The Anya Chronicles: Learning
By Father Storyteller

Disclaimer: No claim to ownership is made to these characters or situations, which were originally created by Joss Whedon.

It was a fine morning in Sunnydale, a few days after the Prom. Xander Harris, blissfully unaware of anything and on his way to school, was approached by Anya, who had been lying in wait for him.

"Well, well. If it isn’t party girl Anya," he said. "Got your demon amulet back?"

"No," she said. "But I will. In the meantime, I ... uh ... need ... uh ... "

"Not entirely getting it," said Xander.

"A boyfriend!" she burst out. "I ... uh ... need ... someone to be my boyfriend. So I was thinking of you."

"Boyfriend?" said Xander, almost choking in surprise. "What do you need ... wait a minute, I think I’ve got it. You don’t mean someone to carry your books, do you. You mean someone to — "

"Yes," she said. "You don’t have to shout about it. It’s just that this stupid body I’m stuck in is ... very ... needy."

"And you think it needs the slow dance thing," said Xander.

"I think so," said Anya. "It feels funny. And not in a good way."

"Like ... ?" said Xander.

"Painful knot in the stomach, no sleep, trouble concentrating — "

"Sounds like it," said Xander. "When it comes to spotting the signs, I’m the master, alright."

"Yes, I know," Anya said. "Anyway, I don’t know what else to do about it. So I thought you would help. After all, we have been on a date. Remember?"

"I remember that you spent most of Prom night regaling me with amusing anecdotes about cannibalism," said Xander.

"I thought it went alright. So I thought the rest sort of followed."

"Not necessarily," said Xander. He began to wish that he was somewhere else. "Can I ask ... I mean ... you are a girl, right?"

"Through and through," she said. "Anyway, are you up for it?"

"Uh, why me?" said Xander.

"Well, you know about the demon stuff. And ... well, that’s about it, really."

"Oh, thank you," he said. "You, uh, haven’t done it before, eh? When you were a demon."

"Of course not. Demons don’t."

"Then how do they ... no, forget I said that, I don’t want to know. And now you’ve got a full set of rampaging teenage hormones and you don’t know how to ... "

"Right. Why are you so unsure about this? I thought all boys wanted to. I thought all you had to do was ask. Not even that."

"But you hate men, after all your time zapping them with wishes."

"Hate them with a passion," she said. "But when Cordelia’s wish went wrong and I got stuck in this persona, I got all the stuff that goes with it. It’s terrible. Like, I’m really interested in shoes. I want to read magazines. I can’t speak properly. And I feel ... " she fluttered her hands to try to explain. To Xander, it looked like she was trying to mime a fountain.

"Untrammelled desire?" suggested Xander.

"I guess so," she said. "Look, it’s taken me two months to work out what the problem is. Now: yes or no?"

"Hmm, well, let me think, do I have any other offers .... no, I guess not. Well, I suppose so ... "

"Good. We’ve both got Biology in fifth period today. We can blow it off and go back to my place. I’ll see you at the class."


Fifth period came. The Biology teacher was Mrs Tingle.

"I don’t know about blowing this class," said Xander. "I’ve already missed so many classes they applaud when I show."

"Don’t worry about it," said Anya. As the rest of the class took their seats, she led Xander to Mrs Tingle.

"Mrs Tingle," she said softly, looking closely at her.

"Yes, Anya?" said Mrs Tingle.

"Xander and I would like to go now, so can you mark us down as ‘present’."

"Yes, of course," said Mrs Tingle. "You and Xander, present, yes. Off you go, and have a good time."

Anya led Xander out and into the hallway.

"How did you do that?" he said, as they walked along.

"Just made a suggestion," said Anya. "Sort of a residual demon power. When I was a wish demon, I sometimes had to make suggestions about wishes. That’s why I had to appear to people in human form. Some people can be very unimaginative, you know. And forgiving, too. That really sucks, let me tell you. So I would give a little nudge."

"You can just .... tell people to do things?"

"Of course not. Do you think I would have asked you to show me about ... you know ... if I could just get anyone to do what I tell them to?"

"I guess not. Did you ... suggest it ... to me?"

"No, it only works on women. And only on some women. Those with weak minds."

"How about Buffy? Or Cordelia?"

"Buffy is far too strong. So is Willow. Cordelia is ... well, Cordelia ... "

"I know," Xander said. "A sort of shallowness that goes down for miles."

