Chapter Twenty-Four

Conjuring

A/N Last one for this episode, excited to do the next one. Not much else to say. Yeah ok, so surprise Anya will survive one way or another, not quite sure how yet. Haven't worked it all out but I'm thinking it's going to be very clever.

Sunnydale, the world without shrimp 2002

Willow and Tara were left standing alone in the living room centre, Tara got up from the armchair and went to clutch at Willow's arm but she brushed her off, walking towards the stairs suddenly remembering something. "Tara, come on I have an idea,"

Tara followed her slowly and with tender caution, not questioning outlandishly just quirked her eyebrows at the redhead. "It's to help Anya, come on." Willow said, almost pulling the blonde up the stairs to their bedroom. Another quirk of the eyebrow later and Willow was searching through her junk drawers, full of old candles and photos, but most importantly: "this." She said out loud, holding up a little amulet like piece of jewellery.

"What is that?" Tara asked as she finally entered the room, walking over to where Willow was holding the pendant aloft.

"It's just a little thing D'Hoffryn gave me a few years back, should do the trick, if you take him on his word. We need to summon him, he's the only one who Anya will listen to." Tara seemed to understand, she'd heard the story about D'Hoffryn a long time ago, it had been one of the first stories Willow had told her actually. One night they'd stayed awake talking still unfamiliar with each other.

"Oh ok, do we need anything for the spell?" She said looking around the room, trying to remember where she'd left certain things, a lot of the stuff they used was still at her dorm. That's a good point, we really need to bring some stuff over here for emergencies. Put it on the list for weekend, we'll get around to it.

"Just grab some of the sand from the shelf," Willow returned pointing towards one of their magick shelves at the back by the window, after getting back from England in the summer they'd brought most of their magic supplies back, and some now lived in their room at the Summers' just in case. It was only now Tara was realising half the stuff they usually needed for daily instances weren't present.

They entered the bathroom, Tara pouring the sand in a circle over the tiled floor. Red for blood, crimson like absolute. Pain and staking. She stood back against the wall, the spell taking its course. Willow chanting in odd Latin Tara'd never heard before, but could loosely translate. Willow was bring forth the demon D'Hoffryn from the demon realm Arashmaharr. There was a brilliant crackling light, energy cast from nothing. Tara's hand clasped against the back tile of the bathroom as she bemused and protected herself from the spell, it was powerful. Something she knew Willow had the strength for but it bit into her sometimes how Willow just did things, alone. They could've waited and done the incantation together but Willow wanted to steam ahead and had taken the burden herself.

Then as soon as it had began it was over. And Willow was facing him. But he was facing the wall. "Behold D'Hoffryn, Lord of Arashmaharr, he that turns the air to blood and rains t- Ms. Rosenberg, how lovely to see you again." He said livelily, his mouth creasing into a smile as he spoke in kind tongue towards Willow. Tara crept forward on her toes, wary of the new arrival. "Have you done something with your hair?"

Tara stepped forward, "What?" She said peering at Willow with utter bewilderment, she stood behind the redhead a little cower in her stance as she hunched her shoulders, a figure she'd long forgotten but it crept back now she was confused a little scared.

Willow turned to meet her strong eyes, kindness and compassion raining softly through in her address of the blonde witch. "It's ok sweetie he's a sort of friend." The way Willow had described him last time, had made him out to be some sort of mean boss, but then the description of Anya's old boss, a horny demon guy, well not horny but he has horns. You're supposed to stop me when I do that. Was precisely how Tara remembered it, in complete Willow fashion.

Then the conversation progressed, D'Hoffryn bringing up Warren caused a bit of a stir as Tara stood in and defended Willow. Not that it was necessary but she liked to buck up courage sometimes and when it spilled out, Willow always gave her the benefit of the doubt and smiled neatly at the passionate and brave woman her girlfriend has become.

"We need to talk about Anya." Willow finally said after the small talk subsided, taking Tara's hand for support she began listing off her master plan, one that would indeed stop Anya, but not kill her, and not really a master plan just sort of a plan.

A sword through the chest hurt. And she meant it. It freaking hurt. But it wasn't enough, never enough to kill her. There had been a fight, an almost fight to the death, then D'Hoffryn. She begged for her life to be taken, for her wish to be taken back, reversed. But it came with too big a price. She'd whispered, the softness of her now human voice whispered gently, calling out to him to take it back. The three words most victims prized with their lives. She'd heard it so many times, so many people, so many women. She certainly lived up to her title.

Undo. A word we've all used at one time or another. But it was big, too big, too much for it to go priceless. Anya owed him, she'd already reversed a wish a couple weeks back, she was in trouble, indebted. He'd taken Halfrek. She was weak so he'd taken her, to punish her. It was cruel and unfair and she deserved every ounce of it.

"Wait." Xander cried out, lunging forward. He'd spoken so intently, he'd said it. He'd craned, called for an alternative to death, he'd saved me but in doing so had trapped me in this life structure. He'd cursed out something, no one was sure what. My wish. That's what he'd called it, my wish was for death but death wasn't to be mine.

