The door opened to a hellish cave and Buffy paused, "What's this?"

            "A place on my home world. You fight one on one battles with other Klingons. Met'leth, bat'leth or staff ?" he asked and Buffy eyes lit up, "Ooh, the bat'leth!"

            He grunted and spoke a Klingon word and two bat'leths appeared. Her eyebrows rose but she has accepted the weapon and they both stepped inside.

 Buffy was having a great time. Battling Klingons was a satisfactory way to work off some frustration. It was a couple of hours when she bumped backs with someone solid and they both spun around to realize who it was. They were both breathing heavily and gleamed with sweat. Her eyes smiled at the big Klingon, "That was fun."

            "You are a skilled warrior Buffy Summers." His voice held respect.

            "Back at you Worf."

            Buffy wiped her face and sat down on the floor with a thump, Worf sitting down beside her.

            "How did a Klingon get into Starfleet?" She asked, turning her body to study the man curiously.

            Worf studied the toes of his boots for a moment, "There was a massacre. I was the lone survivor." He sighed,  "I was rescued by a Starfleet vessel, brought back to Earth and raised by a Russian couple."

            "Wow. Obviously they did a good job, you are very Klingon."

            "Yes, they did not neglect my heritage. I was very fortunate."

            Buffy sat thoughtfully for a moment, "Why not be on a Bird of Prey instead of a Starfleet ship?"

            He smiled, "The Klingon government is always in chaos. I chose Starfleet."

            "That must have been tough. I mean, from my time Klingon's are pretty hostile and stuff, and don't get along with humans and vice versa. You probably had to work harder to prove yourself."

            "It was necessary to reach my goal. I am no stranger to the difficult. Being the first Klingon in kindergarten made me realize it was to be an uphill battle if I wanted to do anything."

            Buffy smiled slowly, "I'll bet that you were the cutest kid there." And watched with satisfaction as Worf's head went back and he roared with laughter.

****

            Jon was already seated in the Captain's mess when T'pol and Trip came in. He looked up and smiled a smile that didn't reach his tired eyes, "Hey, have a seat, Chef said he has something special for us."

            Trip saw the unhappiness in his best friend's eyes and ached for him. "Jon, talk to me." He said, voice full of compassion.

Jon looked at him, placing his palms on the table and stood slowly. "There's nothing to say Trip. I don't want to talk about her." His voice was low and dangerous.

            T'pol ignored the tension and sat down, placing her napkin precisely on her lap. "I miss Buffy." Her voice was quiet as both men looked at her. "She was an excellent sparring partner and a friend as well." She continued.

            Trip sat back with a smile, "Yeah, I miss her too. I miss getting hit with popcorn during the movies and her teasin' me about my choice in women. Though look at her choice in men." He grinned at his Captain, gesturing to himself then pointing at his friend.

            Jon chuckled wearily and sat down, then sighed. "I miss her eyes. I miss the way she would light up every time she saw me." A pause. "I miss the way she would take care of me even when I didn't know I needed it. I wish…." He stopped.

            "You wish what?" T'pol prodded gently.

His anguished eyes met her calm ones; "I wish I had told her I loved her when I had the chance."

Trip smiled at his Captain, "It's about time you admitted it. Sheesh, everybody else already knew it." he shook his head at the strain on Jon's face, "She's tryin' to come back to ya, I swear it."

            T'pol stirred, "I agree with Commander Tucker. It is quite obvious she cares for you a great deal. Now you need to eat to maintain physical fitness for our mission to succeed."

            Jon had his head down and he trembled slightly, trying to get his emotions under control. "Thanks." He said huskily. Trip patted his friend on the back and called, "Hey Greg, we're hungry in here." Then the steward came in with their meals.

            ****

            The next few days fell into a kind of routine for Buffy. She would eat breakfast in 10 Forward and bug Guinan. Then she worked out with Worf, eat lunch with Deanna, and sometimes Commander Riker, then eat dinner in her own quarters.

One day she had lunch with Deanna and Data. "Do you know the difference between a robot that is able to think and fight and an android?" Buffy asked curiously and Data cocked his head, "I do not know that there is one."

"Hm." Buffy said, "Then I've seen an android before, back around, well, when I was alive in California. I was, let me see, 19 at the time. She was made by a frustrated genius to look exactly like me. She half fooled my friends but face to face I was definitely more pretty." Buffy said this haughtily and Deanna laughed.

 Data looked puzzled, "What happened to.." he looked at her puzzled, "We called her the Buffybot." She said and he nodded, "What happened to Buffybot?"  he asked curiously.

Buffy sighed, "She was destroyed in a battle." She had found out that the same night she had crawled out of the grave was the one that the Buffybot had been destroyed.

Data sat quietly, processing, while Deanna asked about Buffy's friends. "Was she sentient?" he asked. 

Buffy raised her eyebrows, "Um, big words don't work for me. Try again."

Deanna smiled, "Did she feel, have feelings in general?"

Buffy sat quietly, "I didn't know her all that well, but I believe it was all programming. She was programmed to fall in love, to fight, to make decisions if any series of events occurred. I was, umm, gone, most of her life. I don't know if she was sentient."

