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Author's Chapter Notes:
At this point on the show, Dawn wasn't yet aware of her 'keyness'. But, for the purposes of my story and to move things along, she already knows she's the Key that Glory is looking for. Dawn's dealing with it the best she can -- without as much whining lol

I could have made Dawn's portion of the chapter much longer and more detailed, but I reckoned most readers would rather get back to Magic Box and Spuffy happenings more quickly :)

This is going to be a very long chapter -- it will include Dawn's arrival in the Unari dimension, Magic Box scenes and, of course, Spike and Buffy's continuing adventure. I wanted to get everyone in there and wrap up Part 1 in grand style lol

The song 'Life of Illusion' by Joe Walsh got stuck in my head when I was planning this chapter. Here's a YouTube link if you'd like to listen and get it stuck in your head too =D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tiOMu_Bf8Q

Mucho thanks to DFL for beta'ing the previous 13 chapters. Thanks to Passion4Spike for taking over on this last gi-normous chapter :) And special thanks to CallMeKitten for all of her support, encouragement, and the kick in the ass she gave me to get this story off the ground! *hugz*

Fabooo banners by xoChantelly and Edgehead

Enjoy!
Dawn's experience in the fairy tale realm was much different than Buffy and Spike's.

She was terrified when she arrived in the dimension, not knowing exactly what had happened to her. She remembered being in the Magic Box, the book vibrating and the white mist coming out of it, and then she suddenly found herself in this strange new place. She had been transported and placed into a small room with no doors and only one window. There was a bed, along with a vanity table and a chair, but that was all.

She rushed over to the window and looked out. A wave of vertigo gripped her; she was at the top of a very tall tower. The scenery didn't look like any place she'd ever been, it was just green rolling hills as far as the eye could see. One detail that was impossible to miss -- her hair was incredibly long, she guessed maybe 20 or 30 feet, in one giant braid. Her clothes had changed too. She was wearing an ankle-length purple dress that looked like something she'd expect a fairy tale character to be wearing.

Dawn wept and panicked, screaming for Giles, Buffy, Spike, anyone, to come and help her. They probably didn't even know she was in trouble, since she'd been alone when she was taken. What if she was stuck here forever?! After a few minutes, she was able to force herself to calm down and think rationally. She'd obviously been taken inside the book of fairy tales somehow. Why would Giles leave a book like that out in the open where anyone could get sucked into it? He apparently didn't know about the book's special properties, which made her odds of being rescued take a nosedive down to the “slim and none” category.

Dawn tried to think how Buffy would handle this. Buffy wouldn't cry or let fear cripple her. Buffy would assess the situation, examine her surroundings, and then find a way out. Her older sister could be a tiny, stubborn jerk sometimes but Dawn couldn't help feeling she could never measure up to Buffy (in any way other than height). A lot of it was simple jealousy. Buffy was older, stronger, braver, had lustrous blonde hair, got all the hot guys (and even vampires!) to fall in love with her -- Buffy, it seemed to Dawn, had it all. Buffy pissed her little sister off a lot, but when it came down to it, she was Dawn's hero. Buffy was everything that Dawn wished she could be.

"What would Buffy do?"

Dawn figured out rather quickly she was supposed to be Rapunzel, and what she should try to do in order to get out of the tower. She wasn't going to wait around in the room for the villain (whoever it was) to show up. She whined as she did it, but she used a pair of scissors she'd found in a drawer to cut off her hair just above her shoulders. She hoped her hair would grow back fast, but having a pixie haircut for a few months was a small price to pay to gain her freedom. After tying the hair rope to a bedpost and throwing the loose end out the window, she nervously, and very carefully, climbed down to the ground below.

The tower seemed to be placed in the middle of nowhere. She saw only green grass and hills for miles and miles in every direction. So, which way should she go?

Just when Dawn was pondering her next action, a blue portal appeared in front of her. It gave off a kind of energy, making her hair stand on end. She started backing away from it, afraid of what might jump out at any moment.

A male voice called to her (she didn't know if it was coming from the portal or if it was the portal), "Don't be afraid. We only wish to help you. Step into the portal, please."

"Oh sure, whatever you say! I instantly trust you -- creepy, disembodied voice!" Dawn said sarcastically. Then, borrowing one of Spike's favorite lines, she told the voice to, "Get stuffed!" trying her best to sound as indignant as Spike always did whenever she heard him say it.

She turned to run in the opposite direction, but a force sucked her into the portal anyway.


