Lossen End
Chapter 2
by Cynthia Taz (cynthia_taz@yahoo.com)
* Disclaimer and other information on Prologue.
Notes:
Thanks for everyone's feedback. I know that chapter 1 was kinda the same as the ep we had on TV. I actually tried not to change it much cos I really like that ep. Gnarl was so wicked cool!!! (~well, in a monster point of view) But actually starting from this chapter it will become more and more different from the orginal series... (some of the monsters and stuff may still be the same though...) Someon had also suggested me to change the name... actually I've some ideas, but nothing had finalized yet... if u got any suggestion feel free to tell me. ;p
// // = Voice
[ ] = Flashback
~.~.~.~.~
The morning sun shined warmly into the Summers' Residence. Buffy stood by the window in the kitchen, staring at the street, the words from her prophesy dreams replayed in her head again and again.
[From beneath you, it devours.]
She signed, having the last bite of her toast. The gang had been researching it for weeks. Still, nothing came up except the vision Willow had before she came back.
[The earth...it's teeth... it's gonna open. It's gonna swallow us all.]
The vision didn't get them to anywhere. All Willow saw was darkness, teeth, and well, darkness. All they knew were the hellmouth was going to open, more likely someone or something would try to open it. But when was the time that no one wanted to open it anyways? Well, at least now she could compare notes on her 'wicked-pain-in-the-ass' dreams with Willow's 'I-have-totally-no-idea-what-it-means' visions.
The hellmouth itself was pretty quiet since Willow... By the end of the summer, things started to stir again but when she came back, well, let's just say the demons didn't really appreciate getting suck up all the energy by a black-eyed-gal who used to be a Scooby - the death of Rack had hit the demon population pretty hard, even harder than the news of slayer's best friend trying to end the world.
Buffy still considered Willow as her best friend, but a fence - or more like a brick wall - had built around Willow, or at least in between them. Not only that Buffy had always wondered what should or shouldn't say around her, that she didn't know how to react around her, but the witch acted pretty much the same towards Buffy, as if afraid that the slayer would slay her if she just say a word wrong. The encounter with the Gnarl two weeks ago had helped a bit, but if you said that there was no tension between them, that would be a lie.
Buffy didn't blame the situation on Willow though. Buffy knew part of it was her fault. Not only the downfall of her friend, but every time when Buffy looked at her, she always remembered the rage on her face when she murdered Warren, the evil expression when she threatened her sister, the smirk when she beat the crap out of the slayer in the Magic Box. Buffy wanted to forgive her, wanted Willow to become her best friend again, but how could she if deep down she was still afraid of her friend?
Willow herself didn't help better. Ever since Willow came back, the only three expressions the blonde could get from her face were one: oh-God-I'm-a-bad-bad-person-I-don't-deserve-to-be-forgiven face; two: oh-God-I'm-a-bad-bad-person-I-don't-deserve-to-be-happy face; and three: oh-God-I'm-a-bad-bad-person-please-let-the-earth-open-up-and-swallow-me-whole face - which shouldn't be said aloud since they were on the hellmouth. At other times, it was either a "I-smile-so-you'll-feel-better-for-yourself-but-not-for-me" smile, or "I'm-Angel-the-Second-'cos-we-both-murdered-people" brooding.
Buffy had already been informed by Giles before Willow was back in Sunnydale, that even though she was doing very well in the magic department, emotionally, she still had a long road to go. She still had nightmares, but at least she didn't have any hallucination or suicide attempts like she first arrived in England. Giles believed that she would do much better if she was with her family. Buffy believed that too. She just wasn't sure what to do, and she also had a really hard time not to believe that the real reason the ex-watcher sent her back now was because of the coming apocalyptic.
"Hello." Xander walked into the room, effectively brought Buffy out of her thoughts.
"Hi Xan." Buffy smiled. "Dawn's taking a shower. She should be down soon."
"What about Willow? She said she wanted to..."
"Oh." Buffy smile faded. "Today?"
"Yeah. Tuesday." Xander paused. "She's getting better, right?"
Buffy turned and poured herself and Xander a cup of coffee. "The wound? Yes. Others? No. Everything's just same old same old."
"Thanks." Xander took the coffee from the blond, and frowned. "I thought Giles said she's better."
Buffy sighed. "I guess something won't just go away that easy. At least she hasn't go all black-eye-gal on us." She paused. "Has she?"
