Chapter 8

The Hyperion had been a bust so now Buffy headed over to Wolfram and Hart in hopes that she could find Future Angel, Past Angel, or both. They obviously knew who she was there because she had no trouble walking right on up to the office that she and Angel once shared. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door.

"Go away!" Angel's voice came from inside.

Taking that as an invite, Buffy opened the door and walked right on in. She shut the door behind her. Angel, Future Angel obviously, sat behind the desk reading a book. He was in full out brood mode. "You never change, do you?"

Angel looked up startled. He had a five o'clock shadow going for him and he looked downright awful. "Buffy?"

"The one and only. Well... sorta. But it's not the Buffy you think you know."

"I know. I've heard about some of your boyfriends."

"Oh please, like they hold a candle to you. You're the best guy I've ever been with in my 22 years. I gave you my virginity, remember?"

"You're not 22."

"Well, where I come from I am."

Angel started to reply, but Willow and Past Angel walked in. "What the hell is going on?"

Buffy ran up to her Angel and kissed him deeply. "I missed you."

"I missed you." Past Angel said. "We found a way to get back home."

"I'm not leaving until we get us back together though."

"That's kind of the only way to get back. Oh and also killing the demon that got away from us while we were getting ready."

"What the hell is going on?" Future Angel asked again. Buffy turned and looked at him then slapped him.

"What was that for?" Both Angels asked.

Buffy ignored her Angel and looked at Future Angel. "You're a bone head for giving me up for Cordelia of all people!"

"I know. That's why I told her to leave. I still love you. But what's going on?"

"Ok, we're from the past."

"Some demon brought us here so we could stop this winged demon named Polk that got away." Past Angel said.

"Polk is the demon that killed Willow, Giles, and Xander." Future Angel said. "He runs a lot of the demons in this town."

"So I've heard. Well, we have to kill him here to get back to where we come from and stop him there before he kills Willow and the others."

"You also said we have to get the future us back together." Buffy said. Past Angel nodded. Buffy turned to Future Angel.

"Have you talked to the future me since she ran out on you?"

"Only every now and then, but it always ends up with her yelling at me and running away." Future Angel said.

"Well, it's time for me... her... us to stop running."

"How?" Both Angels asked.

"Ok, first: stop talking at the same time because it's too damn confusing. Second: follow me."

"I can't figure it out." Sierra said. She was the friend of a friend of Lorne's who could "star 69 spells."

"Can't figure out what sugar dumpling?" Lorne asked.

"Well, the spell that was cast here was actually two. One was a protection spell and the other is some very powerful stuff that's only now in the works."

"What does that mean?" Faith asked.

"It's a spell that's BEING invented. It hasn't been finished yet."

"Could that mean that someone completed the spell?" Wesley asked.

"Or it could mean the person or thing who did the spell is from the future." Fred said.

"It's possible." Sierra said.

"So if it is a person from the future, is it possible that Buffy, Angel, and Willow could have ended up in the future?" Robin asked.

"It's possible. With magick, anything's..."

"Possible." Future Angel said. He was looming over Future Buffy in the meat locker. Past Buffy had brought him here and locked him in with her future self. Now she was scowling and avoiding eye contact.

"What do you mean 'anything's possible?' You let my friends die." Buffy said.

"I did not! You failed to notice that Polk's lackeys were holding me back. You know I would never let any harm come to our friends."

"Ok, sure. What about Giles? You just stood there."

"I did not! I was surrounded by demons and they were getting ready to attack me all at once. I was standing in a defensive posture. When I glanced over at Giles, he looked like he was holding his own!"

"That's not what I saw."

"Buffy, you are so hard headed sometimes. I love you, but you drive me crazy!"

"You don't love me! You love Cordelia. Of all the people in the world, why CORDELIA!?"

"I don't love Cordelia. I've never loved Cordelia. SHE was all over ME! I tried to push her away, but she just kept coming."

"Every time we saw each other, you let her hug on you and kiss you."

"Never on the lips."

"So you admit it!"

"Admit what!? Every time you saw me all I could do was turn away. You've stepped all over my heart and eaten away at everything I am and I have nothing left but you in me. When Cordelia was all over me every time you saw her with me, it's because I knew you were there and I just felt like dying. She took advantage of that." Buffy had nothing to say to that. Angel crouched down in front of her and stroked her cheek. "I love you and only you Buffy. Cordelia got the hint about two years ago. She's gone." Angel let Buffy out of the chains and helped her to her feet. The two embraced. "You're my one and only." Angel said before he and Buffy kissed.

"I could never not forgive Angel anything. I figured I'd be the same way in the future." Past Buffy said, walking into the old meat locker. "So, now that we've got one part of this 'how to get back home' deal settled, let's start planning how to kill this Polk guy."

"It's not so easy." Future Buffy said.

"Polk has taken over one side of the war." Future Angel said.

"Sorta like Hitler?" Past Buffy asked.

"Well, sorta... Hitler was only part demon. This guy is full on demon now. He's ascended to a higher level and is a lot bigger than what you guys might member."

"Why has no one tried to take this guy out before he got this big?" Past Angel asked.

Future Buffy lifted her already showy shirt to reveal a huge scar that ran across her stomach. "I did. I almost died. If it hadn't been for Xander sacrificing himself for me, I wouldn't be here."