The room she found herself in this time was much nicer than the last, more lavish, in fact, she thought Spike would've even said it was "posh". There were several doors and windows, and the furnishings were very swanky. Her eyes were drawn to the bed in particular. It was the bed of her dreams: a grand, pink silk-covered, canopied princess bed. It looked exactly like the one she'd always dreamed of laying herself down to sleep on every night. Another object that captured her attention was a large, opulent mirror hanging over the vanity. She checked herself in it.

Her clothes were different again. This time she was wearing a long green silk dress. She had on a gold necklace, rings, bracelets and a tiara studded with emeralds. She felt some relief that her hair was back to its normal length, down to her waist like it was before that giant white hand had pulled her into the book. Some makeup had been applied to her face too -- just enough to make her look more mature and enhance her natural beauty, while avoiding getting into skank territory.

The look was a different one for her, but she liked it. She smiled. Everyone back home may think she was still a kid and too young for makeup, but obviously someone realized she wasn't a child anymore.

Dawn temporarily forgot she may possibly be in danger; she was astonished by her own reflection. She'd thought of herself as 'pretty', but she'd never looked beautiful before.

Suddenly, a mist swirled in the mirror and a face formed, scaring Dawn again.

The Mirror spoke to her without her having to address it first (unlike Buffy and Spike, Dawn would get all sorts of special treatment). After getting over her initial fright, she relaxed a bit. She had a gut feeling that the Mirror guy didn’t intend to harm her.

How the Mirror treated Dawn couldn't have been more different than Spike and Buffy's experience. The Mirror was reverent, respectful and kept calling her things like 'Holy One'. It explained that she’d been accidentally drawn into their dimension because the dormant magick in the book of fairy tales was awakened by her presence. The book had recognized her true nature and brought her into this world for her own safety. The Mirror told her that her happiness, making her every wish and dream come true, was the Unari’s top priority. The only wishes she would not be granted involved leaving this dimension and communicating with the outside world. It apologized to her for not being able to submit to all of her wishes, but it wouldn‘t be swayed.

Dawn was told who the Unari were and that they considered her a 'holy being'. They literally worshipped the ground she walked on -- now that the Key had feet. That didn't help support her 'I'll just pretend I'm a normal person' attitude she'd been trying her best to maintain after finding out she was the 'Key'.

Dawn insisted that she wanted to go home. Then the Mirror tried to persuade her that staying in this dimension was best by using the Glorificus angle. It told her how Glory would never stop trying to find her. Glory would kill, maim, and destroy anyone and anything in her path to find the Key. And when Glory did find Dawn, she would spill her blood to open a dimensional portal, and then unimaginable horrors would be released on the world. Millions of people would die. But, if Dawn stayed in this dimension, Glory would never be able to get to her; Dawn, and the whole world as she knew it, would be completely safe.

Sensing that Dawn was beginning to see reason, the Mirror went on to assure her that her family (the Mirror had said that word with a sneer) would be informed that there was no reason to fear for her safety; she couldn't be safer than she was right now. The Mirror said that she didn't belong with her family, she belonged here in this dimension with those that would worship and protect her.

Dawn thought it over. Her loved ones had told her many times that they would do anything to defend her against Glory. But all of them could die because of her, in the process of protecting her. Dawn couldn't bear to even think about that happening. She didn't want to be responsible for anyone getting hurt or dying... she didn't have much of a choice, really. She decided with sad resignation: 'Everybody would be better off and happier if I just stayed here. It would probably be a big relief to everyone not having to worry about me anymore.'

She had to try to make the best of it and accept this world as her own. One of the biggest problems was going to be missing her friends and family -- but then the Mirror told her how the people around her could and would be made to look like people from the outside world. That would help ease the homesickness a bit.

Dawn reluctantly told the Mirror guy that she would voluntarily stay in this dimension -- for a while, at least. The Mirror was overjoyed by her statement, promising her much happiness in the days and weeks to come.


There was a knock at the chamber door.

Dawn looked at it nervously. "Who's that?"

"Open the door and see. Every surprise will be a delightful one. You have no need to fear anything in this realm, Holy One."

Dawn sighed and rolled her eyes at being called by that title as she went to the door. She held her breath as she opened it, then smiled brightly at who she saw.

Joyce was smiling happily. "Good morning, my beautiful daughter."

"Mom!" Dawn flung her arms around her, hugging her tight. Her mom looked beautiful and healthy. It was easy to forget for a second that this wasn't really her mother: the person looked and talked just like Joyce Summers. She even smelled of Joyce's perfume. Her mother was dressed in a pretty, dark-blue silk dress that resembled the one Dawn was wearing, looking very fancy.

"My goodness," Joyce chuckled. "You're in a good mood this morning!"

Dawn released her and stepped back. "Um, sorry. I'm just really happy to see... you."

