AUTHOR'S NOTE Hey all, I'm back! Happy holidays to everyone out there, as we are in the holiday season now. Hopefully, as this semester is winding down, I'll be posting much more regularly. Oh, and I made up some stuff about Time Turners, as they really aren't all that important in the story. Please excuse any discrepancies to the real Time Turner. And as far as I can recall, Max blew up Manticore in the beginning of Season Two in the middle of the night. This is when it occurs in this story.

DISCLAIMER I don't own Buffy, Angel, Max, Time Turners, Manticore, or anything else in this story.

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Chapter Six: In Which the Surroundings Change

Wyoming Forest 2004

After two days of hiding in hotels during the daylight hours, they finally reached the Wyoming forest. Angel and Spike cast wary eyes at the dark sky. "Red, what guarantee do we have that that time thing won't drop us into a sunny day?" Spike asked.

"We are going to reappear exactly sixteen years from the moment we leave," Willow reassured him. "Since it's night now, we'll end up at night."

Spike shrugged. "I hope so."

Willow examined the Time Turner. "They sent us a touch one. Usually they only work when someone's wearing them, but if I wear it and we're all touching, then we should all go."

"Okay." Buffy took Willow's hand as she placed the Time Turner around her neck. Angel was after her, then Spike, and finally Illyria.

"Understand we'll go hand in hand," Willow murmured.

"But we'll walk alone in fear," Buffy finished. She smiled slightly. Willow turned the hourglass over sixteen times for sixteen years and the forest disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

Wyoming Forest 2020

Willow, Buffy, Illyria, Angel, and Spike landed in a very undignified heap on the forest floor. The stars glittered brightly overhead.

"Ugh, gerroff me!" Spike muttered from the bottom of the pile. Illyria was the first to pick herself up and flick the dirt from her arms in irritation. Buffy leapt to her feet and helped Willow up. Finally, Angel and Spike picked themselves up and looked around.

"Where the bloody hell are we?" Spike asked.

"Where we were when we left," Willow said. "Which means Manticore must be around here somewhere."

Buffy took charge. "Come on. We've got to find it before it gets blown open."

They walked for hours. Angel and Spike were able to sense sentries the deeper they trekked into the forest. Suddenly, they heard sirens going off somewhere in the distance. "Oh no!" Buffy said, breaking into a run. The others followed. They reached a bluff to see a sprawling government installation before them. Flames were licking the windows and people and creatures were pouring from the breached concrete.

"We're too late!" Willow said desperately.

"No!" Buffy started down the bluff, but Willow held her back.

"Buffy, we're too late," she repeated.

Suddenly Spike and Angel howled in pain. They clapped their hands over their ears and fell to the ground. Buffy rushed to Angel's side. "Angel? Angel, what's wrong?"

Illyria turned her head toward the sky. "There are creatures approaching," she said.

"They're – talking," Angel managed to say. Spike's face shifted and changed, his vampiric visage emerging. He growled in pain. Angel's face slowly morphed into the same.

"Will, we have to do something! Something's wrong!"

But Willow was watching Illyria, who stood still facing into the woods. Suddenly she sprang to life, fighting dozens of what looked like children in camouflage, carrying semi-automatics. The children moved with astonishing speed and Buffy had to admit that their combat skills were far above anything she'd ever seen before. It was as though they were one mind in many bodies.

Whatever they were and regardless of their superior fighting, they were no match for an Old One. Illyria apparently didn't need her full powers to make short work of the little soldiers and they soon retreated.

Angel and Spike were able to stand up, their human faces having resurfaced. "Angel, what was that?" Buffy asked as she rushed to his side.

"You couldn't hear them?"

"Hear what?"

"Those soldiers, whatever they were. They were communicating with…it sounded like bat sonar." Angel shook his head as if to clear it. "We have to get out of here. There are more."

"How do–" Willow started to ask.

Illyria fixed her unsettling gaze on the witch. "More are coming."

"Okay, out of here it is," Willow said.

She conjured a form of compass that kept a green spark on the northern horizon. Having no idea of where to go, the group decided to travel west, in hopes of coming upon a town or safe place to rest for the night.

Fortune smiled on them when they found a freight train stopped at a station only a few miles from where they started. They managed to hide in an empty car and rode until the train stopped in Washington State

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The Answer to the Last Trivia Question

Jade Hunter and Mixer both got the question right and Slash-a-holic got it half right. It was indeed Doyle who said, "The good fight, yeah?" in Hero – Angel Season One. Doyle was my favorite character in Angel and I was so upset when he was killed.

Today's Trivia Question Is:

What importance do the lines "Understand we'll go hand in hand," and "But we'll walk alone in fear" have to Buffy and Willow? When were they first heard?

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Review Responses!

Mari Yes, this will be a Buffy/Angel pairing, as well as eventually a Max/Logan. There will also be other pairings to come later on. I never really was a fan of Buffy/Spike. I'll always be a Buffy/Angel shipper.

Jade Hunter Me too! I sob every time I watch Hero. Doyle was a great, great character. The fact that Glenn Quinn has since passed away makes it even more upsetting. (You were right, btw.)

Black Rose9 I'm glad you're enjoying!

Slash-a-holic You were right – it was Doyle. It was in episode 9 (Hero) of season one. In regards to Gunn…well, I just didn't have a place for him to fit in the DA verse. He does choose to stay behind and feels like he's doing the right thing.

Mixer Good job!

LittleDrusilla Thanks for reading! As to who's side they end up on…well, you'll just have to wait and see.