Chapter 13.

A/N: Due to the road trip, SG-1 is about a week ahead of Sunnydale right now. This chapter will catch Sunnydale up a bit.

Please review! Compliments make me write faster; criticisms make me write better.

Okay, now that they were safe, they had time to freak out. There should be some shouting going on inside their head... but there was nothing.

"Where are you? Why can't I hear you?" Xander had grown very accustomed to the presence of the symbiote after only a few days.

"I'm here." Jolinar answered.

"You don't sound like you."

"No. I sound like you."

"What the hell happened?"

"If seems that we have communal control of your body." Jolinar explained. "Now remember the first rule. Stop Panicking."

Xander's body started taking slower, deeper breaths. "Okay. What happened?" Xander asked.

"We seem to have become one." Jolinar answered.

Xander was extremely glad that it was so late and no one was here to see him talking to himself. "What does that mean?"

"Okay, this is going to be complicated. So please just let me explain everything before you ask any more questions." When no sound was made, Jolinar continued. "The Tok'ra think of a symbiotic pair as two separate entities. There is the host and there is the symbiote. Now by any impartial standard, a symbiote in control of a host is superior in almost all physical aspects. Strength, speed, intelligence, et cetera. Now, the Goa'uld believe that this makes them gods. They take over a host and believe that the host does not matter. The Tok'ra believe that the host has the right to exist along side the symbiote. But it's more like a timeshare than a partnership. When we first came to this planet, a Goa'uld named Nun who's Unas host had been injured to the point of death, took a human as host. The danger had not passed and they were forced to fight, together, against a formidable foe. They became one. However, they could not communicate with each other and they soon fought themselves. Nun was victorious and his host slipped into oblivion. I know this because Nun was the father of most of the current system lords. As well as Egeria, the mother of most of the Tok'ra. Since that time, no one has ever attempted what we just accomplished. Nun almost died in the internal struggle for power and Goa'uld would rather dominate their hosts anyway. Even if the risks weren't great, the Tok'ra wouldn't like it as it leaves no way to communicate with each other except for external communication. They love their secrets too much to say everything out loud for the world to hear."

When it had been silent for a while, Xander asked, "So what's the bottom line?"

"Well in this form, we are faster, stronger and smarter than either of us individually. Two people working together are actually more effective than two people working individually. Though there have only been three recorded times they have been forced to fight in hand-to-hand combat, Tok'ra are superior to Goa'uld in this. And it's not because we train harder. But instead because we do not have to fight against our hosts. Keeping their host suppressed is not an energy output Tok'ra must worry about. But this form has dangers. Nun almost died in his battle with his host. I do not know if we can be the way we used to be." Jolinar elaborated.

"Well it's either that or the loony bin." Xander half-joked.

"Fine. But tomorrow. We'll have to have someone we can trust nearby in case something goes wrong."

"K." They changed and laid down to go to sleep. But sleep would not come.

"That's it. I can't sleep." Xander declared a few hours later. A sigh that he didn't make greeted him.

"Maybe we could if you stopped moving your legs." Jolinar retorted.

"That wasn't me. That was you." Xander accused.

Jolinar sighed again. "Tell you what. If you can't lie still. Why don't we go out vampire hunting?"

"Well, if it's a choice between lying in my bed and getting eaten, I'm going to have to go with staying right here." Xander snarked.

"Why? Like this we are faster, stronger, smarter and better trained than any vampire." Jolinar insisted. "Don't you remember killing that vampire so easily just a few hours ago?"

"I remember almost being eaten and being scared out of my mind." Xander rebuked.

"And I remember telling that vampire that we were 'Batman' not long after that." Jolinar swung their legs out of bed.

"Fine. But if we die, I'm going to kill you." Xander said as they put on their clothes and armed themselves with stakes.

Xander couldn't believe this. After more than a year fighting vampires that were faster and stronger than him. Fighting them on equal terms, or an advantage, was a nice change of pace. The vampires also seemed surprised. One thought he was a new (male) Slayer. Two thought he was Angel. He set them right very painfully before he killed them. He was already up to ten kills in one night when he heard more approaching.

