Karma: Goodbyes
by Spellbound
Xander raced up the path and threw open the front door, Anya yelping as he did so. "I'm so sorry girl." he said, patting the dog fondly on the head. She looked up at him with puppy eyes and he knew immediately that she'd had no choice but to do her business in the house. "Don't worry," he told her as he headed towards the kitchen followed keenly by the faithful hound. He discovered her puddles and piles of business on the mat by the back door and, leaning over, he unlocked it and let her out into the open where she frolicked, barking joyfully at the sunshine.
Xander groaned and fetched some rubber gloves from under the sink, snapping them on he went back to the door and scooped up the mat, complete with dog mess, and hurried down the garden, hiding it under a lavender bush. Returning to the house, he washed his hands and went about fixing Anya a large breakfast, as soon as he opened the cupboard she was at his feet, her tail thumping loudly on the floor. Setting the bowl down on the floor, Xander wandered slowly around the home that he had, at least in his mind, spent the last 10 years in creating memories and fond times. He picked up various pictures of family barbeques and parties before lingering over his wedding photo. He brushed his fingers over the glass and wondered what would become of Louise when he returned to Sunnydale.
Anya waddled in, her belly full. She looked up at him lovingly and belched loudly causing Xander to laugh. Louise could take care of herself he decided but it was Anya who Xander was most worried about, she was only a dog and unable to look after herself.

Slumping down in his chair he scratched her head fondly, reaching out with his other hand and dialling the number for Louise’s mother. The phone rang for an eternity before the familiar sound of his mother-in-law greeted him. "Hello?" she asked and he smiled, despite all their differences and previous disagreements, he liked her. "Hi, Betty. Is Louise about?" Xander asked, he heard her sighing at the sound of his voice. "I don't think she's ready to speak with you." Betty told him honestly. "I can give her a message though." Xander thought for a moment. "Tell her I'm going away and will be dropping Anya off with you, if that's alright?" There was a loud bang at the other end and Xander laughed when he realised that she must have dropped the receiver, "Sorry. Yes that will be fine." she said on recovery of the phone, "When are you coming over?" Looking sadly at Anya, Xander couldn't bring himself to answer, just the thought of leaving behind his precious pup caused a lump to form in his throat. "Later today." he replied, the tears welling in his eyes as he scratched her head. "Ok then Alex." Betty said, "I'll see you then." She said and hung up the phone leaving him in a telephonic silence. Xander hung up the phone and wiped his eyes roughly. "C'mon Ahn." he called as he stood, heading for the closet where Anya’s lead was kept, seeing his destination Anya began running around the room, barking cheerfully and occasionally chasing her tail. Xander retrieved her lead and began collecting some of her favourite toys, placing them in her basket. Anya stopped her frantic excitement and watched him with curiosity as he walked slowly into the kitchen and returned minutes later with her bag of food, water bowl and a rucksack, tilting her head to one side, she barked making him jump and drop everything loudly on the hardwood floor. "Gees Ahn. You scared me half to death." he said, trying to sound annoyed and failing. "We're gonna go see mummy." he told her sadly, "I have to go and I want you to be well looked after." He added as a single tear escaped from his eye. "C'mon. Lets go." he told her as he picked up her things and his car keys and walked out the front door and out of his old life for good.