"But fairly imaginative in her revenge wish."

"Don’t tell me. Please, please don’t tell me."


It was a week later when Giles called an after-school meeting of the Slayerettes in the Library. Anya went along with Xander but said she would not stay. She and Willow had not been on good terms since the Alterna-Willow incident. Not that Anya had ever got on well with Willow. Or Buffy. And she had been wary of Giles since he had smashed her amulet — not that he knew about that.

Giles was already speaking when Xander and Anya when entered the Library.

"Well, if it isn’t careful-what-you-ask-for Anya," said Buffy.

"Hi, mortals," said Anya.

"You seem to be in a remarkably good mood," said Willow. "For a formerly evil and now completely powerless wish demon."

"Well, I am in a good mood," said Anya. "Xander and I have been doing lots of the jiggy thing lately, so — "

"Eh?" said Buffy.

"Uh, uh ... isn’t the demon girl just a little devil," said Xander.

"What, we can’t?" said Anya.

"You’re a demon," said Willow.

"Well ... " said Xander.

"Fascinating as this may be, let’s get back to the matter at hand," said Giles. "Now, as I was saying, on last night’s patrol Buffy encountered two vampires with this symbol tattooed on them." He opened a book and pointed to a symbol like an inverted axe.

"I’m outa here," said Anya. She kissed Xander goodbye — to a gasp from Buffy and Willow — and started for the door.
"The symbol is that of the vampire clan Atriedes, headed by one Belisk," said Giles.

Anya was almost out the door when she turned. "Did you say Belisk?" she said.

"Yes," said Giles. "Anya, maybe you should — "

"Yeah, I know," she said. "Happy slaying, losers." Then she was gone.

"The jiggy thing?" said Buffy to Xander.

Giles tapped the book again. "If Belisk is in Sunnydale, he’s a long way from his home territory. He’s known for being clever and ruthless. We should find out what he’s doing here."

"You know, now that you mention it, there’s been some unusual vamps around lately," put in Buffy. "Not local boys. I thought they were just passing trade, but maybe there’s more to it."

"Maybe a vampire convention," said Willow.

They all looked at her.

"Well, the Hellmouth would be the place for it," said Giles. "Sort of a landmark, demonologically speaking."

"But I thought all the vampire clans hated each other," said Buffy.

"We need to find out more," said Giles. "Buffy, the vampires you encountered last night: where were they?"

"Crypt central, graveyard," replied Buffy. "They were just sort of waiting there."

"Class reunion?" said Willow.

"Whatever it is," said Giles, "you should take another look tonight, Buffy."

"Will and I will watch your back," said Xander.

"Take care," said Giles. "Something may be afoot."

"No, we’ll take the bus," said Xander.

"Shut up, Xander," said Giles.


"This place is starting to seem way too much like home," said Buffy, as she, Xander and Willow patrolled through the cemetery. "It was just up ahead where — uh oh ..."

There was a pair of vampires waiting for them, in the spot where Buffy had dusted two the previous evening.

"Two vamps, one Slayer," said Buffy. "Shouldn’t be too hard. Hold my bag, Xander." She gave Xander the bag of weapons she had been carrying, and then took a stake out of her belt.

"How about four," said a voice from behind them.

"Or eight," said another.

They looked around: they were encircled by vampires. Still more stepped out of hiding.

"Vamp convention," said Willow.

"This doesn’t seem like a good thing," said Xander.

One of the first pair of vampires seemed to be the leader. "Remember, she has to be taken alive," he said.

"More than can be said for you," said Buffy. She took another stake out of her pocket and threw it. The leader stepped aside, leaving the stake to strike the vampire behind him in the chest. The vampire disintegrated.

It was clear that they wanted Buffy. Moving with a tactical purpose that the Slayer had never seen in vampires before, they separated her from Willow and Xander. Four vampires kept her friends from helping while she battled the troop. She dusted four, six — she lost count — before they trapped her in a strong net. Then one of them knocked her unconscious.

"What about these two, Merlat?" said one of the vampires who had encircled Willow and Xander.

The leader vampire chuckled. "Oh, you may as well have them," he said. Then he and the others were dragging Buffy into the darkness.

One of the remaining vampires turned to Xander. "You can put up a struggle, if you like," he said. "It makes it more fun. For us."

"Fun," said another voice. "You wouldn’t know the meaning of the word."

