Addendum to the Author's note: Great googley moogley, this story took me frickin' forever. I'm not entirely sure why, just that while I "knew" where the story was going, I didn't "know", you know? I thought it would do one thing, then, suddenly, that just wasn't right. Oh, it's still doing that (kinda), but it's doing something else too. But enough babble from the Author.
Roads Less Traveled
by Casix Thistlebane
Story 6: The Sad Tale of Bunnyman
Part Three
"Oh yeah, I just happen to know this perfect little abandoned mansion outside of town where you can chain up your psychotic, possessed girlfriend. And, hey, maybe then we can head to Starbucks. I hear the special today is RABBIT MOCHA."
Xander winced at the sarcasm coming over the cellphone. "Carmella, that's not helping. And she's neither psychotic nor my girlfriend."
"So, what, you think I'm going to offer my basement? First you people ambush me and tell me you're the reason I have to eat lunch in my math class, and my parents are only JUST willing to leave me alone for a couple of hours, and then you want me to find you lodging for the girl that just tried to KILL you? You're insane!"
"You said you wanted to help–"
"Because some creepy dead fried of yours TOLD me to, and let me tell you, I never got dreams of ghosts, REAL ghosts, until YOU TWO darkened my doorstep."
XAnder leaned back in the driver's seat, his eyes fixed on Dawn who lay unconscious in the backseat. "I never told you Anya was dead."
"Maybe I know because I'm a 'slayer'." Carmella's contempt for the term came through loud and clear. "You know, I've been thinking. What would Jesus do, if He were me? He'd realize you two were sent by the fucking Devil. Maybe He'd try to save you, but I'm not the Messiah."
"No, you're the slayer." Xander started as Dawn groaned and twitched in the back seat. "Look, she's waking up."
"Then I'll leave you to it." Carmella's tone held a chilling note of finality. "Never contact me again."
"Carmella, wait–" Xander cursed softly as he was greeted by a click over the phone. Dawn shifted as he turned it off.
"You hit me." Her eyes caught his in the rearview mirror.
"You cut me."
She grimaced. "Yeah. Glad we have the ropes."
Xander twisted around in the seat and stared into his friend's eyes for a long moment. "You're okay."
"I've got a headache. And, ugh," her upper lip curled, "rabbit fur stuck in my teeth. But the mega environmentalist vibe is gone." She wriggled into a seated position. "Where are we?"
"On back roads, six miles or so from the bridge. I wanted to make sure the cops wouldn't find us."
Dawn nodded, staring down at the ropes. Xander reached out to untie her. "Is that what it felt like? When you were, you know, Hyena-Xander?"
Xander shook his head. "I didn't feel, really. I just . . . wanted, so I acted. I don't' think it was quite the same. You were pretty non-verbal, and the hyenas were never so quiet."
Dawn shivered. "I couldn't even understand what you were saying. I recognized you . . . sort of . . . but it was like I didn't care. I just knew you brought something . . . alien into my woods."
Xander grinned. "Great. You were possessed by the vengeful spirit of Earth First." He turned on the engine. "Where to, dirty hippie?"
Dawn grimaced. "The hotel. I really want a shower." She caught his eye in the rear-view mirror again. "And a nap."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
When Dawn woke up it was fully dark outside. Xander was leaning back on his bed, knees bent, tapping the closed copy of _The Alchemist_ on against his leg. Her cellphone lay, flip-top opened, on the night stand. Dawn watched him for a moment, wondering what he was thinking about as he stared blankly at the wall.
She sat up, drawing his attention. A smile stretched his lips, but the muscles around his eyes were tight.
"How'd you sleep?"
Dawn shrugged. "Surprisingly well." She gestured to the phone. "You called Carmella?"
"No." Xander frowned, his eyebrows drawing together, and Dawn wondered what the slayer had done to get him so upset. Xander valued his ability to connect to people very highly, but Carmella seemed rather anti-connection.
"Maybe we should tell her–"
"She knows."
Dawn waited to see if he would elaborate, but his lips pressed tightly together and she knew he was a long way from "share mode".
"What about the gang?"
Xander relaxed visibly, but continued drumming a rhythm with the book. "They were mostly out, Slayer field trip, recruiting teachers. I talked to Andrew, and Willow called about ten minutes ago. She said she'd look into it."
Dawn frowned. "So that's it? We just sit and wait? Let whatever it is do it again?"
Xander shook his head. "We're not going back out there, Dawn. Willow and I tossed out a couple theories, and she's going to see what she can do." He grimaced. "I think she wanted a distraction from packing for Europe."
"I don't like just sitting around."
"I don't like my friends getting possessed."
"Xander–"
"No, Dawn–"
A knock on the bathroom door cut off the impending argument. Xander scrambled up, but Dawn was closer. She opened the door slowly, giving Xander plenty of time to grab a weapon in case they needed it.
