CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
Of Ghosts and Vengeance Demons
After a brief argument over who would drive the motorcycle, Buffy and Spike took off downtown. Since it was technically his motorcycle, Spike wanted to drive. But over the past couple of weeks, Buffy had found that she enjoyed the power and freedom of the machine as well. They settled the issue by having Spike drive downtown and Buffy drive back. Tara traveled on her own in invisible form. They had determined beforehand that she would remain unseen until they gave her the word.
Ledic was already in the alleyway when they arrived. "This time you brought the vampire," Ledic said, squinting at Spike. "You seem different than the last time I saw you."
"Yeah, well," Spike said, striking a more macho pose, "I wasn't quite myself."
"What have you got to tell me?" Buffy asked brusquely.
"Important news," Ledic said. "Doc has one of your friends. The one with red hair."
"Yes, I know," Buffy said. "I just found out a little while ago. Is she all right?"
"Rack is keeping her drugged and Doc is using some kind of magic on her that I don't understand. I haven't been able to get close enough to learn much. Doc's people do not confide in mine. But I think she's important to them. They have a barrier around her that you can't see, but burns to the touch. I don't know magic. So I can't get through."
"I don't have a plan to get her free yet," Buffy said. "But I'm going to talk to some others on my team, as well as the Shadows."
Ledic nodded. "I don't think Doc means to act immediately. But the Shadows tried to look into the warehouse last night, so he ordered an invisible barrier put up around it. They're not afraid of the Shadows themselves because they know they're normally shy people, as the Fire demons usually are. But it made them aware that others might come looking in too. If Doc feels threatened, he will have them light the barrier with fire. When you're ready to attack, I will help you enter underground through that passage you and the vampire came up before."
"Fine. As we get on, we may have trouble meeting you here. I have someone who can work with you on the inside."
"On the inside?" Ledic asked. It was a slang term he wasn't quite familiar with.
"She will be with you . . . inside the warehouse."
"Another Fire demon?" Ledic asked. The idea didn't surprise him. This slayer was very resourceful and there were still a lot of Fire demons outside of Doc's influence who believed in the autonomy of his people.
"No. Someone else," Buffy said. She took a step back and addressed herself to the empty space in the alleyway. "Tara!" she called.
At the sound of her name, a mist gathered and quickly developed into a visible, though slightly transparent Tara. Ledic backed up at the sight of her. He knew what she was. The Fire demons lived in dark quiet places that were sometimes inhabited by ghosts. Most ignored his people. Still, the Fire demons had respect for these once living creatures.
"This is Tara," Buffy said. "Tara, this is Ledic."
"How do you do?" Tara said.
"Tara spent most of today inside the warehouse. She's the one who told us where our friend is."
Ledic nodded.
"I'm going to stay close to our friend," Tara said, moving toward Ledic. In this semi-transparent state she half walked/half floated when she moved. "You won't see me for the most part, but I'll be there. I can get messages back and forth between you and Buffy and the Shadows. If you need me, go off by yourself and call my name. If I need you, I'll wait till you're alone to appear. Understand?"
Ledic nodded again.
"Not used to speaking to ghosts, huh?" Buffy remarked. "Well, don't worry. She's a friendly ghost. But before her death she was also a witch. So she knows magic."
"I understand," Ledic said. "I better get back to my people now."
"I'll be along soon," Tara said. "Even if you don't see me."
Ledic gave them a little bow and disappeared behind some debris in the direction of the underground tunnels.
"You know," Tara said. "If this wasn't such a serious situation, I might actually enjoy this."
After meeting with Ledic, they went to visit Masichuvio and introduce him to Tara. He also seemed taken aback by the ghost. After all, he had seen her alive not long ago, creating a magical light for their battle with the Fire demons. He moved his gray head this way and that, looking at her and through her. He ended their meeting by giving her a respectful bow, much as Ledic had. To him, only the most devoted of warriors would continue to fight even after they were dead. Masichuvio was honored to accept her as a messenger.
The drive back uptown to the Magic Box was uneventful except to say that Spike actually enjoyed it. He pouted at first when Buffy climbed onto the motorcycle in front of him into the driver's position. But he ultimately found it pleasurable. He enjoyed the feeling of power both in the machine and in the woman he loved. Very exhilarating. In fact, it put him in a rather amorous mood, which unfortunately he couldn't give into at that point. To alter his mood, he concentrated on visions of Xander's scowling face and Dawn's broken hearted expression when Zachary left earlier that evening.
