Under the Forbidden Sun
Prologue
Soon. Only a few more weeks before it was time. In a dimly lit room, a figure stood, draped in shadows, contemplating the events that would soon follow. Everything was working out as planned and the world would never know what hit it. So many things had already come to pass and she decided it was time to liven things up a bit. Why not let the poor unwitting saps have something to worry about. Regardless of what they thought they could do, nothing could stop the Earth-Ender.
Cordelia Chase was sitting in the office of Angel Investigations filing her nails while Wesley Windham-Pryce idly thumbed through a dusty book of prophecies. Suddenly Cordelia stiffened. “Wesley, get a tape-recorder.”
“A tape-recorder? Why?” came the surprised response.
“Just do it! Ask questions later!”
Wesley scurried out of the office. “Tape-recorder, tape recorder…” He was so wrapped up in his mission, he smacked into Angel.
“Wesley, what in the world are you doing?”
“Sorry, did I interrupt a brooding session?” Angel scowled at him. “Cordelia needs a tape-recorder. She’s acting very weird. I don’t know why.” Angel disappeared from the room, then reentered.
“How about this?”
Wesley grabbed it, turning it over. “Yes, it’s got a built-in microphone. A fresh tape?” Angel nodded and the two men returned to the office, where Cordelia appeared to be in the middle of a vision. Wesley pressed the record button. “We’ve got it, Cordy.”
Without any warning, Cordelia began speaking in a tongue neither man recognized. Before they could register what was going on, Cordelia stopped speaking and collapsed. Wesley set the recorder down and rushed over to Cordelia. “Cordy, are you alright?”
“Oh, my head!” Wesley went to get some asprin and water, while Angel carefully moved Cordelia to the couch and tried to make her comfortable. Wesley returned and handed her several asprin, then the water.
“What was that?”
“I don’t know, but it wasn’t the Powers. Uh, Wes? That thing’s still going.” Wesley walked over to the recorder and shut it off, then hit the rewind button. “What language was that? God, it was strange!”
Wesley and Angel looked at each other and then the woman on the couch. “Uh, we don’t know. It’s nothing I recognized. And I don’t think Wesley knows either.”
Part 1- Translation
“I think I’ve got this completely transcribed now. Angel, would you double check it for me?” Wesley rewound the tape and relinquished his seat to the brooding vampire. “I still wish we could figure out what language this is. Do you suppose Rupert might know, or even Spike?” He shuddered as he said the last name.
Angel turned, thoughtful. “Hmmm, I suppose it’s worth a shot. Let me finish checking this, then I’ll call them.”
“Hello?”
“Rupert, it’s Angel. We’ve got a problem.”
“Oh, dear. What sort of problem?”
“Cordy had a strange vision-type event today. It wasn’t so much a vision as something used her to convey a message.”
“A message?” Giles was confused. “What type of message?”
“Well, we don’t know exactly. Neither Wesley nor I can figure out what language it’s in. Very strange. We were hoping you might know. And if not you then maybe Spike.”
“Oh, dear. It must be bad if you’re willing to ask Spike.” In the background Angel could hear Spike yelling indignantly. “Oi, you bloody wanker! I ‘aven’t done anything to you!” Then Xander, “Sod off, you pillock! Leave the G-man alone!” Laughter erupts, then, “How was that Spike?” “Good, good, you’re getting better with the insults.” “Well, how about a reward?” A few seconds of silence, then a chorus of “Oh, God no!” “Not again!” “Ewwwww”s, Anya screaming “But I don’t have the video camera!” and a distinctly Buffy “Don’t make me get the crow bar! You didn’t like it last time and you won’t like it now!”
“Um, Rupert, what’s going on over there?”
Giles hemmed and hawed for a second, “I would prefer not to explain over the phone. Could you come here? And bring the message that needs translating?”
“Of course. We’ll be there in a few hours.” Angel hung up the phone, thinking for a minute. Then he turned to Cordelia, Wesley, and Gunn, who had arrived after Cordelia’s incident, “Looks like we’re going to Sunnydale.”
