Interludes: Forgotten Pasts
Chapter Two
Sunnydale 2001
"You have to help me Willow," Riley said from his prison.
"That's what I'm trying, if you'll just shut up!" Willow growled finishing putting the rest if the ingredients together. "Just be quiet."
Riley dutifully stayed silent as he watched the young witch cast her spell. He felt the pain as the spell took hold of him, felt the creature within fight the invasion that was coming. Then it was over, the soul he had lost over a year ago settled into power over his demon.
The vampire breathed hard his face smoothing over as he controlled what he couldn't before. He felt better, more human, at least more able to help those he had sworn to help.
"Thank you," he panted watching the young witch get up off the floor. "Come on we have to get out if here before the others get hurt."
Willow nodded slightly and moved toward the book locker, keys in hand. "That was a lot harder then when I restored Angel." She said, "I guess the permanent anchor does that."
Riley smiled a little, "Hurt enough to know I never want to go through that again."
Willow smiled a little and inserted the key in the lock. Riley stepped back to let her swing the door open.
The sound of glass braking glass startled them both. Willow spun around to peer in the dim light of the abandoned library. Riley sniffed the air and growled. "Willow, get the door open."
Willow turned startled eyes on him as he started to bang against the door. "W-what is it?"
"Please open the door," Riley begged. "I don't know what it is, but you have to open the door. What ever it is I know it's bad."
Willow nodded and turned to key in the lock.
Then the shadows started to move and things from the deepest hell appeared behind the unsuspecting witch. Riley let out a fearful exclamation, to late. Willow screamed as taloned hands grabbed her from behind dragging her into the darkness. Riley banged against the metal door to no avail, it was still locked with the key nearly turned just enough.
Then all he could hear was Willows screams.
***
Some where in Southern California 2029
The demon walked down the street in silence. Behind it a young human tethered to a strong cord followed, his head lowered a sign of defeat on his features. This was the demons new pet, broken for its pleasure, meant to be shown to its guests at parties. This human was a lovely one that was for sure, ex-military if it judged right. Military was so fun to break.
Tonight was a special gala event, one that the city leader was holding for an anniversary or something. It didn't matter, anything to show off the new pet.
The new pet that just stopped walking.
"Come pet," the demons ordered tugging on the cord. The human didn't move. "I said come."
The young man lifted his head showing a flash of menacing blue eyes. The demon started as the cord was pulled form its grasp and five uniformed men moved out of the dark.
"What is the meaning of this!" the demon yelled, "I command you to retreat. This is direct violation of the laws!"
Its pet smirked, "No this is called taking back the laws."
The demon growled. The uniformed men laughed a little and pulled out tazers. In seconds the demon was down, a smoking mess. The 'pet' took and ax from his comrade and aimed for his 'masters' head.
"Very good soldier." One of the older men said. "I take it you retrieved the information."
"Yes sir." The young man said.
"Very good," the older man said. "Let's move out, we don't have much time to get back to base."
The others nodded quickly vanishing into the shadows leaving the demon's body to be found in the morning. No trace of there appearance or departure would ever be found by the demons investigators. This was just a random attack.
Not far from where the body lay a silent figure stepped out of the shadows. Blue eyes stared out at the retreating figures in a state of shock and awe. Then suddenly his face broke out into a smile and he whispered to no one in a light baroque. "And so it begins. Thank God."
***
Sunnydale
"Twenty-nine years ago there was an accident." Xander explained in a lecture mode to rival Giles. "Not only did the Hellmouth open but portals to other Hell dimensions opened as well. We didn't actually know anything was seriously wrong until it was too late to stop anything."
"I knew something was wrong." Riley said leaning against a table reading a large book.
"Do you want to tell this blood breath?" Xander growled.
Riley smiled, "Oh no you're doing well, continue."
"As I was saying," Xander emphasized, "Everyone except Riley who couldn't be bothered, didn't know something was wrong 'til it was too late."
"As I recall you knew something was wrong too," Riley interjected, "And Spike, and Sam, and Doyle."
"You not helping lov." Xander said throwing a crumpled paper at the vampire.
"Yes I am." Riley replied calmly, "I'm making sure he knows all the details."
