********************

"Xander's taken to teasing the less fortunate?"Giles asked.

"Uh-huh."

"And, there's been a noticeable change in both clothing and demeanor?"He continued.

"Yes."

"And, well, otherwise all his spare time is spent lounging about with imbeciles."Giles finished.

"It's bad, isn't it?"Buffy started.

"It's devastating. He's turned into a sixteen-year-old boy. Course, you'll have to kill him."Giles said sarcastically.

"Giles, I'm serious."

"So am I. Except for the part about killing him. Testosterone is a great equalizer. It turns all men into morons. He will, however, get over it."Giles reassured.

"I cannot believe that you, of all people, are trying to Scully me. There is something supernatural at work here."Buffy said, moving to grab some books, "Get your books! Look stuff up!"

"Look under what?"Giles asked.

Buffy shrugged, sheepishly, "I don't know. That's your department."

"The evidence that you've presented me with is sketchy at best."Giles reminded her.

"He scared the pig."Buffy said, "Well, he did..."

"Buffy, boys can be cruel. They tease, they, they, they prey on the weak. I-i-it's natural teen behavior pattern."Giles said.

Buffy started, "What did you just say?"

"Um, they tease."Giles started.

"They prey on the weak. I've heard that somewhere bef..."She stopped, "Xander has been acting totally wiggy ever since we went to the zoo. Him and Kyle and all those guys, they went into the hyena cage. Oh, God, that laugh..."

"You're saying that, uh, Xander's becoming a hyena."Giles started.

"I don't know. Or been possessed by one? Not just Xander, all of them. I... I think Angel, too."Buffy said, shivering.

Giles pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, "Well, I-I-I've cer-certainly never heard of, uh..."

"Herbert! They found him."Willow said, entering the library.

"The pig?"

"Dead. And also eaten. Principal Flutie's freaking out."Willow sniffed.

"Testosterone, huh?"Buffy said, looking at Giles just before he headed towards his office.

"What're you gonna do?"Willow asked.

Giles sighed, "Get my books. Look stuff up."

********************

Angel sighed as he folded his arms across his chest.

He stood outside Mr. Flutie's office. He could hear the other munching on Mr. Flutie after he had screamed to death.

He rolled his shoulders. His pack had absouletely no class. They hadn't in Africa, so he shouldn't have expected much. It was always up to him to get them out of trouble and always him to do things right.

*Stupid. Like cubs... they should have been eaten when they were young...* Angel thought, watching as the door opened, he crossed his arms over his chest, and gazed down at them, "Enjoyed your meal?"

********************

"Wow! Apparently Noah rejected the hyenas from the Ark because he thought they were an evil impure mixture of dogs and cats."Buffy said, after skimming the book in her lap.

"Hyenas aren't well liked."Will commented.

"They do seem to be the schmoes of the animal kingdom."Giles said, moving over to Willow.

"Why couldn't Xander be possessed by a puppy or, or some ducks?"Willow asked, frowning.

Buffy sighed, "That's assuming 'possession' is the right word."

"Oh, I'll say it is. The Masai of the Serengeti have spoken of animal possession for, for generations. I... I should have remembered that."Buffy`s Watcher said, sounding ashamed.

"So how does it work?"Buffy asked.

"Well, apparently there's a, a sect of animal worshipers known as Primals. They believe that humanity, uh, consciousness, uh, the soul, is a, is a perversion, a dilution of spirit. Uh, to them the animal state is holy. They are able, through trans-possession, to, to, um, draw the spirit of certain animals into themselves."Giles explained.

"And then they started acting like hyenas."Buffy guessed.

"Well, only the most predatory of animals are, are of interest to the Primals, so, uh, yes, yes, that would fit, yes."Giles nodded.

"So, what happens to the person once the spirit's in them?"Buffy wondered.

"If it goes unchecked..."He handed Buffy a book opened to a certain page. She took one look, slammed the book shut and quickly stood up to go, "I gotta find Xander."

********************

Buffy entered the faculty room. Seeing no one around, she moved towards Herbert's cage. It was really mangled. "They are strong."Buffy stepped backward, and it made a soft crunching sound. Frowning, she crouched down to the floor and found parts of Herbert. Some vertebrae and other bones.

She picked up a rib, and groaned in disgust.

Buffy stood back up and turned around, only to be startled by Angel.

"Angel."She said, then started to move away, but he kept a step ahead, blocking her way to the exit.

The Slayer exhaled loudly, "This is ridiculous. We need to talk."She faked him out and jumped on him, knocking him down with her on top holding down his arms. She eyed him as he chuckled, the shrill insane laughter sounding so foreign to her. So much colder than his warm chuckles that warmed her heart.

"Been waitin' for you to jump my bones, my Slayer."He growled before rolling them over so that he was the dominate one, pinning her small arms down.