"I'm happy to see you, too." Joyce patted her face. "Come down to breakfast, sweetheart. We can't start the meal without you, now can we?"

She absently rubbed her stomach and looked back into the bedroom. The Mirror looked like a regular mirror again, non-swirly. "I guess I am kind of hungry."

Joyce took her hand and led her out into the hallway, and then toward a staircase. "And after breakfast, we can go for a ride, if you'd like."

"What kind of ride?"

"On your horse, Snowflake. I haven't decided which horse I'll choose yet."

"I have a horse?"

"You have several, but Snowflake has always been your favorite. The two of you have such a wonderful rapport."

They got to the bottom of the stairs. The palace was immense and lavishly decorated. There were tapestries, crystal chandeliers, fancy furniture, plush rugs and portraits everywhere. Dawn didn't know where to look first, everything was so beautiful; she really was inside a fairy tale. She let her mother continue to lead her by the hand.

Servants bowed and greeted them joyfully, everyone seemed especially happy to see Dawn. Many of the cheerful faces were familiar to her, some she remembered meeting in Sunnydale, some she'd only seen in passing on the streets. The people radiated such happiness and kindness that Dawn could feel it too. She felt warm, safe and loved. Even though she knew her mom, sister and all her friends back home loved her, somehow this felt... different; like she was adored and revered by everyone in the whole world -- it was more love that she'd ever felt before. It was weird, but cool.

Joyce said, "Bradley told me that Snowflake has been pining for you to come and take her for a ride."

"Bradley?"

"One of the stable boys. Ah, there he is now." She gestured to a man who was bowing in their presence.

Dawn did a double-take when he straightened up again and she got a look at his face -- it was Brad Pitt, the actor.

"Omigod! Brad Pitt!" Dawn exclaimed, clutching her mother's hand, and hoping she wouldn't faint at Brad's feet.

"Good morning, Your Majesties," he bowed again. "How is it that each of you gets more beautiful with every passing day?"

Joyce laughed and playfully waved him off. "Oh, Bradley! You and your flattery!"

"I speak the truth," he replied silkily, smiling at Dawn. "I do hope Princess Dawn will come down to the stables to go riding soon."

"We were talking about doing just that, Bradley," Queen Joyce said. "My daughter and I would love to have a ride after breakfast. Isn't that right, Dawn?"

"Huh?" Dawn realized that she was just staring at Brad with her mouth ajar. It might not really be him, but it sure as hell looked and sounded like the real deal -- and that was good enough for her! "Oh, um, yeah! Definitely!"

"I look forward to it. I'll go and prepare your mounts right now so they'll be ready for you. Majesties." He bowed again, and then hurried off to the stables.

"Wow... that was cool! Can, um... Can Bradley go riding with us?" Dawn asked, still feeling tingles shooting up and down her spine.

"Of course, Dawn. Your every wish and whim will be attended to."

Dawn smiled wider as they continued on their way to the magnificent dining room. "I guess being stuck here might not be too bad, after all."

This wasn't the real world... but what was so great about the real world, anyway?





Back in the not-so-great real world...

Xander and Riley had bumped into each other at the Espresso Pump. Both had gone there with the intention of buying coffee and donuts for the Scoobies. Riley had put on his best fake smile and assured his friend that he'd gotten his shit together, all he'd needed was some sleep. Xander bought the act; he was too willing to believe it was true and relieved to have one less person to worry about.

After stopping so Xander could pick up some flowers and chocolates for Anya, the boys went back to the Magic Box. By the time they got there, Giles and Joyce had arrived. And there were new pictures in the book.

The series of pictures and text highlighted points of Buffy and Spike's experiences: having their argument after he'd tried sweet talking the witch; Buffy being punished after her failed attempt to attack the witch, and Spike's subsequent plea for Buffy's safety; Buffy being given stale bread and crab-shells to eat; and then Spike and Buffy having a relatively pleasant chat -- followed by another argument.

The next part struck the Scoobies temporarily speechless: Spike refusing to drink Buffy's blood, though the witch had ordered him to do it and threatened to punish him if he didn't. They never imagined Spike could have that much restraint, or would want to restrain himself, under those circumstances. Giles hypothesized that perhaps the other dimension was having a positive effect on Spike, influencing him to behave in more thoughtful, civilized manner. Anya disputed that theory, pointing out that they had no real evidence to suggest Spike or Buffy were being 'influenced' in any way.


