Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer, It belongs to the most brilliant and sexy Joss Whedon. There are spoilers for the episode The Pack.
Sorry for the very late update, but it seems that computer problems are running rampant these days and I had to change my internet service, I hope you have not given up on me. Hope you like the chapter it took me a while to figure out how to do it. Read and enjoy now!
Bullies
Class field trips are fun, exciting and full of so many wonderful things to see and explore, when it is not in a smelly zoo, full of smelly animals and irritating bullies who like to trip girls with crutches. "Hey watch it ass wipes," Jessica advises the four brainless wonders who almost knocks her to the ground. Why did every school have to have mindless bullies that like to show their talent by making everyone else's life miserable? It was as if someone was out there inbreeding them or something.
"Shouldn't cripples be a part of the zoo, not on the outside looking in," they walk away not giving her a second glance.
Jessica politely awards them with the middle finger. "Ha ha, that's very funny coming from the four flying monkey's," she yells at their backs as they ignore her.
Stalking over to Buffy, the four start to torment her with insults. None of their bottomless chatter seems to faze her until they say something about her being kicked out of her old school. Buffy looks stricken as they walk pass her laughing like the witless wonders they are.
Jessica hobbles over to Buffy and gives the four stooge's one last scathing glare. "Don't mind those idiots Buffy; they don't have enough brain cells to give a serious thought to anyway."
"Oh hi Jessica, I didn't know you were out and about. How are you feeling?" Buffy asks as she glances at Jessica's leg.
Jessica smiles at her as she moves her leg around. "The leg is a little sore, but it's healing up nicely. I still have to deal with the stupid crutches though," she lifts up a crutch to emphasize her point. "The Doctor says I should be rid of the darn thing in a day or so.
Willow and Xander ran up to join them and the duo look quite happy about something. "We just saw the zebra's mating, thank you very much, very exciting," a very enthusiastic Xander grins from ear to ear.
"It was like the Heimlich, with stripes," Willow said just as ecstatic about the subject as Xander.
Buffy and Jessica smirk at one another thinking to themselves how can anyone possibly get so excited about mating zebra's."And I missed it, yet somehow I'll find the courage to live on," Buffy said as the four of them start to trek through the zoo.
Xander is at a complete loss about Buffy's less than jubilant quip to their findings. "I'm feeling that you're not in the field trip spirit here," He looks over at Buffy and Jessica in disappointment.
Jessica shrugs and Buffy tries to explain that her attitude toward field trips stem from having to do it over and over and over again at her old school and that's why she has the been there done that vibe going on.
"Amen to that," Jessica proclaims in response to Buffy's explanation.
"Buffy, Jessica, this isn't about just looking at a bunch of animals, this is about not being in class," Xander looks at them as if he has given them the Holy Grail of information and that they should have thought of this long ago.
Buffy's countenance brightens considerably at the notion and she gets a little pep in her step as they stroll and look around. "You know you're right, suddenly the animals look shiny and new."
Xander puts his arm around Jessica and Willow and he smiles, happy that he can offer enlightenment to those who may be lacking. "Gotta have perspective."
"Yeah, no homework for today," Jessica brightens thinking she has finally caught a break from the endless hell of homework, that is until she notices the chastising look Willow is giving her.
"Not for you young lady, you still have a few things you have to finish up, so much homework for you," Willow said, then immediately looks apologetic for putting a damper on the current festive attitudes. "I'm sorry; I did not mean to stop the party bus."
Buffy and Xander laugh at how Willow, no matter what the circumstance can still think of schoolwork, while Jessica just looks completely downtrodden at the thought of not being able to escape her endless torment. Then she looks across the way and sees a certain boy watching her, she turns to her group of friends and lets them know that she will catch up with them later and she trots off to greet her admire.
"Hi Jonathan how are you," Jessica smiles at the now nervous boy.
Jonathan takes in a breathe; he cannot believe a girl was talking to him let alone the one he has been noticing of late, he looks around and notice that his friend is laughing at him and he hits him in the head before he returns his full attention to Jessica. "H..h..hello Jessica, Nice to see you outside of the hospital."
"Yeah, thanks, it does seem that I spend most of my time getting hurt since I've moved to good old Sunnydale. She smiles as she realizes that her dad may have to get some extra insurance just for her and her magnetism for trouble and outright clumsiness.
