{{ a slow dying flower...

[Anya Jenkins]

Sunshine.

That was the first thing that came to mind as her light brown eyes flickered and then opened. She was looking at the sun. Well, not directly at it, 'cause that would be bad, but...the clouds. The sky. She was looking at the sky! But...that didn't make sense.

Weakly, she struggled to sit up. The ground felt hard and uncomfortable below her, which she quickly realized was because she was laying on concrete. She ran her hands across the sidewalk, then brought them up to touch her own face. Her soft golden hair, her smooth skin. Warm. Alive. She was alive...and...and human.

A soft gasp escaped her lips as the realization hit her, and it was only then did she realize that she wasn't alone. Glancing around wildly, she found herself looking up at several concerned faces. Probably wondering what she was doing sprawled out on the ground. If only she had an answer to give them...

"Miss? Are you alright?" A man with a furrowed brow asked her, resting a hand on her shoulder as if trying to calm her. Shaken, she shrugged him off, trying to clear her disoriented mind and comprehend where she was all at once. Could she speak? It was worth a try, anyway...

"...Y-yes. Yes, I-I'm fine..." Her voice sounded shaky and broken, as if she hadn't used it for a very long time. The people around her muttered anxiously, and although she tried to listen to what they were saying, she couldn't really focus. Something about...calling an ambulance? No! No hospitals! Fervently, the woman sprung to her feet. The sudden movement made her head spin, and she groaned softly as she put a hand to her forehead in an attempt to steady herself. The man who had spoken earlier rose and stepped towards her.

"Miss, I don't think you should..."

But she was already walking away. Or stumbling, more accurately. This place...it was so familiar. She'd been here before. It had a name, she knew...Sunnydale? Yes, Sunnydale! Her eyes widened slightly as the memories began slipping back to her one by one. The First. The army of vampires. Fighting to protect Andrew...the blinding pain as the Bringer's sword cut through her flesh...and then the darkness.

She trembled slightly at the recollection, stopping in her tracks. She'd been dead, she was sure of it. So then...how was she back now, how was she alive? She looked around forlornly, trying to catch the gaze of a passerby...but none of them seemed familiar to her in the slightest.

"Excuse me?" she asked unsteadily, stepping forward to confront a nearby woman. "...Please...I...what day is it..?"

The woman merely fixed her with a bewildered look, no doubt believing she was being approached by a mental patient, before hurrying on her way. The blonde stared after her, puzzled and sorrowful. Had she said something wrong?

With a soft sigh, she turned away...and then froze. It seemed she had stopped right in front of a shop window. A very familiar shop window. "THE MAGIC BOX", the sign read, but she was mouthing the words before she even saw it. She approached the door tentatively, reaching out and running her fingers across the handle lightly. Then, suddenly resolved, she pushed it down and heard a click. It was open.

It was empty inside, and there didn't seem to be any sign of customer nor staff. But the walls were adorned with all kinds of strange object: thick dusty books, tarot cards, crystal balls...the place radiated warmth and familiarity. Like it was home. She'd worked here, she remembered.

Unable to take all of this home at once, she sat down at the table near by. It was all coming back to her. She knew who she was.

She was Anya.

[Buffy Summers]

Buffy walked in with Xander as they were looking for Giles but froze as they saw Anya. Only they didn't know that it was real Anya as they were fooled before more then once. They stared at her confused and shocked. They were not sure what to think as just then Giles walked out from the back room as they too froze as soon as they saw her.

"What's going on?" Giles asked as they both looked at him and then at Anya. "That what we want to know too" both Buffy and Xander said as they all stared at Anya unsure of what to thing. "My girlfriend is dead, this whatever it is or whoever the hell it is isn't her. They can't be her" Xander said as both Giles and Buffy looked at him. They all sighed.

"Whoever it is must have been waiting for us" Buffy said as she sighed and looked at the other two who looked at her then they all looked at Anya waiting for her to reply. "It's not funny to pretend to be my dead girlfriend" Xander said as he was clearly upset and confused as well as annoyed. It was rather easy to tell that about him. "Yeah we kow, Xander" Buffy said as Giles nodded in agreement. "I heard someone open the door but was to busy in the back to check right away. I also figured that it was either a client who can wait a little or it was one of you or Willow" Giles said. "I came to check who it was to be honest" Giles added. "Well it was someone alright but not my deceased girlfriend nor us" Xander said. "Ok, enough. Relax, Xander" Buffy said as they all looked back at Anya.