"Get off of me."Buffy said.

"Are you sure that's what you really want?"Angel grinned down at her as she began to struggle. Wiggling under him, "We both know what you really want. You want danger. You like your men dangerous. And baby, I'm as dangerous as they come..."

"You're in trouble, Angel. You're infected with some hyena thing, it's like a demonic possession!"Buffy cried, still struggling. She wondered how strong he got so fast. Normally, she would have been able to get him off of her. It had been so easy during their sparring
sessions.

Angel chuckled, tilting his head to the side as he gazed down at her form, "Do you know how long... I've waited... until you'd stop pretending that we aren't attracted to one another... for you to stop pretending that you..."He leaned down inhaled her scent again, before he licked the side of her neck, "don't feel a thing for me...."

Buffy threw him off of her and quickly got up to face him. He chuckled as he got up, and began to approach her as she backed away, "And I think... just between you and me... that if you had to choose... you would prefer me over that boy, Xander..."He laughed, almost insanely, "It's amusing, really..."

"Look, Angel,"Buffy started, shivering at the look he was sending her, "I don't wanna hurt you..."

Before she could finish, he rushed forward and grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her against the vending machine.

"Now do you wanna hurt me? Really?"Angel asked.

Buffy struggled, but he was just too strong in this form.

Angel chuckled, "Come on, Slayer. I like it when you're scared."He watched as she struggled a bit more, trying to pull her arms free. "The more I scare you,"He leaned down and breathed in her scent, "the better you smell..."He laughed, before his lips sealed over her neck roughly, making her squirm at the foregin feel.

"Angel..."Buffy started, almost sounding desperate for him to get away from her. She didn't want to hurt him... he was her friend... the only person in the world who also knew how she felt with having the responsibility to take care of the world. That wasn't dead.

She wiggled, but that only made him pull her closer. She stopped struggling for a moment, and just when Angel's hands began to go slack, she pushed him far away from her, and ran toward one of the faculty tables. Just as he was about to attack her again, she slammed it over his back, and gasped as he crumbled to the floor.

She tensed again when she felt a presence behind her, and quickly whirled around, slamming the remaing bits of the table over Xander's head, he also crumbled to the floor.

Panting, Buffy tossed the bits aside and sighed as she moved to grab the two possessed males.

********************

"Hurry up. We gotta get 'em locked up somehow before they comes to."Buffy said, struggling with both Angel and Xander as she dragged them across the floor.

"Oh, my God, Xander!"Willow cried, "What happened?"

"I hit him."

"With what?"Willow asked.

"A table."Buffy answered.

Willow opened the cage door, so Buffy could drag them both in, "Angel tried his hand at felony sexual assault. Xander came around after, but I got him before he could do anything."

"Oh, Buffy, the hyena in him didn't..."Will started.

"No."She said, arranging him on the floor of the cage, "No, but it's safe to say that in his animal state his idea of wooing doesn't involve a Yanni CD and a bottle of Chianti. There, that oughtta hold him. Where's Giles?"

"He got called to some teacher's meeting. What are we gonna do? I mean... how do we get Xander back?"Willow asked, helplessly.

"Right now I'm a little more worried about what the rest of the pack are up to."Buffy said as Giles came into the library.

Giles sighed, "The rest of the pack were spotted outside Herbert the mascot's cage. They were sent to the principal's office."

"Good! That'll show 'em."Willow frowned at Giles silence, "Did it show 'em?"

Giles exhaled but remained silent, searching for what to say.

Buffy shifted in her spot, "They didn't hurt him, did they?"

"They, uh... ate him."Giles said.

Willow sat down.

"They ate Principal Flutie?"Buffy started.

The red head gazed at the Watcher, "Ate him up?"

"The, uh, official theory is that wild dogs got into his office somehow. There was no one at the scene."Giles said.

"But Xander didn't."Willow looked at Buffy, "He, he was with you."

Giles turned toward the cage, "Oh! Uh, well, that's a small mercy."

"Giles, how do we stop this? How do you trans-possess someone?"Buffy demanded.

"I-I'm afraid I still don't have all the pieces. Um, the accounts of the Primals and their methods are a bit thin on the ground. There is some talk of a-a-a predatory act, but the exact ritual is, is, um... The Malleus Maleficarum deals in particulars of demonic possession, which... may apply... Yes, one, one should be able to transfer the spirits to another human."Giles explained, holding the book in his hands.

"Oh, that's great. Any volunteers?"She said snidely.

"Oh. Good point."Her Watcher stated.

"What we need to do is put the hyena back in the hyena."Buffy stated.

Giles protested, "B-but until we know more, uh..."

"Betcha that zookeeper could tell us. Maybe he didn't quarantine those hyenas because they were sick."Buffy said.

