New Beginnings - Chapters 5 & 6
Oct. 4th, 2003 12:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
psubratAuthor: PSUbrat
Rating: PG-13 Some language and violence
Disclaimer and spoiler warning: These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them to, I'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.
Update List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic
Summary: Dawn's birthday brings surprises all around...
Timeframe: A couple of days after "Questions & Invitations"
Xander woke to the sound of the alarm going off from Buffy’s room. Did she really need to have it that loud? He was going to have to get a silencer for that thing. Then again, a silencer for something that was supposed to wake you up probably defeated the whole purpose. He looked at the clock. Too damn early. Good thing Anya didn’t live here anymore. She would have been in Buffy’s face about the noise by now. He lay there for a few more minutes, hoping that Buffy would turn that god-forsaken thing off. After about five minutes of continual screeching, he pulled himself out of bed and padded barefoot across the living room to his houseguests’ room. He slowly opened the door.
"Buffy?" he asked without peering into the room. "Are you and the Dawnster awake and decent yet?"
There was no answer. He peeked his head into the room and looked around. The beds were made. It looked like no one had slept in them all night.
"Buff? You in the bathroom?"
Still no answer.
Frowning, he stepped into the girls’ room and headed for the bathroom. He had almost made it there when he heard voices coming from the living room along with the sound of the front door closing. With a look of confusion covering his face, he turned to make his way back to the living room.
"Morning Xander," Dawn said brightly. "It’s a beautiful day out there."
"Hey Xan. Whatcha doin’ in there?" Buffy asked, putting down the box of donuts on the table.
"I was looking for you two, but I see that you’ve already been found. Oh! Donuts!"
"Buffy," a female voice called from Xander’s bedroom. "Do you know where Xander is?"
"He’s out here Anya," Buffy yelled.
Slowly, Xander turned to look at Buffy. "Anya’s here?" He asked with a mouthful of jelly donut and wide eyes.
"Yeah," Dawn answered, taking a donut for herself. "We met up with her on the way home and decided to walk here together."
"Xander," Anya stated as she came out of the bedroom. "We need to talk."
"Talk about what, sweetie?" Xander asked still eating his donut and trying not to make eye contact. He had a feeling he knew where this was going.
"Sex," Anya said staring at him. "We haven’t had any since you’ve come home from the hospital. And I think it’s about time."
Buffy and Dawn exchanged looks. "I’m gonna go take a shower," Buffy said quickly.
Dawn put her half-eaten donut down on the table and followed her sister towards their bedroom. This was not a conversation either one of them wanted to hear. "And, uhm, I’m gonna go with her to, uhm, make sure the shower works!"
Once inside, they closed the door tightly and turned on the radio, hoping to drown out the voices coming from the living room.
Xander motioned to Anya to sit down on the couch. This wasn’t the conversation he was expecting to have. He thought she would want to talk about the living arrangements and how uneconomical it was to keep two apartments. Right now, he wasn’t in any hurry to have her move back in though. Things were going just fine the way they were. He was thankful that Buffy and Dawn went to their room so that he could talk to his demon girlfriend alone. His sex life was not a topic that he wanted to share with either Summers girl.
"An," he started, looking into her eyes. "I’m not sure that we’re ready to take that step in our relationship yet."
"What? Are you kidding?" Anya demanded. "We should have had sex the night you came home. It’s very important to have sex in a relationship."
"Anya, you do know that I love you, don’t you?"
"Yes. That’s why we should have sex. Now. We both love each other. And we’re happy again. So there should be lots of sex and good orgasms."
He sighed and looked back up at her. This was going to be difficult for him to say, but he felt that he needed to say it. "An, I don’t know when I’ll be ready to make that kind of commitment to you. I’m not sure I can get past the fact that you’re a demon again."
His words stung her deeply and put her on the verge of tears. She didn’t understand why he didn’t want her that way. She had believed that when they gotten back together, he had accepted every part of who she was. Apparently she had been wrong. "Xander, I don’t understand. I thought you loved me despite me being a demon? And it’s not like I’ve been a practicing demon. I’m still the same person."
"No Anya, you’re not. You’re a demon. Not a person. And I’m just not sure I can make love to a demon."
She sat in stunned silence. Slowly she got up off the couch and made her way to the front door. As she was about to leave, she turned to him and said, "When you love someone Xander, you love them for who they are. Not what you want them to be." The tears were starting to come and she needed to get out of there. She didn’t want him to see her cry.
Xander watched her leave. Could this day get any worse?
