¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ ¤¤¤¤¤¤

What Is To Be

-Twenty-Third-

By Annie

2003-12-11

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ ¤¤¤¤¤¤ Susannah looked even more uncomprehending at that.

"What does that mean?" she asked.

"According to one branch of the legend, one that you've actually verified," Spike spoke up, "Nefertiti nicknamed her firstborn daughter into what we would translate as 'Aria', 'cause that was the nickname she had gone by herself when she was young. And that name stuck with the daughter; and so it did with all the firstborn daughters of her bloodline. When it grew into a first name isn't recorded."

"What are you saying?" Susannah wondered, incredulous.

"You're the last living descendant of the queen Nefertiti," Buffy stated.

"How is that possible...? ...I can't be..." Susannah grumbled, looking away from them and trailing off as she stared down at her hands.

"There's more," Spike said. "Satoch runs in your blood. That's the only way he could ensure that when the day come for him to once again rule, he would be there to see it. From generation to generation he has been there, in your family, dormant - until now."

"So this explains it...?" Susannah wondered, and both of the others nodded. "How does he take possession?"

"He can only enter at a young age. And he can only leave one host for another if the first host..."

This time it was Spike who trailed off, Susannah staring at him until her eyes suddenly gleamed with tears of realization.

"I killed my mother," she murmured and Buffy shook her head, reaching out a hand to place it on Susannah's arm, but the other didn't even seem to notice. "I killed my mother," she repeated. "She was the host before me, and he..."

"HE killed your parents," Buffy tried soothingly. "You had nothing to do with it. How could you have known. And how could you have stopped it?"

The growing shock on the young woman seemed to stretch out the minute they were in, and then she was the one to break through it as she suddenly exclaimed:

"I want him OUT of me! Get him OUT!"

She was struggling to get out of bed, but Buffy grabbed her and pulled her close in a tight embrace and after a minute of fighting it Susannah slowly relaxed, all that was heard in the sudden stillness of the room was her weeping.

"I'm so sorry, honey," Buffy mumbled. "I'm so sorry."

"We'll make it right," Spike promised gently. "We'll find a way to kill him."

Buffy turned her gaze in his and he nodded, turning around and going where he was most needed - research.

***

Buffy massaged her neck.

She was tired. Her head cramped with much too many thoughts trying to have audience at the same time. It truly was exasperating. She glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall and noticed that it had stopped. It showed five past three, and they had passed that hour a long time ago. In fact, the sun was setting.

Walking from where she had resided for the past half hour she continued into the foyer and found herself stopping in the doorway of the glass doors leading outside, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. She thought of Dawn. Hoping that she was alright, and happy. In case something went wrong...

Can't think like that, she reprimanded herself.

Squaring her shoulders she turned and this time crossed the foyer, proceeding into the conference room where her lover sat hunched over a thick volume, as did his fellow companion. She had to smile at the sight, wondering how good a watcher Spike would make.

He would be fierce, she concluded. He would take extreme measures to ensure the survival of his prodigy. He would train her something awful, and yet, she had a feeling that that Slayer would be one of the most powerful tools the world had ever beheld.

Look at me, she thought. I was fed hatred for so long that I didn't even taste his love, and still it made me stronger. What would actually loving him all the way not have done with my power?

Then she smiled and walked around the table to lean down and put her arms around him.

Now she knew the answer to that last question.

"Unbeatable," she mumbled and he smiled questioningly as she pulled away a little. "Never mind," she offered as a simple explanation, then kissed him on the lips before turning her gaze on the book placed in front of him. "Find anything good and juicy?"

"No," Wesley was the one to reply as he drew a breath and then released it over the page he was reading, having the old dust on top of it fly in scurrying clouds about in the air. "Only things old and very dry," he added, coughing.

She smirked, standing straight again.

"I was wondering what today is," she said and they both looked quizzical, so she elaborated: "You know, the countdown thing-y. What's supposed to hit us where we least want it to, today?"

"I quote," Wesley replied, continuing: "'And as the stars align with the god of fire there shall be no sound but the beating of one heart and that heart shall be true and pure and it shall know its purpose as the third day subdues to darkness.'"

Buffy blinked.

"It's almost dark out," she remarked.

"Well, we can't take it too literal," Wesley answered. "It also says 'And as the year closes there shall be a great tremor felt in the earth...' and so on and so forth and since this whole thing is either over or defeated in less than three days I believe we can safely say that's not meant to be taken word for word."

