Chapter Thirteen: The Consequences


Andrew waited anxiously for Xander to get out of the bathroom. He didn't have to use it or anything, he was just really excited. Lilah was supposed to bring Anya back today, and he was thrilled. Xander was going to be so happy and grateful to Andrew that they'd be best friends forever. Xander opened the bathroom door and jumped back when he saw Andrew.

"Jeez! Didn't your mother ever tell you not to scare people that have no peripheral vision?" He asked dropping his newspaper.

"My mother used to stick me in the pantry when I was bad," Andrew replied.

Xander raised his eyebrows. "Okay." He shook his head. "What are you doing waiting out here? If you needed to go, you could've knocked."

"No, I was just waiting," Andrew said simply.

"Well, wait over there," Xander pointed to a chair on the other side of the room. Andrew complied and sat down. He watched happily smiling as Xander fixed his hair. He caught sight of him in the mirror. "What's with you, man?" Xander exclaimed. "You're freaking me out."

Andrew's chest swelled with excitement. "Nothing," he said, still smiling.

Xander turned back around and continued to get ready. He was going to go help Dawn and Willow research with Giles. Giles had been mumbling about some prophecy the entire time in the infirmary after they found out about Spike. To be honest with himself, Xander wasn't sure what to feel about Spike being back. He was happy for Buffy, but he still couldn't bring himself to fully trust the vampire. Yeah, yeah, he'd saved him from getting his other eye gouged out, and sacrificed himself to stop the apocalypse, but he couldn't trust him. Maybe he was still pissed about Spike and Anya sleeping together, or Buffy and Spike sleeping together, or Spike raping Buffy, either way, he had just cause to be mad at Spike, but also enough to forgive him.

The telephone rang, "I got it!" Andrew yelped and scrambled over to it. "Hello? Yes, okay, okay, thanks."

"Who was it?" Xander asked.

Andrew grabbed Xander, and flew out the door. "We have to go," he squealed.

"Go where? And let go of my hand!" Xander said shaking Andrew's grip.

"I have a surprise for you," Andrew said giddily. Xander, against his better judgment, followed him. Andrew was practically skipping down the hall. In the elevator, he kept humming the theme to Three's Company, and Xander was becoming apprehensive. When Andrew had an idea, it was usually bad, dumb, or just plain weird.

"After you," Andrew bowed letting Xander go into an office first. Xander saw a hot and sexy woman leaning against the table.

"You didn't hire me a stripper, did you Andrew?" Xander asked not taking his eye off her.

The woman laughed. "Keep your pants on, matey," she winked. "You're friend Andrew here, and I have a little present for you."

"Okay," Xander said putting his hands up. "One, he is not my friend. Two, what surprise? And Three, he is not my friend."

Lilah shrugged. "Whatever you say, Cyclops. But, he's really a stand up guy. He came to me and selflessly asked if I could bring back your dead girlfriend. And I did."

"WHAT!" Xander shouted. He turned to Andrew, whose happy face had now vanished. "You did what?"

"I- I wanted you t- to be happy," Andrew explained.

Xander was furious, his blood rose and his face was red. "I told you not to do anything. That we couldn't bring back Anya, it was too dangerous."

"Dangerous for you and your friends," Lilah spoke up. "But here we have the most sophisticated and most powerful instruments here. I assure you, this isn't your standard, snake out of mouth, ritual rising."

"Could ya give me a minute, here?" Xander asked. He turned back to Andrew. He was cowering down in fear. Xander saw him and took pity. He forced down his anger. He had to. He couldn't lash out at Andrew, though he very, very much wanted to. "Andrew, I don't want Anya back." He said finally and in a softer tone.

"You don't?" Andrew asked.

Xander sighed and backed away from Andrew so the kid could straighten up. "No. I mean, yeah. I do. I want her back so much that it hurts, but she can't come back."

Andrew's bottom lip trembled, "But why? I want her back too, she was my friend."

Xander placed his hand on Andrew's shoulder. "I know. But we can't do that to her, she's in heaven. She's at peace. And I can't be selfish, neither can you. Do you understand?" Andrew nodded, sobbing as he did. Xander looked at Lilah. "Sorry, but I don't think you have a deal."

"Hey, it's his loss. I got my information already," Lilah shrugged. Andrew wiped his face. Suddenly, someone knocked at the door. "But, unfortunately, a deal's a deal," she went to open the door.

"No!" Andrew blocked her. "Lilah, he doesn't want her back." He looked at Xander for back up. "Right?"

Xander stood there. "Wait," he said a strange look on his face.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Buffy sat upright on the edge of her chair. Faith had just finished telling her, the uh, news.

"B, say something dude, you're freakin' me out, here," Faith said.

Buffy swallowed, "I just... can't believe it."

"I know," Faith snickered. "Me either. "It's like, karma or something. I can't decide if it's good or bad, though."

"We should ask Willow," Buffy said. "Are you gonna tell Robin? I mean, it is his right?"

"No, actually it's Angel's," Faith said nonchalantly.

"What?" Buffy said.

Faith grinned, "Lighten up B. You know vamps can't have kids."

"I know," Buffy reddened. "I just... I knew you were kidding."

"Yeah, right." Faith laughed and Buffy had to laugh with her. "What do you think's gonna happen now?" She said, her face becoming serious.

