Mutant Enemy Television, Inc. owns Buffy the Vampire Slayer. My use is in no way meant to challenge any established copyrights. This piece is not intended for any profit on the part of the writer, nor is it meant to detract from the commercial viability of the aforementioned, or any other, copyright. Any similarity to any events or persons (either real or fictional) is unintended.

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II - Interrogations and Requests

"Where were you?" Anya asked as soon as Xander opened the door to The Magic Box. He was just about to answer when Anya caught sight of Willow and Tara following her boyfriend. "You were out with them? Were you having some sort of strange orgy?"

"What?!" Xander asked incredulously. "Get a hold of yourself. Really. We were just out."

"Where?" Anya asked suspiciously.

"Around," Xander replied evasively, knowing even as he spoke that his answer would do little to satisfy his girlfriend's curiosity. He had undergone her Gestapo-esque interrogations often enough to know he had no hope to escape from her snooping so easily.

"Around where?" Anya asked again, this time turning toward the other two women. "Were you doing anything dangerous?"

"Not really," Willow lied.

"Where were you, Alexander?" she said menacingly, turning toward her boyfriend once more.

"We were on patrol," Xander admitted, knowing that he had best give in immediately once Anya started calling him 'Alexander.'

"I knew it," she said evenly. "You ditch me here to take inventory and then run off through the graveyards, having a grand old time without me."

"We were on rounds," Xander repeated. "We were slaying vamps. Not much fun in that, Anya."

"Really?" the woman asked sheepishly, her mood seeming to change immediately.

"Really," Xander said comfortingly. "And you're welcome to come along, you know."

"I can't," Anya replied. "I have to have this all inventoried."

"Giles won't be back for days," Xander pointed out. "Why do today what you could put off 'til tomorrow?"

"What if he comes home early?" Anya asked. "The shop has to be perfectly tidy. I've been thinking... and I want a raise. I can't get a raise if the shop isn't tidy."

"A raise?" Willow asked. "Already?"

"I've worked hard," Anya said. "I deserve a raise."

"Maybe," Xander said, "but you might want to wait until you've been here a little while longer."

"You think so?"

"Trust me," Xander replied with a wink, deciding this would be his best opportunity to change the topic to something that wouldn't get him in any more trouble. "So how much of Giles' trip is work, and how much is play? He wouldn't tell me."

"Well, the main reason is for his Druidic festival," Anya answered.

"That won't take more than a couple of days," Willow piped in. "I think he also wants to visit some friends and family as long as he's in England, though."

"He still has family that's alive?" Anya asked. "He seems a little old."

"I wouldn't mention that in the same conversation where you ask for your raise," Xander advised. "I think he gets a little touchy about the whole 'being old' thing."

"Anya, are there any books on covens here?" Willow asked, suddenly changing the topic once more.

"Umm, yeah, three of them," Anya answered, mentally patting herself on the back for being familiar enough with the inventory to be able to answer Willow's question right off the top of her head. "What exactly are you looking for."

"Tara and I were thinking about getting a couple of the girls from our Wicca group to join a coven, and we were sorta looking for as much information as we could get."

"Like an 'Idiot's Guide to Coven-Building' or something," Xander added.

"Well, we don't have that," Anya replied. "I'm sure Giles wouldn't mind you looking at what there is, though." She walked out from behind the counter and across the shop, poring over the titles of the books on the shelf. "Here they are," she announced, pulling three volumes out an inch and gesturing toward them. "See if they do the trick."

"Thanks," Willow responded, walking over and reading the titles while Tara stood by silently, seemingly awed by the fact that someone had written the books at all.

"So are you done with patrolling?" Anya asked Xander while the other two women started to read the synopsis of each book.

"I think so," Xander replied.

"Then I think we should have sex tonight," Anya announced.

"We can hear you," Willow grumbled.

"Okay," Anya replied absently. "So can we have sex?" she asked, not lowering her voice at all.

"Anya, please," Willow complained again. "We don't want to hear that."

"What do you have against sex?" Anya asked, her expression so innocent that Xander couldn't help but smile.

"Oh, forget it," Willow said, making an effort to concentrate enough on the book in her hands to make certain she could pretend not to hear Anya's and Xander's conversation.

"Fine," Xander finally answered, knowing that any other response would only lead to more discussion that would make Willow and Tara uncomfortable. He knew he had to get up to go to work in only six hours, and he wasn't even at home and in bed yet. Sex was the farthest thing from his mind, but Anya never took it well when he tried to get her to allow him to get a full night's sleep.

"Great," Anya said with a broad smile. She then turned toward the two witches. "Oh, while you're reading those, just make sure you don't read the last chapter."

"What do you mean?" Willow asked.

"All the witches probably die," Anya answered. "They almost always die."

"Really?" Tara asked, her eyes going wide and her mouth dropping open a bit.

"Yeah," Anya said. "Nothing good ever comes from a coven. Usually the women got burned at the stake, or drowned while on trial, or got beheaded and then burned - "

"Anya!" Xander interrupted. Unlike his girlfriend, Xander had noticed the look of growing fear in Tara's eyes as Anya continued on. He had no desire to make Tara even more unsettled than usual.

"What?" Anya asked innocently, oblivious to the effect of her words. "I was almost done. Sometimes they were just hunted down by angry mobs and hung on a tree, left for crows to peck out their eyeballs."

"I think we get the point," Xander said, nodding his head in Tara's direction.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Anya said with sudden understanding. "Just keep it in mind, though. Covens are bad. They always attract unwanted attention."

"From who?" Tara asked nervously.

"That's enough, Anya," Xander warned under his breath.

"It's all in the books," Anya said, dodging the question. She had suddenly become aware of the fact that Xander was getting irritated. When he was tired and irritated, he got cranky. When he got cranky, he wouldn't be in the mood for sex. She had to avoid that path at all costs.

"Maybe we should get going," Xander suggested.

"Probably," Anya agreed, dropping the ledger immediately and grabbing her coat.

"You two want us to walk you back to your place?" Xander asked Willow and Tara.

"No, we'll be fine," Willow replied.

"Yeah, it's not like there'll be any mobs yet, what with only two of you so far," Anya commented.

"Anya!" Xander said again, hoping that this time his girlfriend would be chastised into silence. He knew it was unlikely, but he could always hope.

To be continued..................................