A Fresh Start Part 5
A Buffy the Vampire Slayer Fanfiction
by DaBear

This story is a work of (fan)fiction. The characters of Buffy The Vampire Slayer in no way belong to me, they belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. In other words there is no intent to make money here, so don't sue me.
Rating: R for violence, sexual situations and language
Spoilers: Up until the end of season 2 then I am off into my own little AU

~~~~

Third Person POV

The blue sun was just dipping beyond the horizon as the murder of crows that Xander had been flying with had to regretfully take there leave, Merlin it seems would have a fit if the whole murder wasn't home by the time the sun went out. Xander waved a friendly farewell to the ebon birds and dipped and whirled through the evening sky, chasing the clouds and playing tag with the stars as they stepped out from behind their blanket of the day lit sky. The greenness of grass and tree, the warm browns of desert and plain were flashing below Xander with a wondrous rapidity and for the first time in what seems like forever Xander is happy and content, the earth and sky are his domain, he feels… he feels… a tug, a tap... a rap tap tapping on my... no, no that wasn't it. Twirling around in mid-flight he is standing //Standing? Wasn't I just flying?// in a large cavernous room, //I was outside just outside wasn't I?// with no seeming door nor window. After looking up Xander then adds to himself //Or ceiling.// There is very little of note in this cavernous room, neither stalagmites nor stalactites, the cave is toothless, gumming at the darkness. Screaming in the silence 'Nothing here, Nothing here,'' except, except that there is something. Something is coming... emerging out from the dark, or... maybe it is the dark that is receding, falling back, showing that there is something, something along the back wall, there are... cells? Yes, there are three cells, and these cells are straight out of any Clint Eastwood Western, they are big, they are bulky and they are very, very sturdy looking. The middle ones door was hanging ajar, looking forlorn in its state of other, and the cell was empty, devoid, bereft, the other two cells, their doors are still closed however, and two men are occupying these cells. Shut away, kept apart, although only the cell on the left has a lock upon it, a cartoonish padlock straight out of Warner Brothers.

There are three people in this room, other then Xander, two of them are in the cages on the ends of the row, bracketing the void, keeping it in check. In the middle of the room the third is sitting calmly at the card table situated so that he is looking at the other two. Sitting at the cheap fold out card table in one of those $800 Aeon chairs is, well… him Himself. I. Me. //How do you… describe seeing yourself separate from you? Apart. Not there, not Xander? But there he is, I am, whatever, looking exactly like I do, he is… Oh this isn't confusing, no.// Wearing camouflage BDU's, like in all those war movies he had seen as a child, Iwo Jima. Naverone, the River Kwai, Apocalypse Now… Calmly sitting there, his M-16 rifle leaning casually against the table, just in reach, dog tags glinting in the light that seemingly is there from nowhere at all. Soldier-Xander looks up from the game of solitaire that he is playing and nods saying "Hey, boss." And then calmly looks back down to his game. Collected, in charge, ready. Something that Xander has never felt, never seemed able to grasp, that seemingly simple calmness eluding him all his life. Nodding to his Soldier-Self Xander then looks to the two other people in the room, they are now looking back out at him from their perspective cages. Other versions of himself. //Me, Myself and I.// There was only one person in the room; there just so happened to be four different versions of him, a scene from a madman's delight. Confusion abounds and the Normans are storming the castle. //Have fun storming the castle! Hollywood has nothing on me.// And what is behind door number two dear audience?

Darkness, or the Old Man, he is a relatively new addition to the Xander Possession of the Week catalog, with the gray at the temples, and the crows feet around his eyes he gives off a feeling of age, age and savagery, discipline and despair. The Knight in Not-So-Shining Armor. To better fight the dark he has had to become it. Callous and strange, taking delight in the chaos of battle, the blood spilled, the lives lost and won, and yet he is respectful, courteous and polite. Kind to children and animals. He is a walking contradiction, a conundrum, paradoxical and yet strangely seemingly oh so right. Age seems to beat down upon him, ages of war, ages of pain, age but not weakness, never weakness. He could never be weak. That part was taken from him a long, long time ago. He is standing there, at rest yet ready, in a full suit of chain-mail armor. And it is not the spiffy, shiny armor that is seen on display in museums, oh no, it is the armor of someone who has worn it into battle, who has bled into it, who has used it and lived in it. Simply put, it smelled. Smelled of sweat, of blood, rust and of other… less savory things. The only other things in the cell are leaning up against the wall next to the Darkness, they are a large kite shield and a saber… "Actually," the Old Man says in response to Xanders thoughts "The sword is a Bedelaire, M'Lord. It is based upon the falchion rather then the saber. It was popular around the 1300's with foot soldiers in the both the French and English armies. It is very good at chopping things off." Xander just blinked, blinked at the Old Man and his knowledge, blinked at the fact that the Old Man had in fact responded to his thoughts, his thoughts that he is sure he hadn't said, so he simply blinks… and nods before turning his eyes to the last person in the room.