Anya rasped out ragged breaths, it stung like a bee to see someone she'd known for so long pushed to the wrath of deadly hellfire, for her mistake. She looked up suddenly, "why?" It was sharp, short, the tears stinging her. That unusual plug of wine tone simmered into her throat, her oesophagus closing tightly whilst the breathlessness shortened her.

She'd glanced at him one final time before the door sliced shut behind her, her feet padding in steps into a path she didn't want to know. "Who am I?" She whispered softly against the harsh night air to refrain from screaming.

"Anya wait." He said following her overtired footsteps, his eyes a tender hue of hazelnut but she refused to look at him. He was pacing towards her, his form coming into view behind her, not that she knew.

"Xander please, just go away." She returned, her head still not tilting to see him yet, she couldn't. He was gesturing his hands outwards, moving before speaking his usual canny, stupid way of talking took over her mind, she could imagine him waving his arms around without even looking.

"Whatever's between us, it doesn't matter." He said, hesitating slightly. "You shouldn't be alone at all." She looked at him, finally turning around stuttering her thoughts as she saw him standing there. He looked so cold and pitiful and she couldn't bare to see him like that when she never understood what he wanted.

"Yes I should." She paused and took another weeping breath. "My whole life, I had so much time, it was never worth anything. Centuries went by and nothing, eternal life what you gonna do with it?" Her breathing was an exhale making a gentle wheeze as the sound lifted from her throat. He smiled with his eyes, a joke worthy of applause. She smiled too, looking up slightly and brushing loose hair away from her forehead. He gave a light chuckle but she continued.

"Life is about the moments, the moments that you live and afterwards they're gone. I never had any of those, because my life was endless. No meaning. All you mortals you run around, meet people, you're brave, you get hurt, you die, you fall in love, and then love dies. You're so hopeful because at the end of the day the moment is all you've got. You don't get time back after you use it. I never knew loss because I had nothing to lose. I am alone, always will be."

So he turned away from him, delivering her speech and sighing carefully before setting one foot in front of the other again. He walked past her, his gaited limp stronger when he was tired, his limbs weary and out of depth. Her chest coated in blood from before, the soft sword carved through her like butter, no longer, she was mortal again. Human. "Xander?" The utterance barely audible sound.

He turned for her, always for her. "What do I mean to you Xander? What is it that I represent to you? No, really because you left me, you made me feel and love and then you left me. But I get it, I understand, you were scared but then I-I slept with Spike. Then you kissed me, twice. And we were in all these danger, could die situations and you acted like you couldn't bare to live without me and I don't understand. You want me but you leave me. What do you want Xander?"

She could feel her attack come out in waves against him, pushing into him like tiny daggers piercing the flesh he needed. "I couldn't bare to lose you Anya, I love you. And I want to be with you, and get married and have lots of sex until we die." Is what Xander should've said at that moment, but didn't. His own voice getting lost to the cold night air.

"You are the most honest and human person I know, you are capable of so much Anya, I don't deserve you. You've had centuries of life, you've seen impossible things in front of your eyes. You amaze me. To me you are not worthy of the world. But I left, I broke us and I don't regret it yet. One day I will and you won't be there to love me back."

She wiped empty tears away with the back of her hand, rushing forward just as his back turned at her. She kissed his cheek softly before reaching to cup his other one as she stared into his deep soulful eyes. "What if I'm really a nobody?" She whispered tenderly into him. He gave her one of his trademark head tilts and weak tea smiles. As he tried to enjoy her touch before she disappeared forever again.

"You Anya, never. You're too annoying. It's part of your charm." She glared at him sarcastically, even her eyes knew how to convey such a searching look of angst.

*Flashforward* New Sunnydale, the world without shrimp 2005

"Oh look that's where we can have a little dining table, and we can put a big plant here." Anya said pointing out several places in their new living room, the newly built houses were accommodation enough but this would be cosy for the two of them in the meantime. New Sunnydale, est. 2005. Was what the new sign read upon entrance to the completely rebuilt town, Xander's construction company, a new one he'd set up in San Francisco had started the renovation of the once comical and Hellmouthy town. Technically it was still a Hellmouth but the 'pit of doom' as it had been nicknamed by Buffy on occasion, was completely filled in. So even though there was the odd energy flux now and again, it was fairly safe to live on again. An improvement.

"Yes dear, it's perfect." Xander replied, opening new blueprints for some of the bigger plans he had for memorials and a town hall. Not everything had been finished yet, it would be a long time until everything was completely finished. But Xander wanted to show the world what they'd done. Buffy had gone years without any kind of thanks for her achievements and now there were plenty of other slayers to go around and help out, Buffy might actually get a well earned break. A chance for a regular old life.

Anya crawled back over to where Xander was standing over the kitchen island, wrapping her arms around his waist, she smiled down at her wrist. Silver wedding band staring back at her, their promise of forever, moments together. "Come on, sugar. You promised." She said, stroking long fingers down the side of his face. He leaned down, kissing her lips lightly, making her whimper and rendering her limbs completely flaccid and useless. He always would have that effect on her.