"It is immensely important that we know from where we came, thereby knowing where our future may lead. By knowing the past, we can change the future….." the teacher looks around at the class as she speaks, failing to notice the group huddled in the back.
"Yeah right, what's she getting at? Another trillion word essay no doubt," Alex says throwing a pen into the air and catching it.
"And then we'll have to 'explain in detail so vivid I feel as though I'm there'" Jade says causing laughter among the group.
"You really should listen," says Sky, "Honestly, I don't know how you all pass."
"We copy off you when you're not looking," Alex grins at her, "How else would we pass?"
"That reminds me," pipes up Kendra, "I've so got to see your geometry."
"No!" Sky shakes her head, "You will NOT see my geometry, and you will NOT see my report!"
"You're just pissed that we're not hanging on the hag's," Kendra motions to the teacher, "every freaking word. Did somebody do the spell?"
"I did," Jade says, "Sky refused," she rolls her eyes, "She seems to think it's wrong."
"What is wrong is the fact that I had to patrol last night because Mom wanted a night off." Kendra says darkly, "You'd think she only breed so she could take time off slaying."
"That's not true!" Sky says looking outraged, "Your mother loves you a lot!"
"We didn't say she didn't love her," Alex says, "We're just saying she seems to like her days off slayage."
"Well, I just honestly…" Sky shakes her head, "Know shut up and let me listen!"
"OOOOOHHHHHH she's listening!" Kendra says, causing Jade to laugh hysterically.
"That's enough," Alex says setting back in his chair, "You don't want Sky giving you antlers do you?"
"It was a mistake!" Sky moans, "I didn't mean it and everybody know it!"
"Sure you didn't," Kendra says setting back and shaking her head.
Sky puts her bottom lip out pouting, but none among the group will even turn their head toward her, "That pout is powerful magic," Jade laughs watching the teacher handing out papers.
"An All about me paper!" the teacher exclaims with a joyful smile, "I want to know all about you, your family, your history, your present and your future."
"Oh this should be fun," Kendra laughs, "Trying to figure out just exactly how much of our history and our present she should know."
"It will be fun!" Sky says matter-of-factly, "I've always been interested in knowing more about our history."
"You mean," Alex says looking at her, "You want to know more about your history." He pauses, "You know…I think that my Dad can help with that. I'll, uh, ask him tonight."
"Oh don't be silly," Sky rolls her eyes, "I'll do a spell, we'll all know our history! It'll be totally fun!"
Kendra looks over at Jade and leans closer, "Didn't she say that last time?" Jade nods, "Refresh my mind on what happened?"
"She made the whole town square disappear and a raised a demon that tried to kill us with kindness, literally," Jade says matter-of-factly.
"Oh yeah," Kendra says setting back and looking appraisingly at Sky.
(later on that night)
"I still say this might not be the best of ideas," Alex repeats as Sky hands him a flower.
"It's easy peasy, nothing can go wrong with this spell. It's full proof. I swear it," Sky says earnestly.
"I still says we could ask the parentals," Kendra says taking a cup of water from Sky.
"Yeah, you know they love talking about the good old days," Jade says smiling as she take the lighter Sky is offering.
"They tell the watered down version, with this spell it'll be like we're really there! We'll get to see it all! Even the battle of the first!" Sky says smiling brilliantly all around. She didn't seem to notice the groan that went up. Sky takes her place in the middle, "We call to you, oh god of history, let us see out parentage, tell us the secrets of the past, guide us down history's lane," Sky begins as a wind picks up, "Tell us who our past is so we shall troop forth repeating the rights and discarding the wrongs!"
Suddenly, everything around the group of teens goes dark. The candles that had been lit as Sky spoke by Jade, were extinguished. There was the sound of rushing wind, and it was as though they were in a tornado.
"WAS THIS SUPPOSE TO HAPPEN?" Alex bellows.
Sky's voice comes back timidly, "UM, MAYBE?"
"AH CRAP!" Kendra yells.
