Sacrifices

Chapter 24: Apparition






Xander looked at the seat where Buffy had been and saw the dirt she left behind. The back seats were probably in the same shape. Maybe a little vacuuming would fix that. He would have to break out the stain remover for the trunk. After looking back and seeing that Buffy wasn't coming around the corner yet, his eye caught Anya's.

"Why so glum, chum?" Xander asked as a way to lift the mood. And regretted it almost immediately as Anya looked at him like he was responsible for every single thing that was wrong in the world

"Ok, never mind the small talk. We'll just sit here quietly in a car filled with tension and vengeance till Buffy comes back or gets dragged off to jail." Xander turned to face forward again and keep an eye out for Buffy in his mirrors.

"She can take care of herself," Anya said not too pleasantly.

Xander just couldn't let himself relax around Anya. She was all prickly with resentment and just waiting to sting him. OK, the wedding fiasco was his fault. But why couldn't she see it as just a small setback. It was what she had done that made it so they couldn't catch up. He should be mad at her for making herself a demon again and putting herself out of his reach.

"You two shouldn't bicker. Uncomfortable silences are just one of many benefits of non-amicable break ups," Halfrek said to them both. Then she smiled at Xander. Seeing her smiling face framed in his rear view mirror made Xander a little uncomfortable. For no particular reason - she was just a powerful and dangerous vengeance demon who didn't like him.

"Hallie, drop the counselor shtick," Anya told her.

Halfrek ignored her as she made meaningful eye contact with Xander before she spoke.

"You were the best thing that could have happened to Anyanka," Halfrek whispered, leaning forward a little, making both Anya and Xander turn to stare at her.

"You were that horrendous car crash that makes a drunk in denial finally wake up and realize that she has been domesticated into a short lifetime of the dullest drudgery," Halfrek explained speaking to Xander pleasantly.

To get her attention Anya hit her arm.

"I was a successful businesswoman!" Anya insisted.

"A salesclerk," Halfrek contradicted her.

"A partner in a thriving business!" Anya shouted.

Xander wanted to be somewhere else. This was girl talk, or possibly a demon brawl. Either way, he didn't need to be there.

"Then why did you give up this wonderful life?" Halfrek asked and she motioned to Xander with her arm like she was a game show lady pointing at a prize.

Xander's eyes traveled to Anya and he saw her glance at him before she answered.

"I wanted it all. A career woman and a vengeance demon. Why not? Until Willow huffed and puffed and blew the store down," Anya said unconvincingly. She sat back with her arms folded.

"Vengeance should be enough for anyone," Halfrek said. Anya actually growled in response.

"So, how about that cave in? That must have been something," Xander said to them before he became an innocent bystander in whatever angry vengeance demons did to resolve their differences.

"Buffy can fill you in," Anya told him curtly.

"Why burden the little thing with yet another chore? She'll have her hands full with that treasure we helped her dig up," Halfrek said.

Seeing a change of subject, Xander jumped on it.

"That was one spud that should have stayed planted," Xander complained thinking how much simpler that would have been and how much cleaner his trunk would be right now.

"It was Anya's fault." Halfrek was quick to place blame. Then Halfrek looked at Xander too long and too closely, and he recoiled a little.

"I have to say, I expected an effusive display of glee now that Spike is no longer among the mentally active. You are doing a remarkable job of containing yourself," Halfrek said arching her eyebrow.

"Hey, where's your sympathy? The famous demon solidarity I never hear so much about?" Xander asked trying to get the focus off him.

"Oh, please, vampires are so much lower than us. They are only a step above zombies, you know," Halfrek said cattily, and Xander nodded.

"I think right now Spike might be a step below zombies," Anya noted.

"Actually, this might be my favorite kind of Spike. Chipped and pathetic was pretty good. Souled and insane - an acquired taste. Brain damaged and harmless, finally, Spike light - more drool, less bite. Works for me," Xander said. It probably wasn't wise, but it felt kind of good to speak up on the subject. Not venting his Spike-hate around Buffy made him feel hypocritical. Also a little smug for having such consideration and self-control. But that was just the kind of great guy he was.

"I'm noticing an affinity for vengeance," Halfrek pronounced like she was making a diagnosis. "Anyanka, I finally see what you saw in him. Why, the way he holds a grudge is almost adequate," Halfrek complemented Xander.

"Wow, high praise," Xander said turning forward again with his eye on the side mirrors looking for Buffy.

"It is indeed," Halfrek confirmed self-importantly. "Now lets talk about your parents."

"Let's not." And just to make sure, Xander changed the subject back again. "And it's not vengeance. This Spike thing isn't about some grudge. OK, it is. But it's also just common sense. Someone took out the bullets and removed the trigger. Now if Buffy wants to set him on her mantle, I think he'll make a great conversation piece," Xander said. "You don't think that's what she is planning, do you?"