Xander shook his head. "Don't ask me. You're the one who live with her."
"Live with who?" Dawn asked, walking into the kitchen.
"Willow."
"Oh." Dawn picked up a mug and wanted to pour herself some coffee but Buffy stopped her. "Hey!"
"You're not old enough to have coffee."
"I'm so not a kid!"
"Go drink some milk."
Dawn stared at Buffy for a second. "Fine!" She turned and walked towards the fridge. "I think she's doing much better." She added quietly.
"I hope so." Buffy said, putting down her mug. "I'll go get her." She said, walking upstairs towards Willow's room.
~.~.~.~.~
Buffy stood in front of the closed door, prepared to knock, but stopped when she heard someone talking inside.
"...afternoon. Do you think they'll let me back this semester?" Paused. "Hey! That's not fair! I am *so* not going to skip- okay. I do back then but that's different. At least- who's there?" The door opened, and Willow smiled when she saw it was Buffy on the other side. "Hey. Xander's here?"
Buffy nodded. "Um... we'll be gone in 15 minutes. Do you want me to get you something to eat first?"
"That's all right. I have my herb tea this morning."
"Um... okay." Buffy paused. "Not that I'm saying anything but... did you just talk to someone?"
"Huh? NO! I mean, no. I'm not talking- well, I'm talking to you now but I haven't talk to anyone before... Not that I never talk to anyone b-"
"I got you Will." The slayer knew her friend was lying, but she decided to drop it in the mean time. "Come down when you're done, okay?" Then, she left.
Willow sighed, and closed the door quietly, rumbling, "I'm *so* going to blame you if they send me to an mental institution."
~.~.~.~.~
Willow walked across the cemetery with Xander beside her. After dropping Buffy the school counselor and Dawn the student to the Sunnydale High, they went to visit Tara's grave, which Willow hadn't been before. The young witch had been physically and mentally drained that she couldn't attend her dead lover's funeral before going to England, and it was something that Willow had been regarded since then.
"So..." It was the first time that Xander finally had time alone with his childhood friend since she came back. Not that he didn't want to talk, but there's always someone with her - Dawn, Buffy, Giles (or should say Giles' phone calls - Xander wondered how long the phone bill would be for the ex-watcher this month), and coding his phrase, 'for the love of God', even Anya, which was hellmouthly strange since they never got along before. Willow had been helping out fixing the Magic Box with Anya and Anya had been visiting the redhead couple times a week. Sometimes death can really changed people - and in this case, demon. "How are you? Truly?"
"Okay. The magic is under contorl..." She frowned. "Mostly."
"What about the non-magic part?"
Willow said nothing. Her expression was blank and unreadable. It was times when Xander missed their childhood most. He wanted things to go back the way they used to be - big bad came, Buffy slay, they partied. He wanted Willow, not the magic-mama Willow or guilt Willow or certainly not the dark Willow, but the innocent and Xander friendly Willow when they were in the high school, or even better, before the high school, before they knew about slayers and demons and hellmouth. After several minutes, Willow finally spoke again. "Those kids are lucky to have Buffy looking out for them."
"Huh?"
"Buffy being counselor and all."
"Oh." Okay. Subject changed. "Yeah. I guess."
Xander stopped, so as Willow. "Ready?" Xander looked at her.
Willow took a deep breath, and nodded. Xander stood there, watching as the redhead slowly walked towards Tara's grave. She sat in front of it, taking out several pebbles in her jacket and put them on her gravestone.
~.~.~.~.~
"Hey." Willow stared at the name on the gravestone.
Tara MaClay.
October 16, 1980 - May 7, 2002.
Willow slowly traced her name on the stone with her figure, her eyes welled with tears. "Guess it's the closest thing I can touch, huh?"
//Pretty much.//
Tara sat beside her.
"I wish I can touch you, the real you."
//When time is right. You'll get your chance. I promise.//
"I'm worried."
//Why?//
"What if I lost control again?"
//That's why I'm here babe.//
Tara smiled.
//As long as you listen to me, you'll be fine.//
"I'm sorry..." She started crying. "I should have listen to you a long time ago... if I've, then we won't break up, and then we won't need to make up and-"
//Willow... it doesn't matter now, as long as we're together.//
Willow swallowed hard, and nodded. "Together."
