by Draco119 » Tue Feb 03, 2004 11:50 pm
Hi Kittens!
Sorry it took me so long to post this update. This is the last chapter of the fic and I wanted it to be...almost perfect. The next and final post will be the epilogue. I hope you enjoy the ending. Let me know what you all think.
I want to thank everyone who has been reading my story and for all of the support you've all shown. I love you all!
The disclaimer same as before.
~ Part 6c ~
“D’Hoffryn!!!!!!!!!!!”
As quickly as Anya’s screams had begun ringing in the ears of the Scoobies, D’Hoffryn blinked into existence before them. His arms crossed behind him, that indifferent scowl ever present on his face, turning to one of deceptive concern.
“Anyanka?” He said the name in surprise, titling his head slightly to the side as he approached the ex-demon with interest.
“D’Hoffryn, I need you.” Anya stated very matter-of-fact, gone from her voice was the childish pitch that slipped in when she spoke, replaced by the unfeeling, tongue she spoke with now.
“So I heard.” D’Hoffryn raised his eyebrow giving Anya the once over, almost considering the possibilities in his mind, already understanding her intent.
“Anya, what are you doing?” Willow asked, her shock visible in her voice as she stared wide-eyed at D’Hoffryn. The higher level demon turned to face the redhead and smiled politely.
“Ah, Miss Rosenberg, it’s always a pleasure.” He bowed showing his respect and the most curtsey an evil creature such as himself could offer a mortal. He was quite fond of Willow…and her power.
The hacker didn’t really know how to respond to D’Hoffryn. Luckily his attention was diverted to the injured Xander and the bleeding Buffy.
“I suspect Anyanka, that this is why you have called me.” D’Hoffryn asked as he looked between the two wounded Scoobies.
“The paramedics are on there…” Tara hurried through the back door but stopped in her tracks when she saw D’Hoffryn. “…way.” She finished her sentence as she regained her footing and moved to stand beside Willow.
“I need a favor.” Anya stepped up to D’Hoffryn with determination in her narrowed eyes.
“Anya! Don’t!” Xander pleaded with his wife through clenched teeth, the pain in his arm almost blinding. He never thought a bullet wound could sting as much as this one. D’Hoffryn and Anya continued their conversation, Xander’s plea falling on deaf ears.
“We don’t grant favors Anyanka. We grant wishes. You haven’t forgotten how this works, have you?” D’Hoffryn’s sarcastic remark revealed a hint of resentment. Anyanka had been one of his favorites. He had been disappointed when she had been careless enough to be turned human again.
“I remember.” Anya whispered, her resolve never faltering.
“Anya, listen. We’re okay. We’re all okay. The paramedics will be here soon. You don’t have to-“ Xander tried to reason with Anya once more but he was coarsely cut off by his angry wife.
“You’re bleeding and in pain Xander! Everything is far from okay! And Buffy is dying and Warren is still out there. He could have killed you! I won’t let him get away with hurting my husband and my family!”
Anya’s voice was surprisingly steady and low, despite the rage that was burning in her eyes. The Scoobies couldn’t tell what could have been more terrifying, a yelling, angry Anya, or this silent storm that was brewing at lightening speed within the ex-demon.
“I will not stand by and do nothing.” Anya moved again to stand directly in front of D’Hoffryn. Willow tried to reach out to Anya but Tara entwined her fingers with the hacker’s and tugged her back.
“Vengeance must be executed.” Those were the last chilling words spoken by Anya before D’Hoffryn raised him arms and with that move he and the ex-demon disappeared.
“Anya! Wait!” Xander shouted but it had been too late. Anya and D’Hoffryn were gone. Suddenly sirens could be heard in the background. Xander turned towards Willow and Tara, fearful of what Anya might do…not so much to Warren but to her own humanity.
“Will, Anya is out for blood, big time. You need to find her before she finds Warren.” As Xander finished his request, the paramedics were already running into the backyard.
“Tara and I can try a locator spell.” Willow tried to sound reassuring.
“We’ll find her Xander. Everything is going to be fine.” Tara added just as the paramedics surrounded Buffy and Xander, working quickly to get them to the hospital.
* * *
“I got us some Hot Wings!” Clem happily declared as he moved around the table to sit opposite of Spike in the booth. “Get ‘em while there hot! Get it?” The flabby demon laughed at his own joke.