"I want to thank you for the flowers you sent me, they were nice." Jessica says as she kisses him on the cheek.
Jonathan gets flustered and begins to blather about nothing in particular when Jessica notices the four bullies lug poor Lance off into a closed off part of the zoo and she gets nervous when Xander goes in after them.
Jonathan continues with his conversation until he realizes that she is no longer listening and her attention is now on her friends. He gains a bit courage and steps a little closer to her
"You know those three always seem to take care of their selves; you really don't have to worry about them," Jonathan whispers in her ear to regain her attention.
Jessica gets goose bumps from his breathe upon her ear and she has to take several steps back. It feels as though the heat jumps by ten degrees and she has to take in a quick breathe to cool down. She looks him in his beautiful brown eyes and does not have the strength to speak any longer. She continues to stare into his mesmerizing eyes.
"Jessica, oh Jessica," He shakes her shoulders when he gets no response from her. "Oh no, I think I broke her," he says to himself.
Jessica regains her composure before she can make a complete fool of herself. "Sorry Jonathan it just a little hot out here and I think I need to go and I see my friends heading for the bus, I should go with them and have a seat before I fall down, it was nice talking to you and I'll see you later."
Completely aghast about her babble fest she quickly turns tail and hobbles away embarrassed. "Great I've probably alienated the only boy that will ever notice me, nice going Cine," she takes one last look back and Jonathan smiles back at her. "Or maybe not," she smiles as she heads for the school bus.
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In school, the next day Xander sat rubbing his temples in frustration, Jessica felt like her head might explode, and Willow relishes in the pleasures of teaching the horrors of math.
"I'm not getting this," Xander yelled.
Willow continues to explain patiently. "It's simple really, see, the bisector of a vertex is the line that divides the angle at that vertex into two equal parts."
Jessica eyes cross as her mind flat lines and Willow explanation goes completely over her head. "Ha, what was that?"
"It's like a big blur, all these numbers and angles." Xander said while looking down at his math book.
"Yeah Willow you lost me at bisector, then my mind completely shut down," Jessica said as she looks on in confusion.
"It's the same stuff from last week, you both had it down then," Willow looked at the both of them not really understanding why they are having a hard time.
Xander gets angry at the whole situation and starts to yell at Willow. "Why do I need to learn this?"
Willow looks at him as if he should know the answer to that question. "Because otherwise you'll flunk math."
Xander sighs, frustration building up more and more within him. "Explain the part where that's bad."
"You remember, you fail math, you flunk out of school, you end up being the guy at the pizza place that sweeps the floor and says hey kids where's the cool parties this weekend. We've been through this." Willow said, looking sympathetic to his plight while Jessica grunts trying to hold back her laughter.
"Do you have a headache?" Willow asks as she touches Xander's head and he coldly brushes off her touch.
"Yeah, and I think I know what's causing it," he snatches the book from Willow lap and tosses it into a nearby garbage. "Ah, that's better; it goes right to the source of the pain."
"Wow, Xander, get a grip, just because we do not understand right away doesn't mean we have to have a complete melt down. Don't take it out on Willow, it's not her fault that we're mathematically challenged," Jessica said.
Willow put her hand on Xander knee to calm him down. "Xander…"
Xander brushes her hand away as his anger explodes. "Look forget it okay, I don't get it, I won't ever. I don't care," He gets up, throws the book back into Willow's lap, and stalks off stepping on Jessica foot in the process.
Jessica grimaces as the pain shoots up her leg. "Hey, watch where you're being a jerk."
Willow looks hurt at the abrupt rudeness of her best friend but immediately tries to hide it behind a smile as she sees Jessica watching her. "We can finish this another time."
"What's his problem, he's been acting bitchy every since the zoo trip," Jessica asks as she rolls her eyes at Xander's retreating form.
"I don't know, something must be on his mind or maybe this was too much too soon on the math thing," Willow said, hoping that was the problem. "We better get to gym class before were late."
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The gym teacher walks down the aisle of students as he notifies them of the cancellation of all the regular gym classes due to the rain and that they all have to play, wait for it, dodge ball.
