Part 9
Anya watched Angel give his speech from the back of the room with Halfreck.
"I don't know what I'm going to say," she told her demon friend. "I am still so mad at him for what he did."
"So tell them that. Lay into him."
"I can't do that. As mad as I am, he was still a special person to me."
"I think you're up," Halfreck told Anya.
She turned and saw Angel stepping down. Anya sighed and walked towards the front. She looked out towards Xander's nearest and dearest. She still had no idea what to say. After a minute of not saying anything, the words came out.
"I really don't like Xander that much. After he left me at the altar, I hated him. He hurt me, and when he tried to make it up to me, he told me that if had told me about how he felt sooner, he would have stopped the wedding."
Anya wiped a stray tear.
"And I still love him. He was kind and funny and brave. After I became human, he helped me adjust to it. I was so into my ways as a demon he helped me realize what a wonderful world I was living in…I remember shortly after we got back together, he took me out for the afternoon. It was the best day of my whole 1120 years."
****Flashback****
"I hated that movie," Anya said.
"Why," Xander asked as they emerged from the movies.
"The evil man broke the girls heart, and she just forgave him in the end. If that had been me, I would have had him good and cursed."
"Anya, not all fights have to end in vengeance. Sometimes people fight and make up like they did…other times they break up, but try to remain friends."
"Is that what you plan to do…break up with me and try to stay friends. Is this what you're trying to do now?"
"Whoa, Anya. First off, we are hardly in a relationship. We've only gone out a few times. Secondly, I am not trying to break up with you."
"Sure, until you find a tart better looking than me."
"You think every guy is hell-bent on hurting every woman they date?"
"I've seen it millions of times over the years Xander. That's what they do."
"Not all the time," Xander interjected. "But sometimes stuff happens. You try to learn from it and move on, not turn to vengeance."
"Like you would know…I'm only here because of you. If you hadn't cheated on Cordelia with Willow…"
"I know Anya. I made a mistake and I learned from it. I hate how much I hurt Cordelia. And until the day I die, I will regret doing it. But I think there is one small thing that came out of this to my advantage."
"What's that," Anya asked.
"I have you in my life now."
Anya was about to say something when Xander's watch started beeping.
"Damn," Xander said looking at his watch. "Come on…we have to hurry."
Xander pulled Anya to his car.
"Where are we going? And why did your watch beep?"
"It's almost sunset."
"Afraid vampires are gonna get you?"
"No…it's a surprise."
20 minutes later…
Xander stopped the car at the bottom of a hill. He opened her door and led her up the hill.
"Xander why are we here?"
"You'll see," Xander said as he led her up the hill with his hands over her eyes.
"When are you gonna let me see where I'm going?"
"Soon as I let myself see where I'm going," Xander joked.
"What?!"
"Kidding."
They reached the top of the hill, just as the sun began to set. Xander removed his hands to show Anya the sunset.
"This is nice…so what's the surprise?"
Xander pointed to the sunset.
"That's it? Xander I've seen countless sunsets in my life."
Xander sat down and pulled Anya close to him. Anya snuggled closer and watched the sun set.
"Really look at it Ahn. For over a thousand years, you were a vengeance demon. And for the past year or so you were human and not adjusting well. I wanted to show you this to show you the world isn't all doom and gloom."
Anya looked at Xander intently as he spoke. She slowly turned her gaze back towards the setting sun.
"It's beautiful," Anya said. "I don't remember the last time I felt like this watching the sun go down."
Xander looked towards her and leaned in. Anya turned back towards Xander and kissed him. After a minute, the sun was completely set…and the couple broke the kiss.
"That was some trick," Anya said as she saw the sun had set.
"Come on," Xander said. "We better get going before the vamps start to come out."
As they walked back to the car, Anya began to realize how wonderful the world could be. And she had a great boyfriend to share it with.
****End Flashback****
"I was always happy with Xander," Anya continued. "He showed me the world and what it was like to be human…and I'm thankful for that. Of all the people I've known, there is none more human than Xander."
"I'm mad for what he did to me…but I can't hate him. He helped me and was there for me when no one else was. He was my knight in shinning armor. And I will miss him dearly," Anya finished.
Anya stepped down and sat down in the back away from the group. She still felt exiled from them since she went back to her vengeance ways. She saw Buffy and Willow talking. After a minute, Willow stood up and walked towards the podium.