“What has she done to me?” Spike said to himself, not even acknowledging Clem’s joke or his presence for that matter.
“She done who? Oh, the Slayer, huh? Gosh. Did she break up with you again?” He asked the chipped vampire sympathetically.
“We were never together.” Spike answered before taking a swig of his beer. “Not really. She’d never lower herself that far.” The vampire said the words with so much loathing that Clem had to wonder if those weren’t Buffy’s words reincarnated in Spike’s crud English dialect.
“Buffy’s a sweet girl, Spike, but hey. Issues. And no wonder, with the whole coming back from the grave and whatnot.” Clem picked up a Hot Wing and took a big chunk out of it before he continued. “I had this cousin, who got resurrected by some kooky shaman-who-boy! Was that a mess!” He waved his Hot Wing in the air as he went on about his cousin until Spike spoke up.
“Why do I feel this way?” Spike slammed his glass on the table, some of the foamy liquid slipping out onto the table. The platinum vampire didn’t seem to notice though.
“Love’s a funny thing.” Clem shrugged while taking a napkin and cleaning up Spike’s mess.
“Is that what this is? I can feel it.” Spike reached up with his hand that wasn’t clutching his drink and with his fist delivered a nasty strike to his forehead.
“Squirming in my head.” A sinister grin crossed the vampire’s lips. A wickedly insane chuckle soon accompanied the wry smile.
“Love?” Clem asked, both eyebrows raised, not really catching on to what Spike meant but afraid to ask.
“The chip. Gnawing bits and chunks.” Spike placed his hand at the bridge of his nose, as though he was trying to alleviate a throbbing headache.
“Maybe a wet cloth...?” Clem suggested making a rubbing motion with his flabby hand over his own head.
“Everything always used to be so clear. Slayer. Vampire. Vampire kills Slayer, sucks her dry, picks his teeth with her bones.” Spike ranted on like a child while he flared his hands in the air. “It’s always been that way. I’ve tasted the life of two Slayers. But with Buffy…it isn’t supposed to be this way. It’s the chip…steel and wires and silicon. It won’t let me be a monster. And I can’t be a man.” His voice began to soften to a whisper as a harsh realization dawned on him. “I’m nothing.”
“Hey. Come on now, Mr. Negative. You never know what’s just around the corner.” Clem tried to sound positive. Just then the door swung open and Warren strolled in.
“Whiskey, straight up. And get a round for the house. I’m feeling expansive.” The nerd declared triumphantly, proud of his grand entrance, which just about every being in the bar either ignored or didn’t notice. But that wasn’t important, right?
Warren sat on a stool at the bar and patted the demon sitting next to him on the shoulder. “Hey. Bet you don’t get a lot of humans in-“
The demon grabbed Warren, never taking his eyes off of the TV screen. “I’m watching my program.” The demon growled and tossed Warren back onto the stool.
“Wouldn’t want to interrupt your ‘me’ time.” The nerd recovered gracefully. “Even to buy the guy who killed the slayer a drink?” Warren threw the question out into the open, knowing that it would turn heads.
“You killed the slayer?” The demon asked as it turned away from his show to actually pay attention to the pathetic human sitting beside him.
“With these hands.” Warren said victoriously as he raised his hands showing off to the others.
“What are you, a warlock?” The demon asked as he eyed Warren skeptically.
“I’ve explored all the dark arts…witchcraft, demonology. You name it; I tried it against the slayer. But you know what I found really works? Gun.” Warren delivered the final word like the punch line to a really bad joke.
“You killed the slayer with a gun?” The demon asked suspiciously.
“In her own backyard.” At the nerd’s response all of the demons at the bar started laughing hysterically.
“This is gonna be good!” The demon managed to say around his fits of laughter.
“The best! The town is ours!” Warren said as he laughed along with the others.
“Ours, maybe. You are screwed.” The demon finally regained his composer and his voice grew ominous once more. Warren stopped laughing almost instantly.
“This isn’t the evil laugh of victory, is it?” The nerd looked around nervously.
“More like the evil laugh of ‘you’re a dead man’.” The demon grinned, his sharp fangs sending a shiver of fear through Warren.
“It was just on the news. Girl was shot in her backyard. She survived. She’s the hospital. And slayers heal real fast.” Another demon answered, enjoying the scene of the squirming human beside him.
“I was gonna eat you myself during the commercial, but I think it’ll be more fun to let the slayer de-gut you.” The first demon spoke up again. “You might want to get a head start.”
