Best Served Cold

by malcolm lake

Set in Season 4 after “Something Blue.” One way things could have taken gone before the changes in “Hush.” D’Hoffryn doesn’t give up on Willow. He uses Anya and Spike to bring the redhead into the vengeance demon fold. WX

Best Served Cold

Set in Season 4 after "Something Blue." One way things could have taken gone before the changes in "Hush." D'Hoffryn doesn't give up on Willow. He uses Anya and Spike to bring the redhead into the vengeance demon fold.

Chapter 1

The demon D'Hoffryn used his powers to watch as Willow Rosenberg apologized to her friends in Giles' apartment. She was sorry that her "Will be done" spell had blinded Giles, caused Xander to become a true "demon magnet" and ended up with Buffy engaged to Spike of all people.

"It's okay, Willow," Xander reassured the witch. "It was one mistake. Everybody is still alive, we'll be fine tomorrow. Let's face it, you still have about a hundred screw ups before you reach my level."

Willow smiled at her oldest friend. No matter how bad things were, Xander would always look out for her.

"Well I for one don't forgive her," Spike grumbled. The vampire was tied to a chair. I ain't done a thing to the bleedin' witch. Why did I get stuck with a slayer welded to my mouth?"

Xander had endured quite enough from Spike. "Spike, you say one more word to Willow and I'll use your dust to fertilize the palm trees outside."

Anya was not pleased with her boyfriend. "If you are quite finished threatening the impotent vampire for being angry with the witch who almost got us killed, I'd like to go home."

Xander winced at Anya's words, shrugged his shoulders to Buffy and Willow, and left with the former demon.

D'Hoffryn turned away. It disgusted him to see Willow's rage and power wasted. It also angered him that his generous offer to make the young witch a vengeance demon had been spurned. One should not lightly refuse an offer from the mighty D'Hoffryn.

The ancient demon was further angered when he saw that his banished child, Anyanka, was wasting her few mortal years as a consort to a common laborer, Alexander Harris. Before, she had been one of his favorites, bringing pain and death to betrayers for a thousand years. But she had failed the demon king when she was summoned to deal with the disloyalty of the man she now followed along like a puppy. She was now called "Anya." It was fitting, D'Hoffryn grumbled. Her name, like her life, was contracting.

With a wave of his hand, D'Hoffryn ran time backwards. He watched the life of young Rosenberg as it unfolded. He was looking for the things that were most precious to her; things that, if lost, would hurt the most. There was nothing about her family that qualified. Initially, D'Hoffryn thought of killing the witch's roommate. But Buffy Summers was a vampire slayer and a formidable enemy. Many powerful demons had tried and failed to destroy her. No, there had to be an easier way.

Suddenly, the demon came upon his answer. Destroy Alexander Harris! The teen was the witch's oldest friend. The two had been involved in the affair that initially summoned Anyanka to Sunnydale. The more D'Hoffryn thought of the idea, the better it sounded. In fact, he could use Anyanka. He knew that his former disciple would be sorely tempted if offered her powers again. With the proper preparations, he would have a bloodbath. And to vengeance demons, preparation was everything.

First, D'Hoffryn needed an ally. He returned the time stream to normal and watched as Rosenberg handed out cookies to the others. Cookies! It was almost too painful to watch. Given time, the demon was sure the witch would start knitting sweaters for the pitiful humans. This young woman who had the potential to break the souls of heroes and bring tears to the eyes of the heartless was acting like a little lamb.

But wait, there was a being tinged with darkness in the room as well. The vampire called "William the Bloody," tied down like a broken pony. "Lambs and ponies," chuckled the demon to himself. "I need to bring my similes into a more modern context."

Still, D'Hoffryn knew that the vampire could be a valuable ally. Normally demons shunned vampires as merely human cattle liberated from the confines of their souls. But the demon king had recruited humans for millennia, and was convinced of their capacity for evil. He could bargain with William. Once the vampire was in place, he could bring his own resources to bear.

When the others had left and Rupert Giles was asleep, D'Hoffryn teleported to the Sunnydale apartment in front of the vampire, who was still tied to a chair in the living room.

"Oi," William the Bloody, also known as Spike, gasped. "I thought the bloody watcher had it where demons couldn't just pop in whenever they pleased."

He was answered with a whisper. "I am D'Hoffryn, king of the vengeance demons. It takes more than a simple barrier spell to impede me. I advise you to speak quietly, young William. I have matters to discuss that may interest you. Private matters."

"All that matters to me is getting this bloody chip out of my head so I can go back to enjoying my unlife," replied the vampire in a lowered voice.

D'Hoffryn smiled. He sat on the couch and turned to face the vampire. "William, I…"

"Please, call me Spike,"

"My apologies," replied the demon, politely. "Spike, I think I can state, categorically that removing the electronic device that prevents you from killing humans is within the sphere of negotiation."

Spike looked at the demon. Spike was a vicious killer, but he was also cautious. That was one of the reasons he had avoided destruction for over a hundred years. This creature was going to ask him for something, and that something might get him killed. Again. Still, it did no harm to hear the demon out.

"I'm listening. Why are you here?"

"Excellent," replied D'Hoffryn. "You recall the recent unpleasantness regarding your engagement to the young slayer."

Spike cringed, "Yeah, I still taste slayer, and not in the good way, either."

"You recall that the cause of your…condition was the young witch,"

"Yeah, right after I kill the slayer and that ponce of a watcher I'm draining her like a pint. Well, maybe after I feed that whelp Harris to a pack of werewolves."

"Interesting that you mention Harris, this concerns him as well."

"Sounds like you have it in for the Scooby gang."

The demon paled at the pop culture reference. He disliked television. Except for the Seventh Heaven, the medium's potential as a means of torture was sadly underutilized.

"I have a plan for the witch. I want her to join me. She has the potential to be a gifted vengeance demon. She only lacks the proper incentive."

"And that's were the whelp comes in." Spike guessed.

"Exactly."

"Oh, I get it. I kill Xander, suddenly I have a slayer and a newly fledged vengeance demon trying to make me all dusty. No thank you."

"Please, Spike. Do me the courtesy of hearing me out. I am certain that neither the slayer nor the witch would blame you for what I am proposing. Oh no, I have a much more worthy target for young Willow's anger. All I will ask you to do is make a wish. One wish at the proper time, and I will destroy the chip without harming you. When you make the wish, Buffy will be not able to blame you. It was just an idle statement. Clearly, you would have meant no harm."

Spike grinned. "So, let me get this straight. I make a wish. Xander gets himself turned into a crisp, and I end up with no chip and a slayer with no friends."

"That is how I see things taking place," D'Hoffryn agreed.

"So, tell me about this wish," Spike said as he leaned back into his chair.

Chapter 2

Once the cooperation of Spike was ensured, D'Hoffryn returned to his palace. Vengeance may be a wasted emotion, but it had made him rich. Each broken soul added to his power, each wish was a little prayer to him. In his realm, prayers were the ultimate currency. Willow Rosenberg would soon be contributing to his coffers.

The demon king entered his throne room. The walls were lined with eleven beautiful, female figures. They were statues of his disciples. One broken statue represented the disgraced Anyanka. All of the statures and the demon's throne were made of obsidian. The black, volcanic glass had been sculpted by a 6-armed demon using the smallest of chisels so that no fractures were visible. Into each went the soul of his charge. The statue of Willow would be beautiful.

D'Hoffryn sat on his throne and focused his will on the statue of the vengeance demon Halfrek. Instantly she appeared before him. She was one of D'Hoffryn's newest disciples and was charged with avenging the pain of children.

Halfrek bowed before her master. She expected to be treated to one of her king's indulgent smiles as a reward for her hard work. That was the normal protocol. D'Hoffryn may be a demon, but he gave and expected courtesy whenever possible.

The demon king stared at his child with a serious look on his face. "I fear that you have been negligent in your duties, young demon."

Halfrek bowed again. If she had failed, her life was forfeit. In this, D'Hoffryn was clear. Only Anyanka, his favorite, hadbeen allowed to draw breath after an unsuccessful assignment. That is, if one counted mortal breaths.

"To the best of my knowledge, I have completed every assignment," Halfrek said as she looked at the demon king. "I have left hundreds of negligent parents begging in vain for mercy. Their howls of pain can still be felt in your chambers. How have I failed you?"

"There was a boy, now grown to man" D'Hoffryn said. "Look and see what his parents did to him." With a wave of his hand, the young life of Xander Harris played out in front of the vengeance demon. She saw everything.

"My lord," Halfrek said. "The boy never called upon me."

"Did you ever appear before him to give him the opportunity to access the power of the wish?"

"No, my lord."

"Do you offer any excuse?"

"No."

"Good," D'Hoffryn replied. "You have not completely disappointed me. I will give you one chance to make amends."

"Anything, my lord."

"I want you to appear before the father in your true form. You are not allowed to touch him in any way, but I will hear his cries. When his heart bursts and his tongue is swallowed you will have my forgiveness. You have one hour."

"Yes, my lord." With that, the demon Halfrek transported to Sunnydale. Fortunately for her, Tony Harris was alone in his house. He was drinking a beer, which was his normal breakfast routine. He tried to avoid the hard stuff until lunchtime.

