Scenes from a Romance
by Colleen Hillerup
He saw her through the window, putting away books. She seemed tired. No wonder, from what Buffy had told him of the week's events. When the little bell rang over the door, she didn't even turn around. "Sorry, I'm about to close."
"Anya." She spun around then, at the sound of his voice.
"Giles." She seemed surprised. Surely she knew that he was coming. "I thought you weren't due until tonight." She tucked a stray hair into her pony tail.
"Ah. I caught an earlier flight." Why was this so awkward? It hadn't been that long. "How are you?"
"I'm, I'm ..." Suddenly she had propelled himself into his arms, holding him close. "It's so horrible. Willow, she's just lost it. Everything's insane."
He found himself petting her hair. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't here. Sorry for everything you've been through."
She pulled back. "Sorry. I didn't mean to ... I mean, I've, we've all missed you so much."
"I've missed you, too." He straightened his glasses. "All of you. Now, what can I do to help?"
*****
"We did it." Anya broke into a wide grin. "We did it. All of us. And Willow didn't even have to die. Buffy was great, wasn't she?"
"You were amazing." Giles stared at Anya, seeing nothing but her eyes. Her heart.
"Oh, wait." She shifted back into her human visage. "It doesn't bother you?"
"Anya, what would we have done if you weren't a vengeance demon? We'd all be dead, now." He took her by the shoulders. "You were truly wonderful."
She looked up at him. "So were you." It seemed so natural, to suddenly have his lips on hers. It seemed right. He pulled back, searching her face to see if he'd crossed any boundaries. "Don't stop," she said.
*****
He walked her back to the Magic Box. "So," she asked, "are the rooms at the Sunnydale Arms very nice? I've heard they're very nice."
"I think they're quite nice." He stopped. "Why do you ask?"
"I've always wondered." She took his hand and started walking again. "I've never stayed there."
"Did you ..." He paused. Didn't want to force things. Wanted to be sure they were on the same wavelength. "Did you want to see my room?"
She squeezed his hand. "I thought you'd never ask."
*****
He started to undo her blouse. She put her hand on his, stopping him. "Wait. We need to talk first." She sat beside him on the bed. "I need to tell you something. Then you can decide if you still want this."
"What?" She sounded so afraid, so unsure. So unlike herself.
"I had sex with Spike." She looked for his reaction. Shock. As she expected.
"What? Why?"
"He was hurt. I was hurt. We were both lonely, and we were both drunk." She waited for his anger, his condemnation.
"I see." He took her hand. "It must have been so difficult for you. The loneliness."
"Yes." It was her turn to be shocked. "It was a mistake. For both of us."
"And this?" He counted his heartbeats til her response.
"This is no mistake."
*****
She heard a knock at the hotel room door. Giles was sound asleep beside her. She didn't want to wake him. So peaceful. Wrapping the comforter around her, she stumbled through the darkened room, and opened the door.
"Giles, I ..." The man at the door stopped. Caught his breath. "Ahn. What ..."
"What do you want, Xander?" she asked.
"You." He saw Giles stir on the bed, reach for his glasses on the nightstand. "You and Giles. You slut!"
"What I do is none of your business." Her voice cracked with pain.
"Leave Xander." Giles was standing now, his bathrobe pulled around him. "Leave, before I do something you regret."
The dark haired man looked as though he was going to say something else, then turned and stomped down the corridor.
"I'm sorry." Her eyes were filled with tears.
"You have nothing to be sorry about, dear." She ran to his arms, and he embraced her. "That boy's a fool." He kissed the top of her head. "Fortunately for me."
*****
She took the chain from around her neck, and placed the pendant on the nightstand. Opening the top drawer, she took out the omnipresent Gideon's Bible. "Would you? Please?" she asked.
"You're sure?"
"Oh, yes." She watched as he brought the hardcover down on the pendant, smashing it into a million tiny fragments. Felt the power drain from her.
