-'Hand In Hand.'-
Pairings: One sided B/X, some B/A, and W/X
A/N: [One shot] A response to malastor's challenge 'Xander wasn't the one to get possessed by the Hyena' Not your usual W/X
A/N 2: God knows you can't write more unless you get reviews. So review me or feel my wrath.
Disclaimers: I don't own anything relating to Buffy.
Timeframe: S1 AU The Pack.
Dedicated to the few remaining W/X'ers out there, you know who you are.
//////////////////////////////
Giles walked around the library placing books back onto shelves and picking up the ones that were lying around. "I don't see what you are talking about?"
Buffy groaned as she walked behind him, relaying the day's events. "What do you mean? You're supposed to be mister watcher guy with the knowledge."
Giles nodded as he put a few more books onto their proper places in the shelves. "Yes, knowledge of Demons and Vampires and supernatural threats, not of the inner workings of a sixteen year old girl."
Buffy groaned. "Are you telling me that at Watcher U they don't teach you how to deal with teenage girls?"
"Oh of course, it's right before we do each others makeup and braid our hair. Seriously now Buffy. I understand that you are worried for Willow, but she is a big girl and can grow up on her own. I for one am glad that she stood up for herself. And that she finally took the first step with Xander. Lord knows the boy is about as thick as a brick wall."
Buffy sighed. "I know, I know, it's just this whole Willow not being Willow thing has got my Slay-dar on full alert."
Giles looked back to her abruptly. "Slay-dar?"
Buffy nodded eagerly. "Yep, you know my slayer radar that tells me if there's any supernatural boogiemen out there."
Giles stopped in his tracks and thought aloud. "And yet the world has not been plunged into eternal darkness. Hmmmm fancy that."
"Giles you're not helping me."
The British librarian put his books down on the table and sighed. "Listen Buffy, maybe you're just not used to Willow being this way. Many people like to categorize others into little boxes or labels and if they change, it's not so easy for some to accept. Besides..." he talked over and got another stack of books, "I thought you wanted Willow to be more outgoing."
"She punched Harmony."
Giles stopped again and sputtered. "W-what?"
Buffy took a step forward and gestured wildly with her hands. "She was kissing Xander..."
Giles groaned. "Yes, that is a disturbing mental image."
"...And Harmony said something. So Willow punched her."
Giles walked towards the table in the middle of the library and placed the books on the end corner. "Good for her, never liked that one."
"Giles, I'm serious."
The librarian sat down and took off his glasses to clean them. "So am I. You know how introverted she is. She needs to grow up a little and become more aggressive. And if she crosses a certain boundary or becomes somewhat of a..."
"Bitch?"
Giles rolled his eyes at the obvious teen drama. "I was going to say nuisance, then simply talk to her. You and Xander are obviously the closest people she has to her."
Buffy became exasperated and sat down across from him. "I cannot believe that you, of all people, are trying to Scully me. There is something supernatural at work here. Get your books! Look stuff up!"
Giles groaned and grabbed a book. "Look under what?"
"I don't know that's more your department."
"The evidence that you've presented me with is sketchy at best."
Buffy sat up quickly. "She scared the pig!"
Giles raised an eyebrow.
"Well, she did..."
"Buffy, Animals are easily frightened. As for Harmony, Willow probably was tired of the teasing and for once wanted to retaliate and have the last laugh."
Buffy cocked her head to the side. "What did you just say?"
Giles finished cleaning his glasses and put them back on his face. "Animals are easily frightened?"
Buffy stood up and started pacing around the room. "The last laugh, I've heard that somewhere before."
Giles shrugged. "Well it is a rather common saying."
Buffy shook her head. "No, no. Willow has been acting totally wiggy ever since we went to the zoo. Xander and Willow followed Kyle and his gang into the Hyena exhibit to try and save Lance. Xander was knocked unconscious, but ever since then... Oh, God, that laugh..."
