Out of Control

Chapter 5: Settling





Oz looked over at Xander and smiled slightly. The younger man was working on the newest addition to their house. It had taken very little tio buo build the house to Xander's specification. The fact that they used Were strength and magic had a great deal to do with it.


It had only been a couple of months since Travers' visit, but Xander seemed to be finally calming down from the whole thing. The young man had had definite ideas about removing several pieces of Travers' anatomy. Oz was hard pressed not to agree with him, but in the end cooler heads had prevailed and Xander hadn't castrated Travers with magic.


Another thing that they had all noticed was that Xander's strength had finally settled back to that of a normal human male. Giles felt it was because only females could harness the strength of a Slayer. Xander didn't care. He'd said that he was just glad to be back to his normal strength. Giles had informed him that the magic would stay, though. It turned out th at Xander had a natural aptitude for magic and necromancy, but living on the hellmouth had subdued it. Giles also figured that that was what had made him a demon magnet.


Another strange developement was the fact that Nathaniel and Xander spent so much time in each other's company. Xander was doing for Nathaniel what Anita had never been able to do; he was making him stronger. Oz felt it was because they both had a shattering childhood.


Oz knew very well that Xander's parents, his father specifically, had made Xander's childhood a nightmare. There was more than one time that Xander smelled of sex and the only other human scent on him had been his father's.


After the 'fluke' with Willow, Oz had used the information to hurt Xander, but had quickly felt severe regret when the spell came out. Xander had forgiven him his pettiness, only asking that he never told anyone. Oz had kept that promise, though often wished he hadn't.


Now though, Xander was finally settling into his new life. It was fun to watch Xander interact with the various Were's and vamps that their lives led them to. He had even been made into an executioner, but he preferred to help clean up cases then stake vamps. Xander also continued to help them slay the contaminated vampires that were coming through St. Louis regularly.

Watching Xander work on the chair made Oz smile. Xander was such a good craftsman that he only took a few zombie raising cases a week and spent most of his time creating and selling the furniture that he made. The last piece he had sold was to Richard. It had been a hand-sculpted penguin, which he'd bought as a gift for Anita. Oz had heard that Anita had been very appreciative. Jean-Claude had ordered her some of Xander's hand-crafted stakes. The elder vamp knew that Anita had been fighting the contaminates alongside Xander and Oz. Micah had already given her an ornate cross carved from a piece of cedar. He had even had it blessed. Needless to say, Anita was very pleased with her lovers.


"Hey, Xan, you want to go to the Lunatic Cafe for dinner tonight?" Nathaniel asked as he walked into the workshop. Xander looked up at the other man and grinned, eyeseyes lighting up with pleasure.


"Sure, it sounds like a plan, just let me finish this carving," Xander answered cheerfully.


Nathaniel nodded and walked back into the living room to tell everyone where they were having dinner. Oz grinned; Xander preferred the company of Were's and they liked having him around. Oz finished the last coat on his new guitar, a gift from Xander, and started putting away his tools and paints.


All in all, things were beginning to settle into place. Oz just hoped they continued to settle and that Travers stayed away.