Buffy, Willow and Jessica look on as Xander Joins what seems to be his new friends, the four flying monkeys. Watching in horror as they take out the weak with the ball, the first to go is poor Jessica. Xander aims for her bad leg and hits her hard; she goes down screaming. She limps back to the benches mumbling under her breathe and sending threatening glares at the pack.
One by one, Xander and his band of misfits take people out. Xander gets the ball and pummels Willow with it. She walks off the battleground sending him an angry stare as she takes a seat next to a seething Jessica.
Soon the only ones left are Buffy, who is on one side of the gym, and the pack along with Lance on the other side of the gym. Buffy looks nervous as the pack set their sights on her, but they suddenly turn on their teammate Lance and all at once start to pummel him with balls. Buffy runs over to see if Lance is okay as Xander and his gang walk out of the gym as if the whole thing is a bore.
After gym class, Willow confronts Xander about his behavior, she cannot believe the way her friend was treating everyone. Jessica stays on the sidelines just in case Willow needs her assistance.
"Xander, what's wrong with you?" Willow asks in her mousy voice.
Xander takes her aside to explain things to her in what seems like a gentle way. "I guess you've noticed that I've been different around you lately."
"Yes," Willow said as she waited for him to explain further.
"I think uhm, I think it's because my feelings for you have been changing." Buffy steps up to her locker and listens as Xander continue to account for his actions. "And well we've been friends for such a long time that I feel like I need to tell you something," he pauses for a moment to let her take in all that he has said, then he drops the bomb. "I've decided to drop geometry, so I won't be needing your math help anymore, which means I won't have to look at your pasty face again." Xander and his pack begin to laugh in Willows face and she walks off hurt.
"Willow wait, don't go." Jessica starts to go after her but cannot catch the fleeing girl. She stops and turns to Xander as Buffy approaches him.
"You gonna say something to me?" Buffy gets closer to Xander daring him to say or do anything.
Xander and his pack just continue to laugh at Willow's expense. Before anyone knew anything, Xander gets a right hook to the face and hits the ground; he glances up to see a very irate Jessica standing over him fuming.
"You unbelievable bastard, how can you say something like that to her knowing how she cares for you?" She was trying to get in and do more damage but Buffy was dragging her away from the scene of the crime before she can get into trouble.
"Wow their Jess, calm down." Buffy pulls Jessica outside to find Willow. "That's a hell of a right hook you have. Where did you learn to punch like that?"
"My dad taught me, and plus I take a few defense classes, not anything major but enough to get me by." Jessica was still visibly angry about the current situation. They see Willow sitting on the balcony near the stairs and head towards her.
"Can you believe him Buffy, to treat his best friend like this? Has he lost his mind and that laugh they sound like a bunch of wild hyena or something?" Jessica said as Buffy suddenly stops and ran back into the school at full speed.
Jessica sat down next to Willow wondering why Buffy ran off like that. "You know I'm starting to think that your friends have some serious issues that need some working out, and I'm including myself in that little scenario." she smiles at Willow. "How are you holding up, Wil."
I'll be fine, I guess I'm not used to Xander being so mean, not since that time he stole my Barbies." Willow smiles through her tears at the goofy look Jessica gave her for that comment.
"Xander stole your Barbie, please tell me this was not recently," Jessica said. "I don't think I'll ever look at him the same way. Breaking news, teenage boy stills Barbie."
"No, no, it was when we were little you big goof," Willow laughs at Jessica. "By the way, what did you say to Buffy to make her run off like that?"
Jessica thinks, and for the life of her, she cannot pick out any part of her conversation with Buffy that might have made her run. "I don't know, all I said is that Xander and his new found buddies laugh like a bunch of wild hyena's and she took off running. How weird is that?"
Willow sprang up from where she sat and darts back into the school, leaving Jessica at a complete loss to her friend's actions. "Was it something I said?"
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Jessica sighs as she gets up to go to her next class. Her free period was almost up and she did not want to be late sitting here thinking how strange her friends are. She walks past the pack minus Xander as Principle Flutie comes toward them fuming.
"You four," he looks at them in complete contempt.
The four of them return his glare with equal disdain. "What?" the second in command asks.
"Oh don't think I don't know; three kids saw you outside Herbert's room. You're busted, yeah, you're going down," the principal declares to the delinquents as they smile creepily at him.
"How is Herbert?" asks one of the girls of the group as she licks her lips.
