Author's notes: Huge thanks to my beta, Dora -- in places, I took her words verbatim. She really helped the story along (and my confidence in posting it).

Warning!: This part deals with Xander's 'problem'. Why am I putting this in the warning? Because Xander's problem is one of a homosexual nature. If that offends you, please don't read this. If you do decide to read this, please don't flame me

Also, Teri pointed out something I meant to put in the notes, but forgot. This is set during S5/S2 of Buffy/Angel respectively. Xander's 20th birthday is... well, within the month, which is why he's kinda frantic about the whole thing. Thank you so much for pointing that out, Teri!

Angel had reluctantly agreed to let Xander stay at the hotel while he was in LA. That didn't mean they were particularly comfortable with the situation, however.

Xander and Angel sat on either end of the sofa in the antechamber of the office in the Hyperion hotel, with Cordelia seated between them, feeling rather like a mediator between two warring countries. Xander and Angel had gotten along much better than they ever had in Sunnydale, but they were still rather uncomfortable around each other, and this came out as definite hostility.

Wesley stood in front of them, looking very much like the Watcher he once was -- only less uptight and starched than before, wearing casual slacks and a button down shirt with the first button undone. Other than that, he could have been a mini-Giles.

"Xander has told us all he knows about his circumstances and the history of his mother's family," Wesley was saying to them all. "I have read through the book he was given, and have reached some rather interesting conclusions."

Xander couldn't help it; he spoke up, "Please don't call it 'interesting' -- this is my life, here, Wes. I'm finding it rather frightening." Though he said it flippantly, Wesley knew that he was very serious. He'd seen Xander pacing with pent-up energy in the hall outside his room more than once.

"I'm sorry Xander, you're quite right. The book your mother gave you essentially was a 'how to get men' book. But it's more than that. If your mother had read the book, she would not have allowed you to... become male. I'm sure she never told any of her relatives about your condition when you were born, did she?" Xander shook his head. "She never really talked about it, but from what I could tell... she was sorta upset about it."

Wesley nodded. "As well she would be, if she'd heard anything her parents doubtless tried to teach her. She probably thought that if you became male, then the contents of this book," he held up the book for emphasis, "would become obsolete."

"Wes!" Cordelia finally interrupted. "You're waxing mysterious. Just tell us what the hell's going on with Xander."

Wesley paused, then nodded. "Very well. Basically, when Xander turns twenty-one, he will become a succubus."

Angel frowned at that, sitting up a little from his slouched position on the couch. "Don't... don't you mean an incubus?" Wesley shook his head.

"What's the difference?" Cordelia asked, turning from Angel to Wesley questioningly.

"The difference is," Xander's muffled voice said, from where he'd buried it in his hands, "incubus is the male demon, and succubus is the female." He looked up at Wesley starkly. "That's why they always have girls, isn't it?"

Wesley nodded. "And one of the signs that a child would become a succubus would be it's being born hermaphroditic. Your mother most likely knew this, as I said, and thought that if you were to become male, then you couldn't be a succubus."

Cordelia raised her hand. "Okay, I'm a total layperson here. What's a succubus, exactly?"

Wesley sighed as he thought how best to explain. "Well, a succubus is a female demon. Humans find them extremely attractive. I'm not quite sure why -- an inborn glamour perhaps, or pheromones released by it. You see, a succubus is very much like a vampire, except instead of blood, they need... sex."

Cordelia frowned. After a moment, she said, "Whoa. Okay, eww." She suddenly turned to Xander and said, "See, I knew there was a reason you always wanted to have sex!"

Xander shook his head. "I told you, Cordy, I'm a guy - staring at linoleum makes me think about sex. And I'm not the only one, either."

"He's right," Angel said, nodding. Reluctantly, Wesley also nodded. Cordelia shook her head in disgust. "I can't believe you guys."

"Now, wait," Xander said, getting back on-track. "These succubuses--"

"Succubi," Wesley corrected him.

Xander shrugged this off as unimportant. "These succubi need to have sex with men. So...?" Xander didn't dare voice the question, but it was plain from the look on his face what he was asking.

Wesley sighed. "Well, as I said, I don't really know for sure how a succubus enthralls men, be it through secreted hormones, or a form of magic that makes them appear to every man as his 'ideal' woman. But whatever they do... you will have the same ability. And yes, it will be directed toward men." He rested against the desk behind him, leaning down slightly to be more eye-to-eye with Xander as he explained this. "Nothing like this has ever been documented before, Xander. Your mother made a very grave mistake when you were born. It very well could prove fatal to you, depending on how the demon manifests itself."

Xander took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. He tried to smile, but only partially succeeded. "Hey. I'm a Scooby -- I've looked death in the eye lotsa times."

It was Angel who responded. He spoke softly, and didn't even look toward Xander as he spoke. "Yes, you have. But that was during a fight, when you knew you had to do anything to stop whatever evil thing from winning. This is different. Self-preservation is a strong thing. You'll do things to survive that under normal circumstances you'd never dream of."

"Like drink people's blood?" Xander asked, only a little of the old hostility in his voice.

Angel's soulful eyes finally rose and met Xander's, and Xander suddenly realized that Angel was talking about something horrible. His eyes were bleak with remembered pain, and he almost whispered, "Like eat rats. Yes, like drink people's blood -- all the while feeling guilty about it. All the while trying to justify yourself to your soul. He was a rapist. She was a murderer. All the while knowing that none of that matters, because you're still doing something wrong. And you'll continue to do it so that you can survive."

Xander shivered involuntarily. Almost desperately, he turned to face Wesley. "There's gotta be something else, Wes. Come on."

Wesley pressed a finger thoughtfully against his lips. After a moment, he said, "I don't have the resources I need. But I have a friend in England who owes me a favor, I'll call it in and have him send me some books. Perhaps find out just what would happen in a normal case of this kind." His eyes focused on Xander, and he cautioned, "Whatever I find out, Xander, I still won't be able to tell you just what will happen to you when the demon manifests itself. But I will be able to hypothesize, perhaps take some of the surprise out of the transformation."

Xander nodded. "Every little bit helps here, Wes."

Next Chapter: We find out exactly what is going to happen to Xander... and Xander-angst! Not that I like to see Xander suffer... oh, who am I kidding? A little angst is healthy... right? Anyway, Wesley gives his thoughts and theories about Xander's 'condition', and Xander freaks out a couple of times. I know, it doesn't sound very exciting, but... I'm building it up to a climax (whoa, no pun intended, I swear!).

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