As suddenly as everything had started, everything stops. The teens get slowly to their feet and look around, "This isn't where we were," Alex says.
"You said this was fail proof," Kendra says through gritted teeth, "I'm assuming this means it failed?"
"NO!" Sky shakes her head, "It's just that…well there's a chance that…I mean to say that I might….I um, well….there's a small chance that I might not know exactly, uh, where we are. I mean I'm sure we're uh, in the present, that is to say that, uh we weren't um, well taken back….Oh shit," She's looking over Jade's shoulder, "This is not good."
Jade turns around, "Are you quiet sure we're in the present, OUR present?"
"Well….I um….that is a good question…and the answer….well…uh…that's to say that…..um….I'm pretty sure that's your Mom….when she was….younger." Sky stutters.
"And with her?" Alex asks from beside Sky.
"Well, if I had to guess…I'd say it would be your Dad, and uh, my Mom." She looks up at him sheepishly, "You always said you wanted to time travel."
"Yes, but not BACK in time," Alex shakes his head, "At least not THIS far back."
"Well," Kendra says, "At least she knows how to get us back."
"Uh…" Sky shifts her weight from one foot to the other looking down at her shoes, "Well…the reversal…was kinda laying on the TV….and I mean I figured we wouldn't uh, be needing it…"
"You have us stuck in the past with no way of getting back home?" Kendra busts out.
"Well, we can get home, it's just that, we'll have to ask for help," Sky says.
"And just who do you think you're going to ask for help?" Kendra glares at her.
"Them," Sky says pointing to the retreating figures of Buffy Summers, Willow Rosenberg, and Xander Harris.
"Could this be any worse?" Jade asks, just then it starts pouring down rain, "Why do I ask that question every freaking time?" she mutter to herself.
Together all four teens run after Buffy and them, following them to the magic box, where they follow them inside. Once inside the group of scoobies turn to look at the new comers, "Can I help you?" Anya asks.
"Um…" Sky looks around, "Well…."
"It's raining," Alex says, "We came in because it's raining."
"Oh," Tara says, "Well, your welcome to stay I suppose, I mean we can't really tell you to go out into the rain again."
"That's not why we came in here," Sky says then frowns, "Okay so maybe it is, but we do need help."
"What kind of help?" Willow asks as Dawn appears from the back with Giles.
"Good Lord is that Giles?" Alex asks.
"You know Giles?" Buffy asks looking between them.
"I'm afraid I don't know these young people," Giles says watching them.
"Not yet you don't," Kendra says, "You'll know us soon enough."
"If this is a threat," Buffy begins.
"It's not," Sky assures her quickly, "It's just that, well we're in a bit of trouble."
"Your in more then a 'bit of trouble' when you get home," Jade laughs.
"Well see, okay well here's the thing, we have a paper due for class, it's a really boring class and the teacher is such a idiot, but then again I like the class. Anyways, we have this paper due, it's about us. Our history, that is. And we all really wanted to do well on it," Jade, Kendra, and Alex snicker, "Okay so I'm really the only one who cares about this paper. But I thought it would be really cool, and there's this spell. It should have been fail proof, and I still say it didn't exactly fail it just didn't go exactly right. And there was like this tornado, and stuff and then we ended up here. And…" Buffy held up a hand to stop her,
"Somebody, who is not the babbly girl in front please explain this to us so we understand."
Jade rolls her eyes, "Genius here cast a spell that was suppose to TELL us about our past, our family and where they came from, the spell ACTUALLY, brought us to the past. And she doesn't know how to get us home."
"So, you're telling us that you're from the future?" Buffy raises an eye brow, "And you know Giles?" She pauses, "What do we die and he gets a new Scooby gang?" She laughs.
"No exactly, Mom." Jade says.
"Mom?" Buffy's eyes get big, "You're…but how, when, why, what? With who?"
"Hold on just one moment, do not answer those questions young lady," Giles says, "If it is true that you guys have traveled from our future, and if it is also true that Buffy is your mother, then I must insist that you tell us nothing more. You could drastically change the future."