Several hours later, it was back to business at the Magic Box. Anya was busy behind the counter ringing up a customer while Dawn helped another customer at the front of the store. Giles and Buffy were in the back room training, leaving Xander alone at the round table to read his latest comic book. He tried desperately to enjoy the story but his mind just couldn’t focus. He kept replaying the conversation he’d had with Anya that morning. He was sorry he had hurt her, but honestly, he couldn’t see himself spending the rest of his life with a demon, especially a vengeance demon. It just wasn’t right. Was he wrong to feel this way? He looked over at Anya and studied her closely. She still looked like the woman he fell in love with. She still sounded and acted like her too. He was so confused.
The bell over the door rang as Willow and Tara walked in carrying a tray full of cupcakes. Tara walked over to Dawn to give her a hug. "Happy Birthday, Dawnie," she said squeezing the young girl.
Dawn blushed and thanked her friend. Other than Buffy, no one else had mentioned it yet.
"We brought you cupcakes," Willow said with a grin. She headed over to the table to put them down. Noticing that Xander looked deep in thought she asked, "Xander, what’s up? How come you’re not at work?"
"Hey Will," he said unenthusiastically. "I took the day off to hang with the Dawnster on her birthday.
"That was sweet of you," Willow smiled.
"Yes. Wasn’t it," Anya stated. "Dawn’s not a demon so he can do nice things for her."
Confused, Willow looked at Xander questioningly. He shook his head and waved it off, letting her know he didn’t want to talk about it. She was concerned about him but since he didn’t want to talk about it, she wouldn’t push the subject. "Hey Dawnie, come on over here and we’ll sing ‘happy birthday’ to you."
"You guys don’t have to do that," Dawn said with a grin.
"Yes we do," Buffy piped up as she and Giles emerged from the training room.
They all gathered around the table as Tara put a candle in one of the cupcakes and lit it. After they were done singing, they sat down at the table to enjoy the confections.
"So Dawn?" Xander asked. "How does it feel to be sixteen?"
"Uhm, really no different than yesterday. Except," she said looking at Buffy with hope in her eyes, "for the fact that I can now get a license."
"I said I would think about it, Dawn," Buffy said, giving her sister a stern look.
Dawn just smiled sweetly in response, knowing that this wasn’t the time to fight this particular battle.
"I think the big question," Giles stated with concern, "is whether or not you feel differently? Have you felt anything unusual? Any new powers to report?"
"No. I don’t feel differently. And nothing new to report."
"Very well. I suppose we will have to keep an eye out to see how your new powers will manifest themselves. The sixteenth birthday is always significant in the rights of passage. It dates as far back as ancient..."
"Giles," Buffy interrupted. "I think we get the idea."
"Right. Sorry."
Dawn thought the afternoon seemed to drag on. Things had been slow all day around the shop. She sat on the stool and paged through a magazine, hoping it would pass the time more quickly. It didn’t. She just wanted to go home and get ready for her party. As she started to read an interesting article, the sound of raised voices came from the back room. The yelling was getting louder. Anya and Xander had been fighting ever since this morning. The sex talk must not have gone too well. She glanced over at her sister who was talking with Willow, Tara and Giles at the table. They had stopped talking as well and were looking towards the back room.
The yelling got even louder when Xander and Anya came into the shop area. They were oblivious to the others in the room.
"Anya, this is the perfect solution!" Xander shouted.
"You have no idea what you’re talking about," Anya said emphatically. "I refuse to do that."
"So what you’re saying is you don’t love me enough to destroy your power center and become human again?" He demanded.
"Xander, I already told you my answer. I love you but I won’t do it."
Willow stared at the feuding couple. She felt responsible for this situation. If she had never made the wish, Anya would be able to destroy her pendant and be happy with Xander. She looked over at Tara with pleading eyes. Her lover squeezed her hand and smiled. Getting up out of her seat, she went over to stand between Xander and Anya.
"Xander," Willow said softly. "Anya can’t destroy her power center."
"And why not?" He demanded again.
"Willow, please sit down. You don’t have to..."
"No Anya, I do have to. It’s my fault."
"Will, it’s not your fault we’re fighting. That’s just crazy talk," he stated as he put his hand on Willow’s shoulder.
"No Xander. It is my fault. You want her to be human again. And the only way that will happen is if we destroy her pendant. Well...we can’t do that."
"And again," Xander said with confusion. "I ask, huh?"
Willow looked over at Tara. "Go ahead Willow. It’ll be okay," Tara said, giving her lover a reassuring smile.
"Because," Willow sighed. "I made a wish and if you destroy it, nothing will ever be the same again." And in her mind she said, 'please pass the salt.'
Author: PSUbrat
Rating: PG-13 Some language and violence
Disclaimer and spoiler warning: These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them to, I'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.
Update List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic
Summary: Dawn's birthday continues to bring surprises all around...