At first, the man was frightened by the sudden appearance of the vein-faced demon. However, rage soon replaced anger. Halfrek remembered her king's conditions. There must be no marks on the body. She looked into the mind of Tony Harris and saw his greatest fear. She immediately became that fear incarnate. Tony Harris looked up and saw his only son. Xander had grown to 10 feet high. His eyes were red and his mouth was spraying blood. In the boy's right hand was a whip, in his left a burning brand. Halfrek coiled the whip, and Tony Harris let out his last breath. The vengeance demon was disappointed that the man had died without even a whimper. He just tumbled from his chair and was introduced to the world's truths.

Chapter 3

Xander's mother could not find her son. That afternoon, she called the Summers' residence, and Joyce gave her Buffy and Willow's campus number.

Willow picked up the phone, expecting that it was Giles. She had told him she would detail his car as an apology for temporarily blinding him, but couldn't he wait until the weekend like a civilized person?

"Is this Willow?"

"Oh, hi Mrs. Harris," Willow replied. Xander's not here right now. How are you?"

"Uh, Willow, I need to find Xander. It's his father. He died. It was his heart. I don't know where Xander is and…"

Willow's mouth was open, but she couldn't speak.

"I need to find him and I didn't have the number of your dorm. Buffy's mom said that you two were rooming together. I guess I should have known that you would be in college. You were always so smart. Anyway, do you know where he is?"

Willow managed to find her voice as Buffy entered the dorm room. "I saw him last night, Mrs. Harris. I'll try to find him and let him know. Will you be at home?"

Buffy tried to piece together the conversation from the bits she was hearing. Apparently Xander's mom needed to find him. It was probably something about a job.

Willow hung up the phone, sat on her bed, and turned to her friend.

"Let me guess," the slayer said. "Xander has an offer for a job selling demon-be-gone door to door."

"What? No." Willow mumbled. She didn't know how she would be able to tell this to Buffy, let alone Xander. "Oh my God!" Willow thought. "I just told Xander's mom that I would let him know that his dad was dead. I can't do this!"

"Willow, you're scaring me. Did something happen to Xander."

When Willow didn't answer, Buffy moved over and sat on the young witch's bed. She took the redheads arm and asked softly, "Please, tell me what's wrong, Will."

Finally, Willow answered. "Xander's father died. Apparently it was a coronary. Mrs. Harris called me because she doesn't know where Xander is. I said that I would find him and tell him. I can't tell him. It's too big. I can't do it. You can't just tell someone that their father dropped dead of a heart attack. I mean I've been moping around here for weeks because of Oz and telling him he doesn't understand my pain and suddenly I have to tell him his dad is dead. Did I wish him dead? Xander's going to think this is part of my Will be done thing. He's going to hate me. It's all…"

Buffy grabbed her friend firmly by the shoulders and tried to shake her as gently as possible. "Earth to Willow, this is not your fault." Willow stopped talking.

The slayer pulled Willow into a hug. "Will, you know that Xander's dad was a heavy drinker who wasn't in very good shape. These things happen. He's not going to blame you." She pulled back and looked into her best friend's eyes. "But Will, we are going to have to be there for him. Like he was there for me at the start of the semester."

Willow had started to cry. "Like he tried to be there for me when Oz left. Like I haven't been there for him for a while. You're right. We have to support him.

"I'm going to call my mom," Buffy said. "She needs to know this, too."

"Mrs. Harris said that she got our number from Joyce, but I don't know if she told her or not. Do you have Anya's number?"

Buffy shook her head as she got up and dialed her home number. "I haven't asked and she hasn't offered. I thought you had it."

"No, ever since that episode with the vampire version of me, I've had no reason to talk to her. I can't believe Xander would date a former demon. She's just going to use him, like all the other demons did."

"And Faith," Buffy added. "Let's not forget that slut. Oh, hi mom. Sorry. Yeah, Willow just spoke with Xander's mom…" Willow listened to Buffy's part of the conversation.

"I know, it's about his dad," the Slayer said to her mom. "He died of a heart attack…No, Xander doesn't know. Willow is going to try to find him…Yeah, maybe we can stay over Friday night. Can Willow sleep over? I know I don't have to ask…I'm trying to be polite…I'll tell him. I love you, mom. Bye."

"Okay, mom thought we might want to invite Xander to dinner Friday. I don't think the dorms are good for the grieving process. Mom will cook and we can have Xander and Giles over." Buffy looked at her friend. "And you really aren't listening, are you?"

"Huh?" Willow asked. "Oh, sorry. I just… I mean it's so hard to accept. I know that we see people killed everyday. But when it's a parent. Even if they aren't…I mean it's still gonna be hard to deal with."

"How do you think he'll react?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know. I should know. I mean, I'm his best friend since, like, forever. I should know this. Why don't I know this?" Willow moaned.

"Willow, chill. This isn't like you're taking some friend test where there is a right and a wrong answer and if you score less than 10 points you're an insensitive bitch. I mean, we're talking about Xander. He might react badly for a minute or two, but he can take anything."

Willow tried to pull herself together. Finally, she and Buffy decided to walk over to Giles' apartment. As they left the UC Sunnydale campus, they saw Xander on the other side of the road. He had not noticed the pair. Willow started to run to her friend, only to be caught by Buffy.

"Let's cross at the intersection, Will," she said, pointing to the traffic.

Chapter 4

Buffy and Willow were able to cross the road without Xander noticing. This offered the opportunity for both young women to really look at their male friend. Buffy cringed when she noticed how closely Xander resembled Parker, the boy who pretended to want a relationship right up to the point where she slept with him. She wondered what would have happened if Parker and Xander had met. Would they have noticed the similarity?

For Willow, it was the first time that she had really looked at her best friend since that night in the abandoned factory. After that day, she only allowed herself to look at Xander out of the corner of her eye. No full-on stares. That was one way she tried to show her loyalty to Oz. She tried to show loyalty to a guy who slept with a furball. Okay, she was still feeling a little bitter about that.

Xander was walking slowly. He was dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. It appeared that he was heading toward Giles' place as well. As Buffy and Willow approached Xander from behind, they both stopped and looked at each other. Should they wait until they reached the watcher's apartment or go ahead and tell him on the street? They silently agreed.

Willow remained standing, and Buffy called out, "Hey, Xander."

"Okay," Willow thought. "Telepathy, so not our thing."

Xander Harris turned and saw his two best friends. "Hey guys. I didn't expect to see you so far from campus on a party night."

Buffy smiled. "It's Thursday, Xander. You know the best parties are on Wednesday."

"Oh yes, the first day of the college weekend," Xander replied.

Willow walked up to Xander.

"Hey," the redhead said to her oldest friend. "We need to talk."

"I'm just heading over to Watcherland. We can do it there," Xander said with a smile.

"We wanted to tell you alone," Buffy said.

The smile left Xander's face. This was clearly serious. "What's wrong? Did something happen to you?" His face had turned to Willow.

Some small part of her was glad that Xander had looked at her rather than Buffy. She knew it was silly, but in spite of everything, Willow felt some competition with Buffy when it came to their male friend. She was the one who had the crush on Xander while the teen was pining for the slayer. Some small part of her still wondered what might have been if they lived in a monster-free world with no Buffy Summers.

Of course, this also made it even more apparent that she would have to be the one to tell Xander of his father's death. She was closer to him than…

"Xander," Buffy said. "It's your dad, he had a heart attack."

Willow turned to Buffy.

Xander asked, "Is he in the hospital? Do I need…"

"No," the blonde answered. "He died." She drew the brown haired teen into a hug and said gently, "I am so sorry."

Xander seemed to lose control over his legs, but the slayer easily supported his weight. She saw that there was a bench nearby and led him over to it. Willow followed.

"It's okay, I'm here for you," Buffy said to her friend. "Whatever you need. My mom asked if you could come over tomorrow for dinner. Willow will be there, maybe Giles. We just want you to know how important you are to us. We all love you."

Buffy had just told Xander everything that Willow wanted to say to her friend. The witch knew that it was small and petty, but Xander was hers. It was her responsibility to tell him and Buffy had butted in. Now she was on the outside of a two-person hug, and there was nothing that she could do but wait.

At first, Xander just held Buffy. The slayer gently rocked him and kept softly repeating that she was sorry, that she loved him, and that he could call her, night or day.

"It's weird," Xander finally said. He wasn't crying. Willow guessed that would come in time. For the moment, he was trying to deal with the shock. "Part of me is sad and another part is saying that I should be glad the bastard is dead. He shouldn't have the power to hurt me anymore, but he does. He was my father and I'm sad that he's gone."

This was as honest as Xander could be about his family. Buffy and Willow had both noticed the bruises after a weekend away from patrols. They knew that it wasn't normal for guys to sleep outside at Christmas, even in California.

The two teens broke their hug. Buffy kissed Xander on the cheek, and he kissed her forehead. He looked up at Willow, and she held out her hand to her friend. He took her hand, kissed it and tried to smile at the redhead.

There was no room next to Xander on the bench, but Willow had to be close to him. She sat on his lap and hugged her friend. The witch wanted to think of something to say that Buffy hadn't already, but nothing came to mind. Finally, she just whispered into his ear, "I love you so much."

