The Legend of Amun Rah

Can be read as a standalone, but is the third part of trilogy,
‘Labours of Love’ series

Story 1 – You Only Un-live Twice
Story 2 - Gift Of The Gods
Story 3 – The Legend Of Amun Rah


Chapter 1



“Oh…oh god, babe – I’m…aaaaahhhhh” Buffy bit her lip to stop crying out too loud, as her orgasm subsided. Spike collapsed on her for a second or two, then he kissed her.

“Love you”

“Love you t-“

“DA! DADADADA!”

“Oh goodness…guess who’s awake!” Buffy said grinning.

“At least his timing is getting better!” Spike carefully moved off her and Buffy slipped on her robe and went into the nursery to fetch their baby son.

“Da! Da! Billy had kicked all the covers off himself and was chewing the ear of his favourite teddy.

“I’m not your da, you little tinker…how about ma-ma for a change, hmm? Come on, leave Mr Ted here, an let’s go see your precious da”

“Dadadadada!”

Billy got all excited and leaned out of his mum’s arms towards his dad. Spike took him and put him in bed next to him

“Hello son…you calling me, huh?”

“Dadadada!”

Spike grinned, lay on his back and lifted Billy to lie on his chest

“Isn’t he the best, huh?” Spike stroked his son’s cheek and Buffy smiled

“I’ll go make his breakfast and us some tea – you play nice, okay – oh, and don’t let him have Mr Gordo…he’s only papier maché, and the amount Billy’s drooling, he’ll reduce him to mush in seconds!”

“Your mum’s fussing again son! Say da again…go on…dada”

“Dadadadada!” Billy sing-songed, Spike giggled and cuddled his son up, kissed his forehead.

“Clever boy eh – who’s my clever boy”

The phone rang, and Spike leaned over and snagged up the receiver.

“Spike – sorry to phone early, but could you and Buffy come to the shop when you can”

“Sure, Giles, is there a problem – Billy, no, yuck, don’t chew that son” Spike tried to take the coil of phone line out of Billy’s mouth.

“Oh no, not really, it’s just that there’s something I think you’d both like to see”

“Okay, well Buffy’s got to feed Billy first, he’s trying to eat the phone at the moment - but give us an hour, will that be okay?”

“Fine – see you”

Buffy came up the stairs carrying two mugs of tea, and a bottle of milk for Billy.

“That was Giles, he wants us at the shop – ow! Billy – that was my finger! Here, pass me that bottle before he starts on me, here you go son, chew on that!” Billy took the bottle and immediately began to feed.

“Look at the way he holds that bottle – its way beyond cute…aren’t you, eh buster…. way beyond cute!”

“Did he say what it’s about?” Buffy put a mug of tea on the nightstand for Spike and sat on the bed, sipping hers.

“No, only he thought it was something we’d like to see”

“You’ll have to come with me in the boot of the car then, that idiot over the road has parked his station wagon over the storm drain, so you can’t go via the tunnels” Buffy said

“That’s okay…we’ll risk mum driving, won’t we Billy?”

Spike tickled his son’s tummy and Billy giggled, making them giggle. The contents of the bottle finished, Billy had no more need of it, and he just dropped it on the floor.

“Charming!” Buffy bent and picked it up, putting it on the stand.

“Hmm, ow, Bill- Billy stop – what…hey…be a good boy!” Spike frowned slightly, for the last few days, Billy had taken it to try and force his finger into Spike’s mouth.

“What’s he doing that for?” Spike asked

“I’ve no idea, he doesn’t do it with me – have you ever, you know, shown him yourself with the lumpies?”

“No – no need, why?”

Buffy shrugged and said,

“I don’t know, just a thought, perhaps he wants to see your fangs”

“I’d be a bit wary, he’d cut himself – I’d be okay with him – I wouldn’t hurt him – but if he touched”

“I know you’d never hurt him…try it, go on, I’m here, change, I want to see his reaction”

Spike lay back on the bed, and morphed. Billy grinned and looked at his daddy’s golden eyes, then he touched Spike’s chin, and carefully, Spike showed his son the fangs.

Totally unperturbed, Billy went to touch one.

“Ah-ah, no Billy…mustn’t touch” Buffy said. Billy sat up on Spike’s chest and just giggled. Spike morphed back to his human guise.

“Well, he didn’t scream the place down…”

“No, he thinks daddy’s got a new party trick now I suppose – come on then Billy boy, let’s get you dressed” Buffy plucked him from Spike’s chest and carried him out to his own room.


************


“So Giles, what’s so urgent?”

Buffy asked, walking into the shop via the back entrance. Spike followed carrying in Billy.

“Ah, Buffy – is - oh yes, hello Spike…hello Billy!”

Billy grinned and then began to bite at his teddy.

“Don’t you feed that child?” Giles asked with a grin

“He’s been fed! He had 14oz of milk and a dish of baby rice not half an hour ago! – He’s teething – Spike, put him in his play-pen” Spike did just that, making sure Billy had toys in there to play with.

When he came back, Buffy was standing behind Giles, who was sitting at the computer, showing Buffy something on the monitor.

“So what have we got then?”

“Well, you know that old avocado and citrus orchards out in Greenvale, they’ve all been dug up – “

“For the new runway at the airport, yes”

“Well, it might be something and nothing, but some protesters against the runway flew over the whole site in a small plane, and reckon that there’s some definite patterns to be seen”

“What, like crop circles?” Spike asked

“No, not crop circles, the one guy, a friend of mine so it happens, he’s an Egyptologist, he says he’s seen this pattern before – it’s a map of the stars – look…that’s Orion…. that’s the Big dipper…and you see those indentations in the land…he says there was a good chance that pyramids once stood there” Giles showed Buffy on the monitor using photographs that had been taken

“Pyramids – in Greenvale?” Buffy looked surprised

“Ah, but that’s not all – some of these protesters have been tunnelling to stop the earth-movers coming in – and they’ve found a series of underground tunnels or passages, but at the moment, they are all water-logged and are unsafe. Now, they’ve gone to City Hall, and all the work has been stopped at the site, and conservationists and some archaeologists are going to be allowed in to see if there’s anything of interest” Giles said.

“And we are excited because?” Buffy asked

“Cordelia – she had a vision”

“Cordelia – who’s that?” Spike asked

“She used to live here when we were all at school – used Xander, used to fancy Angel, now she works with him in LA” Buffy explained

“Oh her, the cheerleader…she had a vision?”

“All we know, it’s supernatural – it has to be for her to see it, it’s in Greenvale, and um…it involves a baby – that’s all she saw”

“A baby? – What a new born?” Spike asked

“No idea”

“Could she have seen a flash back or something – I know they used to sacrifice babies and children – virgins…barbaric!” Buffy said frowning

Again Giles shrugged and said he had no idea.

They could hear Billy chuckling away to himself, and then heard him clear as day shout,

“Wa-wo!” They all smiled when they heard Willow’s voice.

“Hello Billy – Clever boy! Come on…come here my gorgeous boy – got a kiss for me – you have – oh! That’s lovely!” Willow appeared around the bookcase carrying Billy on her hip. Billy was chewing a plastic brick.

“I swear he get’s more gorgeous every day!”

“I know, I can’t help it!” Spike said, batting his lashes, teasing them.

Everybody laughed, and Willow sat with Billy on her lap.

“Did you hear him – I swear to the goddess he’s trying to say Willow – he put his little arms up and called me Wa-wo – clever boy! Er, has he been fed?” Billy was now trying to bite the corner of Willow’s laptop

“YES! It’s just he just puts EVERYTHING into his mouth at the moment, he’s teething…” Buffy said, and Willow smiled and said to Billy

“Tell your mom, you want a big, juicy steak!”

“Huh, he’d probably eat it too – look at that, little beggar took a lump out of my finger this morning!” Spike said

“How old is he now, Buffy?” Giles asked

“He’s eleven months tomorrow – I can’t believe how fast the time’s gone”

“Neither can I – nearly a whole year…anyway, I was going to ask, would you look after the shop for me while I go and see this archaeology friend of mine?”

“Sure – we don’t mind, do we babe?”

Spike said he didn’t mind at all

“Mind you, I think you ought to go into the playpen with Billy – keep you both out of mischief!” Buffy said

“Eh? – Bloody cheek!”
 

Chapter 2



While Buffy was in the little kitchenette getting Billy’s lunch, Spike said,

“Red…how do you fancy doing a spot of baby-sitting for us?”

“Love to, when?”

“Saturday night, well from the afternoon really, only the Excelsior Hotel has a swanky new restaurant, and the hotel itself has been refurbished, I thought I’d treat Buffy to a – shush, don’t say anything, surprise, okay?” Spike whispered and Willow nodded

“Here you go then Billy – num-nums!”

“Can I feed him?” Willow sat up straight as Buffy put Billy in his highchair.

“You’re brave! Sure you can, only you might want to cover your blouse, yoghurt and banana will be the devils own to get out of that silk!

“Oh, I’ll be alright…”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you…I often think it’s me who should wear the bib, not Billy!”

Buffy gave Willow the dish of yoghurt, and she gave Billy half a peeled banana and a spoon, which he immediately took and began to bang on the tray of his chair.

“Noisy little monster you are…now be a good boy for you aunty Willow…else she might turn you into a frog!” Buffy tousled Billy’s hair and smiling she said to Willow,

“Good luck!”


***********


“Giles……….Giles…………GILES! Slow down, you’re babbling, now, slowly, Your friend Mark what? They’ve managed to drain one of the passages, yes, and your friend Mark has read the name Amun Rah on one of the walls…what, like graffiti? Well sorry, but you didn’t say hieroglyphics…go on, what about Mr Ra-Ra……..sun god, uh huh….and he’s got what – sorry Giles, but you’re going to have to speak louder to compete with Billy, hold on…….Billy – don’t be naughty, SPIKE – SEE TO BILLY PLEASE…sorry, where was I? – Oh yes, so what’s he got then….an amulet, go on…..did he find it there? – Already had it, oh, that was a stroke of luck, yes, and what – you’re going to his house to get it. Okay, you want us to lock up the shop then….course we don’t mind – okay then, bye”


“Spike, were are –oh god – BILLY! What have you done?” Buffy came around the bookcase, to see her son sitting in a ‘sea’ of strewn around candles, Billy just gave his mum a devastingly beautiful smile, and bit into another one.