Timeframe: Immediately following "Birthday Surprises"
The silence that hung in the air was so thick Willow could barely breathe. She had just confessed to everyone in the room that she had altered their reality, with the help of Anya. She was trying to understand how a few simple words said in pain could make such a huge impact on her life, and the lives of her friends. She looked around the room, trying to read each person’s expression, but found it hard to even look at Tara. She noticed that Xander looked like he had been punched in the stomach and the others were just stunned. Now she was going to have to explain to them what had happened in the other reality. Was she ready for this?
Tara was the first to speak. "I know that this is a lot to take in. I had the same reaction as all of you when Willow first told me, but you need to listen to how and why it happened before you pass any judgment on her. Including you Xander."
"You’re quite right, Tara," Giles said quietly. "Willow, please come sit down and explain what is that has happened."
Willow slowly shuffled her feet towards the empty chair at the table. This was the second time this week that she was going to have to go through all those terrible memories and pain.
"Why don’t you start from the beginning, Will," Buffy stated calmly.
"Well...do you remember the day that I warned you about Warren coming with a gun? That’s the day it happened. Actually, we lived that particular day twice."
"I only remember living it once," Dawn said, speaking up.
"Yeah. You guys will only remember the one time, which is actually the second time, but I remember everything. I didn’t at first, I was confused; but then, over time, I started remembering."
Buffy looked at her friend. This was obviously very hard on the girl. She felt for her but she needed to know that Willow’s wish hadn’t put them in more danger than they had been in, in the other reality. "Will, why don’t you tell us what happened before you made the wish?"
Willow wasn’t sure she could handle telling everyone about Tara’s death and her subsequent rampage, but Tara took her hand and squeezed it. Tara gave her strength to go on. "It all started when Warren came with the gun," she said looking at Buffy. "He shot at Xander first, you second and then a third bullet hit Tara in our room." The memory of Tara’s face and the blood all over the girl’s shirt, made Willow’s eyes cloud over with tears. Her voice wavered as she continued. "Warren had shot her in the back and killed her. Right in front of me. I tried to bring her back by summoning Osiris, but he refused my pleadings."
"It wasn’t a mystical death," Giles muttered.
"Exactly. I was so distraught. I walked out of the house and met up with Xander who was going to the hospital with Buffy since she had been shot. That’s when I found out it was Warren that had done this. I-I lost my mind. I came here..."
"And she put me in stasis," Anya added. "Because I tried to stop her. I could feel her pain. But she wanted to do the vengeance thing herself."
"Oh, poor Anya. Couldn’t do her job," Xander said sarcastically.
Anya scowled at him.
Giles growled at the young man, "Xander, please do shut up." He nodded at the red head to continue with her story.
"I came to the shop and absorbed all of the black majick books that were here. And when I say absorbed, I mean it literally. My hair and eyes turned black. I-I think I kinda looked like my doppelganger."
"Much worse," Anya chimed in.
"Uh. Thanks Anya. Anyway, I saved Buffy’s life at the hospital but then I went after Warren. I tortured him and I killed him in cold blood. Buffy...you and Xander and Anya tried to stop me, but you didn’t get there in time, and then I went after Jonathan and Andrew. You managed to save them, but not before you and I went a couple of rounds."
"She totally kicked your ass," Anya stated.
They all looked at the demon.
"What? Well she did," Anya shot back.
"I also threatened Dawn, and I tortured Giles too. Giles had teleported here with borrowed magic, like he did when we were fighting Warren. I drained him of his powers. After that, I went to the top of the hill on the outskirts of town and called upon the dark powers to destroy the world. Xander stopped me, though." She looked at her friend and smiled.
"Imagine that," Xander said smiling. "I saved the world. I’m the man!" After a few seconds, it sank in and he added, "Too bad I’m not that man in this reality."
"After Xander saved me, I cried out that I wished Tara had never died."
"And that’s where I came in. I granted her wish," Anya said with a smile.
"Oh, that’s something to be proud of," Xander hissed at her.
"I was just doing my job!" Anya screamed back at him.
"Well if it wasn’t for your job, we wouldn’t be in this situation right now, would we?"
"Will the two of you just stop?" Buffy yelled. She turned to her friend and asked, "Anything else, Will?
"No. That’s pretty much the condensed version. I swear I didn’t make the wish on purpose. I didn’t know that Anya had gotten her vengeance on again. And that’s why we can’t destroy her pendant. I’m sorry."
"It does explain quite a bit actually," Giles said, cleaning his glasses. "It would explain why the coven said the situation had changed. Originally, they had told me that a powerful force based on pain was rising, but then when I went to them again after I couldn’t reach any of you, they said that the force was now based on vengeance against Buffy. Really quite amazing."