~.~.~.~.~
Anya stood in front of the mirror, watching herself as she washed her hands. Blood stained on her face, her neck, her clothes, her hands. Her expression blanked. Her eyes were empty, without any emotion.
She sparked some water onto her face. When she looked up back into the mirror, she saw the water mixed with blood slowly tripped from her face. She wondered would it ever be clean again?
~.~.~.~.~
"It's so lucky that the professor let me back to the class, ya know? I mean, I've missed almost half of it - okay, only half a month but still- Yeah. And she said she would give me some surprise quiz too! Isn't it exciting?" Willow walked down the UC Sunnydale campus, happily talking on the phone. Without looking, she bumped into someone. "Sorr- Anya?"
Anya looked up. "Oh. Hi Willow." She greeted nervously.
"Hey." Willow gave the vengeance demon a small smile. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh." Anya looked around. "I have a new boyfriend now. He lives here."
"Oh that's great."
"Yeah, and we just had lots and lots of sex."
"Um... okay." Willow stared at the strange expression on her face.
"And we're tremendously happy together." Anya paused, holding up her hand and smoothed her hair back. Willow eyes widened when she saw the blood stain on the back of her hand. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm late for something... very important."
Without waiting an answer, Anya left.
"Did you see that?" Willow watched her go, not bother to hold up her mobile phone again.
//Yeah.//
"I should go and check." The redhead said, nodding at the fraternity house Anya just walked out from.
//Are you sure?//
"I..." Willow thought for a moment. "No. But what if she's in trouble?"
//Honey, she's a vengeance demon. What do you think?//
"But-"
Tara sighed.
//Just be careful.//
And disappeared.
Willow sighed, and walked towards the fraternity house.
~.~.~.~.~
Buffy slowly walked around in the Sunnydale High basement. She stopped when she heard voices coming from not far ahead. She headed towards the voice, and saw Spike sitting on the floor, his back against the fence, mumbling.
"...could never ask. Not after..."
"Spike." Nothing. "SPIKE!" Spike looked up, surprise shown on his face. "This basement is killing you. This is the hellmouth. There is something bad down here, possibly everything bad."
Spike laughed, as if Buffy was the one insane.
Buffy sighed. "You have a soul? Fine. Show me."
His laugher stopped. "Scream montresor all you like, pet."
"Get up and get out of this basement."
"I don't have anywhere else to go." He looked down, feeling ashamed.
~.~.~.~.~
Willow slowly opened the door. "Hello? Is anybod-" She stopped when she saw the bloodstains on the floor. The house was deadly quiet. She walked inside, and found that not only the floor, but the walls, doors, tables... blood everywhere. She pushed open the door towards the entertaining room, and found at least ten bloody bodies there. Suddenly the memories of finding bodies back in the TV room in the high school flooded into her mind.
[I'm not okay. I knew those guys. I go to that room every day. And when I walked in there, it... it wasn't our world anymore. They made it theirs. And they had fun.]
She remembered every word - every single word that she said to Buffy. Back then, all she could do was watching Cordelia crying over her friend's body. She was too shock to do anything but cry. Later that night, Buffy died in the hands of the Master. This time though, Willow wasn't going to just stood there and watch. She wasn't going to cry on Buffy's shoulder. She wanted to help, she needed to help, to do something. Not for Buffy. Whatever that thing was, Willow knew Buffy should be able to take care of it. No. It was for Anya. If it was what Willow thought it was, then Anya was in trouble, big trouble.
The witch walked closer to the bodies and started examined it. It wasn't a vampire attack. Something had ripped out the hearts from the victims. A demon.
She walked back to the front room. Her attention was caught by the whipping sound coming out from the closet nearby. She slowly walked towards it and opened the door. A young woman, with her clothes full of bloodstains, sitting inside the closet. She was crying, her arms hugged tightly around her knees, rocking back and forth, numbing.
"Hey..." Willow kneed down next to the girl, putting her hands on her knees, trying to get her attention. "It's okay. It's okay. Shh..."
"I take it back... I take it back..."
Willow frowned. "What do you take back?" She asked.
"T-there's gonna be a party... everyone's there... everyone's bringing a d-date... I'll have a great time... but it was just me... and them... h-he broke up with me in front of them... it was all a game... it was all a game..."
"It's okay now. You're okay now." Willow said softy.
