Author's note: Okay, I've gotten some comments about what Dawn said on the Phone to Connor, please take note that everything has to be put though the Dawn Filter and should not be taken as gospel truth figure you're a sixteen year old talking on the phone to your best friend. Of course you're going to exaggerate. So don't worry. i haven't just completely taken leave of my characterization.

Chapter XLI - Something More Engaging

Dawn bounced up from the training room grabbing a bottle of water and chugging down half in her first swig.

"Rough training session, your slayer-y-ness?" asked Xander.

She shook her head.

"Nah not really. More like," she said she bit her lip trying to remember the word they had discussed earlier in English class. "Invigorating."

Xander shook his head.

"Wow, a big word from Dawnie!"

Dawn narrowed her eyes. She had exaggerated to Connor about just how much the Scoobies respected her. They cared for her, they let her fight against the evil but she was always their little sister. Buffy's little sister, but they never mentioned her anymore.

Giles staggered in from the training room, he looked rather exhausted.

Xander raised his eyebrows and grinned.

"Getting a little too old for this, G-man?" he asked.

Giles abruptly stopped wheezing and scowled at Xander.

"I must assure you, Xander that I am quite capable of performing my duties." he replied a little sharper than he intended. "and I will not tell you again to please stop calling me by that infernal moniker."

"Whoa" Xander replied putting his hands up in defeat. "Easy on the snarky there, Giles."

"Who's being snarky?" asked Willow as she entered, the bell dinging after her.

She was grinning, so it appeared that she and Tara were speaking again.

Xander gestured at Giles.

"Giles was doing the mid-life crisis thing." he explained.

Giles scowled at him.

"I cannot be going through my mid-life crisis." he managed to snap between pants. "I'm still rather young for that."

Willow, Xander and Dawn all exchanged looks.

The Watcher collapsed into a chair.

"Oh, of course, Giles." Willow said patiently nodding as she did so. "I'll just go get you your tea now."

"Thank you." Giles replied. He whipped of his glasses and cleaned them. "I'm bloody exhausted-exhausted not old."

"So!" Xander said rubbing his hands together. "Anything vaguely hell-mouth-y we have to look forward to tonight?"

Dawn shook her head.

"Looks like we'll all be big with the boredom." she said. In reality, she was a little upset that all she had to do was patrol; it was sort of morbid of her to hope for something earth shaking (only literally) to happen. Things had been so quiet lately that she couldn't help but want SOMETHING to happen. It was Tuesday for God's sake!

"Bored?"

Dawn started, she had not realized that Anya had somehow materialized behind her; she had obviously been cataloguing the occult books upstairs. Willow answered for her.

"Yup." she said. "In a major way."

"Crazy dance party at the bronze?" Xander piped up, addressing Willow. Dawn frowned. She was always invited to these crazy Dance parties, but no one really expected her to go, Slayer or not, she was still too young. The red headed witch shook her head, she was putting her cell phone back in her big tote bag.

"Feel a little too mopey for that." she said, her tone was suddenly a little weary. It was obvious to the rest of the scoobies that she had just had another huge blow out with Tara. It was amazing how Willow would e so happy one moment, and then so sad the next. This whole relationship was just wearing her down. Some days she barely had fire enough to think content to just let Giles or Dawn come up with a way to strategize against the big evil of the time. Other days she was all action girl.

"Oh," Anya said, her face lit up. "Well, than I have great news for-"

She stopped abruptly and then looked at Xander questioningly.

Xander looked like he was about to say something but then changed his mind in the last second and just nodded.

"Me and Ahn have some news that may cheer you guys up." he said.

"Do you now?" asked Giles curiously. He took a long sip from his tea.

"Xander and I are getting married." Anya supplied. "And he gave me this really nice ring with a really nice diamond on it. We're not sure of the date yet but I want it to be as soon as possible so that we can go on having sex officia-"

"Ahn."

"Right, fine." She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes at damn humans and their inability to see sex as a regular thing. "So that we can make babies like normal human couples do."

"Ahn." Xander warned of Giles's rather pained look.

"That's wonderful for you two." the watcher managed to say right before Dawns high pitched squeal threw him off and he whipped of his glass and cleaned them in disgust with himself.

Willow and Dawn however reacted like they were expected to, squeals 'oh my Goddess's hugs and more squeals.

"This is way too good be true!" Dawn cried. She hugged Xander again and then squealed a few more times just for the heck of it.

"My little Xander is all grown up!" cried Willow. "And marrying someone."

"And just when you thought that would never happen, huh?" Xander replied looking pleased. "I went and brought a whole new meaning to 'I married an axe murderer'"

Anya shook her head.

"I never really used an Axe, not really my style. Hallie's though." She said. "I was always more of the 'give penises diseases from Obscure Amazonian tribes."

The air went heavy and everyone stared at her. She grinned brightly and then went about her business.

Xander turned to the rest.

"You know that really doesn't make me feel better."