It may seem like I'm bashing Angel, but I can very easily see him trying to ruin things for Xander out of jealousy for his clearly superior emotional edge with Buffy - even though she doesn't know who she is yet. The so-called 'ensouled vampire' always made me angry with his 'me first and the hell with anyone else' attitude, most especially when he refused to help out unless coerced into doing do. He was a coward, first and foremost, and refused to take any risks with regard to his own skin unless he thought it could possibly help him improve his image in Buffy's eyes.

Xavier seems to be trying to do his best to set things up for Buffy's recovery, but I also don't trust him to not take maximum advantage of Buffy's situation if he thinks it could help him in the slightest way.

Ross may be considered honorable, but he's still basically an arrogant bully and a complete asshole, who tries to force people to do what he thinks is best, while typically not having a full understanding of the situation he's trying to control.

I like the complexity you've established here,and am looking forward to seeing how things get resolved.

Thanks for sharing this with us, man.

interesting update. I am really curious as to why the personalities will not mesh..

They currently are too use being individuals plus adult Buffy needs to be recovered first.

Very good update. Its a little dark and a little worrysome the way Buffy is so disconnected. However the flow and actions of the characters seem to be holding true to form. I have enjoyed it a lot and hope yo update as time allows.
Fire

Good story looking forward to your next chapter.

Glad to see this story added to had to go back and reread the rest of it but still a great story hope inspiration stay's with you

Very very happy to see another chapter. Thank you. Intrigued by Dawn's relation to Faith

Cool story. I like it!

Thanks for another great update. Only "complaint" is they're too short!

I'm also keen on the point made in the "eckles" review re: Hair-Gel guy. Because the Hyperion is still being used, I'm assuming this has been all pre-Angel offered to run Wolfram and Hart to this point, right? Although that could really put a spin on the dynamics if that offer comes about while all this is going on.

I'm also wondering if the Watcher's Council may become one of the "foreign interests" that will figure out (or be told) of the changes to Buffy.

Buffy's recuperation and integration now seems more like the rehabilitation of a survivor of severe physical brain trauma/stroke/etc, and her family learning how to relate to the basically all new person that emerges. Perhaps Joyce and the others could get some help from existing support groups instead of just relying on Xavier's limited knowledge in this area? It's not necessarily just Buffy that will need the help and education.

Great chapter. Keep up the good work.

It seems as though Xavier and Giles have ticked all the right boxes in giving Buffy a chance to return to a semi-balance of 'normal' after everything she had been subjected too. I am very interested in learning the identity of the male in the group who was wishing Xander ill, with respects to him going AWOL from the Hulk Brigade. Off the top of my head I can only think of one person who would have that level of investment. From Holmes to Poirot, they always say that you must look to who benefits the most. And in this instance I can only think of one. A certain Vampire with a soul who wears far too much hair gel. Presently Xander is the Sun that Buffy gravitates around thanks to the conditioning of Stryker's brainwashing. I do not think it would be easy for Angel to handle discovering that of all the people in Buffy's life, from himself all the way to Giles, that Stryker was able to distinguish Xander as Buffy's greatest motivation. I am certain Angel is believing that the sooner Xander is back at base, and possibly with all future leave revoked due to punishment for his desertion, that he could maybe reclaim some ground. That also opens a very interesting question, what will happen to Buffy if Xander and the others of Srtyker's Team return back to the Army? She will be left with just the Scooby's and the X-Men. Without her 'support network' present, is it possible she could decompensate? Take steps back with her progress if she believes Xander has abandoned her?

Would love to hear from you.

Wayne

Go Professor X being all mysterious and revealing. Too bad Riley and Walsh are dead. Hope they are roasting someplace warm.

Mundane haiku:

Some exposition
And some more exposition
Needed but I snooze


Just kidding. Good chapter!

While it looks like everyone's pretty much agreed that they'll do what's necessary to make things right for Buffy, I have the feeling that things are going to get pretty rocky a little further down the road, once Buffy gets closer to normal.

Both Maggie's and Stryker's backers are almost certainly going to want to salvage what they can from the programs they poured so much money into, and sooner or later, they're going to learn that Buffy is the very successful culmination of a collaboration between the two and want to utilize her. At that point, things are going to go brown and nasty very quickly.

In any event, it's always nice to see more of this. ;-)

That's a possibility provided the Supernatural doesn't crop up first.

Great chapter. Keep up the good work.

It seems as though all groups (the X-Men, the Scoob's, and Stryker's defunct Unit) are co-ordinating their objectives quite well with one another. That is not to say, however, that somewhere shortly down the track they will not all find themselves all being on different sides of the fence. At the present moment their interests are all united - Getting Buffy well and as normal as she can get after everything that was done to her by Stryker and Walsh. Unfortunately I can already see a significant and tantalising thread just waiting to be pulled or yanked. Stryker has intensly utilised Buffy's perceptions and memories of Xander to help 'contol' Xi. I remember Xavier once stating that mind manipulation (his power, or other extreme brainwashing) may be able to alter a person's memories or their understanding of things. But that it cannot remove, alter or change the emotional connection that person has. For Example, Wolverine aka Logan, had no memory of Sabretooth aka Creed when they 'first met'. But there was always a psychotic rage and hatred connected to him, one that Logan could never account for or understand. He just knew it was real and genuine and there was just cause for what he felt. Stryker may have been able to alter Buffy's memories and understanding of things via hypnosis, brainwashing, or psychotropic medications. But the core emotional attachments she would feel would remain genuine and unaffected. True, Stryker, could and obviously did make Xander a significant influence in the Slayer's memories. But he would not have been able to make Buffy romantically infatuated with him unless those feeling were already there and were being self-supressed.

As Buffy gets more and more intouch with her true self, what will happen to these emotions? And more to the point how will that screw with the dynamics that already exist for everyone? Faith and Xander have been plodding along happily in bf/gf mode, each dealing with what they feel for the other in a genuine and honest way. Then suddenly Buffy is 'resurrected' and in this return to the land of the living the group discovers that she has been manipulated and guided by some very deep and genuine emotions for the Zeppo. After everything Buffy had gone through, would Xander and Faith put their relationship on 'hold' for the benifit of not hurting and emotionally torturing the senior Slayer until she has adjusted 100% to everything that has happened since she 'died'? Will Faith try and be all noble and walk away from Xander telling him to sort out what he feels for her half-sister, giving him and Buff a clear run?

Would love to hear from you.

WW