Title: Awaken the Inu
Author: DhampyrX2
Genre: Crossover
Rating: PG-13
Timeframe: prologues are btw seasons 3 and 4. The rest starts season
seven.

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. Poverty is my constant
friend. Please don't sue. I make no money from this.

Note: Evil plot bunnies have invaded my brain again, and the demons
of writer's block are spreading. Instead of Starting with a Buffy or
Star Wars sequel, or adding to 'The One Who Sees", I feel compelled
to work on this. Sorry. Blame the bunnies. Anya's right, they're
EVIL. I also changed this from a season five idea, to a season seven
idea. Just because I hate Caleb, and want Xander to have a bigger
role in the proceedings.

Summary: Xander's father is not who he thought. His real father has
decided to inform him of his heritage, leaving Xander with some
tough choices.

OOC: I'm changing one thing from the last chapter. I said they had
been there for only about eight hours. Make that into a full day,
including sleep for everyone involved. This is just so I can set
their return at night and where I want it to be.

*****

Xander looked pensively out over the sky night sky as Ah-Un took
them on their trip back to Boca del Infierno. The sight was awe
inspiring, but that wasn't what concerned him. No, he was thinking
of how to handle the others. Should he try to hide his new features
at first? Should he just come out, bold as brass and say 'Here I
am, deal with it?' Truthfully, he just wasn't sure how the group
would take things, and that worried him a little. After all, they
were as much family to him as his father.

"They'll deal, Xan. I did, and so will they. If they don't, I'll
zap 'em with the tazer you gave me for my birthday.", Dawn said,
sensing his thoughts.

"I know they'll deal, eventually. I'm just not sure how to
introduce it all to them.", he replied, not turning from where he
was watching the stars.

Dawn shrugged and said, Just wing it. It's worked for us in the
past."

"Luck has to run out sometime.", Xander replied mirthlessly.

"You don't need luck, Xander, I've got your back.", Dawn said back.

"Then I'm worried over nothing", he replied with a grin.

"Yep." Dawn answered cheerfully. "Now onto more interesting
topics. Kagura was telling me yesterday about a certain job you had
taken when she first met you..."

This made both Kagura, who couldn't help but hear them, and Xander,
both go red in the face, but for totally different reasons.

"Kagura! How could you tell Dawn about things like that. No power
on this Earth was meant to tell that story. We've talked about
this!", Xander cried, outraged.

Dawn just smiled, sure that Xander would no longer have time to
brood for the rest of the trip to Sunnydale.

*****

As for those still in Sunnydale, the majority of them were staying
at the Summers house, most of them being potential Slayers that
Giles had saved from the First's minions. Those potentials were
mostly asleep wherever they could find space for it in the house, or
patrolling to escape the choking feeling they had.

Things at the Summers house had deteriorated steadily since
the 'General' had set Xander away with her sister. Not only were
things he would have repaired broken, but there was a sense of
failure and hopelessness that permeated the house. It was as if
Buffy had said, "We're all going to lose and die horribly, so I'm
making your one steadying influence and confidant hide with my
little sister instead of helping you in your last hours. You don't
need him anyway."

As a result, there were a dozen more injuries at the hand of
Bringers encountered on patrol than there should have been. When
you coupled that with Buffy acting as if her new toy was the second
coming to save them all, and Spike being his usual non help self,
the whole atmosphere seemed to choke off any hope in the house.

It was in the hope of finding ways to rectify this that brought
Rupert Giles, Faith, Willow Rosenberg, and Robin Wood to the Summers
kitchen table that night. Buffy was out searching out some ancient
temple thingy connected to her new Power Ranger weapon, and nobody
knew where Spike was, thankfully.

"It just doesn't make sense. It's like Buffy can't relate at all to
human beings. She sent away what amounted to our repair crew,
morale officers, and counseling department all in one. We need to
do something.", Wood said in frustration.

Willow just sat there looking small. She felt like she was missing
her other half of her soul and it showed. She was miserable.
Kennedy tried to console her as best she could, and that did help,
but Willow still wanted Xander back. "I can kind of agree with what
she was afraid of. I..I mean we've tried to do this before. I
just...never thought he'd actually leave.", she said despondently.

This made Faith snort derisively. "B played him wicked good. If it
was just X, no way in hell he'd 'a split. He'd probably just go
hunting for bringers to run over at the last second to save our
shapely asses. But she brought the Pip into it. You know he'd sell
his soul to watch out for Dawnie. So did Buffy.", the still
recovering Dark Slayer said.