The woman kept crying. "They laughed and laughed and I cried and they laughed. And I yelled, 'just once, I wish you could all feel what it's like to have your hearts ripped out. Just once.' I wish-" She swallowed hard. "And it came."
Willow stood slowly. "Okay. What came? What did this?"
"Spider."
"Where did it go?"
"What do you mean?" The woman stopped rocking and stared at Willow.
"The spider. Where is it now?"
//Will! Look out!//
Willow turned held up her hand quickly. A spider was now crawling on the protective shell Willow had conjured. It was huge, with green body and eight five-foot long legs. It kept biting on the shell, trying to break through the barrier. The woman saw the spider and started crying again.
Willow turned. Her now black eyes stared at the woman. "For God's sake, shut your whimpering mouth!"
The woman stared at her and swallowed hard.
Willow turned back, applying more energy into the shell. She pushed, and the spider flew out from the window. Willow ran towards it, but it was gone. "Shit."
//Watch your language honey.//
Willow gave Tara and sheepish smile. She turned back to the woman who was still in the closet. Seeing how scare the poor woman was, and remembered how she treated her earlier, she felt guilty again. "I'm sorry."
~.~.~.~.~
Buffy was bored. She sat in her office, feeling extremely bored. Not that she didn't feel bored when she was counseling the students, but at least she could pretend that she was not bored out of her mind, which was something she could do.
"I'm suck and I'm bored." She sighed. Staring at the pencil in front of her, an idea hit her. She picked up the pencils, putting them on her forehead one by one, trying to balance them. Suddenly the phone rang. She jumped, and all the pencils fell on the floor.
"Hello?" She picked up the phone and greeted cheerfully. "Oh Willow! Hey, is ever- a spider demon? What- hold on. Are you all right?" Paused. "Like how?" She picked up a pen nearby and wrote down the description about the demon. "Uh-huh. Okay. No, no. It's all good. I'll get Xander to go. But seriously, you- wow. Ripped out the heart? God. But hey, did you get that class you w-" Paused. "Um... okay. Sure. Bye." Buffy put down the phone, picked up the pencils on the floor, and tried to balance them on her forehead again.
~.~.~.~.~
Willow stormed into the corridor of Anya's apartment building.
//Honey, are you sure-//
"I'm. I need to." Willow stopped, and turned to Tara. "I have to."
//But she's a vengeance demon.//
"I know, but-"
//This is her job. And don't you think they deserve it?//
"Tara, it is wrong!"
Tara raised an eyebrow.
"You don't think it is?" Willow asked in a small voice.
//Honey, I just don't think-//
"I shouldn't be the one who judge her. Becuase of what I've done." Willow sighed, running her hand through her hair. "I guess. But if it goes on... I can't let it happen again. Ya know?"
//We should tell Buffy.//
Paused.
//She knows how to handle it.//
"Handle?" Willow eyes widened. "B-but if she knows she'll-"
//She's the slayer. This is her job. She's the judge. Not you, not me. She needs to know.//
Willow sighed again, feeling defeated. "I know. But I still need to talk to Anya first. If she..." She shook her head, and started walking towards Anya's apartment. "I have to."
~.~.~.~.~
"This is just wonderful, Anyanka. I can't tell you how many times today I've heard 'Anyanka is back to her old self again.'" Halfrek smiled at Anya who was sitting beside her in Anya's apartment. Her smile fell when she saw Anya's troubled expression. "Honey, what is it? What's wrong?"
"It's just- There was just so much screaming, so much blood." Anya frowned. "I-I just forgot how much damage a Grimslaw demon could do."
"Oh, tell me about it. They- are you okay? Did something happen?"
"I guess I'm just a little rusty." Anya sighed. "I didn't think it would hit me like this."
"Oh, sweetie. This is perfectly normal. It's a reflex. You'll get over it in no time, trust me."
"Oh, Hallie! I can't tell you how good it is." Anya hugged Halfrek. "Thank goodness you're here."
"Oh, sweetie. Of course." Halfrek smiled.
"It's just lately, with everything that's been going on, I-I've had trouble-"
The apartment door suddenly opened, revealed a fiery redhead. "Get out." Willow commanded Halferk.
Halfrek stood up and stared back at Willow. "Lemon drop. If you think I'm gonna-"
"Get out."