"You're saying that, uh, Willow is becoming a hyena."
"I don't know. Or been possessed by one? Not just her, all of them."
"Well, I-I-I've cer-certainly never heard of, uh..."
They stopped talking as they heard the library doors swing open and Xander ran into the room almost out of breath. "Herbert! They found him."
Buffy's eyes widened. "Herbert? What happened to my piggy?"
Xander hunched over and tried to breathe. "Dead. And also eaten. Principal Flutie's freaking out."
Buffy turned to her watcher. "Giles, I pray to God that it wasn't who I think it was."
Giles nodded and went into his office to look for books. Xander coughed and looked at Buffy. "Who?"
Buffy sighed. "Willow."
"Willow!? What are you talking about?"
"I think she's been possessed by a Hyena."
Xander stopped for a second to process her words. "You know, the more that you talk, the less sense that you make."
Buffy grabbed a book and slammed another one opposite her on the table. "That's the only explanation that makes any sense! I mean, the sudden change in personality, the eating, and the clothes. That wasn't Willow!"
Xander raised his voice and stood up. "Are we overlooking the idea that she may be very attracted to me?"
Xander felt Buffy's silence confirm his self-doubt. "She's possessed."
Buffy shook her head. "No it's not that. She just has no handle on self- control. Or maybe it's not even really her, I don't know."
Xander shook his head and turned around to leave. "I don't have to listen to this."
Buffy stood up and called out after him. "You know that there's something wrong with her..."
Xander spun around and shouted back. "Yeah! She'd have to be _really_ fucked up to even kiss me or anything else. I might not be as mysterious or as exciting as Angel. But I aint just a fucking throw rug either."
"You know what I mean, there's something different...darker about her. Or maybe it's just me. Maybe I _am_ seeing things. But even if there's the slightest chance if I'm right..."
Xander stood in silence for several seconds before nodding his head and walking over. "Where do you want to start?"
Buffy smiled and pointed to the small pile of books already lying on the table. The brunette groaned before randomly picking a book and opening it.
"I still don't think Willow could've have eaten Herbert."
"Why not?"
"She's Jewish!"
"So?"
"He wasn't Kosher!"
"She's possessed by a hyena, Xander I don't think that it really mattered."
////////////////////////
Kyle watched in mild annoyance as Heidi and Tor mercilessly began teasing a freshman. This kiddie stuff was below him. The 'hiding' was driving him crazy. There they were, little lambs ready for the slaughter. He could feel the blood pumping through their red veins, begging to be tasted. The flesh beneath his nails surged with anticipation and he began flicking his canine teeth with the tip of his tongue.
"What's wrong Kylie?"
Kyle groaned and turned to see Rhonda smiling at him seductively. "Is there anything I can do?"
The brunette girl accentuated 'do' with her tongue snaking out and licking her lips eagerly. Kyle snorted and looked away. "We have to 'keep up appearances,' huh such bullshit. Why is she doing this to us?"
Rhonda purred as she placed her hands upon his chest. "Ohhh, not happy with the current leadership are we?"
Kyle smirked as he grasped her wrists. "Well let's just say that I don't appreciate being ordered around by a little girl. I want real _MEAT_ not some pig. I need..."
Mr. Flutie ran around the corner, his face red with anger. "YOU FOUR!"
Tor released the freshman and acted suspiciously innocent. "What?"
Mr. Flutie stormed over to them. "Oh, don't think I don't know. Three kids saw you outside Herbert's room. You're busted! Yeah! You're goin' down."
Rhonda smirked and leaned against Kyle. "How is Herbert?"
Heidi wrapped her arms around Tor protectively and grinned. "Crunchy!"
The middle-aged principle's face burst with anger. "That's it! My office, right now."
The four teenagers started cackling maniacally, causing Mr. Flutie to take a step back. He shook his head and shouted. "Now!"