"Crunchy," says the other girl in response, and they all start that dam hyena cackling.
Principle Flutie's anger escalates because of their total disregard for authority and he orders them to his office to hand out detentions.
Jessica stands watching and realizes that that might not go very well. What have they done to that poor little pig Herbert to get the usually calm principal so infuriated? Jessica starts to get that eerie feeling again, the feeling that she cannot leave her principle alone with the fab four. She can't go in their alone though, two against four is not what you would call good odds. She looks around when she notices members of the football team and she gets an idea.
"Hey Larry, can I talk to you for a moment," she smiles as he rolls his eyes at her.
"What do you want Cine, I'm pretty busy at the moment," Larry crossed his arms and gave her a you are bothering me stare.
Jessica smirks, jocks are always busy standing around and doing nothing but flexing their muscles. Larry on the other hand is something else entirely. "I need a really big favor of you. It's the principles birthday and I wanted to give him a present because he's been so nice to me since I moved here,"
"That's really quite peachy little girl, but what has that to do with me?" He asks sarcastically.
"Well as you know the principal is quite the football fan. He has been raving about how good the Sunnydale razorbacks are and how you in particular are one of the best players he has seen in a long time. Well I wonder if you and some of your team will come and sing happy birthday to him as I give him his present, I think it will make his day," Jessica crosses her fingers behind her back and gives Larry a radiant smile hoping that the ploy to stroke his ego will work.
Larry puffs his chest out and grins. "Did he really say I was one of the best players? That is awesome. I've been working hard on my plays this year and we're going to be number one if it's the last thing I do," He turns to his teammates and they all bump their chest together and scream. "RAZORBACKS NUMBER ONE, YEAH!"
"All right Cine, lead the way, it will be our pleasure to give back to one of our fans and principal," Larry said.
Jessica led some of the football team into the school to go and wish the principal a happy birthday or so they thought. Jessica stops at the door of his office to hear the principle screaming, she rushes in with the team to see the physical attack of their principal by the four bullies.
Jessica and her backup quickly move into action, Larry tackles two of the boys off Flutie and into the wall knocking the wind from them. Jessica picks up a chair and swings it down hard into the back of one of the girls and she crumbles to the floor. The other girl tackles Jessica to the ground and starts to bite her in her bad leg and she screams. Jess tries to knock the girl off her but she is too strong. It takes three jocks to pry the feral girl off Jessica and by the time they did the others regain their strength and decide to jump from the window and scurry away like wild dogs.
Jessica and principal Flutie stand up at the same time and they look at each other in bewilderment. Silence the only thing you can hear for several seconds.
Finally finding his voice the principal decides to break the silence. "Not that I'm not glad to see you, but how did you know they would attack me?"
"We didn't, Jessica said it was your birthday and we came to wish you a happy birthday," said one of the jocks.
Confusion sets in on Flutie's face. "Well I'm glad for the thought but my birthday is not for another couple of months."
The occupants all turn to look questioningly towards Jessica; she squirms under their scrutiny and sheepishly glances down at her feet.
"Oops, my bad, I thought it was today," She smiles hoping that they will buy the lie.
Larry steps up before things can get any more awkward. "Well mistake or no, we were in the right place at the right time. Now we need to get you two to the hospital to make sure you are all right and call the police about this incident."
Jessica panics. "Not the hospital again, I just got out of that place don't send me back."
Principal Flutie laughs at her outburst as he sits on his desk. "Well I on the other hand will not mind going to get check up, and maybe some rabies shots, seeing as my students just tried to eat me," He turns red as he realizes what he said. "I did not mean that the way it came out."
Laughing Jessica walks over to grab his hand and drag him to the nurse's office. "Come on Mr. Flutie lets go get our rabies shots," she heads out refusing to give any thought to hospitals hoping that the school nurse is good enough to take care of their needs.
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Willow sits in the library watching Hyena eat their prey when Buffy drags an unconscious Xander in after he tries to attack her. They lock him in the library cage and Willow asks her how to get Xander back.
Buffy is anxious about other things. "Right now I'm a little more worried about what the rest of the pack are doing."
"The rest of the pack was spotted outside Herbert the mascot's cage. They were sent to the principal's office," Giles said as he somberly walks into the library.