Anya saw Willow's expression, knowing that she was about to flayed Halfrek alive. She turned to her demon friend. "It's okay."
"Well, okay. If you need anything, you holler." Halfrek said, looked unimpressed, and teleported herself away.
Willow face softened. "Anya, you have to stop this."
Anya picked up the cups on the coffee table and started walking to the sink. "Do you know what they did to her? Do you?" She said angrily.
"Anya, listen to me." Willow stepped closer. "You're in trouble. You know it. I'm here to help you."
"You're here to-" Anya laughed. "That's great Will. Flayed anyone lately? How quickly they forget!"
"I haven't forgotten one second of it."
"What do you want?"
"I want to help you."
"They got what they deserved."
"No-"
"I am a vengeance demon!" Anya shouted at Willow. "Do you understand that?"
"No."
"Then try!" Anya turned her back to Willow, numbing. "They got what they deserved."
"Please..." Willow pleaded. "Anya, if Buffy knows-"
"Let her." Anya said coldly. She turned back to Willow, stared at her. "Let her know. She is the slayer. She needs to know."
"But-"
"Let her try. She never slay a vengeance demon before. Let her try."
"Anya-"
"I'm a vengeance demon Willow. This is my job. This is..." Anya stepped back, her face changed into the demon one. "Me." With the last word, she teleported herself away.
//That went... well.//
Willow sighed.
//We should go.//
~.~.~.~.~
Buffy and Xander were walking through the woods, trying to find the spider demon.
"Thanks for side-kicking. I didn't want to trouble Willow. Figure she's got enough to due with."
"Are you kidding?" Xander smiled brightly. "We're doing vent work at the site. Anything's better than breathing freon for eight hours." Xander looked around. "So, did she say what this thing is?"
"Some sort of spider demony thingy. She had to go pretty quickly. Sign up for classes or something."
"Ah, yes, there is little that can distract Willow when she's on the hunt for the mighty syllabi." Xander laughed.
"I don't know." Buffy frowned. "I guess she was a little more nervous than she was letting-"
The two of them stopped when they saw a body in front of her. Buffy kneed down, and found the body's heart was ripped out. Xander face turned pale.
"How big did she say this thing was?" He asked nervously.
"She didn't." Buffy stood up. "This is our guy."
"Or a copycat spider demon. So what's this black stuff?" He walked towards the tree nearby, and touched the black strips hanging on it. "Aw, it's sticky!" He said as it stuck on his palms. He quickly moved back.
"Willow said it was a spider demon. Maybe it's its webbing." Buffy looked at the strips.
"This isn't springy high-flying fun."
Suddenly, strange noises came from their above their head. Buffy looked up at the tree. "Xander."
"Is that it?" Xander looked up also. Both of them started to become nervous.
"I can't tell. There is definitely something moving up there."
"Maybe we can somehow lure it."
Suddenly a black strip shot down from the tree towards Xander. Buffy shouted, pushing Xander away. "Xander!"
The spider demon jumped onto Buffy and knocked her onto the ground. Buffy tried to get free, but couldn't. The spider opened its mouth, trying to bite her. Buffy used all the forces and kicked it off herself. The spider jumped back onto the tree and disappeared.
"You okay?" Buffy picked up the battle-axe she dropped and looked up at the tree, trying to find the spider.
"Buffy, where'd it go? I think we need more swords." Xander stood up, looking at the tree also.
"Uh-huh."
"I say we go home, pick up more swords, and some sort of spidery demon protection amulet. We come back, and-"
Buffy suddenly threw her axe towards the treetop. With a strange scream, the spider fell onto the ground, dead with axe through its body.
"Or we can just do that."
~.~.~.~.~
"I'm more concerned with where that thing came from. If there are more running around, we need to know about it. We should hit the research, find out if-"
Buffy and Xander stopped mid-track when they saw Willow sitting in the living room, waiting for them.
"I know where it came from." Willow said quietly.
~.~.~.~.~
Buffy sat on the couch next to a stunned Xander. Willow was sitting on the chair opposite them, a sad look on her face.
"How many?" Buffy asked quietly.
"Ten, twelve."
"When were you planning on telling us?" Xander came out from his shock, stared at Willow, asked angrily.
//Xander...//
Tara sat beside Buffy, frowned, shaking her head.
"I'm telling you now." Willow stared back at Xander.
