Chapter Four: Altering The Future
"Our future? So you know what happens to us three weeks from now?" Xander asked.
"Yeah.Oh man. April, if we accidentally let something slip, it could alter their future. It could screw everything up."
"So that's why I didn't know what the bloody hell you were talking about when you said I went to Africa. I haven't gone yet."
"Shoot. See, he knows now. This could stop him from ever going at all," Andie said softly.
"But then he would never get his--" Andie's hand covered April's mouth before she could complete the thought.
"Don't say it. We can't tell them anything that they don't already know." April nodded and Andie pulled her hand away. Spike was frowning at them.
"What do I get?"
"Nothing, nothing. You don't get anything. Ever again."
"Is it possible for us to see one of the episodes?" Giles asked. "I'm still not entirely sure I believe you."
"Uh, yeah. I've got my DVDs in my backpack." Andie shrugged off the heavy pack onto the floor and unzipped it. "What episode do you guys wanna watch?" She pulled out the six boxes of DVDs and set them on the table. Dawn reached for the top one, season six, and Andie grabbed it away. "Sorry, you can't watch that one. Half of it is from your future. But you can watch one of the episodes from the first five seasons."
"What are your favourite episodes?" Buffy asked. Andie watched, amused, as Spike pulled season three from its box and let it unravel. He grabbed the end of it and brought it closer to his face.
"Hey, it's me. And I look good." He turned the box around and showed everyone the disk with his face on it. Andrea laughed softly before answering Buffy.
"Um.I like 'Something Blue,' 'Once More With Feeling,' and 'Gone.'"
" 'Something Blue' is the do-thy-will-spell episode, right?" Buffy asked. Andie nodded. "What about the other two?"
" 'Once More With Feeling' is last week in your reality. When you all sing and dance. 'Gone' is from later this season and I can't tell you what happens because it could alter your reality."
"Let's watch us sing and dance," Dawn said enthusiastically.
"Yeah," said April. Andie winced.
"We can't."
"Why not?" April frowned.
"Because of the ending. They don't know about that," she said, waving at Willow, Tara, Giles, Dawn, Xander and Anya. April's eyes widened.
"Oh, right."
"If they found out now, Buffy and Sp--" This time, April slapped a hand over Andie's mouth.
"Buffy and Spike what?" Dawn asked curiously.
"Nothing," chorused April and Andie.
"Bloody hell," cursed Spike. "This is going to get right confusing, it is."
"What's your favourite me moment?" asked Anya.
"I like the one with Xander. It would have only happened last week for you. When you're lying in bed and he asks if you want breakfast, then you say, 'You don't have to go to work?' and Xander goes, 'I shut the crew down for the day. My guys start dancing around me, I don't know if I could deal. It's a flab thing. So, waffles?' and you say, 'Will you still make me waffles when we're married?' and Xander says, 'No, I'll only make them for myself, but by California law, you will own half of them.'"
"Yeah, that was funny wasn't it?" Anya asked.
"You see us in bed?" Xander looked mortified.
"Yup. We know all your secrets."
"Andie, stop trying to scare people," April scolded.
"Aw, but it's so much fun."
"So, episode?" Buffy prompted their attention back to playing an episode for the Scoobies.
"I think we'd be safe with 'Fool For Love,' don't you, April?"
"Yeah. Might be slightly embarrassing," she said with a side glance at Spike, "but it should be interesting."
"My thoughts exactly," agreed her friend.
"Embarrassing for who?" Dawn asked mischievously.
"Spike," April and Andie said together.
"You know, Buffy," started Andie. "I hate to say it, but sometimes you get really mean. Countless is the number of times we've thrown popcorn at the TV because you said something cruel to poor Spike."
"Yeah, you can be a real bitch. Poor guy," scolded April. Spike grinned. Buffy gaped.
"Me? What did I ever do to him?"
"Just watch this episode and you'll find out."
"Our future? So you know what happens to us three weeks from now?" Xander asked.
"Yeah.Oh man. April, if we accidentally let something slip, it could alter their future. It could screw everything up."
"So that's why I didn't know what the bloody hell you were talking about when you said I went to Africa. I haven't gone yet."
"Shoot. See, he knows now. This could stop him from ever going at all," Andie said softly.
"But then he would never get his--" Andie's hand covered April's mouth before she could complete the thought.
"Don't say it. We can't tell them anything that they don't already know." April nodded and Andie pulled her hand away. Spike was frowning at them.
"What do I get?"
"Nothing, nothing. You don't get anything. Ever again."
"Is it possible for us to see one of the episodes?" Giles asked. "I'm still not entirely sure I believe you."
"Uh, yeah. I've got my DVDs in my backpack." Andie shrugged off the heavy pack onto the floor and unzipped it. "What episode do you guys wanna watch?" She pulled out the six boxes of DVDs and set them on the table. Dawn reached for the top one, season six, and Andie grabbed it away. "Sorry, you can't watch that one. Half of it is from your future. But you can watch one of the episodes from the first five seasons."
"What are your favourite episodes?" Buffy asked. Andie watched, amused, as Spike pulled season three from its box and let it unravel. He grabbed the end of it and brought it closer to his face.
"Hey, it's me. And I look good." He turned the box around and showed everyone the disk with his face on it. Andrea laughed softly before answering Buffy.
"Um.I like 'Something Blue,' 'Once More With Feeling,' and 'Gone.'"
" 'Something Blue' is the do-thy-will-spell episode, right?" Buffy asked. Andie nodded. "What about the other two?"
" 'Once More With Feeling' is last week in your reality. When you all sing and dance. 'Gone' is from later this season and I can't tell you what happens because it could alter your reality."
"Let's watch us sing and dance," Dawn said enthusiastically.
"Yeah," said April. Andie winced.
"We can't."
"Why not?" April frowned.
"Because of the ending. They don't know about that," she said, waving at Willow, Tara, Giles, Dawn, Xander and Anya. April's eyes widened.
"Oh, right."
"If they found out now, Buffy and Sp--" This time, April slapped a hand over Andie's mouth.
"Buffy and Spike what?" Dawn asked curiously.
"Nothing," chorused April and Andie.
"Bloody hell," cursed Spike. "This is going to get right confusing, it is."
"What's your favourite me moment?" asked Anya.
"I like the one with Xander. It would have only happened last week for you. When you're lying in bed and he asks if you want breakfast, then you say, 'You don't have to go to work?' and Xander goes, 'I shut the crew down for the day. My guys start dancing around me, I don't know if I could deal. It's a flab thing. So, waffles?' and you say, 'Will you still make me waffles when we're married?' and Xander says, 'No, I'll only make them for myself, but by California law, you will own half of them.'"
"Yeah, that was funny wasn't it?" Anya asked.
"You see us in bed?" Xander looked mortified.
"Yup. We know all your secrets."
"Andie, stop trying to scare people," April scolded.
"Aw, but it's so much fun."
"So, episode?" Buffy prompted their attention back to playing an episode for the Scoobies.
"I think we'd be safe with 'Fool For Love,' don't you, April?"
"Yeah. Might be slightly embarrassing," she said with a side glance at Spike, "but it should be interesting."
"My thoughts exactly," agreed her friend.
"Embarrassing for who?" Dawn asked mischievously.
"Spike," April and Andie said together.
"You know, Buffy," started Andie. "I hate to say it, but sometimes you get really mean. Countless is the number of times we've thrown popcorn at the TV because you said something cruel to poor Spike."
"Yeah, you can be a real bitch. Poor guy," scolded April. Spike grinned. Buffy gaped.
"Me? What did I ever do to him?"
"Just watch this episode and you'll find out."