“Everyone of them has got two little teeth marks in it……do you think the customers will notice?” Spike had already picked up about a dozen candles – there were still dozens all over the floor, he couldn’t help but smile

“I thought he was in his playpen!” Buffy bit her bottom lip to suppress a grin

“So did I, but look, any idea when this happened?” Spike showed her the huge big rip in the netting at the side of playpen.

“It wasn’t like that this morning! – Has it caught on something, a nail or…?”

“One, there are no nails sticking out anywhere, and two, this thing hasn’t moved……...Billy…hey you, yes, you little tinker….what’s this then mate?” Spike put his hand through the hole in the fabric, and Billy just giggled, and reached for another candle off the shelf, until Spike scooped him up.

“Oh no you don’t mate!”

“Ask Willow, she’s coming back up from the stockroom …Willow…look what he’s done!”

Willow cupped her mouth and nose and snorted a giggle

“Oh Billy!” Billy just grinned

“They’ve all got little teeth marks in them, look!”

“Never mind, we’ll soon fix that, won’t we baby!” Willow wriggled her fingers, and everything was back on the shelves, in perfect condition.

“Huh – lucky for you, you’ve got a witch for an aunty, cheeky boy!” Spike blew a raspberry on Billy’s cheek, and he squealed in delight.

“Thanks Red, that’s not all though, look at his playpen – we don’t know how it happened”

“Oh goodness – it wasn’t like that when I but him back in there after he had his lunch!”

Billy blinked sleepily, and yawned

“Come on then son, nap time…” Spike put him in his pram and he immediately turned his little head and closed his eyes.

After double-checking the playpen for anything sharp, the mystery remained as to how it became ripped.

“So was that Giles wetting his knickers at over on the phone?”

“Oh yes, he said, they’ve drained one of those passages, the underground ones, and Mark, that friend of his said he read the name Amun Rah on one of the walls – in that hieroglyphic’s – and he’d got an amulet at home with Amun Rah on it, so Giles is going back with him to get it”

“So, we’re here until closing time then?”

“I’ll stay, if you want to get off” Willow offered.

“We’re good for another hour yet – aren’t we Spike?”

“Sure, just as long as Billy doesn’t do other ‘Great Escape’…I’m almost dreading him walking!”

***************

At twenty passed four, Giles pulled up outside the shop. He came inside and made straight for the research table.
Willow went out, thinking it was a customer

“Oh, it’s you, you’re back then – I thought you were a customer!”

“Go lock up, and come an have a look at this thing I’ve got!”

“Ooohh Giles! You know how to sweet-talk me!” Willow quipped, and Giles’ ears went red!

*****************





Wolfram and Hart

Angel moodily threw the letter into his out-tray and stood. He went to the window and looked out.

Even the sheer novelty of this had begun to bore him now – to look out of the special glass into daylight. He was suddenly aware of a ‘presence’ behind him, and he turned quickly as he hadn’t heard anybody enter the office.

Standing in front of his desk, was a man. He was wearing a smart suit; he was dark haired, clean-shaven and handsome, aged roughly around 25 years old.

“Who are you – and how the hell did you – “ Angel went to reach for the buzzer to ring for security, when the man spoke.

“I wouldn’t bother, if I were you…it’ll do no good see, they won’t hear you”

“What – just tell me – oh god, what have you done?” Angel caught sight of Harmony, at the photocopier, frozen stock still, like a statue.

“Don’t worry, it’s only temporary…as soon as I’m gone, everything will be back to normal again”

“Who are you? What do you want?”

“Who am I? – That isn’t your concern – what do I want, well now…that’s the $64,000 question…I want what’s mine” The man said, looking at Angel straight in the face.

“And what do you think that’s yours?”

The man smiled and looked at the ceiling, then the walls, taking in the fancy carpet, bookcase, the leather sofa, the chrome and glass coffee table, the solid mahogany desk…

“This place, this is what I want, it should be mine by right, Wolfram and Hart was my birthright, my legacy, my inheritance, except somebody messed up…so I’m here to do a deal with you……………you give me back what’s rightfully mine – and I’ll help you get what’s yours………It really IS pointless you pressing that buzzer under the desk for security, I told you, they can’t hear you”

“How did you get in here?”

“You’re not asking the right questions!” The young man said, sitting down and crossing his legs.

Angel studied him for a few moments and said,

“I can’t just give you this place, I have responsibilities – “

“Oh, spare me! I don’t want to hear the ‘sacred duty’ speech, I’m not one of your little band of vigilantes…tell me – is this your idea of Utopia, huh? Running, how did your current squeeze put it – ‘Evil Incorporated’…let’s face it, it’s not your style…and not your first choice of jobs….and come to think of it, even your current squeeze isn’t your first choice either is she?”

Angel moved swiftly from behind the desk to grab the man by the throat, but he just vanished into thin air.

“No need for violence!” Angel whirled around to see the man leaning against the wall by the door. He strode over to him, but as quick as a flash, the guy just de-materialised again. Angel looked all around, but couldn’t see him, but he clearly heard the man’s voice.

“What do you really, REALLY want most in all the world, hmm?”

In his head, Angel heard the words, ‘to be human’

He gripped the desk and squeezed his eyes shut, when he opened them, the man was standing in front of him.


“Get out!” Angel hissed

“Now, now – is that anyway to talk to somebody who wants to help you achieve what you want?”

“I said, “

“I KNOW what you said………just think about it…you get what you want, you also get to eliminate your rival, and the rest would follow naturally…not easy bringing up a child on your own these days…one parent family………I’m sure the slayer would welcome your help………(he leant in conspiratorially and said) that girl is high maintenance, sure you’d come up to scratch, after all, you’ve already had - if you pardon the pun, one bite of THAT cherry!”

Angel was angry and he roared out, morphing and flying for the man.

“What the - Hell Angel, what’s up – you scared the shi – you scared me!”

Angel blinked and quickly looked around him. Everything was back to normal, except that Harmony had dropped all the photocopying she’d been doing.

“Did you see him?” Angel grabbed harmony by the elbow, and said rather desperately,

“Did you – see him – oh god!”

“See who - what?”

“That guy, dark hair, slick suit, he was in here just a second ago”

“Angel – there’s only been you and me in here –– are you okay?”

Angel turned from Harmony and ran his hand through his hair.

“Get me head of security up here NOW – and I want checks on all the alarms on ALL floors, you got that – NOW Harmony!”

“Geez, okay, okay! I always thought a nap was supposed to make you less grumpy!” Harmony stomped back to her desk to call for security.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing!”

“Tell me”

“You were having a nap – I said I thought that it was supposed to-“

“A nap?”

“YES! Asleep, a nap, forty winks, a little shut-eye – you were sitting in your chair, behind your desk with your eyes closed – do you still want Simon up here?”

“Yes, and I want the CCTV footage from all floors from the last two hours too…”

“Yes, sir………wonder what bit his butt………hello, Simon – boss man wants you up here now, with all the CCTV footage for the last two hours and he wants alarm checks on all floors……………………I don’t know – I’m just following orders!”
 

Chapter 3


Grinning, Giles put his briefcase on the table, opened it, and carefully lifted out a rather dusty leather case, about 12” by 8”, and about 2” deep.

“Hmm, useful for travelling light, I suppose, one pair of trunks, and a toothbrush!” Spike said. Ignoring the good-humoured banter, Giles reverently put the case on the table, clicked open the lock, lifted the lid.

They all peered inside. Nestling inside a velvet recess, was an ancient amulet.

Billy reached for it, but Buffy shifted him so he couldn’t reach.

“So, what’s this mate of yours say?” Buffy asked Giles

“Well, it’s very exciting! – Amun Rah, Sun God – there’s something about thwarting rivals and claiming what’s rightfully belongs to the rightful one – Mark has never been able to do a complete translation, it’s very worn in parts. It’s all very exciting though, we’re having the devil’s own job trying to sit on this and keep it quiet – else we’ll have a media circus in hours down there, and hundreds of people could collapse the passages and we’d loose vital information” Giles explained

“What have they actually found there?” Spike asked

“Well, passages, but they know there is some kind of chamber down there – they were just moving in ultra sound equipment in as we came away – this could be the biggest find since Tutankhamun!”

“I remember reading about that in 1922…the Times was full of it – London – the world was agog at Howard Carter who found it” Spike said.

Billy again reached for the amulet.

“Billy…be a good boy! No, you can’t have it!” Buffy said

Billy looked at his mom with his big blue/green eyes, and blinked

“Just look at that little face…baby, you can’t have it coz it’ll go straight into your mouth, and it’s covered in nasty germs…well come on, we better be going – Billy needs bathing and feeding – and I’m tired”

They went home.

Spike came downstairs from tucking Billy in.

“Babe”

“He asleep?”

“Yeah, he closed is eyes straight away – baby – Willow is going to babysit for us tomorrow”

Buffy looked at Spike and smiled and said,

“Is she – oh that’s nice…where are we going?”

“Wait and see!”

“Tell me!”

“Nope – it’s a surprise”

“Just a little hint?”

“Well…a nice dress for dinner, but you won’t need a nightdress!” Spike said with a wicked grin

Buffy’s eyes flashed and she grinned

“We’re going out ALL night?”

“All night…Willow will come here at three Saturday afternoon – we’ll be home Sunday lunchtime – with a bit of luck!”

Still having what was a very healthy sex life, it HAD been somewhat curtailed by Billy, spontaneity, frequency and locations had to be seriously considered with a young baby in the house!