"I love you, Will. I don't know what I'd do without you." Xander looked over to Buffy. "That goes for you, too Buff."

Buffy smiled at her friend. She knew that it was best to do this away from Giles. Her watcher was brilliant, but he wasn't good at the "touchy-feely" stuff. Not only that, but she had saved Willow the pain of having to tell everything to Xander. That was definitely Buffy's good deed for the day.

Chapter 5

After a brief visit with Giles, Xander went to see Anya. The former demon greeted her lover with a kiss, and began to take off his shirt.

"An," Xander said as he removed her hands from his buttons. "I have something to tell you."

Anya looked at him, expectantly. "Are you providing me with gifts so that I may have greater incentive to please you?"

Xander sighed and shook his head. Why was it always so hard with her? "No, sorry. It's my dad. He died today of a heart attack."

"I see. Are you receiving an inheritance of some kind? Perhaps stocks?"

"No Anya. My mom is still alive. There will be no inheritance until both parents are gone. I think that's how it works."

"So there are no gifts? Do you wish to have dinner before we have sex?" She began to remove her skirt.

"No," Xander said, loudly. He tried to control himself. It would do no good to lose his temper with Anya. "Look, I know you don't understand, but I'm sad. I just want to hold you and go to sleep. Can we just do that?"

Anya did not understand Xander's emotional state, but she cared for him and wanted to comfort him. They laid on Anya's bed and within a few minutes Xander was asleep, overwhelmed by the emotions of the day.

The former vengeance demon remained awake. She was glad that she had been able to help Xander, but she was still hungry and wanted to have sex. Maybe Xander would wake up soon.

As he watched the scene, D'Hoffryn smiled. The boy was asleep with Anya lying beside him. This was perfect. It was something that he couldn't arrange by himself, so he was especially happy to see it happen.

Even demons had to live with rules and limitations. D'Hoffryn couldn't create a dream for Xander, but he could manipulate the boy's memories so that it seemed like a dream. After running along Xander's timeline, he found a suitable scene. He let the boy recall the instant he had encountered vampire Willow at the Bronze.

When the vampirepinched his behind, Xander cried out, "Hands in strange places."

Anya smiled. Xander was having a dream. Apparently one in which she was finding new ways to please him. Perhaps he would demonstrate on her when he woke up.

When the Vampire showed her true face to the teen, Xander cried, "Willow."

At the mention of the witch's name, Anya's jaw dropped. That cheat! He was dreaming of her. She knew that it was just a matter of time before Willow tried to steal Xander from her. Especially since the witch had been unable to keep her former lover faithful.

Anya got out of bed and went to the bathroom. Xander had trouble awakening from his sleep. He remembered that something had frightened him and noticed that he was alone in Anya's bed. He hoped that he hadn't elbowed her in his sleep.

Chapter 6

Tony Harris was cremated Friday morning. After a brief, poorly attended memorial service, the gang met at the Summers' house for dinner. Giles brought Spike because he didn't want to leave the William the Bloody alone in his apartment. While the vampire dined on pig's blood, the rest of the gang had roast beef, potatoes, and homemade bread.

As Spike drank his blood, he wondered if the whelp's dad dying was part of D'Hoffryn's plan or just some cosmic coincidence. The more he thought about it, the less he thought that Tony's death was the result of some karmic dice roll.

Xander thanked Joyce several times for cooking, but otherwise he said little during the meal. Everyone except Anya was willing to be quiet. The former vengeance demon, however, was full of questions and worries. At least she could voice her questions; about the lack of a body, the few mourners, and the absence of ritual offerings.

But it was the worries swirling through Anya's mind that consumed her. She had killed thousands of men (and more than a few women) during her career. But now that she was mortal again, seeing death close up was especially jarring. Normally she was on to her next job by the time the funeral took place. Having to watch Xander's mother cry, listening to the sad voices, seeing the cheap urn that housed the ashes, even the smell of the funeral director's strong cologne; it was all so strange. And it kept occurring to her that one day it would be her funeral.

What would happen when she was old and broken? Would anyone grieve? Would Xander and Willow bring their five children to the funeral? Would Buffy and Spike tell stories about how all she wanted was money and sex? Would they insist on that awful music? What would she leave behind other than an extravagantly designed tombstone?

Anya asked Xander to pass the bread. She felt a need for comforting carbohydrates. Xander didn't hear her.

"Xander, I asked you to pass the bread." She said again, loudly.

Xander looked over at Anya and apologized. "I'm sorry, An. I guess I just spaced out for a minute. Here you go." He passed the bread and butter and forced a smile.

Anya knew the last few days had been hard on the teen. She had thought he was weak and easily led. He had certainly been easy enough to seduce. But seeing him struggle with his pain while trying so hard to make sure she was okay and taking the time to explain the process to her had changed something for Anya. It gave her the first indication of the teen's ability to love. Watching him with Buffy's mother and the watcher, she could see how he tried to make them feel at ease; to let them know their efforts were appreciated. And when Xander hugged Willow and Buffy, it made the former vengeance demon very uneasy. There were so many strong emotions between the three.

That was when Anya first realized how much Xander meant to her. It was at a dining room table surrounded by friends of Xander who didn't like her. She wanted to pull him outside and tell him what she was feeling. Instead, she looked at the bread and butter and said, "Thank you. You're a kind man. That's part of the reason I like you so much."

Joyce smiled at the former vengeance demon.

"That and the many orgasms you have given me."

Joyce's smile faded a little.

"Uh, yes," Giles said, desperately trying to change the subject. "So, Xander, the man who was sitting to the left of your mother during the service was your Uncle Rory?"

"Yeah," Xander replied. "He's my favorite relative. Not that there was a lot of competition. My dad didn't get along with my mom's side of the family. I wasn't surprised that they didn't show for the funeral." Xander was so distracted he picked up the bread and butter and offered them to Spike, who politely declined.

Anya added, "Frankly, given all that you went through, I'm amazed that you attended."

"What do you mean," Joyce blurted out before she could stop herself.

Anya continued, conversationally. "Before I visited Cordelia as a vengeance demon, I reviewed the lives of everyone involved. Believe me, Xander's childhood could have been made into a very profitable horror movie."

That comment attracted even Spike's attention. He could tell things were about to get decidedly unpleasant. The thought cheered him immensely.

Xander looked in shock at the former demon. "You knew?" The question was echoed by Buffy and Willow.

"Of course I did. I've always been very serious about my work. I had to be sure you deserved the curse."

"How could you date Xander and not do anything about his father?" Willow cried out.

Anya tried to explain. "I thought you understood. I was the patron of wronged women. I didn't have authority over child issues. There are other demons for that. We have a very defined set of responsibilities. That is essential for any good organization."

The only times Xander had seen Willow this angry, he was the target, so he knew that he needed to get Anya out of the room. But he was too late.

"You heartless, demon bitch! How could you let him suffer and do nothing?"

Anya was beginning to get angry as well. She spun out of Xander's arms and faced the young witch. "You think I'm at fault. I'm not the one who knew him since he was a mewling infant and never bothered to ask about the bruises and torn clothing. What did you do?" She then turned her attention to the Slayer. "And you? You tell us over and over again about finding Ethan Rayne hiding in a box but you can't detect cigarette burns on skin? So I'm guessing you have great hearing but lousy sense of smell."

Buffy and Willow started to yell back at Anya when Xander interrupted, "That's enough! If I wanted a fight I would go back to my parent's house." When he realized what he had said, he was unable to continue. He did what he always did when life became too confusing for him. He looked to his best friend.

Willow was by his side in an instant. "Come on," she said as she led Xander from the table. Rather than risk Sunnydale's nightlife, she took him into the living room.

"I'm sorry Will," Xander said. "I didn't mean to ruin everything. Joyce went to so much trouble to cook, and all I do is cause trouble. I don't know what I've done to deserve you guys in my life."

Willow looked into the eyes of her best friend and saw that the tears were finally coming. She knew Xander would only be this vulnerable around her. Whatever had happened between the two of them, and despite Buffy and boyfriends and girlfriends, they were still connected at the deepest parts of their souls. The thought made her cry as well.

They didn't need to speak. No endearments or words of comfort were necessary. They communicated by the way they held each other, the way their patterns of breathing matched, by simply looking in each other's eyes. Questions were asked and answered. Promises were made.

Buffy looked on at the pair from the hallway. She didn't intrude on their moment. She didn't feel that she had the right. As she watched, she remembered when she had shared that kind of intimacy with Angel. She wondered if her new boyfriend, Riley, would be that open with her. He seemed sincere and normal, which was nice. Emotionally, however, he seemed muted. She began to have some doubts about the Iowa TA.

Anya walked behind Buffy and saw the two teens on the couch as well. To her, the sight of the couple on the couch was just more evidence that her relationship with Xander was impossible. She should have known better than to try to love a mortal man. She turned and left by the kitchen door. Buffy hadn't even noticed the former demon, and Joyce and Giles didn't try to stop her from leaving.

To Spike, it seemed like he was getting closer to having his chip removed.

