Conversations About Dead People, Ch. 6
Feb. 10th, 2011 08:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
caty_did Set between Pangs and Something Blue.
Anya/Xander
xxxxxxxxxx
Sunnydale, 1999
When Giles came downstairs two days after Buffy’s return from L.A., he found himself surrounded by Scoobies. He paused, trying desperately to remember if he’d locked his front door before going to bed. Willow waved up at him.
“Hi Giles!”
“Hello. May I ask what you’re all doing in my house at,” he checked his watch, “nine-thirty am?”
Buffy responded. “Well there’s been this rash of disappearances on campus and we think it could be linked to… nothing. There’s nothing. I just like it when you make that face. Honestly? We felt bad about leaving you with the worlds worst house guest all week, so since it’s Saturday we decided to come keep you company.”
Xander and Willow nodded their affirmation. Anya played with a loose piece of string on a throw pillow and stared listlessly into space.
Giles considered asking them to leave, but changed his mind. Spike was incredibly taxing, and perhaps Buffy would be more successful at extracting information.
“I see. In that case, feel free to take care of his first feeding. There’s blood in the fridge. Also, try to get him to talk. I’ve been washing my hair in the sink for the past couple of days.”
Buffy grinned, “I’ll see what I can do,” and disappeared into the kitchen.
“The sink? Does that work?” Xander questioned as Giles sat down in an armchair.
He sighed. “In a pinch. But I’m getting so tired of it, I’m seriously considering putting on a swimsuit and just taking a shower anyway.”
Xander grimaced, Willow wrinkled her nose, and even Anya looked slightly put out at the idea of showering while a vampire was chained to the tub.
Buffy poked her head into the living room on her way out of the kitchen. “Ooh. Good idea Giles!”
The four exchanged puzzled looks until they heard the sound of the shower coming on, and then shutting off, followed by,
“Oy! I was asleep, Slayer! What’re you trying to do? Drown me?”
“You’re a vampire Spike. You can’t dro- what the hell are you doing?”
“You soaked my only set of clothes. I’m trying to take them off so they can dry. Give me a hand with this shirt will you? Can’t get it off with the chains.”
“No! I think you’re grossly misunderstanding you’re role as hostage. You aren’t supposed be comfortable.”
“Well what if I catch pneumonia?”
“See again. Vampire.”
Willow turned to Giles, a wry smile in place. “That seems to be going well.”
He smiled back, and was just about to say something, when Anya piped up. “When do you think they’ll have sex?”
This statement was met with several seconds of shocked silence. Willow recovered first and stammered out, “ Anya… they’re, um, they’re… never. They will be having sex never. Xander? Help me out here?”
He gulped. “What makes you think that they would do…that?”
She looked at him, brow knit in confusion. “What makes you think they wouldn’t? They’re both in great physical shape, nice looking. Plus they have all that sexual tension.”
“What? No they don’t! They do not have tension of any kind. Well, maybe violent tension. Is that a thing?” He turned towards Giles who just shrugged, looking very much like someone who just wanted to be somewhere else.
Through the silence they could hear Buffy’s voice drifting from the bathroom. “I am not bringing you a straw! Drink it like this, or not at all.”
Anya wasn’t finished. “I just think that they would be very compatible, you know, physically.”
The other three continued to look at her, agape. “What? They’re a good height for each other, and they both have all that super-strength. It makes sense!”
“Anya? Can I talk to you outside for a minute?”
She glanced around at all of them. Xander was staring at her expectantly, but the other two were exchanging uncomfortable looks. She had the sinking feeling that she’d made yet another alienating mistake. “Yes, I-I suppose so.”
As they made their way to the door, they cold hear Giles wondering where he’d put his Scotch.
They pulled the door shut, and she turned to face him, annoyance written all over her face. “Okay. We’re outside. Are you going to yell at me now?”
“No. I just wanted to talk to you away from everyone for a minute. I know it’s hard for you sometimes.”
“And this shouldn’t be one of those times!” she huffed. “All I did was ask a simple question! I was trying to make small talk!”
The corners of Xander’s mouth twitched. “Really?”
“Is sex not an appropriate topic for small talk?”
“Not usually.” But his voice was amused and affectionate.
“Oh. See, that’s something helpful to know, now I won’t make that mistake again!”
“True. But Anya, you know it wasn’t just that you were talking about sex right? It was that you were suggesting it happen between Buffy and Spike. And, believe me, that would never happen with Buffy and Spike.”
Anya leaned against the wall behind her. “But why not?”
“Because he’s a vampire.”
“And?”
“And he’s a vampire. End of story.”