"Who’s that?" said the vampire, turning towards the sound.

"It sounds like ... " said Willow.

"Anya," said Xander. "Boy, are you guys in trouble now."

Anya stepped out of the shadows. "Hi, boyfriend. Did I miss the party?"

"Can I have this one?" said another of the vampires, a she-vamp.

"I have a surprise," said Anya. She pulled something out from under her jacket. It looked like a small machine gun.

"That’s not going to hurt us," said the vampire.

In response, Anya pointed the gun and pulled the trigger. But instead of bullets, a stream of water came out. It hit the vampire in the face. It began to burn him, as if it was acid.

"Holy water?" whispered Xander to Willow.

"Holy water," said Willow. "In a water pistol. Nice trick."

The first vampire fell to the ground, screaming and holding his blistered, smoking face. Quickly, Anya turned the water pistol on another two of the vampires, with similar affect. She pointed the gun at the she-vamp and said: "Don’t move."

From her belt she pulled a large stake and proceeded to stab the three vampires as they writhed on the ground.

She walked over to the last vampire. "Tell me about Belisk," she said.

"Forget it," said the she-vamp.

Anya held up the gun.

"Uh, Anya," said Willow. "Thanks for saving us and everything, but we’re not really supposed to use torture. Not even on vampires. You know, we’re kind of like the good guys."

"Well, not me," said Anya. "But in this case it won’t be necessary. She leaned closer to the she-vamp and looked into her eyes. "Where is Belisk?" she said.

"He’s at the old gasworks building," said the vampire.

"And what is he planning to do?" said Anya.

"He’s called a gathering of the clans," said the vampire, her eyes transfixed by Anya’s. "He plans to organise a truce and create a vampire army."

"And when is this supposed to happen?"

"The first meeting is happening tonight. The clan leaders have been arriving for the past week."

"And what about the Slayer?"

"He had to capture her before the meeting. He set a trap for her. Will you let me go now?" said the she-vamp.

"Of course not," said Anya. She took her stake out again and stabbed the vampire, who disintegrated.

"Yuk," said Anya, brushing ashes off her clothes. "Disgusting things, vampires."

"How did you do that?" said Willow. "Getting her to tell you everything."

"Residual demon power," said Xander.

"You got it," said Anya. She stretched. "Gosh, that was fun. I haven’t felt so good since I did that thing with the ship, the .. um ... Titanium or something. Xander, I don’t supposed you’d be interested in — "

"Not just at the moment," said Xander. "But thanks for thinking of me."

"Interested in what?" said Willow. "Oh, that."


They went back to the Library to inform Giles and make plans.

"Anya, it sounds as if you know this Belisk," said Giles.

"Yes, we ... sort of know each other. Well, actually, it was sort of my doing that he, you know, became a vampire. When he was mortal — that must have been about a hundred years ago or so — he was a rich guy who liked to jump the servant girls. When his wife found out, she wished that he would get bitten by a vampire. So I arranged it. So you know the first thing he did after he rose? He went back and killed his wife! I thought that was really disgusting. He didn’t like me much, either."

"Well, who really likes a wish demon," said Willow. Xander grimaced.

"I admit there were certain words exchanged. Something about tearing my entrails out, as I recall. Pretty lame stuff to a wish demon, really."

"But you’re not a wish demon any more," said Xander.

"No," said Anya.

"From what you tell me about the fight at the cemetery," said Giles, " I would say that Belisk has already started to organise the vampires. It’s highly unusual for them to fight in any way other than a head-on assault. The ones you met tonight were obviously trained to co-operate. If that’s any indication, I would say that Belisk might be able to get the clans to co-operate."

"And that would mean ... ?" said Xander.

"Well, it would mean vampires by the score, or even the hundreds. Aside from Buffy, the main thing that keeps their numbers down now is their practice of killing each other."

"Speaking of Buffy, we need a plan to rescue her," said Xander. "If she isn’t already dead."

"If they wanted her dead, they would have killed her at the cemetery," said Willow. "More likely, they’ll want to make some sort of ceremony out of it. Vampires like that sort of thing.."

"Agreed," said Giles. "But we still have to get in there. Someone will have to go into the meeting."

"But none of us look vampy," said Xander.

"Actually, you looked pretty cool as a vampire," said Anya. "A bit of makeup, and I bet I could make you look vampy."