"Does it matter?" the Diamphire asked.
"Do I care?" Riley asked with a smirk.
"You should." Xander said.
"Ummm, Guys?" Malcolm asked trying to forestall the fight that was escalating.
"What?" Both men shouted.
Malcolm smiled. "Is talk of the end of human existence always so."
"Fun?" Riley asked
"Done before?" Xander prompted.
"Worth fighting over details?" Malcolm finished.
Xander and Riley seemed to think that over, "Yes," they both answered.
"Carry on then." Malcolm said leaning back in his chair.
Both men blinked at the mortal then looked at each other. With a shrug Riley chased Xander out of the room and down the hall. Seconds later a loud shriek could be heard then laughter echoed throughout the lair. Malcolm sighed closing his eyes; dealing with both men was like dealing with Trip and T'Pol at the same time.
God he missed them.
With a sigh Malcolm rose from his seat and surveyed the room. It was a gigantic library with floor to ceiling shelves of books mostly very old looking. Most on the lower levels read the same, 'vampires' 'guide to everyday demons' 'spells to use in your kitchen' all held some form of information about what society didn't even know about in his time.
That was kind of odd how even with the technology; Earth had still not discovered vampires and demons. Maybe there was a reason for that, if he ever returned he would be sure to inquire the subject to one of his friends.
Nearly an hour later Xander and Riley returned a little worse for wear, yet both looked like they lost the pillow fight sometime ago and had just now recovered.
"So any questions?" Xander asked gracefully folding himself into a chair.
"Yes." Malcolm said after a moments tought. "How do we stop this from happening?"
Xander and Riley exchanged looked. Raiseing an eyebrow the Damphire looked at Malcolm, a slow smile spreading across his face. "There is a relic, the Gem of Kimera. It is said to be able to fold time, if we can find it and get a hold of it there is a chance we could go back to just before the disaster and stop it from happening."
Malcolm nodded. "How do we find this gem?"
"We don't." Riley said. "It will come to us. Sunnydale is a kind of Holy land to the demons; their main ruling body is in the city. Prador Saceros has sent an expedition to, of all places, Jerusalem to retrieve the Gem of Kimera and bring it here. With any luck we will be able to intercept it and use it before we can be found out or stopped."
"Why not go there yourselves?" Malcolm asked interested now in a new possibility of going home.
"We aren't high enough in the food chain to be allowed out of the city without permission." Xander said. "No one has been in or out of the city in twenty-nine years that wasn't a full blood demon."
Malcolm milled over that for a while. They couldn't leave, but the source of what they needed was coming to them. If and when the past was changed back to what it was suppose to be Malcolm would go back to his own time, hopefully a time that was his own. Just to have that no matter what he thought of the future was worth risking his life and theirs, of only to insure humans would have a future.
Maybe they would let him blow something up as well.
"Anything I can do to help?" Malcolm asked at last.
Xander and Riley smile to one another. "Yeah," Xander answered. "You can learn to survive here, and learn what we are going to need to learn to get into the Prador's palace undetected."
Now it was Malcolm's turn to smile slowly. "Oh I think I know a bit about things like that."
***
Sunnydale 2001
"We have to move now!" Spike shouted shoving Xander out of the door. "Run! I'll be right behind you!"
Xander looked back as if to protest but nodded instead and ran out of the door and down the hall. Only after he was halfway down the stairs did he realize Spike wasn't behind him. In fact he hadn't remembered Sam leaving the apartment either. He would turn back, he should turn back, but Dad had made a promise and he would meet Xander outside with Sam.
He had to.
He had made it outside when the first explosion knocked him to the ground. With a look of horror Xander looked up into the night sky at the bellowing smoke coming from the top of the apartment building. The second and third explosions rocked trough the rest of the building. In minutes the building crumbled to the ground in what could only be a demon made disaster leaving anyone left inside nothing but ashes.
Riley found him a few hours later holding a pile of ashes in his hands. He was in to much shock to cry and barely felt Riley lift him off the ground. All he could see was the building explode with Spike and Sam still inside and all he could here were the words of a father making sure his son would live another day.