He took her back to bed.
by Colleen Hillerup
He saw her through the window, putting away books. She seemed tired. No wonder, from what Buffy had told him of the week's events. When the little bell rang over the door, she didn't even turn around. "Sorry, I'm about to close."
"Anya." She spun around then, at the sound of his voice.
"Giles." She seemed surprised. Surely she knew that he was coming. "I thought you weren't due until tonight." She tucked a stray hair into her pony tail.
"Ah. I caught an earlier flight." Why was this so awkward? It hadn't been that long. "How are you?"
"I'm, I'm ..." Suddenly she had propelled himself into his arms, holding him close. "It's so horrible. Willow, she's just lost it. Everything's insane."
He found himself petting her hair. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't here. Sorry for everything you've been through."
She pulled back. "Sorry. I didn't mean to ... I mean, I've, we've all missed you so much."
"I've missed you, too." He straightened his glasses. "All of you. Now, what can I do to help?"
*****
"We did it." Anya broke into a wide grin. "We did it. All of us. And Willow didn't even have to die. Buffy was great, wasn't she?"
"You were amazing." Giles stared at Anya, seeing nothing but her eyes. Her heart.
"Oh, wait." She shifted back into her human visage. "It doesn't bother you?"
"Anya, what would we have done if you weren't a vengeance demon? We'd all be dead, now." He took her by the shoulders. "You were truly wonderful."
She looked up at him. "So were you." It seemed so natural, to suddenly have his lips on hers. It seemed right. He pulled back, searching her face to see if he'd crossed any boundaries. "Don't stop," she said.
*****
He walked her back to the Magic Box. "So," she asked, "are the rooms at the Sunnydale Arms very nice? I've heard they're very nice."
"I think they're quite nice." He stopped. "Why do you ask?"
"I've always wondered." She took his hand and started walking again. "I've never stayed there."
"Did you ..." He paused. Didn't want to force things. Wanted to be sure they were on the same wavelength. "Did you want to see my room?"
She squeezed his hand. "I thought you'd never ask."
*****
He started to undo her blouse. She put her hand on his, stopping him. "Wait. We need to talk first." She sat beside him on the bed. "I need to tell you something. Then you can decide if you still want this."
"What?" She sounded so afraid, so unsure. So unlike herself.
"I had sex with Spike." She looked for his reaction. Shock. As she expected.
"What? Why?"
"He was hurt. I was hurt. We were both lonely, and we were both drunk." She waited for his anger, his condemnation.
"I see." He took her hand. "It must have been so difficult for you. The loneliness."
"Yes." It was her turn to be shocked. "It was a mistake. For both of us."
"And this?" He counted his heartbeats til her response.
"This is no mistake."
*****
She heard a knock at the hotel room door. Giles was sound asleep beside her. She didn't want to wake him. So peaceful. Wrapping the comforter around her, she stumbled through the darkened room, and opened the door.
"Giles, I ..." The man at the door stopped. Caught his breath. "Ahn. What ..."
"What do you want, Xander?" she asked.
"You." He saw Giles stir on the bed, reach for his glasses on the nightstand. "You and Giles. You slut!"
"What I do is none of your business." Her voice cracked with pain.
"Leave Xander." Giles was standing now, his bathrobe pulled around him. "Leave, before I do something you regret."
The dark haired man looked as though he was going to say something else, then turned and stomped down the corridor.
"I'm sorry." Her eyes were filled with tears.
"You have nothing to be sorry about, dear." She ran to his arms, and he embraced her. "That boy's a fool." He kissed the top of her head. "Fortunately for me."
*****
She took the chain from around her neck, and placed the pendant on the nightstand. Opening the top drawer, she took out the omnipresent Gideon's Bible. "Would you? Please?" she asked.
"You're sure?"
"Oh, yes." She watched as he brought the hardcover down on the pendant, smashing it into a million tiny fragments. Felt the power drain from her.
He took her back to bed.