"Great. Thank you. Willow, it's Anya. How could you let us... How could you not tell us... how could you not tell me?"
//What can he do anyway?//
"Xander. It's okay. She didn't tell us for a reason." Buffy paused. "She didn't tell us because she knows what I have to do." Buffy took a deep breath. "I have to kill Anya."
"What?" Xander eyes widened.
"She's not the Anya that you knew, Xander. She's a demon." Buffy said calmly.
"That doesn't mean you have to kill her."
"Don't act like this is easy for me. You know it's not."
"There are other options."
"I've considered them."
"When? Just now? Took you all of ten seconds to decide to kill one of your best friends?" Xander jumped up.
"The thought that it might come to this has occurred to me before. It's occurred to you too." Buffy looked at Xander.
"But we can change what she did. Fix it. These are mystical deaths, right? There has to be something." Xander looked at Willow, hoping she could come up some answers.
//What? Torned people out from heaven again?//
"Sorry." Willow shook her head.
"It's okay." Buffy turned to Xander. "Xander, I know this is hard for you to hear, but it's what I have to do."
"Hard for me to hear? Buffy, you wanna kill Anya!"
"I don't want to." Buffy protested.
"Then don't! This isn't new ground for us. When our friends go all crazy and start killing people, we help them."
"Hey! Sitting right here." Willow looked at Xander, ignored.
"I'm sorry. But it's true."
//Doesn't look like he's sorry.//
Tara shrugged.
"It's different." Buffy said quietly.
"Because you don't care about her the same way I do. Buffy, I still love her."
//Love her so much that leave her at the altar...//
Willow frowned at Tara.
"I know. And that's why you can't see this for what it really is. Willow was different. She's a human. Anya's a demon."
"And you're the slayer. Ha. I see now how it's all very simple."
"It is never simple."
"No, of course not. You know, if there's a mass-murdering vampire that you're, oh say, boning, then it's all gray area."
"Spike was harmless. He was helping." Buffy shouted angrily.
"He had no choice."
"And Anya did! She chose to become a demon. Twice."
"You have no idea what she's going through."
//What you put her through.//
"I don't care what she's going through!" Buffy stood up, staring at Xander.
"No, of course not. You think we haven't seen all this before? The part where you just cut us all out. Just step away from everything human and act like you're the law. If you knew what I felt-"
"I killed Angel! Do you even remember that? I would have given up everything I had to be with- I loved him more than I will ever love anything in this life. And I put a sword through his heart because I had to." Buffy shouted. "Do you remember cheering me on? Both of you. Do you remember giving me Willow's message? Kick his ass?"
//Do you think they're going to start a chick fight? My money's on Buffy.//
"Okay. Stop." She stood up, said loudly and firmly. Buffy turned and looked at Willow. Xander tried to say something, but Willow cut him out. "No Xander. Ta- You're right. She's the slayer. This is *her* job to judge. She acts like the law, because she *is* the law. Not you, not me, only her." Willow paused. "Someone has to draw the line. And slayer is the only one who can. There's no guidebook or council. There's only Buffy. And if I'm a demon-"
"Will..."
"No Buffy. I have to." Willow took a deep breath. "She would kill me. We both know that. Whether you like it or not, it's the truth. But she didn't, not only because I'm human, but also because I was stopped. So are Angel and Spike. If Any-" Willow suddenly frowned. She turned to Buffy. "Who said 'kick his ass'? I told Xander to tell you I was trying the spell again."
//Oah-oh.//
"What?" Buffy looked confused. "Xander said..." The two of them finally caught up what that meant. They both stared at Xander.
"I... it is different-" Xander said weakly.
//It is always different... for him.//
Tara shook her head again.
"You..." Buffy fist tightened. "I can't believe you..."
"There has to be another way." Xander looked down, his voice was quiet but firm.
Buffy took a deep breath, knowing that Anya was the most important issue right now. "Then find it."
Xander took his coat and left, slamming the door in process. Buffy went to the weapon chest and grabbed a sword. She turned and looked at Willow.
"I..." Willow looked at Buffy for a moment. "Sorry." She looked away.
Buffy sighed. "Just... try and find a way, will ya?"
Willow nodded, watching as Buffy left the house. She sat on the couch, staring at space. Suddenly, she jumped up and ran upstairs to her room. She went through her draws frantically, and smiled when she found what she was looking for.
