Worth the Fight (BTVS fanfic, Book Three)

chapter 4 - Beauty and the Beasts

Tired, on the night before the full moon, I was sitting at the table in the library, reading a story to Oz the werewolf, because I needed something to keep me up. "'One night after supper, the lead dog turned up a snowshoe rabbit. The dog lay down low to the race, his body flashing forward, leap by leap. He was sounding the deeps of his nature and the parts of his nature that were deeper than he, going back into the wombs of time. The rabbit could not'--" Oz the werewolf lept against the cage door, making it rattle. I jumped, a little more awake than before, looking up. "Okay, uh, maybe we should try a less stimulating passage." 

 I flipped through the pages of the book.

Oz growled at me, settling back down in the cage.

Xander walked into the library, carrying a thermos and a couple of magazines, also looking very tired. "Private Harris reporting for Oz watch."  

 I looked up. "Xander. Oh, good." 

I yawned. 

Xander yawned, walking up to me at the table, taking the book out of my hands. "Oh. 'Call of the Wild'. Aren't we reading the Cliff Notes to this for English?" 

 "Yeah," I answered, taking the book back. "Anyway, it'll help you stay awake. That's the only reason I read it. Because, you know..." 

"Overworking yourself over the summer and making you wanna fall asleep on the three nights that you don't wanna fall asleep?" Xander suggested, pointing toward Oz.

I nodded. "Yeah. The book's good and very wolfy." I looked at Oz. "Seems to soothe the savage beast." I stood, taking Xander's arm, leading him away from the cage toward the counter, speaking quietly. "Except for the parts about..." I whispered. "Rabbits." 

 Oz heard that, jumping against the cage, banging it loudly.

We jumped, looking toward him.

Xander took the book from me. "Rabbis?" 

I took the book back again. "It... seems to make him a little overexcited." I put the book on the counter. "Okay. Now, he's had his 2:00 feeding, and, uh, after sunrise, if he forgets where his clothes are, they're on top of the file cabinet in his cage." I gestured to the cage. "I put those towels up for privacy." 

"Uh, no worries," Xander told me. "I can handle the Oz Full Monty." He smirked. "I mean, not 'handle' handle, like 'hands to flesh' handle."

I nodded tiredly. "Mm, okay. Well, it's not for you. It's for me, 'cause I'm still getting used to half a Monty."

"Oh," Xander said. "Good." He realized what I said. "Half? You and Oz? Which half?" 

 I smiled. "Wouldn't you like to know. Anyway, he's more manageable tonight and on the third night. Tomorrow night, the total full moon, that's when he's a real..." I didn't finish, reaching across the counter the dart rifle, shaking my head. "But in case there's trouble, which there won't be, but if..." 

I held up the dart rifle for him to see. 

Xander took it from me with his right hand, still holding his things with his left. He slipped his index finger into the trigger guard. "Sleepy time. Gotcha." 

Xander held the stock of the weapon against his shoulder. 

"Thanks again for doing this," I told him. "I wouldn't have asked, but..." 

"Go home, Zoey," Xander told me. "Get some sleep. You look half dead already. Buffy is back, and she has Faith as her faithful side-kick. You can relax again and slip back into the good old Zo days."