***************


“I told you Angel – there’s NOTHING – we’ve checked!”

“And I told you – TO CHECK IT AGAIN!” Simon heaved a sigh and ran back the CCTV tapes and began to re-check for the ‘intruder’.

“Oh god! – Bloody hell – this blouse is ruined!” Harmony grouched, as she wiped coffee from her chest, as yet another alarm went off, being tested by maintenance.

Wesley came into Angel’s office.

“What’s going on? – Have we got trouble?”

“I don’t know….a guy got in here…didn’t trigger any alarms or show on CCTV”

“A guy? – When did this happen? - What did he look like?”

“Before lunch. Tall, dark, slick suit…had a fancy way of disappearing when I…….look, it’s probably something and nothing, it doesn’t matter”

“Did you press for security at the time?” Wesley pressed him. Thinking on what Harmony had said, that he’d been having a nap, and as security couldn’t find anything amiss, Angel didn’t want to go into too deeply what was said between him and the visitor.

“I just thought I’d get them to check things, as a precaution…it…it might have been a dream”

“A dream?”

“Harmony said she didn’t see anybody either, she was at the photocopier, and I was having a nap, or so it seemed”

“I see, well it doesn’t hurt to check I suppose. Are you sleeping okay?”

“Not um, not brilliantly, well a little erratic I suppose – now I can go round in the hours of daylight in here…things have got…how shall I say, a little off kilter”


“Things alright here – nothing on your mind?”

“No – things are fine – even, dare I say it, quiet”

“Then how about a change of scenery” Wesley suggested

“How do you mean?”

“There’s something fascinating coming to light in Greenvale, ancient tombs – Giles has just faxed me some really interesting details”

“Greenvale? Oh I don’t think I-“

“Come on, why not?”

“It’s too near Sunnydale” Angel said, studying his thumbnail.

“And?”

Angel shrugged and turned away from Wesley

“And I wouldn’t want to bump into…well you know”

“But Buffy doesn’t slay anymore – and anyway, this has nothing to do with anything remotely slayer-ish”

“It’s not just…I’d rather not, if you don’t mind” Angel knew he just couldn’t stand to see her playing happy family’s with Spike and their baby. Wesley shrugged

“Suit yourself, but if you change your mind, Cordelia and I are going I the morning”

“Cordelia? – But why is she – I mean, well she might be needed here”

“That vision she had, she can’t make head nor tail of it, so she said if she could go to the actual place – she knows it’s got something to do with Greenvale – so being there might trigger something off”

“In the morning – what time?”

“I said we’d be there before lunch, have you changed your mind – are you coming with us?”

“I might…yes, I think I just might then”

“Good – I’ll leave you to it then” Wesley left as Simon, the head of security ventured towards Angel’s desk.

“The tapes, I’ve checked, and re-checked, there’s nothing…and this is the report from maintenance, all the alarms, are in perfect working order. Believe me boss, nothing could have got in here, supernatural or otherwise without tripping some alarm”

“Right, thankyou Simon, that will be all”

Angel sat and contemplated his trip tomorrow, wondering what it would bring………….

***********



Saturday morning dawned bright and sunny, and both Spike and Buffy were looking forward to their little ‘over-nighter’ trip.

“There will be no problem, we can drive straight into the underground carpark of the hotel, you can go check us in, and then come and fetch me, and we can go straight up in the lift to our room” Spike explained, while he bounced Billy on his knee.

“Are you going to be a good boy for your auntie Willow, hmm?”

Billy gurgled and offered his ‘da’ some rusk.

“Yum-yum, you eat it up nicely, there’s a good boy………babe, what are you doing?”

Buffy was sitting at the table, with what seemed like reams of paper around her, she frowned, picked up another piece and read, then scrubbed something out.

“Just leaving a list for Willow…”

“Babe, she’ll be fine, Billy will be fine, she knows your cell phone number, and where we’re staying, it’ll be enough – she’s bathed Billy before, and fed him – don’t worry”

“Am I fussing too much?”

“Tell mom you’ll be fine son – go on!”

“Ma! Da! Num-nums!” Buffy grinned and screwed up all the paper.

“See – as long as he gets his num-nums – and by what we have in that refrigerator, you could lay siege to this place and still not run out of food for three weeks!”

“I know…I just want everything to go alright…we could, you know, make this a regular thing” Buffy smouldered Spike a look – the thought of sex how they used to have it, instead of having to quieten down was making Buffy hornier than a field of rabbits!

“That right…I could go for that!” Spike gave her a wicked grin making her tummy flip-flop with anticipation.
 

Chapter 4


“What time shall I feed him?” Willow asked. She was holding Billy, he was sitting on her hip, chewing his iced teething ring.

“Oh, around 5.30-6pm, he’ll soon tell you when he wants his num-nums, don’t worry! – Now, you be a good boy for aunty Willow, do you hear me, little scamp?” Buffy tickled his face, and Billy giggled

“Wa-wo! Uh”

They laughed as Billy offered Willow his teether to bite.

“Now, you’ve got our cell phone numbers, and I’ve put the hotel on speed-dial 4, don’t hesitate to ring if there’s anything, okay?” Buffy fussed

“Yes, okay fine – stop fussing, me and blue-eyes here will be fine! Now go, Spike’s ready!”

“Bye then, mate, got a kiss for your old Da then?” Billy leaned and put his little mouth on Spike’s.

“You be a good boy now – see you Red!”

“See you, bye – wave bye-bye Billy!” Willow waggled Billy’s arm gently to make it look like he was waving. Buffy pulled off the drive and bibbed the car horn and waved. Spike was in the trunk out of the daylight.

“Da! Dadadada!”

“Come on then lets go see what you’ve got to play with” Willow carried him in kissing his cheek.


**************


Angel had had a fitful night’s sleep again. The guy that had ‘appeared’ to him in his office kept on popping up in his dreams…….

“What do you want most……I can help you get it……..what do you want most……….what do you want most……..what do you want, help you get it, help you get it, help you get it – HUH?”

Angel woke with a start and an unnecessary gasp, and he quickly looked around his room. Nothing, everything was as it should be. He lay back down, and looked at the clock, it was 6.26am – he’d used to go to bed around this time…he hoped that the trip would take his mind off things, and he wondered if he’d get to see Buffy and Spike’s baby for the first time…………

***************


“Yes, yes………..oh Mark, that’s WONDERFUL news, so how big do they reckon the chamber is then…………… so that’s a calculation from the ultra sound thing, I see? ………………….As big as that – wow – wouldn’t it be fantastic if it were full of treasures…so when will you be opening the chamber up?………………Why not before Monday……..oh, I see, well yes, I understand that the other passages have to be drained first – course I’ll be there – wild horses wouldn’t keep me away!…………I will, you take care too, and thanks for keeping me informed, bye Mark, thanks, bye!”

“Well – Mark’s just told me, that they reckon that chamber cold be up to 30 feet square – they have to drain the water from the other passages yet, but they’ll be opening the chamber up on Monday with a bit of luck!”

Willow smiled

“It’s fascinating, isn’t it and just in time for Tuesday too! – Oh wow, did you see that Giles?”

“See what – and what’s so special about Tuesday?”

“See that plastic brick on the shop floor, Billy just threw that from his playpen! He’s got the makings of a good pitcher there! And Tuesday, it’s summer Solstice, longest day of the year, that amulet thingie of your friend’s shows the sun in line with what should have been the top of whatever was built over that chamber they’re excavating – a temple or pyramid – they probably did sacrifices and such”

“I wonder if Mark realises that……er Willow, where’s Billy?”

“In his – play - oh god, Billy……Billy…………BILLY!”

Willow dashed into the shop, to see Billy crawling along at an alarming rate – boy could that child scoot!

“Oh no you don’t, buster! You leave those candles alone! Little tinker you!” Willow scooped him up and blew a raspberry on his tummy.

Billy squealed with delight and giggled.

“How did he get out of there – oh dear lord, look Willow!” Giles squinted up at Willow, he had squatted down and inspected the tear in the netting that was the sides of the playpen.

“We’ve been here before, haven’t we mate, yes…he escaped before, but we don’t know how it got ripped or anything!”

“Wa-wo…num-a-num-a-num-nums!” Billy chanted. Willow glanced at her watch.

“Num-nums, eh – oh golly, yes, Buffy said he’d want feeding between 5.30 and 6 – Giles, I better be going”

“Well hang on two minutes while I lock up the shop, I’ll give you a lift back to Buffy’s house, here, go put his buggy into the trunk of the car, I’ve just got to put the takings into the safe” Giles passed Willow his car keys while he went to lock up.

***************


“Oh, this IS nice!” Buffy did a complete 360º turn, surveying the whole room.

“But wait… follow me!” Spike strode confidently towards a door, he opened it and stepped back so Buffy could go look for herself.

“A four poster bed!” Buffy rushed towards it and bounced backwards on it. Spike quickly followed her.

“What made you think of this?”

“Thought you deserved a treat, come here you…” Buffy didn’t need asking twice, and she turned towards him.

They began to kiss, and undress.

Buffy groaned and writhed so erotically it made him throb with desire.

Her nipples were rock hard, and as his kisses got lower on her neck, she guided his head to them, where he gently drew wet circles around the areola, before drawing the hard nub between his lips and sucking.

Buffy held his head to her, arched her back, gasping and begging him to make love to her.

He let his fingers glide through her soft curls, and found she was more than ready for him, but he couldn’t resist rubbing over her distended clit with a moist finger.

Buffy rammed her heels into the mattress,

“Oh please, please baby, I’m begging you, ooohh!” Sliding between her soft golden thighs, he lined himself up, and slid home.

They both let out a moan of pure pleasure. Spike waited a second or two for her to adjust to his size, before withdrawing and sliding home again.