***
Sunnydale 2029
Xander woke to someone shaking his shoulders in a manner that suggested the person had been doing so for a while. He didn't want to open his eyes, he didn't want to look into the darkened room and know this was not his home with a father he barely knew but still loved him all the same. He didn't want to be reminded that everyone he knew and loved were dead.
This feeling over came him every time he had that particular nightmare, it didn't help that the one usually to wake him only reminded him of that life that was no more. It wasn't fair to the vampire; he had lost everything just the same.
"Xan." Riley said softly. "C'mon I know you're awake."
"I don't wanna be." Xander mumbled into his pillow.
"I know." Riley said gently. "Wanna talk about it?"
Xander sighed and turned over looking at the vampire he was sure could see him in the dim light. "What's to talk about? It's the same nightmare over and over again. I just wish it were only a nightmare."
"I miss them too." Riley said. "And hopefully if everything goes right, it will only be just another nightmare."
"Oh no I think I don't even want it as a nightmare," Xander said with a growl. "I want it to go away."
Riley sighed and stood walking over to the door pausing just in the doorway. "Don't go out hunting, and keep out guest with you at all times. The others wont take kindly to a human hunting there own and I can't protect you outside of this house."
"Don't worry about me Ri." Xander said. "Worry about that expedition finding the Gem. If they don't we're screwed."
Riley snorted. "We're already screwed."
"Says the guy who hasn't had any in twenty-nine years." Xander joked.
"At least I've had some in the last forty." Riley retorted.
Xander put a hand to his chest. "Ooo that hurt."
Riley shook his head and left the room.
Once he was gone Xander sighed scrubbing a hand over his face before turning on his back to stare at the darkened ceiling. It was always the same, same dream, same memories, same life. No matter the way it was looked at everything was still the same.
Who were they kidding with this plan to stop all of this from happening?
It wasn't like that would help any, eventually it would all happen again. Maybe not in this life or the next twenty, but Xander was sure he would still be alive when it did.
He rubbed his face again, maybe Riley was right, they were screwed no matter what.
With a sigh he untangled himself from his blankets got up and made his way down the hall and to the training room. Humans weren't supposed to be able to fight, but technically he hadn't been human for a while thus had the leeway to learn how to defend himself against humans. Or so Riley had argued to the council when he had the training room installed as a gift to his 'mate'. The one time Xander ever used it now a day was when he needed to think and beat his frustration into something.
Lining up with his target and relaxing until he was in a comfortable fighting stance Xander let his mind clear of everything but his frustration and swung. The first hit missed but the second and third hit its mark until he was beating the stuffing out of the punching bag. He did this repeatedly until he could barely hold up his arms then slumped against the far wall breathing hard. He didn't feel any better but he was pretty sure he could sleep right here and now with out any nightmares.
"You look like a man with a lot of things on his mind." Malcolm said from the door way dressed in a pair of borrowed jeans and a tight tee-shirt. He looked at the punching bag "Or someone with a lot of anger issues."
"A bit of column A, a bit of column B" Xander said with a shrug. "Why are you still up?"
Malcolm shrugged "I'm usually on the late shift, I suppose even on a planet one gets used to it."
Xander nodded his understanding. "Yeah I'm not really used to being awake during the day either; even before all this my nights were normally spent patrolling till dawn." He smiled, "Even then I was constantly getting my ass kicked while my friends saved the day. God I miss them."
Malcolm gave him a sad smile in return. "We will get our friends back," he said with conviction. "Even if we have to make new ones."
The Diamphire gave him a knowing look. "Once this is all over with we will get you back to your own time, even if I have to do it myself."
Malcolm's smile was genuine as he sat next to the other falling into a companionable silence. There would be times in the future they would sit like this all night, two friends without a place in a world that wasn't suppose to be. And in those times they would fight together and learn together all the while making sure they were ready for that one day they would change the world.
***
Mojave Desert
Graham prided himself on being a survivor, one of the few free humans that remembered the time before the Demon Lords and the need to hide to stay alive. He remembered a time when humans were free and it was the demons that hid in the shadows, or that the few demons that didn't were either easily taken care of or fought on the side of good.