Tara thought it might just be her being naive about vampires, and Spike in particular, but she wondered why the others (except Anya) seemed so reluctant to give Spike any credit for doing something good on his own. Spike was different than other vampires, Tara had seen that in the time she'd known him. His aura was dark, but there were flickers of brightness and warm colors that were absent in the other vamps. Tara had never seen an aura like that before, so she wasn't positive what it meant. But she thought it might mean that Spike was capable of being good, if he would only try walking the straight and narrow. Spike had done an amazing thing by refusing to take Buffy's blood, and Tara believed it was genuine and done for the right reasons. She was much more comfortable around the Scoobies than she had been when she'd first joined the group, but she was still timid about stating an opinion that went against what the others said. She could talk to Willow about it later, in private.


The next picture showed Buffy trying to kill the witch with the axe while trying to protect Spike after his hand had gotten burned. The last picture in the book showed Buffy recovering from getting zapped and thanking Spike for staying loyal to her at his own peril. And then she told him that she trusted him.

It was evident from the last pictures and additions to the 'story' that, while they still bickered with each other, Spike and Buffy had turned a corner in their relationship. They were having more "normal" moments, talking like friends or at least like they were on the same team. With the exception of Riley, everyone was relieved at the interaction. If Buffy and Spike could stop arguing, they would be able to work together more efficiently and escape sooner. They weren't sure how much Buffy could or should trust Spike, but hoped he would continue to help and protect her.

The girls thought, but didn't say, that it was very sweet that Spike had sung a song to soothe Buffy's nerves. They never would have expected Spike to do something so nice. It was kind of swoon-worthy actually: a rough, tough guy who liked to refer to himself as 'The Big Bad', singing a pretty song and taking the risk of Buffy making fun of him, in the hope that he could help take her mind off her troubles.

Riley had to make an effort to keep from commenting and reacting when it became clear that Spike hadn't been trying to betray Buffy, and some of the Scoobies acting impressed with Spike over the things he'd done. Anya couldn't keep her mouth shut, of course, gloating that she'd been right about Spike's intentions. 'So Spike didn't double-cross her *this* time... that doesn't mean a damn thing. He will, given enough time. If I'm lucky, *all* he'll do is betray her... To put it mildly, Riley didn't like that it seemed Buffy was indeed having warmer thoughts about Spike. She actually said she thought she could trust him! Could she really be that naive?!

Riley thought it would be best if he tried fading into the background and keep his opinions to himself. He didn't want to have another meltdown in front of everyone.


After the Scoobies briefly discussed what they'd seen and read, Joyce went to one of the shelves of merchandise, absently straightening up and silently worrying about her daughters (and Spike -- she liked him for some reason she couldn't quite pin down). She tried accepting that Dawn was being treated well and was in no immediate danger, but Buffy's situation was much harder for her to deal with.

Joyce didn't have to say anything, Giles had seen the distress in her face before she'd wandered away from the others at the table. He joined her at the shelves and put his hand on her back comfortingly. "I know how difficult this must be for you, Joyce. You're holding up very well."

She nodded, keeping a handle on her emotions. "I'm trying. My poor Buffy... it just never stops for her, does it? She never gets any peace; there's always some new threat popping up that she has to put her life on the line for. I almost wish I didn't know what was happening to her in that horrible place. It's... so hard to know that she's being treated that way and there's nothing I can do about it."

"Well... it seems that Spike is doing what he can to help and protect her."

Joyce raised her eyebrows and shook her head, "Yeah, that was something, wasn't it? At least she's not alone in there and has someone looking out for her. It does give me some comfort to know that Spike is on Buffy's side, but... I'm still afraid for her."

"I have complete faith that she will get through this. Buffy's a strong and resourceful young woman, there's no one else quite like her. I never had children of my own... but I couldn't be more proud of or love her more if she were my own flesh and blood."

Joyce smiled at him. "It makes me feel good that she has you in her life, Rupert. It's reassuring to know that you'll be there for her and Dawn if something happens to me."

"Now, let's not have any of that kind of talk. You came through your surgery with flying colors. The doctors said you'll be fine."

"I know. But it did make me realize how quickly our lives can take a bad turn; we never know when our numbers might be up. When you face your own mortality..." She paused and shook her head. "Wow, aren't I the cheery one? I promise I'll try to be more optimistic. No more mortality talk."

Giles smiled and patted her on the back. "It will all work out fine, Joyce."

Joyce and Giles normally called each other by their first names these days, but when they were within earshot of other people, they felt the irrational need not to seem as close, as if the others would guess what had happened between them years ago. It was bad enough that Buffy knew, they didn't want the others to get 'wigged' too. At the moment, they felt that it was 'safe' to talk more freely, with the others being on the other side of the room.

