Title:Breaking Point(1/?)

Author:SPRITTLEX

E-mail:SPRITTLEX@aol.com

Rating:light R

Disclaimer: I continue to not own these people. I suppose I could save up and get my own, but it's so much easier to borrow Joss'.

Distribution:"If you write it, they will post it." That's what the voice said. Please don't contradict the voice.

Feedback: The voice also mentioned that you really ought to send feedback. Just passing that along.

Author's note: This is yet another lone story I decided to right for fun. This is a combination of my version of the Zeppo and my attempt at "sailing a different ship". It follows the series up through Gingerbread then I take over. Enjoy!

Spoilers: C/X, O/X friendship, F/X friendship

Summary: Xander has been pushed all of his life. Now he pushes back.





THE DARK HALF

Deep down we all have a dark side. The part that means it when we say 'I'm going to kill you'. For some it's a beast, straining at its chains, desperate to be free. For others its a dark, icy hole in there subconscious. A place where they no longer care about rules and consequences.
Some people spend their whole lives trying to stifle it. Others spend their lives trying to find it. But for a very special few, once they reach it, it completes them. Makes them who, and what, they were meant to be.
We all have that point where we reach that place. Xander Harris is about to reach his. This is his story.

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DON'T MAKE HIM ANGRY. YOU WOULDN'T LIKE HIM WHEN HE'S ANGRY

Xander and Oz had just sat down for lunch. Willow and Buffy were in the Library talking to Giles. Today's lunch was mystery meat and corn muffins. Xander had been telling Oz about how stressed he had been feeling lately.
"All of you guys are going to college. Me I'm going to end up working for a mini mart or something. Cordelia still hates me, and my life, except for you forgiving me, generally sucks," Xander said, picking at his mystery meat.
Oz was very worried about his friend. He had seemed on edge lately. Like he was constantly walking a tightrope between sanity and, well, let's just say, the other. Oz didn't get a chance to address any of this, though, before a corn muffin hit Xander in the side of the head.

As they both heard the laughter coming from Dirk Chester and the other jock's table, Oz prepared for damage control. Little did he know right then that it was dirk he should have worried about.
He saw something change then in Xander's eyes. It was as if he was watching the temperature of Xander's soul drop. Xander then stood up in a single smooth motion and went to Dirk's table. Oz wasn't far behind.
"I hate to be a bother, Dirk, but you seemed to have misplaced your muffin. I thought I might be able to help," Xander's hand shot out, grabbing the back of Dirk's neck, and shoved his face into his mystery meat.
"Is it in there, Dirk? Have you found it yet? I'd hate to think you might be losing out on the Carbs, old buddy," Xander said as he continued to smear Dirk's face across his plate.

Several of Dirk's friends, and Oz, tried to free Dirk, but Xander's grip was too strong. Principal Snyder choose this moment to enter the cafeteria. He stormed over to the struggle and planted himself in front of Xander.
"What in God's name do you think you're doing, Harris!?!?"Snyder shouted at Xander.
Xander looked up into Snyder's eyes then. Those eyes, and the smile that followed, would haunt Snyder's dreams for the rest of his life. Snyder had seen the dead eyes of a killer before, the kind that seemed to be missing something. Harris' weren't like that, it would have been easier if they were. His seemed to have something extra, a secret knowledge, that told him that the laws of man no longer applied.
"Principal Snyder, Glad to see you. Dirk here has lost his muffin and I'm trying to help him look for it. Would you like to join the search?" Xander said in a sacchrine voice that didn't quite cover the ice hiding underneath.
"I don't think I will. Why don't we just get him a new muffin, though?" Snyder asked around a rather large lump that had formed in his throat.
"Though that makes sense on the surface, don't you think it's not really cost effective, Principal Snyder? I mean, he might loose that one, too," Xander said, the wicked grin never leaving his face.
"I think we can afford it Harris. If we can't I'll pay out of my own pocket," Snyder said, terrified of this great unknown staring him in the eyes.
Xander let go of Dirk, who was now unconscious. He looked at the boy and then at Snyder. His smile grew as he said, "Looks like he's not hungry anymore, chief."
Xander turned and walked back to his seat. A stunned Oz followed him back. When they reached their seats Xander seemed more or less normal.
"I am feeling much better now. That was very cleansing," Xander said with a long sigh as he sat down.
"Are you okay? That was a little intense, don't you think?" Oz asked, worried about his friend.
Just then Buffy and Willow came up to the table. They had come in not long after Snyder and hadn't noticed that it was Xander at the middle of the crowd until it broke up.
"What was that? Xander, everybody's saying you kicked Dirk Chester's ass," a mystified Buffy asked as she and Willow sat down.
"Technically I broke his nose. You really can't believe everything you hear, Buff. I think I'm going to go get a soda. Anybody else want one, on me?" Xander said, a content smile on his face as he got up from his seat.
"I'm cool. You?" Oz said looking to the girls. Both of them shook their heads.
"See you in a minute then," Xander said as he headed too the soda machine. The crowd parted like the Red Sea to make room for him
"So what's going on?" Willow asked Oz, after giving him a quick hello kiss.
"Yeah what's up with Xander's Mr. Hyde routine?" Asked Buffy, afraid she was about to loose another friend to the Hellmouth.
"Can't say. I'd recommend some Giles askage," Oz said, arching his left eyebrow to show his confusion on the subject.

NEXT:The Devil within, The Devil without