Chapter 11: Wishes
Sitting at a table in a crowded Bronze, Spike and Anya were both watching the same people dance. The gang had decided after Giles departure that they needed some cheering up, and that the Bronze would do nicely. Spike still couldn’t believe they had thought of inviting him. And that he had accepted!
On the dance floor, moving to the upbeat music, two unlikely couples. Xander and Dawn, Buffy and Willow. Three of them smiling, however faintly. The last one was obviously trying very hard, but her eyes seemed dead.
“Hell, it hurts to see her like that.”
He had always liked Red, even when she was not so pleasant with him. He knew the girl would do anything for Buffy, and he loved Buffy, so the Witch was ok in his book. He had liked her girlfriend too. It was just a shame Pixie was gone.
He took a swallow of beer, wondering why he had promised the Slayer not to get anything stronger. Oh, he knew why, alright. He was so whipped, it was almost ridiculous.
He noticed that the ex-demon-girl was watching him curiously. “What’s on your mind, pet?”
“Why does it hurt you to see Buffy?” she asked in a giddy voice.
He eyed the four empty glasses in front of Anya. She wasn’t drinking beer. And if he remembered correctly – how could he forget? – she did not stand alcohol that well.
“Not Buffy, Willow. And I think you’ve drunk enough for the night… Not that it’s my business or anything, just thinking out loud.”
He had added the last bit after she started glowering at him.
“I thought you loved Buffy. Why would you care about Willow?”
“I do love Buffy. That’s why I care about her friends. That’s why it hurts to see Willow so . so unlike herself. I wish she would start feeling better.”
His eyebrows shot up when he caught a glimpse of Anya transforming face. It lasted only a second, only long enough for her to say two words.
“Wish granted.”
He stared at the now human-again features, his mouth opening and closing without a sound. He saw her look back to the dance floor, and followed her gaze. Red was smiling. Not that big of a smile, but still, she was smiling. It was a beginning.
“Bloody hell!” he cursed out loud. “When did you go and become a bleedin’ demon again?”
He noticed a few people turning to Anya and him as he spoke, and he shot them a murderous glare before returning his attention to her. She was looking intently into her glass, twirling the ice.
“About the same time I did not become Mrs. Xander Harris,” she said at last.
In his mind, pieces of a puzzle he hadn’t been aware of started clicking together.
“That night, at the shop, . you were trying to make me wish something would happen to him, uh?”
Her blush answered his question, and he chuckled. This was just too funny. If she had plainly asked him, he would have wished for the boy an eternity of miseries, and very gladly.
“Thanks,” he said quietly. “For Red.”
He raised his bottle to her, and she returned the gesture with her empty glass.
“She’s my friend too.”
A thought was running in his mind. It was just a crazy idea, and the soul-less Spike probably wouldn’t have voiced it. But what the hell, he was a good guy now, he might as well give it a try.
“Are you forced to grant any wish? Or can you choose not to grant one if you don’t like it?”
She looked at him questioningly. “I can pretty much grant the wishes I want to and ignore any I don’t want to satisfy. I used to be pretty good at ignoring male wishes. You were my first one, by the way.”
He laughed earnestly. “Flattered, pet, really. Can I make another wish to celebrate that?”
She gave a shrug and said, amusement plain in her inebriated voice: “Let me guess. ‘Want Buffy to fall head over heels for you?”
He shook his head, a smirk flirting with his lips. “I wish Xander and the lady he loves would make up and be happy together.”
He watched her eyes widen in surprise. Her hands shaking, she put her glass down on the table, and wiped her palms on her dress. Either she wanted it as much as he thought she did, or she was about to rip his head off.
“Why?” she asked very low, almost too low for him to hear even with his vampire senses.
“Same reason as before. It hurts to see a friend hurt. And when I say friend, I’m not talking about the whelp.”
She nodded and closed her eyes. Again, her appearance flickered an instant to her demon face, as she murmured, “Wish granted.” When her eyes opened, a tear rolled down on each of her cheeks, but she was smiling.
“Thanks,” she said, her voice hoarse.
Spike was about to reply when Xander approached. He took one look at Anya’s tears and gave an angry glance to the vampire. “What’s going on here?”
Anya shook her head and got up to her feet. “Dance with me, Xander.”
The brunette expression showed total shock for a second, before turning to pleasure. Without a word, he took his ex-fiancée’s hand and led her to the dance floor.
Quite satisfied with himself, Spike watched the five friends dancing in rhythm to the music. No, they couldn’t call that dancing. Bouncing was more like it. Or shaking. But definitely not dancing. One day, he would have to show them what dancing was all about. On the other hand, a bouncing Slayer was certainly an interesting sight.
It would have been easy, really, to make that wish. To wish Buffy would love me as much as I love her. And I’m pretty sure demon-girl would have granted it.
Truth be told, I hadn’t thought of it. And when Anya voiced it, I didn’t even consider it. Not for a second. Getting her love like that would have been cheating. It would have been nothing but a rape, except that she wouldn’t even have had a chance to defend herself this time.
So no, I don’t regret it. I know I will, eventually. Probably the day I see her smiling at the bloody wanker who will get her heart. I know that day will come, and I dread it already. But I’ll be there. I owe it to her. And there’s that bleedin’ promise I made to the Watcher, too.
Who am I kidding? I would have stayed anyway. How many times did I leave, or try to leave, this cursed town? Always, I come back. Not to the town, though. To her.