"Oh, she's not my mom," Sky says, "Willow and Tara are my moms, and he's," she points to Alex, "Xander's son, and that's Faith's daughter," she points to Kendra.
"Did I not just say that by telling us anything farther you could change the future?" Giles looks exasperatedly at her.
"Oh don't worry, I know this really cool forgetting spell, I used it on Mom when I was late for curfew, although she kept forgetting things for several days, I think I made it to strong. Next time I'll make it not quiet as strong and see what happens. I still got in trouble though, because I accidentally made her forget her name and not that I missed curfew. And then she got even madder when I made her forget that she'd let me off grounding, I was trying to make her forget she loaned me the car. I swear one little dent and it's like I can't drive." Sky rambles on.
"You ran over a light pole," Jade puts in.
"It jumped in front of me," Sky says exasperated as though she'd said this many times, "And if the spell had just worked, I wouldn't have been in trouble. And I mean it's not like I use magic for everything. I only used it to cook once, because I ended up setting the kitchen on fire. Momma was the maddest about that, because the kitchen was a present for their aniverory and was barely a week old. I mean honestly it wasn't my fault that the frilly curtains caught on fire. You really shouldn't use those, honestly, but Mom thought they were cute and she bought them for Momma. And Xander got mad because I might have put a spell on Anya that caused her to temporarily walk around hiccupping."
"Since when is three weeks temperately?" Alex asks.
"Yup, I'd say she's yours Will," Buffy says watching the young girl with honey brown hair rattle on and on about magic and all the trouble she's been in.
The appearance of the teens had taken everybody by surprise. Their first instinct was to laugh, though Giles said that was probably not the best way to deal with this. Research of course ensued, for hours they had researched and tried to find the spell that had brought them there. After looking in every book they could think of, a unanimous decision went up, the spell that brought them there, had yet to be invented. Sky had relished in telling Willow and Tara how exactly she'd gotten them there, to their horror she'd been playing around with time travel magic neither would touch. As the night wore on, it was evident that the Scoobies could not get the youngsters back to their own time, and was forced to do the one thing they hadn't wanted to….take them home.
Sky seemed quit unperturbed by the weirdness of her parents being closer to her own age, indeed asking Willow questions that the redhead felt sure she'd not ask her in later years.
Jade seemed to be the only one able to shut up the honey brown haired young girl, and then only because she'd used a silencing spell on her. Alex seemed quiet wierded out by seeing Xander and Anya hold hands, neither could figure this out. Kendra tended, like her mother, to sulk behind the group. She hadn't asked, as yet, where Faith was. Buffy wondered if the young girl didn't already know. Obviously the future was different then the present.
Giles settled the young group into the living room, while the Scooby gang gathered in the kitchen.
"Quiet the young girl aren't they?" He asks cleaning his classes.
"She talks sssoooo much," Willow says laughing, "I thought she'd tell us every secret before we got half way home.
"We have to be careful," Tara says, "We can't know about their future, it could change it and we don't know where we'd be sending them back."
"So we're definitely sure they are our, er, children?" Buffy asks.
"I done a spell," Willow says, "Nothing evil learking around them, though I got a weird buzzing sound."
"That could be the talking," Tara says, "I think she's still talking."
"Does anybody find it weird that they look like us?" Xander asks.
"I have a son in the future, but apparently we don't hold hands. I wonder why that is, I wonder if we have hands in the future," Anya says apparently deep in thought.
"I'm thinking we do," Giles says, "but we also have a more pressing matter, how exactly do we think we will get these young people back?"
Just then there is a nock at the kitchen door, "Giles?" Sky says, "I just, uh, wanted to say I was sorry. I mean…." she bows her head, "I'm sure I can find a way, we shouldn't have worried you."
"She's right, she shouldn't have," Anya says, "This is all her fault."
"Anya," Xander says shaking his head.
"Look, we'll get you back to your time, and you'll be fine, I know you must miss your time…" Xander stands up in front of Sky.