The final person that is him,//I, other? Me… and yet not.// is wearing just the ragged remains of a pair of black jeans. There is no shirt to hide the overdeveloped muscles rippling across his chest and arms, green glinting eyes glare back at him from behind a three-day growth of beard, giving him a dark and sinister cast. Hyena-Xander stares back at him from his crouched position upon the floor with just a hint of mocking to the tilt of his head. "Nice to see you again, pup." And so saying Hyena-Xander stands up with a lightning quick surge of movement, which seems at once graceful and smooth as well as powerful, and then leaning forward he grasps the bars over his head. Hyena-Xander leans his forehead against the bars and grins a savage grin at Xander, fangs glistening in the light, terrifying in their sharpness of purpose. "Been awhile hasn't it?" Dropping his left hand behind his head and scratching mildly at his neck with inch long claws he tilts his head and says, "Your not still pissed about that thing with Buffy are you?" Letting the fangs glint he smiles a hungry smile. "Hey man, she was the best choice for a mate and both you and I know it. You have wanted a piece of that for over two years and don't you dare try to deny it. And since I know you had no real problems with the pig, I am going to have to assume it was that little incident that still has me locked up here even after two years." Frowning out at Xander Hyena-Xander rattles the cage bars a little, making the padlock clank against the door. "Come on man, lemme out, I'll be good. Scout's Honor." So saying he puts three fingers to his forehead and flips off a lazy salute.

Staring incredulously at his Hyena-Self Xander shouts, "Last time you were out to play you nearly killed two of my closest friends. Not to mention the near rape of … What in Hell makes you think that I am willing to let you out after that? Huh?" Xander asks in a disbelieving tone.

Hyena-Xander bangs his head against the bars a few times before saying, "Because you need me, my strength, my speed. Your in a losing battle, human against creatures more then human. Guns will not always work, and then where will you be? Dead. You'll be dead, eaten and forgotten after they take the time to shit you out." Looking up at Xander and saying in a quite voice, "I don't want my life to end because you were to slow, to weak… to human. And," the bars on the cage are creaking from the force that Hyena-Xander is imparting upon them. "Because you'll be in charge, pup." Sighing in anguish he drops his eyes to the floor and asks in a harsh tone. "Do you have any idea how it is for me in here, boy? Locked away in the back of your mind and given only a 10' X 10' area to pace. I can't stretch my legs there is no room, I can't smell properly, can't hear, and I can't hunt. It's driving me insane, pup. I am… willing to subjugate myself to you so that I am free. I will be your man, yours to order, and yours to command. I just need to be out… Please, boy," Hyena-Xander slides down the bars of his cage and just looks at Xander with misery shining in his eyes. "Please let me outta here."

Xander has to look away from the ragged version of himself kneeling upon the floor of a cage, crying out to be set free and as his eyes look away they fall upon Soldier-Xander. He is the one that is most like himself, the one that is the most normal and the most trusted. "What do you think?"

"I say let him out, boss." He says as he looks up from his game of solitaire. "We could use his abilities. I think that the Old Man and me can keep him inline. You may as well let the Old Man out while you're at it. His… perspective" At this he smiles to himself, "And training would be a definite help to you out there. I have got almost no training in melee weapons, besides some basic knife fighting. He is fully trained in the sword, axe, mace, shield, spear and flails. Definitely a good thing to have with what we are fighting, like Mr. Feral said, guns aren't always going to be the best answer, ya know?."

Xander nods his head at that response and looks to the Old Man, he trusts this newcomer more then the Hyena, he has a code, a chivalry that the Beast lacks, "And you? Do you think that this would be a good idea?"

"I am hampered in here when you only allow me out when you feel the need for me. I believe that my presence would have been of much greater use earlier in tonight's conflict. I believe that I could have taken on those five without being severely injured, or needing the assistance of the Slayer Faith. And with our feral companions strength and speed it would have been a very one sided fight, indeed." All this was said without moving, he was still standing at parade rest.

"So what?" Xander asks, "Am I supposed to let you guys have free reign over my psyche? Let you run around pell mell? I kinda like me, it's the only one I have."

"No," This coming from Hyena-Xander, still crouched at the bars of his cell. "What we are suggestin' is a merger… of ourselves. A gestalt. Where there once was four there shall now be one, Alexander Harris, with my speed, strength and senses, the Old Mans martial skills and darkness, Soldier boy's gun training and survival skills. You will be changed for the better and I, I will get to run once more, to smell again and I don't even mind hunting the undead. They taste like chicken ya know?"

Seeing the others nod their agreement Xander turns back to his Hyena persona and stares at him for long, long minutes before saying, "No more trying to rape anyone alright? No more packs." At his nod, Xander steps up to the cell door and reaching into his jeans pocket, pulls out a glowing silver key. Blinking at it for a second Xander shrugs and fits it into the lock on the cage and gives it a sharp turn to the right. The lock snaps open and drops to the floor. Grasping the cage door Xander warily steps back and opens it for his feral side. Taking one step out tentatively Hyena-Xander sniffs at the air and his face lights up like a child at Christmas, turning to Xander he grabs his face between his two hands in a steel-like grip, but before Xander has even the time to panic Hyena-Xander plants a kiss on his forehead and then lets him go before sprinting off into the darkness of the rest of the room with a cackling, barking laugh.

Looking after the Hyena Xander just shakes his head in bemusement before going over to the Old Man's cage and swinging the door open. The Darkness nods his head regally and picks up his shield and badelaire and sliding the sword through his belt he steps out of the cage and looks around with a satisfied air to him. "Thank you M'Lord. It was becoming quite confining in there."

"Now what?"

As if in asking that Xander had flipped a switch, Xander watches as the Soldier finishes his game, collects his cards and returns them to their packet and puts them away into one of the pockets on his vest. He then stands up, collects his rifle and walks over to the Old Man, nods a greeting, and looks into the darkness for a sign of Hyena-Xander. Not seeing one he whistles the "Come Here" whistle that all boys and their dogs seem to know.

Hyena-Xander comes loping out of the blackness and growls, "I am not a fucking dog."

"It got your attention didn't it?" Smilingly ignoring the bird sent his way Soldier-Xander turns to Xander-Prime and say, "Now all you have to do is wish to merge."

"Merge?"