Xander was pacing now. Apparently he had been the hero in the other reality, the true reality. Now he was a nothing again. His anger got the best of him. "Willow, you do realize that it was your fault that I almost died, don’t you?"
"Xander!" Most everyone screamed at him.
"How could you say that to her, Xander?" Dawn asked in shock.
"Xander, I almost died too," Willow whispered.
"So now we’re all stuck in your little world. Now I’ll never have my girlfriend back and it’s all your fault. That’s just great." His bitterness dripped off every word.
Willow began crying as Tara put her arms around her. She knew this was going to be hard, but she didn’t think Xander would be the one to turn against her. Not like this.
"Xander, I think you need to shut up now before I have to hit you," Buffy threatened. "From what I can understand, this is a much better reality to be in. Everyone is safe and sound and Willow was able to learn from her mistakes. I think that counts for something."
"Yes. I believe it does," Giles agreed.
"Xander, it’s like I said before," Anya said turning to her ex-fiancé. "You’ll have to love me for who I am, right now. Not who you want me to be."
"She’s right Xander," Tara agreed. "You can’t just pick and choose how you want things to be."
"Oh, but Willow can," he seethed. He walked over to Anya and ripped her pendant from her neck. "I say we all take a vote. Who here votes to go back to the other reality by crushing Anya’s pendant?"
"I don’t believe you have that choice mortal," said a rough voice to their left.
The creature standing to their left was a gray, four-horned demon with some type of moustache. Anya and Willow recognized him right away. The others weren’t exactly sure who it was at first. Dawn thought that maybe she recognized him from the bison lodge at Anya and Xander’s non-wedding.
The demon glided into the middle of the room to stare into Xander’s eyes. What did this mortal know of right and wrong? He should have sent one of his demons to take care of the boy when he had left Anya at the altar. How dare he make one of his best vengeance demons suffer like this? And she did suffer. They could all feel her pain.
"Tell me why," the demon demanded as his hand shot out and grabbed Xander by the neck, "I shouldn’t just crush you instead? This is the thanks you give to the one that never left your bedside while you were dying? You don’t deserve her love."
They all stared at the scene. Finally when Xander’s face began to turn blue, Anya blurted out, "D’Hoffryn! No!"
He dropped the mortal to the floor and turned to his demon. "Anyanka, you and I need to have a chat."
"Whatever you have to say to her, you can say in front of us," Buffy stated coldly.
"Very well," the demon said. "But first, we need to summon the second offender."
Anya turned pale. She looked as if she was going to faint right there on the spot. "D’Hoffryn," she pleaded. "I promise I’ll be a better demon for you!"
He ignored her pleas. Lifting his arms to the ceiling he yelled, "Halfrek appear!"
To their right, the second vengeance demon materialized in the shop.
Halfrek looked around the shop in a daze. She wasn’t certain how she had gotten there, but she knew it couldn’t be good. Then her eyes fell on D’Hoffryn. She too became pale and lowered her eyes to the ground. "Forgive me master," she cried. "I won’t help the mortals again."
D’Hoffryn studied both of his best vengeance demons. He was going to miss them. "You have both broken the first law of vengeance. You have disclosed vengeance information to mortals thus helping them against those from which the vengeance was to come. I’m very disappointed in both of you. Do you have any last words before I exact my punishment upon you?"
Anya and Halfrek looked at one another and then down at the floor. "No," Anya whispered. Halfrek shook her head.
"Wait a minute here," Buffy growled. "There will be no punishment exacting of any kind while I’m here."
"This is none of your concern mortal."
"Anya is my friend, this is my concern!" Buffy lunged at D’Hoffryn but Giles held her back.
"Buffy, please...we shouldn’t interfere."
"You should listen to your watcher, Slayer. Now, back to the punishment."
Xander got to his feet quickly and stepped in between D’Hoffryn and the girls. "Don’t do anything to them. If you want to punish someone, punish me."
D’Hoffryn laughed. "Silly mortal, as much as I would enjoy smiting you down, this punishment can only be delivered to those who did the offenses. Now get out of my way before I throw you out of the way."
Xander refused to budge and continued to glare at the demon. There was no way he was going to let anyone hurt Anya. Not this time. For once he was going to stand up and be a man. "Then do your best horn man."
D’Hoffryn made a sweeping motion with his hand, sending Xander flying into the counter. Anya ran to help him up but before she could get there, she was told to stop. "Anyanka, you will leave the mortal alone. He is fine. Now go back next to Halfrek."
She did as he said and slowly took her place next to her friend.
"I have explained your transgressions and you have pleaded guilty. Therefore, you two will be punished accordingly." He chanted a few words and the two demons disappeared within a wall of white smoke.