Sky looks up at him, "What if I don't want to go back?"
The room goes silent as Sky looks up at Xander, "Surely the future isn't that bad."
"There's somebody missing, and if I stay here….." Sky whispers.
"You can't stay," Xander says, "This just isn't your time."
"Uh," Jade says from the door, "Hate to break up the party, but there may be a problem."
"What?" Buffy asks.
"There's a demon standing in your yard wonder how the heck he got there. He's saying somebody sent him back in time," she looks pointedly at the back of Sky's head. Sky groans.
"Well, this is just peachy," Buffy says.
"That's why you never do time travel, you bring all kinds of demons back with you, and if it kills us, you will never be born," Anya says shaking her head.
"Please tell me she learns to be more sudtle in the future," Xander says.
"Not exactly," Sky says, "She's more out spoken. And she broke both your hands when she had Alex."
"Both?" Xander says looking scared.
"I swear I'll put a silencing spell back on you," Jade tells Sky.
Everybody goes to the front of the house, leaving Sky standing in the kitchen. Tara realizes the young girl hasn't come with them, and falls back. "Sky?"
"Oh sorry," Sky turns, "I was just…"
Tara looks at what the young girl is holding, "Oh yeah, we got those done today."
"Really?" Sky says, "What were you doing in this picture, what are you laughing at?"
Tara takes the picture, "Oh, I'm chasing Dawn. She's got my shaw, and she's dancing around the living room with it," Tara laughs, then looks at Sky, "You look like me, but talk like Willow."
"Well," Sky says, "Maybe that's because I've been around her more, lately at least."
"How old are you Sky?" Tara asks, "And why are you around Willow more?"
"I'm Sixteen, and I can't really tell you why. I'm sorry, I would. I would love to."
"You said that one of us was missing," Tara says setting down, "It's me isn't it? I'm missing from your time."
"Giles forbid me to say," Sky says, "But if I were going to say anything it'd be along me lines of yes. But you aren't dead, you're just gone. At least that's what Mom keeps saying."
"Then I'm sure I'm coming back," Tara says gently.
"Would you…if I told you…and asked you…could you make yourself forget?" Sky asks.
"That's quiet a request," Tara says, "But I suppose I could make myself forget, at least the most important things."
"It's just that…." Sky pauses and fingers the table cloth, "The Angel of Destiny came and took you. She said she would give you back, but only when it was time. We just don't know time for what."
"Angel of Destiny?" Tara asks, "Why would she take me?"
"I don't know," Sky says.
"I'm sure that I'll be back in your time before you know it," Tara says gently.
"You've been gone nearly a year," Sky says tears brimming, "She took you and she wouldn't say when she'll give you back. And I'm scared she's not going to, and I don't know how to tell Mom and she's upset and…"
Tara stands up and pulls Sky up, "SHHH, it's all going to be fine, we'll get you back to your time, and the Angel of Destiny will bring me back, everything will be okay."
"Promise?" Sky asks looking up at Tara.
Tara looks down into that face, cupping her cheek, and looking into the eyes that are so much like her own, "I don't think I would ever stay away from my daughter and girlfriend willingly."
"Wife, you got married right after the battle with this first, when you came back from the dead," Sky says.
"That's enough," Alex says at the door, "Sky, sweetie, you can not bully her into coming back. The Angel of Destiny said she would bring her back." He steps forward, "Tara, I think you should probably look up that forgetting spell. Sky, you should probably come with me." Sky sighs but moves to leave the kitchen, Alex watches her all the way down the hall. With his back still to Tara he says, "I love her. I never got to tell you that, while you were still here. I love her, always know that."
Tara watches him move toward the door, where she can hear fighting, but she doesn't move. She just watches sadly, apparently her future wasn't as bright, but at least she had a beautiful daughter. Of course she had to get that daughter back to her own time before she caused the whole future to unravel around them.
Buffy stood staring at Jade. The demon had been very easy to kill. She hadn't had to lift so much as a finger, mostly because the young girl in front of her had done it all. Well, her and Kendra. Buffy had only seen moves like that once before, Faith. Well, unless you counted her watching herself in a mirror, but she didn't. They were moves of a Slayer.
