Friends Last

Author: zehlyah
Archived: Yeah, it gets around
Summary: See main summary
Rating: Hard R?
Pairings: Anya/Halfreck, Spike/Xander
Feedback: Sure
Characters: N/A
Beta’s: mrdabean
Author Notes: Takes place not long after Spike's attack on Buffy and after Anya and Spike are caught making it on film. This story is purely for fun. Don't take it too seriously :)
Disclaimer: I don’t own Buffy and make no money off this


Anya lit some soothing incense and shoved her lighter in her pocket before moving to her bedroom and carefully folding the pile of fresh towels that she had just pulled from the dryer. Since Xander had left her and her one night stand with Mr. Jack Daniels and Spike, she had been busying herself with any
and every thing that prevented her from thinking. That simple act, thinking, brought her more pain than she had ever thought possible. Pain that she should just not be feeling. She was Anyanka. A vengeance demon. She was supposed to inflict pain, not wear it as a constant reminder of the life she chose for herself.

Just as she folded the last towel and picked up the pile, she heard a voice behind her.

“Doing laundry? That is very…domestic.”

Anya didn’t even turn around. “Halle. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”

Halfreck only grinned. “Just thought I’d drop in. You know, see how you are doing since you got dumped.”

Anya turned, fully prepared to launch a counter-attack until she saw the look of genuine concern on Halfreck’s ridged face. Her resolve crumbled. “I’ve been better,” she admitted.

“So what have you planned for him?” Halfreck asked, a hint of child-like excitement entering her voice.

Anya shook her head. “Not now, Halle.”

Halfreck rested a hand on Anya’s arm. “You need to get out,” she concluded.

“What?”

Halfreck smiled. She opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by a terrible crash emanating from the living room. The pair rushed through the hall to find a very small man standing over what remained of the front door.

Halfreck stopped short. “Slake.”

“Halfreck.” Slake practically spit out the word.

“What are you doing here?”

Slake stepped into the room. If his glare was any more ominous, Halfreck would spontaneously combust right there in the center of the room. “You have become very hard to find these days,” he said.

“What do you want?” Anya asked him.

“This does not concern you, Anyanka. This matter is strictly between Halfreck and myself.”

Anya looked at her friend. “Halle?”

Halfreck remained frozen in her place. “Go,” she whispered to Anya.

Anya’s demon features rose to the surface as she retreated to the kitchen where she could hear every word but not be seen.

“What do you want, Slake?” Halfreck sounded…weak.

“You know what I want, lovely. I want you. Return to my side, Halfreck.”

Halfreck glanced at the hallway where Anya had made her exit, hoping that her friend had not heard the words. “Never,” she said. “It is over.”

Slake laughed. “You know, my love, I had a feeling I would find you here eventually. It should not surprise me that you would run to Anyanka. She is, after all, the eternal object of your affections, isn’t she?”

Halfreck inhaled sharply. “Stop this, Slake. Now is not the time.”

“Well, my dear, if it were up to you, this time would not have come, would it?” Slake laughed. “I’m really sorry that it had to come to this, Halfreck.”

Anya, fully frustrated by her lack of knowledge of the situation, returned to the living room just in time to see Slake raise his arms, causing non-existent wind to start swirling through the room.

“Your days of vengeance are over, Halfreck. I did nothing to incur your wrath and yet you cursed me with this humiliating form. It is time that you paid for your actions.”

A dark, angry cloud began to form over Halfreck’s head. Anya fought through the tearing wind and reached her friend just as Halfreck was pulled into the cloud. Anya clung tightly, trying with all her might to return them to safety. It was not possible. They disappeared in the storm.

The air in the room died down. Slake slowly opened his eyes. With a wave of his hand he disappeared.


Buffy and Tara wandered through the dark alleys of Sunnydale, supposedly patrolling. The sun was soon to rise and Buffy did not feel like being alone. Even though they weren’t very close friends, Buffy found comfort with Tara being there. Tara who had chosen not to judge her.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Tara asked.

Buffy wandered slowly toward a fledgling that had just popped into the alley. “There’s really not a lot to say,” she replied, pulling a stake from her coat. “It was Xander’s choice.” She punched the vampire squarely in the nose, knocking him to the ground. Her stake found its target and the dust filtered into the hereafter.

“Um, Buffy, I meant about Spike.”

Buffy stiffened. “What about him?”

“Nothing. I mean, you guys seemed to be getting along better after he, you know, and I know, I mean, I think I know,” Tara took a deep breath. “Does it hurt?” she asked.

Buffy relaxed. “It did,” she admitted. “But it doesn’t matter. It’s over. Whatever freakiness that he and I shared is now officially very over.”

Tara nodded. “You have to do what you think is right,” she concluded.

“Its right,” Buffy said firmly. “Besides, I’m more worried about Xander and Anya.”

“Have you seen Anya?”

“Not in awhile, no. Not since…the performance.”

Tara cringed. “Have you talked to Xander?”

Buffy shook her head. “A little, but he doesn’t really want to talk about it.”

“I think he should,” Tara said. “I think they both need to talk.”

Buffy grinned. “And what do you have in mind?”

Tara smiled back. “Nothing. I’m not a planner.”

The wheels in Buffy’s head began turning. “Maybe we can set them up. Get them to talk it all out.” She nodded to herself. “You and Anya get along, right?”

