A/N On the television show Grimm, Nick, the main character, is affected by the tetrodotoxin of a Wesen pufferfish. This particular Wesen can create controllable zombies with their tetrodotoxin. The Wesen exposed Nick twice in an effort to control him. Except while it allowed his adversaries to capture him, it failed to control him. It made him even stronger, while under its effects and what his friends described as an 'enraged animal'. He was still able to understand and use a gun, though. The aftereffects on Nick were a heartbeat that didn't increase no matter how much he exerted himself. This information is to give you some show relevant specifics of both Buffy and Xander's experiences and the aftereffects for both of them.

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"Xander's going to be fine." Diana relayed to Joyce, who was still in Los Angeles with a recovering Buffy. "His heart rate accelerated well beyond a safe beat and his blood pressure went through the roof, while his temperature rose to brain cooking levels. The Doctor, she's Wesen, an Indole Gentile, her other side is an elf apparently, she's also going to try to help the Wesen that creature, I won't dignify him with the term person, deliberately hooked on that crap. Xander's system burned and flushed it out by accelerating his heartbeat, temperature and blood pressure. The aftereffects seem to have affected at least his heart. The Doctor says his heartbeat is staying steady within a narrow range. She even had him run on a treadmill and it didn't increase. His mind seemed to shut down during the incident and he says he just remembers being really angry at that creature for what he did to Tika and by extension, Jesse and wanting to hurt him."

"Will he have any problems long-term?" Joyce asked.

"She doesn't think so, but Rory says he wasn't just stronger, mostly because of the rage he was feeling, but faster as well. It's possible he'll see some increase in strength and speed as well, but so far there don't seem to be any negative side affects."

"That's good to know and Jesse? Will he recover?"

"Yes, he shouldn't have any long term affects either, it was too brief and too small an exposure to have any lasting effects. But it will take him a little while to fully recover even from the small amount he was exposed to. Tika's recovery is going to be the worst of the three. The Doctor is characterizing her as mildly addicted. That creature intended to make her like those others, the ones they found in that drug house, full on addicts. Detoxing itself might kill them, but medical intervention will help blunt the effects. Long term, there's the risk of relapse. And that's just Wesen addicted to that Jay crap, that doesn't address the people he addicted to Magic. He addicted them to a twisted version of Zauberbiest Magic, Amy called it dirty. She's trying to locate any Hexenbiests or Zauberbiests who might be able to help them, in the meantime, they're reaching out to the Magic community in Sunnydale to see if any of them might be able to help in any way. It won't be over for a long time. How's Buffy doing?"

"She has control of her woge back, they've identified the drug they think was used to affect her mind. It's a modified tetrodotoxin that pufferfish have, the Council thinks that means there's a Cracher-Mortel (pronounced cray -shay mortel) involved in this mess. They say modified because she was still able to think and remember how to use her training, but she didn't know who she was and Cracher Mortel, when they use their tetrodotoxin at full strength, make mindless controllable people. Sort of like a zombie, I guess. But it's modified from the full strength version so obviously they were experimenting with it."

"Sounds like the rep was right that these Scourge were hoping to make foot soldiers. Controllable foot soldiers, hopefully the full investigation shuts them down entirely. How long do they think Buffy's full recovery will take?"

"Physically, she should be fine once they've got all of the drugs out of her system. The rest will take time, she was kidnapped, drugged, controlled and the people she defeated were killed by the organizers, which is something she has to live with. Their deaths weren't her fault, but she has to live with the fact that she was forced to do something that contributed to them. A lot of therapy in her future."

"At least you got there before she gave into the hunger and ate someone. The possessed kids they knew in school have learned to live with the fact that they ate their friend while they were possessed, but it sure as Hell hasn't been easy and Tika is wondering if the fact that she used to kill to survive means she's being punished and that her punishment is affecting others. A fear that has her mother wanting to dig that ass up and kill him herself."

"I know exactly how she feels." Joyce said grimly as only a couple of days ago she'd killed to protect Buffy. She was well aware that Diana had threatened anyone from the Watchers Council who might have been a threat to Faith. Normal human, Wesen or Grimm, it didn't matter, no one threatened or hurt their children and got away with it. No one.