Anya took notice of Giles and Joyce talking quietly away from the rest of the group. Was there something going on there? Anya knew Giles had an orgasm friend, Olivia, but she lived in England, and long-distance relationships were rarely successful -- she'd seen her share of those when she was a Vengeance Demon. She thought it would be nice for Giles and Buffy's mom to get together. They were both attractive, middle-aged, lonely people. They only lived a few minutes away from each other, so booty calls would be very easy to accomplish.





A few minutes later, Giles and Joyce rejoined the others at the table.

Riley was content to be apart from the others for now, standing at the counter and pretending to peruse a book, but his mind wasn't on what he was supposed to be doing. He wished he could just go home and anxiously await any word from his friends in the government. But he needed to stay here for now to seem "normal".

Riley knew that Buffy didn't love him; not like he loved her. He had even admitted that to Xander not long ago. Yes, Buffy was affectionate and loving with him, but she wasn't in love. He sometimes tried fooling himself into believing she did or that she could love him one day. But that nagging inner-voice knew better again. It seemed to him that Buffy had some bizarre need for the man in her life to cause her endless pain (both physical and mental). Apparently, she needed a man with darkness in his soul -- or the total lack of a soul.

Still, it wasn't in Riley's nature to give up on anything. He wouldn't stop trying to win Buffy's heart; he knew that he could make her happy, if she would only let him. And the first step in achieving that goal was to get rid of Spike. The bleached blond vamp was trying to confuse Buffy and prey on her weaknesses, and he needed to be eliminated from the equation. Then Riley and Buffy could get back on the right track. Eliminating obstacles: that would help his cause considerably. There was nothing he could do about that bastard Angel... for now, but Spike would be easy to take care of once Buffy and Dawn were back safely.

Riley noticed Tara looking at him and he gave her an easy, small smile. He couldn't let his fake smile look too happy or they'd know it wasn't real. Tara smiled weakly and then looked away. She seemed suspicious of him, she was usually intuitive... She was also usually quieter than the rest of the group, hopefully she'd stay quiet.


"Is there something I can do to help?" Joyce asked as she sat down at the table.

"Of course," Giles said. "What is it you'd like to do?"

"I could go through some books like everyone else is doing."

Giles nodded, but looked at her with concern. "That would be fine. Any help you can give would be appreciated. Are you certain you're up for that?"

"Am I up for reading? Yes, I think I can handle that... Giles." She reverted back the less intimate name 'Giles' instead of 'Rupert'. "It's not exactly high impact aerobics."

"It's just that... I know you're under tremendous stress already, and I'm concerned that reading too much may give you a headache."

She smiled and touched his arm. "It's sweet of you to worry, but I'll be okay. If I feel a headache coming on, I'll take a break."

Anya raised an eyebrow, seeing another friendly touch and more warmth exchanged between Giles and Buffy's mom. She would have commented, but she got distracted by an illustration of an erotic woodcarving from the 14th century in the book she was currently going through -- it would look great in their new apartment.

Tara had been getting some bad vibes from Riley a minute ago. It could just be that his worrying for Buffy's welfare had him giving off negative energy... but she wasn't sure that's all there was to it. Tara had already told Xander she was troubled about Riley's mental state, there wasn't much more she could do. She couldn't very well accuse him of something like thinking dark thoughts -- who didn't think dark thoughts once in a while? Especially when the person they loved was in danger. She decided she should just mind her own business. It was probably nothing, anyway...

Joyce tried to relax and lighten up as much as possible. She could see that everyone was concerned about how she was handling the situation; she wanted to put up a brave front. "I've never been in on the researching before. Kind of exciting," she said with a slight smile.

Xander sighed. "Yep, when we crack the books, oh the fun, it never stops."

"The most I've contributed to your research sessions in the past was bringing snacks," Joyce said.

"But that's really a lot of help, too." Willow smiled. "Don't know what we would've done without you, Mrs. Summers."

"Don't downplay the importance of sugary treats," Xander said, holding up a finger. "I often find myself in the role of 'purveyor of snacky goodness'. It's up to us to keep the troops energized."

Joyce pointed to the fuzzy troll pencil topper, which still stood on top of a pile of books in the middle of the table. "Is that there for a reason? Is it magical?"

"Nah, not magic. It's just a prize for whoever can think of a positive portrayal of witches, wolves or stepmothers in fairy tales. It's thus far unclaimed, but I'm gonna win that little guy yet," Xander declared, reaching out to pat the top of the troll's hair. "He'll be resting comfortably on the end of my pencil at the end of the day -- mark my words."

Joyce took a book off the stack in the middle of the table, taking care not to knock over the fuzzy troll pencil topper. "All of you are researching to find a way to get Buffy, Dawn, and Spike out of the fairy tale book as soon as possible?"