Warren chuckled nervously once, a sense of fear suddenly overcoming him. No longer was he the legendary man who took out the Slayer. No longer was he the villains hero in his deluded fantasies. He had nothing left to do but run in cold terror. He jumped out of his seat and scurried towards the exit.
Halfway in his escape something cold and hard collided with his face. As Warren fell backwards onto the floor, Spike, the culprit who’s fist was introduced to the nerd’s face clutched his head and yelled in blinding pain as he endured the shock from his chip.
“Bloody Hell!” Spike mumbled to himself as Clem stepped up beside him. Warren sat up and clutched his bleeding nose. He looked like a freighted deer momentarily, until he realized that it was Spike.
“Oh, it’s the Slayer’s neutered lapdog.” Warren sounded unworried as he wiped the blood from his nose and stood up. He straightened his clothes and stood toe to toe with the platinum vampire. “Out of my way bloodsucker, I have places to be.”
“Right, going to run away like a little pansy. Find yourself a good little hole to crawl and hide away in.”
“Spike, you’re all fang and no bite. If anyone here needed to find a hole to crawl into and be forgotten about, it’s you. Look at you man, you were William the Bloody, a legend. Now look at you. You’re not the least bit threatening anymore.”
By the pained expression on Spike’s face it was obvious that Warren had struck a vulnerable spot. When the chipped vampire didn’t respond to the nerd, Warren stepped around him and left the bar without looking back. Spike turned and watched him go. Clem stood behind the vampire, a worried expression in his droopy eyes.
“You’re right mate.” Spike spoke to Clem without taking his eyes off of the door.
“About what?” Again Clem was afraid of the answer.
“Things do change. If you make them.”
* * *
At the Summers house Willow and Tara were in the living room trying to find Anya. Tara was kneeling on the floor in front of the couch scrying a map of Sunnydale. Willow meanwhile, paced the floor in front of her hoping that her girlfriend would have some luck in locating their friend.
“Anything?” Willow asked as she stopped pacing, finally getting restless.
“No. Anya doesn’t want to be found.” Tara answered as she dropped the crystal and looked up at her lover, her hope wavering.
“Keep trying. We can’t give up. Anya needs us and we promised Xander that we would find her and bring her back.” Willow walked around the coffee table and sat down on the floor beside Tara.
“I just can’t believe that who I saw this morning was the same Anya who I’ve known these last two years. She was in so much pain Will…she was so angry.” Willow moved closer to her distressed lover and wrapped Tara in her arms.
“She’s just in shock baby. This morning things could have been so much worse. Buffy and Xander could have been killed. Anya realized that before any of us and the thought terrified her. She reacted on insist…to do whatever it took to protect the person she loves most.”
Willow stroked Tara’s long blonde hair in a comforting motion and smile when she heard her lover sigh and snuggle deeper into her embrace. At that moment the front door opened and Dawn walked into the living room. Willow and Tara looked up but didn’t brake away from the embrace.
“What’s going on?” Dawn asked, the empty house and the somber mood that surrounded her favorite couple didn’t agree with her sensitive homestead protective-streak that had developed.
“Seems Anya got her vengeance on again.” Willow was the one to answer the teen as Tara picked up the crystal to try the locator spell again.
* * *
At Rack’s lair Warren crashed through the door surprising the magic dealer.
“You’re new.” Rack looked Warren up and down, an expression of indifference in his dark eyes.
“I come bearing dead presidents. I’m in a situation here. I need protection! I’ve got the slayer after me-“
“The Slayer is the least of your problems. If I were you, I’d worry about the demon.” Rack interrupted the nerd with his warning.
“Demon?” Warren was confused. “If you’re talking about that neutered vamp-“
“Anyanka. She’s one of D’Hoffryn’s.” Rack almost laughed at Warren. The nerd was doomed. “She can sense you right now. It’s just a matter of time before she finds you.”
“Just give me something.” Warren shoved his money at Rack.
Rack flipped through the money in his hands as he considered his options. “Hide or fight?” He finally asked Warren after a long moment.
“Both. I need a cover…and I need lots of firepower.” Warren watched as Rack pocketed the cash.
“I can’t guarantee anything. The girl is running on pure fury.” The door to Rack’s lair was blasted right off its hinges, a startled Warren and a shocked Rack turned around to see the intruder. Stepping into the doorway was Anya, her game face on, her eyes glowing with power, the veins on her face pulsating.