Chapter 7

Anya was crying as she reached her apartment. Damn Xander Harris! Damn his friends! Damn his ability to hurt her and seem noble all at the same time.

She failed to notice that she was not alone.

"What is wrong, Anyanka?" asked D'Hoffryn. "It pains me to see you like this."

Anya turned to her former master. "Why are you here, my lord?" She asked as she bowed.

The demon king answered, "I thought I might reconsider the circumstances of your exile. From your current condition, I can guess that you have encountered some of the pains associated with mortality."

"Only the warning signs, so far," Anya said as she wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

"So you think it only a matter of time before you may need my services?"

Anya hesitated. She knew that Xander was a good man. Despite what he had done to Cordelia, he tried hard to protect those he cared about. She knew he would never knowingly do anything to hurt her. "I don't think I can keep Xander, but I won't ask for vengeance. I think that I waited too long. By the time I understood what I was feeling, another person had claimed him."

"Anyanka, you have become quite the philosopher. You seem content with your mortal existence. You are willing to age and die alone?"

Anya was puzzled. "Are you saying that I have a choice?"

D'Hoffryn smiled but knew he couldn't overplay his hand. "I think you have learned from your exile. You are more valuable to me now. I wish to secure another disciple."

"I know. You offered Willow a job."

The demon king was hoping Anyanka would mention the witch. "Yes, she had such potential. She reminded me of you. That is, before you became complacent and sloppy."

"I had one bad mission." Anya said, staring into D'Hoffryn's face. The last thing Anya wanted was to be compared to the witch. Not while the same redhead was probably still wrapped around Xander like a boa constrictor. "I was your greatest disciple. Your halls still echo with the cries of my victims. I gave you more power than you ever provided for me. Willow isn't fit to polish my jewelry.

"She has intelligence and ambition. She craves power. She would be a formidable addition to my kingdom."

"She lacks imagination," Anya interrupted. "She could never have created a parallel universe, or the opera, or the film career of Hugh Grant."

"Past glories, all."

"I had yet to reach my potential," Anya stated. "I was the best and will continue to be, regardless of Willow Rosenberg."

"Well, apparently that is one thing that cannot be known," D'Hoffryn continued, mildly. "Are you saying that you would be interested in regaining your powers? Could you become a worthy servant again? Could you leave behind your young man?" With that, D'Hoffryn waved his hand and the scene at the Summers' house became visible. Xander and Willow had fallen asleep on the couch. Buffy pulled a blanket over the pair and walked upstairs.

The slayer went into her mother's room and told Joyce, "They're out of it. It's okay if we leave them downstairs, right?"

Joyce smiled at her daughter as she agreed. "I think with everything they've been through in the past few weeks, they needed this."

"What do you think they're going to….I mean, I know what I want to happen, but…"

Joyce shook her head. "There's plenty of time for them. At least I hope there is. I just wanted you to know that you did a good thing in bringing everyone together tonight. You're a good person, and I'm proud of you."

Buffy smiled and closed the door to her mother's room. As she walked to her own bedroom, a tear worked its way down her cheek. Even though she was supposed to be grown up now, it still meant so much to her to do something that made her mom happy.

D'Hoffryn dispersed the image and turned to his disciple. "How touching. Would you accept my gift? Answer now."

Anya had waited for this moment for almost a year. In spite of her feelings for Xander, she did not want to die or grow old. Part of her knew he would be happier with Willow. Even if he would never intentionally hurt her, the relationship between the teen and the witch would always be a threat. Could she give up immortality for fleeting, mortal love? The price was too high. There was only one possible answer for her, "Yes."

D'Hoffryn smiled as Anya, no Anyanka, kneeled before him and kissed his hand. He removed a ruby pendent on a silver chain from his robes and placed it around her neck.

"I have but one test," D'Hoffryn said. "Within 24 hours, someone will make a wish and the pendent will glow. You will fulfill it immediately exactly as stated. No matter what happens, you cannot rescind the wish. Succeed and you are restored to your position. Fail and I will destroy you." He smiled as he motioned Anyanka to rise. He kissed her once on each cheek and said, "Welcome back." With that, he vanished.

Chapter 8

When Joyce came down to make breakfast the net morning, Willow and Xander were still asleep. They had spent the whole night in each other's arms. Mrs. Summers saw Willow open a sleepy eye and smile at her oldest friend. She noticed Joyce and whispered, "good morning."

Joyce kissed Willow on the forehead and went into the kitchen.

Willow's motion woke up Xander. For a few minutes they stayed intertwined. When they looked into each other's eyes, they knew things had changed for them. They made each other complete. Xander brought compassion, humanity, and humor to Willow's life, and Willow brought intelligence, ambition, and control to his. And together, they found confidence.

They strolled into the kitchen, Xander going to the refrigerator and getting the orange juice as Willow grabbed glasses from the cabinets. They thanked Joyce and Xander hugged the slayer's mother. The lady of the house watched in amusement as they tore through her kitchen. They didn't need to speak as Willow prepared the waffles and Xander grabbed the syrup. Buffy's mom had seen this many times when the pair first began to hang out with Buffy. It was as if they had one brain. They hadn't been this in tune for quite a while, and it made Joyce happy.

Joyce, Willow, and even Xander had finished breakfast before the slayer made her way down the stairs. Joyce wondered if her daughter's difficulty in getting up in the morning were associated with her calling, or if they were just part of the mystery that was Buffy Summers. In any event, Joyce had missed the happy weekend bustle that having a teenager brings. She hugged her daughter, who squinted at her and asked, "Coffee?"

As Buffy consumed the caffeine necessary to regain her humanity, Willow and Xander watched cartoons. When the slayer came into the living room, Xander got up, causing Willow, who was sitting almost in his lap, to grumble. "Hey Buffmeister," Xander called.

"Hey yourself. Did you guys sleep okay?" She looked over to Willow, who nodded.

"Yeah," Xander agreed. "Willow was great." He smiled at his oldest friend. "I need to go and see my mom. She called a while ago. See you at Giles, later?"

Buffy and Willow said they would be at the watcher's house in the afternoon. Xander thanked them all again, gave Buffy and Joyce a hug, kissed Willow, and left.

After their friend exited the Summers' house, Buffy sat on the couch and waited for Willow to speak. She could see the witch trying to fool her by focusing on the cartoons. For crying out loud, it was Foghorn Leghorn! Willow hated the rooster. She was purposely, intentionally not sharing details. It was against the friend's code and would not be tolerated. At least, once the commercial break started.

"So?"

"What," the redhead asked. Buffy thought that her best friend was trying very hard to play it cool, and could not pull it off.

"So, you and Xander! I mean, come on, what happened."

Willow had to smile at her friend's curiosity. "It just felt so good!" she gushed. "We remembered why we always clung to each other. It was like every good day we ever had. It was everything I dreamed of before there were vampires and demons and…"

"Me," Buffy added. "Before I messed up your lives" Buffy couldn't look her friend in the eye. Willow did think that Buffy was the reason her and Xander weren't a couple.

"No, Buffy," Willow corrected, grabbing her friend's hand. "I meant before any of the bad things, not before you. We love you. We'll always love you."

Buffy looked up and saw her friend had tears running down her cheek. She realized that she was crying again as well. "What is with this weekend," she moaned. Every time I turn around somebody is making me cry."

"I'm sorry," Willow said, her lower lip quivering a little.

Buffy laughed and drew her friend into a rib-bruising slayer hug. "So, did you and Xander talk last night?"

"We didn't have to," Willow stated, confidently. "We aren't going to rush into anything, and there's the whole Anya situation, but it's our time. We just knew it."

Buffy looked at her best friend and was amazed. The witch was normally someone who could go into a test, get every answer right, and still worry about making a passing grade. Here she was, totally assured that she was going to have a great relationship with her lifelong crush. "Wow," the slayer said. "I've never seen you like this before."

"I feel like I'm finally myself. We don't have to worry or pretend anything anymore."

Buffy felt a lump in her stomach. People shouldn't talk like that on a hellmouth.

The redhead didn't notice Buffy's concern. "Hey! Let's go to the mall and look at boots!"

Buffy banished all thoughts of peril as visions of the perfect heel danced in her head.

Chapter 9

Xander called Anya's apartment several times during the day, but the restored vengeance demon was not at home. Although she did not have her full powers, she had been able to teleport again. She had spent the day enjoying her return to freedom. Even though she did not yet possess the power of the wish, few mortals or demons dared to challenge her, such was the reputation of Anyanka.

Anyanka longed to return to D'Hoffryn's palace and see her stature restored once again to its former place in the demon king's throne room, but now was not the time. She did not trust her master. He had returned her powers too soon. She had known D'Hoffryn for more than a thousand years, and while she worshipped him, she knew better than to trust him. He may be a demon, but he was still a man. Of sorts.

Instead of visiting the demon king's realm, Anyanka had gone to Paris for breakfast and Italy for lunch. She tried to find clothing that would go with her new, ruby pendent. It wasn't as nice as her old one, but it had power, and that was enough. Once she had again proven herself, she would attempt to have her old jewel remade.

