𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑘𝑠 𝐺𝑜 𝑂𝑢𝑡 𝐴𝑡 𝑁𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 || 𝑩𝑻𝑽𝑺 𝑭𝒂𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

Broken

3rd Person's POV

Buffy, Willow and Giles watch a shocked Xander read The Sunnydale Clarion. He looks at the Newspaper Headline: "HYENA KILL ZOOKEEPER' SENT BACK TO AFRICA."

Willow frowns, "First we thought you'd gone 'Sosh' on us--"

Xander shakes his head, "C'mon, I could never be that snotty..."

Buffy shrugs, "At the end, you were minutes away
from going full-time Hyena."

"Hey believe me, I don't remember anything. Nothing-- From when I tried to save Lance in the Hyena Pit, to when I woke up there and tried to save Willo--"

Willow leans into him, "So you do remember saving my life?"

Xander leans into her, sincere, "No one messes with my Willow."

Willow beams. This is all she needed to hear.

Buffy frowns, "You better not remember, because
you talked some trash to me that--"

Xander holds his hands up in surrender, "Hey, I wish I could say that I went to this beautiful place-- and you were there, and you were there, and you were there-- But I can't."

He shrugs with a nonchalant look, "All those slides are missing."

Buffy and Willow look at each other. Willow nods okay.

"Alright... well... We're just glad you're back-- on two feet again."

Buffy and Willow leave. Xander smiles until they're safely out the door. Then he turns to see Giles hold up the Malleus Maleficarum with a knowing expression.

"I think they bought that-- Hyena Boy."

Suddenly, Xander's smile fades, realizing Giles knows.

"Shoot me, stuff me, mount me--"

Xander grabs his head and rolls off the chair.

"I am so HUMILIATED!"

Giles looks at the young boy in despair, "It will get better. Soon you may actually forget for good. Maybe you should talk to someone who went through it too..."

Xander quickly holds up his head and gives Giles a look of horror, "I can't do that. We went through a lot together. A little too much then we both wanted and agreed to."

Giles frowns, "Where is she?"

Xander looks at him with sad eyes, "Home. She won't even leave her room. Willow said she could hear her crying all night long. Buffy and Willow tried to get her to open the door this morning but they got zilch."

"Well she was with the kids when Bobby and Principal Flutie were murdered... we don't even know if she did-"

Giles takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes.

"We don't know what happened... she knows. She was there. We need to give her time."

Xander stands staring at the closed door not hearing any sound on the other side. He lifts up his hand and knocks on the door.

Silence.

He frowns then knocks again.

Still nothing.

"Lane... please open up."

Xander hears Laney sob on the other side of the door and lays his head on the door. Laney who cries on the other side of the door also lays her head against it.

"Please go away."

Xander sighs and holds his hand up against the door. As if feeling he had. she holds her hand up where his is.

"Lane... I get it. I know what you went through... please just let me in."

Silence.

Xander frowns and starts to turn away but immediately stops when he hears a click. The door opens to a teary eyes messy haired Laney. She doesn't say anything. She just turns around and walks to her bed. She sits down under the covers and stares straight at the wall.

Xander frowns as he walks into the room while closing the door, "Laney this isn't healthy... maybe you should get some sunlight... and talk to someone."

She doesn't say anything. She just stares past Xander.

"Why don't you talk to me?"

"You may know what I went through. But you will never understand what happened. I'm a murderer Xander."

Xander winces as she says his normal nickname that everyone calls him. He watches a tear fall down her face.

"Well tell me... help me understand..."

Laney shakes her head, "No... you'll hate me, Willow will hate me... everyone will."

Xander shakes his head, "No they won't..."

"Yes they will! Just go away..."

"Laney-"

"Leave me alone!"

Xander sighs and turns to leave out her room. He glances back once more to see her looking at him sadly. He shuts the door and listens to her heartbreaking sobs.

She had been broken.