At the Magic Box, Giles and Dawn were poring over source books while Anya dusted and Xander was climbing ladders putting books away. Buffy burst in the front door with Spike following right behind her.
"Where is she?" Anya asked eagerly.
"Who?" Buffy asked.
"Tara, of course."
Xander groaned on top of his perch. He was intimidated by the thought of Tara being a ghost. At least when they'd brought Buffy back she'd looked like a normal human. Now he wasn't sure what to expect.
By the time Xander got down off his ladder, Tara was already sorting herself out, first as mist, and then as a semi-transparent figure, and finally as a physically solid one.
"Well," Anya said, looking her friend over approvingly. "Being dead really becomes you. You have a certain glow."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Tara laughed.
"Tara," Xander said, perfunctorily.
"Xander," Tara replied with a smile.
"You look . . . well."
"Thank you."
"So, how did your meeting with Ledic go?" Giles asked, getting down to business.
Buffy's rundown was to the point. Everyone gathered around the center table and sat down while she talked. All except of Giles, that is. He preferred to stand and pace.
"Giles has a plan," Anya said after Buffy was finished. "I can tell because he always paces when he has a plan. Especially when he thinks it's something we don't want to hear."
"Yes, it does so happen that I have a plan," Giles said gravely. "It seems we have one of two choices. We can either try and rescue Willow before Imbolc and then fight Doc and his minions later. Or we can wait until Imbolc and do both at the same time. I think with the help of the Diamond of Gunab, it would be better to handle it all during Imbolc."
"And get two birds with one diamond," Anya offered.
"Yes, in a way. But it means leaving Willow where she is for a few days. Can you agree to that Tara?"
"As long as I remain mostly at her side," Tara said. "I don't think they'll hurt her because they need her. And until their plans are destroyed, they're still a danger to her. We might rescue her successfully now, only to have them come after her again later. It's better to handle everything at once."
"The Shadows have the diamond," Buffy said. "And the ray gun. But I can get them back anytime you want."
"We only need the diamond," Giles said. "I didn't know much about it myself. But Anya has been good enough to fill me in on some of what Willow found out. And I've spent a good part of the evening on the phone with the Watcher's Council getting some additional information. Tara has told us that most of the witches working with Rack and Doc are human. That means we can use the diamond to drain off a good deal of their power."
"But not with the ray gun?" Buffy asked.
"No. The gun covers too small an area. We need to widen our focus."
"I think Willow said that was possible," Tara said. "Only you need a demon with experience in magic to do it."
"Yes," Giles agreed. "And preferably you should also have a coven of demons behind the lead demon."
"I hope you don't expect me to be this lead demon," Spike said. "I don't go in much for magic."
"No. I'd prefer an older demon at the head of the coven. The older, the better. But we would need you in the circle of demons. Maybe we should call Angel . . ."
"The poufter!" Spike said with disgust. "Pfft! Don't fancy him around." The last thing he wanted right then was for his grandsire to come nosing around in his and Buffy's still new relationship.
"Maybe not. But we need an older demon we can trust. And Angel is older than you are by a good hundred years, I believe."
Spike grumbled under his breath and Buffy swatted him on the leg. "Ow! You don't expect me to be happy about this, do you Luv?"
"Happy, no. Quiet, yes," Buffy said.
Buffy and Spike made faces at each other, which everyone but Giles ignored. They were used to it. For Buffy and Spike, trading quips was like flirting.
"What about me?" Anya asked.
"What?" Xander said.
All eyes turned to the ex-demon.
"In case you haven't noticed," Xander said, "You're no longer a demon."
"No. But I could be. All I'd have to do is go crying to my friend Agatha, about how you cancelled the wedding because of Tara's death and that even though she's come back as a ghost, you're avoiding rescheduling it. Agatha will tell me you're trying to jilt me and that I should go back to being a vengeance demon. All I have to do is pretend to be tempted. Before you know it, she'll put in a good word to Hoff for me and in no time I'll have my old job back. I've got a thousand years of experience in handling magic. This thing with the diamond should be easy for me."
"No!" Xander said.
"It's for Willow," Anya said, patting Xander's hand. "And for Buffy. After I'm a vengeance demon again, I can grant a wish for Tara against Doc that will stop any anti-resurrection spell that Willow or anyone else does. That'll show Hoff I'm seriously on the job again."
