Title: Calming the Beast

Rating: R

Chapter:5

Author:White Werewolf

Category:Buffy/Xander

Spoiler:Takes off from "The Wish." Then it hit's AU.

Disclaimer:I don't own anything, but the ideas, my computer, and my website: http: makes a wish that traumatizes Xander, and he becomes something far from human.

Author Notes:This idea came from Mac's Defender of the Night. It's also my way to do a Halloween fic, but not do the challenge. Hopefully, this turns out good.

Dedication:Merlin

-

Nodding, he started, "Well, it's like this…"

"I got it, okay! I got it!"

The four of them looked to the east as the doors burst open. In ran Cordelia with the pendent flying around in her left hand.

She stopped short when she saw Xander standing up at his full height.

"Xander…" The cheerleader said in shock.

Willow walked toward Cordelia and grabbed the pendent. "Thanks. Now go."

She said in defense, "Let me stay." Glancing at Xander, she begged, "Xander, I'm sorry. Alright. I'm sorry. Just please let me stay."

Xander approached the young woman. Looking at her, he could tell that she had been crying. Part of him, wanted to wrap his big strong arms around her and take her pain away.

But the other part? He wanted to hurt her. She turned him into this…this…monster. Into Leatherhead.

His eyes started to narrow and breathing started to get heated. He gritted his teeth. Flexing his knuckles he was about to grab hold of her when his right fist was stopped.

He turned to his right and saw Buffy holding his fist.

"Let go!" He yelled.

Buffy said sternly, "Relax, Xander. Take it easy."

He brought his free hand to Buffy's side. Forcing his captured fist out of Buffy's grasp, he held Buffy into the air tightly—above him. He was about to throw her over his back when Buffy placed her feet on Xander's chest.

Putting pressure on her feet, she launched herself off of him. Landing from a backward summersault, she turned around and leapt onto him.

Taking him to the ground, he pinned his arms down, so he couldn't move.

But founder herself flying when Xander's tail grabbed her by the waist and tossed her to the front of the cage.

He was about to leap at her when he suddenly fell flat.

"What happened?" Cordelia asked.

Willow addressed her, "Giles used the tranquilizer on him."

Buffy got to her feet and stormed to Cordelia, "Get out of here! Look what you did!" She pointed to the fallen form of Xander Harris.

"You made him into him! He's Leatherhead!" She growled.

Taking a few steps back, Cordelia asked, "What?"

Buffy walked till she was eye-to-eye with her, "You turned him into a monster! You turned Xander into something he isn't! Get out! I don't ever want to see you again!"

Cordelia glanced down at her former boyfriend, so still. So big. So green. So…so…not as she remembered him before. In a quiet voice, she said, "I'm sorry."

Tears started to run down her face as she ran out of the library.

Walking to Xander, she sat him up. "He certainly is strong. I'll give you that."

Willow said as she approached the now sitting Xander. "It wasn't him, Buffy. You know that."

She sighed, "I know, Wills."

Giles squatted down in front of them. "We have a problem here. Xander can easily take you out, Buffy."

The redhead said, "But she was able to pin him."

"Indeed." He answered. "However, his tail was what took Buffy. We need to find someway to keep him calm."

Buffy looked at Giles's hand. In it, was the pendent. "We need to research that pendent, Giles."

Lifting his hand, he looked at it. "I will research it, Buffy. Just as soon as Xander wakes up, we need to talk to him. He was about to say something extremely important."

His slayer looked at him, "I need to talk to Angel. I want to get Xander's living situation taken care of. But I also want to be here when he wakes up."

Willow said, "Go to Angel, Buffy. We'll beep you when Xander starts to wake up."

She nodded as stood up. "Take care of him, Willow. We still need to work through some things."

"That goes without saying, Buffy." Giles informed her.

Caressing her hand against Xander's reptilian cheek, she said, "I'll be right back."

Giles nodded, "Willow and I will start to research this pendent."

Grabbing her bag, Buffy headed for her locker.

-

Angel flipped the page of the book he was reading.

Being a vampire during the day pretty much limited his time. Usually, he could sleep, but he wasn't in the mood.

Reading was something he always enjoyed. It gave him the desires he would love to perform, and even perform with Buffy.

But that wasn't possible.

One thing that he always enjoyed was the warmth she gave him. He was always cold or room temperature. But when he cuddled, or kissed Buffy, he felt warm, which is always a plus.