Buffy didn't look very convinced and as a terrible hunch settled in the middle of her ribcage she felt her mouth grow dry. Leaving the room she looked up and rested her eyes on a piece of the, mostly hidden, fiery sky. She walked slowly in her own footsteps, back to the glass doors and then she proceeded through them. She wasn't sure why, but she walked through the garden and out onto the sidewalk which ran along the side of the hotel. Looking both ways she could conclude that the streets were deserted.

She looked up at the sky again.

She had a feeling she needed to hurry. But where?

Turning she fell into a slow jog, then she suddenly felt a forceful push from that feeling inside and before she knew it she was running.

Her feet were taking her to the ocean. She could smell the salt.

She rounded the same corner of the same building which had taken her to the shore where Spike had been just a few nights before, and as she rushed onto the sand she looked up. And came to a roaring halt.

Her mouth fell open at the sight which met her.

In the sky were the four aligning stars, shining brightly against the husky blue of the sky, and in the horizon - in perfect unison with the line of the stars - was the setting sun. Merely a sliver was left and the heat of it was slowly being pulled into it as the color was drained from the heavens above.

Dusk was setting in quickly now and she knew it was merely a matter of minutes before darkness settled over the city.

The thought made her jerk and she turned her head toward from where she had come. A chill of eerie premonitions pulled ice-cold fingers down her back and in the next moment she was on the move again. This time running toward the Hyperion instead of from it, and her feet pounding the pavement beneath her as she had the most terrible notion of something about to go wrong.

She reached the front doors and pushed them open. Spike was standing outside the door of the conference room, having had his gaze in the papers he was holding, but now turning them in Buffy's.

She looked positively wild as she stared at him.

"Has it happened yet?" she asked and he was about to open his mouth and ask her what that was supposed to mean when there was a sudden scream of pain from upstairs. Buffy's eyes grew and then she breathed: "Angel."

The following second she was running up the stairs, taking it three steps at a time and hearing how Spike wasn't late to follow.

She continued down the hallway, pushed the vampire's door open without any ado and rushed up to him where he lay on his bed. Cordelia was standing beside him, but she still couldn't touch him and she was crying tears which kept forming thin lines of ice on her face.

"What's wrong?" she asked as Buffy leaned over the convulsing form.

"Buffy," he got out. "It hurts!"

Spike came into the room, stopping at the sight, not sure of what he should do.

"It's okay," Buffy tried, putting a hand on his brow and pulling it back with a yell as she burned her fingers on his skin. "Oh, my God," she mumbled. "Will!" she added, turning her eyes in Spike's. "Get some cold water, quickly!"

He nodded and dashed out of the room again.

"What's happening?" Buffy seemed to ask mostly herself, unable to answer. "Angel, can you hear me?" she then said, putting a knee on the edge of the bed and leaning forward to look down at him. "Angel?!"

His vamp face came on and the yellow eyes of Angelus leered up at her, making her draw a sharp breath and practically jump three feet away from the bed.

"You... can't... win," Angelus hissed and then Angel was back, letting out another growling scream of pain before vamping out again.

Suddenly all the noise began to be blocked out. Buffy got afraid that she was actually going deaf and Cordelia seemed to be thinking along those very lines as she looked at the Slayer. Then the former asked:

"What is this?"

And since they could both hear her voice loud and clear in the spreading silence of the room Buffy found it unnecessary to reflect on the query.

And then there it was. It started slow at first, the sound very far away, before it grew in intensity and both Buffy and Cordelia turned their stunned gazes at the form on the bed. He was back in his human appearance once more, his chest heaving with even breaths and the beating of his heart echoing through the room.

***

Everybody was quiet.

It wasn't a comforting quiet, it was a quiet edged with sharp questions demanding answers. Answers which could be sought from only one of those gathered, and he had been lost in his own thoughts ever since the attack he had suffered had subdued.

It was nearly half an hour later, and they were gathered in his room.

Sitting on the bed he looked strangely translucent and his countenance told of an age Buffy had never witnessed on him before. Not through hair that had gone white or skin that had wrinkled. He was still as strong and handsome as ever. But the lines of his face seemed deeper, the shadows just one shade darker, and his eyes... Buffy knew there was nothing she could do to ease what he had just gone through; in part because she didn't know exactly what that was, but also because the immense amount of agony which he had seemed to be under was something she hadn't ever seen on him.

And it had scared her.

His heart had slowly but surely stilled, and since then he hadn't uttered one word.

"Would someone just please say something," Cordelia was the one who finally spoke.

Her skin was white now, from frost. Her lips constantly blue and her hair seemed to be covered in fine patches of ice, making it resemble a bad set of dreadlocks. But she wasn't shaking as badly as before, and her cold had blown over as well. Her eyes were burdened though, and Buffy wondered if it was only for Angel's sake.