"Oh no, not me," said Xander. "How about Willow? She’s already had practice at being a vampire."

"I don’t think we can call that experience a success," said Giles. "It can’t be me, because I’m ... well ... me. Anya ...?"

"Forget it," said Anya. "I don’t even like Buffy.."

They all looked at Xander. He sighed. "Only if I get to wear a cape," he said.


There was no cape but Giles managed to produce a mean-looking leather jacket. Even Xander had to admit that once Anya had finished with the makeup, he did look like a vampire: all forehead, cheekbones and teeth.

"So in the Sunnydale without Buffy, me and Will were like the top-gun henchmen of the Master," he said to Anya.

"I guess so," she said, spreading colour around his neck. "You know, I don’t really know why you’re doing this. Buffy’s the Slayer. You’re just ... well, just you."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," he said. "Look, here’s the bottom line: you do these things for your friends."

"Still not getting it," said Anya. "Anyway, you’re done. You look as much like a vampire as you can without getting bit."

"Pretty vampy," said Willow.

"Yes, quite," said Giles. "But whether you can act like a vampire is another matter. Try and snarl."

Xander tried to snarl.

"Perhaps this isn’t such a good idea," said Giles.

"Don’t worry, I intend to sit quietly in the back and not say anything," Xander said. "You guys will be there, right?"

"Yes, we have a plan," said Giles.

"Oh, good, a plan," said Xander.

"Here it is," said Giles. He spread a plan of the gasworks on the table. "Willow obtained it from the computer thing."

"Oh, that sort of plan," said Xander. "I thought you meant ... never mind."

"There is only one room in the gasworks large enough to hold a meeting," said Giles, pointing. "My guess is that they would keep Buffy in a room close by. Xander, you go in, poke around, and if you see Buffy first, do what you can to free her. The rest of us will go through this tunnel, which brings us out here, in this storage basement. The trouble is that the door is sure to be locked. Xander, you must open it for us. It would be good if you could create a diversion of some kind. Then we all retreat back through the tunnel."

"That’s a plan?" said Xander.

"It’s the best I can do, on the spur of the moment," said Giles.

"What do you mean, ‘the rest of us’?" said Anya.

"Willow, me and you," said Giles. He adjusted his glasses. "I thought, well, since you fought the vampires at the cemetery, and since Xander is putting himself in danger ... "

"Oh, no no no," said Anya. "I don’t mind dusting a few vamps off, but Belisk is the guy who threatened me with the disembowelling thing. I just wanted to find out where he was so I could stay away from him. And there’ll be dozens of vamps in there, maybe hundreds."

There was a long silence.

"Well, you’d better go then," said Willow.

"Yes, I will," said Anya.

There was another long silence as no-one moved.

"Having trouble with the feelings thing, eh?" said Xander.

"Oh all right," said Anya. "But you owe me big-time for this, boyfriend. You know what I mean."

"What does she mean?" whispered Willow to Xander.

"When you’re older, I’ll explain it to you," said Xander. "If we live through this, that is."


Xander had no trouble getting in. There were vampire guards at the door but they waved him through when they saw his face. He went into the large room, where dozens of vampires milled around in small groups. Gas jets provided light, and the room was hot.

A tall, distinguished-looking vampire came up to Xander. "I am Belisk," said the vampire. "I don’t think I know you."

"I ... I’m from the Master," said Xander. "Top henchman. And I can tell you, he wasn’t happy about not getting an invitation."

"The Master," said Belisk. "I thought he was dead."

"Which is exactly what he wanted you to think," said Xander. "Now, can we get this started."

"I was just about to call the meeting to order," said Belisk, moving to the head of the table. He banged a gavel and directed the assembled vampires to take their seats. While everyone was finding their places, Xander slipped out.

He had tried to memorise the plan but now the whole place all seemed like a confusion of corridors and rooms. He couldn’t even find the way to the basement. He was checking the rooms to see if he could locate Buffy when he stumbled on the two vampire guards, patrolling the halls. "The meeting’s back this way," growled one of them.

"I ... I was just looking for ...uh ... the food. I heard there was going to be food," said Xander.

"Yeah," said one of the guards. "Slayer food." He chuckled.

They led him back to the meeting room, and sat on either side of him.


In the tunnel, Giles, Willow and Anya were working their way to the gasworks by torchlight.