Meanwhile, in Sunnydale, Giles replaced the receiver on his phone and turned toward the group in the Magic Box. As expected, Spike and Xander were practically having sex on the rug, Buffy was returning with the crowbar, Anya was watching avidly, and Riley, Willow, Dawn, and Tara were frantically averting their eyes. Giles cleared his throat.
“Angel’s coming here.” All action ceased.
“Angel, why? Is he tired of brooding in LA and feels the need to brood here?” asked Xander, untangling himself from the peroxide vampire.
“No, apparently something used Cordelia to convey a message and they can’t translate it. So they’re coming here.”
“Bloody hell. Peaches never was good at the languages, but I would’ve thought his boy-toy would be better at that… Wanker! What was that for?”
“No mentioning boy-toys or s-e-x in front of Dawn.” Xander excused the punch and plopped down on the couch. Spike followed and tucked himself into the dark-haired boy’s side.
“Uh-huh, and does the fact that you and Spike were going at it on the floor a few seconds ago mean nothing to you? I think that’s far worse than just mentioning that Wesley is anyone’s boy-toy, let alone Angel’s. And anyway, I think Gunn is far more Angel’s type. I mean he’s got that ass… Ow!” Buffy was grinning good-naturedly at Anya. “Well, he was being a hypocrite…”
“Children, please. They’ll be here in a couple hours. Please try to find something other that ripping each other to shreds to do until they arrive.”
“Right, got that. Wait for Angel and Company to arrive, then rip each other to shreds.
Giles sighed and looked at Xander. “Now you know that’s not what I meant.”
“Oi, I want to kill something. And since Buffy is out of the running, let’s patrol.”
“Good idea. Be back in a couple hours, and for God’s sake, don’t get killed.”
“Hey, we haven’t yet, now have we?” Buffy stretched and stood up. “Dawn, you gonna be okay here with Anya and Giles?”
“How come I can’t go? I never get to do anything fun!”
“Now, Dawn, you know you’re too young to play with the demons. Wait a couple more years, then we’ll see.”
Instead of splitting up like they would usually do, the group decided to stay together for the sweep of the cemeteries. Buffy and Riley headed the group, Willow and Tara stayed toward the middle of the group, and Spike and Xander took the rear. Of course, no one mentioned the reason for that was so each couple could get some snuggles in during the patrol. And especially didn’t mention that Spike and Xander hung back because they occasionally got carried away against the tombs.
After patrolling for about a half hour, Spike and Xander wandered off and were having a quick grope in the shadow of a mausoleum when they heard Willow and Tara scream. Racing out into the open, readjusting their clothes on the way, Spike and Xander saw Buffy and Riley staking fledges left and right. The two witches, spell casting, were surrounded by a swarm of newbie vampires and Spike and Xander quickly joined the fray.
Within minutes, the last one was dusted. Buffy, Riley, and Spike were relatively unharmed; Tara and Willow sported several small cuts and some bruises; and Xander had a gash on the left side of his face, running from his hairline to his jaw. Everybody looked at each other, and then Willow started to laugh. At Xander. “What is so funny?”
“Well,” she said, gasping for air. “Next time you and Spike have a little ‘alone time’, try to zip your pants back up!” Xander turned bright red as everyone else started to laugh. He turned away and fixed the problem.
“S’not his fault, y’know. S’all mine!” said Spike proudly. “I don’t think he realized I didn’t get ‘em zipped back up. Like I had the time to do more than button them back up with you bints screaming like you were dying.” The rest of the patrol was fairly uneventful, and eventually the group returned to the house, still teasing Xander unmercifully.
When they returned to the house, their guests had already arrived. Buffy went in first, yelling for Anya. “Anya, Anya! You’ll never guess what happened tonight! It was absolutely hilarious! Willow and Tara got caught by a hoard of fledges and when Spike and Xander came out, his pants were still unzipped and Xander went through the whole fight will his fly hanging open.”
Xander, walking in for the last part, sighed, “Thank you, Buffy. I just hope nobody else heard that.” So saying, he realized everybody was in the room and turned fire engine red. “Oh, Lord, just kill me now.” Gunn and Cordelia were going into hysterics, Giles was trying to hide a smile and failing miserably, Wesley was as red as Xander, and Angel was just staring at Xander. “What’s up, Brood Boy? Upset ‘cause I took the attention off you?”