//Are you sure you still want to help Xander?//
"I'm not helping Xander." Willow looked at Tara. "I just want to help Anya."
~.~.~.~.~
Willow carefully poured sand on the bathroom floor in a circle, chanting in latin, holding an amulet that she found earlier in her drawer.
A sudden bright light flashed in the bathroom, and a demon appeared in front of Willow, it's back facing her. Its voice was low and demonic.
"Behold, D'Hoffryn. Lord of Arashmahar. He that turns the air to blood and rains-" D'Hoffryn turned to Willow, and smiled, talking normally again. "Miss Rosenberg. How lovely to see you again. Have you done something with your hair?"
"Hello, D'Hoffryn." Willow said respectfully.
"I figured I'd be hearing from you soon. The flaying of Warren Meers? Truly inspired. That was water cooler vengeance. Lloyd has a sketch of it on his wall."
"That's not me anymore."
"Is that right?" D'Hoffryn smirked. "So, I didn't feel your presence earlier today? I didn't feel a bit of the *old* you?"
Willow shook her head a bit, clearing her thoughts. "We need to talk about Anya." She said firmly.
D'Hoffryn growled. "Very well. Let's talk about Anyanka."
~.~.~.~.~
Anya stood in the middle of the fraternity house, staring at the bloodstains, her face showed no emotion.
"I thought I might find you here. Have you forced yourself to look at the bodies yet?"
Anya didn't turn around, didn't need to. She knew the voice too well. "What do you want Xander?"
"I want to help you."
Anya laughed sarcastically. "Everyone is so considerate today. I should've slaughtered people weeks ago."
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything I did to you. Everything I put you through."
Anya turned, and looked at Xander angrily. "Thank you. All better. Thank goodness you got here in time."
"You don't understand." Xander stepped closer to Anya. "This isn't an intervention. Buffy's coming to kill you."
"She's coming to try."
"Did everybody have their crazy flakes today? You guys are friends. How could you talk like this?"
"I have a job to do. So does Buffy. Xander, you've always seen what you wanted to. But she knew sooner or later it would come to this." Anya said, but she wasn't looking at Xander. Instead, she stared at the space behind Xander. Xander turned, knowing who was there.
"Buffy, get out of here."
"Get out of my way, Xander." Buffy said firmly, her eyes on Anya.
"No." Xander turned back to Anya. But instead of seeing Anya's human face, he saw her demon face.
"Get out of her way, Xander." Anya pushed Xander away. Buffy swung her sword at Anya. Anya ducked, and punched Buffy in her face. Buffy flew away by her force.
"This is getting to be a pattern with you, Buffy. Are there any friends of your left you haven't tried to kill?" Anya said, standing there, waiting for Buffy to stand up.
Buffy attacked again. She started swinging her sword, kicking and fisting towards Anya, but Anya avoided them all. Suddenly, Anya launched at Buffy, and threw her on the floor.
Buffy stood again, her back on the wall. "Anya, I'm sorry."
"You're apologizing to me?" Anya walked towards Buffy. "What fight are you watching? Or is this like one of your little pop-culture references I don't get, 'cos I'm a vengeance-"
Before Anya could finish her sentence, Buffy caught Anya's arm and threw her towards the wall. Within a blink, Buffy's sword stabbed through her chest. Anya closed her eyes. Her face turned human again.
"Anya!" Xander shouted. Buffy watched Anya calmly, and took a step back.
After a second, Anya opened her eyes again. She looked down at the sword in her chest.
"Forgotten how much swords through the chest hurt." She smiled, then pulled out the sword. Her breathing became heavy, blood slowly dripped from her mouth. "You know better than that, Buffy. It takes a lot more to kill a vengeance demon."
"I'm just getting started." Buffy said calmly.
Anya used the sword and started attack Buffy. Buffy kicked a stool towards her legs. Anya fell, dropping her sword. Quickly, Buffy picked up the sword, prepared to stab Anya again. But this time Xander rushed towards Buffy and knocked her down.
Anya and the two jumped up again.
"Stop trying to save me, Xander!" Anya shouted.
Lightening bolts suddenly flashed through the room, knocking everyone to the floor. D'Hoffryn appeared from nowhere. He looked around. "Oh, please, don't mind me. Continue with whatever it was you were doing." He took a look at the bodies in the next room nearby. "Breathtaking. It's like somebody slaughtered an Abercrombie and Fitch catalog."