Anyanka was about to go to Thailand for dinner (of was it breakfast, hard to tell with the time difference) when her pendent flashed red. She was being summoned. Fleetingly the demon wondered what mischief D'Hoffryn would have her do. She hoped it would not involve a return to Sunnydale.

Anyanka appeared in front of the door to Rupert Giles' apartment.

"Damn," was all the restored demon could say as she knocked on the door. D'Hoffryn opened a portal and watched as the scene unfolded.

Buffy, Willow, and Xander had joined the watcher and the bound vampire in Giles' living room. Spike immediately noticed a difference in Anya, but he was expecting it. Buffy felt a rumble in her stomach, but to be honest, that was how she often felt around the former vengeance demon.

Xander had been worried that he would feel guilty about what he had to say to Anya. He thought it would be similar to how he felt around Cordelia during the "fluke." Instead, he felt calm. He and Anya had made no promises to each other. Neither had asked the other to be monogamous. As straightforward as Anya was in matters of sex, he had been too nervous to ask her if she was seeing anyone else. It wouldn't have surprised him if she had.

He felt like he had helped Anya on the road to humanity, and that she had helped him become more confident as a man. He wanted to talk to her, be totally honest, and remain her friend.

As Xander rose from the couch he was sharing with Buffy and Willow and moved towards Anya he tripped over the table. It was weird, but he could have sworn that the table moved to trip him. "Maybe I'm more nervous than I thought," he mused as he tried to get back on his feet again.

Xander's leg hurt much more than it should have. He fell back to the ground, grabbing his shin.

Spike knew it was time for his line. "Oh look at the whelp squirm. I wish he knew what real pain was."

Anya's gem glowed. She showed her true face and was forced to utter a word that broke her heart, "Done."

Chapter 10

Xander fell again. This time he didn't speak. His body convulsed as he felt the pain of every human, animal, demon, and god on the planet. He felt the flames as a young girl was burned by her parents for speaking to a boy. He knew the pain of seeing a man's wife of seventy years die in his arms. He shivered as the venom of a cobra circulating through his body. He screamed as a vampire was turned to dust.

Buffy, Willow, and Giles looked upon the demon Anyanka in shock. She had done this to Xander, the one who had defended her countless times. Anyanka hung her head and could find nothing to say to the remains of the Scooby gang. She teleported away, fully restored to her former status.

Willow and Buffy looked at the space where Anyanka had been. Then they turned back to the stricken form of their friend, trying in vain to comfort him. Xander was beyond hearing. In the past, he had been able to minimize the pain of his beatings by retreating inside his mind. Now the pain was in both his mind and body. There was no escaping, no room for anything else in his consciousness.

Giles looked at Spike. The vampire was looking anxiously at the Slayer. "He had planned this!" the watcher realized. Spike was many things, but he was almost as bad an actor as Faith. He looked away before the vampire noticed him.

"Giles," Willow cried, "How do we help him?" She was holding Xander's head in her lap as the slayer tried to hold down the young man's arms.

Giles had spent considerable time researching the disciples of D'Hoffryn. With Anya, around, he had not wanted to be caught unprepared. Sadly, his research had left him with only one conclusion.

"Willow, the only thing that can break the wish is the demon who granted it. And Anya, I mean, Anyanka, has gone."

Buffy was irate. "How could she do this to him?" she screamed. "He put up with so much from her and this is the way she repays him? I have to find her, Giles. I have to make this right."

Giles had a choice. He could either say something to make his charge feel better, or he could tell her the truth. He had known her too long and they had suffered too much for him to lie to her again. "There's nothing you can do, Buffy. We would need the demon's jewel to do a summoning spell for Anyanka. Without it, we can no more force her to appear before us than we could make the sun rise in the west."

"I know a way," Willow replied. Her voice was firm and her eyes had turned black.

D'Hoffryn smiled as the final part of his plan fell into place. Already the anger and pain of the witch and the slayer was adding to his power. The energy caused mild tremors in his palace. And soon his new warrior would come to him.

The witch continued. "D'Hoffryn gave me a token to visit his realm. He will give me the power to destroy her and free Xander."

"But to gain that power, you would have to become a vengeance demon." Giles said. "I cannot allow you to do that."

"I have to, Giles. I can't let Xander suffer like this. And besides, I can't live without him. Not after all we've been through."

Giles wasn't going to budge. Willow looked to Buffy. "Please, I have to. You know that I do."

Buffy nodded. "I know Will. Look, I don't want to lose either one of you. Why don't we go get the token and come back here. Giles, research this token thing and see if there's some way we could tag along with Willow when she uses it. Maybe we can find a way to destroy Anya without forcing Willow to become all demony."

Giles thought for a second. "If you insist. But let me take Xander over to Buffy's house. We can meet there. That way Joyce will be able to care for him in our absence."

Buffy and Willow agreed. By this time, Xander had stopped moving. At least he was doing no more physical harm to himself as a result of the curse. But that did little to comfort the others.

Giles went back toward his apartment to gather his books as Buffy and Willow left. "What about Spike?" Buffy asked.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of him," her watcher answered.

Spike watched as the Scoobies took Xander out of the apartment. He had fulfilled his part of the bargain. The old demon was right, the slayer and the witch had focused all of their rage on Anya. Soon, Red would be a black hat, Xander would more than likely be spending the rest of his days in the loony bin, and the slayer would be his to do with as he pleased.

The vampire began to plan his next moves. There was no need to do anything right away. That would just make them suspicious. Wait a week or so, force down the pig's blood, and wait until the wicked witch was miles away.

"I could turn Xander, first," Spike mused. After all, he had plenty of experience with psychotic vampires. Turn the whelp, feed the watcher to him, then catch the slayer off guard. That would do quite nicely. It'd impress the hell out of Dru."

Spike never heard Giles return. He didn't see the watcher grab a stake and plunge it into the vampire's heart from the back. As he swept up the pile of dust, Giles regretted that he didn't have time to give the vampire what he really deserved. Then it struck him that vengeance of any sort was probably a bad idea given the circumstances.

D'Hoffryn smiled as he closed the portal. It was just as he had imagined it. He was certain that William had nothing to fear from the witch or the slayer. He had never mentioned what he thought the watcher would do. Besides, why leave any loose ends? Now it would be even harder to trace any of this back to him.

The demon king looked at the results of his chief sculptor's work. The images of Anyanka and Willow were flawless. It was a shame that only one would remain in his throne room

Chapter 11

Willow and Buffy ran back to the dorms. Buffy let Willow set the pace during the run, passing her only when they reached the stairs. The slayer unlocked the door and stood by Willow's dresser. She was afraid that Willow would take the token and immediately call upon D'Hoffryn. The blonde knew that she couldn't let that happen. If Willow used the token alone, Buffy would lose her forever, regardless of what happened to Xander. She shuddered at the thought of being without her two closest friends.

Willow reached the dorm room and had to sit for a moment to catch her breath.

"I can get the token it you'd like," Buffy said.

"That's okay," the witch answered as she panted. "I just need a second. I know we have to get back to your mom's house." Buffy kept a close eye on her friend as she took a deep breath and walked to her dresser. Willow pulled the token out ofthe bottom of her sweater drawer.

"Can I see it?" Buffy asked.

Willow looked at her friend and said, quietly. "Don't worry, Buffy. I'm not going to use it until we reach Giles. I want to make Anya pay for what she did, and if I had the token with me earlier I would have already used it, but I'm getting back under control. I feel guilty enough about the "Will be done" spell, I don't want to become a vengeance demon."

Buffy relaxed a little. The truth was, Willow's attempts at magic had always worried the slayer. Granted, Willow was the reason Angel had a soul again, but her spells had tended to do as much harm as good. The redhead was too anxious to try new spells, often without thinking about the consequences. The run had given Willow's mind enough time to kick in and forced her to think things through. "Maybe that's what Willow should do before all of her spells. If nothing else, it would be a nice cardio workout."

Giles hurried over to the Summers' house. His mind was so preoccupied with Xander, Willow's potential use of the token, and how to deal with Anyanka and D'Hoffryn that he hadn't given any thought as to what to tell Joyce. Joyce opened the door and was greeted by the sight of Giles standing in front of her, looking as if he was trying to recall how to use the English language. For one brief moment, she thought he had come to ask her out. Then she heard the watcher say, "It's Xander."

By the time Buffy and Willow returned, Giles and Joyce had brought Xander inside, and both were looking through Giles' books. It was the first time Joyce had ever helped on research, and it gave the watcher a clue as to how much she cared for the Scooby gang. In spite of the fact that Joyce hated everything that being a slayer had done to her daughter, she wanted to save "her children." Giles felt the same way.

As Joyce poured through some of the old watcher diaries, she felt once again disgust for the English organization that had brutalized so many generations of young women. She didn't hold out hope that they would find anything to help Xander; no the council was not interested in ways to prevent or relieve suffering. After all, everyone was expendable to them. Rupert had changed over the past few years, and she knew that the Englishman thought of Buffy as a daughter, but his tenure with the watchers had doomed any feelings she could have had for him.

No, she decided, she would wait until they left and then take Xander to a proper hospital where they could do something to relieve his pain. The teen moaned on the couch, causing Joyce's heart to sink. They had all been through too much at too young an age. The council could afford to send dozens of troops to capture Faith or test Buffy. Why couldn't they patrol the hellmouth and deal with demons, instead relying on overmatched children?

