Animal Soldier

NOTES: Soldier thoughts, Hyena thoughts, Xander thoughts

Xander struggled against Faith, but it was no use, she was way too strong. Xander was no match for Slayer strength. Her hands tightened even further round his neck, and Xander's vision was blurry. Then it happened. He got flashes of memory in his mind. At first he thought he was dying and his life was flashing before his eyes, but then he realised that there would be more than this, even for him. This wasn't his memory.

Running with the pack down the plains

Firing at the enemy, avenging a lost friend.

Xander struggled to stay conscious, through both the memory flashes and Faith's fingers wrapped round his throat. He could almost feel himself changing, adapting. Both of the other personalities had the same thought at exactly the same time, overpowering Xander's thoughts.

Must survive.

Survival of the fittest...

Xander threw Faith off of him, knocking her to the floor. He stood up with the bed between them and growled deeply at her. It was obvious to him, even in his state that he was not thinking clearly. But the hyena was in control, and the only things he needed to know right now were strength, speed, and impulse. He looked at the girl on the floor in front of him and thought for a minute. He was having doubts. This was unusual.

Faith looked up at Xander with a bizarre mixture of fear and awe. "Well, imagine that. Goody-goody Xander's a schizo."

Hyena-Xander cocked an eyebrow at the dark-haired girl. A pack with her in would be strong indeed. But still he was unsure. He decided to ask Soldier-Harris and Normal-Xan. They would know what to do.

Well? Would she be good for the pack?

There is no pack.

Er...exactly how do you plan on asking her to run away with us? She's not really into long-term commitment.

She would run with us. We are strong; she is strong, what's there to think about?

She is unpredictable she could be dangerous.

She is not going to run away with us when she just tried to kill us!

Things work out. You paranoid.

He is right, you know. Paranoia can be dangerous.

Oh shut up and give me control of my body.

You in control.

Just a different part of you. By the way, Hyena-Xander, you'd best let me look after this matter of business, I'm better at this sort of thing.

From Faith's point of view, Xander appeared to change. He stood straighter, and he looked colder than before. "You are right. In a way. Normal-Xan has been possessed twice; we never really left, just laid dormant. You awakened us. Well, again, that isn't really true. We just didn't want to die, like most things, so we came forward to save Normal-Xan. Besides, we kind of like him."

Faith raised her eyebrows. "Only on the Hellmouth. So let's clarify. How many of you are there?"

"Just three. Normal-Xan, me..."

"And you are?"

"Soldier-Harris, a spirit that originated in an army uniform."

"Okay, who's the other?"

"Hyena-Xander, the one who fought you off. He's the strongest, but he's also a bit dangerous."

A bit?!?

A BIT!?! I'm more dangerous than you!

Soldier-Harris ignored them. "Hyena-Xander wants to know if you'll run away with us."

Faith looked around her dingy motel room and nodded. "Might as well, got nothing to lose."

"Okay then. Do you need help packing? You won't need to take much, we'll get stuff when we need it."

"You have money?"

"No, but Hyena-Xander can rip a guys throat out with his bare hands or teeth, I have a gun stored in my house, and Normal-Xan is the thoughtful brave one."

"Wow."

"Yeah. So do you want me to help you pack?"

"Are you sure you're not just trying to grab a glance at my underwear draw?"

"No I'm not."

"You're not?"

"I might be lying."

"Men usually do. Come on."

Buffy paced up and down the library fuming. "We can't find either of them, though! Are you telling me that this is a coincidence? I'm just saying that Xander slept with Faith, he went to talk to her, and now both of them have gone missing. Doesn't that strike you as a little odd?"

Giles put his book down. "She could have just killed him... never mind."

"NEVER MIND?!?"

"I meant that you probably did not want to hear that."

"Oh. Sorry. But why would Xander run away with Faith? She just used him."

"Maybe there's something wrong with him."

"Maybe."

"We should try to find them."

