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.