1 Author's note: I like to pace things out so this chapter is mainly
setting things up for the upcoming plot device. It also serves as a nice
introduction to Buffy's nearest and dearest who will play an important part
in the story.
2
3 Chapter 2
The early morning sun found Willow and Tara tangled in their queen-sized bed. The bed was one of many things they shared. Both were accomplished witches in their own right although Willow's use of dark magick gave her the advantage. Tara was becoming increasingly concerned about her lover's nonchalant attitude when summoning powerful forces. It was only a matter of time before Willow met with something she could not control.
But differences aside, Willow and Tara had a strongly committed relationship. It had been a long and arduous road but at the end it had been worth it. The two women had finally found in one another exactly what they had been looking for. We should all be so lucky.
Miss Kitty Fantastico, the couple's cat, decided that her mistresses had slept long enough and meowed loudly. Tara was instantly awake and sent the cat a reproachful look. MKF was unfazed and jumped on her chest. Won over by the cat's antics, Tara merely smiled as Willow stirred.
The first kiss of the day was as sweet as ever. Amidst kitten purrs and gentle teasing the two witches greeted the brand new morning.
"Did you sleep well?
"Yep. Did you?"
"Like a baby. I don't know what you do to me Miss MacClay but it always wears me out"
Tara responded with playful nipping as Willow eyes glowed with awakening arousal. Even after all this time, the desire had not gone from the relationship. Every time was still the first time.
An hour later Tara made pancakes while Willow finished her shower. It was Sunday so they did not have to worry about keeping their schedules. They purposefully avoided making plans for this day instead opting to wait for where it would take them. If it took them nowhere that was fine as long as they were together.
Willow entered the kitchen just as Tara was setting the table. The fluffy (if misshapen pancakes) were divided into two plates. Willow retrieved the maple syrup from a nearby shelf and both witches sat down to breakfast.
Willow was tackling her third pancake when the phone rang. She swallowed and went to the next room to pick it up. A few moments later she was back.
Tara sipped some orange juice and gave her girlfriend an inquisitive look.
"That was Giles. He says that he has covered some prophecy that is directly linked to Buffy and was us to do some research to see if its viable"
" A prophecy about Buffy? Did he say what its about?"
"No. He didn't want to go into it on the phone. I told him that we will be there in half an hour"
Tara nodded her agreement and both girls set out to finish their breakfast.
****
At the same time the future Mrs. Alexander Harris was getting ready to start another workday. As her wedding grew closer she was considering closing the Magic Box on Sundays to give herself more time for preparations but her capitalistic spirit would not let her do that. She compromised by only working for a few hours. Xander had urged her to hire an assistant but she could not find someone who would work as hard as she did. She did not know if her work ethic came from having been an dedicated vengeance demon or if it was something that came from her newly acquired human condition. Whatever it was it served her well.
Xander had been less than forthcoming to his friends about his fiancée's background. He explained to her that even though he knew that Buffy, Willow and Tara would be supportive, they might inadvertently reveal it to those that would not. Sunnydale was an Initiative controlled town and even Xander's position would not protect Anya if her origins were exposed. Anya agreed half-heartedly and went along with Xander's deception. To their friends and acquaintances Anya Jenkins was an overzealous shopkeeper who had spent many years away from the US and had acquired an interesting set of customs and behaviors.
In truth, Xander had met Anyaka the vengeance demon while he was still stationed in a remote part of Brazil. Many demons had opted to flee to the more remote areas as the web of the Initiative had spread to most urban areas of the planet. Xander's team had been given the task of destroying as many demons as possible while keeping an eye out for any new species that they might come into contact with.
The young Sunnydale native was assigned to investigate a series of strange occurrences in a tiny village. With the help of a Portuguese translator he learned that an alarming number of men had met with horrible afflictions that were so varied that could not be considered viral in nature. Xander spoke to the victims' families only to learn that they had done someone (usually their wives or girlfriends) some wrong just before they were affected. It didn't take Xander much to make a connection and with the help of a local Shaman he summoned the vengeance demon responsible. He was shocked to learn that it was not a horrible demonic creature but rather an attractive young woman who instantly sparked his interest. Their first meeting did not go very well as Anyanka refused to back down and her invulnerability made it impossible for Xander to capture her. Afterwards, Xander would note that no more men came down with the mysterious illnesses following his initial contact with Anyanka. He was just about to file his monthly report when the vengeance demon appeared before him. He had not summoned her so he was surprised to say the least. After gathering a few facts from her they settled into a conversation. It soon became a routine with Anyanka appearing at least once a week just to "talk". Then the meetings suddenly stopped and he could only guess that she had moved to more fertile grounds. He discovered that he missed her presence. In a short time she had become an important part of his life.
Months later Xander entered his tent in the Initiative camp only to find Anyanka lying in his army cot. She started crying as soon as she saw him and between sobs revealed that a vengeance wish had turned against her and she was now human. She had come to him in hopes that he could help her regain her powers. Xander had avoided making any promises but had offered his help in dealing with her newfound situation.
He did help her adjust to life as a human woman. He applied for permanent housing and obtained a tiny but comfortable house in a nearby village. Anya moved in with him and they lived as friends for awhile until the ex- vengeance demon decided to take things a step further. They relationship evolved and thrived. One day after a particular difficult mission, Xander returned to his home and asked Anya to marry him. After an initial reluctance she agreed and they decided to settle in Sunnydale.
Returning to his hometown had been a difficult step but having Anya by his side had made things better. He sometimes had trouble believing of the direction his life but taken but knowing that he had found his soul mate was worth it. That was the reason why he supported Buffy when she wanted to save Spike from being terminated by the Initiative. He understood loving someone that was threatened because what they were. He knew that if it ever came down to the wire he would do anything to protect Anya from the Initiative.