Rating: PG-13 Some language and violence
Disclaimer and spoiler warning: These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them to, I'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.
Update List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic
Summary: Dawn's birthday brings surprises all around...
Timeframe: A couple of days after "Questions & Invitations"
- 5 -
Birthday Surprises
Birthday Surprises
Xander woke to the sound of the alarm going off from Buffy’s room. Did she really need to have it that loud? He was going to have to get a silencer for that thing. Then again, a silencer for something that was supposed to wake you up probably defeated the whole purpose. He looked at the clock. Too damn early. Good thing Anya didn’t live here anymore. She would have been in Buffy’s face about the noise by now. He lay there for a few more minutes, hoping that Buffy would turn that god-forsaken thing off. After about five minutes of continual screeching, he pulled himself out of bed and padded barefoot across the living room to his houseguests’ room. He slowly opened the door.
"Buffy?" he asked without peering into the room. "Are you and the Dawnster awake and decent yet?"
There was no answer. He peeked his head into the room and looked around. The beds were made. It looked like no one had slept in them all night.
"Buff? You in the bathroom?"
Still no answer.
Frowning, he stepped into the girls’ room and headed for the bathroom. He had almost made it there when he heard voices coming from the living room along with the sound of the front door closing. With a look of confusion covering his face, he turned to make his way back to the living room.
"Morning Xander," Dawn said brightly. "It’s a beautiful day out there."
"Hey Xan. Whatcha doin’ in there?" Buffy asked, putting down the box of donuts on the table.
"I was looking for you two, but I see that you’ve already been found. Oh! Donuts!"
"Buffy," a female voice called from Xander’s bedroom. "Do you know where Xander is?"
"He’s out here Anya," Buffy yelled.
Slowly, Xander turned to look at Buffy. "Anya’s here?" He asked with a mouthful of jelly donut and wide eyes.
"Yeah," Dawn answered, taking a donut for herself. "We met up with her on the way home and decided to walk here together."
"Xander," Anya stated as she came out of the bedroom. "We need to talk."
"Talk about what, sweetie?" Xander asked still eating his donut and trying not to make eye contact. He had a feeling he knew where this was going.
"Sex," Anya said staring at him. "We haven’t had any since you’ve come home from the hospital. And I think it’s about time."
Buffy and Dawn exchanged looks. "I’m gonna go take a shower," Buffy said quickly.
Dawn put her half-eaten donut down on the table and followed her sister towards their bedroom. This was not a conversation either one of them wanted to hear. "And, uhm, I’m gonna go with her to, uhm, make sure the shower works!"
Once inside, they closed the door tightly and turned on the radio, hoping to drown out the voices coming from the living room.
******
Xander motioned to Anya to sit down on the couch. This wasn’t the conversation he was expecting to have. He thought she would want to talk about the living arrangements and how uneconomical it was to keep two apartments. Right now, he wasn’t in any hurry to have her move back in though. Things were going just fine the way they were. He was thankful that Buffy and Dawn went to their room so that he could talk to his demon girlfriend alone. His sex life was not a topic that he wanted to share with either Summers girl.
"An," he started, looking into her eyes. "I’m not sure that we’re ready to take that step in our relationship yet."
"What? Are you kidding?" Anya demanded. "We should have had sex the night you came home. It’s very important to have sex in a relationship."
"Anya, you do know that I love you, don’t you?"
"Yes. That’s why we should have sex. Now. We both love each other. And we’re happy again. So there should be lots of sex and good orgasms."
He sighed and looked back up at her. This was going to be difficult for him to say, but he felt that he needed to say it. "An, I don’t know when I’ll be ready to make that kind of commitment to you. I’m not sure I can get past the fact that you’re a demon again."
His words stung her deeply and put her on the verge of tears. She didn’t understand why he didn’t want her that way. She had believed that when they gotten back together, he had accepted every part of who she was. Apparently she had been wrong. "Xander, I don’t understand. I thought you loved me despite me being a demon? And it’s not like I’ve been a practicing demon. I’m still the same person."
"No Anya, you’re not. You’re a demon. Not a person. And I’m just not sure I can make love to a demon."
She sat in stunned silence. Slowly she got up off the couch and made her way to the front door. As she was about to leave, she turned to him and said, "When you love someone Xander, you love them for who they are. Not what you want them to be." The tears were starting to come and she needed to get out of there. She didn’t want him to see her cry.
Xander watched her leave. Could this day get any worse?
