Chapter 4: 2 Calls for Help and Growing

Disclaimer: Not mine and never will be
Title: The Curator's Son
Author: Kate R.
Rating: Teen to adult
Pairings: N/A
Fandoms: BtVS/the Mummy
Summary: Xander's real father is Dr. Bey, Ardeth Bey's Uncle from the first movie.

Notes/Warnings: Willow will not be portrayed as a nice person, I don't know about Buffy yet, I'm still deciding for the parts after one.


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"Alex," Giles called, "Can you help me here? Wesley isn't sure about this dialect of Arabic."

Sure," Xander told him, getting up and walking over. He read the piece of paper and shook his head.

"That's not right," he muttered, "Hang on."

He made a phone call and spoke in Arabic to whoever answered. There was a reply and he laughed and then answered in Egyptian. Another comment and he laughed again and answered in Hebrew, and then he said, in English, that he'd see whoever had spoken to him shortly.

"What was that all about?" Wesley asked.

"Ardeth keeps me in practice," Xander told him, "If we hadn't finished the conversation the next one would have been in Urdu. We speak all of the desert's tongues. Ardeth said I, especially, have to know them. Because of who I am. Especially now."

"Yes," Giles spoke, "I won't ask what you do as I know your people have their secrets and their reasons for them, but if you need help, do not hesitate to call me."

"I'll keep that in mind," Xander told him, "After we're gone, don't hesitate to call me if you need me, too."

"I won't," Giles said as the doors opened and Ardeth walked in carrying a trunk.

"As you asked, Alex," he said, "The Books of Ascension, Medjai Copies from the Great Library."

"Oh, Dear Lord!" Giles exclaimed, walking over and looking at the books. He knew these were copies, of course. No group would ever let their originals leave their lands, but to see the original versions, unchanged by anyone, was a wondrous thing. Wesley approached and he, too, was allowed to look.

"I think you'll recognize this," Ardeth said.

"Oh, my God," Giles breathed, "The Sacred book . . ."

"Read how the world really started," Ardeth told him as he and Xander set the books out in the proper order, "How long do we have? Has he had the spiders yet?"

"Not yet," Giles told him, "But the hundred days may have already begun."

"Damn!" Ardeth cursed, "Excuse me."

"Where is he going?" Angel asked, as he came in.

"To get back up," Xander told them, "He's calling one of the twelve tribes to come here."

"Why?" Buffy asked.

"The mayor is too much for us," Xander told her, "Even if Ardeth fights, there'll be too many. He's calling help because it's a wise king who knows when he's outmatched."

"But I . . ."

"Buffy, you have said you wanted someone else to make the choices for awhile," Giles told her, "Now Ardeth is. Be happy. He has had far more experience than any of us fighting evil this great. This is worse than any Vampire, Buffy. Far worse. That man has faced evil like this before and won. I would take his help and be grateful for it."

She thought about it and then nodded, Giles was right, she knew. And she'd seen the man fight. He could hold his own in any battle and if he said he needed help, well that made her afraid of what they were going to face.

"Don't worry, Buffy," Xander told her, "Ardeth will bring help and his help are all trained warriors."

She nodded, hating having to admit she needed help but knowing that she did. And, she knew, the more people that could fight, the better their chances.

"How many warriors are we talking?" she asked.

"At least four hundred," Ardeth spoke coming back into the room. The Twelfth and Ninth tribe are each sending their warriors to battle here. They will have to return home after this is done but they are coming and will be here by Friday. Alex? Come sit. We must read from the start of the hundred days on."

Xander nodded and they sat down to read. Ardeth could read those books, too, Buff saw, and as she watched she wondered if she was the only warrior who didn't do any of the book stuff for herself. That made her uncomfortable.

"Wes," she began slowly, walking over to him.

"Yes, Buffy?" he asked her.

"Would you teach me to read Latin?" she asked. He stuttered in shock for a moment but then looked at her.

"As you wish," he told her, "Go and get a notebook."

"Thanks, Wes!" She crowed and ran to get her books. He did not understand why she'd suddenly asked to learn but he was her watcher and he would do his best by her.

They started on Latin when she got back.

It was a good change, Giles thought. That Buffy had asked to learn. And he had a feeling that it had to do with Ardeth being able to read his own books. It was galling, he supposed. But then, she needed that at times. And he was proud of her for admitting it.

"Good job, Buffy," he said, softly, "You are doing well."