~~~~

The digital clock on the dresser reads 4:13 a.m. when Xanders' eyes snap open and flick around the room, trying to find the thing that had awakened him. The first thing he notices is that the door is standing ajar letting light spill in from the streetlamps outside, then the floor creaks its gentle warning next as something steps near the bed. Xanders instincts snap on and in an instant the pistol is in his hand, and the darkness slips forward making the fear retreat into the background noise of the brain as over 500 years of combined combat experience catalog every sight, sound and smell in the room. The smell of sweat comes to him, mixed with grave dust and... strawberry's? Xanders' senses go into overdrive trying to catalog the scent, they sense that it is something familiar... important.

He feels a form looming over his bed as the scent finally registers. His hand flicks over with a lighting quick movement and flips on the bedside lamp while calmly placing the pistol over the heart of the intruder. As the light comes on Xander is subject to a vision of loveliness that is standing above him. Her raven tresses are falling gently about her shoulders and her scent is flowing over and around him, intoxicating him in its richness and complexity. Letting himself wallow in the new senses for a second he smiles softly up at the goddess and says "Hello, Faith."

"Alex." She replies calmly, as if he didn't have a pistol pointed at her chest. Seeming to say that this is an everyday occurrence.

With his left hand, Xander hups himself into a sitting position and cocks his eyebrow as he notices where exactly the gun had landed. Faith has a strange cast to her face as she looks down at the pistol that is nestled under her right breast. Trying to decide whether to be pissed or amused. "I admit that I have seen some creative ways to feel a girl up, but could you move the hand cannon Alex? It's a bit uncomfortable."

Xander just continues to smirk as he pulls the pistol back while wincing slightly as all sorts of interesting things that he could do with Faith flash across his mind. All of them X-rated... and most of them probably illegal in this country, also. Shaking his head to clear it of his visions Xander grins at Faith and asks, "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Faith reaches up and adjusts herself into a more comfortable position while just smirking at Xanders very interested stare. "Alright, I was... Well, sorry bout the B&E, but you were... uh, screamin' and babbling about hyena's and an old men and stuff. Musta been a wicked dream, Lex, the old man get eaten by the hyena's or something?"

