Everyone else

San Francisco, California 2004

"Xand?" As it was Saturday, one of the days Dawn spent at Xander's, she was there. Makes sense. His apartment was similar to the one he'd bought for Anya back in Sunnydale; two bedroom, bathroom, lounge-kitchen space. Most of Dawn's stuff was kept here but there was the odd piece at Buffy and Willow's. They were sitting on the couch - an excuse so Dawn didn't have to do any homework mainly.

"Yeah what is it?" Xander replied, looking over at the brunette eating far too many chips in one go on his new couch. That made him chuckle, Dawn stuffing her face was always amusing. One of the family resemblances, the Summers' girls did like to eat. A lot.

"Do you still think about her?" Dawn asked quietly, her lips quivering a little as she breathed out the oxygen she didn't realise she'd been holding in. "Anya, I mean." She confirmed, her mind starting to journey back to all the things she missed about their ex-demon.

"All the time Dawnie. She's everywhere." Was Xander's reply, he looked down at his lap, he couldn't cry here. He had been crying about her for some time, he'd had time to. It made him reflective, slowly he'd been compiling a list of everything about her he saw in life. Mostly just silly things like every time he walked past a spell shop or a pet store, the big rabbits on the signs.

"Remember how she used to call us humans instead of people." Dawn said giggling a little through her sore eyes, Xander laughed too. His missing eye almost squinting through his eye patch. It winced but he bit down the pain, apparently having one eye completely pushed back through the socket kinda hurt every now and again.

"Yeah and how she would refuse to eat pineapple, because it was 'too confusing' and she always thought the rules were stupid, that we should do away with niceties." Dawn laughed then, a deep laugh that settled in her bones, really Anya was too lovable to be easily forgotten. She was so old, but there were things she just never learned, it was odd. She knew all about demonology and history but ask her about manners or literature and she didn't have the faintest idea. She was an anomaly.

"I really loved her Dawn, I'm sorry for what I put everyone through after the wedding, it was unfair. I shouldn't have held onto my worries like that. Put her through it, she didn't deserve-" He couldn't always say her name, it was too much, too painful to. He couldn't finish his sentence either, the words just wouldn't come from behind his lips. Silenced by grief. Most of the time it didn't affect this bad, it was just thinking of her and all the ways he could've saved her had his mind running in circles he couldn't control.

"I know." Dawn said, it had a finality, like she didn't need to say anything else, he got it. There was an understanding between the pair of them, Dawn knew when enough was enough, when Xander would slip into oblivion and she would have to rescue him. But it was worth it, he was a great friend, like a big brother.

"I love her, won't stop."

Buffy thought sunset the best time of day to talk to the Powers again, she'd made her decision. It hadn't been difficult in the end. She knew what was best for the whole group of them. It was what they deserved, without them the battle would never have been fought, they made the troops. The forces of good. Without them she would most likely be a nothingness by now, a bodiless grave. Without Dawn she wouldn't have had hope, without Xander, there would be no strength, Giles brought intelligence and Willow gave her the manpower. She was the most powerful of all of them and it was going to waste.

Her forearms once again leant over the side of the balcony as her head lolled upwards a final time and a bright light appeared without warning. "Woah I didn't expect you to appear that quickly." Buffy said, her hand flying in front of her eyes to protect her from the second almost blinding splash of light this week. It was getting too much, even with slayer strength.

The Power very much ignored this little comment and proceeded with their intended message. "Miss Summers I take it you have made your decision." Buffy nodded before realising the Power probably couldn't see that. So she spoke up.

"Yes, um I was hoping you could resurrect a person for me?" Buffy said cautiously, she wasn't sure if that was strictly in the confines of 'a wish' but it was what she wanted. It looked like a selfless act for the love of her friends but there was a part that was entirely selfish. Tara had been the best ally, she'd kept Buffy's secrets when she had no one else to turn to. She was often the voice of reason and took the strain from her sometimes. And Buffy was sure had Tara been there during the battle against the first she would've been a great help with Spike and Dawn.

The Power made a gesture in a kind of 'yeah obviously we can do that' way, the attitude only mirrored by what Buffy remembered of Cordelia. "Ok so I want to resurrect Tara Maclay, give us Tara back." Buffy said nervously, biting the skin around her thumb nail, an awful habit she'd annoyingly picked up from Willow.

"Your wish is to be command Miss Summers." The Power replied, keeping completely unaltered by anything Buffy could say at that moment. If she'd asked for a big bowl of custard at that moment she didn't think they'd care. But the nonchalance did change a little when Buffy realised something grave. Holding out her arms wildly she began flapping them about in all sorts of directions trying to get the magnificent Power's attention.

"Excuse me, Mr. Power." Buffy said, making the bright orb-like light turn back around, a great gust erupted from the movement of the majestic feathered wings attached to the Power's back. There was also a slight coughing noise that made Buffy retract her earlier statement. "Oh sorry Miss. Power." There was another coughing noise and Buffy looked up confused she'd run out of appropriate titles.

"It's er just Power at the moment, I'm going through something." The Power said, shaking their head slowly dispelling Buffy's fear of upsetting them and allowing her to remember what she was just about to say.

"Ok, I was just going to ask you not to resurrect her in her grave, I don't want her to have to go through that. It's not the nicest way to wake up." Buffy said, a question to which the Power scowled intelligently and then proceeded to remind Buffy of set established fact.

"Miss Summers unless it has escaped your keen notice Miss Maclay no longer has a grave, you're friend William the bloody blew it up." Was the Power's penultimate phrase before swiftly turning and fleeing from the horizon of orange hue that lit the sky.

"Oh yeah." Buffy replied, with a dumbness sweeping through her. God she was tired. Just a nice nap after this, that would be nice. A nap, some hot chocolate, tv and she was settled. At least Dawn was at Xander's she didn't have to worry about her until tomorrow.

"We'll do what we can." The skyline appearing before Buffy again. And with that the swooping movement once again caused vision impairment in the blonde slayer, who was starting to feel slightly like Xander. At least he had an eyepatch. These Power people were very bright indeed, it was almost like she was being brainwashed. But she couldn't wait to tell Willow. She started imagining the look on the redhead's face when she saw Tara again, but it was to be an emotional rollercoaster when she did.