Dr. Harris, I presume

or Mr. Hyde hits Hellmouth

Author: Joshua <extraconfused[at]hotmail.com>

PG-13

Reply to 'Xander dresses up as someone different for Halloween' challenge.

Dr. Henry Jeckll/Mr. Hyde was created by Robert Louis Stevenson. Wilamina Murphy was created by Brahm Stoker. The League of Extroadinary Gentlemen was co-created by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill. Later adapted into the sensational movie by 20th Century Fox.


Chapter 1

Xander Harris was looking back on the night's events. And silently prays a thank you to God for the lack of casualties. Xander is wearing nothing but garbs from the late 19th Century, only shredded.

"What do you want, Angel?" Xander asked rudely. He turns around to see the ensouled vampire. *Is that an oxymoran?*

"The others have left already. And since you're the only one left, I figure something has to be on your mind." Angel surmised.

Xander looks directly in the walking paradox's eyes. "Go on. Please continue." He replied patiently.

Angel nodded. "All right. Maybe it would help if you talked about what happened." The 250 year old being suggested.

Xander sat down at the library desk. "Why not? It all started this morning."

Flashback, 10:00 a.m.

Xander, Buffy and Willow were all going about their buisness. Only to interrupted by Larry. He made a rude comment about the two ladies. This enraged Xander. The 'normal' one stood his ground. Untill Buffy intervened.

"What was that about?" Xander questioned his secret crush. "How could you butt in like that, Buffy? Now everybody is going to think I need a couple of girls to protect me."

Buffy was annoyed herself. "What? You want me to stand back and allow him to pulverize you?" She queried back.

Xander breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally! You understand the tradition of male bashing male!" The moment of tranquility didn't last.

"I thought that I'd find you troublemakers here." Snyder said with venom. He hands out lists. "You have just been volunteered for Trick or Treat duty. For the evening, you three will be escourting children all around town."

"And if we don't?" Xander asked without fear.

A nasty smile grew on his balding face. "Then you have detention for next three months."

The Scooby Gang relented.

After school, they travelled around Sunnydale. Looking for the perfect costumes. Finally, they found a costume shop. Ethan's. Buffy was looking for the perfect costume to impress Angel. Willow showed up. "Hey, Wills. Found your costume, yet?" She asked her friend.

"Yep. Same one as every year." Willow held up a ghost costume. Just then, an middle-aged man approached them.

"Ah. I see you have already made your choice. Excellent. And what of you, young lady?" He turned his attention to Buffy. By now Buffy found what she was looking for. A 1700's dress. She smiled. And pointed at it. "That one."

The man turned around. He made a 'tsking' sound. "Somehow, I don't believe that costume suits you. You seem like a lady who has her own mind. Who is very liberated. Am I not correct?" He assumed correctly.

Buffy was shocked. "Yes. Yes I am, sir." She confirmed his suspicions.

He smiled in return. "If you will follow me, I have the perfect costume for you." They travelled to the back. Only to find a beautiful dress. One made of leather with a flowing black cloak attatched to the back. Buffy fell for it immediatly. "Oh. It's so wonderful. But I can't possibly afford it." Buffy realized her money intake was not what it once was.

He merely waved it off. "Nonsense. Just tell all your friends where you got your costume from." Something else came to mind. "Speaking of which. This wig goes with it." He produced a stunning auburn wig.

Buffy was overwelmed. "Thank you, Mr.?" "Raynes. Ethan Raynes." He replied.

Later on, Xander showed up. Carefully not to show his recent beatings. From his own father. No one noticed it. Except Ethan. *Poor, boy. I have just the thing for him.* "Young man. Come here." He commanded.

Xander did as instructed. Ethan brought him into the same area that Buffy and Willow were in. "Lift your shirt, young man. Now." Xander was too exhausted to argue. He did as told. When the shirt was gone, Xander's back was covered with bruises. "Who did this to you?"

Xander whispered it. "My father." This shocked Ethan. *What kind of monster would abuse his own son?* He shook his head. *Perhaps, just once, I can do something right.* He walked over and retrieved a suit from the 1890's. "This once belonged to a prominent doctor. Legend has it he developed a serum to unleash his inner beast. The doctor was Henry Jeckyll and the beast was Edward Hyde. Perhaps, just by wearing this tonight, you will find the courage to stand up to him." Along the way out, Ethan gave Xander fake facial chops and a wig. Both red. Along with also came a vintage pocket watch. And a box filled with vials. "Don't worry. It's only water."