"If this stupid body hadn’t been so ... needy, this wouldn’t have happened," mumbled Anya to no-one in particular.

"Needy?" said Willow.

"Yes, needy," said Anya. "For a millennium, I was fine as a wish demon. Now I’ve got all this human stuff to contend with. And if you had helped me with the temporal fold, I would have my amulet back and wouldn’t be ... needy ... anymore. It’s so unfair. And Xander ... well, why should I care if he gets himself in trouble to rescue Buffy. It’s not like she’s his girlfriend or anything ... uh, she isn’t his girlfriend, is she?"

"No," said Willow. "You know, for someone’s who has spent a thousand years observing human nature, you don’t know very much about it. Why don’t you just admit that Xander means more to you than just ... you know, the thing you do ... and have done with it."

"He doesn’t mean anything more ... well, maybe just a little bit ... I mean, he makes me laugh when we’re ... oh, shut up."

"We’re here," said Giles, who was following the map by torchlight. They were standing before a rusting metal door. Giles turned the handle and pushed. Nothing happened. "Still locked," he said. "Either Xander couldn’t find it or he — "

"Don’t say it!" burst out Anya.

"There has to be another way," said Willow.
Anya was playing her torch over the walls. "Like that?" she said, pointing over their heads. There was an air-conditioning vent.


Xander was becoming desperate. He could feel that his makeup was starting to melt in the heat, there were no reinforcements in sight and no sign of Buffy. Even worse, Belisk was an excruciatingly boring speaker. " ... we acknowledge the legitimate concerns of the Orynx Clan, and note their longstanding grievances with the Wenano Clan, but let us now move onto the next item of business ...." he droned.

There were dark mutters from the Orynx and Wenano groups. Xander glanced at them, and saw the tattoos they displayed. They were the marks he had seen on the vampires at the cemetery. He had an idea.

He nudged the vampire next to him and whispered loudly, "You know, the Wenano boys told me that the Orynx Clan are real pushover wusses. Four of them couldn’t even take two humans."

"What was that?" said the leader of the Wenano group, jumping up.

"Milk-drinkers, they said," said Xander.

"Milk-drinkers!" shouted the Wenano leader. He lunged across the table at the Orynx group.

"But you should hear what the Cavex Clan said about the P’arass," said Xander.


Giles had successfully boosted both Anya and Willow into the tiny vent, but there was no way he would fit. "We’ll try and come back and unlock the door," said Willow. Then they started crawling through the filthy vent. Before long, they came to a junction. "You go left, and I go right," said Willow.

"May as well," said Anya. "I’ll tell you this: I’m finding Xander, then we’re out of here."

"Yada yada yada," muttered Willow.

Anya’s path led her to an opening overlooking a corridor. Through a grille, she could hear the sound of vampire voices raised in anger. "Please come to order!" said a voice louder than the rest.

"Belisk," she breathed.

In the meeting room, Belisk turned to Merlat, his lieutenant. "Perhaps it is time to bring out the entertainment," he said. "Go and get the Slayer."

Xander saw Merlat and another vampire leave, and, in the confusion of the arguing vampires, followed. Merlat and his companion turned several corners in the labyrinth of corridors before stopping at a reinforced metal door. Merlat took a key from his belt, opened the door, and they entered.

As Xander looked in, he saw Buffy tied securely to an iron chair. She was conscious but gagged. He drew a deep breath and took a stake from his sleeve. He stepped into the room.

Both vampires whirled around. Xander stabbed out at the closer one, and struck him in the chest. He disintegrated. But Merlat was faster. He lashed out and sent the stake flying. Then he picked up Xander and flung him across the room.

Xander shook his head and wiped blood from his mouth. As he did, a streak of makeup came off.

Merlat looked down at him. "I knew there was something wrong about you," he snarled. "A human. I should have smelled it." He picked up Xander as though he were a doll, and bared his teeth to bite.

At that moment there was a crash from behind them, as an overhead vent gave way. There was a shower of dust and loose pieces of metal. Merlat dropped Xander and turned to peer into the gloom.

From out of the dust came a sudden stream of water, straight into the vampire’s face. He screamed and fell.

"The cavalry," said Xander. He picked up the stake and dispatched the blinded Merlat.

"This is so gross," said Anya, trying to clean herself off.

Xander removed Buffy’s gag and started to untie her. "Where’s Giles and Will?" he asked Anya.