When Willow and Buffy arrived, they closed themselves off in the basement. When Joyce checked on them, they were gone. Joyce took some aspirin to try and control the headache that had descended on her and called for an ambulance.

Giles had Willow draw a pentagram in the basement. While she was busy, he took the slayer aside and whispered to her, "I know this will be difficult, but we have to maintain emotional control in D'Hoffryn's realm. Based on my research, it appears that he feeds on anger and jealousy. To have any hope of resisting his power, we must keep our minds clear."

"Why are we worried about D'Hoffryn? We want Anya."

"I'm not so sure," the watcher answered. "It's all too neat. I can't accept that it's a coincidence that Spike just happened to make a wish that would break Willow's heart just after she rejected D'Hoffryn. And the demon must have been the one who restored Anyanka's powers."

"So you think this is some kind of a plot to get Willow to be a demon?" the slayer asked.

"Or to punish her."

Buffy had to ask Giles the question that kept screaming through her brain. "Is there any hope for Xander?"

Giles had been afraid one of the girls would ask him that. "It depends on the nature of the curse. Spike wished that Xander knew what pain was. Does that mean that he was given constant, nonspecific pain? If so, there might be some hope. But if it's worse than that, I don't know."

"What could be worse than that?" Willow asked, having finished her task, she had heard the watcher's statement.

Giles paled. "She could have made Xander experience every type of pain that exists. He would know the pain of every person on the planet. What it felt like when I lost Jenny, what Jenny felt when she died. In fact, he would feel the effects of billions of deaths. Xander would know the pain he caused you and Cordelia. If that is the case, I don't know if we could salvage his sanity even if the curse was lifted. That is why I must ask you again not to proceed. I don't think any good could come of it."

"I have to do this. I can't leave him in pain."

"Then I beg of you, remember that you are doing this to try and help Xander, not for revenge. If you let your mind be clouded you will be lost to us."

Chapter 12

The three took their place in the pentagram. They held hands as Willow read the hieroglyphs on the token. They appeared in front of an immense, icy palace. The castle was located among rocky, snow-covered hills. The air was still and nothing green and growing was within view.

"Why are we outside?" Buffy grumbled. "He wants Willow to walk?"

"I think it likely that if Willow had called D'Hoffryn alone, she would have appeared before him," Giles answered as he surveyed the silent hills. "Since we came along with her, I think the demon wishes to intimidate us by showing the vastness of his realm and the power he possesses."

"Okay, already. Color me impressed. Can we go inside now?" Buffy asked.

The slayer led the way as they walked over a stone bridge and entered the palace of D'Hoffryn. Inside was a vast courtyard. Again, there were no signs of life. There was only one building inside the castle walls. As they passed through the door, they were instantly teleported to the throne room. "Welcome to my realm, mortals," said the demon king. "Ms. Rosenberg, have you reconsidered my offer?"

Willow came before D'Hoffryn, trying not to visibly tremble. "I have come to ask for you to remove a curse from one of my friends.

"I'm afraid my hands are tied," the demon answered politely. "The proper protocols were followed, the wrong was righted; there is no way for me to remove the curse. Here is the demon who granted the wish." With a wave of D'Hoffryn's hand Anyanka appeared. She was in her true face, a demon and punisher of the wronged.

"Ask your question, child," D'Hoffryn said.

"Anya, will you remove the curse?" Willow asked.

The demon answered, "I cannot." She knew that if she tried to implicate the demon king, she would suffer. It was best to say as little as possible.

"How could you do this?" Buffy asked. "Are you that jealous of Willow?"

"I only granted the wish. My feelings about Xander and HER had nothing to do with it," Anyanka replied. "If you will excuse me, I have many wishes to address. I have fallen behind…"

Willow jumped in front of Anyanka and slapped her across the face. One of the statues glowed a bright red. Giles noted it was a statue of Anyanka. Even more distressing to the watcher was the statue just beside it. That figure was carved in the image of Willow.

Anyanka grabbed Willow by the hair and threw her against the wall. Buffy and Giles tried to move to protect their friend, but D'Hoffryn kept them rooted in place.

"Young Willow, you have attacked one of my children. Anyanka has an obligation to me to avenge that insult upon pain of death. I'm sorry. You cannot prevail against one of my disciples unless you wish to challenge her for the power of the wish. Do you wish to do so?"

Willow looked at the demon. "What happens if I do that?"

"D'Hoffryn smiled. You would be elevated to demon status, and would fight Anyanka to the death. The winner would retain the power of the wish. That would enable her to maintain or rescind the curse on young Alexander.

At that moment, Willow knew that D'Hoffryn had been the cause of all of this. It was done to force her to become a vengeance demon. Anger flared in her heart toward the demon and Anya. They had destroyed her love. However, the demon king had underestimated her. She would find a way to punish both of them. They deserved to pay. "I accept." She said.

With a gesture from D'Hoffryn, Willow's soul was torn from her body. It was the essence of Willow, a tiny, red-pink ball of light. It floated past the demon king and entered her obsidian replica. The statue glowed a bright red for a moment, and then darkened. A pendent of amethyst appeared around Willow's neck.

With a flash, Willow assumed the form of a heavily veined demon. Giles and Buffy gasped at the change in their friend. Her eyes were cold and hard. Willow walked to the wall where a weapons rack contained various swords, maces, hammers, and spears.

Willow turned to Anyanka, who had moved to a similarrack on the opposite wall. As the challenged party, Anyanka had the first choice. She drew a broadsword. Willow, in turn selected the same weapon. If Anyanka wanted a brief, bloody fight, that was fine with her. When the challenge began, Giles was amazed. He had years of training and was well schooled with swords. Both of the demons were incredibly strong and unbelievably fast. Anyanka appeared to have the better technique, but it seemed as if Willow was stronger, perhaps fueled by her rage.

Buffy and Giles had been released, as D'Hoffryn no longer felt that they could interfere. "Look at the statue," Giles whispered to Buffy. The slayer could see that as the demon Willow fought, her statue was glowing. "Her wish for anger is feeding the demon," Giles said.

Anya tried to parry Willow's blade, but the former witch's thrust got through and cut the demon's arm. Anya could not understand what was happening. She knew that she should be able to kill Willow with minimal effort. She had fought for a thousand years. The only way she could lose was if…

If D'Hoffryn wished her to lose. Suddenly Anyanka understood the full scope of the demon king's plan. He had betrayed her to win the witch, limited her strength. But her lord had made an error. She knew the key to the demon's power. With luck, she could unseat the demon. It all depended on how much humanity Willow Rosenberg retained.

Chapter 13

Willow continued to attack. Anyanka let the new demon knock the sword from her hand. Anyanka took three steps back and composed herself. She then bowed before Willow and said, "I forgive you." At those words, a tremor ran through the halls of the demon king, and the statue of Anyanka crumbled. Her demon face faded, replaced once again by Anya's. She was now nothing more than a mortal woman who faced a demon, ready to die.

Willow stepped forward, determined to separate Anya's head from her body. Buffy stepped between the two. In her rage, Willow scarcely seemed to notice the difference between transformed vengeance demon and vampire slayer. Buffy had no weapon to compete with a broadsword.

"Willow, please, you have to calm down." Buffy said. "There has to be a way to free Xander that doesn't involve killing. You won't be able to live with yourself." The slayer ducked a stab and was forced against the wall by a kick.

The demon laughed at Buffy. "I will live with myself forever. I'm immortal. Do you honestly think I care about the fate of a bunch of human cattle? Let the boy die or better yet let him or those who give a damn cry out for vengeance. Then you will be of interest to me. My only concern now is gaining Anyanka's gem so that I may add to my power." She swung her sword at the slayer.

D'Hoffryn smiled at his newest disciple. She would be feared throughout dimensions, of that he was sure.

Giles knew Buffy would not be able to beat Willow, here in the heart of vengeance. He cried out, "Buffy, you can't fight her!"

Buffy understood what her watcher was saying. She looked into the cold eyes of her demon, hoping some part of her friend had survived the transformation. The slayer backed up until she was beside Anya.

Buffy kneeled before her best friend and said, "I forgive you." Another tremor ran through the palace of D'Hoffryn.

Willow drew back her sword, but even in her demon state, she could not kill her friend in cold blood. "I love you, Willow," Buffy said.

Willow turned her gaze to Anya, and her temper rekindled. Anya looked at the woman she had thought of as a rival and felt pity. "I'm sorry this had to happen," she said, simply. Then she realized that she was mortal again, and that being the case, she could abandon her allegiance to D'Hoffryn. "He set up the whole thing," Anya said. "He killed Xander's father to get me to ask for my powers again. He set up Spike with a wish. He even made me weaker than normal so you could beat me."

"I would have beaten you, regardless of the challenge," the demon Willow said. Anya still made her angry, but she was more enraged when she thought of how the demon king had manipulated her. He had hurt the people she loved. She remembered what that emotion felt like. That was when the clever witch realized how to beat D'Hoffryn.

