AUTHOR'S NOTE Scott and Jean's conversation sort of mirrors the one that they have in the beginning of X2 – this story takes place before X2, so it makes the canon conversation a little repetitive, but oh well.

DISCLAIMER I own nothing from X-Men or Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Oz hung up the phone and sighed. He missed Sunnydale so much. Hearing that Willow was hurting because of him only made it worse. He looked up and saw Professor Xavier watching him. "Uh, could you call the others in? I need to talk to all of you."

"Of course," Xavier said. "Did Mr. Giles give you an idea?"

"He pointed me in the right direction," Oz replied. "As always."

Professor Xavier closed his eyes and waited. Moments later, the door opened and Scott, Storm, and Jean entered the office. Jean, as usual lately, looked haggard. "What is it, Professor?" Scott asked.

Uncomfortably, Oz said, "Hey. It was actually me who wanted to talk to you."

They looked at him differently now that they had seen what he turned into. Oz was used to others not really understanding him, but since he kept the fact that he was a werewolf a secret from most people, he had never experienced this sudden wariness before. Not that he blamed them. Even he was afraid of his wolf form.

When Oz did not immediately continue, Professor Xavier said, "I believe that Oz has some new information to share with us."

Jean especially looked interested. "What news?" she asked.

"We've been look at this all wrong," Oz said.

Scott frowned. "What does that mean?"

"How does someone become a mutant?" Oz asked him.

"I don't see how that has anything to do with this," Scott said.

Storm held up a hand to quiet him. To Oz, she said, "You do not become a mutant. You are born one."

Oz nodded. "Exactly. It's a part of you."

Warily, Scott nodded. "You either are a mutant or you're not."

"Well someone isn't born a werewolf." Suddenly Oz found himself slightly choked up. "It's not a part of you. It's a disease."

"Mutation is not a disease!" Scott shot back angrily.

"That's my point," Oz said. "Your mutations are not a disease, but mine is. It's called lycanthropy and there's no cure."

Jean studied him intently. "You think there is, though, don't you?"

He nodded. "There has to be. Why do you think I came looking for you? You're a doctor and you understand mutation. If you can't help me, who can?"

Storm and, for the first time, Jean looked at him with true pity. Scott still looked hesitant to trust him. Xavier merely looked pointedly out the window to where the sun was sinking slowly toward the tree line.

Oz sighed. "I'm going downstairs." But he paused with his hand on the door. "Tonight's the real full moon," he said. "No one should observe tonight."

Professor Xavier nodded. "Very well."

Oz did not say another word. Weakly, he smiled his thanks and left the office.

Later that night, after the sun had set and the full silver moon had risen over the forest, Jean stood staring out her bedroom window. She wrapped her arms around herself against the tiny draft that came in through the glass and enjoyed the early winter peace.

Behind her, the door opened and she heard Scott enter. She did not turn around, even when he laid a hand on her shoulder. "Jean?"

She smiled out the window. "Hi."

"Don't you want to get some sleep?" he asked.

Shaking her head, she said, "No. It's so peaceful out."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. "It's easier for you when he's a wolf, isn't it?" he asked.

She twisted her neck to look at him. "Yes," she admitted. "But something else happened today."

"What's that?"

She smiled again. "He looked at me and didn't think of that girl. He wants so badly to bury the wolf that he's forgetting everything else."

Scott raised an eyebrow above his ruby glasses. "And that's a good thing?"

She shrugged, a little guilty. "Maybe not for him or for her, but it is for me."

He tightened his embrace and kissed her neck. "You're allowed to be selfish every once and a while, you know."

With a small laugh, she turned in his arms so that she was facing him. "I'm sorry that I've been so difficult since Oz got here."

Scott kissed her forehead. "There's nothing to be sorry for. After all, it's not every day a werewolf shows up at our door who thinks of his ex-girlfriend every time he looks at you." His expression sobered and he dropped his arms. "But still."

"Still what?"

"Still, you've never been bothered by anyone's thoughts like this before." He frowned. "Are you okay? For the past few months, you've seemed a little off."

Jean thought back to how stranger her powers had been acting since the battle they had fought on Liberty Island against Magneto. It had only become apparent to her since Oz showed up, but the more she thought about it, the more she was sure that it had nothing to do with him.

She told Scott none of that. Instead, she just nodded and said, "I'm fine."

It was clear that he did not believe her, but he said nothing. He gave her a kiss goodnight, then left her alone. She turned back to the window to watch the winter peace again.

Oz awoke on the floor of the Danger Room the next morning, feeling groggy and nauseous as he always did on the morning after the true full moon. He groaned and rubbed his temples. It was worse than a hangover.

He crawled to the screened corner and pulled on his clothes. Just as he came to the closed door, it slid open as it had the day before to reveal Professor Xavier waiting in the hallway. "Good timing," he said. "Again."

The Professor merely smiled. "You would prefer to spend the day in the Danger Room?"

"No."

That was as far as the conversation went. As they rode silently in the elevator toward the mansion's upper levels, Oz tried to block his thoughts so that the Professor would not see that he vaguely remembered his wolf self tearing apart a robot in the Danger Room.