Title: Unexpected Welcomes
Author: NevermindDaria
Disclaimer: The following intellectual property has been, in part, previously claimed by its various owners. All other intellectual property is my own.
Rating: PG13
Summary: Flaming Post-Grave fic: Spike returns from Africa to all-around unexpected welcomes. Xander stops acting like a rancid pile of dung. Dawn finally gets to be a real person. Buffy starts to like breathing again.
Setting/Spoilers: Set four months after "Grave".
***
Buffy and Dawn emerged, smiling, from the training room at the Magic Box, which clearly looked to be still under construction.
BUFFY: Anya, you should see this girl's right hook!
DAWN: (to Anya, happily) I could so kick your ass.
BUFFY: Hey now, stop with the cocky. That's reserved for me.
DAWN: Sure, Buff.
ANYA: (sarcastically) Well, that's great you're being so violent in the training room before it's been completely rebuilt. (now sincerely) But I'm glad to hear that if my work as a vengeance demon were to become distasteful to you, you'd be able to give me a proper thrashing. (after a pause, she adds quickly) Not that I expect to offend you with my demonness, given that I'm a non-practicing vengeance demon.
Anya smiled at Dawn, then sat down purposefully across from her at the table.
BUFFY: So, Anya, have you given any more thought to my financial situation?
Anya's eyes lit up, as did Dawn's, who seemed to know something way cool and was doing a poor job of hiding it.
ANYA: (with a quick glance to Dawn) I've come up with a plan. It'll take some work, and some open minds, but it should be mutually beneficial. How do you feel about owning a small business?
At that, Dawn let out an immense giggle. Buffy looked uncharacteristically scared.
DAWN: (with a big grin) Buffy, Anya ran her idea by me earlier, and I think it's perfect for us. She just makes it sound all scary.
BUFFY: Are you crazy? I'm so not a business person! I can barely balance my checking account, and it never has any money in it!
ANYA: Well, that's how it's perfect! It won't just be you - it'll be all of us. See, Buffy, what I thought we could do is start a self-defense school. I can set up all the financial stuff. Willow can work on the business end too. It'd be good for her to have something productive to focus on, you know, so she doesn't feel the need to kill us all again any time soon. Dawn can help Willow and I, so she'll be learning valuable life skills while helping you earn money. All you'll have to do is teach other people how to slay. Oh, and Xander can be the attacker you beat up in your class!
Through all that, Buffy looked a bit dazed to say the least. By the end of Anya's speel, her mouth was gaping open, and her eyes were welling with tears. Dawn was giggling.
DAWN: Isn't Anya a genius? We'd all get to work together, and you could make money doing something you're really good at. And I'd get to do stuff!
Dawn uber-giggled.
ANYA: Can you speak? Are you so filled with wonder over my brilliant plan that you can't tell me how appreciative you are? Well?
BUFFY: (slowly, happily) Yeah. It's a great plan, Anya. Wow. I don't know what to say.
Anya jumped out of her seat and bounded over to Buffy, giving her a big hug.
ANYA: I'm so pleased you're pleased! Now I get to go set everything up! This is going to be so much fun!
Anya bounded back to the counter, where she pulled out a phone book and began flipping through the pages.
BUFFY: (quietly, smiling) I wonder if everyone's as excited as these two about this.
***
Xander poked his head past the door of Clem's place of residence with a look of concern. It wasn't like Clem to leave his door ajar.
XANDER: Hey, Clem, buddy, did you know you didn't close your door all the way? Clem?
After a few moments of awkward silence, Xander ventured into the crypt with caution, looking to see if something might have happened to his friend.
His lurking fear was confirmed as he looked behind Clem's pathetic-looking couch.
SPIKE: (demurely) Xander? Good to see you, mate.
TBC
Author: NevermindDaria
Disclaimer: The following intellectual property has been, in part, previously claimed by its various owners. All other intellectual property is my own.
Rating: PG13
Summary: Flaming Post-Grave fic: Spike returns from Africa to all-around unexpected welcomes. Xander stops acting like a rancid pile of dung. Dawn finally gets to be a real person. Buffy starts to like breathing again.
Setting/Spoilers: Set four months after "Grave".
***
Buffy and Dawn emerged, smiling, from the training room at the Magic Box, which clearly looked to be still under construction.
BUFFY: Anya, you should see this girl's right hook!
DAWN: (to Anya, happily) I could so kick your ass.
BUFFY: Hey now, stop with the cocky. That's reserved for me.
DAWN: Sure, Buff.
ANYA: (sarcastically) Well, that's great you're being so violent in the training room before it's been completely rebuilt. (now sincerely) But I'm glad to hear that if my work as a vengeance demon were to become distasteful to you, you'd be able to give me a proper thrashing. (after a pause, she adds quickly) Not that I expect to offend you with my demonness, given that I'm a non-practicing vengeance demon.
Anya smiled at Dawn, then sat down purposefully across from her at the table.
BUFFY: So, Anya, have you given any more thought to my financial situation?
Anya's eyes lit up, as did Dawn's, who seemed to know something way cool and was doing a poor job of hiding it.
ANYA: (with a quick glance to Dawn) I've come up with a plan. It'll take some work, and some open minds, but it should be mutually beneficial. How do you feel about owning a small business?
At that, Dawn let out an immense giggle. Buffy looked uncharacteristically scared.
DAWN: (with a big grin) Buffy, Anya ran her idea by me earlier, and I think it's perfect for us. She just makes it sound all scary.
BUFFY: Are you crazy? I'm so not a business person! I can barely balance my checking account, and it never has any money in it!
ANYA: Well, that's how it's perfect! It won't just be you - it'll be all of us. See, Buffy, what I thought we could do is start a self-defense school. I can set up all the financial stuff. Willow can work on the business end too. It'd be good for her to have something productive to focus on, you know, so she doesn't feel the need to kill us all again any time soon. Dawn can help Willow and I, so she'll be learning valuable life skills while helping you earn money. All you'll have to do is teach other people how to slay. Oh, and Xander can be the attacker you beat up in your class!
Through all that, Buffy looked a bit dazed to say the least. By the end of Anya's speel, her mouth was gaping open, and her eyes were welling with tears. Dawn was giggling.
DAWN: Isn't Anya a genius? We'd all get to work together, and you could make money doing something you're really good at. And I'd get to do stuff!
Dawn uber-giggled.
ANYA: Can you speak? Are you so filled with wonder over my brilliant plan that you can't tell me how appreciative you are? Well?
BUFFY: (slowly, happily) Yeah. It's a great plan, Anya. Wow. I don't know what to say.
Anya jumped out of her seat and bounded over to Buffy, giving her a big hug.
ANYA: I'm so pleased you're pleased! Now I get to go set everything up! This is going to be so much fun!
Anya bounded back to the counter, where she pulled out a phone book and began flipping through the pages.
BUFFY: (quietly, smiling) I wonder if everyone's as excited as these two about this.
***
Xander poked his head past the door of Clem's place of residence with a look of concern. It wasn't like Clem to leave his door ajar.
XANDER: Hey, Clem, buddy, did you know you didn't close your door all the way? Clem?
After a few moments of awkward silence, Xander ventured into the crypt with caution, looking to see if something might have happened to his friend.
His lurking fear was confirmed as he looked behind Clem's pathetic-looking couch.
SPIKE: (demurely) Xander? Good to see you, mate.
TBC