"But they may have left Sunnydale altogether, in which case we would be at a loss. We have no idea where they would go, and we don't have any clues."

Just then, Angel walked into the library, looking rather shocked. He sat down then told the group what he had seen. "It was Faith and Xander."

Willow looked troubled. "Was he dead?"

"No. He looked pretty alive from where I was standing."

"Why?" said Buffy curiously. "What was he doing?"

"He was driving a car."

"Well I guess he must be alive. Or undead."

"I think Faith would stake him if he was undead."

"She didn't look like she was about to stake him, although he may have been about to stake her, if you get my drift."

Buffy hit Angel hard on the arm. "Don't be disgusting," she said. "Xander wouldn't go back to Faith. Even he isn't that stupid!"

"Don't count on it," said Angel before dodging Buffy's hit.

Giles shook his head. "I am sure there must be something wrong with him. Not because he is with Faith," he said, seeing Willow's expression, "but because he has no reason to run away from Sunnydale. If he was alright, he would let us know."

Willow nodded. "Giles is right. Xander knows we'd worry about him if he left without reason. He'd make sure at least one of us knew."

Buffy stood up. "We should check our answer phones, he may have left us a message."

Angel shrugged. "I doubt it somehow."

Willow sighed. "Better to check now than chase them around America then discover they just wanted to be alone."

Giles nodded. "Let's be sure before we take any drastic action."

"That's what I said!"

Xander drove down the highway at a speed racing drivers would be proud of. Faith smiled at him. "You're a great driver, whichever one you are."

"Hyena-Xander. Private-Harris tell me how to drive, Normal-Xan having break-down."

Faith raised her eyebrows. Despite trying to kill him, she didn't really want any harm to come to Xander. She was actually beginning to like him and his various personalities. "Maybe you ought to let Normal-Xan take charge for a while."

Hyena-Xander stopped the car suddenly and Faith wished she had put on her seatbelt as she whacked her knee on the dashboard. She looked over at Xander. She saw that they had swapped. It scared her slightly that she could already tell who was in charge by their posture and tone of voice. Private-Harris spoke formally and sat or stood straight. Hyena-Xander spoke in sharp, direct sentences, usually missing words. Animals don't talk. He also sprawled himself out when he was sitting, and leaned when he was standing. As for Normal-Xan...

She saw Normal-Xan differently now that she compared him. He seemed to shrink back, as if he were permanently afraid, which Faith knew wasn't true. He spoke hesitantly, sometimes stuttering. Faith could see why the other spirits came forward to rescue him. It was as if he had a neon sign on his back saying, 'kick me'. He attracted all sorts of evil and it wasn't deserved.

"What are you staring at?"

"Ooh, touchy."

"No, I didn't mean it to sound nasty, I just wondered..."

"It's okay. Well?"

"Well what?"

"Are you going to carry on driving or are we just going to sit here?"

Xander looked around. "I think we ought to go back."

"What?"

"Just what I said."

"Why should we go back?"

"The guys will come after us."

"Good, I feel like a show down."

"I don't."

"Don't be such a scaredy cat."

"I can't help it."

"Sure you can. The other two have proved that."

"The other two are different."

"Listen Xander. What do you think will happen if you take me back there? I'll get therapy or killed, you'll get swept back into a life of boredom and fetching snacks. Well?"

"Well what?"

"Are you gonna live your life or what?"

Xander quickly weighed up the pros and cons of the situation. He sighed. Then he slammed his foot on the accelerator. "Good boy," said Faith before she began to kiss him all over his neck.

Xander relaxed and decided that he had made the right choice.

"Which way were they heading, Angel?" Buffy asked.

"Down that road."

Willow sighed. "This is ridiculous. They'll be long gone by now."

Giles nodded. "Willow is right. They could leave the country while we're checking at every gas station."

"Can't you do some sort of spell?" said Oz who had been recently recruited for the mission.