"Are you going to gape at us all night or help us clean this up?" Kendra asks.
"You….the fighting….and super human….stronger…." Buffy shakes her head.
"I'm guessing she's going to not be able to string a sentence together and watch us, come on." Jade says trying to lift the demon.
"Just like always," Kendra says shaking her head and helping Jade lift the demon.
"So, you think maybe Sky can still help us with Geometry?" Kendra asks as she and Jade walk toward the back yard.
"I don't know," Jade says, "She's trying desperately to tell them all about the future."
Kendra sighs, "I really don't get it, it's like she doesn't want to go back."
"Why would she?" asks a voice beside them.
"You really shouldn't sneak up on slayers Alex," Jade says, as they lay the demon down.
"Answer me, why would she be so desperate to go back?" Alex says pulling out a lighter.
"Because, it's where we belong," Jade says, "She'd never try and screw things up like that."
"Jade," Alex says, "She's lost one mother, the other had burried herself so deep in books, trying to get the other one back, that she's basically deserted everything she fought to build. We have became jokers that can't quiet seem to pull it together. My parents are on the verge of divorce, and we don't even know what's going on with your mom. Lets face it, our present sucks, and unless we can convence her it's worth going back to…"
Kendra looks skeptical, "She wouldn't, I mean…she's weird with magic but…to bring us here and then refuse to leave? That's a little…."
"Think about who we are talking about," Alex says.
"Okay so maybe…" Kendra consides, "You gonna light that guy or hold the lighter all night."
"Right," Alex says bending down and lighting the demon of fire.
Xander stands watching the teens from the side of the house unseen by any. "Divorce? Doesn't want to go back, oh this is not good," Xander says turning back to go around front. He motions Willow over, "I think we have a problem."
"What? Demon come back to life?" Willow asks starting around the house, but Xander grabs her.
"Is it possible that Sky could be, I don't know, magically keeping herself here?" Xander asks.
"What? No, she wants to go home as bad as the rest," Willow says.
"I'm not sure, listen I heard them talking. It sounds like their present, well it isn't as peachy as ours." Xander goes on to explain what he over heard.
"Wow," Willow says, "Oh, we should not know this, no not at all."
"I'm not worried about wrecking the future Will, if we don't figure out how to get them back, it's already wrecked. And if we can't figure out if Sky's somehow magically keeping us here, then well, we won't be able to send them back," Xander runs a hand through his hair.
"You're just like them!" screams a tearful voice behind him, "Don't use magic Sky, don't stay out to late Sky, don't mourn your own freaking mother! I loved her every bit as much as you did. She gave birth me, and you let them take her. After all the struggling to get her back, she came back from the dead for you. Why?! Why would let them take her?" Sky screams at Willow who steps forward, but Sky back away, "You don't care about me, you don't even see me most days. I've learned to cook for you, clean for you, I do it all Momma, and you just don't see. You're so blind that, I bet you haven't missed me. I've been gone hours and you won't even realize it. Locked in your room with the magic and the books and not even returning Buffy's calls. I hate you, I hate that future. You're right I don't want to go back, I don't ever want to go back to a future without her." She falls her knees, "But I swear to God I wouldn't make them suffer. They've suffered enough, I wouldn't do it."
Alex, Kendra and Jade come around the side of the house and see Sky. The rush toward her, "Sky what's going on?" Jade asks, but Sky stands up and turns away. She runs out of the yard, Buffy moves to follow, but Alex grabs her.
"Don't, let me okay?" he says, rushing after her.
"Do I need to do a locator?" Jade calls, he turns and shakes his head. "Fine then, didn't really want to anyways."
The gathered group watch Alex rush off into the night after Sky. "Does anybody else find it mildly surprising that Xander's kid is chasing Willow's kid?" Buffy asks.