******
Several hours later, it was back to business at the Magic Box. Anya was busy behind the counter ringing up a customer while Dawn helped another customer at the front of the store. Giles and Buffy were in the back room training, leaving Xander alone at the round table to read his latest comic book. He tried desperately to enjoy the story but his mind just couldn’t focus. He kept replaying the conversation he’d had with Anya that morning. He was sorry he had hurt her, but honestly, he couldn’t see himself spending the rest of his life with a demon, especially a vengeance demon. It just wasn’t right. Was he wrong to feel this way? He looked over at Anya and studied her closely. She still looked like the woman he fell in love with. She still sounded and acted like her too. He was so confused.
The bell over the door rang as Willow and Tara walked in carrying a tray full of cupcakes. Tara walked over to Dawn to give her a hug. "Happy Birthday, Dawnie," she said squeezing the young girl.
Dawn blushed and thanked her friend. Other than Buffy, no one else had mentioned it yet.
"We brought you cupcakes," Willow said with a grin. She headed over to the table to put them down. Noticing that Xander looked deep in thought she asked, "Xander, what’s up? How come you’re not at work?"
"Hey Will," he said unenthusiastically. "I took the day off to hang with the Dawnster on her birthday.
"That was sweet of you," Willow smiled.
"Yes. Wasn’t it," Anya stated. "Dawn’s not a demon so he can do nice things for her."
Confused, Willow looked at Xander questioningly. He shook his head and waved it off, letting her know he didn’t want to talk about it. She was concerned about him but since he didn’t want to talk about it, she wouldn’t push the subject. "Hey Dawnie, come on over here and we’ll sing ‘happy birthday’ to you."
"You guys don’t have to do that," Dawn said with a grin.
"Yes we do," Buffy piped up as she and Giles emerged from the training room.
They all gathered around the table as Tara put a candle in one of the cupcakes and lit it. After they were done singing, they sat down at the table to enjoy the confections.
"So Dawn?" Xander asked. "How does it feel to be sixteen?"
"Uhm, really no different than yesterday. Except," she said looking at Buffy with hope in her eyes, "for the fact that I can now get a license."
"I said I would think about it, Dawn," Buffy said, giving her sister a stern look.
Dawn just smiled sweetly in response, knowing that this wasn’t the time to fight this particular battle.
"I think the big question," Giles stated with concern, "is whether or not you feel differently? Have you felt anything unusual? Any new powers to report?"
"No. I don’t feel differently. And nothing new to report."
"Very well. I suppose we will have to keep an eye out to see how your new powers will manifest themselves. The sixteenth birthday is always significant in the rights of passage. It dates as far back as ancient..."
"Giles," Buffy interrupted. "I think we get the idea."
"Right. Sorry."
******
Dawn thought the afternoon seemed to drag on. Things had been slow all day around the shop. She sat on the stool and paged through a magazine, hoping it would pass the time more quickly. It didn’t. She just wanted to go home and get ready for her party. As she started to read an interesting article, the sound of raised voices came from the back room. The yelling was getting louder. Anya and Xander had been fighting ever since this morning. The sex talk must not have gone too well. She glanced over at her sister who was talking with Willow, Tara and Giles at the table. They had stopped talking as well and were looking towards the back room.
The yelling got even louder when Xander and Anya came into the shop area. They were oblivious to the others in the room.
"Anya, this is the perfect solution!" Xander shouted.
"You have no idea what you’re talking about," Anya said emphatically. "I refuse to do that."
"So what you’re saying is you don’t love me enough to destroy your power center and become human again?" He demanded.
"Xander, I already told you my answer. I love you but I won’t do it."
Willow stared at the feuding couple. She felt responsible for this situation. If she had never made the wish, Anya would be able to destroy her pendant and be happy with Xander. She looked over at Tara with pleading eyes. Her lover squeezed her hand and smiled. Getting up out of her seat, she went over to stand between Xander and Anya.
"Xander," Willow said softly. "Anya can’t destroy her power center."
"And why not?" He demanded again.
"Willow, please sit down. You don’t have to..."
"No Anya, I do have to. It’s my fault."
"Will, it’s not your fault we’re fighting. That’s just crazy talk," he stated as he put his hand on Willow’s shoulder.
"No Xander. It is my fault. You want her to be human again. And the only way that will happen is if we destroy her pendant. Well...we can’t do that."
"And again," Xander said with confusion. "I ask, huh?"
Willow looked over at Tara. "Go ahead Willow. It’ll be okay," Tara said, giving her lover a reassuring smile.
"Because," Willow sighed. "I made a wish and if you destroy it, nothing will ever be the same again." And in her mind she said, 'please pass the salt.'
Author: PSUbrat
Rating: PG-13 Some language and violence
Disclaimer and spoiler warning: These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them to, I'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.
Update List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic
Summary: Dawn's birthday continues to bring surprises all around...
