Chateau Grief 10

Xander: You consider this to be an improvement in his condition?

Grant: A condition that you caused.

Thought(Swordfish): ...don't think...don't say anything...keep the telepath out...or I'll end up like this poor bastard...poor soul...don't make the telepath angry...

Narration(Xander): What does Grant expect me to do? Check him for concussion...as if I didn't know. ...where is that flashlight?... The answer has not changed.

Narration(Xander): I've never been a healer. It's not my style.

Grant: Move slowly!

Thought(Grant): Mr. Tactful in the flesh...

Grant: Honestly! Didn't you ever have a pet as a child? You're frightening him!

Grant: Keep your hands down! Despite what you did to his eyes, he can still see.

Thought(Grant): By some suspicious miracle

Thought(Grant): Go on and kill me for knocking some sense into your pointy head, see if I care. Touchy slob.

Thought(Swordfish):Don't think. ...Don't think...

Narration(Xander):Grant has no idea what I'm doing. This is just a pawn in the game. A much later chess move

Narration(Xander):It will provide the right psychological pressure at the critical moment. For when she looks in these eyes, how can she help but think of mine.

Grant: He may even be able to talk again...

Thought(Grant): or at least use sign language

Grant:...in a few weeks...

Thought(Grant):or never

Grant:His intelligence is improving every day.

Thought(Grant):on a scale of 'Coral reef' to 'Poodle'

Xander You've got his passport. Who was he?

Grant: A nobody.

Thought(Grant): Someone's son, husband, father, but who's counting!

Grant: No one will miss him.

Thought(Grant): Like you would care, I know.

Xander: I thought he was younger than this. Too young for stubble, certainly. I'd hoped for a teenager. Someone who was malleable.

Grant: Be glad he isn't! Kids have parents and police to protect them.

Narration(Xander): She's watching my every move now, although she doesn't know it yet. My task it so bait the trap...without my own will getting in the way and overriding hers...my slightest wish will force her surrender. But this is one fight that I intend to win the hard way. Grant doesn't know what he wants. Lecturing me about Shane is an exercise in foolishness.

Xander: Get this creature out of my sight.

Author Notes:

You don't know it yet but he's doing a really really mean thing here. So mean.

Episode Recap:

Yup well Shane is not in a good state. Xander’s shaved his head and there’s a line of suture behind one ear. He’s being hauled around by a portly gentleman with the most excellent ginger hairdo imaginable, Swordfish, I love you u rock. Shane’s got some serious abs too, so Swordfish extra kudos for being able to judo throw this guy around. Xander rifles through his desk, looking for a flashlight to shine in Shane’s eyes to check for concussion, all a show, naturally. Grant stops him as he lunges forward to do his act. Xander’s getting the full running snide commentary of everyone’s minds while this all is going on. And he’s not happy that Grant, who is at least six inches taller than him, grabbed him by the collar and jerked him off his feet. He responds by levitating Shane, standing him up straight and forcing his eyes open. Shane, at least, is a couple inches shorter than Xander. But look at that face ey? Xander has messed up Shane’s eyes so that they’re highly reminiscent of Xander’s own. Now do you see the resemblance? Wonder if Kore will? Starting to figure out the evil plan? Grant tries to argue for Shane’s rights, but Xander is having none of it, and he’s actually starting to lose his temper. Which brings out some super nice muscles in his neck if I do say so myself.