"I'm telling you. It's perfectly safe. The Slayer doesn't patrol after 2 AM, ever. It's almost 4 o'clock. The pickings are slimmer, but it's completely safe to be out right now." one vampire said to another.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that." Xander said as he stepped out of the bushes and flashed his eyes. Three vampires stopped in their tracks. "It's dangerous to be out at night around here." He said as he spun a stake.

"The Slayer!" one of the vamps shouted.

Another one slapped that vampire across the back of his head. "The Slayer is a girl, you idiot." It was the voice of the first vampire they had heard. He turned back to Xander. "And his heart is beating, which means it's not Angel. Get 'im boys."

The three vampires attacked at once. Xander found himself on the defensive for the first time that night. 3-on-1 odds are hard to beat when everyone is superpowered. "Any suggestions?" he shouted to his other half.

Jolinar looked around. "The tree." he said and ran towards a large pine. He pulled a branch back with him as he passed. This did two things, it allowed him to use his momentum to slingshot around the tree with great force where he staked the surprised vamp coming for him on the other side and when he released, the branch slapped the face of the vamp right behind him, who's head snapped back into the mouth of the vampire behind him. They jumped on the first vamp and staked him before he could rise. But the second vamp was able to find his feet.

The vampire hissed at them. "You're head."

"What?" Xander asked.

"I think he meant 'you're dead'." Jolinar answered.

"I know what he meant. But what's he going to do? Gum us to death?" Xander laughed.

"Are'u cazy?" the somewhat toothless vampire asked.

"Probably." Xander answered as he put the demon out of its misery. They rubbed their thigh where a kick had landed and limped away from the trees. "Oww. Remind me that 3-on-1 odds aren't something I want to try again."

"3-on-1 odds aren't something we want to try again." Jolinar deadpanned.

"Oh goody. A Tok'ra with a sense of humor." Xander snarked.

"I don't know if we should be called Tok'ra any more. It's no longer a 'Timeshare' relationship. It's far closer to a marriage. Probably beyond marriage as we are truly 'one flesh'. I've been trying to think up a new name for us." Jolinar said as they walked.

Xander was limping less and less as his soreness faded. "Something to do with Nun, since he was the first to do this?"

"No. I don't want to be associated with that... person. I was thinking 'Al'tok'taur'" Jolinar offered

"What does that mean?"

"Batman." Jolinar laughed long and hard. They had to stop walking and lean against a streetlamp for a bit while Jolinar finished laughing. "Actually, it means 'Flying mouse man', but it's as close as I could get in Goa'uld." He laughed some more. "You know. It really wasn't that funny of a joke." Jolinar said between laughs. "Why are we still laughing?"

"I don't know." Xander wheezed. "The last time I laughed like this was... the hyena."

"We should probably go home." Jolinar took a deep breath to sober up and started walking back.

"We should go see Giles." Xander turned their body around and started walking back.

"Home is closer and safer. You haven't told Giles about us." Jolinar turned and walked back.

"Xander started walking backwards. "Except that I recognize that laughter. Yeah. Mom, dad? I was possessed by a hyena a while ago and it's back. Oh yeah, I'm possessed by an alien and an astrophysicist soldier too."

"Giles won't be happy about you withholding my existence." Jolinar started walking forward.

Xander turned left instead of turning around.

"Now what are you doing?" Jolinar asked but didn't change their direction.

"Buffy's house is closest. I don't feel like having this argument in the middle of the street." Xander explained.

Jolinar sighed and took another left turn when they reached the other side of the street. "Fine, we'll go to Giles' place. When he yells at us. Don't say I didn't warn you."

From the bushes nearby, a vampire watched the strange, glowing-eyed, schizophrenic, male Slayer as he finally stopped arguing and dancing with himself and left the area. The vamp let out a breath he had been holding for over 20 minutes and slunk back to the sewers.

"Oh, bloody hell." Giles grumbled as he heaved himself out of bed. "This had better be important." as he walked to the door of his flat and opened the door. "Xander?"

Xander stepped across the threshold before asking, "Can we come in?"

Giles blinked heavily and tried to turn on his brain. "Umm... yes. Do come in. Would you like some- Why are you here at 5 AM Xander?" Giles' manners failed him at this too early hour.

"Sorry. I can crash on your couch until you're more awake, but I kinda got possessed again. Need your help to straighten it out." Xander answered. "Oh and if you have some food. We're really hungry. Like, 'Buffy hungry'."