“But what about Angel? He’s a vampire, and they had sex.”
Xander rubbed the back of his neck, tiredly. “Angels different. He has a soul, he’s not going to go around killing people.”
“Spike’s not going to kill people either. He can’t.”
“Yeah, but Spike doesn’t feel bad about what he’s done, and Angel does. It’s not just about whether or not they can kill.”
A strange look passed over Anya’s face, and she stared Xander directly in the eye. “I don’t regret what I did.”
“Huh?”
“All the people I hurt while I was a demon. I don’t regret any of it.”
He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter.”
“Why?”
“Because you aren’t a demon anymore. You’re human.”
“You’re honestly saying that it doesn’t bother you? I wreaked havoc for over a thousand years; I hurt, maimed, killed! And because I’m a human now it just goes away?”
He shook his head. “No. No of course it doesn’t go away, and I’m not saying it doesn’t bother me, I’m just saying that it doesn’t matter what you were. All that matters is what you are now.”
“And you like who I am now?”
A goofy grin spread across his face. “Yeah. I do.”
“Well I’m exactly the same as I was then. Just minus the powers. Would you still like me if I were a demon?”
“Probably.” He conceded with a shrug. Her eyebrows almost disappeared into her hair. “But you’d be off the table, because you’d be a demon.”
“Is you’re world really that black and white Xander? People good, demons bad? Is it really that simple to you?”
“Yes. Because it has to be. In order for me to do this job, to go out and help protect the world, there has to be a line. And if I cross that line and start making exceptions, it would be incredibly hard to find the line again. If I start wondering about, I don’t know, a demons family, or their motivation, or if they’re really evil underneath it all, I’ll go crazy. As long as demons are bad and humans aren’t, I can keep helping at an effective level. Can you understand that?”
She looked at him thoughtfully. “Yes. I think so. It’s like the men I punished. If I started wondering if they had a good reason to behave the way they did, I never would have been able to exact vengeance.”
Xander smiled. “Sure. That’s the idea.”
Just then the door opened and Buffy appeared. Anya walked right up to her and announced, “I understand your inclusive slaying policy and, for the most part, I accept it.”
Buffy just looked confused. “Thank you?”
“You’re welcome!”
Buffy turned her attention towards Xander. “Do you think you could drive me down to the store really quick? I need to buy straws.”
Anya/Xander
xxxxxxxxxx
Sunnydale, 1999
When Giles came downstairs two days after Buffy’s return from L.A., he found himself surrounded by Scoobies. He paused, trying desperately to remember if he’d locked his front door before going to bed. Willow waved up at him.
“Hi Giles!”
“Hello. May I ask what you’re all doing in my house at,” he checked his watch, “nine-thirty am?”
Buffy responded. “Well there’s been this rash of disappearances on campus and we think it could be linked to… nothing. There’s nothing. I just like it when you make that face. Honestly? We felt bad about leaving you with the worlds worst house guest all week, so since it’s Saturday we decided to come keep you company.”
Xander and Willow nodded their affirmation. Anya played with a loose piece of string on a throw pillow and stared listlessly into space.
Giles considered asking them to leave, but changed his mind. Spike was incredibly taxing, and perhaps Buffy would be more successful at extracting information.
“I see. In that case, feel free to take care of his first feeding. There’s blood in the fridge. Also, try to get him to talk. I’ve been washing my hair in the sink for the past couple of days.”
Buffy grinned, “I’ll see what I can do,” and disappeared into the kitchen.
“The sink? Does that work?” Xander questioned as Giles sat down in an armchair.
He sighed. “In a pinch. But I’m getting so tired of it, I’m seriously considering putting on a swimsuit and just taking a shower anyway.”
Xander grimaced, Willow wrinkled her nose, and even Anya looked slightly put out at the idea of showering while a vampire was chained to the tub.
Buffy poked her head into the living room on her way out of the kitchen. “Ooh. Good idea Giles!”
The four exchanged puzzled looks until they heard the sound of the shower coming on, and then shutting off, followed by,
“Oy! I was asleep, Slayer! What’re you trying to do? Drown me?”
“You’re a vampire Spike. You can’t dro- what the hell are you doing?”
“You soaked my only set of clothes. I’m trying to take them off so they can dry. Give me a hand with this shirt will you? Can’t get it off with the chains.”
“No! I think you’re grossly misunderstanding you’re role as hostage. You aren’t supposed be comfortable.”
“Well what if I catch pneumonia?”
“See again. Vampire.”
Willow turned to Giles, a wry smile in place. “That seems to be going well.”
He smiled back, and was just about to say something, when Anya piped up. “When do you think they’ll have sex?”