"We should talk to him."Giles agreed.

"Okay."She started to leave, then stopped, "Oh, wait, somebody's gotta watch the hyena brothers."

Willow stood, "I will."

Buffy turned to her friend, "Will, are you sure? If they wake up at the same time..."

"I'll be alright. Go."Willow said.

After a moment's hesitation, Buffy handed over the keys to the cage and grabbed her coat.

********************

"Willow...."

Willow turned around, "How are you feeling?"

"Like somebody hit me with a table. What am I doin' here?"

Willow fidgeted, "You're... resting?"

"You guys got me locked up now."He said, sounding upset.

"'Cause you're sick. Buffy said..."

"Oh, yeah. Buffy and her all-purpose solution: punch 'em out 'n' knock 'em down. I'd love to see what she'd do to somebody who was *really* sick."Xander snapped.

"That's not fair. Buffy saved both of our lives."Willow started.

Xander growled, "Before she came here our lives didn't need that much saving, did they? Weren't things a lot simpler when it was just you and me?"

Willow frowned, moving closer to him, "Maybe..."

"When we were alone together... Willow, I know there's something wrong with me. I think it's gettin' worse. But I can't just stand around waitin' for Buffy to decide it's time to punch me out again. Look, I want you to help me. I want you."Xander continued.

"I am helping you."Willow protested.

Xander sighed, "You're doing what you're told."

Willow shook her head, "Buffy's trying to help you, too. You know that. Or Xander does."

He started, "Yeah... Buffy's so selfless. Always thinking of us. Well, if I'm so dangerous, how come she left you alone with me?"

"I told her to."She said, simply.

"Why?"

"'Cause I know you better than she does... and I wanted to be here to see if... you were still you."Willow explained.

"You know I am."He said, "Look at me. Looook."

Willow moved closer, "Xander..."

Suddenly, he made a grab for her through the slot in the cage, but she backed off in time.

Frowning sadly, Willow stared at him, "Now I know."

Xander growled, banging on the cage, "LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT!"

"No."Willow said, moving back to the hyena video.

He glanced down, then chuckled, "You were supposed to watch both of us, right?"

Willow turned back to him, "What are you talking about?"

He chuckled, pointing to the small window in the caged room... the window that could be locked from the outside... but... easily opened from the insdie... easy for someone to climb out and then lock it...

Xander lightly punched at the window, but it wouldn't budge. It had been locked... from the outside...

"Angel!"Willow shouted.

********************

Before Giles could react, Buffy had ran away. Her feet pounding on the floor as quickly as she could move. She passed bye many, many cars and decided to take the short cut through a small bit of forest.

She ran, her heart pounding until she heard a growl. She kept running until she was knocked to the ground with a grunt. She tried to get back up, when she felt a sharp kick to her side. Buffy grunted loudly, before turning on her side to see Angel staring down at her.

His eyes almost gold...

She didn't have time to worry about him, she quickly flipped back up onto her feet, and attacked with a series of punches and kicks. She dodged a punch he sent to her, and grabbed his arm. She forced him forward in a quick motion, before kneeing the small of his back and sending him to the ground.

She watched for a moment, then punched his skull when he began to move again. When he was laying still, almost dead, even, she crept forward and kneeled down beside him. She checked to see if he was breathing and sighed when she felt the hairs on the back of her hand get tickled.

Sighing, she glanced around, and spotted the road. Reaching down, she grabbed Angel's arm, but was suddenly pushed back by him. He attacked her, wild and untamed.

He threw her away from him, then moved forward as she began to pull herself together. He growled loudly, tightening his hand into a fist, and he was about to bring it down when he felt a sharp pain in his back. He shouted, before falling onto her body.

Buffy frowned, rolling his body off of her. She stared at the tiny little arrow in that stood out of Angel's back, then glanced up.

Giles stood, holding a tranq gun in his hands. He slung it over his shoulder, and grabbed his nephew's legs, "Hurry! We have to get to Willow!"

********************

Willow shivered inside the Hyena House. She felt completely scared after running for her life from Xander and his wannabe playmates. She had nearly died if it hadn`t been for Buffy.

Now Buffy was out there risking her life, while Giles and her set up inside, keeping Angel`s body close to Giles.

Willow turned to the librarian, "They're almost here! Giles! Giles!"She spotted the zookeeper, "Where are the hyenas for the trans-possession?"

"They're right here in the feeding area."He gestured to it.

Willow hurried to see the hyenas, but he stopped her.

"Stay back! They haven't been fed."He commanded.

"Where's Giles?"She demanded.

"He's... laying in wait."He replied.

Willow started. "They're almost here. Shouldn't you bring the hyenas out?"

"When the time is right. I'm gonna need your help. He began to bind her wrists.

