"What is it about these orders that you don't understand?" Brikersan yelled at his minions. "You find Anyanka and you kill her!"

"But master...the slayer..."

"Aaahhh...No, do not mention her name"

The Diables de Mort stood before him, their leader bowing his head before addressing Brikersan. "Forgive me, your evilness, but how are we to get Anyanka if 'she who cannot be named' is protecting her?"

"Must I do all the work?" Brikersan growled.

"No master...it was wrong of me to question you. We will find Anyanka and bring her to you...if it's the last thing we do".

"Then GO!!!" Brikersan bellowed, "and do not worry...I have other plans for the Slayer...she will be sorry she ever dared to interfere".

********************

Later that evening...

Anya was walking home after yet another day of her miserable teenage life. She was still unsure exactly how it was fair that she was trapped in the body of a teenager, doomed to live out a mortal life.

*They could have at least made me 21*, she thought. *I could really do with a strong drink sometimes... being a teenager sucks*

"I served you faithfully for over 1000 years" she shouted to no-one in particular.

Her rant would have continued...possibly for days...but was halted abruptly when she noticed the crowd of demons congregated outside her house, a block away.

She quickly ducked behind a fence, hoping that none of the creatures had seen her.

********************

"Come out Anyanka, and prepare to face your doom..." Quinteros, the leader of the Diables de Mort yelled.

After receiving no response, he decided to try again.

"Come out and show yourself!"

There was no movement.

"Break it down boys!" he ordered his minions.

********************

From where she was crouched, Anya watched the scene unfold before her. As the demons made quick work of the door, pulling it free from its hinges, she felt both angry and scared.

Along with this she also felt an immense sense of helplessness. *Why, if I still had my powers I'd...no...can't think about that...* she chastised herself. *I've got to get help...maybe Buffy...* she thought briefly, before remembering that she was on less-than-friendly terms with the slayer. *Xander*, she thought, *I know he'll help*.

She slowly crept from her hiding place and down the street. When she was far enough away that her footsteps would be difficult to hear, she took off running towards the home of Xander Harris.

********************

Meanwhile, the demons continued their rampage, going through the house overturning furniture and ransacking every room in their search for Anya.

"I know you're here..." Quinteros shouted menacingly from outside, just as one of his followers appeared at the door.

"She's not here boss," he said, sheepishly.

*Well, don't I just look like a fool* Quinteros thought, before ordering his fellow demons to retreat. "It's time for plan B!" he ordered.

"What's that boss?"

"If we can't get to Anyanka...we'll make Anyanka come to us".

********************

Xander's house...

Willow, Oz and Xander sat in the basement watching videos. It had been a week since Xander and Buffy's fight and they had both been avoiding each other, which made things increasingly difficult for the rest of the group. Especially Willow, who felt torn between her two friends.

Willow kept glancing at her watch *9:45 pm...I told Buffy I'd meet her at 10:00...how am I going to get out of this?* she thought.

After the sixth time she'd checked her watch, Xander decided it was time to say something. "Willow?" he questioned, "Is there somewhere else you have to be?"

"Huh?...oh no...I just..."

"Wills...it's ok, you know. You don't have to stop hanging with her just because of me...I realize this is hard on you guys."

"Oh...good...'cause I kinda told her I'd meet her at 10".

"Then go Wills. I'm fine here...I have the wonderful dialogue of X-men to keep me company, as well as..."

Anya burst through the door.

"...Anya...See! Company provided!"

"Demons...big...my house...help..." Anya gasped, still trying to catch her breath.

"Whoa there, slow down and breathe" Xander said, as he took Anya by the arm and led her to the couch.

When Anya had composed herself, she started again. "I was going home, and when I got there some demons were going destruct-o-rama on my house".

"Do you know why?" Willow asked, to be greeted by three incredulous stares. "...oh" she exclaimed, realising the stupidity of her question, "Brikersan...right!"

"Glad you're on the same page, Will" Xander exclaimed, before turning back to Anya. "It's ok, you can stay here for now. Willow is going to see Buffy shortly, and she can fill her in...right Wills?"

"So you're really ok with this then?" Willow asked.

"I said I was didn't I?" Xander said, exasperatedly.

"It's just..." she stopped at a look from Xander, and instead replied, "Thanks Xander".