TBC.
2
3 Chapter 2
The early morning sun found Willow and Tara tangled in their queen-sized bed. The bed was one of many things they shared. Both were accomplished witches in their own right although Willow's use of dark magick gave her the advantage. Tara was becoming increasingly concerned about her lover's nonchalant attitude when summoning powerful forces. It was only a matter of time before Willow met with something she could not control.
But differences aside, Willow and Tara had a strongly committed relationship. It had been a long and arduous road but at the end it had been worth it. The two women had finally found in one another exactly what they had been looking for. We should all be so lucky.
Miss Kitty Fantastico, the couple's cat, decided that her mistresses had slept long enough and meowed loudly. Tara was instantly awake and sent the cat a reproachful look. MKF was unfazed and jumped on her chest. Won over by the cat's antics, Tara merely smiled as Willow stirred.
The first kiss of the day was as sweet as ever. Amidst kitten purrs and gentle teasing the two witches greeted the brand new morning.
"Did you sleep well?
"Yep. Did you?"
"Like a baby. I don't know what you do to me Miss MacClay but it always wears me out"
Tara responded with playful nipping as Willow eyes glowed with awakening arousal. Even after all this time, the desire had not gone from the relationship. Every time was still the first time.
An hour later Tara made pancakes while Willow finished her shower. It was Sunday so they did not have to worry about keeping their schedules. They purposefully avoided making plans for this day instead opting to wait for where it would take them. If it took them nowhere that was fine as long as they were together.
Willow entered the kitchen just as Tara was setting the table. The fluffy (if misshapen pancakes) were divided into two plates. Willow retrieved the maple syrup from a nearby shelf and both witches sat down to breakfast.
Willow was tackling her third pancake when the phone rang. She swallowed and went to the next room to pick it up. A few moments later she was back.
Tara sipped some orange juice and gave her girlfriend an inquisitive look.
"That was Giles. He says that he has covered some prophecy that is directly linked to Buffy and was us to do some research to see if its viable"
" A prophecy about Buffy? Did he say what its about?"
"No. He didn't want to go into it on the phone. I told him that we will be there in half an hour"
Tara nodded her agreement and both girls set out to finish their breakfast.
****
At the same time the future Mrs. Alexander Harris was getting ready to start another workday. As her wedding grew closer she was considering closing the Magic Box on Sundays to give herself more time for preparations but her capitalistic spirit would not let her do that. She compromised by only working for a few hours. Xander had urged her to hire an assistant but she could not find someone who would work as hard as she did. She did not know if her work ethic came from having been an dedicated vengeance demon or if it was something that came from her newly acquired human condition. Whatever it was it served her well.
Xander had been less than forthcoming to his friends about his fiancée's background. He explained to her that even though he knew that Buffy, Willow and Tara would be supportive, they might inadvertently reveal it to those that would not. Sunnydale was an Initiative controlled town and even Xander's position would not protect Anya if her origins were exposed. Anya agreed half-heartedly and went along with Xander's deception. To their friends and acquaintances Anya Jenkins was an overzealous shopkeeper who had spent many years away from the US and had acquired an interesting set of customs and behaviors.
In truth, Xander had met Anyaka the vengeance demon while he was still stationed in a remote part of Brazil. Many demons had opted to flee to the more remote areas as the web of the Initiative had spread to most urban areas of the planet. Xander's team had been given the task of destroying as many demons as possible while keeping an eye out for any new species that they might come into contact with.
The young Sunnydale native was assigned to investigate a series of strange occurrences in a tiny village. With the help of a Portuguese translator he learned that an alarming number of men had met with horrible afflictions that were so varied that could not be considered viral in nature. Xander spoke to the victims' families only to learn that they had done someone (usually their wives or girlfriends) some wrong just before they were affected. It didn't take Xander much to make a connection and with the help of a local Shaman he summoned the vengeance demon responsible. He was shocked to learn that it was not a horrible demonic creature but rather an attractive young woman who instantly sparked his interest. Their first meeting did not go very well as Anyanka refused to back down and her invulnerability made it impossible for Xander to capture her. Afterwards, Xander would note that no more men came down with the mysterious illnesses following his initial contact with Anyanka. He was just about to file his monthly report when the vengeance demon appeared before him. He had not summoned her so he was surprised to say the least. After gathering a few facts from her they settled into a conversation. It soon became a routine with Anyanka appearing at least once a week just to "talk". Then the meetings suddenly stopped and he could only guess that she had moved to more fertile grounds. He discovered that he missed her presence. In a short time she had become an important part of his life.
Months later Xander entered his tent in the Initiative camp only to find Anyanka lying in his army cot. She started crying as soon as she saw him and between sobs revealed that a vengeance wish had turned against her and she was now human. She had come to him in hopes that he could help her regain her powers. Xander had avoided making any promises but had offered his help in dealing with her newfound situation.
He did help her adjust to life as a human woman. He applied for permanent housing and obtained a tiny but comfortable house in a nearby village. Anya moved in with him and they lived as friends for awhile until the ex- vengeance demon decided to take things a step further. They relationship evolved and thrived. One day after a particular difficult mission, Xander returned to his home and asked Anya to marry him. After an initial reluctance she agreed and they decided to settle in Sunnydale.
Returning to his hometown had been a difficult step but having Anya by his side had made things better. He sometimes had trouble believing of the direction his life but taken but knowing that he had found his soul mate was worth it. That was the reason why he supported Buffy when she wanted to save Spike from being terminated by the Initiative. He understood loving someone that was threatened because what they were. He knew that if it ever came down to the wire he would do anything to protect Anya from the Initiative.
TBC.