Xander walked out with a renewed hope.

After school let out, Xander was instructing his 'groupies'. "Okay. This is what you need to know. Tears will earn you double chocolate. You can try the old 'You missed me' routine. It's more of a risk, but if you pull it off it's worth it." The children all giggled.

"Wow! You really know how to train the next generation of 'choco-holics', Xander." Buffy teased. He turned to see her in the costume from before.

"Wow yourself, Buffy! You look great!" Xander gushed.

Buffy blushed. "And you look handsome." She returned.

The group then left for a night they wouldn't forget. How right they would be. Soon night falled. And Ethan walked into a closed off area. He sat down infront of a staue of Janus.

He uttered the mystic words.

Then all chaos erupted. Willow started to choke. And became a ghost. The same thing happened all over town. Including two people. Buffy and Xander. Buffy Summers was no longer there. Nor was Xander Harris. Instead, they were Wilamina Murphy and Dr. Henry Jeckyll.

They both arised and tried to asses the situation. "Mina? What happened?" He asked in a Brittish accent. "I'm not sure, Henry. The last thing I remember is boarding the Natilus after Alan's funeral." She replied in an equal accent.

The two stepped into light. And gasped. They looked nothing like what they knew was their faces. Then a teenaged girl approached them. "Oh! Thank God I found you. We have to find shelter! Follow me!" She led them to the Summers' residence.

"Ok. This is going to sound weird, but who are you two?" She questioned them. 'Buffy' and 'Xander' looked at one another. "This is Miss Wilamina Murphy and I am Dr. Henry Jeckyll. We are members of The League of Extroadinary Gentlemen. And what year is this, pray tell?" He asked back.

"It's 1994. Halloween night to be specific. And I think I know what happened." Willow was cut off. "We seemed to be transfixed into adolescent bodies." Dr. Jeckyll surmised. Willow was amazed. Just then, Cordelia burst through. Willow ran up to her. "Okay. Listen, you are not a cat. You're a person Cordelia."

She nodded. "That's nice Willow. And you went mental, WHEN?!" The redhead was stunned once again. "How come you didn't turn into your costume?"

"I didn't want to go to some stinky place. I went to Party Town instead." She explained tactlessly. Angel soon showed up. Henry knew the instant he walked through. "You heartless coward! You killed my parents!" He was ready to attack only to be stopped by Mina.

"Henry, love. Let it go. We know that Angelus has his soul. He is attoning for his past." Mina reminded her new lover. Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Don't mind her. She's got this thing where she thinks your a vampire."

Angel suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Yeah, imagine that."

Willow has had enough of this. "Everyone, stay here. I'm going to Giles. He'll know what to do." She ran off and through a wall.

"Who died and made Willow leader?" Cordelia asked. Without noticing her disappering trick.

Chapter 2

Meanwhile, Spike was outside surveying the destruction. A small tear escaped his left eye. "Bloody marvelous." The bleached vampire whispered. The last time he saw this much carnage was when he visited Woodstock. A group of hobgoblins showed up. "Well fellow monsters, follow me. And I will show you how its done!"

Willow finally showed up in the library. "Giles!" She shouted out loud. "Where are you!?"

Giles came out of his office. "Willow? What's going on?" Willow went on to give the condensed version. "We all became our costumes. Buffy's some woman named Wilamina Murphy and Xander is Dr. Henry Jeckyll. All except Cordelia. She got her's from Party Town." She informed the Watcher.

"I see and you are a rock star?" He asked curiously. Willow shook her head. "No. I'm a ghost." For good measure, she walked through the desk. Giles rubbed the bridge of his nose. "And where did you aquire the costumes?"

Willow was tring to remember. Tonight had been rather stressfull. "Um. Oh, yeah! Ethan's! That was the name! Ethan's!" Willow felt proud of herself.

*Bloody hell. I should have known.* He thought bitterly. "You go back to the others, Willow. Tell them to stay put. Understand?" Willow nodded and headed back to the others. Giles walked over to his office and retrieved his switchblade. *Looks like Ripper will be let out once more.*

Willow ran through the carnage and stopped where she saw Spike. Leading about 50 possesed children to her destination. Fortunatly, Willow knows a shortcut. She beat them in about half the time.

