here you go as promised...
******
Anya looked up at the clock on the wall of the Magic Box. She was just about ready to lock the doors to the shop for the evening and call it a night. Sales for the day had been healthy and that pleased her but the last hour had been slow so she didn’t see a point keeping it open. She’d already counted and ordered the money for the bank deposit so she slipped the key out of the cash register to lock it and began walking towards the front door.
“Good evening lovely lady.” A bright voice called from the door as the bell sounded its opening.
“Hello.” Anya looked up to see a young well-dressed man in the doorway of her shop.
“I hope I am not disturbing you.” He dipped a little smiling continuously, his accent was distinctly British.
“No, I was about to close up but I’m more than happy to help you if you want to purchase something.” Anya brightened at the prospect of a sale.
“Well actually, its more something I could sell you.” He kept his bright demeanour.
“Sell me?” Anya stepped back letting him enter.
“Forgive me.” He nodded again. “My name is Edward Sotier.” He extended his hand towards Anya.
“Anya.” She reached out and shook it briefly. “So what is it you think you can sell me?”
“Well please give me the time to explain…” He began.
“Okay give me the pitch.” Anya went back to lean against the counter eyeing him.
“On my recent visits though this town, I couldn’t help but notice your fabulous establishment but until yesterday I had never managed to actually come in.” The salesman began. “And thank the gods of retail I did. I am so heartily impressed by the collection of goods you stock. The diversity and variety is truly inspirational.”
“Thank you.” Anya grinned happily as he complimented her.
“It made me think hard about the goods I was bringing to you neighbouring stores and I realised that in my current selection I had nothing that could add a dimension to your store, quite honestly Miss. Anya, you made me feel a little inadequate.” He summed up.
“I have the ability to do that.” She grinned and slipped up to sit on a stool.
“And so I went straight to my hotel room to look through my catalogue, determined to find something that would enhance your wide range of merchandise Miss. Anya.” Edward picked up his neat bag and balanced it carefully. “I am happy to tell you that I managed to find something, though I must stress it was a hard task.” Flicking open the clasp on the case he pulled apart the leather and put the bag down by his feet before reaching into the bag.
“I’m intrigued.” Anya watched him open it.
“Miss. Anya I present to you… Itziar and Halsten.” Slowly the salesman pulled out from the bag a hand sized statue of a dragon and reaching in with his other hand he pulled out a second statue, this one more like a gargoyle. Both were made out of a strange coloured stone.
She looked at him and then down to each of the statues a bit confused by the introduction.
“Here take Itziar.” The brown haired man held out the dragon statue watching for Anya’s reaction when she took the small ornament and felt its unusually smoothness and yet warmth
“Cute.” Anya took it and studied its slight snarling look, its large gemmed eyes taking away all hint of menace from the creature.
“They are of a marvellous quality.” He injected.
“What is their history?” Anya questioned turning the small dragon over to see that it had its name engraved on its foot.
“I am so glad you asked that.” Edward’s smile was so bright his face strained. “These two are modelled as replicas of the two mythical pets of an ancient god.”
“Models?” Anya turned it over again looking at it a bit relieved at the word.
“Well of course models, one in a shop such as yours would understand the danger of have anything other than simple representations.” He replied quickly. “But they are of very high quality.”
“Oh I can see that.” She smiled at him looking over the little statue. “Do you have many of them or just the two?”
“Oh I have many dear lady.” Edward wiggled his eyebrows knowing he was getting her attention.
“Have you sold them to anyone else in Sunnydale?” She began to form an idea. Some of her best day-to-day sales were the non-magical but yet occult like objects and these little statues could really fit that niche.
“Believe me Miss. Anya, no one in the whole of Sunnydale is worthy to stock these particular statues.” He reached up straightening his cuff links.
“How much?” She cut to the bottom line.
“Now there’s the beauty. I can let you have these two on trial and I have four more in my bag. I can come back in a weeks time and if you have sold them we can talk facts and figures.” He gave her the outline.
“But what is the manufacturing cost?” Anya rolled the little dragon over again.
“$15.50.” Edward replied knowing it was a more than workable price.
“That’s very reasonable.” Anya’s face lit up happily. “It’ll take them, all six.”
“Oh Miss. Anya, you won’t regret it.” Edward began reaching into his bag to bring out the other statues.
******
Buffy cast a sideways glance at her patrol partner. She wasn’t exactly sure why Xander had been so keen on coming out with her as so far he’d barely said five words and they’d already patrolled one cemetery. Usually the carpenter was a constant ream of chatter but since Tara’s wish and Willow’s subsequent recovery from at least the magical problems in her life he’d become more withdrawn.
“How did the doctors go?” Xander said eventually.
“Willow was pissed.” Buffy sighed, her shoulders slumping a little. “But it was almost nice to see her upset in an old Willow way you know?”
“So not good news I’m thinking,” Xander didn’t comment on the new vs. the old Willow.
“No, the Doc wants to keep her on the meds for at least another two weeks. Something about relapse.” Buffy gave her the synopsis.
“Hey whets two weeks, when we’ve lived through three months.” Xander shrugged defeated.
“To Willow its two weeks to long.” Buffy sighed again. “Where are the vamps when you need to beat something up?” She made the quirk hoping to break their bad mood.
“It’s a full moon, too bright for them.” Xander chuckled though there was barely a trace of his usual humour.
“Okay spill.” Buffy stopped and stared at him. “I got enough people moping around my house and I especially don’t like my happy guy being one of them.”
“I was wondering when you wanted me to move out.” Xander said glumly taking the comment totally the wrong way as he kept walking forcing the Slayer to follow him.
“Why the hell would I want that?” Buffy challenged him instantly upset by the idea.
“Well you know, full house, over flowing house actually.” Xander pointed out. “And you have money.” He sighed.