"No problem Wills...say hi for...actually, no don't!" Xander almost relented.

Willow was going to just let the comment slide, but her anger got the better of her. "Don't you think that this has gone on long enough?" she asked, frustrated, and hoping for a better response than the 'what does he think?' that Buffy had given her.

"What does she think?" he asked.

"Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh" Willow screamed. "I give up...you're both driving me insane", she said before storming out.

Oz looked at Xander, "Where she goes, I follow," he said, and walked out the door after his girlfriend.

Xander slowly turned around and went back to sit beside Anya, a little shocked at Willow's outburst. The movie was still playing, but neither of them were paying any attention to it.

Anya finally turned to Xander, "Do you think, maybe, that Willow might be right?" she asked tentatively.

"About what?"

"You know very well," she replied

"I don't want to talk about it...now...if you don't mind, I'm tired, so I think I'll go to bed. I'll take the floor, and you can take my bed when you're ready to sleep...good night."

"You're going to have to talk about it sometime..." she said, as he left the room, but received no response.

********************

Xander's basement
The next morning...

Xander woke to the sound of someone in his kitchen. It was weird waking up to anything other than the sounds of water running down the pipes from his parents bathroom, so it was oddly comforting to have the sounds of the kettle boiling and the smell of freshly made omelettes wafting into his bedroom.

He got out of bed and made his way towards the kitchen and found Anya pouring coffee.

"Good morning" she spoke tentatively, "I hope you like omelettes."

"Thanks" he replied, as she passed him a plate and a mug filled with steaming coffee.

"Xander" "Anya" they both spoke at the same time.

"You go first," Xander said, setting his plate and mug on the bench.

"I'm sorry about last night, I didn't mean to pry..."

"No, it's ok...like I said to Willow, I realize it's hard on you guys"

"You're right it is...and I think Willow may be right...don't you think it's about time the two of you talked?"

"I don't see her making any effort..."

"Yes, but..."

"...and if I'm not mistaken, she's the one who hit me...correct"

"Well, yet...it's just...you're not seeing the big picture here."

"And that would be?"

"Well, for example, the fact that without the slayer we pretty much stand no chance against these creatures. And while Buffy won't throw her duty away, she's not exactly on her game, from what I hear"

"Well I don't know why not...it's just a little argument".

"Little? Are you telling me that you're not losing sleep over this...because if it wasn't you roaming around last night, you've got some fucking huge rats!"

"So I'm not sleeping...maybe that has something to do with the very attractive girl I'm now sharing my basement with," he smiled.

"While a part of me says thank you, the other sane part tells me you're full of shit, and a horrible liar".

"Am not!"

Anya raised her eyebrows.

"Ok, so maybe it does bother me..."

"Then why don't you talk to her?"

"I told you...it's not like she's made an effort either...besides, it's her fault."

"Well technically..."

"Technically what?" Xander challenged.

"Technically," Anya ventured cautiously, "while I realize that she is not devoid of blame, if you hadn't tried so hard to hurt her, you wouldn't have been hurt yourself."

"I didn't..."

Anya glared at him and said one word "Angel..."

"Ok, so I did...but..."

"Yeah, yeah...she was pissing you off"

"Well she was...and she has no right to treat you that way."

"How about we make a deal." Anya said, trying to change her reasoning and hoping that Xander would agree.

"What kind of deal?" Xander queried.

"How about we agree that maybe, just maybe, Buffy was provoked...for the last argument anyway..." she added at Xander's look, "...and that I can take care of myself where Buffy's concerned".

"But..."

"No buts, Xander, I'm a big girl...I can take care of myself...I've been doing it for a very long time! Besides, it's tearing the gang apart. You need to work through this. Be civil, if just for the rest of us".

"Ok...I'll try"

"Good..." she smiled at him. "Oh, and Xander?"

"Hmm?"

"About the other thing you said to Buffy..."

"What other thing?"

"The 'us sleeping together part'..."

"Oh that, yeah...I'm...uh..."

"Don't do it again"

"Sorry," he said sheepishly, before breaking into a huge grin. "It worked though right? Really pissed her off good?"

"You said you were going to work on that," Anya glared at him

He grinned sheepishly. "You know I wasn't lying before about the attractive part right?"

"Save it for the right girl, stud!" she quipped, punching him in the arm.