Willow turned to the demon king and said in a commanding voice, "Demon D'Hoffryn, you have wronged me. I claim the right of vengeance."

The demon began to walk, confidently, to the weapons rack. "So, the new demon is even more ambitious than I imagined," D'Hoffryn thought. "Once I have taught her manners, she will be a prize, indeed."

But Willow had another type of challenge in mind. "D'Hoffryn, as it is within my rights, I forgive you," she said to the demon. Buffy watched as Willow's statue crumbled and Willow's face returned to normal.

Willow turned to her friends and said, "You should forgive him as well. Buffy, Giles, and Anya each said that they forgave D'Hoffryn.

D'Hoffryn shrieked as the statues of the other demons crumbled as well. The demon king writhed in pain and began to shrink. The king's throne fractured, and the walls of the palace began to crack.

Buffy gathered her friends together and they began to run out of the demon king's chamber. In a flash, they were teleported back to Buffy's basement.

Chapter 14

Anya looked at Willow and tried to think of something to say. "I'm sorry Willow. I had no idea that D'Hoffryn would make me curse Xander. After the funeral, with you and Xander together, I couldn't face the thought of dying alone. I hadn't had that fear for 1100 years."

"How did you know we were together," Willow asked.

"D'Hoffryn showed me the two of you. I saw how everybody else wanted the two of you to end up together. I knew it had to happen eventually, unless some major life change happened, and let's face it, that's not likely to occur."

"Will you rescind the wish?" Willow asked.

"I don't know what happens now that D'Hoffryn's power is broken. I thought we would return back to where we were when the wish was granted. That's what happened with Cordelia's wish. Xander may have returned to normal, or I may be able to cancel the curse, I'm not sure. Where is he?"

"He's upstairs," Buffy said. My mom is watching him."

When they left the basement, all they found was a note. Joyce had taken Xander to a hospital. "The damn fool woman," Giles blustered, forgetting the presence of Buffy at his side, "God only knows what those doctors will do to him."

They piled into Giles' car and drove to the hospital.

Joyce was waiting outside Xander's room. Willow and Buffy ran up to her. Anya stayed back, scared to face the slayer's mother. Giles was caught between wanting to know if the curse was broken, fear of what the doctors might have done to Xander, and anger with Joyce for bringing the boy here. "After all this time, doesn't she know there are limits to what medicine can do in the face of magic?" Plus, he knew Xander didn't have health insurance.

"How is he?" Willow and Buffy asked.

"The doctor put him under heave sedation as soon as we got him here. He said that the pain receptors in Xander's body were constantly firing. They couldn't figure out why. There was no change until about twenty minutes ago, when suddenly his vital signs plummeted."

Giles rubbed his eyes while he tried to control his temper. "Obviously, the curse was abated when D'Hoffryn fell. The drugs in Xander's system, having nothing else to react against, are now endangering him as much as the original curse did."

Joyce's face flushed with anger, "I couldn't just let him lie there suffering. I had to do something."

Buffy placed herself, once again, between her mother and surrogate father. "Okay, now's not the time for this. Can we see Xander?"

Willow didn't wait for an answer. She burst into Xander's room.

The doctor looked up from Xander and said, "I'm sorry, miss, but as I told the boy's mother, things are at a critical state and we need to be able to concentrate if we want to save him."

"So, Joyce had adopted Xander," Willow smiled at the thought. "I can't wait to tell Buffy about her new brother." Then she looked at the monitors and her heart caught in her throat. Xander's pulse was very weak.

She grabbed the chart from the protesting doctor. Xander had been given a variety of depressants in an attempt to counteract the adrenaline that was racing through his system. Now they were slowing his heart.

Willow took a last glimpse at Xander and left the room. She didn't know of a spell that could strengthen her oldest friend.

As she rejoined her friends, Buffy asked "How's he doing?"

"It's not good. They've basically overdosed him while they were trying to keep his system from collapsing during the curse. His heart has slowed way down and they don't know what to do." She fell into Buffy's arms.

The next few hours were tense. Buffy and Willow clung to each other. Joyce and Giles tried to keep from voicing their anger and Anya sat, guilty and ignored, on a small chair.

Finally, the doctor left Xander's room. "We think he'll make it," the doctor said as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. "We still don't understand the initial symptoms, but his subsequent collapse has been halted. He should wake up soon." Four females flung themselves at the very lucky doctor.

"Umm, Er," the doctor tried to begin. The last time he had been around this many beautiful women the alarm clock had gone off much too soon. He managed to get Joyce's attention. "One thing you have to understand is that we will need to keep your son restrained until we are sure about his condition."

Buffy raised an eyebrow as she turned and looked at her mother.

Joyce blushed. "Well, I understand. I'm sure his sister," she said looking at Buffy "and his friends do as well." She had wanted to call Willow "his wife" but she couldn't do it while Anya was there.

Buffy grinned at her mother and nodded her head. "So, can we visit Bro' now?"

The doctor agreed and left the group. He needed rest after his ordeal with the young man, and he could only hope his dreams would be filled with beautiful, grateful women. After all, that was why he went to medical school.

Buffy was giggling at her mother when she entered Xander's room. Her laughter died as she looked on her best guy friend. His face looked years older. He was still asleep, but he frequently twitched and moaned.

Willow sat beside Xander. As she touched his forehead, her oldest friend's eyes flew open. At first, he merely looked confused. Then he saw Willow. "I know," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"What do you mean?" Willow asked.

"I know every time I hurt you. I know exactly how it felt. I'm so sorry. I..." He was crying and despondent. He looked at Buffy, Giles, Joyce, and Anya. He had hurt each one of them over the years, often without even realizing it. There was no way he could ever apologize enough. It was overwhelming. "Please leave," he managed. "It's all just too much."

Giles and Buffy led the group out of Xander's room. Willow tried to stay, but the look of pain on her love's face was enough to convince her to leave.

When they were back in the waiting area, Giles said. "It's rather as I feared. It seems that Xander experienced the pain of everyone, possibly everything. Is that the case, Anya?"

The former demon nodded. "The curse was very specific. He was to feel the pain of every living thing that has ever been on the planet. Only the pain. From a skinned knee to being eviscerated by a demon. That was Spike's intent when he made the wish."

"Spike," grumbled Buffy. "When I get hold of him I will…"

"The Spike situation was taken care of before I left my apartment," Giles interrupted.

"You killed him?" Willow asked. Giles nodded.

"How could you do that?" hissed Buffy. "After all he's done to slayers in general and me in particular, it should have been my right to kill him. We were betrothed for crying out loud."

"Again, sorry," Willow said.

Buffy waived off her friend. "This is between me and my watcher. You just staked him without a second thought. Mr. 'Oh we can't seek revenge,' took out Spike before visiting vengeance land. Then you act all superior when Willow wants to part Anya's hair with a broadsword."

Buffy stormed off with Willow following as she tried to calm down the slayer. Joyce and Anya walked away in the other direction. That left Giles in the waiting room with several unfamiliar faces staring at him with looks of absolute terror.

Giles felt that he had to say something. "Umm, would you believe that we were rehearsing for a play? No? Bugger all. Demons are real, Sunnydale is the mouth of hell, and you are all most likely going to end up dying in a monstrous apocalypse."

The faces of the crowd appeared to accept his explanation and returned to their own concerns.

Joyce and Anya found themselves in the cafeteria. Joyce got a cup of coffee and Anya had some tea and they sat in a nearly abandoned corner.

"I was afraid," Anya tried to explain to Buffy's mother. "When D'Hoffryn offered me immortality, I couldn't say no. I never thought I would have to hurt Xander. I would never want to hurt any of you. Except for Willow," she amended.

"I understand," Joyce said. "Believe me, if I could save myself and Buffy from all this death and despair, I'd do it in a second." She looked at the former demon and smiled. "What will you do now?"

"I think I know something that might help Xander. Once that is done, I may try to take over D'Hoffryn's realm."

Joyce gawked at Anya.

"I still have the jewel. I'm probably stronger than D'Hoffryn now, and I was always the most powerful of his disciples. I was thinking about reconstructing the realm along more modern lines. Less bloody vengeance, more just desserts kind of thing. Maybe I'll specialize in punishing white collar crime. You know, corporate abuses strike against the very heart of capitalism. And then there are other institutions that abuse the innocent.

"Like the watcher's council," Joyce said.

"Exactly," Anya replied. "When I have established my kingdom, I'll see if you would like to become the demon who oversees the council. You could punish its many abuses."

Joyce gave Anya her phone number. It was the only polite thing to do.

In the meantime, Willow and Buffy were sitting in the courtyard. It was early in the morning and the sun was pale in the eastern sky. "It seems like so much has changed," Buffy said. "Less than a week ago Xander's dad was alive, Spike was chipped, and my mom and Giles weren't staring daggers at each other."

"And now I'm a former demon, we don't know how to help Xander, Anya fell off the vengeance wagon, and my new relationship with my oldest friend didn't make it 24 hours," Willow concluded.

"It's been quite a week," Buffy agreed. "We'll find a way to fix Xander. I don't mean fixed in the what you do to a puppy sense, I mean…"

"I know," Willow smiled. "It was so weird, though, being a demon and all. I didn't just want vengeance for Xander. Once I had power I craved more. I wanted to find a way to overthrow D'Hoffryn and make that palace my own. I think…Maybe I'm that way with magic sometimes."

