Chapter 10 Time is of the Essence. Buffy and Xander have to go back before they change too much of their parents lives. Here ya go. Sorry for the delay.
Buffy and Xander are walking in the parking lot and see Giles walk over to them.
"Where were you two?" ask Giles. "I've been looking everywhere for you."
"We
decided to get some fresh air," says Buffy.
"Yeah, while you
sucked face with Jenny," says Xander.
"Xander," says Buffy hitting Xander on the shoulder.
"I couldn't help it," says Xander. "I've never seen Giles do that. Didn't know you had it in you." Xander pats Giles on the shoulder.
"Well, we better get going," says Giles.
"What did you tell Jenny?" ask Buffy.
"She has to get to work early tomorrow and I asked her for lunch tomorrow," says Giles.
"Way to go Giles," says Xander.
Giles drives back to his place. The ride is silence no one wanted to break that silence. They arrive and head inside quickly. Buffy heads upstairs to Giles' room and changes while the boys change downstairs.
Upstairs Buffy puts her Victorian dress on the bed and admired it. She puts her shoes next to the nightstand. Then Buffy notices something on the nightstand. It's a notepad, which Giles uses to write ideas out when he wakes up in the morning.
Downstairs Giles and Xander are already dress and are ready to take the time machine outside. Xander opens the garage and they push the car out of the garage.
"I'm ready," says Buffy peeking out from the garage.
"Lets get going shall we," says Giles as he gets into the car. Buffy and Xander close the garage together and head to the passenger seat. There is only one seat so Buffy sits on Xander.
Giles drives the car a couple minutes out of town. They even past the sign that says 'Welcome to Sunnydale'.
"Man they'll never change that sign," says Xander trying to liven up the mood.
They arrive to an empty roadway that goes on for miles. Giles stops the car and gets out.
"Here we are," says Giles. Buffy and Xander get out of the car. "It will have enough fuel to get you back and it should work."
Buffy and Xander look at Giles then Giles looks at them.
"What?" ask Giles.
"It's always hard to say goodbye," says Buffy. She walks up to Giles and hugs real tight. "I love you. I'll miss you." Buffy kisses him on the cheek and walks over to the car. She turns away from Giles and tries to hold her tears.
"Giles there's something I got to tell you," says Xander. "It's about the future."
"No," says Giles. "I don't want know. Things happen for reason whether it's good or bad."
"But Giles." Giles nods his head. They shake hands then Giles pats Xander on the back and leads him to the car.
Buffy is already inside the car as Xander gets in. Giles closes the door and smiles.
"Go about ten miles up that way and make a u turn," says Giles. "Then step on it."
"Alright," says Xander as he turns on the car.
"Oh and Xander," says Giles. Xander turns his head to him.
"Take good care of her," says Giles. Xander looks at Buffy and grabs her hand. She squeezes it then Xander turns his head back to Giles.
"I will." Giles backs away from the car as Xander drives off ten miles away.
"I wished he would of listen," says Xander.
"It's not your fault Xander," says Buffy.
"If we only had time," says Xander thinking for a second. "Hey wait minute we're in a time machine. We've got all the time we want." He makes the U turn.
"We could set it ten minutes before we left," says Xander. "That should give us enough time." Xander type in the times on the computer of the time machine then steps on the gas and speeds down the road.
"Put you seat belt on," says Buffy pulling the strap for Xander. She then taps him on his thigh and begins to put on her seat belt.
"Hey, do that again," says Xander. Buffy gives him a look. "Okay, later."
They pass Giles already at sixty and just before they re-enter the town they reach 88 miles per hour and surges go through the car making them disappear into the night.
Arriving time, 8:15PM, just ten minutes before they left. They enter the town and drive straight to the mall.
"Xander faster," says Buffy.
"I'm driving as fast as I can," says Xander. "I do have to watch other drivers."
It's 8:21 when they arrive to the entrance of the mall. They head into the parking lot where they were before they went back in time, when suddenly the car stops.
"What," says Xander. The van with the three stooges goes right by them. "No. No." Buffy gets out of the car and Xander follows her. They run over to where they were. They see it all like if it were a staged play. Giles gets shot. The stooges leave the crime scene and they head to 1965.
"No!" cries Buffy as she falls to the ground on her knees. Xander tires to comfort her but she pulls away and runs over to where Giles' dead body lies. She grabs him and holds him.
"Why couldn't we stop it?" ask Buffy.
"I don't know," says Xander. "I guess it was meant to be." Buffy looks at him.
"We weren't meant to stop it."
Suddenly they see a taxi cab stop at the mall and woman comes running down toward them. Xander turns around to look at this woman and recognizes her.
"I called the ambulance," says the woman. "They're on their way." She goes to Giles' side.
"How did you..." says Buffy. The woman gives her a note. Buffy takes it. It's the note that she wrote to Giles warning him about tonight. "He read it?"
"He was a little upset that you left that letter on his nightstand at first," says Jenny. "But then he decided to put it to good use. He put it away and when the day came, today; we made a plan. I was supposed to call an ambulance at eight and get here as soon as I could."
"Why didn't he..." says Buffy.
"He explained that all to me in very scientific terms that I didn't understand a word," says Jenny. "He had his reasons." Giles opens his eyes.
"Oh my gosh," says Buffy.
"Giles," says Xander.
"That hurt," says Giles trying not to move. He then pulls out a pocket watch from his pocket that is broken. Xander takes the watch and sees the bullet inside the watch.
"The
bullet hit the watch," says Xander.
"Oh thank god," says
Jenny.
"Giles," says Buffy hugging real tight.
"Thank
you," says Giles.
"I love you," says Buffy.
"I'm guessing it wasn't my time," says Giles. "It's going to take more than a bullet to beat me."
After the ambulance arrives, Jenny explains to them that Giles was all right and that his pocket watch saved him. Xander put away the time machine inside the big loading truck that Giles had it in.
They all get into the truck and Giles drives them home. Giles' first stop is at unknown house. Both Xander and Buffy look at Giles. He looks at Buffy.
"Giles this isn't Xander's house," says Buffy.
"Of course it isn't," says Giles. "It's yours."
"What?"
"Go." Buffy gets out of the truck and walks over to the strange house. Xander walks with her. She knocks at the door lightly. A light turns on from inside and a woman with blonde curly hair opens the door. Buffy becomes speechless at the sight of this woman.
"Buffy Xander," says Joyce nodding her head. "Bringing my daughter this late at night is not the best way to impress me."
"Mom," says Buffy almost about to cry as she hugs her mother tightly.
"Buffy. What's the matter dear?" ask Joyce. Buffy pulls away. "You're acting like you haven't seen me in years."
"I haven't," says Buffy. "I mean. It feels like that."
"Well, I leave you two," says Xander. "It's great seeing you Ms. Summers."
"Goodnight Xander," says Joyce as Buffy enters the house and waves at Giles and Jenny in the truck. Giles takes Xander home.
"It was great experience," says Xander.
"I'd like to try for myself," says Giles. Dotty pops her head out from the back and barks at Xander.
"Bye Dotty," says Xander rubbing her head as he exit's the truck.
The lights are all out at his house but Xander has no problem sneaking in like he always does into the back way through his window. He arrives to his room and everything is the same. Exhausted from the time travel journey he flops into bed fully clothed and falls fast asleep.