"Alex and Sky have been best friends since they were born, they were two hours apart, and side by side in the nursery. Until Sky's hair turned purple and scared the nurses, that one took one heck on a memory spell," Jade says. She looks around, "Look, Sky does a lot of things that doesn't seem right to us, and no she won't want to go home, but I don't think she'd actually keep us here." She sighs, "I think maybe it's time that we talked. Really talked, and I know it could screw up our future, but I think that's the only way." She looks at Giles, "I'll cast a memory spell before we leave, set it to take effect after we're gone."
"I dare say, if we intend to get you home safely, we'll need the information," Giles says clearing his throat.
"So, is the future really that bad?" Buffy asks.
"It's not pretty, can we go inside?" Jade asks, together they troop into the living room. After setting down around her, Jade begins to speak, "There's a battle coming, one that will change your lives and the world forever. You'll be put up against the First evil. None of you will talk about it," Jade shakes her head, "I don't know much. I know that Tara died shortly before the battle began. And that Willow was very reluctant to do the spell that caused all the potential slayers to be called to power."
"What?!" Buffy asks, "Every potential slayer??"
"It was the only way to win, you went down into hell itself. But I can't tell you much, I only know snippets. The battle demolished Sunnydale, it was simply a crater, and you all took off for LA."
Kendra clears her throat, "I don't know if you'll like hearing this, but my mother was with you in the fight. Afterwards you all swore you new she'd been redeemed, but she says you didn't trust her at first. I get it," She added hastily, "She's in prison, she killed a man. I know. But after the battle, she really done good. She met a guy, she settled down, and here I am." She looks slightly sadly at Buffy and them, "But, I don't think she ever started thinking you believed her, or that you trusted her. She went to LA with you guys. From there you started a school for slayers in Ohio. That's where you've been. Giles recruiting young watchers, Dawn going to college."
"We were all born shortly after the battle, within months of each other. It was like you were…" Jade laughs.
"We had one hell of a case of post slayage hornies?" Buffy makes a face.
"Something like that," Jade nods, "Sky and Alex are the oldest. They used to tease us about that. Over all we were happy. Then one day, about year and half ago, a demon showed up. He wasn't like anything we'd ever dealt with before, and he scared the crap out of you guys. It was like he took over your lives. You battled him, but you lost. He gained power and, most of the slayers went into hiding. It took months, but you finally killed him. But the school had suffered." Jade stops composing herself, "None of you were happy, and we weren't either. It was like…everything you'd work to build crashed."
"All of it?" Buffy asks.
"Yes, and then the Angel of Destiny came and took Tara, and we all thought, we were sure…" she swallows tears, "We thought she'd bring you back. We thought it was a mistake, she had the wrong person. And when she didn't, and Willow started searching, and somehow, I'm ashamed to say, Sky got lost in it all. She was abusing magic so bad…doing things she'd never dreamed of. Things she thought would bring you back," Jade wipes tears looking at Tara, "But they didn't. And when we realized the trouble she was in, well…we…it was almost to late."
"Do you think Sky brought you here to change that future?" Giles asks.
"No, I think she wanted to know who you guys were." Jade answers.
"I think she wanted to get lost in history for a couple hours, well not literally, but…" Kendra says. "Mom says that Sky is a lot like Willow. She's quiet, when she wants to be, she's determined to be the best in her class, and her biggest flaw is that she loves us all way to much."
"Are you sure we shouldn't go looking for her?" Dawn asks from her corner, "I mean she sounds like she could really use somebody."
"She has Alex," Jade says, "Him and her have a kind of beacen, they find each other easily. He's her rock, he's the one who sees her as she is."
"So we really screwed up the future?" Willow asks, "I can't believe that."
"I don't think it was you," Giles says, "This sounds like a very nasty demon."
"Not really," Kendra says, "He was kinda cute."
"Aside from the being evil and destructive," Jade says and shrugs, "cute guys are hard to find."