Willow nodded. "I think it is possible."

"Well we had better hurry, we probably don't have much time."

Willow nodded. "I'll need certain ingredients, but then I think I should be able to do the spell right then and there."

"Okay," said Buffy before pulling Willow back. "We'll meet you guys back here after..."

"We should probably come with you," Angel said.

Giles nodded. "Then we'll set off after them."

Willow sighed. "I just hope Xander's alright."

Xander gulped down the beer. It was his sixth and he was feeling a bit drunk. He and Faith had stopped at a crummy bar which offered bed and breakfast, they both wanted to sleep. But then Faith had dragged him down to the bar for 'a couple' of drinks and here he was about to start his seventh. Faith stopped flirting with the bartender and came and sat down next to him at his table in the corner. She came bearing drinks. Xander frowned. "Are you tryin to get me drunk?"

Faith smiled. "Maybe."

"Why?"

"I might want to take advantage of your body."

"Riighht. Listen Faith."

She grinned at his slurs. "Okay."

"If ya get me too drunk, my other people might sorta, come through."

She shrugged. "It might be funny to take advantage of a drunken animal or a disgraced soldier."

Xander laughed. "Alright. Which one d'ya like best?"

"Out of the soldier and the hyena?"

"No. All of me."

"Oh. You."

"Ya just sayin that cos I'm the one you're talkin to."

Faith shook her head. "No I'm not. I'm saying it because it's the truth."

Xander looked at her. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. Come on now, let's get to bed."

Xander nodded. "Okey dokey." He stood up unsteadily and fell back into his chair.

Faith laughed and pulled him to his feet. She kept him standing and helped him to their room. She pushed him onto the bed and climbed on top of him. "I hope you aren't too drunk," she said smiling.

"I'm not," Xander said.

And he proved it.

They were all in Angel's car. Giles had wanted to go in his, but everyone had pointed out the way it sometimes stopped and it didn't go that fast and it sometimes smelt of gas. Willow looked at the compass in her hand. The spell meant that the compass needle would point in the direction of Xander's whereabouts. "Take this next turning," Willow said.

Angel turned sharply and there was a chorus of 'Ow!' He grinned. "Sorry."

Buffy sighed. "I bet you aren't."

"No, not really. Where now Willow?"

"Keep going straight on until I say...NOW!"

"Okay."

"No, I meant 'NOW'! Turn!"

Angel stopped the car suddenly and did a u-turn. "Down this way?" he asked, pointing down a small side-road.

Willow nodded. "Yeah."

They drove down the worn cobbles until they came to a run-down bed and breakfast. Willow looked at the compass. "The needle on this thing's going crazy, they have to be in there."

They all got out of the car and headed inside to find their friend.

Meanwhile, Xander was sleeping off the effects of alcohol and Faith was cradling his head against her chest, wondering why she was falling so hard for this guy. Xander opened his eyes a little. "Faith."

She could tell Hyena-Xander was in charge. "Were you in control before he went to sleep or are you just about now?"

"I wasn't doing sex. I just woke."

"What about Normal-Xan and Private Harris?"

"Sleep."

"That's weird. Aren't they awake too?"

"No. I woke up cause of somethin."

"Oh. What?"

"Dunno. Instincts say danger."

Faith looked at him with disbelief. "Why didn't you say so?"

"Didn't ask."

"Come on, we need to get dressed."

"Why?"

"Because..."

The door burst open and the entire Scooby Gang ran in. Faith and Hyena-Xander stared at them for a few minutes. Eventually, Faith said, "Do you mind? We're naked."

The gang saw this and turned away. Faith grabbed her clothes and passed Xander's to him. She gestured to the window and Hyena-Xander frowned before finally getting the message. They both grinned at each other before jumping out the window in the nude. Once they were down, Hyena-Xan pulled on his trousers and Faith put on hers and a top. They both raced round to the front of the bar, knowing it wouldn't be long before the gang were on their tail. They ran to the car and Faith noticed the tyres were flat. "Shit! They slashed the tyres!"