''Good that will show them," Willow looks quite satisfied with the outcome while Giles did not. "Did it show them?" Giles sighs afraid to answer her question
"They didn't hurt him did they?" Buffy asks.
"They uh, tried to eat him." Giles answers as Willow takes a seat.
"They tried to eat principal Flutie?" Buffy asks looking quite disgusted with the thought of it all.
"Somehow Jessica and a portion of the football team fought them off. Jessica and principle Flutie are the only one to suffer minor injuries," Giles said, looking worn out from the day's events.
Buffy raises her eyebrow as she has a strange thought. "Is it just me, or is that girl always in the wrong place at the right time? That seems more than a coincidence to me."
"Well I'm just glad Xander did not have anything to do with the attack on the principal, he was with you Buffy. Willow said as she looks over at Xander in his cage.
Giles glances at Xander, thankful. "Oh, well that's a small mercy."
The trio spends the rest of the day trying to find out how to fix things when Buffy realizes that the man at the zoo might have something to do with what went wrong. Buffy and Giles go to the zoo to find out what the zookeeper knows while Willow stays to keep watch over her Xander.
As Buffy and Giles are out the pack comes to break Xander out of his cage and Willow has to make a break for it. They chase her through the school and Buffy and Giles has to come to her rescue. The trio lock themselves in a room and the pack run off to find new prey. Willow and Giles head to the zoo while Buffy goes off to look for the wild bunch.
Buffy finds the pack attacking a family and she intercedes and leads them on a wild chase back to the zoo. As she enters the hyena cage, she cannot see Giles anywhere and the zookeeper has Willow at knifepoint.
The pack knock Buffy to the ground as Willow screams that it was a trap; they start to feed on Buffy when the zookeeper yells at them in a strange language. The pack looks at him and the hyena spirit passes from them to the zookeeper. With a feral scream, he drops the knife and tries to eat Willow.
Xander yells her name, gets up and tackles the man away from Willow. A fight ensues and the possessed man punches Xander away from him, at that moment, Buffy steps in and starts pounding on the man. He is so out of control that Buffy easily flips him over her and into the hyena pit. The hyena proceeds to eat him alive as Buffy, Willow, and Xander all try not to watch.
Giles steps out of where the zookeeper put him. He looks at the already resolved chaos "Did I miss anything?"
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The next morning Buffy and Willow are giving Xander the low down on his odd behavior and his strange eating habits of the previous day. He becomes physically sick at the mention of him devouring poor little Herbert raw. Buffy and Willow are all under the impression that he does not remember his actions and all is forgiven.
Buffy and Willow leave Xander to go to their next class and he turns to see Giles smirk knowingly at him.
"I've been reading up on my uh, animal possession and I can't find anything anywhere about memory lose afterwards," Giles said as he looks at Xander.
"Did you tell them that," Xander said as he points back in the direction of Willow and Buffy.
Giles leans over to whisper in his ear. "Your secret dies with me."
Xander sighs with relief, but still disturbed about his actions. "Shoot me, stuff me, mount me," He walks away with his head down only to run right into Jessica and he thinks to himself that this day cannot possibly get any worse.
"Hi Jessica, how's it going?" he steps back as he notices her make a fist.
"Xander, I suggest you be on your way before I hurt you," she says as she tries to walk past him.
Xander blocks her path as he tries to salvage what might be left of their friendship. "Look Jess, I just wanted to apologize to you for the way I behaved and to thank you for sticking up for Willow like you did. You're a really good friend to her and I hope that you can forgive me for being such an asshole," He gives her his sad puppy dog eyes as he apologizes.
She looks him over trying not to fall for the pathetic face he is giving her and fails miserably. "I don't know what was going on with you for the last couple of days Xander but you were a total ass wipe and your choice of friends, not cool. But I guess if Willow can forgive you for your horrible behavior so can I," she rolls her eyes as he smiles wildly at her. "Don't give me that smile, you're on thin ice mister, one false move and you're going down."
They start to walk and Xander puts his arm over her shoulder and they head for their next class together. Giles stands back watching them leave, contemplating what Buffy said about Jessica always being in the wrong place at the right time.
"I shall keep a close eye on that one for the time being." He said to himself as he heads for his second home, the school library.
The End, hope you like, this is my longest chapter to date. I started this and it became a monster. Please Review.