"Geez, how many times do we have to risk our lives saving Buffy's imaginary little sister?" Xander whined.
"I don't know," Giles said. "But I, for one, am becoming rather fatigued."
"You said it," Anya said. "Tell me again why we have to put up with Her Whinyness?"
Willow sighed. "Because Buffy's our friend, and as long as she's willing to ignore the fact that Dawn's nothing more than a mystical ball of energy, WE have to pretend we care. Besides, you know Buffy would kill anyone who tried to destroy that thing."
"Ya know, I don't mind putting up with the brattiness. It's the constant getting into deadly trouble, that bugs me the most," Xander said.
"Hear hear," Giles said.
Xander opened an unmarked crate, pulled out an old bottle, rubbed it, and said facetiously, "I want to make a wish." To his great surprise, a genie appeared.
"Ya got one wish," the genie said in a bored tone. "Make it snappy."
They looked at each other, the same thought in every mind.
"Can you get rid of someone for us?" Anya said.
"I can't kill," the genie said.
"Oh," "Too bad," "Blasted shame," the group said sadly.
"But it's not really a person," Anya said. "So it wouldn't technically be considered a killing."
The genie seemed intrigued. "Explain yourself," he said. They quickly filled him in on the circumstances of Dawn's arrival, her general uselessness and irritating behavior.
"I feel your pain," the genie said. "Unfortunately, this doesn't sound like something I could handle."
"It was worth a shot," Xander said.
"Wait a minute. I have an idea!" the genie cried.
"You mean you CAN get rid of her for us?" Xander asked.
"Nah, remember the first law of thermodynamics, sport. Energy can neither be created or destroyed, it can only change form," the genie answered.
"You mean," Willow said, hope stirring in her well, not his heart.
"Yes. I can't destroy the little whiner, but I can change her form into something innocuous," the genie said.
"Bravo!" Giles cried. "We're saved! Xander, call the creature on her cell phone and invite her to tea."
"Will do," Xander said.
Within a few minutes, Dawn arrived at the store. Giving everyone a phony smile, she surreptitiously checked the shelves for items to shoplift at a later date. Giles approached, putting his hand on her shoulder, he quickly steered her away from the window into the back room where the others awaited her.
Dawn saw the genie. "What's that?" she asked.
"You'll find out in a moment," Willow said. "Did you tell Buffy you were coming here?" she asked nonchalantly.
"Huh! I don't tell her anything," Dawn said peevishly.
"Good. I mean, that's nice," Willow said. She nodded at the genie.
There was a sudden 'poof' and Dawn disappeared.
"My work here is done," the genie said before disappearing back into his bottle.
"Is it really over?" Xander asked.
"Let us hope so," Giles said.
Anya knelt on the floor near where Dawn had been standing. "Hey, look what I found," she said, picking up an oddly shaped key.
"Why, it must be Dawn," Giles said, examining the object. "The genie turned her into a key. Well done."
Xander snickered. "I wonder if she'll open up any doors," he said. He took the key from Giles. "So, what do we do with it?"
"Sell it as a souvenir item?" Anya said.
"No, that would be too crass," Giles said. "Why don't you put it in the miscellaneous drawer with all the other useless junk." Xander complied.
"We should go out and celebrate," Willow said.
"Capital idea, Willow. Drinks are on me," Giles said. The foursome left the store.
If anyone had been listening, they would have heard the faint whining voice coming from the bottom of the junk pile.
The End.