"There are some things I would rather you not pass on Buffy," Giles says cleaning his glasses a slightly amused look on his face. The group falls into silence, each thinking about what's been said. Willow holding tight to Tara's hand, watches Xander and Anya across the room. The two teenager lapse into a sort of thoughtful silence that Buffy would have though impossible. Dawn began to move, surprisingly quietly around the room. It was a long time before anybody said anything, finally the front door opened and Alex came inside.
"Could you not find her?" Jade asks standing up, "I can do a locator spell."
"There's no need, I know where she is." Alex says, "I uh," he stuffs his hands deeper into his pockets, "She's on the porch. She doesn't really want to come in yet."
"She's got to, we have to figure out how to send you back," Willow says.
"I don't think she's ready to go back yet," Alex says, looking at Xander, "And I don't think I am either."
"What?" Willow asks.
"I think we've been playing at this wrong, I think we're supposed to learn something from each other. I know that by telling you the future, we could be screwing it up, or what if, just what if, this is our chance to change it. Something Sky said to me, while we were setting on the mountain struck me as odd. She didn't intend us to come back here, the spell should never have brought here. But what if it wasn't her spell, what if at the moment, the alignment was perfect. What if we are a warning?"
"What kind of warning?" Xander asks.
Alex shrugs, "I don't know."
"Wait," Willow says, "Of course, when did you appear, I mean did you follow us into the magic box?"
"Yes," Jade says, "Why?"
"Oh good goddess, it's our fault," she looks around, "We were calling out for guidance."
"So the universe sends our future kids?" Buffy makes a face, "That's not what we had in mind was it?"
"Not exactly, but it would explain," Tara says, "We were wanting to know what our next move was, but I think that…." She pauses, "Maybe the universe is trying to tell us that this move isn't as important as another more."
"You mean, like we need to think before we get married?" Xander asks.
"No, she means like we need to think about what's coming up. The future. This battle with the first evil when was it?" Willow asks.
"May of 2003," Alex answers, then rolls his eyes at Jade and Kendra, "I do remember a few dates."
Giles puts his glasses back on, "That's next year, what could be so important this year that we should know it."
The door opens and Sky walks in, "You chose to leave," she says, "You left, and you didn't come back till the battle with this first."
"How could my leaving effect all of this?" Giles asks.
"Because you're the watcher, you watch over us all," Dawn says, "You're the one who keeps our head screwed on straight."
"But…" Giles says.
"She's right," Sky says, "You're the one constant through Buffy's life, and if you'd been here you'd have fought for Momma when…."
"So, the simple answer is that, Giles stays and everything is hunky dory in the future?" Xander asks.
Suddenly the room goes black, everybody is startled. Then Sky's voice says, "NO!"
"What?!" Alex asks, "What's wrong?"
"I think…" She reaches out and touches him, "I think that the powers that be know we're here, and I'm guessing they aren't happy."
"Why do you say that," asks Buffy's voice.
"Because they're standing beside me telling me," Sky says.
Alex pulls her away from where she's standing, "You will not screw with us!"
"Light of light, illuminate our place!" Jade says, and suddenly there's a light.
"Kids meddling," Says a woman in a bright, floor length, white gown. "We told you not to use magic unless you could control it."
"I can control it!" Sky says, "You just like to scare people!"
"You don't know who you're playing with child!" The woman says.
"I do too!" Sky says, "I'm playing with the powers that can screw with our lives, but tell me just how much more damage you think you can do!"
The woman throws winds at Sky, but Sky blows it back. They stand in a struggle as the others gather round. "You should not change the future!" the woman says, "Destiny has laid out it's path!"
"Well, I don't really care for it's path!" Sky yells back, "We weren't trying to change it anyways!"
Suddenly another figure appears, "What in the world is going on?" She asks, "Sky?"
"The powers that be brought us here, and then tried to blame us," Sky says looking at the woman.
The woman sighs exasperatedly, "The powers the be did not bring you here, I did. Please," she waves her hand at the other woman, "That is quiet enough."
"I'll say when it's enough," the woman almost growls.