This statement was met with several seconds of shocked silence. Willow recovered first and stammered out, “ Anya… they’re, um, they’re… never. They will be having sex never. Xander? Help me out here?”
He gulped. “What makes you think that they would do…that?”
She looked at him, brow knit in confusion. “What makes you think they wouldn’t? They’re both in great physical shape, nice looking. Plus they have all that sexual tension.”
“What? No they don’t! They do not have tension of any kind. Well, maybe violent tension. Is that a thing?” He turned towards Giles who just shrugged, looking very much like someone who just wanted to be somewhere else.
Through the silence they could hear Buffy’s voice drifting from the bathroom. “I am not bringing you a straw! Drink it like this, or not at all.”
Anya wasn’t finished. “I just think that they would be very compatible, you know, physically.”
The other three continued to look at her, agape. “What? They’re a good height for each other, and they both have all that super-strength. It makes sense!”
“Anya? Can I talk to you outside for a minute?”
She glanced around at all of them. Xander was staring at her expectantly, but the other two were exchanging uncomfortable looks. She had the sinking feeling that she’d made yet another alienating mistake. “Yes, I-I suppose so.”
As they made their way to the door, they cold hear Giles wondering where he’d put his Scotch.
They pulled the door shut, and she turned to face him, annoyance written all over her face. “Okay. We’re outside. Are you going to yell at me now?”
“No. I just wanted to talk to you away from everyone for a minute. I know it’s hard for you sometimes.”
“And this shouldn’t be one of those times!” she huffed. “All I did was ask a simple question! I was trying to make small talk!”
The corners of Xander’s mouth twitched. “Really?”
“Is sex not an appropriate topic for small talk?”
“Not usually.” But his voice was amused and affectionate.
“Oh. See, that’s something helpful to know, now I won’t make that mistake again!”
“True. But Anya, you know it wasn’t just that you were talking about sex right? It was that you were suggesting it happen between Buffy and Spike. And, believe me, that would never happen with Buffy and Spike.”
Anya leaned against the wall behind her. “But why not?”
“Because he’s a vampire.”
“And?”
“And he’s a vampire. End of story.”
“But what about Angel? He’s a vampire, and they had sex.”
Xander rubbed the back of his neck, tiredly. “Angels different. He has a soul, he’s not going to go around killing people.”
“Spike’s not going to kill people either. He can’t.”
“Yeah, but Spike doesn’t feel bad about what he’s done, and Angel does. It’s not just about whether or not they can kill.”
A strange look passed over Anya’s face, and she stared Xander directly in the eye. “I don’t regret what I did.”
“Huh?”
“All the people I hurt while I was a demon. I don’t regret any of it.”
He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter.”
“Why?”
“Because you aren’t a demon anymore. You’re human.”
“You’re honestly saying that it doesn’t bother you? I wreaked havoc for over a thousand years; I hurt, maimed, killed! And because I’m a human now it just goes away?”
He shook his head. “No. No of course it doesn’t go away, and I’m not saying it doesn’t bother me, I’m just saying that it doesn’t matter what you were. All that matters is what you are now.”
“And you like who I am now?”
A goofy grin spread across his face. “Yeah. I do.”
“Well I’m exactly the same as I was then. Just minus the powers. Would you still like me if I were a demon?”
“Probably.” He conceded with a shrug. Her eyebrows almost disappeared into her hair. “But you’d be off the table, because you’d be a demon.”
“Is you’re world really that black and white Xander? People good, demons bad? Is it really that simple to you?”
“Yes. Because it has to be. In order for me to do this job, to go out and help protect the world, there has to be a line. And if I cross that line and start making exceptions, it would be incredibly hard to find the line again. If I start wondering about, I don’t know, a demons family, or their motivation, or if they’re really evil underneath it all, I’ll go crazy. As long as demons are bad and humans aren’t, I can keep helping at an effective level. Can you understand that?”
She looked at him thoughtfully. “Yes. I think so. It’s like the men I punished. If I started wondering if they had a good reason to behave the way they did, I never would have been able to exact vengeance.”
Xander smiled. “Sure. That’s the idea.”
Just then the door opened and Buffy appeared. Anya walked right up to her and announced, “I understand your inclusive slaying policy and, for the most part, I accept it.”
Buffy just looked confused. “Thank you?”
“You’re welcome!”
Buffy turned her attention towards Xander. “Do you think you could drive me down to the store really quick? I need to buy straws.”
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Date: 2011-02-11 08:04 pm (UTC)I think [you're inclusive slaying policy] should be [your inclusive slaying policy]
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