Willow typed away on her laptop which she held in her lap. She was so focused on her work that she didn't notice the woman standing in the doorway, nor the woman's impatient cough. Anya knocked hard on the wooden doorframe, finally distracting the redhead from her computer.
"Anya! How long have you been standing there?"
"Since noon, the time you asked me to come over. What do you want?"
The witch closed her laptop & laid it on top of her bedside table. Pulling her legs close to her body, she made room at the end of the bed for Anya to have a seat. "Well, I ... I just wanted to thank you for your help last week. I know we've had our problems in the past - especially since I tried to kill you last year. But you really came through for me. I would have died in that cave if it wasn't for you. I owe you my life. I don't even think a simple thank you is appropriate, really."
"This is what you wanted me to come over here for? To thank me? You could have used the telephone."
"That's not all. I, I wanted to give you something." Willow leaned forward off her pillows and reached underneath the bed. Sitting up straight again, she winced at the pain - the bending must have aggravated her freshly healed wounds.Taking a deep breath, she tried to steady herself. "I saw this on eBay a few days ago and thought it was perfect for you." She handed Anya a small blue box, with gold-leaf stenciling on the top.
The brunette woman lifted the lid slowly, as if expecting something to jump out of the box. To her surprise, what laid inside was a small lion charm on a long chain, both presumably gold. 'Most likely not real gold, Willow couldn't afford real gold,' she thought to herself. "It's very pretty."
Willow beamed. "It's an amulet, in honour of the goddess Sekhmet. An Egyptian priestess even blessed it. I thought it was perfect for you. Sekhmet was big on vengeance too."
"Before she got drunk and forgot the pla-" Anya cut herself short. "I like it."
"I'd offer to help you put it on, but - not good with the bending yet."
"I can do it." Anya put the necklace's clasp together, a task her age let her accomplish with ease. She looked to the other woman for some sort of approval and was surprised to see that Willow's eyes were closed. She almost took offence, before she noticed that the witch's hand was clenched around the bedspread. "Are you okay?"
"Oh! Sorry!" Willow opened her eyes and gave Anya a sheepish smile. "I just needed to meditate for a sec."
"I thought it would have healed by now. You have that whole 'wax on, wax off' thing going on."
"I don't have that kind of power anymore." There was almost a sad lilt to her voice. "It is pretty much healed though. I don't even think I'll have a scar."
"That's good. Scars can be ugly and grotesque. Though .. Xander has this really sexy one on his bicep."
Willow giggled. "You think it's sexy? Did he ever tell you how he got it?"
"Fighting vampires or something equally manly and stupid, I'm sure."
"He ran sidelong into an electric fence when we were kids. Almost electrocuted himself. I still blame him for making my hair straight."
"Your hair used to be curly?"
"Well, not exactly curly. More bouncy."
"Well, if you want curly hair again, I have this really great stylist I can recommend - she has a mostly demon clientele but she takes mortals as well. She works hair miracles." Anya started to dig through her small purse. "I have her number here somewhere."
"Hey, don't worry about it. I'm sure she's listed in the Yellow Pages. The Demon Yellow Pages."
"Found it! Got a pen?"
"There should be one on my desk."
Anya rifled through a stack of papers, finding a ballpoint pen near the bottom. Taking the top sheet off a Post-It depository, she copied the number carefully. "Just tell her that Anyanka recommended you," she said as she stuck the note to an empty space on the wall above the desk. Noticing the clock on the wall, she realised that time had gone by faster than she had thought. "I have to go now. I'm meeting Hallie for lunch and she gets a bit aggravated if people are late."
"Oh, I understand. Giles is like that." Willow smiled. "Maybe we could do lunch sometime."
"We could even do spells. Just here, because I don't want to lose my security deposit. It took forever to fix that little spot you burned into the carpet last week."
"I am really sorry about that. It wasn't supposed to work like that. Lunch and spells sounds like fun. I'll see you around then?"
"Definitely. I hope you feel better, Willow." Anya closed the bedroom door as she left.