"I always knew he was a hero." Both Buffys said.

There was a long pause and then Willow said, "Where is this demon's headquarters?"

"It's a building near the Santa Monica pier." Future Angel said. "He took that over and turned it into a demon's theme park."

Future Buffy grimaced. "He took the horses off the carousel and replaced them with humans and sometimes vampires. He despises vampires and Angel's been hunted by him for a long time now."

"I'm surprised you even found us. We've been hiding for a while."

"Every now and then I'll come out and destroy a band of demons that comes along near my hiding space. You found me just as I was going to hunt."

"Mm-hmm. Ok, so..." Past Buffy said. "What's the key to stopping this guy? If he's so all mighty powerful, then the bigger they are..."

"The harder they are to kill. This guy is bigger than anything I've... we've ever faced. He's got guards everywhere and just to get to him we have to have some extremely powerful mojo. Not to mention the huge job of fighting him to the death."

"Well, we've got Willow here. She can do the mojo thing and then you've got Angel and I here too. It won't be as hard as you make it out to be."

"Wanna bet?" Future Buffy and Angel asked.

Faith pinned a demon to the wall. She and Giles had gone out on a mission to find the demon that had cast the spell. Sierra had followed the trail of the second spell and called to give AI the address of the place. Now Faith and Giles were interrogating the demon who lived at the address given.

"Please!" The thing said.

"What did you do to my friends?" Faith asked, pulling out a dagger and holding it at the ready.

"I didn't cast the spell. Well, I technically did, but not me."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Giles asked.

"The future version of me came back and cast the spell."

"Then reverse it." Faith said.

"I can't because I said that the only way to save LA was to send the warriors to the future to see."

"See what?" Giles asked.

"Why."

"Don't ask the questions. That's why we're here."

"No. The future me said they had to see why. He said LA will become a war zone in a couple of months and stay that way. The warriors need to stop the demon before he gets away."

"What will bring them back to the present?" Giles asked.

"Destroying the demon that attacked them in the future."

"The what?"

"They come back and destroy the demon before it gets away."

"So you're saying that they'll go back in time to just before the demon attacks?"

"Yes. That way they can stop the demon from taking over most of LA."

"What about the spell? Sierra said that it was being made. How did you do it if the spell isn't finished?"

"I told you. The future me cast the spell. He had finished the time spell that I'm still working on." Faith looked at Giles and then walked out. Giles took out a twenty and handed it to the demon before following Faith out.

"So all we have to do is wait?" Faith asked.

"Apparently so." Giles said.

"That's not good enough. We don't know how long this will take. They might never come back. What if they die?"

"We're not going to die. We have to get back to our time." Past Buffy said. They were all sitting in the office of Wolfram and Hart discussing what they were going to do. "Besides, if we die you die."

"She's got a point." Future Angel said.

"I know she's got point. I'm her." Future Buffy said. "But it could end up badly again if we go in there guns a'blazin'."

"We're not going in there like that." Past Angel said. "We're going for stealth and confusion."

"Confusion?" Future Buffy asked.

"Yeah. There's two of us and two Angels and then we have Willow who can duplicate herself magickally if she wants. Or she can teleport. Whichever." Past Buffy said. "So, do we know this guy's weaknesses?"

"Not really."

"Ok, you guys have been arch enemies for ten years now and you don't know this guy's wesknesses?" Willow asked.

"We've been hiding. Not researching. Neither of us have had the time for it."

"You own Wolfram and Hart! Sure you don't trust them, neither do I, but this is a big deal here."

"I'd forgotten how determined you get when you're resolved."

"Well, no offense here, but you're not the Buffy I know. The Buffy I know would have had this guy researched and had herself trained for the battle by now. But she didn't exactly have time with the being shoved into the future and all."

"Sorry. I've screwed up, ok. It's not the first time and it's not going to be the last. Can we just get started on the research now?"

"I'm with me. Let's stop arguing and just start finding out ways to kill this bastard. Cause frankly, I want to get back to where I belong and get married." Past Buffy said.

"So, we won't know if they're ok or not?" Dawn asked, obviously not wanting to accept the answer that the demon had given Giles and Faith. "We don't know if they're going to come back?"

"I didn't like the answer myself, but we have to wait." Giles said. "We don't have any other choice."

"I can't believe this! They're wedding is ruined now!"

"It's not ruined pipsqueak." Faith said. "They'll just have it later. Right Giles?"

"Yes.... Um, right." Giles said distractedly.

"What's up?" Xander asked. "It's like you're reading a good book."

"What? Oh, um. I was just thinking to myself that when Buffy gets back, I won't make her come with us."

"To where?"

"To help the other Slayers. She needs time off."

"Like she's gonna get it!" Faith said.

"Faith's right." Xander said. "It's just not who Buffy is. She can't just sit out of all the fights. Buffy's the one right there in the middle."

"Good point. Maybe we should have her tag along."

"Oh, definitely not." Faith said. "She won't go. Her home is here with Angel. She's not gonna travel all the time and be away from him."

"That's what I meant when I said Buffy was in the middle of everything." Xander said. "That usually constitutes where Angel is and Angel's here in LA.. Well.. Technically."