“Ooohh, baby, you feel so good, oh”

He picked up the pace, Buffy began to cry out that she couldn’t last, and the sweet tight clenching of her slick walls had him coming too.

They cried out their mutual orgasms in a tangle of limbs and slick bodies, fused in pure love and passion. Spike sought her mouth and kissed her deeply.

“I love you”

“I love you too, my baby”

Spike was still hard, still inside her.

Buffy began to nuzzle at his neck, Spike loved this, especially when she bit him, he began to thrust up inside her again with renewed vigour.

Truth be known, as much as they both loved Billy, they’d both missed the spontaneity of their pre Billy sex life.

Buffy rolled them so she was on top, and she supported herself on her knees and Spike held her hips, as she rolled and bobbed on him.

Sliding his hands up her soft lithe body he cupped her breasts, now fuller thanks to motherhood. Spike sat up, altering the angle of thrust for Buffy, the huge bulbous head of his cock was now rubbing her g spot, Buffy began to bob faster, becoming incoherent with want. Spike suckled at her hard nipples, squeezing her soft but firm breasts, and Buffy could hold back no longer.

She bucked and writhed her way through several more orgasms before Spike allowed himself to come.

Buffy lay down, with Spike spooned to her back, he’d entered her from behind, and nuzzling her neck, they fell asleep with him still inside her.

She woke just over an hour later, Spike was still asleep. Buffy pushed back with her hips, sending him deep inside her, and she used her inner muscles, giving them a flurry of quick firm clenches, Spike woke and growled. Buffy loved it when he did that, it set her all tingly and wanton.

Spike carefully withdrew from her and Buffy mewled at the loss of him.
Quickly lying on her back, Spike teased her, rubbing the slick warm glans over her labia. She bucked and pleaded with him, and Spike relented and slid inside her hot core once again.

Spike knew her body so well, he knew when she wanted gentle, knew when she wanted hard, athletic hot monkey sex – and this was on of those times. Freed from the restraint of the baby, they were able to abandon themselves into the pure actions of the giving and receiving of pleasure.

They made love in the hot tub, and in the shower, in fact, the time for dinner came and went, and they were too exhausted to move!

“I’ll order room service then, I was going to show you the new restaurant”

Spike said, smiling

“Nuh uh, too tired to even eat…just snuggle, hmm?”

Pulling the covers up they both fell asleep again. Spike woke some hour or so later, to the sensation of Buffy pumping and sucking his ever-present hard on!

Without loosing a stroke, Spike managed to twist Buffy around so he could reciprocate with the oral sex, and Buffy gasped and wiggled when his cool tongue lapped at her flowing arousal, he gently rubbed and pinched at her clitoris, Spike didn’t stop his ministrations until Buffy cried out, then she begged him to come for her, she sucked and pumped at him, gently squeezing his balls, rolling them and tugging softly. She drank him down, every last drop – Spike was amazed he had anything left to give her! They’d been making love for nearly nine hours, with the odd hours rest.

Lying in her arms, with his head on her chest as Buffy stroked her fingers through his hair, Spike like Buffy was truly contented
 

Chapter 5


“There you go then, all clean, dry and baby creamed!” Willow fixed the tab on the nappy and slipped on Billy’s pyjamas.

Billy giggled and gurgled all through this, giving her a great big grin.

“Come on then, let’s sit quietly shall we baby, hmm?”

Willow sat in one of the armchairs, with Billy on her lap. She should have put him down in his cot, but she wanted to hold him for a while.

She marvelled at him, he really was a beautiful baby, his hair had begun to lighten, and he had the most gorgeous big blue/green eyes and long lashes. Billy fell asleep, Willow loved the way his lashes fanned almost to his cheeks.

“Hey…sleepy head – hi”

“Oh, Xander… Willow opened her eyes and immediately looked at Billy. He was fast asleep still.

“Has he been good?”

“Golden…I shall go and put him in his cot”

“Want some tea?”

“Please, I won’t be long”

Xander made the tea while Willow went and put Billy into his cot.



“So, Giles is very excited about this amulet thingie”

“You’ve seen him?”

“I went to his house to put up a set of shelves for him, he was so excited at what you told him, about the…what did he call it – sol…um”

“Solstice?”

“Yeah, that’s it. So, what time is Buffy due back?”

“They’re not coming back until tomorrow lunchtime”

They chatted easily, as old friends do, and Xander eventually fell asleep.

Willow quietly took the mugs and cookie wrappers into the kitchen. She would check on Billy, then go to bed herself, knowing Xander would see himself out, she wouldn’t disturb him.

She quietly as she could opened the nursery door.

Billy was fast asleep, lying in his usual ‘hands-up’ position. She smiled and stood looking at him in for a few moments, then noticed that Mr Gordo was in the cot with him. This was odd, because she knew Buffy didn’t want him to have that particular toy as he was made out of papier maché, and with Billy’s drooling/putting EVERYTHING in his mouth habit, the little pig would be pulp in minutes.

“And how did you get in there, hmm?” Willow picked up the little pig and put it back on the high shelf, tucking Mr Ted in it’s place. She lightly kissed her finger and touched the top of Billy’s head with it.

“Sweet dreams, Little One” she whispered

The nursery door opening made Willow look up.

“Hey!”

“Hey, I wondered where you got to. Billy asleep?” Xander asked, smiling. Willow smiled and looked at the baby with love, and nodded.

“He’s so beautiful” she softly brushed his little foot with her finger

Xander looked at the sleeping infant, and felt a twinge of sadness.

“Let’s leave him in peace…”

They left the nursery and went downstairs, Willow leaving the door ajar in case Billy cried.



Billy stirred, his eyes fluttered open, and he looked at Mr Gordo on the shelf. He pointed to it, and gently the toy pig came floating through the air, and settled back in his cot, with Billy holding one of it’s tatty ears, he went back to sleep.


****

Willow looked concerned at Xander, and held his arm.

“Are you all right, you look kinda sad?”

“Me? Yeah…yeah, I’m okay – I just…doesn’t matter, Look, it’s getting late, I better be off”

“Sure? We can talk if you want to. Isn’t Billy beautiful – you know, up until I was 13, I thought that this would be us”

“This – what do you mean?”

“Marriage and babies!” Willow said grinning at him from the bottom of the stairs.

“Don’t, Will”

Willow frowned and put her hand on Xander’s arm

“Hey, I was only-“

“PLEASE Willow! I just couldn’t stand it if…I’m sorry, look, it’s not your fault, I…” he trailed off

“Go on”

Xander sighed and said,

“I missed – no, LOST my chance…” Willow felt a wave of compassion flood her, and she rubbed her best friend’s arm.

“Oh Xander, just because things didn’t work out between you and Anya, doesn’t mean to say that you’ll never meet some-“ Xander covered Willow’s hand with his own, and said to her earnestly,

“It’s not Anya. It just, oh god, how can I say this without sounding callous? It never WAS Anya.

I realised, far, FAR too late of course that it never was. I just couldn’t marry her, because, well, because I was in love with somebody else – somebody I’ve used as a yardstick for every woman, and nobody but NOBODY comes up to scratch. I’ve loved this woman forever, and I always will”

Willow looked concernedly at her best friend, and said,

“Xander…Buffy is a wonderful woman, - but you can see just how happy she is with Spike, and – oh, stay there, won’t be a tick!” Willow went to answer the phone.

Xander was dying a thousand deaths, wondering if he’d EVER pluck up the courage……

“Oh, hey Giles, everything okay? ……………uh huh………..uh huh, well I see. And what time do you want us?……………Oh, they said they’d be back around lunchtime, why?…………Sure, I’ll tell them, okay then bye Giles”

Xander hadn’t moved, as requested and she still felt concerned for one of her best friends.

“That was Giles, he wants us all over at the shop when Buffy and Spike come back tomorrow…Xander please tell me what’s wrong”

Xander smiled, ran a hand through his thick dark hair and said,

“Oh, there’s nothing wrong – I’m tired, that’s all. Well, it’s getting late I’ll see you tomorrow lunchtime, right?”

Willow nodded. She’d known Xander long enough to know he was lying to her, and there WAS something he wasn’t telling her, keeping something back at least. But then, if it involved Anya it might hurt him to talk about it, so she wouldn’t push it.

At the front door Willow looked at him and she reached up and put her arms around him.

“I love you, you’re my best friend, and you can tell me anything you know – and I wouldn’t judge you, no matter how-“

The closeness of her, her fragrance and warmth and Xander didn’t know what to do. He knew what he wanted to do, he wanted to grab her and kiss her and tell her that it was her he’d loved all these years, that’s why he couldn’t go through with the wedding with Anya…….but instead he remained bodily stiff and slightly unyielding to her embrace.

“Yeah, I know, I Lo- I’ll um, lunchtime – bye” he shot off like a scalded cat. Willow shut the door puzzled.

She checked the back door was locked, put the bolt on the front door and went up to bed. She looked in on Billy and was shocked to see Mr Gordo back in his cot!

“How the heck did…” She gently removed it again and put it back on the shelf, but this time, she left the door open, and sat cross legged in the hallway to wait.

She didn’t have to wait long, within a minute she saw the toy pig come floating down off the shelf and into the cot. Wide-eyed and open mouth with surprise Willow quickly went into the nursery. Billy was fast asleep, holding Mr Gordo’s ear.

She thought it pointless to remove it again, but oh boy – had she got news for Spike and Buffy when they got home.


*****************



“AAAAAAHHHHHHH!”

“Christ! Cordelia – Cordy, hell, are you alright?”

Angel swerved and pulled in, turning towards his passenger, who was holding her head and writhing in pain. He pulled her towards him and rubbed her back soothingly.

“Come on love, come on, it’s alright…there, there – vision I take it?”

Cordelia groggily glanced up at him, and then she nodded and said

“There’s a fight, but I can’t see – oh, it’s – it’s Spike!”

“Well there’s a surprise” Angel said sarcastically, still rubbing her back.