Buffy didn't want to agree too readily, "Willow, I know you always try to do what's best, but I think maybe you do try too much on occasion. Not often, just once or twice."

Willow looked at her friend. "That bad, huh?"

"Sometimes. Sorry." Buffy said with a shrug.

"Well, you know, you can be kinda bossy," Willow said.

Buffy grinned. "That bad, huh?"

"Sometimes. Sorry." Willow said as she smiled at her friend. "Maybe we can keep an eye on each other; let the other know before they go too far?"

"That's what best friends are for," Buffy agreed. "We need to get back. Maybe Xander is feeling better and…" She trailed off. There was no use kidding each other. Xander probably wouldn't be better for a very long time.

Chapter 15

Joyce and Giles were back in the waiting room when Willow and Buffy returned. "Where's Anya?" Buffy asked as she looked around.

"She thought she knew of something that could help. She'll be back as soon as she can," Joyce answered.

"How is he doing?" Willow asked.

Joyce looked at the teen and forced a smile. "I stuck my head in his room and he asked me to give him some time. A nurse brought him some breakfast, but he wasn't hungry. She said that they would hook up a glucose IV to help him maintain his strength. It's just really hard for him right now."

The door to Xander's room was slightly open. Willow quietly walked up and peeked in. Xander was lying in bed, looking sad and broken. It seemed like some kind of cruel cosmic joke. Here she was, having gone through a trial and feeling stronger than ever before while her best, well everything, had been destroyed. "It's just not fair," she whispered.

Xander's head turned towards the door and Willow quickly backed away. She didn't want to add to his pain, not now. She rejoined the others.

About an hour later, Anya returned. She carried a plastic bag and an old book. "I remembered a spell. It involves an herb called Lethe's Bramble. It can be used to erase memories."

Giles was looking at the spell while Joyce examined the herbs in the bag. "This is fairly advanced magic, difficult to control. You could erase a day of memories or a year's. Is this the only way?"

Anya wanted to tell Giles that if her gem was destroyed that it might break the spell completely. But that would leave her at the mercy of D'Hoffryn. Spike would have his chip. Things could evolve very differently. But something told Anya that this was the way things should be. "This is Xander's best chance," she said.

Willow took the spell book from Giles and read it carefully. "Buffy, I know you think sometimes I go too far, but I really think that I can do this."

Buffy wanted to make sure her friend thought this through. "Maybe you and I could go run up and down the stairs a few times?" Willow shook her head.

"Willow, even if you can do this, there's no telling how Xander will react. You know how he is with magic. He might forget high school or how to drive a car. He could forget what happened between you and him."

Willow nodded. "But it gives him a chance to feel better. To become himself again. I can't take that from him."

Joyce interrupted the teen. "There's only one person who should make this decision, and that's Xander. Let me talk to him and I'll let you know what he wants."

The others agreed.

Joyce walked into Xander's room. "Please, leave me alone."

Joyce shook her head, sadly. "I'm sorry, honey, but I have to talk to you for just a minute. They think they've found a way to make you better. They can make you forget the pain."

She wasn't sure if Xander understood her. It seemed as if he was struggling to hear her, but there were no other noises in the room. "How?" he managed.

"It's a spell,"

Xander's eyes opened wide. "No spells. Bad things happen with spells."

"You can forget the last few days."

Xander seemed confused. Then he turned to Joyce and said, "Can't forget it all. I'd forget Willow. Can't hurt her again."

Joyce tried to continue, but Xander could only manage. "Please, just tell her no and leave."

Joyce pulled a pad out of her purse and wrote something on a piece of paper. She folded it closed and told Xander, "Take a nap and read this when you wake up." He managed to nod and she left.

As she rejoined the others, she could hear Giles talking to the hospital administrator about the "Horrendous malpractice." She had no doubt that once the former librarian had finished, Xander's hospital bill would be the least of her concerns. She wished again that she had met the Ripper under different circumstances.

Willow, Buffy, and Anya were waiting on her. "Was he any better?" Willow asked. "You were in there for a while, could you talk to him?"

"He tried. It was like he had trouble focusing on me. He wanted you to know that he loves you." Joyce brushed her hair away from her face. "I think you should do the spell."

As Willow and Anya left to begin preparations, Buffy turned back to her mother. "He told you not to do the spell, didn't he?"

Joyce tried to hide her surprise. "He was afraid he would forget the last few days and that he would hurt her again. He'd rather lose himself to the pain than do that."

Buffy smiled and hugged her mother. "That's the problem with being the mom. You have to make all the tough calls. You know that I'm proud of you, too, don't you?"

Joyce smiled at her daughter. "Thanks sweetie. I needed that."

Willow found an empty closet and performed the ritual. Anya helped her with some of the offerings. When they were done, Willow gave the book to Anya. "This spell would be too tempting to use. Can you keep it safe? And maybe, you could use this too." She handed Anya her amethyst pendent. Anya took both items.

The group walked into Xander's room and found him asleep. He seemed more at peace. Maybe the spell had worked. Joyce forced everyone to go to the cafeteria for coffee. "We have no idea how long he will be sleeping."

While they were gone, Xander woke up. He was confused. He remembered his father's funeral. Did he have some kind of breakdown? He knew Tony wasn't worth it. He was strapped to the bed, but there was a piece of paper by his right hand. He opened it and was able to read Joyce's handwriting. He balled up the paper and let it drop to the floor.

A few minutes later, the gang came into his room. He smiled at them. Willow cautiously approached and asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Better now that you're here." Xander answered. "Do you think you could do something about the straps? They kind of limit the circulation."

Buffy came forward and instantly pulled off the restraints.

"Uh, Buffy,' Giles said, "There are releases on the straps."

"Oops," the slayer replied. "This was quicker."

"Thanks Buff," Xander said. "So, I think I must have missed something. Willow, care to fill me in on things?" He extended his hand towards his oldest friend.

Willow took Xanders hand. The teen pulled it to his mouth and gently kissed it. Willow knew that he remembered. She leaned over the bed, and they kissed. Willow then sat on the chair beside the bed and said, "Well, you didn't miss all that much. There was some hellmouthy stuff that you don't need to worry about. Oh, and Buffy's mom adopted you.

"So I ended up here after a bit of sibling rivalry with the Buffmeister, here. I can believe it. She doesn't seem like the type to share a bathroom willingly."

"You left the cap off the toothpaste," Buffy replied. "Some things require punishment."

"Well I apologize," Xander said. "It was entirely my fault and won't happen again."

"Now this is a brother I could get used to," Buffy smirked.

Xander saw Anya in the corner. "Hey An. How are you doing?" He wasn't sure what conversations he'd had with the former demon.

Anya walked to Xander's bed and kissed his cheek. "I was on my way out of town and I wanted to make sure that you were okay."

"Thanks," Xander answered. "I think that I need to apologize about how things turned out. Please know that I'll miss you and I hope you can drop by soon."

"Well, you never can tell," Anya replied. "I better not hear about you doing anything bad to any of these ladies."

"I'll try my best," Xander said.

"I know you will," Anya answered. They hugged and she left the room. Once outside, she teleported to the vengeance realm. D'Hoffryn's head was soon on a post outside the castle. It was always good policy to impress the neighbors.

Giles left a few moments later. He was looking forward to having his apartment to himself again. Having Spike around had worn on him.

Joyce said to Xander, "As my adopted son, know that you always have a place to stay if you ever want it. Buffy, I'm going home. Do you want to come over for some leftovers, a movie, and ice cream?"

Buffy grinned at the mention of food. "Sure, just give me a second. I want to say bye to Bro'."

The slayer noticed a piece of paper on the floor. She picked it up as she bent down to hug Xander. Willow stayed behind. She and her oldest friend had a lot to talk about.

Once outside, Buffy straightened out the paper. It was a note in her mother's handwriting. It read, "You've lost a few days. Anya has decided to leave. You and Willow are dating. Don't try to remember anything else, and don't tell anyone about the note. Love, Joyce."

"Yes," Buffy thought, "I really am proud of my mom."

Xander turned to Willow. "So, why didn't Joyce adopt you, too?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's the sweaters."

"You do tend to dress on the fuzzy side. But it makes you nicer to hug," he said as he drew Willow to him.

"Besides," Willow said, "If Joyce did adopt me, it could make me sleeping with you kinda awkward."

"But even more interesting, in a forbidden fruit kind of way." Xander replied.

"Do I need to be more interesting to you?" Willow pouted.

"Never. I already want to spend the rest of my life learning every part of you. From here," he said as he kissed her forehead "on down." He managed a pretty successful leer. "Do you know that this bed can be adjusted to many different positions?"

"You have an IV in your arm," Willow warned.

"So, I don't have to worry about fluid depletion for at least an hour."

"An hour?"

"Well, we have been saving this for a long time. We need to make sure it's special.

Fifty-seven minutes later, a nurse came in to change the IV. When she saw the scene unfolding in the room, she decided that her patient needed no additional nourishment at that time.