"You can grant wishes to ghosts?" Tara asked.
"Oh, yeah! They've been some of my best customers. Lots of suicides and murder victims return looking for vengeance."
"It would be the perfect answer," Giles admitted. "If you're willing. We could surround you with a group of demons to support you."
"I know the Shadows will help," Buffy said. "And that furry little Nazari guy, Speaker. I kinda think he'd like to be involved. And while you've got your demon coven going, I'll lead a group of us and the Shadows into the warehouse so we can rescue Willow and put down the rest of the bad stuff."
"Fine," Giles said. "So, Buffy and Xander will lead a contingency of the Shadows into the warehouse with Tara in attendance. Meanwhile, Anya and Spike and a group of other demons friendly to our cause will remain outside gathered around the diamond chanting."
"Oh, no!" Spike said. "I'm fighting with Buffy. You don't need me outside if you've got a thousand year old vengeance demon leading the bloody chanting."
"I'm sure we'll do fine without him," Anya agreed.
Xander looked from one to the other of them. He couldn't believe he was hearing this.
"And what about me?" Dawn asked. "I'm going with Buffy too."
Buffy and Spike both snapped around to look at Dawn.
"Oh, no!" Buffy said.
"No way!" Spike agreed.
"I let you come to this meeting. But that doesn't mean you can join us on this," Buffy said.
"You stay home nice and safe so we don't worry about you," Spike agreed.
"And what?" Dawn said. "What happens if you all get killed at this Imbolc thing? What kind of life do I have after that? I'm going and that's it!"
"Giles will be outside with Anya," Buffy said. "If anything happens to us, you'll have them."
"And me," Tara said.
"It's not open for discussion. I'm going." Dawn said.
"She has your stubbornness, Slayer," Spike said to Buffy.
"Yeah," Buffy said. "But she learned to talk back from you."
"Yeah," Spike agreed with a smirk. "Kinda proud of that."
"There's nothing you can do to keep me away," Dawn said vehemently. "I'm going and that's it. I'm not a baby anymore. And you can't expect me to stay off on the sidelines, pretending to be normal while you guys risk your lives. If mom was around it might be different. But she's not. From now on, I'm one of you. Like or not." Dawn folded her arms slowly across her chest. "I don't care. You can't keep me out."
Silence fell over the group for a moment. Each of them wanted to protect Dawn. But in a place like the Hellmouth, was that even possible?
Giles spoke first. "Maybe you could join the crossbow brigade," he suggested, looking to Buffy. "Only you could stay outside near Anya and I in case some of the Fire demons try to break up the chanting. They probably will, you know. Doc will realize what we're doing and send someone out. Dawn and I will both be armed and ready at that end."
"Yeah . . . All right," Buffy said. As long as Dawn was with Giles.
"So it's settled," Anya said. "I'll look into becoming a vengeance demon again tomorrow. And Dawn will fight with Buffy and Spike and Xander."
"And me," Tara said. "Don't forget about me."
"How could we?" Giles asked. "We're going to need to you to coordinate the battle."
"Would it be possible to separate Willow's powers out from the others?" Tara asked.
"You mean drain the power off the other witches but leave her abilities intact?" Giles said. "Yes, I believe so. It wouldn't be possible for a lesser demon. But Anya has had a lot of experience and she knows Willow. She should be able to sense her energy apart from the others."
"I'd like to do that then," Tara said. "I think as long as Anya can grant a wish to keep anyone from undoing Buffy's resurrection spell, we should try and use Willow's power to help us. The diamond will drain off Rack's influence from her. Then in physical form, I can smash the five crystals that are all around her. That will release her from Doc's spell. If I can get her to return to herself, she can help us fight the members of Doc's crew that aren't human."
"Like Doc himself," Giles said. "Yes, that would be an excellent idea."
"No problem," Anya agreed with a big smile.
"Sounds like we're done here," Spike said, slapping the table.
"Giles, where are you staying?" Buffy asked.
"Well, Anya said I could stay here. There's a back room with a cot."
"No. You should stay in Willow's room," Buffy offered. "It's not like she's using it at the moment."
"Oh, that'd be cool!" Dawn said.
"Very well. If it won't put you out."
"Not at all," Buffy said. "It'll be nice to have you around. And I'm kinda used to a full house now."
Talking companionably, Giles, Dawn, and Tara walked back to Buffy's house, with Dawn's arms linked tightly through theirs. She was thrilled to have two of her favorite people back with her.