Willow replied, "Yep, that's the main goal. We're also trying to find out as much as we can about the Unari and their dimensions as we can. So be on the lookout for any mention of the word Unari, U-N-A-R-I."

Joyce began turning the pages and scanning the book in front of her. "I assume these Unari people wouldn't be too pleased about you trying to bring the girls and Spike back out before they've finished their quests or tests."

Anya answered, "No, they wouldn't be happy to have their quests possibly interrupted by outsiders. In fact, I think they'd be very angry."

"Can the Unari do things to people in the real world?" Joyce wondered.

Giles answered, "Technically, their world is just as real as ours. It's merely on a different dimensional plane of existence."

"Okay then, can they reach out from their world to do things to people on our dimensional plane of existence?"

"How do you mean?" Giles asked.

"I mean, is there a chance that they know what we're trying to accomplish and is it possible they could try to harm one of us or take someone else into the book to stop us?"

"I suppose that's... possible, but I doubt it. The Unari prefer not to have dealings with the outside world. I suspect they only took Dawn because of her special nature, and Buffy and Spike were only taken once we purposely activated a portal." Giles almost didn't want to ask Anya the next question, his pride was still stinging, but he could put that aside for the greater good. "Anya, have you heard any accounts of the Unari striking out to harm people outside of their own dimensions?"

"No, I haven't. That doesn't mean it couldn't happen though. They are adept at using magick, they wouldn't even have to be physically here in our world to get at us, if that's what they wanted to do."

"It might be prudent for us to cast a general protection spell on the shop and ourselves. Better safe than sorry." Giles looked to the witches. "Willow, Tara, could you work on that?"

"We sure can." Willow was starting to feel really tired again, thanks to Tara and Xander ganging up on her and taking away her pep pills. Working a spell would help her feel better, at least temporarily.

Willow and Tara stood up and went to find the right spellbook.





Giles, Willow, and Tara cast protection spells on the Magic Box and on the individuals in the shop. If it worked correctly, it would protect them from being harmed by magick and would root them to this dimension, they couldn't be taken into the Unari's world against their wills. Giles still doubted something like that would happen, but he wouldn't be caught unawares again.

And then it was back to the books, with everyone feeling a little more secure that one of them wouldn't be hurt or snatched into the book.

Anya, Giles, Joyce, Willow, and Tara were seated around the table. Xander came over to give Anya a fresh latte and a kiss on the cheek.

Anya smiled. "Thank you, Xander. You're a wonderful boyfriend."

"You're welcome. See?" Xander said to Joyce. "Keeping the troops energized -- it's important." He walked away, going to the counter to see how Riley was doing.

Willow rolled her eyes. "I see you two made up. That didn't last long..."

"Oh, you and Xander had a fight?" Joyce asked.

Anya looked adoringly at her boyfriend (and admired his meaty butt) as he stood at the counter. "We did have a little lover's spat earlier. It was partially my fault, I suppose. But Xander gave me the traditional conciliatory gifts of chocolates and flowers, and I accepted his apology. I expect the make-up sex to be excellent, too -- but, of course, that will have to wait until later. We're good now." She left out the part where she promised not to say anything that might scare Joyce.

Joyce smiled. "Xander always was a sweet kid. It's a wise man who knows when to make peace, even if he isn't totally at fault. You've got a good one, Anya. Don't let him get away."

Willow glanced up from her book. "There's no danger of that happening. Even if Xander did finally get tired of her, Anya would probably pull a 'Kathy Bates' and hobble him to keep him from running away or she'd do him like Kunta Kinte and chop off his foot."

Anya sniffed. "I think you need some more of those caffeinated pills, Willow. You're being a real bitch now that they're wearing off."

Willow frowned. "Hey, I am not being a bitch!"

"Really? Because you're displaying some bitch-like qualities. What's the saying? If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a duck. Substitute the word bitch for duck, and it applies to you."

Willow scowled at her. "If anybody is a bitch, it's --"

"Girls, please don't argue." Joyce tried smoothing things over. "We're all friends here, right? Don't let the tension get to you."

Giles had looked up when the girls raised their voices, but he wasn't getting involved unless it escalated further. He didn't want to get dragged into their tiff and have them both prodding him to pick a side; he'd seen that happen to Xander more than once. He kept his head down and his eyes trained on his own book.

Tara tried helping with the smoothing over. "Mrs. Summers is right, it's n-not good for us to argue. We need to concentrate on getting our friends back. The lack of sleep has to be catching up with both of you. Let's just... try to get along, for everyone's sake. Okay?"