"Good Lord. You'll eat my out of house and home." Giles went to the kitchen then added calmly, "And the fact that you are repossessed is worrying as well." as he got out a box of snacks he kept on hand for Buffy. High protein content seemed to help keep her from eating everything else in his flat.

"Giles made a funny." Xander quipped.

"How very droll." Jolinar griped. "Are you going to help us or not?"

Xander cringed, "Sorry Giles."

"Help 'Us'? That doesn't sound like the hyena." Giles observed.

"We were laughing uncontrollably a few minutes ago. Xander thinks it's the hyena." Jolinar explained.

"Oh, 'Xander thinks' so? What exactly is going on?" Giles tensed.

"Giles! Relax. I'm still here too. It's just complicated." Xander said with a full mouth as he munched on a protein bar.

"Yes, I rather doubt any possessor of your body could fake your manners." Giles gave a small dig.

"Thank- Hey!" Xander said and sprayed protein bar chunks over Giles' coffee table.

Giles sighed and got some paper towels. "I'll take that as proof that part of you is still in there." he said as he started cleaning the sticky chunks.

"All of me is here. The problem is that all of some others are here too. Remember those alien memories I had?" Giles took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose in anticipation of the coming headache. Xander continued, "Well, it seems like it was a bit more than memories. He's real. We've been talking since SG-1 came to town."

"So, you want me to exorcize him?" Giles asked.

"NO!" Xander and Jolinar both answered. Xander continued. "He's one of the good guys. Once he's well, he'd move on if I asked him, but I'm not going to ask him. Okay, let me explain it. Since Jolinar came back, we can each take control of my body, one at a time, me more than him since he's weak right now. But, we were walking home tonight and got attacked by a vamp. Now we're both in control and I think the Hyena is here too. Captain Carter might be here, but it's hard to tell. Anyway, normally we can think to each other and hear what the others are thinking, but right now, there's nothing. And we're both in control of my body. We were pacing up and down the sidewalk for a while as we each changed directions"

"Xander, how can you be sure he's one of the good guys?" Giles reasoned.

"I've seen his memories, Giles. It's hard to fake over 100 years of fighting evil on a galactic scale." Xander explained.

"Yes, well, we only have your word for that." Rupert disagreed.

"Mister Giles! Could you please focus on the problem? Once we are separated, you can question us to your heart's content." Jolinar stood up. "We're going home."

"No." Xander replied and dropped back onto the couch.

After another round of up and down, Giles interrupted. "One of you is over a hundred years old. Please act your age and stop jumping on the furniture." Giles dropped his head into his hands as the jumping ceased. "Very well. Do we know anything about this possession that we can start with?"

Jolinar explained the same history he had already explained to Xander. Only leaving out how much the Tok'ra liked secrets. A fact not lost on Xander, though he kept silent.

"Very well, Nun is an Egyptian deity. I have a few books here we can start with and some more at the library. You... all can get some rest. It sounds like you had a busy night." Giles said gently.

Xander and/or Jolinar shook their head. "Can't sleep. Besides, we can read and speak the languages better than you." Xander wasn't sure he'd be able to read the languages like this, but was soon proven wrong when Giles placed a book in front of them.

After 2 hours of reading every book Giles thought might apply to this situation and correcting Giles' atrocious pronunciation and passable translations, it was time to go to school. They each showered in turn, but Xander was forced to put his dirty clothes back on instead of accepting anything out of Giles closet. Jolinar didn't have a strong opinion on the style of clothes, but wanted fresh ones. In the end, Xander had to go home for more clothes before school as a compromise and would meet Giles in the library.

Xander got there and Giles was stacking books on the table while Willow was reading something. "Hey Wills."

"Hey Xander! Oh, I got that info on Ford you and Angel wanted." Willow gushed.

"Huh?" It had been such a long night. He had completely forgotten about Ford. It seemed like such a small thing now.

"Oh, yes. I remember. What did you find on Billy Fordham?" Jolinar asked.

"Well. He's not actually- Xander, are you okay?" Willow changed frowned and subjects in the middle of the sentence.

"Of course he's not Xander. There's only one Xander. Accept no substitutes." Xander quipped. "Now, what about Ford?"