“And…there’s the baby again…he’s beautiful…he’s pointing this time, but I can’t see what he’s pointing to…”

“Come on, let’s get you home, I only suggested a trip out to try and clear your head, I feel guilty now”

Cordelia put her hand on Angel’s forearm and said,

“It was fine, just what I needed – I’m okay now, let’s go home eh, we have a long journey tomorrow”

Angel nodded and drove them home.
 

Chapter 6



Billy was in his play pen, all his toys however, were not. He’d thrown every last one of them out, and now had nothing to play with. Nothing else for it then, he grabbed the netting in both fists, and with a satisfying r-r-r-I-I-I-I-p-p-p-p-p, the fine white netting parted and Billy crawled through the hole and out to sit amongst his toys.

And that’s how Willow found him when she came into the lounge.

“Oh my goodness! Billy, how on earth did you…oh my!” Willow surveyed the new hole in the netting. Billy just grinned and held up a plastic brick to her.

She plucked him up off the floor and went to answer the front door. It was Xander.

“Hey”

“Not too early am I?”

“No…oh Xander, have I got news for Buffy and Spike!”

“Oh?”

“Last night, when I looked in on Mr Munch here, he had Mr Gordo in his cot”

“That’s the toy he’s not to have coz it’s made of paper stuff, yeah?”

“That’s right, anyway, I put it back on the shelf, and tuck Mr Ted in its place, but when I go in to check on him, it’s back in the cot with him, Mr Gordo, large as life! – So I took it out and put it back on the high shelf, and I sat in the hall and waited”

“And?”

“And I saw it float down into the cot – I couldn’t believe my eyes!”

“You mean he just…oh boy! What have you been up to mate?”

“And that’s not all, look – AGAIN!” Willow waved her hand through the rip in the playpen netting.

“Oh Billy, did you do this huh?”

“Wa-wo…num-a-nums!”

“Here, will you hold him, he’s had a bottle of milk, I was just fixing him a rusk”

“Come on the Billy, come and tell your uncle Xander all about it then….”


*****************


“Do you want to go down to breakfast babe, or shall I call room-service?” Spike kissed her bare shoulder.

“What time have we got to vacate the room?”

“By 10.30am, we could go in the hot-tub one last time, have a room-service breakfast then leave”

“I could eat a horse!” Buffy said grinning and sitting up.

“That’s because we missed dinner last night!” Spike said with a grin.

“It was worth it though, wasn’t it?” Buffy stroked her fingers though his hair, and Spike readily concurred that indeed it was definitely worth it!

Spike ordered freshly squeezed juices, a platter of prepared fruits, bacon and eggs, wheat toast and honey and a pot of tea.

They were in the hot-tub when room-service wheeled the trolley into the room, and when the door was shut, Buffy moved from leaning back with her arms draped out, to standing in front of Spike.

She began to kiss him, and they made love.

“Come on Kitten, breakfast will be getting cold!”

They enjoyed the food and Buffy ate ravenously.

“I hope Billy has been good!”

“Well, no phone calls, that’s a good sign!” Spike said. He wiped his mouth and dropped the napkin on top of his now empty plate.

“Let’s get back and see him shall we – I’ve missed him calling me!”

“Yeah, come on…”



**************



“Are you sure you want to do this Cordelia?” Angel had a concerned hand upon her shoulder.

“Yes – this vision I’ve had, I just KNOW it’s something to do with Greenvale, I’ll feel better once I’m there”

“Right then, all ready, I know the way, will you follow me Angel?” Wesley asked, putting his laptop and jacket into the back of his car.

“Okay, I’ve got an idea where it is, but I’m not 100% sure”

“Come on then, if we leave now we should get there around late lunchtime”


***************


“You know why he escaped, coz he’d thrown all his toys out and hadn’t got anything to play with!” Xander said to Willow, surveying the sea of plastic bricks, teethers and various toys strewn around, the play pen was empty.

Willow handed Billy the rusk, and Billy began to chew.

She turned to the playpen, stirred her finger in the air to magically mend the tear, and then she said to Xander

“Okay then, after he’s eaten that, put him back in his play pen, but don’t give him any toys to play with, leave things as they are, we can peep round and see just what he does”


They didn’t have long to wait. For all of a minute Billy sat in his pen forlornly with no toys, until he crawled to the side, grabbed the netting and ripped it in his usual way, and scampered out to his toys, and he began to play happily.

“Did you see that – Billy’s a super-strength!” Xander said with a grin

“Yup…with a little witchy stuff thrown in for good measure…golly Buffy and Spike are going to need eyes in the back of their heads to keep up with this little tinker!”

“I think you’re right there Will!”

Willow toyed with the idea to ask Xander about the fit of the glooms he’d had last night, but decided against it, she thought that he’d tell her eventually.

“I need to wash up and tidy round, will you watch the little one for me, and I mean watch him, boy can that child shift when he starts crawling, he goes off like greased lightening!”

“Sure, no problem – come on then Billy…lets get all these toys back into the play pen…”

*************


Mark came striding over to where Giles was standing talking, or rather shouting with two members of the archaeology team, trying to make themselves heard over the sound of the bilge pump that was pumping away the water from the passages.

“WE SHOULD BE FINISHED ANY MINUTE NOW!” Mark hollered

“GOOD!” Giles shouted back with a grin.

“IT’S VERY EXCITING – I, oh great! That means all the water must have gone!” The loud noise stopped, and the two people Giles had been talking to raced forward to see what the newly pumped passages would reveal hieroglyphics wise.

Giles and Mark also moved forward, and there was excited talk about details of a ritual being performed.

“I’ve got a friend coming from LA later on today, he’s very good with all this sort of stuff, I hope you don’t mind” Giles said

“As long as he’s discreet, and won’t tip off the media, then fine!”

“That’s the last thing he’ do, don’t worry!”


************



“Hi – hello baby – did you miss your ma hmm?” Billy eagerly went to his mum, and was grinning. When Spike came into the lounge Billy almost jumped out of Buffy’s arms!

“Hey, hmm ooh! Hey little fella…did you miss your old dada then, eh?”

“DA! DADADADA!” Billy chanted, holding up Mr Ted in one hand, and the back of Spikes collar in the other. Spike kissed his cheek and blew a raspberry, then he noticed Willow’s apprehensive look.

“Everything okay then Red, you look kinda anxious”

“Um, well”

“Willow, tell us, was everything alright last night?” Buffy sounded worried

“Fine, don’t – everything was fine, Billy was golden, although…” Willow was wringing her hands

“You’re worrying me now Red, tell us”

“Billy….he um, well he’s revealed certain, how shall I say, abilities”

Both Buffy and Spike looked at their son, then back to the redhead.

“What sort of abilities?”

“Well, he’s got exceptional strength for one so young, it’s been him ripping the netting on his play pen, with his bare hands, Xander and I watched him do it”

“Really? Well, I suppose that’s no big surprise really, given that both Spike and I have advanced strength”

“That’s not all…you know Mr Gordo”

“Oh no, don’t tell me he’s mush!”

“No, nothing like that, last night…………………………………………………….So in the end, I just left it in there with him, it was pointless me taking it off him, he’d have only floated it down again”

“You hadn’t, you know…” Spike twiddled his fingers

“Done anything that could have caused it?”

“Oh no, definitely not, no” Willow shook her head vigorously

Both Buffy and Spike looked back at Billy

“You’re going to be a right handful, aren’t you mate!” Spike tickled his cheek, and Billy squealed with delight and shoved a brick in his mouth.

“I’d got a feeling it was him ripping the netting, but this magic stuff, well!”

Buffy cuddled him up and Spike said,

“Well, we’ll have to get one of those play pens with the wooden bars, maybe that’ll hold him for a couple of months!”

“So, how was the hotel – what did you have for dinner?” Willow asked with a grin

“Um…we decided that…well, we weren’t hungry!”

“Oh?” Willow looked mildly amused

“Yeah…we liked the room so much, and the bed was so comfy, food didn’t come into the equation!” Spike said with a grin, and Willow caught their drift and grinned, and didn’t ask any more awkward questions!
 

Chapter 7




At the archaeology site, Buffy stood talking to Giles, while Spike held Billy and talked to Willow.

“Should be arriving anytime now – the hieroglyphics in these new drained passages show a ritual the like of which has never been seen before – it shows Rah, how they prepared his body for the ‘afterlife’ and lay him on a raised altar type platform so he could ascend into the heavens and become the sun god – we’re hoping that this altar will be inside this chamber we’re about to open later on and – oh um, look who’s just arrived – “

Buffy turned her head to see Wesley followed by Cordelia and Angel. She looked around for Spike but couldn’t see him, knowing the ‘extra’ visitors wouldn’t go down with him too well.

There was a slight kerfuffle outside, and Buffy went out to see Cordelia holding her head.

“It’s one of her visions, can we find her somewhere to sit?” Angel fussed, and eventually a campstool was found.

“There…now, are you okay Cordy?” Angel asked with his hand concernedly on her back.

“I, I think so, it’s here, I know it, it’s SO strong – I, oh…the baby – he’s – that’s him!”

Cordelia pointed to Spike who was holding Billy, and trying to keep under the tarpaulin tent covering the site and out of the daylight.

“Bring the baby to me!” Cordelia said

Angel looked apprehensive, and then he saw Buffy go up to Spike and say something, and Spike nodded and turned to leave, when Wesley stopped him, and pointed to Cordelia.

Angel didn’t hear what Spike said to Wesley, but he guessed it wouldn’t go down well, and he saw Spike walk away carrying his son, ignoring Wesley’s request from Cordelia.

“Buffy……...Buffy, is that your son – is that child your baby?” Cordelia called out, and Buffy came over and said

“Yes it is, he’s with his dad – he loves his daddy so much, I don’t get much of a look-in with him unless he wants feeding!”

“He’s beautiful, could I hold him?”