Willow, disheveled and damp around the ankles, wearing only one shoe, stood sheepishly on the other side.
"Hey guys."
Xander grinned, the first full smile Dawn had seen all day. "Willow. Why are you wet and in the bathroom?"
She blushed. "My shoe's stuck in your toilet. I was, um, aiming for the hallway."
Dawn wrapped the witch in a hug. "I'm glad you're here. Now, tell Mopey over there that we're going to kick this thing's ass."
Willow smiled. "Not quite."
Xander's face fell. "You didn't find a way to stop it?"
"Of course I did. We're going to talk to it."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"I talked to the coven, they agreed that it sounded like your theory was right."
Willow sat cross-legged on Dawn's bed, across from the two travelers. Xander shrugged, affecting a modest look. "Well, it made sense."
"What theory?"
"How the spirit chooses its host." Willow leaned forward. "It's not very powerful, considering how it lost its grip on Dawn when she was knocked out and taken out of the woods. So it probably can't take control of a strong will and mind."
"Hey, I'm plenty strong-willed!"
"Of course you are." Xander wrapped an arm over her shoulder. "We know THAT all too well. You were also sleep deprived and heavily caffeinated."
Dawn blinked, comprehension stealing over her. "And the Bunnyman was an insomniac . . . ." She pounded her fist onto her leg. "That explains why the attacks are so sporadic! How often does someone THAT tired go INTO the woods?"
"Precisely." Willow nodded, and Xander practically preened.
"But wait." Dawn was running what they knew through her head, looking for holes. "That thing wasn't exactly big on the oral communication. How the hell are we going to talk to it?"
*Like this.* Willow smiled, her voice echoing in Dawn's head. "Of course, that only works if it has a mind, a HUMAN mind, to listen through."
"So someone's gotta get possessed." Xander shook his head. "Not liking this plan, Willow."
"If we go in on our terms, I can keep the possessee from attacking." Willow pouted. "It's the easiest way. And I'm not going to be doing ANY magic when I go to Europe. I know I can do this."
Xander sighed. "I believe you, Wills, I just don't like this." He straightened. "But I hereby volunteer for getting possessed duty."
Willow nodded, but Dawn whirled on him. "No way."
"Dawn,"
"No! If anyone is getting possessed, it's me."
"What?" Xander stared at her, but Dawn refused to back down. "Dawn!"
"It makes sense. And it's safer."
Willow's brow furrowed. "Not seeing that one, Dawn."
Dawn stood, crossing her arms. "I'm seventeen years old, I'm petite, and I'm not a witch. You guys can both kick my ass. I'm the one who gets possessed."
end part three.
Roads Less Traveled
by Casix Thistlebane
Story 6: The Sad Tale of Bunnyman
Part Three
"Oh yeah, I just happen to know this perfect little abandoned mansion outside of town where you can chain up your psychotic, possessed girlfriend. And, hey, maybe then we can head to Starbucks. I hear the special today is RABBIT MOCHA."
Xander winced at the sarcasm coming over the cellphone. "Carmella, that's not helping. And she's neither psychotic nor my girlfriend."
"So, what, you think I'm going to offer my basement? First you people ambush me and tell me you're the reason I have to eat lunch in my math class, and my parents are only JUST willing to leave me alone for a couple of hours, and then you want me to find you lodging for the girl that just tried to KILL you? You're insane!"
"You said you wanted to help–"
"Because some creepy dead fried of yours TOLD me to, and let me tell you, I never got dreams of ghosts, REAL ghosts, until YOU TWO darkened my doorstep."
XAnder leaned back in the driver's seat, his eyes fixed on Dawn who lay unconscious in the backseat. "I never told you Anya was dead."
"Maybe I know because I'm a 'slayer'." Carmella's contempt for the term came through loud and clear. "You know, I've been thinking. What would Jesus do, if He were me? He'd realize you two were sent by the fucking Devil. Maybe He'd try to save you, but I'm not the Messiah."
"No, you're the slayer." Xander started as Dawn groaned and twitched in the back seat. "Look, she's waking up."
"Then I'll leave you to it." Carmella's tone held a chilling note of finality. "Never contact me again."
"Carmella, wait–" Xander cursed softly as he was greeted by a click over the phone. Dawn shifted as he turned it off.
"You hit me." Her eyes caught his in the rearview mirror.
"You cut me."
She grimaced. "Yeah. Glad we have the ropes."
Xander twisted around in the seat and stared into his friend's eyes for a long moment. "You're okay."
"I've got a headache. And, ugh," her upper lip curled, "rabbit fur stuck in my teeth. But the mega environmentalist vibe is gone." She wriggled into a seated position. "Where are we?"
"On back roads, six miles or so from the bridge. I wanted to make sure the cops wouldn't find us."
Dawn nodded, staring down at the ropes. Xander reached out to untie her. "Is that what it felt like? When you were, you know, Hyena-Xander?"