“And anyway, like I told them back there, it was all my fault,” said Spike smugly.
Angel looked at the two for a minute, then sniffed the air surrepticiously. “You’re sleeping together?” He turned to Giles. “They’re sleeping together, and you couldn’t bother to tell me?”
“ ‘Ey now! I’m a big boy, I think I can take care of myself,” Spike cried indignantly, tacking on a muttered, “Bloody wanker, can’t ‘ave sex, so ‘e thinks no one should get any.”
“Now I didn’t say that, and what makes you think I can’t have sex?”
“The ‘appiness clause, Peaches. What else?” This time Spike sniffed the air. “Ooo, somebody’s been a bad souled vampire! Shall I tell ‘em who you’re shaggin’, or are you tellin’?”
Angel opened his mouth to speak, but Xander cut him off. “Wait a sec, Brood-Boy, I don’t think you need to say anything, right Wesley?” Xander turned toward Wesley, who had turned an even brighter shade of red. “What’s he like in bed? “Cause I gotta’ tell you Spike’s an absolute animal! Wanna’ swap for a night and then compare ‘em?”
“Xander, would you please stop that? That is so not of the good!” Willow looked exasperated for a minute. “Y’know, Wes, he offered the same thing for me and Tara. So don’t feel too bad.”
Wesley made a strange eep noise and Angel sighed. “Can we please get back to business? Xander, I don’t want to switch lovers with you.”
“ ‘Ey, why not?” Spike had been preening since Xander’s compliment. “I know what you’re like in bed and I’m sure your boy-toy wouldn’t mind a change of pace.”
“Enough!” Everybody turned and looked at Giles and his uncharacteristic Ripper display. He blushed and cleaned his glasses. “Sorry, but we do have a possible disaster to avert. As exciting as this conversation is, we have work to do. Angel, could we listen to the tape? Have you transcribed it at all?”
“Of course. Here,” Angel had Wesley give Giles the tape and the transcription. “Wes transcribed it and then I checked it. We think it’s right, but we don’t know.”
Giles put on the tape, and everyone began listening. Suddenly Xander started speaking. “One to five and five to one, together make life undone. Five to one and one to five, together death will come alive. One is and isn’t to the naked eye, holds the eternal reigns for all to live yet die. One filled with a bloody rage, caught then freed from a metal cage. One from kith and kin was cast, shows no mercy for the past. One from Hell yet still the same, lost and found shall again deserve the name. One seemed gone but not at all, shall rise again to forever fall. One linked in life to the night, gives the people and the world as his right. One to five and five to one, change the influence of moon and sun. Five to one and one to five, change the reality of death and life.” The tape ended and everyone just stared at Xander. “What?!”
“How did you do that? Were you making that up, because this is not the time to joke, Xander,” Angel gave Xander a stern look.
“I wasn’t making it up. I don’t know how I know, but I understood what Cordy was saying.” Xander turned toward Spike, who immediately took him into his arms. “It’s kinda freaky if you ask me.”
“That language, it’s Grogthk.” Giles started cleaning his glasses.
“Giles, if you keep cleaning your glasses, you’re not going to have glasses to clean.”
“Er, thank you, Buffy.” He went to his bookshelves. “Wesley, would you like to come help me find anything referring to Grogthk demons? Xander, I need you to stay here, but everyone else can leave.”
“ ‘Ey now, I’m not leaving without my nummy! I’m staying.”
Tara and Willow invited Cordelia to come over and share gossip. Buffy, Anya, and Dawn decided to go with them. Gunn turned to Riley, “Any good bars in this town?”
“Yeah, I’ll bring you back later.” Riley seemed relieved he didn’t have to go with the girls.
Angel stared at Spike and Xander. “Sod off, you bloody wanker. You’re gonna’ infect us with your broodiness.”
“How long have you two been together?”
“Dunno, few months. Why? Are you jealous?” Xander grinned at the dark vampire. “ ‘Cause if you’re good, you might be able to play, too.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
“My childe is not a good influence on you, Xander.”
“So?”
“I’m just saying you should be careful.”
“Thanks Peaches.”