At night she would compose long letters in her head, telling Jon how much she loved him. How she missed his eyes that were amber when he was happy and dark when he was aroused. How she missed how he would snuggle against her in his sleep, and how he would always kiss her when he left the room, even if he was coming right back.

            She knew that she had loved Angel. But that love felt like a 17 year olds crush compared to the love she felt for Jon. She lay back on the bed and sighed deeply. That felt good and she sighed again. Not as good. Rolling over she winced. Long hair always got in the way. Feeling her hair she realized it needed brushing and got up to do just that.

            Captain Picard was seated in his command chair on the bridge, the muted hustle and bustle of the bridge and ship like a soothing elixir to a Captain's soul, when suddenly he heard…

            "Bonjour Mon Capitan!"

            The Captain stiffened with dread, then turned slightly to see Q lounging in the Counselor's chair.

            "Q! What do you want?" Picard snapped.

            "Why Jean Luc, with that attitude I would think you weren't happy to see me." Q remarked happily, though his sunny smile dimmed at the look on Captain Picard's face.

            Then Picard opened his mouth but Q held up his hand hastily, "Never mind." Q stood, checked the fit of his uniform and paced the bridge. "You have a visitor on your ship who doesn't belong Jean Luc. I've come to take her home."

            "Miss Summers."

            "Yes yes. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, nightmare of all evil on Earth, literally the longest living slayer." He smiled smugly, pleased with himself until he looked at the confused Captain.

            "Vampire Slayer?"

            "You've never hear of them, but I thought….Oh, that's right! Buffy had the chronicles stolen. I knew I liked that girl. Well, never mind."  He snapped his fingers and Buffy appeared on the bridge, a brush in her hand. She immediately stepped into a defensive pose, her hazel eyes wary. She was tired of popping into places.

            "Now Slayer, I'm not here to hurt you." Q said in what he thought was a reassuring voice.

            The Captain looked at Buffy and nodded silently and she relaxed slightly, placing the hairbrush on the console she was standing beside.

"What are you?" she asked curiously.

            Q looked offended, "I don't look human?"

            Her eyes narrowed as she approached him. Captain Picard and Commander Riker were amused as Q almost stepped back, intimidated by the petite woman. "You're not human. Are you a demon?"

            He laughed, "No no, though I've been mistaken for one by some."

            "Humph." Captain Picard huffed, clearly able to believe this.

"Now Jean Luc, no need to be rude." Q looked at Buffy, "I'm Q. I'm omniscient, omnipotent, immortal and a great dresser." He snapped his fingers and was outfitted with a tuxedo, top hat and tails.

Buffy sighed a little and asked, "So, why am I here and why are you here Mr. Penguin?"

            Q rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers again, changing back into an identical uniform as the Captain.

Buffy cocked her head, eyeing the new uniform, "Delusional much?" and there were muffled laughs across the bridge.

            "Are you ready to go home?" he asked a little testily.

 Buffy crossed her arms and looked at Q thoughtfully, "Define home."

            Commander Riker leaned forward and whispered, "I really like her." to which the Captain nodded silently.

            Q gestured grandly, "Your beloved Captain and that rickety bucket you call a ship." On the screen there appeared the Enterprise NX01, battered but beautiful.

            Buffy's eyes filled with tears, a look of such deep longing on her face that it made the Captain's throat hurt. "How long will I have been gone?" She whispered, her eyes glued to the ship.

            Geordi was shaking his head, "Captain?" he checked the sensors again.

Picard straightened, "She's really there?"

            "Aye Sir."

            "Slow to impulse. Q, We don't want to damage her." he snapped.

Q smirked at the Captain, then turned to Buffy. "It's been 10 days."

            "You will return the Enterprise back to the right time?" she glanced at him sharply and he nodded, "Of course my dear."

            Buffy nodded, "I want to go home." Turning to Captain Picard and Commander Riker she said, "Tell Deanna and Worf and Beverly and Guinan, and everybody else that I said good bye."

            Captain Picard stood and walked to her, taking her hands in his, "It was our privilege Miss Summers. Do remember the timeline. You shouldn't say anything about what has happened." Buffy cringed, "Not even to Jon?"

            Picard looked at Q who held his hands up, "It's up to her to make that decision. It may be that this reality is the result of her telling him, or not."

Buffy huffed, "That's not fair. I don't even know why I was sent into the future! I didn't have to fight anybody to the death, I didn't have to save anyone's life, why? Why can't I just know if I can tell him why we were ripped apart?" Her voice was frustrated and Picard raised an eyebrow at Q.

Q looked at him silently, "Fine. You can tell him you went to the future and that you were on 2 Enterprises. Try to keep in mind that details are not necessary." He replied.

            Buffy said, "He knows about the Temp…" Q held up a hand, "Be careful, Jean Luc doesn't."

Buffy looked at the Captain. "Ooops."

            Q smiled, "Enough chit chat. Time to go Slayer."

Picard smiled, "Live a long life Buffy."  Then she heard Q snap and suddenly she was outside her bridge.

Her bridge!