Chapter Fourteen

Growing Impatience

Anya looked up expectantly when she heard the bell to the Magic Box ring, then her hopes fell when she saw Xena walk in. She never had any money, and she never did more than look at, and fondle, the merchandise.

"Is Giles here?" Xena asked as she picked up a pink crystal from the bowl filled with various colored ones.

"No," Anya answered as she took the crystal from Xena and put it back into the bowl, then moved the bowl to the other end of the counter. "He decided to go out for lunch. I don't know how long he'll be. And I'm sure you have other, more important things to do than just hang around here, just waiting and waiting."

Xena smiled tolerantly at Anya as she picked up a sprig of sage from another basket, sniffed it, then put it back.

"Is there some reason why you don't like me?" she asked as Anya moved the basket of sage out of reach.

"I never said that."

"You didn't have to. Every look on your face, and every sarcastic remark you make to or about me says it. What did I ever do to you?"

"I don't like the way you look at Xander. He's mine."

"Xander's a good looking man. And he's funny and I like talking to him. But that doesn't mean I want to take him away from you. And I could never do that even if I wanted to. Anya, he loves you. He would never be unfaithful to you."

"But he's a man, and he's weak. If being a Vengeance Demon for over a thousand years taught me anything at all, it's that with men it's the sex, sex, sex. 'It didn't mean anything,' they always say. 'It was just sex.' Like that makes it all better!"

"Well, if it makes YOU feel any better, I have no sexual feelings for Xander."

"So, what, you prefer women? Like Gabrielle? You know, we always wondered about you two. Anything you want to tell me?"

Before Xena could answer, the bell rang and Giles came into the shop. "Xena, how are you?" he asked. "Acclimating yourself to our world all right?"

"I've been here almost eight days. When are you going to find a way to send me back home?"

"Well, we're working on it. There isn't that much to go on, but I assure you, we're doing all we can."

"It doesn't look like it to me. You keep telling me you have all these magic books and what powerful witches Willow and Tara are, but nothing is being done. Dawn is the only one who seems to want Buffy to come home."

"Xena, I realize you think we are dragging our feet on this, but no one wants Buffy back more than I do. And I can safely assure you that the rest of them feel the same way. But you have to be patient. We are dealing with a situation none of us has ever encountered before. I understand your desire to get back to your time, but we're doing everything we can think of."

"Then maybe you need to think of something else!" Xena paused, then took a tired breath. "It's not just that I'm stuck here, but I'm not used to living off the goodwill of strangers. I've always taken care of myself. I feel like I should be doing something to earn my way."

"I would think that the dozen or more vampires you've slain certainly qualifies as you earning your keep."

"But that's just hunting. It's what I've always done. There's no real challenge there."

"Well, I'm sure that there are those who would argue the point. Killing demons may be easy for you, but for the rest of us, it's quite an achievement."

"You betcha!" Anya added. "I, for one, would rather not have to. You're providing a valuable and useful service to the community."

Xena looked at Anya curiously. She never knew when she was serious or when she was just being sarcastic.

"Please," Giles said, "Just give us a little more time. I'm sure we'll find the correct spell and you'll be back home safe and sound before you know it."

"I guess I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

"Other than your understandable impatience, how are you finding our world?"

"Strange, complex. And I think it's even more violent than the one I came from. Innocent men, women and children were never killed just for the sake of killing them."

"Oh, I don't know about THAT!" Anya said. "When I was a Vengeance Demon, the older ones would tell stories about this village being slaughtered and that village being massacred. And it wasn't just them that were doing it. It was always some warlord or another wanting the land or the food or the water. They just went merrily on their way killing and burning and destroying everything in their paths."

"I agree, there are some very bloodthirsty warlords with no regard for the lives of helpless villagers. But that is war, with the objective to win the battle, not to kill just for the fun of it."

"Killing is killing, that's all I'm saying."

"Despite the horror of our wars," Giles said, trying to change the subject, "surely there are things you've seen that you admire."

"Sure. The food is good. The water is clean, and plentiful. Your communication devices and transportation vehicles are amazing. I don't understand most of the music, although I do like some of it. But if I had my choice, I'd rather be back in my time, in my land, with Gabrielle."

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