On the other side of town, Willow, Giles and Tara were wandering around the well stocked magic shop looking for ingredients and a spell book. Behind the counter, a man who looked permanently old was nursing a fresh bruise on his cheek bone and sipping from a large mug, he had smiled as they had entered but was obviously having a bad day and hadn't yet asked them of they were in need of help. "I'll look for the book" Willow said, "You guys collect the basic ingredients of a location spell." Both Giles and Tara nodded and began their individual searches for various plants and amphibian pieces as Willow crossed the room to the far wall where there was an impressive collection of spell books. She looked at the spine of each one on the first shelf and found nothing that she knew would be of any help, plenty that would turn people into animals or make inanimate objects sing and dance but nothing that would find lost people. "Erm, may I be of help young lady?" a man asked behind her and Willow turned to see the shop keeper standing at a respectful distance behind her. She smiled and nodded, "I'm looking for a non-specific locator spell," she told him, "We are looking for a friend who has changed their physical appearance so we don't know where exactly she is but we know she's here somewhere." she rambled, smiling apologetically at his quizzical look. "Oh, we had a girl in with a similar problem not three days ago." he said, surprised that the same circumstances presenting themselves in such a brief timeframe.
Tara and Giles had found the required ingredients and had joined Willow, "She was either an incredibly powerful witch, or the slayer, or something but that girl had power!" he told Willow and a grin spread across her face as she realised that it must have been Tara looking for information when she started reverting. Tara also smiled and Mr. Bogherty looked at the two grinning women with concern. "What?" he asked, backing away from the small group slowly, "That was m-me." Tara said quietly. Mr Bogherty shook his head and continued to back away until he bumped into the counter. "I reverted, I remembered my other life and it remembered me." she told him trying to ease the growing terror that was evident on his face. His head continued to shake until he realised that she was, in fact correct, the conversation played clearly in his mind and he realised what kind of spell must have transported this group from their own world. "My lord!!!" He exclaimed, "A Dewown Karma spell." he added before sitting heavily on the tiled floor, "No one has used one of those since Merlin’s days!"
Willow, who had returned to spell hunting turned sharply at his words, both Tara and Giles stood in silence, waiting for Mr. Bogherty to finish. "Is there a locator spell that will find someone affected by this spell?" Willow asked the visibly shaken man although it was clear that he was too stunned to speak any more. "I should have known." he said, sounding disappointed but rushing around the counter to a large box on one of the shelves there. "I have something, something that will return you all to where it was that you left from." The excitement was building rapidly in the man and he was dancing as he searched through the box. "But we don't have the entire group." Tara told him, "We can't go without them." Mr. Bogherty returned to shaking his head but said nothing, instead pulling a large trunk from a cupboard, "That doesn't matter." He told her, "The spell will find and take back anyone that was there, as long as you include their names in the incantation." His voice had become almost girlish with the excitement, although no one knew why he was the one that was excited. "That's brilliant!" Giles exclaimed, "Do you have all the ingredients we need?" he asked. Mr. Bogherty thought for a minute before nodding.

Willow and Tara hugged jubilantly and found themselves enveloped in a hug from Giles moments later. "There's just one thing about the spell," Mr Bogherty said, suddenly deflated and serious, "You only get one go, if you fail, you cannot try the spell again. There are dire consequences for attempting it a second time." All three Scoobies hung their heads, each taking in the gravity of the task ahead. "We better not get it wrong then." Willow said finally, trying to sound enthusiastic and failing as the concern filtered through.

With the ingredients gathered and the spell within their grasp, they stood patiently and waited for Mr. Bogherty to tally their sale. "$3559.75 in total." he said. Collectively the eyes of the Scoobies widened and their jaws fell open, "Uh?!" was all Willow could manage, Giles took of his glasses and polished vigorously, only Tara made no movement at all but stood gaping like a fish out of water. "I'm sorry, but I paid $3000 for that spell, I gotta make a living." He told them, sounding genuinely apologetic. Giles returned his glasses to their perch on his nose and looked at Willow. "Well that's it. I don't have that kind of money." he said, hanging his head in defeat.
"I do." Willow realised, "As Jasmine, I earned a living, a good living..........." Her sentence became little more than excited squeaks and garbled words as she searched thought the bag she carried constantly, a side affect of living so long as someone else. She emptied the contents of this bag onto the counter and a purse dropped heavily into the make up, papers, cell phone, pager and other belongings that had spilled out. She grabbed hold of it and popped it open, spilling lose change all over the floor in her hurry. “There’s......" she counted the notes quickly, "$1500 there. Can I charge the rest?"
Giles and Tara had both regained their stunned expressions and stared at Willow. Mr. Bogherty was counting the various notes, "Sure." he said as he rung the sale through the till depositing the cash before slamming the drawer and turning to reach for his credit card machine. He took the American Express card offered to him and punched the machine into life, it beeped noisily at the inconvenience before flashing a green light, indicating that it was ready. "So, that's $2059.75 on Am Ex." he said cheerfully as he swiped the card through the machine.
In a blur of tape, signatures and bags, the transaction was complete and the group had said their 'thank you's' and were at the door. "Good Luck!" Mr. Bogherty called after them, a grin spreading his face and pulling at the bruise on his cheek.



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