Of course he also remembered a time when he aged as well.
Maggie Welsh's experiments had some interesting side affects she had not lived to see, but Graham and Forrest had lived trough it personally. Not only did they live trough it, but that hadn't died or aged in the last twenty-nine years. Many side affects had appeared in all of the solders, some even in their children whom had become that new military front dedicated to taking back their world.
So far that had not been very affective, yet with Matt's information they now had what they needed to get into the very place that would make the difference.
Graham sat sentry outside the compound milling over what all that meant for him. Maggie Welsh, before she died, told Graham that the immortality came with a price. Forever time would have no meaning to him even if they won back Earth; he would watch Earth pass by until it too was only a myth in the pits of space.
Matt's information had rumored a device that could send them back in time before the Hellmouth had opened and all this would never have happened. It was something Graham needed to happen or else he would be stuck in this hell forever. And that wasn't even just a figure of speech.
He also really needed to cut back on the coffee 'cause his brain wasn't thinking.
Suddenly the brush behind him moved and Graham found himself pined to the ground by an angry vampire.
"Are you Graham Miller?" the vampire asked.
"What of it?" Graham growled.
The vampire's demon face dissolved into something Graham recognized all too well.
"Angel?" the immortal commando gasped in surprise.
The soled vampire let out a sigh of relief and let the other go. "Good you remember me." He said conversationally, "You haven't changed much."
"I haven't aged at all." Graham said. "I never will. What can I do for you?"
"I hear you have information that will stop all of this from happening." Angel said as if he had been reading Graham's mind.
"Correct." Graham said.
Angel nodded, "Good because I have a way into Sunnydale. But you have to promise me one thing."
Graham blinked, a way into Sunnydale? But no one had been in there in twenty-nine years, even their plan had to do with a lot of luck. "If it's possible I will do it."
"I will get you and your military people into Sunnydale." Angel said, "But you will leave my grandson to me."
Graham nodded, "I can promise you if he is innocent he will be unharmed, but if he is not on our side I cannot guarantee his life."
"Good enough." Angel said.
"Good," Graham said. "Take me to Sunnydale."
Chapter Two
Sunnydale 2001
"You have to help me Willow," Riley said from his prison.
"That's what I'm trying, if you'll just shut up!" Willow growled finishing putting the rest if the ingredients together. "Just be quiet."
Riley dutifully stayed silent as he watched the young witch cast her spell. He felt the pain as the spell took hold of him, felt the creature within fight the invasion that was coming. Then it was over, the soul he had lost over a year ago settled into power over his demon.
The vampire breathed hard his face smoothing over as he controlled what he couldn't before. He felt better, more human, at least more able to help those he had sworn to help.
"Thank you," he panted watching the young witch get up off the floor. "Come on we have to get out if here before the others get hurt."
Willow nodded slightly and moved toward the book locker, keys in hand. "That was a lot harder then when I restored Angel." She said, "I guess the permanent anchor does that."
Riley smiled a little, "Hurt enough to know I never want to go through that again."
Willow smiled a little and inserted the key in the lock. Riley stepped back to let her swing the door open.
The sound of glass braking glass startled them both. Willow spun around to peer in the dim light of the abandoned library. Riley sniffed the air and growled. "Willow, get the door open."
Willow turned startled eyes on him as he started to bang against the door. "W-what is it?"
"Please open the door," Riley begged. "I don't know what it is, but you have to open the door. What ever it is I know it's bad."
Willow nodded and turned to key in the lock.
Then the shadows started to move and things from the deepest hell appeared behind the unsuspecting witch. Riley let out a fearful exclamation, to late. Willow screamed as taloned hands grabbed her from behind dragging her into the darkness. Riley banged against the metal door to no avail, it was still locked with the key nearly turned just enough.
Then all he could hear was Willows screams.
***
Some where in Southern California 2029
The demon walked down the street in silence. Behind it a young human tethered to a strong cord followed, his head lowered a sign of defeat on his features. This was the demons new pet, broken for its pleasure, meant to be shown to its guests at parties. This human was a lovely one that was for sure, ex-military if it judged right. Military was so fun to break.