“You want to leave?” The Slayer bit her cheek trying to stop herself from saying anything else. After all maybe he wanted to get away from her, he’d only moved in to take care of Willow after all.
“No.” Xander flatly underlined.
“Then why are we even having this conversation?” Buffy questioned nervously. “I don’t want you to go, Willow doesn’t want you to, not even Tara or Dawn for sure.”
“Haven’t you noticed the kinda space problem?” The carpenter asked seriously.
“Space is overrated.” Buffy shrugged not wanting to think about it.
“But I think Dawn might like her bedroom back.” Xander put forward with a small look.
“Well Dawn could move back into her room. Maybe we could do a little redecorating and make the basement into two rooms. One for you and one for well guests.” Buffy put forward.
“And where’s Mads gonna sleep?” Xander questioned.
“Guest room.” Buffy wondered why he was being so difficult. “She’s a guest. Would you mind sharing the basement with her?”
“I guess I could put a false wall up in the basement for you, its not much work.” Xander gave in slightly. “Do you really want someone like me hanging around though Buffy?” He dropped his gaze.
“Someone like you? Have you got into some weird stuff that I don’t know about?” Buffy was about to finish the question when he broke her train of though. “Not more wishes for magic dancing demons?”
“I mean Anya.” Xander dig his hands into her pockets.
“Xander, what went on... how can I judge you on that?” She admitted honestly. “Hell I was the one sleeping with Spike, I’m not much of a relationship guru.”
“The problem is…” Xander pushed his foot into the soil. “I love her.”
“And?” Buffy looked at him expecting more. After all that he was in love with her wasn’t a point that had ever been in question, just that he was uncertain about their future.
“I think...” Xander took a breath. “I think I want her back Buffy.” He admitted. “When she was standing up to you over the wish I thought ‘that’s the woman I love’ and I realised I want her back.”
“Are you afraid of the future anymore?” Buffy questioned feeling her heart break for his pain. She had nothing in her life like this.
“More than ever.” He admitted. “After all she’s a demon again.”
“She is.” Buffy nodded crossing her arms over her body. “What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know what to do.” Xander shrugged, this had been the very question that had been sitting heavy in his mind for days now.
“Have you talked to her?” Buffy felt like twenty questions was evolving here. “You should talk to her, ask her out for dinner. Start slow see what happens.”
“Buffy she turned back into a vengeance demon because of me, it doesn’t sound like the best spring board into a relationship does it?” He frowned not seeing how there was any hope in this.
“Xander, she still loves you.” Buffy reached up and patted his shoulder.
“How can she?” His words came back immediately.
“Demon or not a demon, she has big feelings for you but she’s hurt and you’re the only one who can make that better.” She kept her hand in place.
“And how can I make it better?”
“I don’t know you’re going to have to figure that out.” Buffy softly encouraged him. “But you can do it.”
“You think?” Xander looked up for the first time.
“You have to try or you’ll spend the rest of your life thinking what if I had.”
She summed up for him.
“Or I could leave.” Xander whispered the hard option. Buffy stared at him startled again by his apparent desire to desert them all.
“Don’t you dare.” She snapped at him. “You left her at the altar, you don’t get to just run away. You came back so you have to fix this.”
“We’ve grown up haven’t we Buffy?” Xander said straightening his back and breathing deeply. Her sharp accusation having been just what he needed.
“We haven’t had much choice.” She smiled at him sadly.
“No…” Xander began but was silenced as they both emerged around a blind corner into a flurry of revolving blue and white lights.
“Mind your back sir.” The warning came from a paramedic Xander discovered as he turned his head and was nearly knocked over by a stretcher being wheeled through the crowd nearby. He hadn’t really realised what they had walked into but as he did all of their previous conversation melted away.
“What’s going on?” Buffy looked around realising as they’d wandered they’d come to a back alley by the bakery.
“Something bad.” Xander assessed from the ambulance and two police cars that had responded to the scene.
“We better find out if its demon bad.” Buffy pressed closer through the crowd.
“Oh God its horrible.” A woman clung to her husband’s hand as they moved away from the scene. “What kind of animal would to that to his throat?”
“Bingo.” Buffy glanced at Xander as she heard the description and pushed forward to the yellow police tape. Xander pushed with her using his height to make the way easier.
“Eww.” Buffy took a brief look before looking away. A young man, probably in his late twenties was sprawled out in the side gutter his head sitting off centre from his body due to the fact most of his throat was tore away.
“Not pretty.” Xander to glanced, going a little green instantly he turned quickly away too.
“I vote demon, what do you vote?” Buffy whispered to him.
“I vote werewolf.” He nodded up to the sliver of sky visible through the buildings.
“Damn.” Buffy looked up at the bright shiny moon. “Means we don’t have much time to track and capture or we’ve got a whole month of down time.”
“Do we need to check we didn’t miss anything last month?” The young man suggested. “You know the last three months we might not have been as thorough”
“Definitely.” Buffy conceded knowing she couldn’t deny what he was saying. As she thought about contingency plans she felt a little bit brighter. “Maybe Willow is up for some research, you know get her mind back to working on some big problem.”
“Maybe, though there is that little ‘Oz’ problem with werewolves.” Xander reminded.
“We better get back and talk to Giles.” Buffy nodded her mood dampened again.
******
"I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine."
To The Land of The RainbowWriters
funny no it really is our teaser... mmm and there is more angst in there then you see 
after all this is us... I think the thing to realize with Willow's 'out of control' statement is at least she is 'in contro' enough to release she's feeling overwhelmed... before she'd just curl up into a ball and sob
... 
... hopefully you won't be waiting too long for an update, though we can get you a drink refill if you like 
at: 8/26/02 9:30:48 pm
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