Buffy and Spike returned by motorcycle, with Buffy driving again. She wondered at first why Spike seemed so willing to let her drive. But she figured out his motive pretty quickly when he started nuzzling her neck and running his hands over her body. By the time they got home, both of them were definitely in the mood. Buffy installed Giles in Willow's room as quickly as she could, while Spike made sure Dawn went to bed. Then with a hasty goodnight, they both disappeared into Buffy's room.
Giles couldn't miss the sense of urgency. And he wondered for the hundredth time that day if he would ever get used to this new relationship between Buffy and Spike. "Are they always like that?" he asked Tara, as she moved from solid form to one of semi-transparency.
"Pretty much," the ghost said with a smile. "Only, they've essentially been apart for a couple of weeks, so it's more intense than usual."
Meanwhile, Xander and Anya remained behind at the shop to close things up for the night. Or at least that was Anya's intention. Xander had other ideas. He was absolutely furious about his fiancée returning to her demon ways and he wasn't going to wait till they got home to tell her.
"Why are you doing this?" Xander demanded.
"Doing what?" Anya asked over her shoulder. She was stashing a few things out of the way behind the counter and she wasn't giving him her full attention.
Xander walked heavily to the customer side of the counter, each foot having the weight that he hoped his words would. "I don't want you to become a vengeance demon again."
"What?" Anya's head popped up from behind the register. "But it's for Willow and Buffy."
"I don't care . . . I mean, I do care. But . . . Don't I get a say in all this?"
"I don't understand what the problem is."
Xander ran his long fingers over the glass case. "The problem is . . . I already have a hard time forgetting what you were, all those things you did. I don't want you becoming a demon again. That stuff with Eric the ugly. That wasn't exactly nice."
"I know. But things have changed. I'm not that person anymore. I want to use my demon powers for something good this time." She walked around the counter to him and put her hands on his chest. "This time I'll be doing something important. Good old money crazed, good for a laugh Anya is finally going to pull her weight with the rest of the group. I'm going to grant a wish that will keep Doc or anyone else from undoing Buffy's resurrection spell. And then I'll drain off the energy from those evil witches with the diamond so they can't open up one of the Hell portals. I'll finally get a chance to use my vengeance powers for something other than destruction."
Xander looked at her, not knowing what to say.
"Can't you see how important this is to me?"
"But what if your old boss figures out that you're not really going back to your old job? What if he tries to punish you?"
"That shouldn't happen as long as we're careful. I'll grant Tara's wish against Doc first thing. Then if anybody asks, I'll tell them I'm working with Buffy to punish Rack and Doc for some other things they did. I wouldn't be lying there. Doc is the one who forced Buffy into sacrificing herself last year. So I could be handling the diamond thing for her. And Dawn was hurt because Willow got involved with Rack. I could grant her a wish too."
"But once you're a demon, will you ever be human again?"
"Sure. I can grant some unimportant little wish after the Imbolc stuff is over. Then I'll smash my amulet. Only the last wish granted will be undone."
"But . . . after having all that power. Will you want to be human again?"
"Is that what you're worried about? That I'll enjoy being a vengeance demon so much again that I'll cut a swath of vengeance through Sunnydale and on for another thousand years?" Anya ran her hand gently across his face. "Those days are over, Xander. The world of vengeance is definitely not for me anymore. At least, not unless I can do more stuff like this. Otherwise, I actually think I like money better. And I like you even more than I like money." She moved temptingly against him.
"I'm just not sure I like this."
"It'll be over before you know it," she said, moving in for a kiss.
Xander let her kiss him. It allayed some of his fears. "But," he said, pulling away slightly, "will you become someone different once you're a demon again?"
"Different?"
"Will you still be the Anya I know? Or will you a stranger?"
"I'll be me my usual self, only more powerful. If that weren't true, do you think Giles would trust me with all this? You've got to get over this prejudice of yours, Xander. Demons are as good or as bad as they choose to be. Just like humans. At least, for the most part. There are good demons and bad demons. Most vengeance demon are real judgmental and get drunk with their own power. But those days are behind me. No more Erics. I promise."
Anya kissed him again and he forgot about everything else. All he knew was the feel of her soft body and the hunger that was building up inside of him. She pulled away from him momentarily to switch off the lights.
"Let's not go home just yet," she said, slipping back into his arms and pulling his mouth back to hers.