But lately, things with Buffy were falling apart. No matter how much he wanted it to work, or how much she wanted it to. It never could.

The two of them were opposites, but he didn't want to lose her. He couldn't lose her, she was his everything. Being with Buffy, was something that he wouldn't give up.

However, living with Buffy never really could happen.

Life was complicated, or rather his unlife was complicated.

He was over 240 years old, he should be having these painful yet joyous issues.

A sudden banging could be heard.

"Come in."

Angel looked at the door as Buffy emerged…still in her school clothes.

A smile creeped onto his face. She always looked cute like that.

But there was something different about her. He recognized that look on her face…pain. His Buffy was in pain.

"Buffy…"

She dropped her bag on the floor along with her purse. Walking to him, she quickly kissed him on the lips. Only briefly though.

"Hi, Angel."

Pulling back a little, he asked, "What's wrong?"

She sighed, "It's Xander."

His eyes widened, "Xander?"

She nodded as her eyes started to get wet.

"Something's happened. Something terrible."

He immediately pulled her into a hug. Feeling a sudden shiver from her was normal, but it was always something he didn't like. The feeling of two bodies should be warming and beautiful…not cold and lustful.

"What happened?"

She pulled away, not wanting the comfort that she loved. Buffy felt like she didn't deserve it, not now. Not when her best friend was changed.

"Xander was turned into Leatherhead."

He showed a confused look, "Leatherhead?"

Buffy quickly filled him into the story. Everything about Cordelia's wish and Xander's gigantic alligator problem.

"So Xander is Leatherhead?"

Buffy nodded, "And we don't know where to keep him. He can't stay at his house. The same goes for my house, Willow's, Giles', or the library."

"So?" He asked getting an idea where this was going. He didn't want that.

Xander and him never got along. Even though they loved the same woman, they despised each other. Xander was able to give Buffy everything he couldn't. He was annoying, told really lame jokes, and always put himself into danger.

He also never let go of Angel's history with Angelus.

"I want to ask you something, Angel."

Buffy's comment made his thoughts stop right then and there. He asked, "Yeah?"

"I know you two don't get along. I know you…" Her eyes tightened a little, "hate each other. But I want him to stay here with you."

She never liked that. Two of some of the most important people in her life couldn't stand each other. She hated that. But, she did respect it. But, still.

Angel was her boyfriend.

Xander was her best friend.

Sometimes, she wished boyfriend and best friend could be the same thing. Or, even get along with one another.

But sighing to herself, she knew it could never happen.

Her life wasn't allowed to have happiness. She lived on the Hellmouth. All relationships were doomed to fail. So, she let herself stay with Angel, the only hope that she ever had to be in a normal relationship.

And she loves him. There's no denying it. But, sometimes, she wonders if she made the right choice.

"You want him to stay here?"

"Huh?"

He grinned, "I asked you if you wanted Xander to stay at the mansion."

She nodded, "It would work best. You have so much space, and he has his anger issues to deal with. Maybe you could help him somehow."

Even to see her smile, made his whole questioning their relationship better.

-

Willow climbed down the stairs from the upper level of the library carrying three books. Reaching the last step, she asked her friend, "Find anything?"

Giles closed his book, and looked at the young redhead, "I've checked my normal sources, Willow." Glancing at the pendent he now had, "I just don't know where to look."

Glancing at the sleeping alligator, she asked, "Do you think he'll be alright?"

Looking at Xander, he said, "I believe we will get through this. Another problem we have to deal with is his anger."

"But if we find a cure for this transition, we don't have to worry about his anger." Willow said with some hope.

He nodded, "Very true, Willow. But, we might have to realistic. There's a chance Xander may never be human again. Knowing more about this demon would be only more beneficial. We don't know anything though sadly."

Willow approached her friend and sat down across from him, "What do we know?"

Giles took off his glasses, and cleaned them briefly with a wipe he had in his pocket, "We know Cordelia made a wish to a demon, and she turned Xander into Leatherhead."

The young woman said, "We also know that it has something to do with that pendent."

"Right. Other than that, we don't have much else to go on."

Willow suggested, "Couldn't you cross-reference with something?"

Giles looked up to her, "I do have some more books in the back. Maybe there is something in there. Although, they are sketchy at times."

"We can't let anything slide by."

"Good point. I'll go check." With that said, he went to the back room.

Seeing him gone, Willow took the book she had hiding behind her back. Opening it to a destined page, she grinned when she saw a spell that might be able to help.

-

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TBC