"I don't know." Buffy said truthfully.

"I like slaying Buffy, it's the only thing I know how to do." Faith said. Buffy watched her. She looked like a scared little girl. Her legs were pulled up to her chin and she wrapped her arms around them. "What am I going to do? I can barely take care of myself. I'm reckless and irresponsible," Faith started crying. Buffy settled herself next to Faith.

"No, you're not," Buffy patted her arm. "Not anymore. You've grown so much. If anyone could handle this, you could."

"But, I'll be doing it alone. Not like I need a guy to do it. I just don't want to drag Robin down with this. He has his own life."

"Don't worry, you have us now," Buffy assured her. "We'll take care of you."

Faith dried her tears on her arm. "Thanks, B."

"I meant it." The two slayers smiled at each other. Buffy looked down at her her shirt. She had meant it. Faith had grown up. Gone was the self-centered, egotistical, killer. Faith could definitely still hold her own, but she had toned down, a lot. And lately, they had been acting like friends again.

Faith broke the silence by snapping the stick of gum she had popped in her mouth. "I heard about Spike," She said. "Crazy, huh?"

"You have no idea," Buffy sighed. "It's like I wasn't totally over him being gone, but I knew he was."

"Yeah, I mean he like, burned up," Faith commented. "Was it hard to watch?" Buffy just looked at Faith. "Okay," Faith situated herself so she was facing Buffy. "You saw Spike in his final moments. What was it like?"

Buffy stared at the dark-haired girl. Strangely, she understood why she was asking. "Hard," she confessed. "I finally realized what I felt for him and it was too late."

"So why is it different this time?"

"What?"

"Okay, like, you killed Angel, right? And that was tough. But then, he came back. So it was all 'whoo-hoo my boyfriend's back'."

"Where are you going with this, Faith?"

"Chill, B, I'm getting to it." Faith said. "So, when Spike basically committed suicide, you said it was hard. So now when he's back, why is there no 'whoo-hoo-ing'?"

"There's... 'whoo'." Buffy sighed. "It's just..."

Now, everything's changed, again?" Faith supplied.

"Some. Mainly, it's, why?" Buffy said. "Why is he back? Why is he human?"

"Yeah," she snapped her gum. "I wonder why Angel didn't tell you that he was hiding him."

Buffy stared off. She didn't even think about that. "He had his reasons."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


"Wait? What do you mean 'wait'? Xander, you said we can't bring her back," Andrew said.

"I know. But now that I'm thinking about it. It doesn't sound so bad. I mean, I've never been a selfish kind of guy. So, I'm thinking I can be allowed to be selfish just once," Xander said.

"But, what you said before, about it not being fair to her. What if she did come back wrong?" Andrew asked.

"So? At least it'll be Anya, at least I'll have someone, I won't be alone," Xander pointed out. He was close to tears. "She'll be here again, with me and we'll be happy." He sniffled. "Damnit! Why can't I just move on? I don't want to forget about her, but I don't want her back, not like this."

"You will. You have all your friends to help you. You were right, the consequences are too great," Andrew comforted Xander. Xander nodded, miserably. "Good. Lilah, take her back."

"Like a said before, it's your loss, Mighty Mouse," Lilah said.

"That's fine." Andrew said. He and Xander left. They walked alone in silence.

"We don't say anything about this, right?" Xander asked.

"Right. It'll be our secret," Andrew said.

"Whatever. And Andrew?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about what I said before. You are my friend."

Andrew's eyes watered. "Oh, Xander!" He went to hug him.

"Ah," Xander put up his hand. "No, no, no. No, no, no. We are non hug-y friends."

"Oh."

"Stop skipping."

"Okay."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


"Home?" Spike asked.

"That's right, William." The voice said. "Why don't you change?" Spike saw people walking past him. All in white robes.

"Oh, I bloody don't think so. If you think I'm wearing some poofy robe, you're off your rocker," he objected.

It laughed again. "Oh William. You needn't to worry anymore. You're one of us now."

"One of who? I'd better start getting some straight answers or I'm going to start bashing heads in," Spike threatened.

"You'll have to stop the aggression, William. You're a pacifist now," the voice told him.

"Bugger all this!" He said. "I'm leaving."

"You can't leave, William. You chose to come," the voice said.

"Well, I'm starting to regret it, and I want to go now, so, leave me alone!" He stomped off. There wasn't anywhere to go. "How do you get out of 'ere?" He asked.

"You don't. William, you're an angel and angel's don't leave."

"I'm a what?"

"An angel," the voice repeated.

"I don't want to be a buggering angel, I want to go back," Spike said.

"You made a choice, William." The voice said and the fog cleared to reveal his body still lying on that gurney. Buffy was sitting next to it, talking quietly to him. Spike's entire demeanor changed when he saw her. She looked worn, but more beautiful than ever.

"I know I made a choice," he said. "But was it the right one? I just want to be with her."

"Time will tell, William. She'll come soon enough," The voice added.

"What do you mean?" Spike asked, tearing his eyes away from his love.

"Time will tell and you will see."

"You know, I'm getting real bloody tired of all this cryptic horse shit," Spike said.

"William, accept that you're no longer apart of that world. Your actions had consequences and you will have to watch. You can not interfere with what is to come."