"Oh. He's not enrolled. Not only that. He almost doesn't exist. I found one address for him in the warehouse district. That's it." Willow explained.

"Hmm. Interesting. Thanks Willow." Xander said appreciatively.

"So what are we researching today?" Willow asked. "Giles said it had something to do with Ancient Egyptian Gods?"

"Yeah. About that. I guess it's time for you guys to meet. Try not to freak out." Then under his breath, "do your thing Jo."

Jolinar straightened Xander's posture, let his eyes flash briefly, then said in his Tok'ra voice, #"Greetings. I am Jolinar of Malkshur. I am pleased to meet you."#

Willow squeaked and clutched a book to her chest. Giles let out a soft "Good Lord."

"Willow! Willow. It's okay. I'm still here too." Xander assured his friend.

"Xander?" Willow cried.

"It's okay. Will. Jolinar and I are just sharing the same body. But I'm still me." Xander assured her again.

"How do I know it's you?" Willow asked weakly.

"Tell you what. If you see me, but I'm using proper sentence structure, that's Jolinar." Xander smiled.

Willow gave a weak smile and relaxed the death grip she had on her book. Giles gave a soft chortle to agree with Xander's assessment of his English skills.

"Okay, so here's what happened." Xander began, but let Jolinar take over the explanation of what had happened that night. Buffy walked in as he was finishing.

"Hey guys. You're up early." Buffy smiled. Then looked at Xander and dropped into a fighting stance.

Xander responded by jumping back into a defensive stance. Hands out and open in front of him. "Buffy." he said calmly, "take it easy. Let me explain."

"He's got one of those Ghouls in him Giles." Buffy told her watcher.

To Xander's relief, Giles stepped between the pair. "He's not going anywhere Buffy. Why don't we all sit down and talk about this?"

"Tok'ra actually." Xander explained. "Think of it like Angel. They're Goa'uld that fight the bad Goa'uld."

"So, they're Ghould with a soul?" Buffy queried.

"If that's the way you want to think about it, then yes." Jolinar agreed rather stiffly.

Buffy relaxed and Xander followed suit. Though they approached each other cautiously. Buffy slapped his arm almost before he could react. "What the hell, Xander?"

"Umm... Sorry?" Xander shrugged and rubbed the newly sore spot the Slayer had hit him.

"What happened?" Buffy asked.

Jolinar was about to launch into his explanation again when Xander cut him off. "Halloween."

"I thought that was just memories?" Buffy complained.

"I thought so too, but a part of him remained and has almost re-grown." Xander explained.

Buffy sighed. "Okay. But you have to sit at the other end of the table. It's wiggy being this close to you."

"I don't feel a thing." Xander shrugged.

"Yeah, well I do." Jolinar disagreed.

"Oh yeah. Introductions." Xander nodded.

Again, Jolinar straightened Xander's posture, let his eyes flash briefly, then said in his Tok'ra voice, #"Greetings. I am Jolinar of Malkshur. I am pleased to meet you."#

Willow was a lot less freaked the second time. Giles showed no reaction. Buffy frowned and cocked her head. "What was that?"

Jolinar answered still using the Tok'ra voice. #"This is the voice the Goa'uld use to prove that they are gods. The Tok'ra use it to more easily differentiate between host and symbiote."#

"You don't need the voice. You said 'differentiate' and 'symbi- something or rather'. That's proof enough for me."

Jolinar smiled, but Xander replaced it with a wry frown. "Every one's a critic." Honestly, Xander was happy that everything had gone so smoothly. Thing could have gone a lot worse this morning.

The air in the room relaxed a bit as three of them fell to researching and Buffy went to go find Xander a 'Buffy sized' breakfast.

Classes were... a challenge. Jolinar stayed thankfully quiet most of the day. But Xander had been up for more than 24 hours now and was getting more and more tired as the day went on. Add in that he knew most of the subjects as well if not better than most of the teachers now and Xander got in trouble several times for not paying attention. After classes were over, the four Scoobies met in the library to discuss the results of the research.

"I really don't think this will work Giles. We argued most of the night and nothing happened." Xander argued.

"I understand. But neither of you were likely trying to take complete control. And what I've read of what happened to Nun, that was how this was broken. There may be other ways, yes. But we know that this way likely works, so let's try it first. If that doesn't work, then we can try... other methods." Giles explained. He left out what those other methods might be.