Kyle turned to the other three and motioned for them to stop laughing and follow him. He smirked as the principle started walking down the hall without looking back to see if they were following. "You're gonna have so much detention, your grandchildren'll be staying after school."
/////////////////////////////////////
"Wow! Apparently Noah rejected the hyenas from the Ark because he thought they were an evil impure mixture of dogs and cats."
Xander nodded and closed the book he was reading. "Yeah I'm getting that Hyenas aren't exactly well liked."
Buffy groaned and leaned back into her seat. "They do seem to be the schmoes of the animal kingdom. Why couldn't she be possessed by a kitten, or possibly a sloth?"
Xander grabbed another book from the pile and started reading. "Speaking of which, are we talking 'Exorcist pea soup' possession or 'Children of the Corn' or what?"
Giles walked out of his office carrying a rather large tome. "Actually neither. The Masai of the Serengeti have spoken of animal possession for, for generations. I... I should have remembered that."
Xander pushed the book he was reading away and looked expectantly up at the watcher. "So how does it work?"
The Brit placed the book on the table for all to see and pointed to the opened page. "Well, apparently there's a, a sect of animal worshipers known as Primals. They believe that humanity, uh, consciousness, uh, the soul, is a, is a perversion, a dilution of spirit. Uh, to them the animal state is holy. They are able, through trans-possession, to, to, um, draw the spirit of certain animals into themselves."
Buffy frowned. "Why a Hyena then, everything we've read basically says hyena bad."
Giles nodded and turned a couple of pages to show off his findings. "Well, only the most predatory of animals are, are of interest to the Primals, so, uh, yes, yes, that would fit, yes."
Xander grew worried. "So, what happens to the person once the spirit's in them?"
The watcher sighed and pushed the book towards the teenage boy. "If it goes unchecked..."
Xander took one look at the open page before standing up and grabbing his backpack. "I gotta find her."
Buffy shot out of her seat and grabbed hold of his arm. "Wait, what are you talking about?"
Xander shook her hand off and turned to face her. "Listen, you might be the Slayer, but she's my Wills."
Buffy stood with her mouth hanging open as she watched Xander fly out of the library. She turned and looked to Giles. "What is going..."
The librarian sighed and handed her the open book. The opened page was filled with drawing of animalistic savages tearing off limbs and eating flesh, torture and murder. He slammed the book shut and offered only two words. "Follow him."
///////////////////////////
Xander quietly knocked on the faculty lounge door before looking into the dark room. "Hello? Anyone in here?"
After several seconds without a reply he slowly stepped into the room and turned the lights on. "Oh my God."
In the center of the room Herbert's cage lay in a twisted bloody mess. The front door was ripped off and blood was still wet and sticky on the floor. He exhaled and shook his head. "Wills, what did you do?"
"Nothing really."
He spun around to find Willow blocking the entrance, wearing the same clothes from earlier that day. He held one hand over his chest to keep his heart from popping out. "God Wills, don't do that. You almost gave me a heart attack."
The hacker turned Hyena giggled a little. "Poor poor Xander." Quickly her giggle turned into a full hyena cackle as her eyes glowed yellow and she took a step forward.
Xander cautiously took a step backward. "Buffy said that you're sick."
Willow interrupted him with a low growl. "Oh, yeah. Buffy and her all- purpose solution: punch 'em out 'n' knock 'em down. I'd love to see what she'd do to somebody who was _really_ sick."
"That's not fair Wills. Buffy saved both of our lives."
The redhead snarled. "And before her, did we ever need saving, no all we needed was each other."
Xander took a step backward and held out his hands. "Willow, this is ridiculous. We need to talk."
She pouted and shook her head before slowly backing him into a corner. Xander suddenly realized that his routes of escape were being cut off. "Wills, seriously talk to me."
The redhead merely snarled and knocked him down with her on top holding down his arms. "You know what?"
She roughly licked the side of his face and grinned. "Talking's overrated."
