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Chapter five

1999

Buffy and Spike sat a little bit apart from the group as Giles handed out all the information he'd collected on time travel. Willow was online, surfing the net. Buffy smiled wistfully as she looked at Willow and Oz. She had forgotten what a good team they made. They had given her strength, they had shown her that good things did sometimes happen in the world. They gave the group strength. Willow seemed to sense her staring and looked up.

"What is it?" she asked hesitantly.

Buffy blinked. "Sorry, it's just been a while since I saw you online."

Willow shook her head. "I don't believe that for a second! It's how I help you guys out. I mean, with the research."

Buffy laughed. "Is that what you think? Believe me Will, you help me out a lot more then that. More then you realise!"

"Really?" asked Willow in surprise.

"Oops," Buffy looked away guilty. She had said too much about how Willow would grow as a witch. It hadn't been much - but Willow would figure it out. That would be bad, for her to start using magic she couldn't handle too early. It had been bad last year and Buffy knew that it had to happen - but to have it happen any earlier…. "Forget I said anything."

Past Buffy stood by Angel, hands on her hips. "Well this is all so really not interesting," she was saying to Wesley and Giles. "But how long before these impostors leave?"

"Listen love…" started Spike.

Buffy laid a hand on his arm.

" For the last time I'm not your love!" said past Buffy, frowning as she watched her future self interact with Spike.

Buffy quietly looked at her younger self. You thought you had it all, didn't you? She thought, a little bitterly. You had the great boyfriend, strong friends. You're looking forward to college. Even though things were bad back then, you never let it get to you because you always win. You have no idea how bad it's going to get. You don't know what it feel's like to know you might not win.

"You say you saw a flash of light?" questioned Wesley.

"Yeah. What of it?" asked Spike.

"Well, I think I've found something. It states here that sometimes people encounter phenomena's called time rifts. They're very rare - but they are all over the world. They're invisible to the naked eye, so you two must have seen the flash…"

"Because we're a vampire and the slayer," said Buffy, finally understanding.

"Yes," replied Wesley. "But it makes sense. Think about all those people that have gone missing. I mean, really missing - not just eaten by the monsters out there. They always turn up sooner or later - dead or alive. But I meant - like the Barbuda Triangle. What if that's a time rift?"

"You mean they get stuck in the past? That's horrible!" exclaimed Willow.

"It means we were lucky," said Spike. Everyone turned to look at him. "I'm just saying. We could have been stuck in the bloody middle ages! Not something that was on my list of things to do this week."

"You have that list too?" asked Willow.

Spike rolled his eyes. "It's called a joke Red."

"It stands to reason what Wesley's saying," said Giles. "It is the Hell Mouth. Now we just need to find a way to get you home. I guess we could do a spell to control the rifts…." he was cut off when Buffy stood up suddenly.

"I don't want to leave," she stated. This time everyone stared at her.

"Well, this could be fun," said Cordelia.

"What are you talking about?" asked Spike in amazement.

Buffy shook her head defiantly. "I just can't Spike. I can't go back there." With that Buffy ran from the room.

For a moment no one moved. Angel and Spike looked at each other. Spike knew what his grandsire was thinking, but he didn't know Buffy. Not anymore. Not like Spike did. "I'll go after her," Spike sighed. "Keep researching on that spell Giles…"

"And tell me Spike," said Giles, reaching for a crossbow. "Why should I take orders from you?" Spike looked around him. Although they all seemed so familiar, they were now complete strangers, who would like nothing more then to see him dead.

2003

The Turuk-Han vampires surrounded the front of the Summer's home, hidden in the shadows. The occupants watched the TV in silence, waiting for Buffy, Giles and the others to get home safely. They were each pretending that they weren't worried, which didn't make good conversation. When they heard the sound of breaking glass in the distance, they thought it was special effects.

1999

After Buffy had run for what seemed like a thousand miles, she found herself in the park nearby her house. She sank onto the swings and slowly took several deep breaths. Conflicting memories swam through her mind. She remembered her and Dawn and Mum coming here for days out when they had first moved to Sunnydale. But in this time, Dawn didn't exist. She had never existed.

Oh god, the possibilities were endless, she thought. She could actually change things. Or maybe not change them completely, but make them better. She knew everyone said that it was a bad idea - but she didn't care anymore. What was the harm really, in saving her mum? She stood up a little to quickly. Only one way to find out, she thought and began the walk to her home.

………………………………...

Spike met Giles's gaze straight on. "look, I'm sorry, ok? For everything I've done. I've been a bloody jerk. But - I think I know were Buffy's going and what she plans to do. And I've got a really bad feeling about this. You have to let me stop her from doing something stupid before it's to late."

"You're…apologising?" whispered past Buffy in shock. "Since when do you apologise?

"Yeah," commented Xander. "Where's the Spike we all love to hate?"

Spike was looking at Angel again, hoping for some understanding. "Listen. You know about this sort of thing. Atonement and all. You have a soul. And you know me. Look at me, really look - and tell me what you see. You know I've changed. I know you know it."

Past Buffy looked at him. "Angel?" she whispered.

Angel was staring at Spike. "Buffy…I think…..I don't know how he…."

"Spit it out!" Buffy commanded.

"He has a soul," said Angel faintly.

"WHAT?" exclaimed everyone in the room, except for Spike, who grinned.

TBC………