"You'll stop or I'll call the others. Do they know you're terrorizing kids again Brina?" asks the second woman conversationally. "I brought them here, because the future seems to be spirally out of control." she looks at Sky, "And you young lady are far more out of control then I thought."
"I am not out of control," Sky sulks.
"Know," the woman says briskly, "We have some business to attend to, Brina if you don't mind," She waves her hand and the first woman disappears, "These youngsters have to told you quiet more then I wished about the future. But they had the right idea none the less, I'll simply modify your memories."
"Who exactly are you?" Buffy asks.
"I'm a cross between an angel of destiny and a fairy god mother. I'm here, because the future is in more grave trouble then any of you, including you Sky, now. I dare say, it is up to these young people here to protect it. We can not go without a slayer school, when I allowed the spell, well I assumed it would be forever. Therefore, I am going to ask Giles to stay on, and I'm going to ask you two," She points to Buffy and Tara, "To day quiet far away from each other and this house on the day three days from today. Do not return until after dark. My belief is that the demon who terrizes you in the future, well it stems from a rather unfortunate incident here."
"And why couldn't you just come and tell us this?" Xander asks.
"What fun would that be, letting them get into a little control trouble is always fun," She smiles and Sky.
"Controlled?" Sky raises an eye brow.
"So perhaps I wasn't as in control as I thought, your magic is quiet advanced, I am proud and scared."
"So, what happens know? You send them back and make sure that what ever is suppose to happen doesn't?" Willow says.
"I'm afraid I can't send the back, but I now who can," The woman waves her hand again and an older version of Tara pops up looking dazed, "She can."
"What?" the older Tara asks.
"Dear, could you please get these young people back to their own time?"
"MOM!" Sky runs at her and throws her arms around her.
"You will find the future quiet different," The woman says smiling at them, "Know to do the memory removal,"
"Wait!" Sky says, rushing toward Tara, "There's something I have to say."
"What?" Tara asks looking curiously at the young girl.
"I think you're really awesome just the way you are. And I'm really glad that I look like you." She turns to Willow, "And I don't blame you, I missed her a lot too."
Willow hugs the young girl, "I hope the future is everything you want."
"Thanks," Sky says.
"I think you're all wonderful young people," Tara says putting her arms around Sky.
"I agree with me," the older Tara says, "Know come on, we're going home,"
"Very good," the woman says, "Everybody on the lawn, I would hate to destroy this house, it's destroyed often enough."
Together they all go back out onto the lawn, and the woman stands before the young teens, "May the future be perfect, or some form of perfect." She smiles, waves her hand, and a vortex opens, "In you go."
Jade leads the way, Kendra following, Tara next, and Alex stops before it, turning to Sky and holding out a hand, she takes it looking back at the Scooby gang.
"They call us the new Scooby gang, I just hope we're as awesome as you."
Buffy woke from a very weird dream about kids from the future and monsters and a woman who was a fairy god mother. She moved to the bathroom still thinking about it. Her mind was still wondering about the dream when she went into the kitchen and seen everybody gathered.
"Did anybody happen to dream that a group of kids from the future came to visit us last night?" Willow asks.
Everybody looks at each other, "Um, would it be a bad thing if we had?" Xander asks.
"Freaky maybe, maybe research thing," Tara says.
"Then I can't remember my dream," Buffy says shrugging.
"Me either," Xander says.
"You don't hate research enough to lie do you," Dawn asks.
"Yup" everybody answers together.
Sky woke at dawn the next day, moving to the front porch, she sees a honey blonde setting on the porch, "Was it real? Are you really back? Is the world right know?"
Tara looks back at her daughter, "The world is perfect Sky. Have you got your paper about your history done yet?"
"No," Sky says, setting down.
"I believe I could be persuaded to tell you a little about your history."
"I got a date with Alex this weekend," Sky says.
"Good," Tara says, "When should I start?"
"How about with the things that changed?" Sky asks watching the sun rise, as Tara begins to talk, wrapping an arm around Sky.
"I love Sunnydale," Sky says leaning on her mother's shoulder.