“Well, it’s time for Billy’s tea, we’ve been here since lunchtime, and I was just going to find Willow to say goodbye, and Spike and I we’re going home, so another time perhaps?”

“Buffy, this is important, Cordelia needs to-“ Cordelia reached and held Angel’s hand and said,

“It’s not important Angel, another time will be fine”

“But-“

“No, no buts, it’ll be fine, another time then”

“Buffy, Spike’s waiting in the car, he said Billy wants his tea” Willow said

“Just coming Will, well bye then” Buffy said to Cordy and Angel, and she left with Willow.

“Cordelia, it’s important that you get this vision sorted out, I can’t bare it to see you in such pain and- “ Angel began, and then he suddenly realised everything had gone silent, and everybody around him were frozen like a statues.

“Can you feel it – it’s amazing isn’t it! Won’t be long now…your destiny awaits- hey, MY destiny awaits!”

Angel whirled around to see the strange guy in the slick suit standing by one of the guy-ropes holding up the tarpaulin roof covering them.

“Who are you – leave me alone why don’t you!” Angel shouted. He could feel a mix of anger, fear, annoyance and a myriad of other emotions flood through him.

“Cordelia, CORDELIA!” Angel frantically tried to shake the girls shoulder, but she was as stiff as a board.

“What have you done to them – I DEMAND you put them right immediately!”

Angel could feel his demon close to the surface, he hated the feeling, he was barely in control, and he hated it. The guy in the suit was suddenly beside him and he said brightly,

“Oh, DEMAND do you? Calm down – you’ll give yourself a heart attack – oh sorry it wouldn’t matter at the moment, would it – but then if I give you what you REALLY want…………then you should find a less stressful way of dealing with things – stress is a killer you know”

“Why don’t you just-“

“And why don’t you shut up and LISTEN!” The guy turned to face Angel, and he in turn could see the evil inside the man.

“You’ve got what’s mine, and I’m HELPING you to get something YOU want, now you’d better start getting used to the fact that Wolfram and Hart belongs to me. We can do things the easy way, like this, or the HARD way, where I just come in and TAKE what’s mine…I’d have to kill all your friends first mind, and guess what…I wouldn’t play fair….I could put them into stasis like I have them now, and then I could…………. Burn them?

Angel saw huge flames cover one of the archaeological workers, but then the flames disappeared as quick as they started, it must have been an illusion as the guy was totally untouched.

“Or then again, I could drown them perhaps?”

A huge torrent of water cascaded down, deluging Wesley, but that too disappeared after a few seconds

“Or then again I could just do……..THIS! ” the man pointed at Cordelia and said,

“This time I’m NOT JOKING” Cordelia’s body floated upwards and the man drew a little circle in the air, and Cordelia started spinning around, then jerking and flipping, she was screaming holding her head, and Angel was frantic for the man to stop and he shouted

“Alright, ALRIGHT – Just don’t hurt my friends! What have I got to do?”

Angel glanced worriedly at Cordelia, who was sitting on the campstool again, as though nothing had happened to her.

“Cordy, love, are you alright?” Angel asked worriedly, but again she was like a stone statue again.

The man stepped up to Angel, and placed his hand on his head, his palm resting on Angel’s forehead.

“When the time comes tomorrow, you’ll know what to do!” And with that, he was gone.

“Angel, Angel – ANGEL – are you all right? You totally zoned out there for a second or two!”

“Whu-what, huh?” Wesley stood in front of him holding a glass of water.

“I got this for Cordelia, but you look in more need of it, are you okay?”

“Hmm – oh, er, yes I – um – oh gods, Cordy, you okay love?” Angel swiftly turned his attention to Cordelia, who looked calm and relaxed sitting down.

“I’m fine now, honestly, you’re all making a fuss about nothing!”

“But the spinning round – and Wesley, you’re dry – and that man over there, well, it’s amazing, he was engulfed in flames, and yet not even his clothes are scorched -“

Cordelia and Wesley exchanged worried looks, and Cordelia stood up, and forced Angel to sit.

“Angel, I haven’t a CLUE as to what you’re talking about, but I’m going for a little walk, try to see if I can get a better feel for the place, if I can make more sense of the vision. I think you need to rest more. I won’t be long, will you look after him Wesley?”

“Sure…okay Angel, what were you on about?”

“Me – oh, nothing, take no notice…tired is all” Angel closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Yes well, I suppose lack of sleep would make you hallucinate” Wesley said.

Cordelia went out from the tent covers and went walk-about.

*********


“There’s no way I’m letting that cretin or ANY of his friends near my son, an that’s final!” Spike sat in the kitchen with Billy on his knee.

“All right, so you’ve said all the way home! It was only Cordelia that wanted to hold him, that’s all, I didn’t even speak to Angel”

“Don’t know what they’re doing here anyway, it’s not as if it’s a slayer thing”

“Well I don’t know either, they must have just have come for the ride with Wesley. Giles wants us there first thing, before sun-up, I don’t suppose Cordelia knows that that time of the morning exists, and as soon as we’ve seen the chamber open and that, then we can come home”

“Da – DADADADA – num-nums!”

“Okay Billy-boy, just coming…hmm, look what we’ve got…what is it pet?”

Buffy was warming him a jar of chicken casserole with vegetables, then peach pudding for desert.

************


After bathing and changing him, Spike put Billy to bed, but instead of coming downstairs, he sat in the nursery looking at his baby son sleeping.

After an hour, Buffy came up, she whispered from the doorway

“Is he okay – only you didn’t come down and-“

“He’s fine, I just wanted to look at him, that’s all” Spike said, looking from Buffy back to his sleeping son again.

Buffy smiled and crept in; she put her arm around Spike’s shoulder and kissed the top of his head.

Buffy didn’t question Spike as to why he didn’t want Angel to see Billy, she knew that it was just the way things were, and she wouldn’t force the issue. She stood looking at her son with Spike for a while and then she said,

“Well, I think I’ll turn in, we’ve got to be up for 3.30am”

“Okay pet, you go on in, I won’t be long” He gave her a light kiss and Buffy went onto bed.
 

Chapter 8


Woken from about seven layers of sleep by the incessant high-pitched beep-beep-beep of the alarm clock, Buffy slammed it off at the same time as sitting up. She’d been having a lovely dream, and went to tell Spike about it, but then realised she couldn’t, as she didn’t want him to feel bad and dwell on things that he couldn’t possibly give them.

She’d dreamt they were on a picnic in the park, just herself and Spike with Billy, it was a beautiful sunny day…….

“Come on babe, time to get up”

There was a groan from under the covers, and Spike mumbled something unintelligible.

Buffy leaned over and lifted the covers

“Come on sleepy head, we can come back to bed later – lets just go see this thing and then we can come home.”

She gave him a kiss on his forehead and threw the covers right back.

“Evil you are!” Spike said with a grin. Buffy smiled and smacked his bare bottom

“Come on you, make yourself useful – go make some tea, I’ll see to Billy”

“You’ll pay for that later!” Spike said, shifting himself at last.

Buffy went into the nursery to find Billy awake, sitting up playing with or rather chewing Mr Ted.


“Ma! Ma-ma!” Billy greeted his mom with a grin.

“Hello baby, what are you doing awake, hmm – come on poppet lets get you changed and dressed”

Downstairs Spike made tea.

“What is this thing today anyway?” Spike took Billy off her and he blew a raspberry on his cheek.

“Da!” Billy giggled and hid his face in his daddy’s neck

“Well, Willow said that as it’s the summer solstice, the sun is aligned to something or other, and it’ll be spectacular, by all accounts”

“Hmm, sunrise. Not really my thing, pet” Spike said ruefully, and Buffy came and stood in front of him and her son, doing up buttons on Billy’s pants

“I know babe, but Giles has been remarkably kind to us, and not to mention how generous he is to Billy, I’d like for us to be there for him, you know?” She reached up on tiptoe and kissed Spike softly.

“Okay babe….young man here is full of beans this morning, I thought he’d be tired” Spike hitched up a playful Billy in his arms.

“He was already awake when I went into his room, weren’t you, little tinker…here you go”

Billy took his bottle of milk off his mom and began to suck lustily.

“He sure likes his grub!” Spike drank his tea and held Billy while Buffy got a few things together for while they were out.





**************


“Ah, Buffy, Spike – and young Billy of course, hello young man! – Glad you made it in good time – come on and have a look inside the chamber, it’s fascinating!”

“Was there any treasure?” Buffy asked as they walked down one of the newly dried out passages.

Billy was squealing because it echoed, and he seemed to like the sound!

“Hey Mr Noisy!” Spike grinned and Billy squealed with laughter some more.

Smiling Giles said,

“Oh yes, I suppose by treasure you mean gold – but other stuff, baskets that had contained fruits and oils and spices to see him through to the after-life - but for security’s sake, it’s been removed for the time being – the media will be here by lunchtime”

Walking into the chamber Giles pointed out some crude cave-paintings on the wall, weird symbols that they hadn’t encountered before, they certainly weren’t hieroglyphics.

“Then there’s this – the piece-de-la-resistance, the altar” Giles lovingly ran his hand along the carved stone, with a highly polished top.

“Wow…do you think they did sacrifices here?” Buffy asked

“Not here, no. This was specifically to send Amun Rah into the after-life – the passage walls tell the story how they prepared the body, how they left seven baskets of dates, lemons, olives, honey, bread, exotic spices, lotus leaves for bedding and papyrus to write on – they left nothing to chance –“

Suddenly more voices could be heard, and in walked Wesley with Giles’ friend Mark, accompanied by Cordelia and Angel

“Oh f – what? What’s HE here for – I’m going back outside” Spike took one of the other open passages and left.

“Oh, Buffy – was that Spike leaving with your son? – Perhaps I’ll get to hold him today!” Cordelia said. Buffy flashed her a quick smile and said,

“Perhaps – well, excuse me Giles – I smell coffee and I want a quick word with Willow” she too took the same passage Spike had taken and left. Giles nodded and began to talk to the others.