Halfrek shrugged.

"I don't hear you mentioning this whole Spike-safety philosophy to Buffy," Anya pointed out a little smugly. Like she caught him. Which she didn't.

"She knows how I feel." Xander guessed that Buffy did. Then he saw her running back to the car.

"And she's back and baby-free!" Xander exclaimed as Buffy jumped in.

"Drive," she told him.

Xander drove through the alley to the other side as Buffy kept glancing back.






Willow's tired eyes wanted to close as she sat on Buffy's bed. But too often, when her eyes shut and she was about to drift into sleep, she would jump at the sound of a gunshot. She was startled awake by a memory of a noise that seemed so real. She couldn't convince herself that her ears had nothing to do with it. Then she would have to get out of bed and turn on the light so she wouldn't see things. It was better to be awake than to be trapped in that moment. In that moment nothing mattered. Nothing existed except Tara's dead body. She couldn't live there. Here other things mattered.

"How afraid are you to be alone with me?" Willow asked Dawn.

Dawn had been looking out the window for Xander's car. She looked surprised by the question. It didn't really come out of nowhere. Willow had wondered how much of Dawn's worry over Buffy coming back was about being left alone with a recovering murderer.

In this room the furniture was different. The carpet was new. But Willow could see red stains rise up and hear Tara's voice. See her lying on the bed alongside her and then disappearing. It wasn't like Dawn had nothing to worry about.

"I'm not cowering in fear right now. But something could come up. I don't feel qualified to handle a magic mojo emergency," Dawn said. She stood half turned and waited to see what else would crawl out of the can of worms she had opened.

"I wish there was an emergency procedure. But it's pretty much get away and get Buffy," Willow told her. Not that that would do much good. But it was good to have a plan. Know your exits, drop and roll, duck and cover, that kind of thing.

Dawn nodded. She didn't look too impressed with the plan either as she turned back to the window.






Buffy kept looking back to make sure they weren't followed. She decided they were safe and turned forward again. A skinny, old man with white hair stood in the middle of the road ahead of them. Xander didn't slow down. Buffy reached for the wheel. But the man was gone. Buffy looked in the side mirror and saw him behind them bent over laughing his head off.

"Buffy what is it? Did you want to go for doughnuts?" Xander asked as they had just passed a doughnut place when Buffy tried to take over the steering wheel.

"No. I just thought I saw someone."

"Another cop?" Xander asked worriedly.

"No. Just some weird, old guy." Buffy said, perplexed.

"Old people get up earlier than normal people," Anya said as a way of explanation and Buffy and Xander both frowned.

"Yes, yes they do," Xander said, humoring her.

"Everything breaks down when you get older. I'm glad I'm not going to get old," Anya said smugly.

"Yes. Hurray," Halfrek agreed.

"You are going to get old," Anya told Buffy and Xander, "and wrinkley and lose your teeth and your hair," she said the last one to Xander. Then she sat back in her seat.

"I'm glad I'm not going to get old," she repeated unnecessarily. Xander looked at her in the rear view mirror until the light changed.

Buffy looked back but the weird old guy was gone. He had looked familiar. His white hair stood out more than anything in the gloomy light of early morning. She couldn't make out his face - it was a blur. He was skinny and kind of short, wearing nondescript dark clothes. Buffy thought she must have seen him before. Maybe when she was out some night, she might have passed him by.






After Buffy had her little spaz attack, she told them how she left the baby to be found.

"One helpless, drooling thing down, one to go," is how Halfrek summed it up. Then she gave Buffy another hint that she had to finish things. Buffy ignored her as turned around in her seat to face Anya.

Buffy was all business asking about the wish. Anya watched her face. There wasn't much there. Sure there were eyes and nose and lips, but no feelings. Buffy was working so hard to keep it all to herself. Anya could draw it out of her if she wanted. Maybe over some umbrella drinks. That was what Anya did.

She already knew some of what Buffy was holding back. Anya could glimpse the almost wishes Buffy made. Never speaking the words, just vague curses that were wordless even inside her own head. Buffy was too good to wish. She was a slayer. Anya tried to keep the smile from her face thinking of her wishes coming true in spite of her. Vengeance will out.

Buffy questioned her about the jewel cluster, a way to reverse the wish, counter the effects, get ahead in business without really trying. Anya shook her head. No different than any other repentant wisher wanting to take it all back. It was hopeless.

"Oh, the cluster's wishes aren't reversible. Unlike some people's," Halfrek butted in. She didn't bother to pointedly stare at Anya. Her meaning was far too obvious for that to be necessary.

Then they were at Buffy's house and Buffy was taking measures to keep Spike's inanimate body from burning up.






to be continued