"Who are you? and what are you doing here?" Buffy asked Anya with a firm tone. "And why do you look like my dead girlfriend?" Xander asked as the other two looked at him then back at Anya. "Well, are you going to talk or shell I force you to speak up?" Buffy asked as Xander moved forward to do somethibg but Buffy pulled him back. "Whoever it is they must be dangerous so stay back, Xander" she said as Giles and her looked at Xander. Giles nodded in agreement. "Buffy is right, Xander. Uuntil we find out who or what it is we need to be really careful" Giles said as this time Buffy nodded in agreement.

"But it took the form of my Anya" Xander protested. "We know we can see that, Xander" Buffy said to him. Xander looked at them both about to object but then nodded in agreement and looked away from Anya who he thought was an imposter. "Do you think it's the first again?" Xander asked over sudden as he looked between the two as did Giles. "I think it's possible, actually" Giles said to that. "Yeah probably, if so it means we will need to fight it again" Buffy said not to kin on the idea just as the other two weren't.

"Is there away to know that at all? I know it's not my Anya but there are other beings too that can pretend to be her too. It can be one of them too" Xander said as they both looked at him and sighed. "Possible, anything is possible currently." Giles said as he looked at both. Buffy sighed and shrugged. "I guess so and I wish I knew how to be sure but we can't cross this possibility either. We need to thing how it or they reacts before deciding for sure" Buffy said as Giles nodded in agreement.

[Anya Jenkins]

There was a soft jingle as the shop door opened for the second time. Startled by the sudden noise, Anya blinked and turned towards the door. Her expression was vague, only half-interested in these new arrivals...until she saw who they were. Her gaze traveled over the familiar faces; the blonde girl, the tall dark-haired boy...her heart skipped a beat.

She watched speechlessly as seconds later they were joined by an older British gentleman. She felt as if she were watching an old movie, so close to these people and their familiarity, and yet...so far away. Like they were from another lifetime. Literally...

Without even thinking about what she was doing, Anya sprung to her feet as if to greet them. But the way the three of them were looking at her suggested a variety of emotions that she had most certainly not been expecting. Uncertainty. Mistrust. Fear. But why? These people...they had been her friends. Weren't they happy to see her? Anya watched them warily, suddenly finding herself unsure of how to approach.

It was then that their whispered conversation reached her ears. Stirred out of her trance, the ex-demon strained to hear the words they were speaking. Her eyes widened. They didn't believe she was real! ..Well, to be fair, Anya wasn't so sure any of this was really happening either. But to accuse her of being that...that thing! The First! She didn't look evil, did she?! The blonde glanced down at herself, and then back up at her friends. Nope, no evilness here...

She winced at the cold, harsh words tone of Buffy's voice as the Slayer addressed her as if they were strangers. Anya wanted to open her mouth, to speak, to reassure them that it was her. That she was alive! But how was she supposed to do that when even she didn't know how this was possible. She couldn't explain to them why she was back, because she had no words. She had nothing. All she knew was that she was here now, and she wanted to be with her friends again, to reach out to them...she'd missed them.

"Buffy, I..." Anya faltered, looking pleadingly at the Slayer's stony expression. Her gaze flickered to Giles, who seemed to be contemplative but still distrustful. Appealing to Giles would do her no good, not yet anyway. The Watcher favored logic and reason above all else, and right now the ex-demon could offer him neither.

Lastly, her gaze rested on Xander, and her expression softened. Xander. The sole person who had kept her going all those years as a human. Who had made it worth going on. They hadn't ever really been able to repair their relationship after that little...mishap with the wedding, but even after that he'd always been their for her if she'd needed him. And looking at him now...Anya was reminded of how much she still loved him. Even after everything that had happened.

She searched his face for any signs that would tell her that her feelings were requited, but all she found was anger and suspicion. Anya looked at him forlornly, her brown eyes filling with tears that she struggled to hold back. "Xander," she murmured quietly. "...It's me, Xander. I'm Anya. Can't you see that?"

She took a step towards him, and then thought better of it. Turning to glance at Buffy and Giles, she let out an exasperated sigh. "Can't any of you see that?! I...I don't know what I can say to prove it to you! That...that First Evil thing, whatever it was. I-it knew things about people, like a...creepy stalker, only a lot more dangerous!" She was babbling now, and she knew it, but somehow she couldn't keep the words from spilling out. "So I don't know what I can tell you that the First wouldn't already know...except...how I feel. Right now. You're all looking at me like I'm some kind of freak, and I want to tell you everything! Except...I can't...I'm all...achy and hurt and...I just want to...pinch myself and make sure this isn't a dream, like in that movie with the girl and the tornado a-and all of those little midgets! And it just...it hurts. I forgot how much being human hurts. I forgot a lot of things. But...I didn't forget any of you."

She looked from face to face, her eyes wide and desperate. Anya had been alive for less than ten minutes, and already it seemed she was back to her senseless rambling ways. It was just all of these damn emotions! There were so many of them rising up inside her, and she didn't know how to put them into words...

