Anya looked around the room, holding her fellow demon firmly in place. "Alright, who made the wish this time."

Dawn held up her hands, "Hey, once was enough for me, lesson learned.

"Halfrek?" Anya glared the dark haired demon.

"Demon-client privilege, can't divulge," Halfrek smiled.

"I didn't think I said that out loud," Connor admitted from his corner.

Angel turned to his son with a look that, despite estrangement, said big trouble.

"Oh come on," the younger laughed, "tell me you don't want to see the two of them go at it," he saw everyone's looks. "Fight. I mean fight."

Buffy snorted. "No contest."

"Connor," Angel spoke with a warning tone, though there was a slight smile tugging at his mouth, "you grew up in a hell dimension. Somehow I think it would be common sense to you not to wish anything out loud, especially on the Hellmouth.

"Hallie?" Anya tapped her foot impatiently.

"Always spoiling my fun, Anyanka," she snapped her fingers causing Buffy and Cordelia to relax; anyone could see, however, that the almost-fight wasn't completely wish caused. "You really have spent too much time with these mortals."

"So what brings you to town this time?"

"What? Maybe I like the town."

"Come on, Hallie, I know you've been itching to get back at us for botching your job with Dawn."

"Anyanka, darling, I think the look on your lowly ex's face when you got caught in your, shall we say, tète à tète with William the Bloody was retribution enough."

"You wouldn't have by any chance helped out Warren or one of his loser friends, would you?"

"Warren? Warren who . . . oh him! Why would I waste my time on the girlfriend-murdering weasel with delusions of grandeur who deserved everything he got? That's more your department."

"Women scorned? Somehow Warren doesn't strike me as a woman scorned."

"Nor is he a child. So if you'll excuse me," she struggled to pull free of Anya's grasp.

"But you know something," Spike walked over to the two demons, "don't you, Cicely."

~*~

Spike eyed the dark-haired demon. "Was my poetry that bloody awful?"

Halfrek snorted, "Don't flatter yourself, William. The only thing it ever inspired was laughter."

Spike restrained himself from backhanding his old tormentor. Then something dawned on him. "You were a demon even then, weren't you?"

She shrugged, "I was having a much deserved vacation, thank you very much, until you became enamored with my, what was it now . . . oh yes, 'beauty effulgent.'"

Xander snickered in the corner.

"I wouldn't press my luck, Harris," Spike warned him without turning.

"So he was the flowery poet that messed up your London job," Anya laughed. Catching Spike's glare, "Well, you were."

"London job? What happened to vacation?"

"Okay, so I was mixing business with pleasure. In both cases, you ruined it."

"I thought you said my poetry only inspired laughter."

"Would you let go of the poetry thing, I'd rather not be reminded that I was the subject of it," she grimaced. Then looking at Buffy, "But your current fixation doesn't seem to be completely turned off by it. I suppose you do have other assets."

Buffy stood up, trying not to blush. "Rehashing the past, as fun as this is, isn't the reason-"

"How was I supposed to know you would get turned that night? I had things lined up quite nicely, and then you had to go all vampirey and kill my job for me." She turned to Anya, "So your little get together with the flowery poet was retribution for the job he botched."

"Hello? Anyone but me remember the impending apocalypse or whatever?" Buffy tried again.

Halfrek walked over to the Slayer, "Maybe I should have seen his other assets before I sent him on his way."

Everyone in the room glared at her for one reason or another. "Okay, fine. I'll tell you what I know. From what I have heard, the filleted misogynist had something on the back burner just in case. And I don't know what, really." She disappeared.

A moment later she reappeared behind Connor, "Oh and you all might want to watch out for his compatriots. They aren't gone from the picture yet. Appearances are deceiving."

With that she was gone.