"They're right behind me!"Willow could hear the shrill shout.

"That's Buffy! Get ready!"Willow shouted.

The zookeeper took Willow and positioned her in front of him, "Here."

"What is this?"Willow questioned.

"A predatory act, remember?"He held a knife to her throat.

Willow shivered, "Uh, right. You'll pretend to slash my throat and, and put the evil in the hyenas?"

"Something like that."

Willow froze, and watched as Buffy came rushing in, "Buffy, it's a trap!"

Xander grabbed Buffy from behind and they fell to the floor. The others came rushed in and dropped ontop of her.

"YU BA YA SA NA!"The Zookeeper chanted.

The pack gazed up at him and their eyes all flash green. A mirror of green flashed around Angel's closed lids. Then the Zookeeper's eyes flashed green. He turned to Willow and growled, dropping the knife. He grabbed her head and moved in to bite her.

"Willow!"Xander shouted, getting up and charging the Zookeeper. He managed to knock him away, as the pack began to move away from Buffy.

Buffy stood up and ran toward the Zookeeper while Kyle and his gang began to crawl away on their butts. The Zookeeper charged Buffy but she knocked him back down. He charged her again and she tossed him over onto his back. He stood up and tried again, but Buffy went under him and throwed him up and into the hyena pit. He tried to climb out but was dragged back down by the hyenas.

Kyle and company get up and scramble away. Buffy runs to the pit to see if she can save the Zookeeper, but she's too late. She looks away as Xander comes over to untie Willow. Giles comes out of the back room.

Giles glanced at the room, "Uh, did I miss anything?"

********************

"I heard the vice-principal's taking over till they can find a replacement."Willow said as she, Buffy, Angel, and Xander walked across the quad.

"It shouldn't be too hard to find a new principal. Unless they ask what happened to the last one."Buffy commented.

"Okay, but we had nothing to do with that, right?"Xander asked, glancing at Angel as they started to climb the stairs.

"Oh, right."Buffy chuckled.

"You only ate the pig, Xander."

Xander stopped, "I ate a pig? Was it cooked and called bacon or..."

The girls shook their heads.

Xander covered his face, "Oh, my God! I ate a pig? I mean, the whole trichinosis issue aside, yuck!"

"Well, it wasn't really you."Buffy reminded him.

"Well, I remember I was goin' on the field trip, and then goin' down to the Hyena House, and next thing some guy's holding Willow and he's got a knife."Xander said.

Angel chuckled, "That's better than waking up with a bunch of sore limbs."

Buffy glanced at Angel, putting a hand on his arm, "Sorry about that."

"Its not your fault."Angel said, giving her hand a little squeeze.

"You saved my life."Willow told Xander.

"Hey! Nobody messes with my Willow."He gave her a hug, to which pleased Willow a lot.

"This is definitely the superior Xander. Accept no substitutes." Buffy grinned.

"I didn't do anything else, did I, around you guys or anything embarrassing?"Xander asked.

The girls smiled, and Buffy considered what to tell him, "Nah!"

"Not at all."Willow smiled.

"C'mon. We're gonna be late."Buffy took her hand.

"See you at lunch."Willow waved.

"Cool! Oh, hey, goin' vegetarian! Huh?"He gave them two thumbs-up. Before moving with Angel to the library.

"I've been reading up on my, uh, animal possession, and I cannot find anything anywhere about memory loss afterwards."Giles said, glancing at the two.

"Did you tell them that?"Xander asked.

"Your secret dies with me."Giles said, glancing at both his nephew and student.

"Shoot me, stuff me, mount me." Xander asked.

Giles patted him on the shoulder as he shook his head and started walking along the balcony. He leaned on the railing and watched Xander go.

********************

Buffy was busy moving around in the library later that night. She was prepping to go on a regular patrol, when she spotted Angel coming down from the stairs.

He glanced at her, before moving up to her at the table.

"Buffy..."He started, his voice sounding normal and warm.

"Yeah?"Buffy turned.

"I wanted to um..."Angel shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans, "I... well, I wanted to tel you that I um... that I'm sorry for what my... ah, hyena alter ego did... I know I said I didn't remember, but I do... and I wanted to apologize for what I--"

Buffy smiled, placing a finger on his lips, "Ssh... it wasn't you... okay?"

"Okay,"He said, sounding relieved.

"Now,"Buffy turned to him, "Wanna go on a patrol with me?"

"Sure."

Buffy smiled as she picked up her coat and put it on. She glanced at him as they started to leave the library, "There's only one rule..."

"What's that?"He asked.

"Leave the hormone crazed primal animal part of you at home."

"You're never gonna let me hear the end of this, are you?"Angel asked.

"Nope."Buffy said, smiling sweetly.

"I thought so."

The End

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