Of Ghosts and Vengeance Demons
After a brief argument over who would drive the motorcycle, Buffy and Spike took off downtown. Since it was technically his motorcycle, Spike wanted to drive. But over the past couple of weeks, Buffy had found that she enjoyed the power and freedom of the machine as well. They settled the issue by having Spike drive downtown and Buffy drive back. Tara traveled on her own in invisible form. They had determined beforehand that she would remain unseen until they gave her the word.
Ledic was already in the alleyway when they arrived. "This time you brought the vampire," Ledic said, squinting at Spike. "You seem different than the last time I saw you."
"Yeah, well," Spike said, striking a more macho pose, "I wasn't quite myself."
"What have you got to tell me?" Buffy asked brusquely.
"Important news," Ledic said. "Doc has one of your friends. The one with red hair."
"Yes, I know," Buffy said. "I just found out a little while ago. Is she all right?"
"Rack is keeping her drugged and Doc is using some kind of magic on her that I don't understand. I haven't been able to get close enough to learn much. Doc's people do not confide in mine. But I think she's important to them. They have a barrier around her that you can't see, but burns to the touch. I don't know magic. So I can't get through."
"I don't have a plan to get her free yet," Buffy said. "But I'm going to talk to some others on my team, as well as the Shadows."
Ledic nodded. "I don't think Doc means to act immediately. But the Shadows tried to look into the warehouse last night, so he ordered an invisible barrier put up around it. They're not afraid of the Shadows themselves because they know they're normally shy people, as the Fire demons usually are. But it made them aware that others might come looking in too. If Doc feels threatened, he will have them light the barrier with fire. When you're ready to attack, I will help you enter underground through that passage you and the vampire came up before."
"Fine. As we get on, we may have trouble meeting you here. I have someone who can work with you on the inside."
"On the inside?" Ledic asked. It was a slang term he wasn't quite familiar with.
"She will be with you . . . inside the warehouse."
"Another Fire demon?" Ledic asked. The idea didn't surprise him. This slayer was very resourceful and there were still a lot of Fire demons outside of Doc's influence who believed in the autonomy of his people.
"No. Someone else," Buffy said. She took a step back and addressed herself to the empty space in the alleyway. "Tara!" she called.
At the sound of her name, a mist gathered and quickly developed into a visible, though slightly transparent Tara. Ledic backed up at the sight of her. He knew what she was. The Fire demons lived in dark quiet places that were sometimes inhabited by ghosts. Most ignored his people. Still, the Fire demons had respect for these once living creatures.
"This is Tara," Buffy said. "Tara, this is Ledic."
"How do you do?" Tara said.
"Tara spent most of today inside the warehouse. She's the one who told us where our friend is."
Ledic nodded.
"I'm going to stay close to our friend," Tara said, moving toward Ledic. In this semi-transparent state she half walked/half floated when she moved. "You won't see me for the most part, but I'll be there. I can get messages back and forth between you and Buffy and the Shadows. If you need me, go off by yourself and call my name. If I need you, I'll wait till you're alone to appear. Understand?"
Ledic nodded again.
"Not used to speaking to ghosts, huh?" Buffy remarked. "Well, don't worry. She's a friendly ghost. But before her death she was also a witch. So she knows magic."
"I understand," Ledic said. "I better get back to my people now."
"I'll be along soon," Tara said. "Even if you don't see me."
Ledic gave them a little bow and disappeared behind some debris in the direction of the underground tunnels.
"You know," Tara said. "If this wasn't such a serious situation, I might actually enjoy this."
After meeting with Ledic, they went to visit Masichuvio and introduce him to Tara. He also seemed taken aback by the ghost. After all, he had seen her alive not long ago, creating a magical light for their battle with the Fire demons. He moved his gray head this way and that, looking at her and through her. He ended their meeting by giving her a respectful bow, much as Ledic had. To him, only the most devoted of warriors would continue to fight even after they were dead. Masichuvio was honored to accept her as a messenger.
The drive back uptown to the Magic Box was uneventful except to say that Spike actually enjoyed it. He pouted at first when Buffy climbed onto the motorcycle in front of him into the driver's position. But he ultimately found it pleasurable. He enjoyed the feeling of power both in the machine and in the woman he loved. Very exhilarating. In fact, it put him in a rather amorous mood, which unfortunately he couldn't give into at that point. To alter his mood, he concentrated on visions of Xander's scowling face and Dawn's broken hearted expression when Zachary left earlier that evening.