The redhead stared at the door, smiling faintly at the strangeness of the situation. She never would have expected looking forward to seeing Anya again. Things really had changed here in Sunnydale.
"Anya! How long have you been standing there?"
"Since noon, the time you asked me to come over. What do you want?"
The witch closed her laptop & laid it on top of her bedside table. Pulling her legs close to her body, she made room at the end of the bed for Anya to have a seat. "Well, I ... I just wanted to thank you for your help last week. I know we've had our problems in the past - especially since I tried to kill you last year. But you really came through for me. I would have died in that cave if it wasn't for you. I owe you my life. I don't even think a simple thank you is appropriate, really."
"This is what you wanted me to come over here for? To thank me? You could have used the telephone."
"That's not all. I, I wanted to give you something." Willow leaned forward off her pillows and reached underneath the bed. Sitting up straight again, she winced at the pain - the bending must have aggravated her freshly healed wounds.Taking a deep breath, she tried to steady herself. "I saw this on eBay a few days ago and thought it was perfect for you." She handed Anya a small blue box, with gold-leaf stenciling on the top.
The brunette woman lifted the lid slowly, as if expecting something to jump out of the box. To her surprise, what laid inside was a small lion charm on a long chain, both presumably gold. 'Most likely not real gold, Willow couldn't afford real gold,' she thought to herself. "It's very pretty."
Willow beamed. "It's an amulet, in honour of the goddess Sekhmet. An Egyptian priestess even blessed it. I thought it was perfect for you. Sekhmet was big on vengeance too."
"Before she got drunk and forgot the pla-" Anya cut herself short. "I like it."
"I'd offer to help you put it on, but - not good with the bending yet."
"I can do it." Anya put the necklace's clasp together, a task her age let her accomplish with ease. She looked to the other woman for some sort of approval and was surprised to see that Willow's eyes were closed. She almost took offence, before she noticed that the witch's hand was clenched around the bedspread. "Are you okay?"
"Oh! Sorry!" Willow opened her eyes and gave Anya a sheepish smile. "I just needed to meditate for a sec."
"I thought it would have healed by now. You have that whole 'wax on, wax off' thing going on."
"I don't have that kind of power anymore." There was almost a sad lilt to her voice. "It is pretty much healed though. I don't even think I'll have a scar."
"That's good. Scars can be ugly and grotesque. Though .. Xander has this really sexy one on his bicep."
Willow giggled. "You think it's sexy? Did he ever tell you how he got it?"
"Fighting vampires or something equally manly and stupid, I'm sure."
"He ran sidelong into an electric fence when we were kids. Almost electrocuted himself. I still blame him for making my hair straight."
"Your hair used to be curly?"
"Well, not exactly curly. More bouncy."
"Well, if you want curly hair again, I have this really great stylist I can recommend - she has a mostly demon clientele but she takes mortals as well. She works hair miracles." Anya started to dig through her small purse. "I have her number here somewhere."
"Hey, don't worry about it. I'm sure she's listed in the Yellow Pages. The Demon Yellow Pages."
"Found it! Got a pen?"
"There should be one on my desk."
Anya rifled through a stack of papers, finding a ballpoint pen near the bottom. Taking the top sheet off a Post-It depository, she copied the number carefully. "Just tell her that Anyanka recommended you," she said as she stuck the note to an empty space on the wall above the desk. Noticing the clock on the wall, she realised that time had gone by faster than she had thought. "I have to go now. I'm meeting Hallie for lunch and she gets a bit aggravated if people are late."
"Oh, I understand. Giles is like that." Willow smiled. "Maybe we could do lunch sometime."
"We could even do spells. Just here, because I don't want to lose my security deposit. It took forever to fix that little spot you burned into the carpet last week."
"I am really sorry about that. It wasn't supposed to work like that. Lunch and spells sounds like fun. I'll see you around then?"
"Definitely. I hope you feel better, Willow." Anya closed the bedroom door as she left.
The redhead stared at the door, smiling faintly at the strangeness of the situation. She never would have expected looking forward to seeing Anya again. Things really had changed here in Sunnydale.