Buffy picked up her sword and prepared to attack D'Hoffryn. D'Hoffryn turned to her. "Easy now. I'd be gone before you could swing." He walked towards Anya and helped her up. "Isn't that just like a slayer? Solving all her problems by sticking things with sharp objects."
Buffy raised an eyebrow.
"I talked to your friend, Miss Rosenberg. She's a firebrand. I have high hopes for her." He looked at Anya.
"Stay away from Willow." Xander said angrily.
"Oh, he's gallant, isn't he? I understand what you saw in him." He turned and looked at them. "Miss Rosenberg seems to think Anyanka would be better suited outside the vengeance fold. I think we already know what Lady Hacks-Away wants." He looked at an un-amused Buffy. "And the young man, he sees with the eyeballs of love. But I'm not sure if anyone's bothered to find out what Anyanka herself really wants."
"Her name is Anya." Xander stepped closer.
"Actually, funny historical side-bar, her original name was-"
"I wanna take it back."
D'Hoffryn stopped, turned and stared at Anya. "I'm sorry. What was that?"
"I wanna take it back. I wanna undo what I did." Anya said firmly, her eyes filled with tears.
"Hmm. You want to take it back. Must be twelve bodies in there. Such a thing... not easily done. But not impossible." D'Hoffryn said. "You're a big girl, Anyanka. You understand how this works. The proverbial scales must balance. In order to restore the lives of the victims, the fates require a sacrifice. The life and soul of a vengeance demon."
"Do it."
"Wait!" Xander shouted.
"Stay out of this Xander."
"Okay, all right. That seems smart. He just said you have to die! Perhaps there's some sort of alternate price."
"Xander, you can't help me. I'm not even sure there's a me to help." Anya turned to D'Hoffryn. "I understand the price. Do it."
"You're sure? This is your wish?" D'Hoffryn asked the last time.
"This is my wish. Undo what I did."
"Very well." D'Hoffryn gestured his hands, and Halfrek appeared in front of them.
"Anya!" Halfrek smiled at her.
Anya eyes widened. "Hallie!"
Halfrek suddenly bursted into flames and seconds later, she disappeared. Anya started to cry.
"Who did you think you were dealing with? Did you think it would be that easy to get away?" D'Hyoffryn turned to her, staring at her angrily.
"Why?"
"Why? Because you wished it!"
"But she was yours."
"Like you were mine? Haven't I taught you anything, Anya? Never go for the kill when you can go for the pain." Xander stepped closer, but Buffy stopped her. "Hold him back, slayer. Wouldn't want anyone to get hurt. I've got plenty of girls. There will always be vengeance demons. But now you, Anya, you're out. Congratulations. You're wish is granted."
"You should've killed me."
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that." D'Hyoffryn smirked. "From beneath you, it devours. Be patient. All good things in time."
In a flash, D'Hoffryn disappeared again. Anya looked at Xander and Buffy, then walked away quietly.
"Go." Buffy told Xander. "I'll check on the boys."
~.~.~.~.~
Willow lied on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "Do you think they'll work it out?"
//I won't worry about it babe.//
Paused.
"I'm sorry."
//Why?//
"Today, when I used the protective shell..."
//Oh, the little outburst?//
Willow nodded sadly.
//Well, she did whimper.//
"It's only a protection shell and I-"
//You trust me?//
"With my life."
//Everything will be fine.//
Willow sighed. "I hope so."
Willow turned and stared at Tara. "I love you."
Tara smiled.
~.~.~.~.~
"Anya, wait.". Xander shouted, running towards Anya.
"Xander, please. Just go away." Anya said softly, but didn't turn.
"Whatever's between us- it doesn't matter. You shouldn't be alone in this."
"Yes, I should." Anya sighed. "My whole life, I've just clung to whatever came along."
"Well, speaking as a clingee- I kinda didn't mind."
Anya thought for a moment. "Thanks. For everything." Paused. "Xander... what if I'm really nobody?"
"Don't be a dope."
"I'm a dope?"
"Sometimes."
Anya turned and smiled. "That's a start."
Xander smiled. He turned, and started walking away. Anya turned too, and walked towards the opposite direction.
~.~.~.~.~
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