"Naw, Old Man could take out Hyena-boy no worries, but that's not a problem for us anymore. We got mergered."

"That supposed to make any sense?"

Xander laughs and shakes his head. "Nope, sorry. Inside joke between me, my boys and the guys with the padded rooms. Don't worry about it." Rubbing the sleep grit out of his eyes with his left hand while keeping the pistol near him in his right he looks up at Faith and says. "Not that I mind beautiful women in my room or anything but what exactly are you doing outside my door listening to me dream? In fact, how did you know where my door was to be outside of?"

Faith frowns and looks away from Xander, at the floor, at the wall, anywhere but him. "Well, umm, I followed you from the alley and then went to my Watcher, she uh, she backs up your story. Thinks you two should meet, ya know? Talk about demons and things. And... well, uh, she uh, told me to..." and then something that even with the Hyena's heightened hearing he couldn't make out.

"Sorry, what was that?"

And then so quite he almost missed it again, "She said that I should say, 'Thank You.'"

Blinking at Faith, Xander just raises an eyebrow and nods to her. "Your welcome. Of course, I'm sure that you would have gotten them fine on your own. I just can't seem to refuse jumping into things that'll kill me." Laughing to himself Xander leans back and looks at the clock again. "Did your Watcher want to meet now? Or is later ok? Cuz its 4:30 in the morning, and I need breakfast something fierce." Setting the pistol on the nightstand Xander stretches out and lets lose a tremendous yawn, scratching his chest he looks at Faith inquiringly.

The smirk has faded away from her face, as Faith gets her first good look at Xanders chest and arms, the scars seem to jump out at her and capture her attention. Grasping her eyes in an unbreakable spell. Moving as if in a trance Faith slowly sits on the bed next to Xander and reaching out with her hand gently traces the scars up and down, from shoulder to waist in a slow and amazed manner. Finally settling her hand on Xanders stomach she looks up into Xanders face and asks with a frown "What did that?"

Looking down at the scars and Faith's hand Xander says, "I ran into a Fury Demon in Phoenix in June, he didn't seem to like me very much." Raising his gaze up to Faiths face he smiles his lopsided smile and says, "So I had to kill it. He was a nasty bugger too, if it had been just a little bit deeper I'da been eviscerated."

Faith looks incredulous. "Last month? If you got these last month you should still be wrapped up and bleeding. These look like you've had them for years."

Xander reaches up and fingers the medallion, while seeming to debate telling her. "Well," coming to a decision he drops the medallion to his chest and looks at Faith. "I've got me a magical do-hicky here that heals me up pretty good, if I'm not already dead and have a few minutes of quite time available." Grinning like a child telling about his birthday gift Xander states, "It takes my life energy and speed heals me. What's really neat is that it used all my fat as its first energy source, so… no more love handles. I can eat whatever I want and not have to worry." Grinning at Faith he pinches his side to show that there are indeed no love handles. Then with a frown he adds, "Only downside is that it makes me ravenously hungry and I usually need to sleep right afterwards. Well, that, and every break in the skin will leaves a scar... even if it wouldn't normally."

Faith seems impressed. "That sounds like it could be a very handy thing to have around. Know where I can get one?"

"Well, yes… and no." Seeing Faiths disbelieving look he leans back and with a grin says. "As far as I know there is only one of these lil' babies. And, well... Try and take it off me."

Faith reaches up and grasps the chain and looks for a clasp to unhook. Not finding one she then tries to get it up and over Xanders head. It won't move, the chain is to short to get around his chin. Raising an eyebrow at this she leans back and notices Xanders line of sight. Snorting she says, "Your just trying to look down my shirt."

Still grinning Xander replies, "Well that was an added bonus I must admit, but I did want to make the point that the necklace will not come off, it did have a clasp but once I put it on it disappeared, the chains unbreakable and the man that gave it to me told me that I could only take it off if I was dying, and that it could only be given to someone worthy. Since I ain't dying, it ain't comin' off."

"So the guy that gave you this was dying?"

Xander loses his grin and looks away from Faith, while staring at the wall next to the bed he simply nods his head and he begins to relate the story of how he got the Medallion of Thaylor two months before.