“I guess so,” Tara replied. “We had some girl/demon bonding time at the almost wedding.”

“Okay, here’s the plan,” Buffy said, leaning toward Tara conspiratorially. “I’ll talk to Xander, you talk to Anya. We’ll meet, with each of them, tonight at the Bronze. Then they have to talk.”

“Or yell,” Tara said.

“Yelling is still talking. Just very loudly.” Buffy grinned. This had to work.


Tara approached Anya’s apartment with a feeling of dread. Buffy had been so excited about her plan, but doubts began to creep into Tara’s mind. *She’s not going to listen to me,* she thought. *And why should she? I’m not a good liar. I never even cheated on a-*

Her train of thought crashed and burned when she raised her hand to knock on the door. It lay in pieces on the floor. “Anya?” she said, peeking into the room.

The sight that met her eyes made her heart leap into her throat. The room was a mess. Papers, books, lamps, and pretty much anything that was not furniture lay in a heap on the floor. “Anya?” she said again, this time more urgently. She stepped into the room and walked down the hallway.

She entered the bedroom. “Hello?” she called. The room was empty. With growing worry, she picked up the phone on the bedside table and dialed the Summers house.

“Hello?”

“Dawn? It’s Tara. Is Buffy still there?”

“Hi Tara!” came the happy reply. “No, Buffy went to see Xander. How are you?”

“I need to find her,” Tara said urgently, ignoring the question. “When did she leave?”

“Um, about fifteen minutes ago. Is everything alright?”

Tara forced herself to calm down. “I’m fine,” she replied. “I just need to talk to her. Do you know Xander’s phone number?”

“Sure,” Dawn replied.

“Okay, can you call her and tell her to call me at Anya’s?”

“Anya’s? Sure. What’s the number?”

Tara frowned. She had no idea what the number was.

“Oh, wait. Never mind, I have it on caller ID. Marvelous invention,” Dawn said.

Tara breathed a sigh of relief. “Good,” she said. “Have her call me here as soon as possible.”

“Okay,” Dawn said uncertainly. “Bye.”

Tara hung up the phone and went back into the living room. She surveyed the mess warily. Her mind raced, trying to come up with a logical explanation for the mess. She knew that, of the two, Anya was more into the whole cleaning thing than Xander. It was possible though, that she tore the place up in a blind, demony rage.

She began sifting through the piles on the floor, looking for something, anything, that would give her some insight as to what took place. Just as she began her search, the phone rang. She jumped up and ran into the bedroom. “Buffy?” she breathed into the receiver.

“Tara? What’s going on?” Buffy’s worried voice greeted her.

“I don’t know,” Tara answered honestly. “But something is very wrong. It looks like a hurricane blew through Anya’s living room. I have never seen such a mess.”

“Where is Anya?” Buffy asked.

“I don’t know,” Tara replied. “She’s not here.”

“Is there anything there that might explain what happened?”

“I haven’t found anything,” Tara replied. “I thought it could have been Anya blowing off steam but the front door is laying in pieces on the floor. She wouldn’t do that. She has a key.”

“Another mystery,” Buffy concluded. “Well, why don’t you meet me at my house. Maybe the two of us together can figure something out.”

“Don’t you want to come here? You’re much better at the whole sleuthy thing. Maybe you can find something in all this mess.”

“I will, “ Buffy replied. “But until then, I don’t want you there. If, and I mean if, something did happen to Anya, then I don’t want anyone there until we know what we are dealing with.”

Tara understood the meaning behind Buffy’s words. If something had come here for Anya, chances were that it could still be lurking around. The thought made Tara shiver. “Okay, I’ll meet you there in twenty minutes.”

“Good. And Tara? Be careful.”

“I will,” Tara replied.

She hung up the phone and took one last look around the bedroom before returning to the living room. Her intent to head straight out the door was crushed by something that caught her eye.

There, in the center of the room, lay two identical necklaces. On each was a dark amulet.


Anya slowly opened her eyes. Her head was pounding. She carefully sat up and surveyed her surroundings. *What the hell…*

She was lying on a patch of sand, the sky bright blue above her. As far as she could see in the horizon she found nothing but water. A stirring beside her brought her back to reality.

“Anya?” Halfreck rubbed the back of her head.

“Halle, where are we?”

Halfreck sat up as well. Her eyes widened as she took in the scenery. “That little bastard!” she cried.

“I think now would be a good time to tell me what the fuck is going on,” Anya said.

“I’m not sure,” Halfreck replied. “But this doesn’t look good.”

“Really? You think?”

Halfreck slowly stood up. Her breath caught in her throat as she was able to see more of the scenery. They were on a small island, about a half a mile long. Sparse trees covered the center, offering no real shelter. No other land was in sight.

Anya rose to join her friend. “Oh, my…” She turned to face her friend, ready to give her a severe tongue lashing when something else caught her attention. “Halle, your pendant.”

Halfreck looked down. Sure enough, her pendant was missing. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

“And mine!” Anya cried, finding herself in the same situation. “What is going on?”

Halfreck made a gesture in the air, trying to teleport herself back to Sunnydale. It didn’t work. She tried again but to no avail. “We are in trouble,” she said darkly.


End chapter one. Sorry about the lack of italics