At the Magic Box, Giles and Dawn were poring over source books while Anya dusted and Xander was climbing ladders putting books away. Buffy burst in the front door with Spike following right behind her.
"Where is she?" Anya asked eagerly.
"Who?" Buffy asked.
"Tara, of course."
Xander groaned on top of his perch. He was intimidated by the thought of Tara being a ghost. At least when they'd brought Buffy back she'd looked like a normal human. Now he wasn't sure what to expect.
By the time Xander got down off his ladder, Tara was already sorting herself out, first as mist, and then as a semi-transparent figure, and finally as a physically solid one.
"Well," Anya said, looking her friend over approvingly. "Being dead really becomes you. You have a certain glow."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Tara laughed.
"Tara," Xander said, perfunctorily.
"Xander," Tara replied with a smile.
"You look . . . well."
"Thank you."
"So, how did your meeting with Ledic go?" Giles asked, getting down to business.
Buffy's rundown was to the point. Everyone gathered around the center table and sat down while she talked. All except of Giles, that is. He preferred to stand and pace.
"Giles has a plan," Anya said after Buffy was finished. "I can tell because he always paces when he has a plan. Especially when he thinks it's something we don't want to hear."
"Yes, it does so happen that I have a plan," Giles said gravely. "It seems we have one of two choices. We can either try and rescue Willow before Imbolc and then fight Doc and his minions later. Or we can wait until Imbolc and do both at the same time. I think with the help of the Diamond of Gunab, it would be better to handle it all during Imbolc."
"And get two birds with one diamond," Anya offered.
"Yes, in a way. But it means leaving Willow where she is for a few days. Can you agree to that Tara?"
"As long as I remain mostly at her side," Tara said. "I don't think they'll hurt her because they need her. And until their plans are destroyed, they're still a danger to her. We might rescue her successfully now, only to have them come after her again later. It's better to handle everything at once."
"The Shadows have the diamond," Buffy said. "And the ray gun. But I can get them back anytime you want."
"We only need the diamond," Giles said. "I didn't know much about it myself. But Anya has been good enough to fill me in on some of what Willow found out. And I've spent a good part of the evening on the phone with the Watcher's Council getting some additional information. Tara has told us that most of the witches working with Rack and Doc are human. That means we can use the diamond to drain off a good deal of their power."
"But not with the ray gun?" Buffy asked.
"No. The gun covers too small an area. We need to widen our focus."
"I think Willow said that was possible," Tara said. "Only you need a demon with experience in magic to do it."
"Yes," Giles agreed. "And preferably you should also have a coven of demons behind the lead demon."
"I hope you don't expect me to be this lead demon," Spike said. "I don't go in much for magic."
"No. I'd prefer an older demon at the head of the coven. The older, the better. But we would need you in the circle of demons. Maybe we should call Angel . . ."
"The poufter!" Spike said with disgust. "Pfft! Don't fancy him around." The last thing he wanted right then was for his grandsire to come nosing around in his and Buffy's still new relationship.
"Maybe not. But we need an older demon we can trust. And Angel is older than you are by a good hundred years, I believe."
Spike grumbled under his breath and Buffy swatted him on the leg. "Ow! You don't expect me to be happy about this, do you Luv?"
"Happy, no. Quiet, yes," Buffy said.
Buffy and Spike made faces at each other, which everyone but Giles ignored. They were used to it. For Buffy and Spike, trading quips was like flirting.
"What about me?" Anya asked.
"What?" Xander said.
All eyes turned to the ex-demon.
"In case you haven't noticed," Xander said, "You're no longer a demon."
"No. But I could be. All I'd have to do is go crying to my friend Agatha, about how you cancelled the wedding because of Tara's death and that even though she's come back as a ghost, you're avoiding rescheduling it. Agatha will tell me you're trying to jilt me and that I should go back to being a vengeance demon. All I have to do is pretend to be tempted. Before you know it, she'll put in a good word to Hoff for me and in no time I'll have my old job back. I've got a thousand years of experience in handling magic. This thing with the diamond should be easy for me."
"No!" Xander said.
"It's for Willow," Anya said, patting Xander's hand. "And for Buffy. After I'm a vengeance demon again, I can grant a wish for Tara against Doc that will stop any anti-resurrection spell that Willow or anyone else does. That'll show Hoff I'm seriously on the job again."