Tonight was a special gala event, one that the city leader was holding for an anniversary or something. It didn't matter, anything to show off the new pet.
The new pet that just stopped walking.
"Come pet," the demons ordered tugging on the cord. The human didn't move. "I said come."
The young man lifted his head showing a flash of menacing blue eyes. The demon started as the cord was pulled form its grasp and five uniformed men moved out of the dark.
"What is the meaning of this!" the demon yelled, "I command you to retreat. This is direct violation of the laws!"
Its pet smirked, "No this is called taking back the laws."
The demon growled. The uniformed men laughed a little and pulled out tazers. In seconds the demon was down, a smoking mess. The 'pet' took and ax from his comrade and aimed for his 'masters' head.
"Very good soldier." One of the older men said. "I take it you retrieved the information."
"Yes sir." The young man said.
"Very good," the older man said. "Let's move out, we don't have much time to get back to base."
The others nodded quickly vanishing into the shadows leaving the demon's body to be found in the morning. No trace of there appearance or departure would ever be found by the demons investigators. This was just a random attack.
Not far from where the body lay a silent figure stepped out of the shadows. Blue eyes stared out at the retreating figures in a state of shock and awe. Then suddenly his face broke out into a smile and he whispered to no one in a light baroque. "And so it begins. Thank God."
***
Sunnydale
"Twenty-nine years ago there was an accident." Xander explained in a lecture mode to rival Giles. "Not only did the Hellmouth open but portals to other Hell dimensions opened as well. We didn't actually know anything was seriously wrong until it was too late to stop anything."
"I knew something was wrong." Riley said leaning against a table reading a large book.
"Do you want to tell this blood breath?" Xander growled.
Riley smiled, "Oh no you're doing well, continue."
"As I was saying," Xander emphasized, "Everyone except Riley who couldn't be bothered, didn't know something was wrong 'til it was too late."
"As I recall you knew something was wrong too," Riley interjected, "And Spike, and Sam, and Doyle."
"You not helping lov." Xander said throwing a crumpled paper at the vampire.
"Yes I am." Riley replied calmly, "I'm making sure he knows all the details."
"Does it matter?" the Diamphire asked.
"Do I care?" Riley asked with a smirk.
"You should." Xander said.
"Ummm, Guys?" Malcolm asked trying to forestall the fight that was escalating.
"What?" Both men shouted.
Malcolm smiled. "Is talk of the end of human existence always so."
"Fun?" Riley asked
"Done before?" Xander prompted.
"Worth fighting over details?" Malcolm finished.
Xander and Riley seemed to think that over, "Yes," they both answered.
"Carry on then." Malcolm said leaning back in his chair.
Both men blinked at the mortal then looked at each other. With a shrug Riley chased Xander out of the room and down the hall. Seconds later a loud shriek could be heard then laughter echoed throughout the lair. Malcolm sighed closing his eyes; dealing with both men was like dealing with Trip and T'Pol at the same time.
God he missed them.
With a sigh Malcolm rose from his seat and surveyed the room. It was a gigantic library with floor to ceiling shelves of books mostly very old looking. Most on the lower levels read the same, 'vampires' 'guide to everyday demons' 'spells to use in your kitchen' all held some form of information about what society didn't even know about in his time.
That was kind of odd how even with the technology; Earth had still not discovered vampires and demons. Maybe there was a reason for that, if he ever returned he would be sure to inquire the subject to one of his friends.
Nearly an hour later Xander and Riley returned a little worse for wear, yet both looked like they lost the pillow fight sometime ago and had just now recovered.
"So any questions?" Xander asked gracefully folding himself into a chair.
"Yes." Malcolm said after a moments tought. "How do we stop this from happening?"
Xander and Riley exchanged looked. Raiseing an eyebrow the Damphire looked at Malcolm, a slow smile spreading across his face. "There is a relic, the Gem of Kimera. It is said to be able to fold time, if we can find it and get a hold of it there is a chance we could go back to just before the disaster and stop it from happening."
Malcolm nodded. "How do we find this gem?"