Xander shook his head. "I didn't feel, really. I just . . . wanted, so I acted. I don't' think it was quite the same. You were pretty non-verbal, and the hyenas were never so quiet."
Dawn shivered. "I couldn't even understand what you were saying. I recognized you . . . sort of . . . but it was like I didn't care. I just knew you brought something . . . alien into my woods."
Xander grinned. "Great. You were possessed by the vengeful spirit of Earth First." He turned on the engine. "Where to, dirty hippie?"
Dawn grimaced. "The hotel. I really want a shower." She caught his eye in the rear-view mirror again. "And a nap."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
When Dawn woke up it was fully dark outside. Xander was leaning back on his bed, knees bent, tapping the closed copy of _The Alchemist_ on against his leg. Her cellphone lay, flip-top opened, on the night stand. Dawn watched him for a moment, wondering what he was thinking about as he stared blankly at the wall.
She sat up, drawing his attention. A smile stretched his lips, but the muscles around his eyes were tight.
"How'd you sleep?"
Dawn shrugged. "Surprisingly well." She gestured to the phone. "You called Carmella?"
"No." Xander frowned, his eyebrows drawing together, and Dawn wondered what the slayer had done to get him so upset. Xander valued his ability to connect to people very highly, but Carmella seemed rather anti-connection.
"Maybe we should tell her–"
"She knows."
Dawn waited to see if he would elaborate, but his lips pressed tightly together and she knew he was a long way from "share mode".
"What about the gang?"
Xander relaxed visibly, but continued drumming a rhythm with the book. "They were mostly out, Slayer field trip, recruiting teachers. I talked to Andrew, and Willow called about ten minutes ago. She said she'd look into it."
Dawn frowned. "So that's it? We just sit and wait? Let whatever it is do it again?"
Xander shook his head. "We're not going back out there, Dawn. Willow and I tossed out a couple theories, and she's going to see what she can do." He grimaced. "I think she wanted a distraction from packing for Europe."
"I don't like just sitting around."
"I don't like my friends getting possessed."
"Xander–"
"No, Dawn–"
A knock on the bathroom door cut off the impending argument. Xander scrambled up, but Dawn was closer. She opened the door slowly, giving Xander plenty of time to grab a weapon in case they needed it.
Willow, disheveled and damp around the ankles, wearing only one shoe, stood sheepishly on the other side.
"Hey guys."
Xander grinned, the first full smile Dawn had seen all day. "Willow. Why are you wet and in the bathroom?"
She blushed. "My shoe's stuck in your toilet. I was, um, aiming for the hallway."
Dawn wrapped the witch in a hug. "I'm glad you're here. Now, tell Mopey over there that we're going to kick this thing's ass."
Willow smiled. "Not quite."
Xander's face fell. "You didn't find a way to stop it?"
"Of course I did. We're going to talk to it."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"I talked to the coven, they agreed that it sounded like your theory was right."
Willow sat cross-legged on Dawn's bed, across from the two travelers. Xander shrugged, affecting a modest look. "Well, it made sense."
"What theory?"
"How the spirit chooses its host." Willow leaned forward. "It's not very powerful, considering how it lost its grip on Dawn when she was knocked out and taken out of the woods. So it probably can't take control of a strong will and mind."
"Hey, I'm plenty strong-willed!"
"Of course you are." Xander wrapped an arm over her shoulder. "We know THAT all too well. You were also sleep deprived and heavily caffeinated."
Dawn blinked, comprehension stealing over her. "And the Bunnyman was an insomniac . . . ." She pounded her fist onto her leg. "That explains why the attacks are so sporadic! How often does someone THAT tired go INTO the woods?"
"Precisely." Willow nodded, and Xander practically preened.
"But wait." Dawn was running what they knew through her head, looking for holes. "That thing wasn't exactly big on the oral communication. How the hell are we going to talk to it?"
*Like this.* Willow smiled, her voice echoing in Dawn's head. "Of course, that only works if it has a mind, a HUMAN mind, to listen through."
"So someone's gotta get possessed." Xander shook his head. "Not liking this plan, Willow."
"If we go in on our terms, I can keep the possessee from attacking." Willow pouted. "It's the easiest way. And I'm not going to be doing ANY magic when I go to Europe. I know I can do this."
Xander sighed. "I believe you, Wills, I just don't like this." He straightened. "But I hereby volunteer for getting possessed duty."
Willow nodded, but Dawn whirled on him. "No way."
"Dawn,"
"No! If anyone is getting possessed, it's me."
"What?" Xander stared at her, but Dawn refused to back down. "Dawn!"
"It makes sense. And it's safer."
Willow's brow furrowed. "Not seeing that one, Dawn."
Dawn stood, crossing her arms. "I'm seventeen years old, I'm petite, and I'm not a witch. You guys can both kick my ass. I'm the one who gets possessed."
end part three.