"You can grant wishes to ghosts?" Tara asked.
"Oh, yeah! They've been some of my best customers. Lots of suicides and murder victims return looking for vengeance."
"It would be the perfect answer," Giles admitted. "If you're willing. We could surround you with a group of demons to support you."
"I know the Shadows will help," Buffy said. "And that furry little Nazari guy, Speaker. I kinda think he'd like to be involved. And while you've got your demon coven going, I'll lead a group of us and the Shadows into the warehouse so we can rescue Willow and put down the rest of the bad stuff."
"Fine," Giles said. "So, Buffy and Xander will lead a contingency of the Shadows into the warehouse with Tara in attendance. Meanwhile, Anya and Spike and a group of other demons friendly to our cause will remain outside gathered around the diamond chanting."
"Oh, no!" Spike said. "I'm fighting with Buffy. You don't need me outside if you've got a thousand year old vengeance demon leading the bloody chanting."
"I'm sure we'll do fine without him," Anya agreed.
Xander looked from one to the other of them. He couldn't believe he was hearing this.
"And what about me?" Dawn asked. "I'm going with Buffy too."
Buffy and Spike both snapped around to look at Dawn.
"Oh, no!" Buffy said.
"No way!" Spike agreed.
"I let you come to this meeting. But that doesn't mean you can join us on this," Buffy said.
"You stay home nice and safe so we don't worry about you," Spike agreed.
"And what?" Dawn said. "What happens if you all get killed at this Imbolc thing? What kind of life do I have after that? I'm going and that's it!"
"Giles will be outside with Anya," Buffy said. "If anything happens to us, you'll have them."
"And me," Tara said.
"It's not open for discussion. I'm going." Dawn said.
"She has your stubbornness, Slayer," Spike said to Buffy.
"Yeah," Buffy said. "But she learned to talk back from you."
"Yeah," Spike agreed with a smirk. "Kinda proud of that."
"There's nothing you can do to keep me away," Dawn said vehemently. "I'm going and that's it. I'm not a baby anymore. And you can't expect me to stay off on the sidelines, pretending to be normal while you guys risk your lives. If mom was around it might be different. But she's not. From now on, I'm one of you. Like or not." Dawn folded her arms slowly across her chest. "I don't care. You can't keep me out."
Silence fell over the group for a moment. Each of them wanted to protect Dawn. But in a place like the Hellmouth, was that even possible?
Giles spoke first. "Maybe you could join the crossbow brigade," he suggested, looking to Buffy. "Only you could stay outside near Anya and I in case some of the Fire demons try to break up the chanting. They probably will, you know. Doc will realize what we're doing and send someone out. Dawn and I will both be armed and ready at that end."
"Yeah . . . All right," Buffy said. As long as Dawn was with Giles.
"So it's settled," Anya said. "I'll look into becoming a vengeance demon again tomorrow. And Dawn will fight with Buffy and Spike and Xander."
"And me," Tara said. "Don't forget about me."
"How could we?" Giles asked. "We're going to need to you to coordinate the battle."
"Would it be possible to separate Willow's powers out from the others?" Tara asked.
"You mean drain the power off the other witches but leave her abilities intact?" Giles said. "Yes, I believe so. It wouldn't be possible for a lesser demon. But Anya has had a lot of experience and she knows Willow. She should be able to sense her energy apart from the others."
"I'd like to do that then," Tara said. "I think as long as Anya can grant a wish to keep anyone from undoing Buffy's resurrection spell, we should try and use Willow's power to help us. The diamond will drain off Rack's influence from her. Then in physical form, I can smash the five crystals that are all around her. That will release her from Doc's spell. If I can get her to return to herself, she can help us fight the members of Doc's crew that aren't human."
"Like Doc himself," Giles said. "Yes, that would be an excellent idea."
"No problem," Anya agreed with a big smile.
"Sounds like we're done here," Spike said, slapping the table.
"Giles, where are you staying?" Buffy asked.
"Well, Anya said I could stay here. There's a back room with a cot."
"No. You should stay in Willow's room," Buffy offered. "It's not like she's using it at the moment."
"Oh, that'd be cool!" Dawn said.
"Very well. If it won't put you out."
"Not at all," Buffy said. "It'll be nice to have you around. And I'm kinda used to a full house now."
Talking companionably, Giles, Dawn, and Tara walked back to Buffy's house, with Dawn's arms linked tightly through theirs. She was thrilled to have two of her favorite people back with her.