“You’re not wrong.” Anya responded to Rack’s comment.
* * *
Back at the house Tara was still trying to locate Anya. The crystal circled around the map of Sunnydale when suddenly it stopped and pointed to a location.
“I found her!” Tara said with urgency in her voice as she quickly stood up. Willow hurried over to her and studied the area on the map that the crystal had pointed to.
“The crystal is pointing to this general area but somehow I can’t get her exact position.” Tara explained as Willow continued to look at the map they were both holding up together.
“I know where she is.” Willow’s eyes narrowed, her words carried a hint of aversion.
“How?” Tara asked not understand.
“Don’t worry about it.” Willow turned on her heel and headed to the door. “I’ll bring Anya back. You should take Dawn to the hospital and wait for us there.”
“But Willow…” Tara began to argue as she followed behind her lover. Willow turned around and placed her hands on the blonde’s shoulders.
“Tara, please. Just do this for me. I’ll explain everything later.” Willow stared deeply into her lover’s eyes. Her steadfast gaze proving to the blonde witch that she was telling the truth and everything would be explained in time.
Tara nodded and smiled gently. Willow leaned forward and kissed her lover’s forehead before stepping away from her and turning to the front door. “Tell everyone not to worry. Next time you see me, I’ll be with Anya.” Willow promised. With one last look at Tara, a look that spelled love, the hacker opened the door and hurried out of the house.
* * *
Anya stepped into the room and looked back and forth between Rack and Warren. Her gaze lingered over the warlock for a moment as she thought about everything that she could do to him. Getting bored, she waved her hand and with that fluent motion Rack burst into flames and was disintegrated into a pile of ashes.
Warren jumped back in terror. “Oh God! You killed him!” He sputtered nervously.
“Wait until you see what I’m going to do with you.” Anya’s merciless words sent a wave of panic through the nerd. Warren made a frenzied move to the door but before he could get passed the angry vengeance demon, vines sprouted forth through the floor and walls. The thick vines grabbed the nerd and strung him up against the wall.
“Hey! Lemme go!” Anya ignored Warren and strolled up to the nerd like she was at the park on a Sunday morning. Her lighthearted saunter was quickly ended when she pulled out the exact same gun that Warren had used on Buffy that morning.
“Wanna know what a bullet feels like Warren?” Anya cocked the gun and aimed it at the nerd’s legs. One shot, another, then the cry of blinding pain. In less then three seconds Anya had managed to shot off both of Warren’s kneecaps, shattering them within his torn flesh.
“Lemme go! Please! I’m sorry! God, please! I did wrong…I see that now. I need... jail! You don’t want this. You’re not a bad person.” The nerd tried to reason with Anya but the vengeance demon seemed uninterested in what he had to say.
Anya began to look around the small room where Rack did business. She could see nothing of use to her. However when her eyes landed on the table near the center of the room she smiled. Anya turned back to Warren noticing for the first time that he had stopped talking. She saw that he was falling in and out of consciousness, she grimaced.
Anya pulled back her arm and smacked Warren across the face with the side of her gun. “Stay with me Warren. I’m about to torture you and it’s no fun if you can’t feel it!” The demon emphasized her words by digging her nails into one of the nerd’s busted knees.
Satisfied with the amount of pained cries that sprang from Warren, Anya withdrew her hand and walked over to the table. She grinned wickedly as she ran her fingers over one of Rack’s daggers. She picked up the sharp blade and then turned her attention to a box of matches.
She walked back to Warren and without warning she thrust the dagger into his shoulder blade, and kept it there for safekeeping. Warren again howled in agony as he began to bleed heavily. Anya paid him no mind and opened the box of matches. Taking out one of the matches she lit it and stared at it with evil intent.
“What are you going to do?” Warren stared wide-eyed at the burning match in Anya’s hand.
“Ever wonder what burning flesh smells like?” Not waiting for a response, Anya shoved the burning match into Warren’s face, obtaining another painful shriek.
* * *
The sun was just beginning to set over the small town of Sunnydale. In the waiting room of the hospital Tara sat in a chair by the double doors in restless anticipation. She had done as Willow had asked. She took Dawn to the hospital and together they waited until Xander and Buffy were taken care of and moved to a private room where they could see them.