Elsewhere, Giles made it to his own destination. He barged into the store. Only to see Ethan extending his hand. "Why hello Ripper. Long time, no see." His reply was a fist straight to the face. Ethan landed on his arse. A small smile crept on his features. "They don't know who you are. Who you really are. Don't they?" He questioned. "And speaking of secrets. Did you know that boy of yours is abused. By his own father!" Some blood shot out of his mouth.

Out of all the time he knew him, Ethan Raynes has never lied to Rupert Giles. There is no reason for him to start now. "How could you know this?" Giles interrigated him. "Have you lost your blooming mind Ripper? I lived through that for over 15 bloody years! I know the signs!" Ethan calmed down. "I saw the bruises. If you give a rat's arse about him, you will get him out of that household."

*He does have a point. Xander is, indeed, like a son to me. But I can't deal with that now.* Giles knelt down and picked Ethan up. "Tell me how to stop the spell." He seathed through his teeth.

The other man motioned to the cornered room. "In there. Break the Janus statue." Giles kneed him in the groin. "If I catch you in Sunnydale again, I will kill you." He dropped him to the floor and left.

Things weren't going so well on 'youngsters' front. Willow finally made it there. "Okay. Here's the situation. Giles sent me back to help out. I think he went to stop the spell." Just then the front door burst in. Along with Spike and his minions. Willow was shocked. "No. No way. How could it be possible?"

Spike laughed. "I myself am often suprised by life's little wonders." Dr. Jeckyll came up with another theory. "Perhaps it's because Buffy isn't here. Her body is. But her spirit isn't." Henry stared at the blonde for a bit longer. Then it hits him. "William the Bloody!!" In his reflection, we see Edward Hyde. COME, HENRY. LET'S FINISH WHAT WE STARTED ALL THOSE YEARS AGO A smile formed on the good doctor's lips. "Let's." He yanked his tie off and swallowed a vial. The transformation took place.

Mina was next to Angel and Cordelia. She, too, was smiling. "That's my boyfriend." She said proudly. After the sequence was finished, Hyde stood over 9 feet tall. And Mina vamped out for battle.

Hyde backhanded Spike with the force of a small bomb. The front wall was taken out in the process. Out of nowhere, Drucilla jumped Edward. "You have been a naughty boy, Eddie." She whispered. A hand grabbed her off and tossed her on her back. "Remember me, witch? You took my husband and son. Now I take your unlife." The vampiress' started an all out catfight.

Spike ran back inside and stumbled upon the vials. He opened it and took one. He ran back out and opened it. YOU REALLY DON'T WANT TO DO THAT Edward warned the vampire.

"Oh, I think I really do?" Spike took the vial and swalled it. Instead of undergoing his own transformation, something else occured. "What is happening to me?" He chocked out.

Hyde laughed. ALL THE VIALS ARE DILUTED, YOU FOOL … DILUTED WITH HOLY WATER The laughter echoed across Sunnydale. Spike crumbled to dust.

Mina was having a little more trouble. Edward chased down the two combatants. "Edward, we're too late." Henry echoed in their mind. The realization hit Edward. THE FORMULA IS BURNING UP FASTER THAN ANTICIPATED The formation was soon complete.

Without warning, an arrow penetrated Drucilla's cold, black heart. She, too, turned to dust. They both turned to see Cordelia holding a crossbow. "Denail is a very sorry state to live in."

Flashback over

"I was there Xander, I saw it all. Remember?" Angel reminded him. *What is he getting at?*

"Buffy says she loves me. But is it from Mina and Henry or is it from us?" Xander lamented.

Angel finally realizes what the problem is. "You're afraid if her love is from Mina that it won't last. But what if it's from Buffy? And Mina merely brought them out?" Angel reasoned.

"Yeah. But that isn't the half of it. How are we to cope with our new abilities?" Xander motioned to the box of vials. Buffy was soaring above hunting for vampires. Xander took another vial and headed to teach his 'father' a lesson.

Cordelia walked up to Angel. "So. Doing anything tonight?" She asked shyly.

Angel grinned at her. "Well, I could tell you stories. There was this one guy named Holtz."

The End