Willow didn't want to stress out Joyce or Tara any more than they already were, so she took a breath and forced out a half-hearted apology to Anya.

Anya went back to reading her book, but then noticed they were still looking at her. "What? Do I have to apologize too, even though she was insulting to me first and I was right about her acting like a bitch?"

"That would be... a good thing, yes. Calling people names isn't a nice thing to do. In the interests of peace, you should," Joyce said.

Anya smiled pleasantly at the grumpy, redheaded witch. "Willow, please accept my apology for pointing out that you were acting like a bitch. I'm very sorry."

"Yeah... okay." Willow didn't think much of that 'apology', but she wasn't going to look like the unreasonable one by not accepting it.

Anya looked hopefully at Joyce. "Did that sound sincere? I've been working on appearing more sincere. Like when I tell a customer to have a good day -- I don't really care, but it's a polite thing to say and encourages them to return and bring me more money."

Willow pressed her lips together to keep from saying anything else that might upset her girlfriend or Joyce. Tara reached out and held Willow's hand, which made Willow smile and relax a bit.

"Well, Anya..." Joyce said. "You should mean you're sorry when you say you are. But I have two daughters who loved picking on each other, so I've learned to value even insincere apologies. Whatever it takes to get some peace and quiet is always appreciated."

Anya nodded. "You're very wise, Mrs. Summers. I hope to be as wise and still as attractive as you when I reach your biological age."

Willow thought, 'Eww, she's sucking up to Buffy's mom! No way is Mrs. Summers ever going to like Anya better than me. I'm like a third daughter to her! Come on, Anya, say something vulgar about orgasms. You know you wanna...'





Joyce had to take a break from reading after a while because she was getting that headache Giles had predicted. She insisted on tidying up the shop, though Giles and the others encouraged her to rest. Cleaning helped her deal with stress. So now she was dusting the shelves and feeling a little better already.

Riley spoke only when spoken to, staying at the counter, apart from everyone else. He planned on telling everyone he needed some more sleep and going home soon. He didn't really want to sleep. He was afraid he'd have another nightmare like the last one. But he did need to check his machine to see if any of his government contacts had any information for him.

The Scoobies were discouraged that they hadn't found out more than they already knew from Anya and Giles (mostly Anya), and they hadn't found any spells that could work inter-dimensionally that could be used to bring Buffy, Dawn and Spike back. They wouldn't try anything that wasn't guaranteed to work for fear that it could end up hurting their friends (and Spike).

Things had calmed down a bit after Anya and Willow called a ceasefire. But now it was back to being quiet and boring, and that didn't help fight off their collective fatigue. A few customers had come in to browse and make purchases while the Scoobies researched, though it wasn't so busy that it distracted them for long.

Xander sighed as he finished looking through one book and then took another. He felt the need to start a conversation about something -- anything -- to break the tedium. "I've never been a big fan of fairy tales. They're written for girls -- all that princesses and handsome, perfect, boring princes riding up on white horses to whisk them away to enchanted castles stuff. They make it hard for us normal guys to live up to those fantasies; all that idealized romance crap gets on my nerves."

"Oh really?" Willow asked. Xander closed his eyes, he could tell she was about to swing back into lecture mode. "Did you know that in the original version of 'Sleeping Beauty' the prince raped her while she was in her magickal coma? That's not exactly every girl's dream."

"Wow... no, I didn't know that. Okay, some of the old-timey stories were obviously written by sickos who had lots of issues with women. But modern, Disney-type stories were written for girls. There isn't much for guys to get into, would it have killed them to include some sword fighting and Indiana Jones-style adventure?"

Willow asked, "Why don't men dream of finding their one, true love? That's an element in a lot of fairy tales, and it appeals to women of all ages. Why don't men want that, too?"

Xander looked around when he noticed Willow looking right at him. Then he pointed to himself, "You're asking me, specifically?"

"Well, you're a man."

He puffed his chest out and said in a deeper voice, "Damn right, I am, baby."

"Men are just different, Willow," Anya said. "You were only with one man before you gave up penis, so it's understandable that you'd have less insight into how the male brain operates."

"How many guys I've... been with doesn't matter," Willow insisted with a frown. Oh, it was so hard to have a normal conversation with the ex-Vengeance Demon without wanting to slap her around after a minute. "It's not like you reach some magical number of sexual partners and suddenly understand how the other gender's minds work."

Anya thought about it, and then nodded. "You're right, men are enigmas."

"Men aren't hard to understand, it's women that should come with an owner's manual." Xander was just kidding (well, semi-kidding), but the girls narrowed their eyes at his comment. He nudged Giles with an elbow. "Am I right, G-man? You know what I'm sayin'." He held his hand up for a high-five. "C'mon, up-top."