Angel was in a world of his own. He hadn’t slept, but each time he closed his eyes, a vision of the weird guy popped into his head. He looked all around, but said nothing.

Buffy found Spike talking to Willow, he’d put Billy in his stroller baby-buggy and he was playing with one of his toys happily enough.

“……..It was amazing – when they opened this jar, it had oil in it, and it smelt like roses – still! After 4000 years, you could still smell their sweet perfume, and the bread – it had fossilised of course, but you could see the seeds in it, it was awesome!” Willow enthused.

“Willow, how can you be so perky at this ungodly hour of the morning?”

“I haven’t been to bed yet, I’m too excited! – But I could do with some coffee, shall we get some – Mark’s set up a hospitality tent for when the media arrive later”

“Spike?”

“Please I’ll stay here and watch Jr”

They two girls went off and Spike saw Cordelia wander out of one of the passages.

He stiffened his shoulders, waiting to see if Angel was following her, like the dutiful little lap dog he was, but she was on her own. She came straight over to them and squatted in front of the baby buggy

“Hello Spike, hello baby…my, aren’t you beautiful eh? Hello” Cordelia smiled and spoke softly, she tickled his cheek and Billy gave her one of his devastingly beautiful smiles.

“Oh my Spike, he is so beautiful – what a gorgeous baby!”

“He sure is”

“Aren’t you eh? Aren’t you gorgeous – just look at those eyes – he has your eyes Spike…you are adorable!” Billy played shy and turned his head away, giggling.

“You’re not shy…come on, let me – oh – oh – aaaaahhhhh”

“Um, are you all right?” Spike frowned and Cordelia looked in obvious pain, holding her head.

Spike looked around and saw Buffy and Willow laughing, coming out of the hospitality tent

“Buffy, um, help – it’s the cheer-leader – something’s wrong”

The two girls dashed over and helped Cordelia stand and found her somewhere to sit.

“I’m all right, it’s okay, don’t worry, it’ll pass…oh”

“Do you want me to get Angel for you?”

“No, no it’s okay – I – I just need a moment. Besides, Angel seems totally lost in a world of his own at the moment, I don’t know what’s wrong”

“Here, drink this, I’ll go get some more” Buffy said and handed Cordelia her coffee.

“Thanks…your baby – Billy is it – he’s gorgeous, such a beautiful baby, you are very lucky Buffy”

“Thankyou, and yes, I know how lucky I am…I’ll just go get more coffee”

“Was it one of those visions Giles was telling me you have?” Willow asked, and Cordelia nodded her head.

A jeep pulled up and two guys got out, and started to unload camera equipment.

Mark and co were fetched and people were milling around

“What’s wrong with the cheer-leader then?” Spike asked Buffy when she came back from the hospitality tent a second time

“Visions. She’s been having about this place but she can’t understand it this time, or so Giles tells me. She wanted to come here to see if she could get a better understanding or something. I’m surprised you let her by Billy”

“Well, I don’t mind her so much, but I don’t want the poof anywhere-“

“I know, I know – oh, I think – yes, Spike, they want us to move…they’re going to put up some arc lights and the generator here for the recording equipment”

“Well, look, this buggy thing is cumbersome, how about if I carry Billy, we can put this in the trunk – we don’t want people falling over it or anything” Spike suggested, and Buffy agreed, and she took the pushchair to the car.


Angel was pacing slowly around the altar, with the words ‘get what’s mine’ churning around and around his head.

“Have you got the amulet?” Mark asked Giles, and Giles put the small case on top of one of the generators.

“Spike, could you give me a hand please…this is heavy…”

Giles called, and Spike put Billy down on the groundsheet and went to help Giles position one of the arc lamps.

Billy pulled himself up to standing and reached for the amulet case, and it fell on the floor, the little circular stone disc fell out, rolled in a small circle and fell on its side. Billy immediately saw it as something to play with, and grabbed it, and was off, crawling, scooting down one of the passages.

“Where’s Billy – Buffy, where’s Billy, I put him down to help Giles where has- Billy – BILLY - oh gods!” Spike began to panic, frantically looking for his son

“Calm down, he can’t have got far…Billy…come on you little tinker where – oh isn’t this the amulet case?” Buffy picked the case up off its side

“Never mind that now – where is our son?!”

“Billy – where are - oh, I hear him, listen – he’s gone down there, I can hear the echo of him giggling” Spike dashed down the passage in hot pursuit of his son.

A loud whistle and a clap of the hands drew everybody’s attention to Mark, who stood on a chair so he could be seen.

“Right, please everybody, can you all find somewhere to stand, the sun rises in two minutes, and we need to set the camera’s up to catch the – hey, what’s happening?” Mark turned his head as he could hear the grating of stone against stone, and he saw a great panel of rock slide across the entrance.

“SPIKE! – BILLY – oh gods – Willow – help me, Spike’s gone after Billy, they are in there – you’ve got to open the doors, Spike and Billy are in there! Buffy dashed to the rock and with all her might she tried to shift it.

Chaos abound, neither Mark, nor Giles or Wesley knew what was happening they couldn’t understand where the sliding rock had come from, and Willow checked the other passage was blocked too.


Meanwhile, inside the chamber Spike caught up with Billy, and was slightly alarmed to hear the rumble of stone against stone, and it going dark all of a sudden

“Come here you little – oh…now what…what have you got there……… the amulet – oh Billy, Uncle Giles isn’t going to be very pleased with you when he finds out what you’ve – UGH!”

Spike didn’t get to finish the sentence, Angel, with his eyes as black as coal had slugged him one from behind, and Spike crumpled into a heap beside his son.


“You know what to do…fulfil our destinies” The strange man said to Angel.

Angel advanced on baby Billy, who frowned and looked at his daddy lying on the floor beside him.

“DA! DADADADA! Uh”…Billy looked up at Angel, who was just reaching for the amulet, when Billy scooted away to the side of the altar, and placed the little stone disc in a special circular recess.

“Well, well! I do believe that brat is doing the job for you!” The strange man said smiling

Billy was kneeling, leaning with his hands on the side of the altar, frowning looking at his daddy…above them, more stone against stone grinding could be heard, and a panel slowly slid open in the roof of the chamber, roughly a foot square.

Meanwhile outside, Mark, Giles, Buffy and Willow were frantically trying to slide the rock away so they could enter the chamber.

The worst pain yet suddenly hit Cordelia and she could see Angel, his eyes black, she got a glimpse of the evil man, and Billy…she also saw Spike on the floor.

Despite her pain, she ran to where Buffy and Willow were, raining puny blows on the rock with her fists, screaming

“No angel, you mustn’t, it’ll kill you, please don’t listen to him!”

“What – WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?” Buffy grabbed Cordelia by the collar and shook her…….somebody called out,

“It’s rising…the sun is about to come up in ten, nine, eight…”

Inside the chamber Angel, still black-eyed went to lie down on top of the altar, when he was suddenly hit by an invisible force, and was smashed backwards against the rocks, his arms and legs flailing. He looked and saw it was the baby, pointing at him, and he couldn’t move.

Billy then pointed to his daddy with his other hand, and floated him up and across to the altar, and Spike, still unconscious floated down gently lying face upwards. The strange man went to come forward, he shouted to Angel,

“You stupid fool – you let a baby get the better of you – it’s YOUR destiny, get him, it’s only a baby for gods sake – just a –ah – AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHGGGGGGG!”

A bright pure white column of sunlight came through the open panel in the roof of the chamber and hit Spike in the chest, and he convulsed, and let out a loud scream – bolts of lightening snaked out, one catching the evil man in the chest, and he burnt to a crisp in a second, like he was made of tissue.

Billy looked with big eyes at what was happening to his daddy, and suddenly the column fizzled out and disappeared.

Spike stopped screaming and his head slumped to one side, Angel slumped down the rocks and was left unconscious and the panel in the ceiling closed, and the rocks blocking the passages receded and slid open, and Buffy, ran sobbing into the chamber

“SPIKE, BILLY – OH GODS BILLY!” She ran in to see the little amulet fall out of the recess, and Billy picked it up, and smiled, holding it up to his mom.

“Uh?”

She plucked him up off the floor and ran straight over to Spike.

Everybody piled into the chamber, Cordelia went over to Angel, and Willow and Giles went to the altar.

Gently taking Billy out of her arms, Giles said

“Is he okay?”

“Spike…please baby, please speak to me!” She sobbed and rested her head on his chest, reaching for his hand. Spike didn’t move. Trying to collect her thoughts, she noticed…a thump – then another, then another –
Raising her head with shock, she realised that Spike’s hand was warm –

“Buffy – are you-“

“Spike – he’s alive!”

“Well, I don’t know about that – or what went on in here, but there’s a distinct smell of burning and-“

“NO! He’s warm and he’s…he’s got a heart beat”

“Uuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhggggggggggg”

“SPIKE!”

“Oh gooooooooodddd…what the fuck happened?” Spike slowly propped himself up on one elbow, he felt like he’d been hit by a train.

“Spike? – SPIKE!”

“Wha-oohhh – hey…what’s up babe…what happened here…..hang on I’m … what’s that noise, that thump-thump?”

Comically, Spike’s eyes widened as he realised it was his heart, beating, he sat up with a gasp.
 

Chapter 9


Buffy entered her bedroom as quietly as she could, to look in on a sleeping Spike.

Spike raised his head off the pillows as soon as he saw the door open.

“Sorry babe, didn’t mean to wake you – how are you feeling?”

“Strange – gods, aren’t bodies noisy – breathing and heart beating and stomach growling!”

She sat on the bed and gently pushed his unruly curls out of his eyes.

“Can you remember what happened yet?”