"Indeed. I don't think any of us realized how bad would be to go
without Xander in a serious situation. We are paying the price for
our folly now. However, that is not the purpose of this meeting.
Finding a way to rectify the vacuum his absence leaves is our
primary concern.", Giles said, his eyes tired and sad.

Silence reigned for several minutes before Willow broke it by
saying, "I wonder what he and Dawnie are doing right now?"

*****

It was doubtful any of the Scoobies could guess what Xander was
doing, namely shouting at an old toad youkai as they passed the
welcome to Sunnydale sign. "Damn it Jaken! Why didn't you mention
you get carsick before now? NO! Lean out the window if your going
to do that. My GOD! Ugh! How many flies did you eat?"

"My urp apologies, milord.", Jaken replied uneasily, as Dawn tried
to soothe the poor sick creature that now had his head out of the
window.

Xander just shook his head in disgust, cursing his new sense of
smell to himself as he asked Kagura, "So, where are the vans with
all the weapons for the baby Slayers supposed to be?"

"Parked across from your apartment complex. You'll have to have
them driven over.", she replied.

"Good. I'll see if Wood and Giles are up for that after we settle
the introductions. Hopefully something can go smoothly tonight.",
Xander responded with a nod, trying to breathe through his
mouth. "Yuck.", he muttered.

*****

The planned morale meeting had continued to degenerate into a
combination remember Xander and Dawn/gripe at Buffy's foolishness at
sending them away session.

"So then, X comes barreling into this hell bitch with his uncle
Rory's '57 Chevy, and plows her, totally saving my bacon.", Faith
recounted.

"Then what happened?", asked Giles, who had never gotten an official
telling of the happenings of Xander's night when the others had
faced off with the Sisterhood of Jhe.

"Well, he yells at me to get in, and the blue chick was getting up,
so I got in, and he peeled out. I tell ya' one of the kiddies would
be B's second right now if it hadn't been for him that night.",
Faith recalled fondly.

This made Xander and Willow grin, and Wood adopt a look of deep
respect. Anyone that made the habit of saving Slayer lives that
Xander did was OK in his book.

"He always does that. Finds the way to make things right. I
remember when he talked me down last year. I've never seen anyone
so brave in my life. I was totally crazed, and he was just
like "World's gonna end, where else am I gonna' be?'", Willow added
with a bittersweet smile.

"Wow, Xan, I never knew you were so cool.", Dawn said from where she
had slipped in silently through the broken front door, looking
behind her into the living room.

"I have hidden depths.", Xander's voice called out calmly, from the
next room, where he was inspecting the damage.

It took nearly five seconds for everyone at the table to register
just what they had seen and heard. Then, en masse', they stood up,
with various welcomes to, and questions for, Dawn, with the
exception of Willow. The Wicca ran straight for the living room,
barreling into Xander, who was bent over to look at the front
doorframe, making him grunt as he caught her.

"XANDER!
You'rebackI'msogladyou'rehereweallmissedyousomuchI'msorryIletBuffytal
kmeintoagreeingwithhertomakeyouandDawnieleaveit'sbeenhorriblewithouty
ouanddon'tyoueverleaveusalonelikethisAGAIN!", she babbled, snuggled
into his protective embrace, never even looking up. If she had she
would have noticed the other's staring at Xander's new features in
wide eyes shock.

After a few seconds, contented ones for Willow, and tense ones for
the others, it was Giles that broke the stunned silence. "Xander?",
he asked tentatively.

"Yeah G-Man.", the answered with his patented grin, a look that
mollified Faith that it was him, no matter what his hair, eyes,
ears, and fingernails looked like. "What the bloody devil have you
done NOW!?!", the Englishman asked, making Willow look up
questioningly.

"Eeep.", she eeped, stepping back to take in Xander's new appearance.

The former Zeppo placed his right hand behind his head sheepishly,
and scratched his head as he affected a bad Cuban accent and
said, "I guess I got some 'splaining to do, huh Lucy?", which caused
Dawn, Willow, and the still unintroduced Kagura who was waiting
outside to giggle.

"Xander.", Giles said, brooking no argument with his recently frayed
nerves.

"I made a choice, Giles. We needed help, firepower, and support. I
got them. Any way I could.", the White Knight said.

Silence reigned for a few minutes before Willow raised her hand, as
if back in her high school classes, and asked, "Umm, Xander?"

"Yeah Wills?", Xander queried in curiosity.

"Can I touch your ears?", she asked timidly.

"What?", Xander, Giles, and Wood asked simultaneously, as Kagura and
Dawn laughed out loud.

"I'm sorry. It's just that...I want to see if they're real. And
they're so cute."

*****

END CHAPTER 7