The Slayer had been in ICU for a few hours. The surgery had been successful and they had managed to remove the bullet from her chest. Tara smiled when the doctor had commented on how strong Buffy had been through all of the rough patches.
He had no idea…
It had only been less than an hour ago when Dawn was allowed to see Buffy. That’s where the teen was at the moment. Sitting by her sister’s side, keeping a strong vigilance over her. Xander’s surgery had also been a success. The bullet had passed right through the young carpenter’s shoulder. Once the wound was sterile the doctors stitched him up and he was a brand new Xander. Tara frowned slightly when she went to see him in his room and he had asked about Anya. She explained that Willow had gone to find her and promised to bring her back safely.
Xander gave Tara his boyish grin. He had faith in Willow, she was his best friend and she would never let him down. If the hacker had said that she would bring Anya back to him then he had nothing to worry about. It was that short visit with Xander that Tara was thinking about when she looked up and saw her lover coming through the double doors with Anya.
Willow’s expression was as somber as the one on Anya’s tear-stained face. Tara stood up slowly and walked over to them. Willow had an arm over Anya’s shoulder and was leading her into the waiting room like she was a small, frightened child. When the ex-demon looked up and saw Tara her face was a picture of worry.
“Tara…how are Xander and Buffy?” Anya asked almost afraid of the answer.
“They’re both fine. Dawn is with Buffy in her room and Xander is sleeping across the hall.”
“Can I see him?” For the first time that day Tara noted the childlike pitch had returned to Anya’s voice. She would have smiled if she had known that it was caused by old habit instead of the fear her friend was feeling.
“Sure. He’s in room 322.” Tara pointed down the hall, directing Anya in the right direction. With a slight nudge, Willow released the ex-demon and watched as she slowly walked down the hall to Xander’s room.
When Anya was out of sight, Tara turned to Willow and fell into her arms, clutching at her as though it was their last embrace. “I was so worried.” Tara whispered into her lover’s ear.
Willow wrapped her arms tighter around the blonde’s waist and buried her face in the crook of Tara’s neck. “I’m so happy to be in your arms again.”
Tara pulled back just enough so that she could look into Willow’s eyes. She had twenty questions all brewing inside of her waiting to be asked. The hacker noticed this as she looked deeply into the sea of deep blue that was her lover’s eyes.
When Willow had found Rack’s lair, she hurried inside and the scene she was faced with was one that will never leave her. The wish Anya had made to D’Hoffryn was simple. She had asked him to return her demonic powers for one day, so that she could find Warren and make him pay for what he did.
The spell had ended as soon as Warren’s soul had left his body. What Willow had found had not been a vengeful Anyanka, but a sobbing Anya. She was curled up in the corner of the room crying uncontrollably. A few feet away, still strung up by the vines was Warren’s shell of a body.
Half of his face had been burned off, a box of matches lying near his feet. The flesh on the inside of both his arms has been removed. The bloody dagger was near the box of matches on the floor. If Willow had looked hard enough she could have made out the tiny pieces of flesh that were in-between the small ridges of the blade.
Scattered around her torture tools were also pieces of Warren’s fingernails, which Anya had torn off one by one from his broken fingers. His jeans were bloody and torn, the broken bones in his lower legs jutting of his flesh. Warren’s left eye was swollen shut while his right had caved into his skull after Anya ripped it out, after burning into it with a match.
“I called Giles in England.” Tara spoke, bringing Willow back from her thoughts. “I told him what was happening and he said that he would get on the first plane back here. He wants to be with Buffy while she recovers.”
Willow rested her forehead against Tara’s and nuzzled their noses together. Tara caressed the side of her lover’s face and stared into her emerald pools. “What happened when you found Anya? What did you see?” The blonde witch whispered her questions.
“I saw the wrath of Anyanka.” Willow said quietly. The hacker hugged Tara tighter to her and a gentle smile touched her lips. “I also saw Anya’s humanity…and that was enough to prove to me that we’re all going to be okay.”
Willow and Tara stayed together in their embrace for a long while. Tara agreed that things were going to be okay. The blonde witch smiled and leaned forward, meeting Willow in a tender kiss.
TBC . . .
Draco119 
at: 11/30/03 10:24 am
Go Anya, Go Anya, it's your birthday! Kick Warren's ass day!! 
OH SHIT! 
Warren is screwed now. Buffy and Xander are hit. 
and 
are so cute! 
Anya is pissed. Warren may get it worst than what he got before. 
Can't wait to 