"I didn't forget. I didn't forget you, Buffy, and how many times you've saved all of us. And Giles, I didn't forget how much I missed you when you went back to England, even though you left me the Magic Box and by extension a heck of a lot of money. And...and Xander." Anya turned to him suddenly, trembling slightly as she spoke his name. "I didn't forget...how much I loved you. And how...how empty it felt inside, when you left..."

"I didn't forget any of those things. So please, please tell me that you...didn't forget me, either."She took a shaky breath, closed her eyes, and braced herself for possible rejection.

[Buffy Summers]

They all watched her reaction and sighed as they were not sure what to think of it at all. They saw the way she looked between them as they were not sure what to think. Xander and Buffy exchanged looks confused and worried as well as annoyed and a little scared. Well a lot scared because if it was the first or something like that they would have a lots of trouble dealing with it.

Then they looked back at her as not long after that they were joined by Giles. As they all were confused and shocked and all that. Then again how could they not be if Anya was meant to be dead as they heard that she died and then over sudden there she was. It was strange and unexpected too as well as worrying. They all exchanged looks more then once but then looked back at Anya anyways.

They watched her as they were unsure off her, they watched her as they considered what to do next. Xander was not amused, same as the others weren't amused by that either. Buffy could tell that Xander considered to go over and yell but also she could tell that he wanted to get out and not come back. She could see that in his face, not that she was surprised by that as she felt the same way.

When they whispered what they said to each that the one that supposedly pretended to be Anya could hear the. Especially since they noticed her looked down at herself and such. However, for that moment they ignored her but they were not going to let her leave either. Not until they found out the truth, that was for sure. They needed and wanted to know the truth.


They watched her reaction to Buffy's words and to Giles's as well as Xander's but still were not sure about what was going on. In fact they had no clue what to think or believe. It was more then they could handle, that was for sure. They were thinkung about getting Willow just in case they would need her help, but not just yet so.

"You What?Well?" Buffy looked at her as she spoke. It was harsh but that was how she was when she didn't trust someone and she didn't trust Anya, because as far as she was concerned she died and the one infront of them was an imposter. Buffy and Xander as well as Giles noticed the way Anya looked at them as they just sighed. Still not trustig her as they saw no reason to trust the one in front of them.

As Anya's eyes fell on Xander Both Giles and Buffy looked between them and sighed. Xander looked at them then at Anya and sighed as he wasn't sure what to say next or what to do. He did however know that he wasn't pleased to see someone pretened to be the girl he liked and loved. Looking at her brought him a lot of memories as he looked away because it hurt him to look at her.

Xander looked back at her and sighed as he looked at her eyes as she looked at his and he shock his head. He listened to her speak but he wasn't sure what to think. Part of him wanted to believe but other part of him wanted to get rid of the one who preteneded to be his Anya. After her death he never moved on as it hurt him and it hurt him more to look at her knowing that no doubt it was an imposter. Well he and Buffy believed that it was an imposter.

"Why should I believe you? My Anya died. I know that she died as we all do, so who the hell are you? Don't lie to me. You can't be Anya. Anya is Anya, my Anya. She is better then you even if she is silly. I don't know who you are but you are definitely aren't her. I know that because she is gone and she would never come back. You wanted to hurt us by looking like her, well good job you won. Now what do you want? To kill us? Give us your best shot." Xander said and sighed as he shock his head once more.

They all noticed her make a move towards Xander as both Giles and Buffy tried to hide him but then Anya stopped which made them relax just a little. Xander just watched her as he backed way. They all watched as Anya looked at Buffy. Then they listened to her speak again. "We know that. We know that it's you, unless you can prove to us somehow that you are really Anya. I don't believe that you can though" Giles said as Buffy and Xander looked at him then at Anya. They could tell she was bubbling but they still didn't believe it was Anya even if they saw her cry. With the first you could never know for sure and that was why they didn't believe that the one in front of them was actually Anya. As she said the next surprised them all as they exchanged looks then looked back at her.

Also they were still unsure about the one infront of them being actually Anya but what she said sounded rather convincing. Yet they stayed a safe distance from her just in case. "The wizard of oz" Xander Exclaimed as the other two looked at him they they all looked back at Anya. "How do you know that movie? Since when the first even watches movvies at all?" Xander asked as Giles and Buffy wondered the same things.

As she looked between them they just looked at her. They were considering the possibility that it was Anya but somehow they couldn't be so sure about it. The fact that she or it knew a lot was rather interesting and convincing but something was still wrong but they couldn't put a finger on it. Expect one thing, Anya was supposed to be dead and not now in front of them.