"What should we say?" Wesley muttered glumly.

"Well, for starters, what the hell is going on?!" she exclaimed. "So, it's part of the prophecy. I guess the fact that he's been burning for the past DAY didn't occur to the jackass who wrote the thing! He's already been handed a frickin' part in this, hasn't he?!"

"But we didn't know what it was," Angel said gently and all eyes were focused on him.

"But we..." Cordelia started, only he interrupted her by saying:

"I know what I'm supposed to do now. I don't know when, or how, but I know what I have to do."

Cordelia looked very doubting, as well as frightened at the calm exterior he had on.

"And what is that?" she finally asked.

Angel smiled a little, then turned his gaze in Wesley's, who grew slightly rigid and whose eyes seemed to try an objection. Only the vampire didn't seem to pay any heed, the smile staying on and then he said:

"Ask him. He's found the answer in the prophecy."

"He's WHAT?" Cordelia demanded, swirling around to face Wesley. "You could have stopped this the whole time?"

"There's no stopping it, and I only just translated it," Wesley replied tentatively, looking around at them all and then having his gaze back in Angel's.

"No, there's no stopping it," Angel agreed slowly, turning his eyes into Cordelia's as he finished: "I will die."

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

Yes, ppl, two chapters in less than four days IS actually a writer - such as myself - 's way of trying to make amends. ;)

Special thanks and fuzzy cushions of warming Christmas spirit (there's an image for you) :) to Taelyn (hey! Very nice to see your name up there again! And do I know all there is to know about computers going absolutely - and might I add damn annoyingly - bonkers? I do, yes. I could write the manual. Hey, wanna co-write it with me, perhaps? *smirk* Just glad that you found your way back! Oh, and hi Bob! *waves* Meet Letmechangeyourworld(andsometimesdistortthehelloutofit) - my muse. *Letmechangeyourworld(andsometimesdistortthehelloutofit) waves also, though not with as much enthusiasm since she's in charge of the intelligence and leaves the flaky, half-witty, out-there stuff to my pea-sized brain* ;) She's nice though, once you get to know her. Demanding, but indeed very nice. :) Sorry, I'm tired, it makes me ramble. Back to your wonderful review we shall go. Well, basically the whole thing plastered a grin on my face which was stuck there through an entire Christmas dinner *it's a Swedish thing where we go to a restaurant and eat Swedish Christmas food et cetera - very nice!* and well there's a LOT of FOOD and you eat 'til you're certain you're not gonna eat for another decade and could this interest you in the slightest? Well, my point was that you made me feel good. No, terrific, truly. All of you do that all of the time and it never seizes to impress me how good you are at it and GOD I really do appreciate that! So, thanks. Wow, that was long. Okay. Bye for now.) ;)

Winters1 (hey, now don't be insulted if I don't write as an extensive answer to you, okay? I am tired, tired, tired and I need to put a serious leash on my babbling or I'll sit here half the night and you'll all be like PLEASE what the hell is she writing to us about? And - WHY?! So. I'll keep it short and pretty from now on. Oh, like your review! That wasn't planned - that little analogy there. It just happened. Love that. Thank you, truly for the warming words! I'm glad to see I didn't lose you on the long highway of broken equipment and illness and stress and only God knows what else! But you've been there from the start, my friend, so I had no doubt in you. The writer's block SEEM to be completely cured, though, I don't wanna jinx it so KnockOnWood and all that. *actually just DID that* Ahem. Hehe, thanks for the thoughts, girl!) :)

wolf116 (dear old wolfie! You're always here too, aren't you? I have to say I LOVE new readers. Adore them. That they sit down, take the time to read my work, like it or hate it as long as they leave a mark. But the readers who have been there from chapter one and who then sticks through thick and thin, now, there's the support. There's the love. I rely on you, you know? I've lost a few readers who were with me right from the very first story I ever wrote and I don't know why, don't know where they went, and I miss them. THAT'S why it's SO good to see your name up there always! Thanks for that. Glad you liiiked it! Hope you liked this as well!!! It's so fun to have you guessing, really! Hehe, I personally love stories which can go either way. That makes you think! I know you do too and so yay that you like this! Babbling again. Yikes, this is gonna take me an hour! SORRY! I should learn never to post after twelve o'clock at night. Either I'm so tired I can barely write a 'hello' - or I'm so giggl-y tired and have no one to take it out on that I take it out on you, my poor fellow women... and men, I guess. Some of you. Argh! Babbling! Okay. Good night for now.)