"Alright, fine. Jo, you just step back and I'll take control and then this will all be done." Xander told his partner.

"Me step back? I'm the one who knows how to take control. You step back and I will end this." Jolinar disagreed.

"No, you step back. This is MY body." Xander yelled.

#"And I am the symbiote. This is MY job."# Jolinar slipped into Tok'ra voice.

The other three in the library watched in silence as Xander's face grew red. Veins on his neck and clenched fists stood out. His teeth ground together audibly. Finally, he went limp and fell to the floor. Buffy was quick enough to catch his head before it hit, but she backed away again quickly.

"Xander!" Willow cried in panic.

"It's alright Willow. I had expected something like this." Giles explained.

"Care to let the rest of us know?" Willow yelled uncharacteristically at the librarian.

"Well I wasn't sure." Giles explained, "they've been up for a long time. They are likely quite exhausted."

A groan came from the prone Xander. "Unng."

"Xander?" Willow grabbed his hand.

Xander didn't open his eyes but did smile. "I won Wills."

"And Jolinar?" Giles prompted.

Jolinar dropped the smile and replied in his deep voice, #"I am still here. A bit disappointed in myself. And I must apologize for any aggressive actions I made today. Xander says that may be the influence of a hyena spirit."#

Xander opened his eyes. "I was going to say that..." He sighed and reached a hand up, "Help me up?" Giles helped him to his feet. "Okay, I am going to bed."

"Wait! What about Ford?" Willow cried.

"Ford?" Buffy was caught off guard. "What about Ford?" Buffy narrowed her gaze onto Willow.

Willow didn't meet Buffy's eyes. "No! Not Ford, Ford. I meant the Ford. Like in the car that Xander promised to show me today. After school. Not right away, because it's not here. It's elsewhere." Willow babbled.

"Xander?" Buffy narrowed her gaze on the poor boy.

Xander opened his mouth to answer, but Jolinar cut in, in Tok'ra voice. #"My apologies. You friend Angel was concerned that the boy was not being truthful. And with good reason it turned out. Ford is not enrolled in this school as he claimed. His father was not transferred here either."#

"What?" Buffy said disbelievingly. "Why would he lie about that? It doesn't make any sense."

"I'm sorry Buffy. I can show you the school records from here. Ford's not in them." Willow said as quietly as possible. As if being quieter would spare her friend's feelings. Then hurriedly, "It doesn't mean anything bad by itself. Maybe he just wanted to see you?"

Buffy scowled. "This is the Hellmouth. Everyone who believes that, please raise your hand." When no one made a move she continued, "Okay, let's check out this address tonight. Xander, are you... two up for scouting tonight?"

#"Forgive us, Miss Summers. But we are in need of rest tonight. Perhaps your friend Angel would be able to accompany you instead?"# Jolinar answered with his deep voice.

"Okay, could you turn the voice off now? And why didn't Xander answer?" Buffy demanded.

"There." Jolinar answered with Xander's normal voice, "And Xander was exhausted. He is already asleep."

"He's asleep but you're awake?" Buffy asked.

"Yes. It's not done much, the body and mind both need rest and a period of sleep is a convenient way to accomplish that for both of us in one shot. But it does come in handy sometimes." Jolinar explained.

"Yes, there are a number of species of aquatic mammals that sleep with only half their brains at a time." Giles added.

"So, Xander won't mind if we take Angel while he sleeps? Does that mean that Xander and Angel are getting along now?" Buffy wondered.

"They're pummeling each other half to death each night. But they are trading fewer verbal barbs. I wouldn't say they like each other, but perhaps a grudging respect. I have observed this reaction before, but never from within one of my hosts." Jolinar stated.

"Tok'ra don't fight? That must be nice." Willow said.

Jolinar shrugged. "We fight sometimes, but less than humans. Also, I've been female most of my life. The sum total of my time in male hosts would be fewer than four months."

"You're a girl?" Willow said excitedly.

"A Tok'ra takes the gender of the host. So, in Xander, I am male. However, I have lived several hundred years in female hosts. So, I can relate to women quite well." Jolinar explained. "Now, I must take my leave. Thank you all for your help, and good night."