/////////////////////////
Pairings: One sided B/X, some B/A, and W/X
A/N: [One shot] A response to malastor's challenge 'Xander wasn't the one to get possessed by the Hyena' Not your usual W/X
A/N 2: God knows you can't write more unless you get reviews. So review me or feel my wrath.
Disclaimers: I don't own anything relating to Buffy.
Timeframe: S1 AU The Pack.
Dedicated to the few remaining W/X'ers out there, you know who you are.
//////////////////////////////
Giles walked around the library placing books back onto shelves and picking up the ones that were lying around. "I don't see what you are talking about?"
Buffy groaned as she walked behind him, relaying the day's events. "What do you mean? You're supposed to be mister watcher guy with the knowledge."
Giles nodded as he put a few more books onto their proper places in the shelves. "Yes, knowledge of Demons and Vampires and supernatural threats, not of the inner workings of a sixteen year old girl."
Buffy groaned. "Are you telling me that at Watcher U they don't teach you how to deal with teenage girls?"
"Oh of course, it's right before we do each others makeup and braid our hair. Seriously now Buffy. I understand that you are worried for Willow, but she is a big girl and can grow up on her own. I for one am glad that she stood up for herself. And that she finally took the first step with Xander. Lord knows the boy is about as thick as a brick wall."
Buffy sighed. "I know, I know, it's just this whole Willow not being Willow thing has got my Slay-dar on full alert."
Giles looked back to her abruptly. "Slay-dar?"
Buffy nodded eagerly. "Yep, you know my slayer radar that tells me if there's any supernatural boogiemen out there."
Giles stopped in his tracks and thought aloud. "And yet the world has not been plunged into eternal darkness. Hmmmm fancy that."
"Giles you're not helping me."
The British librarian put his books down on the table and sighed. "Listen Buffy, maybe you're just not used to Willow being this way. Many people like to categorize others into little boxes or labels and if they change, it's not so easy for some to accept. Besides..." he talked over and got another stack of books, "I thought you wanted Willow to be more outgoing."
"She punched Harmony."
Giles stopped again and sputtered. "W-what?"
Buffy took a step forward and gestured wildly with her hands. "She was kissing Xander..."
Giles groaned. "Yes, that is a disturbing mental image."
"...And Harmony said something. So Willow punched her."
Giles walked towards the table in the middle of the library and placed the books on the end corner. "Good for her, never liked that one."
"Giles, I'm serious."
The librarian sat down and took off his glasses to clean them. "So am I. You know how introverted she is. She needs to grow up a little and become more aggressive. And if she crosses a certain boundary or becomes somewhat of a..."
"Bitch?"
Giles rolled his eyes at the obvious teen drama. "I was going to say nuisance, then simply talk to her. You and Xander are obviously the closest people she has to her."
Buffy became exasperated and sat down across from him. "I cannot believe that you, of all people, are trying to Scully me. There is something supernatural at work here. Get your books! Look stuff up!"
Giles groaned and grabbed a book. "Look under what?"
"I don't know that's more your department."
"The evidence that you've presented me with is sketchy at best."
Buffy sat up quickly. "She scared the pig!"
Giles raised an eyebrow.
"Well, she did..."
"Buffy, Animals are easily frightened. As for Harmony, Willow probably was tired of the teasing and for once wanted to retaliate and have the last laugh."
Buffy cocked her head to the side. "What did you just say?"
Giles finished cleaning his glasses and put them back on his face. "Animals are easily frightened?"
Buffy stood up and started pacing around the room. "The last laugh, I've heard that somewhere before."
Giles shrugged. "Well it is a rather common saying."
Buffy shook her head. "No, no. Willow has been acting totally wiggy ever since we went to the zoo. Xander and Willow followed Kyle and his gang into the Hyena exhibit to try and save Lance. Xander was knocked unconscious, but ever since then... Oh, God, that laugh..."