“Nope, not a thing…I remember going in the chamber after Billy, but then suddenly everything went black…I – OW – did I hit my head on something? I’ve got a lump the size of an egg on the back of my head”

“Let me look – oh, never mind baby. Not something, someone. Angel hit you, but we don’t know why yet, Giles and Wesley are working on it – and him” Spike sat up

“Oh, he did, did he, well I’ll just – oh gods…” Spike had swung his legs out of bed, but felt dizzy and sick – a feeling he was totally not used to.

He looked down to his stomach, noticed his chest was slightly pinkish looking. He swayed slightly, and Buffy gently put restraining hands on his shoulders.

“You are not going anywhere, you are staying in bed, Mister. We don’t completely know what’s happened to you yet, the side effects or what, and until we do, I want you out of harms way”

Spike wanted to protest, but he really did feel strange, so meek as a lamb, he allowed Buffy to help him back into bed again.

Buffy was just about to say something, when Spike’s stomach gave a definite rumble.

“Oh, are you hungry babe, want me to heat you up some blood?”

“Blood – um, no…actually blood sounds…no, I really don’t want blood…I fancy chicken!”

Buffy smiled and repeated,

“Chicken? – Okay, what kind of chicken – barbecued, roast –“

“Fried – Kentucky style…and some coleslaw and fries – then chocolate ice-cream!” Spike said with a grin. Buffy beamed back at him and said,

“Sounds good to me, I’ll go get Willow and Xander to fetch it”

“Where’s Billy?”

“Downstairs with them, do you want to see him?”

“Of course”

**

“Who’s in here…eh Billy…who’s in here then?” Buffy carried Billy upstairs

“DA! Da-da – da-dee!” Billy chanted

“That’s right, you are a clever boy – there he is!” Buffy pushed open the bedroom door and Billy began to wriggle in his mom’s arms to get to his beloved ‘da’.

“Hello…hello my son – “ Spike couldn’t speak anymore, he just held his son to him. He hadn’t a clue what had gone on in the chamber, but he knew by instinct that Billy had saved him in some way.

“I’ll leave him with you, and go get supper, okay?”

Spike just nodded and Buffy left the room.

*****************


“But he didn’t actually tell you his name?” Giles asked Angel

“No, I’ve told you – I haven’t a clue who he was, all he kept on saying was, that Wolfram and Hart was originally his destiny, but somebody messed up, and he wanted what was rightfully his” Angel said

“And as a reward, he was going to give you what?”

“I don’t know, he kept asking me what I really wanted, he convinced me it was to be made human again – I guess he knew what would happen in that chamber at sun-up”

“And is that what you want?” Wesley asked

Angel shrugged his shoulders

“I – I don’t know really”

“And nobody else every saw this guy?” Giles asked

Angel just shook his head, and then he said,

“Everybody just sort of turned to stone when he appeared, time stopped, he could flit around, one second he’d be in one place, the next somewhere else. He didn’t set of any alarms or anything”

“Was it that same guy who you reckon appeared in the office, when you had all the alarms checked”

“Yes…look, I’m awfully tired, can I go rest now?”

“In a minute Angel, one more thing – can you remember anything that might help us piece together what happened in that chamber?”

Angel closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead.

“Not really…although”

“Yes?”

“I think, well – the baby. If that baby hadn’t have been there, I’d probably have succeeded in what I was trying to do. I think anyway”

“No, you wouldn’t” The three men looked up to see Cordelia enter the room.

Giles and Wesley immediately switched their attention to her, and she continued.

“It would have killed you. The sunlight would have just simply reduced you to ashes because it wasn’t meant for you”

“How do you know this?” Giles asked

“The visions I have, I’ve been piecing things together as much as I can. When the chambers closed and the sun rose, I just knew it wasn’t meant for Angel, it was Spike’s destiny, luckily his son seemed to know that too…the child – he had an energy, he stopped you Angel”

Angel frowned and tried to remember.

“I remember hitting Spike, and I could see the child had the amulet, but he crawled away before I could take it” Angel said

“Go on”

“He put it…in the altar, at the front, there is a space for the amulet to fit in…next thing I know, I’m flying backwards, helpless – I couldn’t move…there was screaming – I don’t remember anymore”

“You were unconscious when we found you”

Angel nodded, then a thought struck him, and he asked quietly,

“And what has happened to Spike?”

“Well, he um…he appears to be alive”

“Alive?”

“Yes, alive, as in warm with a heartbeat, but for how long it will last or if there are any side-effects we don’t know yet”

“I see. Can I go now? If I remember anything, I’ll tell Wesley”

Giles stood and nodded

“Okay, um, Cordelia, before I go, could I just have a word…” She nodded and left the room with him.

“Would you please tell me everything you’ve managed to piece together – we really need to know what went on”

“I’ll do my best”

************



Epilogue

Three weeks later


Buffy grinned and said,

“Are you trying to prove something, Mister? I know you still have your vamp stamina!” she didn’t add the ‘thank god’ on the end of that sentence, but that’s what she thought…

Spike cuddled up to her naked body and said,

“No, it’s just that while Willow is baby-sitting Billy, we can have some quality time to ourselves!”

“Trouble is, you daylight freak, you like the drapes and the windows open now – so the neighbourhood get to hear our ‘quality time!’” Buffy said grinning

“Ah, sod ‘em, make ‘em jealous!” Spike began to stroke her back, making her writhe…

“And you’ve got to stop standing naked at the window, I saw old Mrs Hopkins next door hanging about her garden, I swear when she saw me open the drapes she looked up hoping it was you!”

“What –Ew Buffy, she must be in her seventies! Anyway, forget her, forget everything…” Spike leaned up and began to kiss her with mounting passion.

They’d already made love three times during the night, but Spike was always frisky in the mornings, as much as Billy’s timing would allow him to be!

“I love you”

“I know, and I love you – so much”

Buffy lay on her back, Spike lay over her, taking his weight on his forearms, and he began to kiss her neck, then lower onto her breasts and latching onto a rosy nipple he worried the nub with his tongue before sucking gently, making Buffy gasp and arch into him.

Spike entered her slowly, nothing had changed except perhaps he was warmer than he used to be, but the wondrous sensations he sent coursing through her didn’t alter.

Buffy fluttered her nails down his back, scratching lightly, she wrapped her legs around him, drawing him inside her tight wet warmth, gasping as he filled her to the limit.

Thrashing her head from side to side, Spike speeded up his thrusts, at the same time as nuzzling her neck. This always got her hot and she could feel him swell even bigger, knowing he was reaching the point of no return, carefully he slid his hand between them, and he lightly pinched at her slippery clit, causing Buffy to yell and almost howl!

He felt the sweet tight clench of her orgasm, milking him of every drop of his manly seed, and kissing her he whispered to her just how beautiful she was to him, and how much he loved her.

Snuggling together afterwards, happy and for the time being sated, Buffy had her head resting on Spike’s shoulder.

The telephone rang, and Spike snagged up the receiver

“Hello?”

“Hi Spike, it’s me. Jr keeps asking for his Da and his ma-ma, can I bring him home now?”

With a grin Spike said,

“Sure, we best get up now anyway, we’ve got visitors coming today”

“Oh god yes, I forgot! I better go shower!” Buffy said and dived out of bed and into the bathroom.

Half an hour later, Willow arrived with Billy, and not ten minutes later, Giles arrived with Cordelia and Wesley.

As soon as Billy saw his daddy, he got excited and Spike took him outside in the warm sunshine and they sat on a blanket on the lawn.


Buffy’s smile was a mile wide.

“And as you can see, he can go out in sunlight, just like you and me! Boy, was that fun to find out! It was comical how he gritted his teeth and just stuck his arm out of the door first – he – WE were all waiting for the sizzle and the ‘arrg’ and the horrible burning flesh smell, and when it didn’t happen – well – it…gods it was amazing!”

“I bet. So it looks like he’s totally okay with sunlight then!” Cordelia said

“Oh yes, he got bolder and I stood ready with a blanket at the ready, and the moment he stood fully in the sun – (Buffy teared up) it was awesome – he’s out all day in it now, playing with Billy, he’s even talking about doing the garden!”

Wesley and Cordelia smiled. Angel had felt unable to come with them on their visit to Sunnydale, he was still ‘brooding’ at the turn of events.

“Giles said something about him still having vampire qualities though, still?” Wesley asked, and Buffy nodded and said,


“He has a heartbeat, but he can still morph into a vampire, with all the strength and stamina and that, but if he does, he has to feed on blood afterwards, animal blood, obviously - if he stays in human form, he doesn’t need the blood – but, he can’t morph during the day”

“I see, well, we don’t know what happened in the chamber, and I don’t suppose we ever will, but it is amazing alright” Wesley said, and Giles, who had just entered the room, agreed.

“So how is Angel?” Giles asked

“Well, he’s brooding – he doesn’t remember much, he remembers this strange man, although nobody else ever saw him, and he said something about Billy being strong, pinning him to the rocks, and he remembers knocking Spike out, but that’s about it. He hasn’t said as much, but I think he feels pretty bad about things, all in all”

Spike entered the sitting room carrying Billy

“There she is, there’s your ma…hi Wesley, Cordelia”

“Spike, so, working on you tan?” Wes asked with a grin

“It’s amazing – playing with Billy in the garden – it’s awesome, it really is!”

He sat down by Buffy and held her hand.

“So you are enjoying things then?”

“I tell you mate, it’s like being re-born.” Spike said, and kissed his son’s cheek, and everybody smiled.


**********


Deep in the mists of time, Aphrodite smiled down on the happy family scene – her work was now complete . She’d allowed the legend of Amun Rah to take place – the legend that one day the mighty warrior Amun Rah, Sun God, would return to earth to vanquish bad and restore good – and what better way than to have the mighty warrior re-incarnated into another mighty warrior, Spike, the reformed vampire.

Spike had his reward, he loved his family and would take care of them always.

And Aphrodite knew that this time, she wasn’t instrumental in sending them another ‘gift’ – the baby girl Buffy had just conceived was done all by themselves………….

THE END