End Part 9
Anya watched Angel give his speech from the back of the room with Halfreck.
"I don't know what I'm going to say," she told her demon friend. "I am still so mad at him for what he did."
"So tell them that. Lay into him."
"I can't do that. As mad as I am, he was still a special person to me."
"I think you're up," Halfreck told Anya.
She turned and saw Angel stepping down. Anya sighed and walked towards the front. She looked out towards Xander's nearest and dearest. She still had no idea what to say. After a minute of not saying anything, the words came out.
"I really don't like Xander that much. After he left me at the altar, I hated him. He hurt me, and when he tried to make it up to me, he told me that if had told me about how he felt sooner, he would have stopped the wedding."
Anya wiped a stray tear.
"And I still love him. He was kind and funny and brave. After I became human, he helped me adjust to it. I was so into my ways as a demon he helped me realize what a wonderful world I was living in…I remember shortly after we got back together, he took me out for the afternoon. It was the best day of my whole 1120 years."
****Flashback****
"I hated that movie," Anya said.
"Why," Xander asked as they emerged from the movies.
"The evil man broke the girls heart, and she just forgave him in the end. If that had been me, I would have had him good and cursed."
"Anya, not all fights have to end in vengeance. Sometimes people fight and make up like they did…other times they break up, but try to remain friends."
"Is that what you plan to do…break up with me and try to stay friends. Is this what you're trying to do now?"
"Whoa, Anya. First off, we are hardly in a relationship. We've only gone out a few times. Secondly, I am not trying to break up with you."
"Sure, until you find a tart better looking than me."
"You think every guy is hell-bent on hurting every woman they date?"
"I've seen it millions of times over the years Xander. That's what they do."
"Not all the time," Xander interjected. "But sometimes stuff happens. You try to learn from it and move on, not turn to vengeance."
"Like you would know…I'm only here because of you. If you hadn't cheated on Cordelia with Willow…"
"I know Anya. I made a mistake and I learned from it. I hate how much I hurt Cordelia. And until the day I die, I will regret doing it. But I think there is one small thing that came out of this to my advantage."
"What's that," Anya asked.
"I have you in my life now."
Anya was about to say something when Xander's watch started beeping.
"Damn," Xander said looking at his watch. "Come on…we have to hurry."
Xander pulled Anya to his car.
"Where are we going? And why did your watch beep?"
"It's almost sunset."
"Afraid vampires are gonna get you?"
"No…it's a surprise."
20 minutes later…
Xander stopped the car at the bottom of a hill. He opened her door and led her up the hill.
"Xander why are we here?"
"You'll see," Xander said as he led her up the hill with his hands over her eyes.
"When are you gonna let me see where I'm going?"
"Soon as I let myself see where I'm going," Xander joked.
"What?!"
"Kidding."
They reached the top of the hill, just as the sun began to set. Xander removed his hands to show Anya the sunset.
"This is nice…so what's the surprise?"
Xander pointed to the sunset.
"That's it? Xander I've seen countless sunsets in my life."
Xander sat down and pulled Anya close to him. Anya snuggled closer and watched the sun set.
"Really look at it Ahn. For over a thousand years, you were a vengeance demon. And for the past year or so you were human and not adjusting well. I wanted to show you this to show you the world isn't all doom and gloom."
Anya looked at Xander intently as he spoke. She slowly turned her gaze back towards the setting sun.
"It's beautiful," Anya said. "I don't remember the last time I felt like this watching the sun go down."
Xander looked towards her and leaned in. Anya turned back towards Xander and kissed him. After a minute, the sun was completely set…and the couple broke the kiss.
"That was some trick," Anya said as she saw the sun had set.
"Come on," Xander said. "We better get going before the vamps start to come out."
As they walked back to the car, Anya began to realize how wonderful the world could be. And she had a great boyfriend to share it with.
****End Flashback****
"I was always happy with Xander," Anya continued. "He showed me the world and what it was like to be human…and I'm thankful for that. Of all the people I've known, there is none more human than Xander."
"I'm mad for what he did to me…but I can't hate him. He helped me and was there for me when no one else was. He was my knight in shinning armor. And I will miss him dearly," Anya finished.
Anya stepped down and sat down in the back away from the group. She still felt exiled from them since she went back to her vengeance ways. She saw Buffy and Willow talking. After a minute, Willow stood up and walked towards the podium.
End Part 9