"You're saying that, uh, Willow is becoming a hyena."
"I don't know. Or been possessed by one? Not just her, all of them."
"Well, I-I-I've cer-certainly never heard of, uh..."
They stopped talking as they heard the library doors swing open and Xander ran into the room almost out of breath. "Herbert! They found him."
Buffy's eyes widened. "Herbert? What happened to my piggy?"
Xander hunched over and tried to breathe. "Dead. And also eaten. Principal Flutie's freaking out."
Buffy turned to her watcher. "Giles, I pray to God that it wasn't who I think it was."
Giles nodded and went into his office to look for books. Xander coughed and looked at Buffy. "Who?"
Buffy sighed. "Willow."
"Willow!? What are you talking about?"
"I think she's been possessed by a Hyena."
Xander stopped for a second to process her words. "You know, the more that you talk, the less sense that you make."
Buffy grabbed a book and slammed another one opposite her on the table. "That's the only explanation that makes any sense! I mean, the sudden change in personality, the eating, and the clothes. That wasn't Willow!"
Xander raised his voice and stood up. "Are we overlooking the idea that she may be very attracted to me?"
Xander felt Buffy's silence confirm his self-doubt. "She's possessed."
Buffy shook her head. "No it's not that. She just has no handle on self- control. Or maybe it's not even really her, I don't know."
Xander shook his head and turned around to leave. "I don't have to listen to this."
Buffy stood up and called out after him. "You know that there's something wrong with her..."
Xander spun around and shouted back. "Yeah! She'd have to be _really_ fucked up to even kiss me or anything else. I might not be as mysterious or as exciting as Angel. But I aint just a fucking throw rug either."
"You know what I mean, there's something different...darker about her. Or maybe it's just me. Maybe I _am_ seeing things. But even if there's the slightest chance if I'm right..."
Xander stood in silence for several seconds before nodding his head and walking over. "Where do you want to start?"
Buffy smiled and pointed to the small pile of books already lying on the table. The brunette groaned before randomly picking a book and opening it.
"I still don't think Willow could've have eaten Herbert."
"Why not?"
"She's Jewish!"
"So?"
"He wasn't Kosher!"
"She's possessed by a hyena, Xander I don't think that it really mattered."
////////////////////////
Kyle watched in mild annoyance as Heidi and Tor mercilessly began teasing a freshman. This kiddie stuff was below him. The 'hiding' was driving him crazy. There they were, little lambs ready for the slaughter. He could feel the blood pumping through their red veins, begging to be tasted. The flesh beneath his nails surged with anticipation and he began flicking his canine teeth with the tip of his tongue.
"What's wrong Kylie?"
Kyle groaned and turned to see Rhonda smiling at him seductively. "Is there anything I can do?"
The brunette girl accentuated 'do' with her tongue snaking out and licking her lips eagerly. Kyle snorted and looked away. "We have to 'keep up appearances,' huh such bullshit. Why is she doing this to us?"
Rhonda purred as she placed her hands upon his chest. "Ohhh, not happy with the current leadership are we?"
Kyle smirked as he grasped her wrists. "Well let's just say that I don't appreciate being ordered around by a little girl. I want real _MEAT_ not some pig. I need..."
Mr. Flutie ran around the corner, his face red with anger. "YOU FOUR!"
Tor released the freshman and acted suspiciously innocent. "What?"
Mr. Flutie stormed over to them. "Oh, don't think I don't know. Three kids saw you outside Herbert's room. You're busted! Yeah! You're goin' down."
Rhonda smirked and leaned against Kyle. "How is Herbert?"
Heidi wrapped her arms around Tor protectively and grinned. "Crunchy!"
The middle-aged principle's face burst with anger. "That's it! My office, right now."
The four teenagers started cackling maniacally, causing Mr. Flutie to take a step back. He shook his head and shouted. "Now!"