Buffy and Spike returned by motorcycle, with Buffy driving again. She wondered at first why Spike seemed so willing to let her drive. But she figured out his motive pretty quickly when he started nuzzling her neck and running his hands over her body. By the time they got home, both of them were definitely in the mood. Buffy installed Giles in Willow's room as quickly as she could, while Spike made sure Dawn went to bed. Then with a hasty goodnight, they both disappeared into Buffy's room.
Giles couldn't miss the sense of urgency. And he wondered for the hundredth time that day if he would ever get used to this new relationship between Buffy and Spike. "Are they always like that?" he asked Tara, as she moved from solid form to one of semi-transparency.
"Pretty much," the ghost said with a smile. "Only, they've essentially been apart for a couple of weeks, so it's more intense than usual."
Meanwhile, Xander and Anya remained behind at the shop to close things up for the night. Or at least that was Anya's intention. Xander had other ideas. He was absolutely furious about his fiancée returning to her demon ways and he wasn't going to wait till they got home to tell her.
"Why are you doing this?" Xander demanded.
"Doing what?" Anya asked over her shoulder. She was stashing a few things out of the way behind the counter and she wasn't giving him her full attention.
Xander walked heavily to the customer side of the counter, each foot having the weight that he hoped his words would. "I don't want you to become a vengeance demon again."
"What?" Anya's head popped up from behind the register. "But it's for Willow and Buffy."
"I don't care . . . I mean, I do care. But . . . Don't I get a say in all this?"
"I don't understand what the problem is."
Xander ran his long fingers over the glass case. "The problem is . . . I already have a hard time forgetting what you were, all those things you did. I don't want you becoming a demon again. That stuff with Eric the ugly. That wasn't exactly nice."
"I know. But things have changed. I'm not that person anymore. I want to use my demon powers for something good this time." She walked around the counter to him and put her hands on his chest. "This time I'll be doing something important. Good old money crazed, good for a laugh Anya is finally going to pull her weight with the rest of the group. I'm going to grant a wish that will keep Doc or anyone else from undoing Buffy's resurrection spell. And then I'll drain off the energy from those evil witches with the diamond so they can't open up one of the Hell portals. I'll finally get a chance to use my vengeance powers for something other than destruction."
Xander looked at her, not knowing what to say.
"Can't you see how important this is to me?"
"But what if your old boss figures out that you're not really going back to your old job? What if he tries to punish you?"
"That shouldn't happen as long as we're careful. I'll grant Tara's wish against Doc first thing. Then if anybody asks, I'll tell them I'm working with Buffy to punish Rack and Doc for some other things they did. I wouldn't be lying there. Doc is the one who forced Buffy into sacrificing herself last year. So I could be handling the diamond thing for her. And Dawn was hurt because Willow got involved with Rack. I could grant her a wish too."
"But once you're a demon, will you ever be human again?"
"Sure. I can grant some unimportant little wish after the Imbolc stuff is over. Then I'll smash my amulet. Only the last wish granted will be undone."
"But . . . after having all that power. Will you want to be human again?"
"Is that what you're worried about? That I'll enjoy being a vengeance demon so much again that I'll cut a swath of vengeance through Sunnydale and on for another thousand years?" Anya ran her hand gently across his face. "Those days are over, Xander. The world of vengeance is definitely not for me anymore. At least, not unless I can do more stuff like this. Otherwise, I actually think I like money better. And I like you even more than I like money." She moved temptingly against him.
"I'm just not sure I like this."
"It'll be over before you know it," she said, moving in for a kiss.
Xander let her kiss him. It allayed some of his fears. "But," he said, pulling away slightly, "will you become someone different once you're a demon again?"
"Different?"
"Will you still be the Anya I know? Or will you a stranger?"
"I'll be me my usual self, only more powerful. If that weren't true, do you think Giles would trust me with all this? You've got to get over this prejudice of yours, Xander. Demons are as good or as bad as they choose to be. Just like humans. At least, for the most part. There are good demons and bad demons. Most vengeance demon are real judgmental and get drunk with their own power. But those days are behind me. No more Erics. I promise."
Anya kissed him again and he forgot about everything else. All he knew was the feel of her soft body and the hunger that was building up inside of him. She pulled away from him momentarily to switch off the lights.
"Let's not go home just yet," she said, slipping back into his arms and pulling his mouth back to hers.