Timeframe: Immediately following "Birthday Surprises"
- 6 -
Confession
Confession
The silence that hung in the air was so thick Willow could barely breathe. She had just confessed to everyone in the room that she had altered their reality, with the help of Anya. She was trying to understand how a few simple words said in pain could make such a huge impact on her life, and the lives of her friends. She looked around the room, trying to read each person’s expression, but found it hard to even look at Tara. She noticed that Xander looked like he had been punched in the stomach and the others were just stunned. Now she was going to have to explain to them what had happened in the other reality. Was she ready for this?
Tara was the first to speak. "I know that this is a lot to take in. I had the same reaction as all of you when Willow first told me, but you need to listen to how and why it happened before you pass any judgment on her. Including you Xander."
"You’re quite right, Tara," Giles said quietly. "Willow, please come sit down and explain what is that has happened."
Willow slowly shuffled her feet towards the empty chair at the table. This was the second time this week that she was going to have to go through all those terrible memories and pain.
"Why don’t you start from the beginning, Will," Buffy stated calmly.
"Well...do you remember the day that I warned you about Warren coming with a gun? That’s the day it happened. Actually, we lived that particular day twice."
"I only remember living it once," Dawn said, speaking up.
"Yeah. You guys will only remember the one time, which is actually the second time, but I remember everything. I didn’t at first, I was confused; but then, over time, I started remembering."
Buffy looked at her friend. This was obviously very hard on the girl. She felt for her but she needed to know that Willow’s wish hadn’t put them in more danger than they had been in, in the other reality. "Will, why don’t you tell us what happened before you made the wish?"
Willow wasn’t sure she could handle telling everyone about Tara’s death and her subsequent rampage, but Tara took her hand and squeezed it. Tara gave her strength to go on. "It all started when Warren came with the gun," she said looking at Buffy. "He shot at Xander first, you second and then a third bullet hit Tara in our room." The memory of Tara’s face and the blood all over the girl’s shirt, made Willow’s eyes cloud over with tears. Her voice wavered as she continued. "Warren had shot her in the back and killed her. Right in front of me. I tried to bring her back by summoning Osiris, but he refused my pleadings."
"It wasn’t a mystical death," Giles muttered.
"Exactly. I was so distraught. I walked out of the house and met up with Xander who was going to the hospital with Buffy since she had been shot. That’s when I found out it was Warren that had done this. I-I lost my mind. I came here..."
"And she put me in stasis," Anya added. "Because I tried to stop her. I could feel her pain. But she wanted to do the vengeance thing herself."
"Oh, poor Anya. Couldn’t do her job," Xander said sarcastically.
Anya scowled at him.
Giles growled at the young man, "Xander, please do shut up." He nodded at the red head to continue with her story.
"I came to the shop and absorbed all of the black majick books that were here. And when I say absorbed, I mean it literally. My hair and eyes turned black. I-I think I kinda looked like my doppelganger."
"Much worse," Anya chimed in.
"Uh. Thanks Anya. Anyway, I saved Buffy’s life at the hospital but then I went after Warren. I tortured him and I killed him in cold blood. Buffy...you and Xander and Anya tried to stop me, but you didn’t get there in time, and then I went after Jonathan and Andrew. You managed to save them, but not before you and I went a couple of rounds."
"She totally kicked your ass," Anya stated.
They all looked at the demon.
"What? Well she did," Anya shot back.
"I also threatened Dawn, and I tortured Giles too. Giles had teleported here with borrowed magic, like he did when we were fighting Warren. I drained him of his powers. After that, I went to the top of the hill on the outskirts of town and called upon the dark powers to destroy the world. Xander stopped me, though." She looked at her friend and smiled.
"Imagine that," Xander said smiling. "I saved the world. I’m the man!" After a few seconds, it sank in and he added, "Too bad I’m not that man in this reality."
"After Xander saved me, I cried out that I wished Tara had never died."
"And that’s where I came in. I granted her wish," Anya said with a smile.
"Oh, that’s something to be proud of," Xander hissed at her.
"I was just doing my job!" Anya screamed back at him.
"Well if it wasn’t for your job, we wouldn’t be in this situation right now, would we?"
"Will the two of you just stop?" Buffy yelled. She turned to her friend and asked, "Anything else, Will?
"No. That’s pretty much the condensed version. I swear I didn’t make the wish on purpose. I didn’t know that Anya had gotten her vengeance on again. And that’s why we can’t destroy her pendant. I’m sorry."
"It does explain quite a bit actually," Giles said, cleaning his glasses. "It would explain why the coven said the situation had changed. Originally, they had told me that a powerful force based on pain was rising, but then when I went to them again after I couldn’t reach any of you, they said that the force was now based on vengeance against Buffy. Really quite amazing."