Giles looked at Xander's raised palm, then back to Xander's eyes, and then back to the book he was reading.

Xander lowered his hand and shook his head. "Aw, that's cold, Giles. Not cool to leave a brutha hangin'."

"If you're trying out some newly acquired street lingo, please stop," Giles groaned.

Anya ignored the exchange between Giles and Xander, she was still thinking about the previous topic. "I could live for another thousand years and still not fully understand men. Asking direct questions can be helpful, so let's carry on." Anya looked at Xander. "Can you tell us why finding your soulmate doesn't appeal to people with penises?"

Xander wished he'd just kept his mouth shut now. "Guys do want to find Miss Right, most of us just don't lie awake nights ready to burst into song about it."

Anya turned to Willow and Tara, "I've found that gay men are much more open to things straight men consider too womany. I believe it's because they're more secure in themselves and their masculinity and don't feel they have to prove anything to anyone."

"Yeah," Willow pressed, focusing again on Xander (much to his chagrin), "Why don't most straight guys like fairy tales? There are violent and zany things that happen in lots of the stories that should appeal to men."

"For starters, the word 'fairy' is right there in the name, and that's enough to make lots of guys tune out. I don't know, the stories are just too... girly."

"Girly?" Willow asked. "That implies that there's something wrong with the way women think or act."

Xander laughed nervously and elbowed Giles again. "Giles, you want to help me out?"

Giles didn't look up from his book this time. "Not even a little. And never nudge me again," he said, sliding his chair further away from Xander.

"Wait," Xander said, looking back at Willow. "I thought you hated fairy tales? They bring out the militant in you because of the evil witches and wolves and whatnot. And now you're jumping on me because I'm not a fan?"

Willow fidgeted. "Well... I hate stuff about them, but there are parts that I like. They speak to many women's deep-seated desire to find the perfect handsome prince -- or princess," she said, quickly smiling at Tara, who smiled back in response, "-- to sweep them off their feet. Don't try turning the tables on me, you... table-turner."

"There is no table to turn!" He rapped his knuckles on the table. "Except this actual one. Why are you picking on me?"

"I'm not picking --"

Giles interrupted them, "Lively discussion is always welcome, but let's not snipe at each other because of... the perceived flaws in our genders. We're all overtired, but let's try to remain civil. And without any more nudging." He looked pointedly at Xander when he'd said the last sentence.

"What do you think about fairy tales, Giles?" Willow asked.

"I think... I don't want to be dragged into this." He looked back at his book. "You may continue picking on Xander."

"Aw, come on, I won't jump on you. I'm just curious to hear your opinion about anything... because you're so wise and learned." She smiled.

"Well, since you put it that way... I think, more than anything else, they're cautionary or morality tales. 'Hansel & Gretel' is one of the best examples of why you shouldn't take candy from strangers. The stories served a purpose."

"A purpose besides scaring the hell out of little kids?" Xander asked.

"And instilling fear of witches or anyone who's different," Willow added.

"Fear has always been a powerful motivator. Fairy tales, fables, and stories found in every society and religion have been written to illustrate right and wrong decisions and possible sinister consequences for those decisions. Many stories have been about the perils of greed and vanity. I think we can all agree that those are good lessons for people to learn."

"Sorry I was picking on you, Xander," Willow apologized (sincerely this time), reaching out to give his hand an affectionate squeeze. "I guess Anya wasn't totally wrong when she said I was being... extra cranky."

Anya said, "No, you're mistaken. I didn't say you were cranky, I said you were being a bitch."

Willow took a deep, calming breath, she didn't want to get pissed off again. "Yeah, I know, but I was putting it a nicer way."

"Oh."

"It's okay, Willow." Xander smiled lopsidedly. "I can't stay mad at you."

"But, hey, picking on you took my mind off my troubles for a few minutes, Xander... so thanks."

"Glad I could be of service."

They went back to reading quietly for a minute.

"Y'know," Xander said, trying to put more levity into the proceedings, "I do have a favorite fairy tale, but I'm not seeing it in any of the books. What's the one that starts with: 'Once upon a time, there were three little girls who went to the police academy'?"

"There's a chance you're thinking of 'Charlie's Angels'," Willow chuckled.

The others smiled and laughed softly too, making Xander happy that he'd eased the tension they were all feeling a little bit. And without starting another round of 'Let's pick on Xander'.

"Oh yeah. Now there's a fairy tale kids of all ages can enjoy." He looked dreamily off into space. "Not enough bikini-clad babes toting guns in those stories. Then more guys would read them with great enthusiasm."


Continued...





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