“Yeah, thanks, Dad!” Xander started laughing. “I can call you Dad, right? ‘Cause you’re Spike’s sire and he’s like my husband, so you’re my sire-in-law!” Angel just sighed and looked toward the ceiling. Fortunately Giles and Wesley found some information and brought it over to the others. “Wait,” Xander looked at Spike, “what do we call Wes? Since he’s with Dad an’ all.”
Wesley looked surprised and embarrassed. Spike smirked, “Maybe we should call him Father, since he’s all English and stuffy.”
“Well, you’re English.”
“But, Nummy, I’m not stuffy.”
“Oh, good point. Father it is.”
“Good Lord, deliver us from our Childer and their boyfriends.”
“Mate, Peaches. He’s my mate. I just…” Spike looked down, “I can’t claim him and complete the bond because of the bloody chip.”
“Spike, Wil, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.”
“Yeah, well, what did Giles and Father find?”
“Very funny, Spike. We found something very interesting here,” Wesley said, holding out his book. “It says here Grogthk demons are born with an innate knowledge of their language. It also says that they have an extremely human-like appearance. They all have dark hair and dark eyes, and tend to be tall.” He glanced over at Xander, to see if he could see where this was going. Spike was narrowing his eyes and Xander was paling visibly. “The main differences are amazing dexterity, super-human strength, speedy healing, keen night-vision, and highly-developed hearing. Oh, and males can carry babies as well as the women.”
Xander let out a hugh sigh of relief. “Well, I can’t be one because I am semi-klutzy, have normal strength, don’t heal fast, um, yeah.”
“But Pet, you had a nasty gash on your face from the fight, and now it’s mostly gone,” Spike touched where the cut had been.
“What about the vision and the hearing, Xander?”
Xander squirmed. “Um, maybe I’ve been eating a lot of carrots lately?”
Wesley skimmed back over the entry. “Oh, wait! I missed this before. It says here the special qualities don’t really start manifest until the end of puberty. Usually around the age of twenty-one or so.”
“What? So I’m like this super-human demon-thing and nobody knew?!? How could this happen? Shouldn’t Buffy’s Slayer-sense go all wacky around me? What about you guys?” He gestures toward Angel and Spike. “You’re vampires, don’t you have built-in demon radars? And the chip! Spike can’t attack humans! So how come he can’t bite me?”
“Xander, calm down, luv. You know we would’ve told you if we had known,” he walked over to the boy and held him. “And I have never actually tried to hurt or bite you. I couldn’t bring myself to cause you pain even before we were together. And, after, I knew that if I was in pain, you’d be in pain. So I never tried. And y’know this IS Sunnyhell. We see what we want to see. If Buffy gets whacky around you, she probably writes it off as the whole demon magnet thing.”
“What about that? Does it say why I attract so many demons to me?”
Wesley looked through the entry again. “Oh, um, yes. Actually, here we go. You exude a pheremone that other demons can sense. It, uh, it makes you attractive to them. Strange really.” Then he did a double-take. “Oh my. When I said men as well as women carry babies, I was mistaken. Grogthk demons are all male. And they generally raise their children in a collective environment. Xander, were you by any chance adopted?” The men in the room stared at Wesley. “Oh, ridiculous question, sorry. Obviously you are, since we know your parents are human.”
Xander whimpered. “So where’s my ‘real’ family?”
“We, uh, we don’t know.”
“Oh, sod this. Xander, you’re family’s here. We’re your family.” He gestured to Giles,
“Your surrogate dad,” Angel and Wesley, “the in-laws” smirk “and your sibs are out on the town right now. And me, your mate, for now and forever.”
“Wait, does that say how long I’ll live? Normal human expectancy or what?”
Wesley closed his book. “This one doesn’t say. Rupert, does yours?”
Giles looked through his book, “Oh, yes, right here. Life expectancy, hmmm. Barring any unforeseen disasters, you’ll live as long as Spike. You can be killed by head severing, being shot in the head by anything, and crushing your skull. My advice would be to avoid things having to do with your head.” Spike snickered. “That’s not what I meant. You’re disgusting, Spike.”
“Why thank you,
Watcher. It’s so nice to know someone
appreciates me.”