"We don't." Riley said. "It will come to us. Sunnydale is a kind of Holy land to the demons; their main ruling body is in the city. Prador Saceros has sent an expedition to, of all places, Jerusalem to retrieve the Gem of Kimera and bring it here. With any luck we will be able to intercept it and use it before we can be found out or stopped."
"Why not go there yourselves?" Malcolm asked interested now in a new possibility of going home.
"We aren't high enough in the food chain to be allowed out of the city without permission." Xander said. "No one has been in or out of the city in twenty-nine years that wasn't a full blood demon."
Malcolm milled over that for a while. They couldn't leave, but the source of what they needed was coming to them. If and when the past was changed back to what it was suppose to be Malcolm would go back to his own time, hopefully a time that was his own. Just to have that no matter what he thought of the future was worth risking his life and theirs, of only to insure humans would have a future.
Maybe they would let him blow something up as well.
"Anything I can do to help?" Malcolm asked at last.
Xander and Riley smile to one another. "Yeah," Xander answered. "You can learn to survive here, and learn what we are going to need to learn to get into the Prador's palace undetected."
Now it was Malcolm's turn to smile slowly. "Oh I think I know a bit about things like that."
***
Sunnydale 2001
"We have to move now!" Spike shouted shoving Xander out of the door. "Run! I'll be right behind you!"
Xander looked back as if to protest but nodded instead and ran out of the door and down the hall. Only after he was halfway down the stairs did he realize Spike wasn't behind him. In fact he hadn't remembered Sam leaving the apartment either. He would turn back, he should turn back, but Dad had made a promise and he would meet Xander outside with Sam.
He had to.
He had made it outside when the first explosion knocked him to the ground. With a look of horror Xander looked up into the night sky at the bellowing smoke coming from the top of the apartment building. The second and third explosions rocked trough the rest of the building. In minutes the building crumbled to the ground in what could only be a demon made disaster leaving anyone left inside nothing but ashes.
Riley found him a few hours later holding a pile of ashes in his hands. He was in to much shock to cry and barely felt Riley lift him off the ground. All he could see was the building explode with Spike and Sam still inside and all he could here were the words of a father making sure his son would live another day.
***
Sunnydale 2029
Xander woke to someone shaking his shoulders in a manner that suggested the person had been doing so for a while. He didn't want to open his eyes, he didn't want to look into the darkened room and know this was not his home with a father he barely knew but still loved him all the same. He didn't want to be reminded that everyone he knew and loved were dead.
This feeling over came him every time he had that particular nightmare, it didn't help that the one usually to wake him only reminded him of that life that was no more. It wasn't fair to the vampire; he had lost everything just the same.
"Xan." Riley said softly. "C'mon I know you're awake."
"I don't wanna be." Xander mumbled into his pillow.
"I know." Riley said gently. "Wanna talk about it?"
Xander sighed and turned over looking at the vampire he was sure could see him in the dim light. "What's to talk about? It's the same nightmare over and over again. I just wish it were only a nightmare."
"I miss them too." Riley said. "And hopefully if everything goes right, it will only be just another nightmare."
"Oh no I think I don't even want it as a nightmare," Xander said with a growl. "I want it to go away."
Riley sighed and stood walking over to the door pausing just in the doorway. "Don't go out hunting, and keep out guest with you at all times. The others wont take kindly to a human hunting there own and I can't protect you outside of this house."
"Don't worry about me Ri." Xander said. "Worry about that expedition finding the Gem. If they don't we're screwed."
Riley snorted. "We're already screwed."
"Says the guy who hasn't had any in twenty-nine years." Xander joked.
"At least I've had some in the last forty." Riley retorted.
Xander put a hand to his chest. "Ooo that hurt."
Riley shook his head and left the room.
Once he was gone Xander sighed scrubbing a hand over his face before turning on his back to stare at the darkened ceiling. It was always the same, same dream, same memories, same life. No matter the way it was looked at everything was still the same.
Who were they kidding with this plan to stop all of this from happening?
It wasn't like that would help any, eventually it would all happen again. Maybe not in this life or the next twenty, but Xander was sure he would still be alive when it did.
He rubbed his face again, maybe Riley was right, they were screwed no matter what.
