Apology 6
by Colleen Hillerup
This was the address Xander had given him. He pressed the buzzer beside 3A and waited. "Yes?" a tinny voice said over the intercom.
"Anya?" he replied. "It's me, Spike. Can I talk to you?"
"Spike? When did you get back?" He heard a buzz and click as the lobby door unlocked. "Come up."
He ascended the stairs to the third floor. The building was clean, practical and efficient. Not unlike Anya. He paused in front of her door and knocked. "It's open," she called.
He turned the handle and pulled. She was sitting on the couch, reading a romance novel, wearing blue lounging pajamas. He waved. "Hi, Anya."
"Hi Spike. Going to stand there all day?' She saw him shrug his shoulders and realized the problem. "For goodness sake, Spike, I'm a demon. You don't need an invitation."
"Just bein' polite." He stepped over the threshold. "Nice place."
"Thanks." She put the book on the coffee table and looked up at her visitor. "Why are you here? For that matter, how did you find me?"
"Xander told me. He was working at the Magic Box. What happened there? He said something about Willow."
"Willow went evil. Trashed my store, trashed Giles, tried to trash Buffy. Who couldn't have taken Andrew and Jonathan to the Expresso Pump. Oh, no. Had to come to the Magic Box."
Spike was confused. "Andrew and Jonathan?"
"I guess you want the short version." She stood up and walked over to the kitchenette. "Want a drink?" When Spike shook his head, she pulled a diet soda out of the fridge and continued. "Andrew and Jonathan were friends of Warren. Warren killed Tara. Willow went nuts. My shop got caught in the middle. It was my fault, for helping Buffy."
"How is Buffy?"
"Okay, I guess. I haven't seen her much this summer. I guess I would have, if Dawn had been working off her debt like she was supposed to. That point is moot."
"And Willow?"
"Giles took her to England. They just got back." She poured her soda into a glass. "I hope she doesn't expect me to trust her now." She brought the glass to her lips, then paused. "Why did you want to see me?"
"To say I was sorry." He looked down at the floor, suddenly fascinated with the pattern on her Persian rug. "We're adults. I know that. But what happened, shouldn't have happened. Like usual, it was all about Buffy for me, and that's not fair to you." He looked up at her, without meeting her eyes. "Xander says you didn't get back together. I hope that's not my fault."
She laughed, then took a big gulp of her soda. "Nothing to do with you. Besides the fact that I respect myself too much to put up with his crap anymore, he doesn't love me. He loves Willow." She smiled, and her demon face slipped out. "And she's a lesbian. Very satisfying vengeance." Her human face resurfaced. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Don't worry." She touched his cheek. "You weren't that bad."
Her hand jerked back from the contact with his skin. "A soul. Now that I didn't expect."
"Don't tell anyone. Please."
She smiled. "I don't see any of them, except for Giles. We have to go over store business."
"Then don't tell Giles."
She looked at him with curiosity. "Why not?"
"I want to."
by Colleen Hillerup
This was the address Xander had given him. He pressed the buzzer beside 3A and waited. "Yes?" a tinny voice said over the intercom.
"Anya?" he replied. "It's me, Spike. Can I talk to you?"
"Spike? When did you get back?" He heard a buzz and click as the lobby door unlocked. "Come up."
He ascended the stairs to the third floor. The building was clean, practical and efficient. Not unlike Anya. He paused in front of her door and knocked. "It's open," she called.
He turned the handle and pulled. She was sitting on the couch, reading a romance novel, wearing blue lounging pajamas. He waved. "Hi, Anya."
"Hi Spike. Going to stand there all day?' She saw him shrug his shoulders and realized the problem. "For goodness sake, Spike, I'm a demon. You don't need an invitation."
"Just bein' polite." He stepped over the threshold. "Nice place."
"Thanks." She put the book on the coffee table and looked up at her visitor. "Why are you here? For that matter, how did you find me?"
"Xander told me. He was working at the Magic Box. What happened there? He said something about Willow."
"Willow went evil. Trashed my store, trashed Giles, tried to trash Buffy. Who couldn't have taken Andrew and Jonathan to the Expresso Pump. Oh, no. Had to come to the Magic Box."
Spike was confused. "Andrew and Jonathan?"
"I guess you want the short version." She stood up and walked over to the kitchenette. "Want a drink?" When Spike shook his head, she pulled a diet soda out of the fridge and continued. "Andrew and Jonathan were friends of Warren. Warren killed Tara. Willow went nuts. My shop got caught in the middle. It was my fault, for helping Buffy."
"How is Buffy?"
"Okay, I guess. I haven't seen her much this summer. I guess I would have, if Dawn had been working off her debt like she was supposed to. That point is moot."
"And Willow?"
"Giles took her to England. They just got back." She poured her soda into a glass. "I hope she doesn't expect me to trust her now." She brought the glass to her lips, then paused. "Why did you want to see me?"
"To say I was sorry." He looked down at the floor, suddenly fascinated with the pattern on her Persian rug. "We're adults. I know that. But what happened, shouldn't have happened. Like usual, it was all about Buffy for me, and that's not fair to you." He looked up at her, without meeting her eyes. "Xander says you didn't get back together. I hope that's not my fault."
She laughed, then took a big gulp of her soda. "Nothing to do with you. Besides the fact that I respect myself too much to put up with his crap anymore, he doesn't love me. He loves Willow." She smiled, and her demon face slipped out. "And she's a lesbian. Very satisfying vengeance." Her human face resurfaced. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Don't worry." She touched his cheek. "You weren't that bad."
Her hand jerked back from the contact with his skin. "A soul. Now that I didn't expect."
"Don't tell anyone. Please."
She smiled. "I don't see any of them, except for Giles. We have to go over store business."
"Then don't tell Giles."
She looked at him with curiosity. "Why not?"
"I want to."