They listened to her speak again as they all blinked trying to figure out what was going on. They their eyes widened. They were not sure what to say. The more Anya spoke the more they got convinced that it was Anya. And yet none of it made sense at all. Every passing moment it made less and less sense that it was possible. They couldn't believe that the first would know so much and yet it looked like it did. If it was the first and not really Anya.

They all watched her not saying a word then smiled as they realized that it really was her. Then they all walked over and hugged her. It was strange and yet it was real. It was her that was for sure. "We do remember you, Anya you silly goof" Xander said all excitedly. "How can we forget you?" Giles said with a smile. "We couldn't forget you, even if we tried and we still can't. We missed you so much, Anya"

[Anya Jenkins]

Initially, it seemed the Scoobies hadn't believed a word of it. Anya's whole being seemed to tremble and then slump in a dejected fashion, although her gaze never left her friends' for a second. By this point, she was pretty much giving 'em the infamous puppy-dog eyes...although realistically, she doubted that this particular tactic would help her situation much. The First was probably quite capable of "making puppy dog eyes", but...she was running out of options.

It would seem that something in her pleading words, however, had struck a chord in the hearts of her friends. Whether it was the typical, clumsily-worded Anya-ness with which she spoke, or simply the sheer amount of desperation in her voice, she didn't know. All she knew was that her heart practically leaped out of her chest when they finally smiled at her, and a moment later the three of them were enveloping her in a gigantic group hug.

Anya stiffened for a moment, slightly knocked off balance by the force of the embrace. It only took her a moment to realize what had just happened, and warm right up. Mmm. She'd really missed all the huggy-sappy-touchy-feelyness of being with the people she adored. To the best of her ability, the ex-demon squirmed her arms out of the embrace, wrapped them as best she could around the shoulders of her friends, and returned the hug happily. Her eyes flickered closed as a smile warmed her features, and a single tear slipped down her cheek. Being back, alive again...it hadn't really felt real until now.

"I missed you guys too! I mean, I know we didn't always get along--Xander with the whole wedding thing, Buffy with the...grumpy...slayer-ness, and Giles...well, I'm pretty sure I just annoyed you at times. But I really, really missed you." Anya confessed, not quite ready to stop all the hugging yet. After another long moment, she pulled away slightly to look at them all. "I dunno what happened! I was fighting, a-and that frumpy Andrew kid said something about bunnies, and that just made me furious. So I fought, and I was doing really good, too! But then..."

She broke off suddenly, shuddering as she remembered her last moments. How sudden they'd been. How harsh. "But now...now I'm back! And I don't know how, o-or why, but I'm so glad I am. I thought I'd never see any of your wonderfully judgmental expressions again!" the ex-demon exclaimed tearfully, ever-oblivious to the strangeness of her wording.

Yep. Anya hadn't changed a bit.

[Buffy Summers]

They just watched her not believing her because it seemed to unrealistic for the one in front of them to be actually Anya. It was to hard and to strange for them to look at Anya in front of them and believe that it was rather her because it was more then to much for them all to handle. Even the look she gave them didn't help because after all they went through they tried to be as careful as possible.

However when the next happened they all realized that it really was Anya. As it didn't seem much like the first to them. Not to mention for the first she was to long in character. And second of all the way she acted and spoke seemed more Anya like then the first. Even so it still pretty much surprised them all. However they still smiled at her and hugged her. Not wanting to find out that they were imagining or that they fell in to the trao set by the first. Yet the longer that past the more they realized that it was all real.

They all were shocked and surprised by her being back as it was no doubt a big surprise for them all. As she hugged them they just kept hugging her not letting go. It was shocking but It was also interesting and good, even if not expected. That was no doubt, after all, they didn't expect to see her again and here she was in front of them. That was interesting but they didn't complain about that. Xander was definitely the happiest of all, that was no doubt at all. "My Anya, is back, yay" Xander said clearly excited as the other two just laughed at his behaviar.

"We missed you of course, we never expected to see you back again" Buffy said with a smile. "Anya, let's not ruin a good moment, alright?" Xander said as the other two agreed with him. "What Xander tries to say is let's leave it behind. Also I am not grumpy but Lets leave it ok?" Buffy sais. "They are right, Anya. No point ta.lking about that" Giles said. As she pulled away to look at them they did the same. "We know but you are back and that what matters" Xander said. Then he just kissed her. The other two just exchanged looks and then laughed a little at that.

They watched her and sighed as they figured that she remembered her death, not that it surprised them or anything. "Yes you are back and that is that" Xander said all excited. “Well it doesn’t matter how you are back as long as you are back. We also thought we will never see you again” Giles said as both Xander and Buffy agreed with him.