Xander was pacing now. Apparently he had been the hero in the other reality, the true reality. Now he was a nothing again. His anger got the best of him. "Willow, you do realize that it was your fault that I almost died, don’t you?"
"Xander!" Most everyone screamed at him.
"How could you say that to her, Xander?" Dawn asked in shock.
"Xander, I almost died too," Willow whispered.
"So now we’re all stuck in your little world. Now I’ll never have my girlfriend back and it’s all your fault. That’s just great." His bitterness dripped off every word.
Willow began crying as Tara put her arms around her. She knew this was going to be hard, but she didn’t think Xander would be the one to turn against her. Not like this.
"Xander, I think you need to shut up now before I have to hit you," Buffy threatened. "From what I can understand, this is a much better reality to be in. Everyone is safe and sound and Willow was able to learn from her mistakes. I think that counts for something."
"Yes. I believe it does," Giles agreed.
"Xander, it’s like I said before," Anya said turning to her ex-fiancé. "You’ll have to love me for who I am, right now. Not who you want me to be."
"She’s right Xander," Tara agreed. "You can’t just pick and choose how you want things to be."
"Oh, but Willow can," he seethed. He walked over to Anya and ripped her pendant from her neck. "I say we all take a vote. Who here votes to go back to the other reality by crushing Anya’s pendant?"
"I don’t believe you have that choice mortal," said a rough voice to their left.
******
The creature standing to their left was a gray, four-horned demon with some type of moustache. Anya and Willow recognized him right away. The others weren’t exactly sure who it was at first. Dawn thought that maybe she recognized him from the bison lodge at Anya and Xander’s non-wedding.
The demon glided into the middle of the room to stare into Xander’s eyes. What did this mortal know of right and wrong? He should have sent one of his demons to take care of the boy when he had left Anya at the altar. How dare he make one of his best vengeance demons suffer like this? And she did suffer. They could all feel her pain.
"Tell me why," the demon demanded as his hand shot out and grabbed Xander by the neck, "I shouldn’t just crush you instead? This is the thanks you give to the one that never left your bedside while you were dying? You don’t deserve her love."
They all stared at the scene. Finally when Xander’s face began to turn blue, Anya blurted out, "D’Hoffryn! No!"
He dropped the mortal to the floor and turned to his demon. "Anyanka, you and I need to have a chat."
"Whatever you have to say to her, you can say in front of us," Buffy stated coldly.
"Very well," the demon said. "But first, we need to summon the second offender."
Anya turned pale. She looked as if she was going to faint right there on the spot. "D’Hoffryn," she pleaded. "I promise I’ll be a better demon for you!"
He ignored her pleas. Lifting his arms to the ceiling he yelled, "Halfrek appear!"
To their right, the second vengeance demon materialized in the shop.
******
Halfrek looked around the shop in a daze. She wasn’t certain how she had gotten there, but she knew it couldn’t be good. Then her eyes fell on D’Hoffryn. She too became pale and lowered her eyes to the ground. "Forgive me master," she cried. "I won’t help the mortals again."
D’Hoffryn studied both of his best vengeance demons. He was going to miss them. "You have both broken the first law of vengeance. You have disclosed vengeance information to mortals thus helping them against those from which the vengeance was to come. I’m very disappointed in both of you. Do you have any last words before I exact my punishment upon you?"
Anya and Halfrek looked at one another and then down at the floor. "No," Anya whispered. Halfrek shook her head.
"Wait a minute here," Buffy growled. "There will be no punishment exacting of any kind while I’m here."
"This is none of your concern mortal."
"Anya is my friend, this is my concern!" Buffy lunged at D’Hoffryn but Giles held her back.
"Buffy, please...we shouldn’t interfere."
"You should listen to your watcher, Slayer. Now, back to the punishment."
Xander got to his feet quickly and stepped in between D’Hoffryn and the girls. "Don’t do anything to them. If you want to punish someone, punish me."
D’Hoffryn laughed. "Silly mortal, as much as I would enjoy smiting you down, this punishment can only be delivered to those who did the offenses. Now get out of my way before I throw you out of the way."
Xander refused to budge and continued to glare at the demon. There was no way he was going to let anyone hurt Anya. Not this time. For once he was going to stand up and be a man. "Then do your best horn man."
D’Hoffryn made a sweeping motion with his hand, sending Xander flying into the counter. Anya ran to help him up but before she could get there, she was told to stop. "Anyanka, you will leave the mortal alone. He is fine. Now go back next to Halfrek."
She did as he said and slowly took her place next to her friend.
"I have explained your transgressions and you have pleaded guilty. Therefore, you two will be punished accordingly." He chanted a few words and the two demons disappeared within a wall of white smoke.
