached. A look of shock crossed his face. "How could you? And then not tell me?" His voice was dripping with disgust. "I thought we could work this out."

"Xander we still can!"

"No. No. This changes everything."

"But Xander…"

It was too late. He was already out the door and well out of hearing range.

She crumbled to the floor and sobbed. Halfrek put her arms around Anya and spoke softly, telling her that it was okay and that it was good everything was out in the open now.

***

"Slayer?"

Buffy's head whipped around and looked at the source of the question. It was Clem. He was standing in front of Spike's crypt with a couple of grocery bags in his arm.

She turned her head and wiped her eyes, hoping that he hadn't seen the glaze on them. "Clem. H-How are you?"

"I'm just peachy, thanks for asking. Do you want to come inside? I need to put away these groceries and tidy up the place." Seeing the hesitant look on her face, he added with a smile, "I can make some lemonade."

She looked at her watch and saw that she had been standing there for at least fifteen minutes. Not good. "Thanks for the offer Clem but I really need to get moving…"

He pulled a container of Country Time Lemonade out of one of the bags and waved it at her. "But it's yummy Country Time."

Smiling she said, "Maybe another time. It's really not a good idea…"

"He's not here," Clem said with a sigh. "So come on in and have some lemonade."

Shocked, she slowly followed Clem inside. She noticed that the place was fairly trashed. As if Clem was reading her mind, he spoke. "He uh. He was a little upset after coming back from your place the other night." He shrugged his shoulders apologetically.

While Clem busied himself with putting away the groceries, Buffy righted the over turned chair and sat down. She felt numb. "So. Are you moving in?"

"Oh no. Nothing like that. I'm just house sitting really."

"Where did he go?" Not really sure why she was asking.

"I'm not really sure. Something about needing to get out of Sunnydale." Clem started mixing the lemonade.

Her voice broke a little when she asked her next question. "Is he coming back?"

"Good question, Buffy. Is he coming back?"

Both Clem and Buffy turned around to see Dawn standing in the doorway glaring.

***

Spike lifted the creature above his head, received its powers and threw it against the cave wall with a thunderous yell.

"Right. Now. I've beaten your tests. You bloody well better give me what I came here for."

The demon stood looking at Spike. "You have done well. But I cannot give you that which you already have."

Enraged Spike's hand shot out and took the demon by the throat. "You said if I beat your tests I could have whatever I bloody hell wanted…" Suddenly he realized what the thing had said. He dropped it as if there was a fire in his hand.

Again, the demon stated, "I cannot give you that which you already have."

"Yeah, yeah. I get it you stupid git. So where does that leave me?"

"You have passed the tests. You may have whatever you want."

"Anything?" Spike asked looking intently at the creature.

"Anything."

"Fine then. You know what I want. I want to be like I was before."

The demon walked over to Spike and put it's hand on the vampire's chest. Everything began to glow. "Bloody hell!" Spike shouted and then passed out.

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