"Shouldn’t we be kissing now?" said Anya. "I just saved you, after all."

"Well, okay," said Xander. He went over to her and kissed her. It started out as a mild peck but turned into a whole-hearted embrace.

"Kids, I hate to break this up," said Buffy, "but I think we’re about to have company." She finally freed herself and stood up, flexing her muscles. She looked at the vent: no exit there. They went out the door and started down the corridor — just as Belisk appeared with a gang of vampires.

The three of them turned and ran back the other way. They went down a flight of steps and found themselves on a metal gangway, suspended ten metres above a room of turbines. The crowd of howling vampires, led by Belisk, was only metres behind.

Anya, in the rear, turned and fired her water pistol. The spray of holy water made the vampires hesitate for a moment, as Buffy and Xander ran on. Then Belisk charged forward.

His weight made the rusted platform sway, and then collapse. It fell to the floor with a crash. Buffy and Xander, safe on the far side, could only watch.

Anya and Belisk shook themselves free of the twisted metal and stood, face to face.

"Well," said Belisk, "I suppose my little conference is less than totally successful, but at least I get a consolation prize. Something young and fresh to eat."

"Yeah? Well, eat this!" said Anya, pointing the pistol and squeezing the trigger.

Nothing happened. It was empty.

"Not a day for things going right," she said.

"What a pity," said Belisk. Then he looked at her more closely. "Wait, don’t I know you from somewhere ... yes ... you’re ... her!" He reached forward to grab her.

There was a sudden shout and a blur of movement. Xander, holding a cable, came swinging down, plucking Anya from Belisk’s grasp. Their momentum carried them back, up onto the gangway where Buffy pulled them to safety.

Xander kissed Anya on the lips. "Me make like Tarzan," he said.

"Don’t get started," said Buffy. "We still have about a hundred vamps after us." She hammered at the door but it would not give.

"Hey, up here," came a voice. It was Giles and Willow, in a hatchway just above. Giles helped Buffy, Anya and Xander climb up.

"Where to now?" said Buffy.

"Back to the tunnel," said Giles.

As they ran down another hallway towards the basement, a troop of vampires appeared. Giles pulled one of his homemade Molotov Cocktails out of his pack, lit it, and threw it. The detonation made the vampires retreat, but not for long.

The five of them reached the entrance to the storage basement, with a gang of vampires right after them, Belisk at their head. "The demon is mine!" he shouted to the other vampires. "You can all have the rest, but no-one kills that one but me."

"I can’t wait to hear this story," said Buffy as they ran for the tunnel door that Willow had opened for Giles. Then she stopped, looking around. "Hmm," she said.

"Not a good time for ‘hmm’, Buff," said Xander. But Buffy was already opening the valves of the half-full gas tanks. Then she too ran for the tunnel door.

"Giles," she said, "give me one of those bombs." She stood at the doorway as Belisk and his vampires charged across the room.

Then he stopped. "Odd smell," he said, sniffing the air. He saw Buffy in the tunnel doorway, a lit bomb in her hand. "I hope she doesn’t plan to ... "

"I do," said Buffy. She threw the bomb and dived through the doorway, Xander and Giles slamming the door shut behind her. The explosion rocked the tunnel and shook even more dirt from the roof.

When the echoes subsided, they stood up and again dusted themselves off.

"Who," said Anya to Xander, "is Tarzan?"

"Never mind," he said. He kissed her again.

"So, Willow," said Anya, as they sat at the school picnic table. "Will you do the magic to help me get my amulet back?"

"Not a chance," said Willow. "You might be a tiny bit cool as a human, but I don’t think we need you back as a wish demon."

"I myself much prefer the human," said Xander.

"But what did you mean when you said that Xander owed you big-time?" Willow asked.

Anya leaned forward and whispered into her ear. "Oh," said Willow. Then: "Oh!" Xander smiled.

"Well, former wish demon," said Buffy. "Do you plan to join our little group, and fight the good fight?"

"Of course not," said Anya. "Just because I helped save you and everything, don’t think that I’ve started to like you. Any of you. Except you, Xander. I suppose I like you a bit. More than the jiggy part, I mean." She picked up her books, kissed Xander goodbye, and left.

They watched her go. "There goes a great human being," said Buffy. "Not."

"Well," said Willow. "She’s still learning."

"That’s my girl," said Xander.

The End