Kyle turned to the other three and motioned for them to stop laughing and follow him. He smirked as the principle started walking down the hall without looking back to see if they were following. "You're gonna have so much detention, your grandchildren'll be staying after school."
/////////////////////////////////////
"Wow! Apparently Noah rejected the hyenas from the Ark because he thought they were an evil impure mixture of dogs and cats."
Xander nodded and closed the book he was reading. "Yeah I'm getting that Hyenas aren't exactly well liked."
Buffy groaned and leaned back into her seat. "They do seem to be the schmoes of the animal kingdom. Why couldn't she be possessed by a kitten, or possibly a sloth?"
Xander grabbed another book from the pile and started reading. "Speaking of which, are we talking 'Exorcist pea soup' possession or 'Children of the Corn' or what?"
Giles walked out of his office carrying a rather large tome. "Actually neither. The Masai of the Serengeti have spoken of animal possession for, for generations. I... I should have remembered that."
Xander pushed the book he was reading away and looked expectantly up at the watcher. "So how does it work?"
The Brit placed the book on the table for all to see and pointed to the opened page. "Well, apparently there's a, a sect of animal worshipers known as Primals. They believe that humanity, uh, consciousness, uh, the soul, is a, is a perversion, a dilution of spirit. Uh, to them the animal state is holy. They are able, through trans-possession, to, to, um, draw the spirit of certain animals into themselves."
Buffy frowned. "Why a Hyena then, everything we've read basically says hyena bad."
Giles nodded and turned a couple of pages to show off his findings. "Well, only the most predatory of animals are, are of interest to the Primals, so, uh, yes, yes, that would fit, yes."
Xander grew worried. "So, what happens to the person once the spirit's in them?"
The watcher sighed and pushed the book towards the teenage boy. "If it goes unchecked..."
Xander took one look at the open page before standing up and grabbing his backpack. "I gotta find her."
Buffy shot out of her seat and grabbed hold of his arm. "Wait, what are you talking about?"
Xander shook her hand off and turned to face her. "Listen, you might be the Slayer, but she's my Wills."
Buffy stood with her mouth hanging open as she watched Xander fly out of the library. She turned and looked to Giles. "What is going..."
The librarian sighed and handed her the open book. The opened page was filled with drawing of animalistic savages tearing off limbs and eating flesh, torture and murder. He slammed the book shut and offered only two words. "Follow him."
///////////////////////////
Xander quietly knocked on the faculty lounge door before looking into the dark room. "Hello? Anyone in here?"
After several seconds without a reply he slowly stepped into the room and turned the lights on. "Oh my God."
In the center of the room Herbert's cage lay in a twisted bloody mess. The front door was ripped off and blood was still wet and sticky on the floor. He exhaled and shook his head. "Wills, what did you do?"
"Nothing really."
He spun around to find Willow blocking the entrance, wearing the same clothes from earlier that day. He held one hand over his chest to keep his heart from popping out. "God Wills, don't do that. You almost gave me a heart attack."
The hacker turned Hyena giggled a little. "Poor poor Xander." Quickly her giggle turned into a full hyena cackle as her eyes glowed yellow and she took a step forward.
Xander cautiously took a step backward. "Buffy said that you're sick."
Willow interrupted him with a low growl. "Oh, yeah. Buffy and her all- purpose solution: punch 'em out 'n' knock 'em down. I'd love to see what she'd do to somebody who was _really_ sick."
"That's not fair Wills. Buffy saved both of our lives."
The redhead snarled. "And before her, did we ever need saving, no all we needed was each other."
Xander took a step backward and held out his hands. "Willow, this is ridiculous. We need to talk."
She pouted and shook her head before slowly backing him into a corner. Xander suddenly realized that his routes of escape were being cut off. "Wills, seriously talk to me."
The redhead merely snarled and knocked him down with her on top holding down his arms. "You know what?"
She roughly licked the side of his face and grinned. "Talking's overrated."
/////////////////////////