With a sigh he untangled himself from his blankets got up and made his way down the hall and to the training room. Humans weren't supposed to be able to fight, but technically he hadn't been human for a while thus had the leeway to learn how to defend himself against humans. Or so Riley had argued to the council when he had the training room installed as a gift to his 'mate'. The one time Xander ever used it now a day was when he needed to think and beat his frustration into something.
Lining up with his target and relaxing until he was in a comfortable fighting stance Xander let his mind clear of everything but his frustration and swung. The first hit missed but the second and third hit its mark until he was beating the stuffing out of the punching bag. He did this repeatedly until he could barely hold up his arms then slumped against the far wall breathing hard. He didn't feel any better but he was pretty sure he could sleep right here and now with out any nightmares.
"You look like a man with a lot of things on his mind." Malcolm said from the door way dressed in a pair of borrowed jeans and a tight tee-shirt. He looked at the punching bag "Or someone with a lot of anger issues."
"A bit of column A, a bit of column B" Xander said with a shrug. "Why are you still up?"
Malcolm shrugged "I'm usually on the late shift, I suppose even on a planet one gets used to it."
Xander nodded his understanding. "Yeah I'm not really used to being awake during the day either; even before all this my nights were normally spent patrolling till dawn." He smiled, "Even then I was constantly getting my ass kicked while my friends saved the day. God I miss them."
Malcolm gave him a sad smile in return. "We will get our friends back," he said with conviction. "Even if we have to make new ones."
The Diamphire gave him a knowing look. "Once this is all over with we will get you back to your own time, even if I have to do it myself."
Malcolm's smile was genuine as he sat next to the other falling into a companionable silence. There would be times in the future they would sit like this all night, two friends without a place in a world that wasn't suppose to be. And in those times they would fight together and learn together all the while making sure they were ready for that one day they would change the world.
***
Mojave Desert
Graham prided himself on being a survivor, one of the few free humans that remembered the time before the Demon Lords and the need to hide to stay alive. He remembered a time when humans were free and it was the demons that hid in the shadows, or that the few demons that didn't were either easily taken care of or fought on the side of good.
Of course he also remembered a time when he aged as well.
Maggie Welsh's experiments had some interesting side affects she had not lived to see, but Graham and Forrest had lived trough it personally. Not only did they live trough it, but that hadn't died or aged in the last twenty-nine years. Many side affects had appeared in all of the solders, some even in their children whom had become that new military front dedicated to taking back their world.
So far that had not been very affective, yet with Matt's information they now had what they needed to get into the very place that would make the difference.
Graham sat sentry outside the compound milling over what all that meant for him. Maggie Welsh, before she died, told Graham that the immortality came with a price. Forever time would have no meaning to him even if they won back Earth; he would watch Earth pass by until it too was only a myth in the pits of space.
Matt's information had rumored a device that could send them back in time before the Hellmouth had opened and all this would never have happened. It was something Graham needed to happen or else he would be stuck in this hell forever. And that wasn't even just a figure of speech.
He also really needed to cut back on the coffee 'cause his brain wasn't thinking.
Suddenly the brush behind him moved and Graham found himself pined to the ground by an angry vampire.
"Are you Graham Miller?" the vampire asked.
"What of it?" Graham growled.
The vampire's demon face dissolved into something Graham recognized all too well.
"Angel?" the immortal commando gasped in surprise.
The soled vampire let out a sigh of relief and let the other go. "Good you remember me." He said conversationally, "You haven't changed much."
"I haven't aged at all." Graham said. "I never will. What can I do for you?"
"I hear you have information that will stop all of this from happening." Angel said as if he had been reading Graham's mind.
"Correct." Graham said.
Angel nodded, "Good because I have a way into Sunnydale. But you have to promise me one thing."
Graham blinked, a way into Sunnydale? But no one had been in there in twenty-nine years, even their plan had to do with a lot of luck. "If it's possible I will do it."
"I will get you and your military people into Sunnydale." Angel said, "But you will leave my grandson to me."
Graham nodded, "I can promise you if he is innocent he will be unharmed, but if he is not on our side I cannot guarantee his life."
"Good enough." Angel said.
"Good," Graham said. "Take me to Sunnydale."