Hyena-Xander shrugged. "So?"

"So we can't get anywhere in this!"

"We can nick their car."

"You know how to hotwire a car?"

"Normal-Xan does, I think."

"Change to him!"

"Can't."

"What do you mean you can't? Why not?" She stopped herself. "Oh yeah, he's asleep, isn't he?"

"Yeah. Could change, but no point."

"I could wake him up."

"FAITH? XANDER? Come on, we aren't going to hurt you! Come out where we can see you!"

Faith looked at Hyena-Xander. "Well?"

"What?"

"Change!"

"Oh."

Hyena-Xander closed his eyes and he fell to the floor. Normal-Xan half-opened his eyes. "Huh? Faith, where are we?"

"We're running from your so-called friends. Can you hot-wire a car?"

"Um..." Normal-Xan struggled to sort out his muddled thoughts. "Maybe."

Faith sighed. "No time, what about Private-Harris?"

"Yeah, okay."

Normal-Xan shut his eyes and again he fell to the floor. Then he opened his eyes as Private-Harris and jumped to his feet. Faith said, "I need you to..."

"I know, I've been briefed."

He went over to the car and was about to work when a weak tranquilliser dart went into his leg. "Fuck!"

Faith pulled it out and looked at him worried. He shrugged. "Too late." Then he fell to the floor unconscious.

Faith pulled him with her behind a car and tried to figure out where the gang were. She didn't have to try hard. "FAITH WE HAVE YOU AND XANDER SURROUNDED! GIVE IT UP ALREADY!"

Faith could make out the shapes of them in the darkness, and they were getting closer. Then, to the astonishment of all concerned, a van pulled up and a small group of men and women stepped out. She heard Giles say "they're Watchers."

Buffy asked him, "Shall we let them have her?"

Giles nodded. "It's the only way. We'll try to trans-possess Xander, and they can rehabilitate Faith."

Private-Harris stirred. Apparently, tranquillising someone with three magical personalities was harder than tranquillising three people. "Ma'am?"

"It's me, Xander."

"Faith?"

"Yeah. We're in deep shit."

"What's new?"

Before Faith could reply, Buffy and Angel dragged Xander away from her. She cried out, only to have herself grabbed by two pairs of arms. One of the owners of these arms said to the gang, "we'll remain in contact to let you know what's happening."

Faith struggled and almost managed to get loose, but they pressed what she recognised to be a gun against her head. "Cool it missy, we ain't averse to killing Slayers, you know. I've done it before."

Faith didn't care. She knew that her and Xander had to escape, so she tried harder. The finger on the trigger squeezed...

But she was not killed. Faith opened her eyes to see Xander looking at her, concerned. Once satisfied that she wasn't dead, he fell to the floor and gasped for breath. Faith could have screamed. He had taken a bullet for her. She cried out, "Xander!" She pulled him to her and held him tightly. "Oh God no. Come on, wake up."

He opened his eyes a little and smiled. "Faith."

For once, she couldn't tell who was in charge. "Who saved me?"

"It was a sorta joint thing. Faith, I'm cold," he said trembling.

"Ssh, it's okay. You're gonna be just fine, you'll see."

Xander snuggled into her and closed his eyes. Faith was in a position to feel his chest stop rising. "No," she whispered. The gang all stood deadly still. They were all crying, except for Angel. But even he looked saddened by the turn of events. She looked up at them and the assembled Watchers. "Are you happy now? He's dead and it's all your fault."

One of the Watcher's walked over to her. "Now are you going to come with us without a fight?"

Faith shrugged as she lay Xander down gently on the floor and stood up. "What is there to fight for?" she said emotionless.

She allowed herself to be cuffed and carted away to the looney Slayer bin.

And every night for the rest of her life, she dreamt of the animal soldier combined with the man she had loved.

THE END