blackeyedgurl (okay. You've seen what's overhead. I won't even try to contain my ramblings anymore. Just don't read it, okay? I appreciate everything you write in your review. There. Oh, yeah, the Nefertiti name meaning stuff and well, guess I kinda didn't go there, did I? Well, in a way, with the name, I guess. But when you wrote me what it meant I hadn't known before, and I had already planned this... Don't know yet if I'm gonna use the name bit in the story. See, that's linked to the human interpretations, and this is more of the demon variety... Oh, I just dunno. I'm VERY happy that you like it though, seeing as how you're so into Egypt and everything! Totally cool for me! Nordic Myth, huh? Sound cool. Should try and remember to check it out, now that I finally have Internet at home it's a lot easier to surf. Don't hate me if I don't, though. I really dislike reading stuff in the middle of writing my own thing, and since I'm mostly writing my own thing I hardly have time to surf for reads... Don't get me wrong, I want to! It's just hard sometimes. And sometimes you stumble over someone with practically the exact idea you have and then how could you prove to them that you're not stealing their material, you know? Might sound like really lame explanations, but hey. I mean, I'm so happy for my readers I should pay it back. I just feel like I really respect my readers 'cause you're not all up in my face going "Okay, I've reviewed yours, now you review mine" you know? Makes me feel like you ACTUALLY wanna read what I write not JUST so you can secure a reader of your own. Wow, got totally wrapt up in this, sorry. Should do it in an email instead. Anyways, bloody wonderful thoughts and comments - no surprise here - and hope to see you soon! Oh, and about the writer's block - if it would, God forbid, ever decide to haunt my brain again perhaps I'll take you up on that offer. Thanks!) :)

Captain (goodness, do you SEE how much useless thoughts I'm putting down. They have nothing to do with the story, they're just stupid, stupid... things. Best left in my head. Ah well. ;P Very nice to see you up there! For a moment I paused and thought, OMG, she's left me! Oh, sorry, I don't know, you might be a "he". *eek* Okay, so assuming you're a she. Well, there you were again, no matter your sex, and I was REAL glad to see it! You're one of the faithful ones, you know? Dunno what the ritual is for you to do, just read your own reply or the rantings I make on the other's as well - but if you've read above you saw that I mentioned you guys, the readers, and how I LOVE newcomers, but am so very indebted to the oldies. The ones who sticks by me and with me and who seem to truly, truly enjoy my writing. That's something amazing to me. Not to say it's less cool that someone I've never even met would sit through ten or twenty or forty chapters of a story I'VE written! But, you know. The names I get to see three times a week (well, in a good week, I mean) or even more often - those are the ones I get to form some sort of connection with. Oh, dear God, it's come to the point where I'm actually starting to sound like a soap. I do believe the world might be slowly coming to an end right here and now. :) Okay, phew. Better stop it before I drop it, so, thank you - as forever - that you come back, again and again, and leave such GREAT thoughts and that you're liking it!) :)

Darklover (Now, one liners are very decent feed back. A one liner can say presicely the amount of intel that the reader thinks the writer should have from him/her. That's why I would NEVER discredit a one liner. Besides, sometimes there's not THAT much to say. Or there's no time to say what COULD be said. Or you're chatting with someone and you forget and you hit the button before you're done. Or you listen to music and you want to be able to enjoy the end of the song so you simply write down what comes to mind. Or perhaps there's a small fire starting in one of the corners of your room and you have to finish up quickly in case the computer blows up... OR so that you can run and try to put the fire out. Or maybe you have a kitten who climbs up your leg to sit on your shoulder, fascinated by the moving vertical black thing on the thing standing on the thing with the thing and that said kitten takes a sudden leap and hits the button for you. Or maybe I could just stop making up very stupid situations which would provide a one liner and simply say thanks and I'm VERY happy you're still liking the story and I'm equally happy to hear from you!) ;)

Okay, ramblings which might piss some off - taking up space and time like that, I should be ashamed of myself. What can I say? I'm a writer, it's in my blood! (And my muse who's giving me dirty looks for not getting on with it so that I can write another sizzling chapter!) :) Also, you guys - and I know this sounds corny, but most of what I've written tonight has come out that way on one side or the other. Well, to me - you're friends, you know? I expect to see you up there, I dread and long and hope and everything before reading what you have to write. Not seeing one of your names is like not being able to see one of my friends, and it might sound twisted, but that's the way it is and so Thanks A Lot for reviewing and letting me see your faces! I luv ya guys!

A.M.L, Annie.

B.t.w - I have not infected my body or mind with any alcoholic beverages tonight. This has all been a product of my over-producing mind! Thank you, and good night! :)