Legal Disclaimer: I own nothing. All rights to the Terminator or Buffy characters belong to the respective companies. No money is being made from this. It's all for fun.

Spoilers: See any of the first 3 chapters For Spoiler warnings.

Dream sequence: Italics

Thoughts: (Italics)

Scene opens: Angel was delayed and the whole crew has been getting more and more impatient with Buffy. Wanting her to tell them whatever news she's hiding so closely.

Review Responses: Previous chapters. I keep forgetting to add them.

Buffy IMO felt like she had to be the one to break the news, that it was her responsibility. The Coven will appear to an extent during later chapters. We'll see exactly what happens to them at some point. I will be updating a bit more often now. I'm looking at doing a new chapter essentially every time I get another finished so I stay at least 5 chapters ahead.

The Eat at Joes uncle Poe's was an old in joke. It's for if any of my old gaming group happens to drop in.

Chapter FIVE

Count Down to Judgment Day:

T Minus Seven (pt5):

Aftermath:

Giles Joyce and Dawn were huddled around the collapsed Buffy. All the rest stood by stolidly but near enough to lend her their support. Even though they still couldn't believe what Buffy had told them.

Xander and Willow were desperately trying to reach Buffy, but Angel held them back. Annoyed that he couldn't get to her Xander called out. "Buffy it was just a dream. It wasn't real. Everything will be all right."

"No Buffy and I am convinced that it won't be. I thought that with what Buffy had seen and done no nightmare could surprise me. But would Whistler come and tell her that it was a warning of things to come, if it wasn't real?" Joyce turned her head speaking to everyone before she concentrated her attention on her eldest daughter with her head lying in her lap.

Angel looked like he was ready to change into his game face. "Whistler! Why would he give her this kind of nightmare? Are the powers trying to drive her insane? Why couldn't the powers have sent Codelia a vision if it was really going to happen?"

Whistler silently came up from behind the group. A very impressive feat normally, but since everyone's attention was so focused on Buffy a chorus line could have gone through the living room without being seen as long as it didn't cross right through some bodies field of view. So it wasn't that impressive.

"Because even a hint from such a vision would kill or drive her irrevocably insane. Not even a half demon could survive that vision." Whistler spoke from behind the gathered friends.

Angel spun around, pushed Gunn and Wesley aside and grabbed Whistler by the lapels of his bright yellow suit, and started shaking him. "Why did the powers do this to her? She's been one of the powers greatest Champions. Are you trying to drive her catatonic? We'll stop it, this doesn't have to happen!"

Whistler was starting to get extremely pissed off. He was getting tired of being yelled at and threatened by the very people he was trying to help. "Don't you get it! Judgment Day is going to happen! The vision was a warning to show you what would happen if you tried to stop it! The powers value all of you. Her most of all." A look of pity flickered in his eyes as he turned his gaze towards Buffy.

"The powers value all of you. HER most of all. She's not only been one of the powers greatest Champions she's turned her friends into Champions and warriors of the powers, in their own right. There's nothing that any of you can do. When Skynet finishes being born the world as you know it will come to an end. The birth has already," Whistler was interrupted by a flurry of outbursts from nearly everyone present.

Willow: "We can stop it."

Xander: "Damn right we can stop it."

Giles: "What kind of demon is named Skynet? I'm guessing that it's some kind of Apocalyptic aerial demon."

Gunn: "Just tell us where it is, and we'll take this thing down hard."

Codelia: "I could so handle it."

Whistler was virtually enraged. "Aren't you listening? If you try to stop Skynet you'll die."

Willow had her determination face on. "To save the world any of us would willingly die." As she looked around she got a nod of acknowledgment from the eye's she met.

"Sorry Red it isn't that simple. I wish it was. Only one Champion can fight Skynet. He was born to fight it. If you attempt to fight Skynet. Then all you will do is hasten it's birth, and then there will be no chance for the Powers Champion to defeat it in the future. Since he would have already died since you awoke Skynet early."

"Then why isn't this Champion doing anything? Why hasn't he stopped it already?" Xander was wanting to know.

"He already saved the world from Skynet once before when he was younger than Dawn here. He was only ten years old at the time."

Wesley was stunned not even really asking Whistler directly, all he did was mumble.

"What is he that a ten year old can defeat this demon when all of us combined can't stop it. What kind of being is he, that he has that much power?"

Whistler hear him anyway. "Human and right now he's a 17 year old who was born to lead humanity in it's darkest hour to defeat Skynet. He and his mother preempted fate and apparently kept Skynet from being born when he was ten. Otherwise humanity would have been wiped out. Virtually to the brink of extinction, five years ago. The powers thought that Skynet had been destroyed and turned their attentions elsewhere. Conner was supposed to lead the ragged remnants of humanity to the defeat of Skynet in 2029, 27 years from now."

"You mean we're supposed to already be dead?" Gunn sounded amazed.

Whistler looked over at Gunn. "Yes all but one or two of you depending on how things played out would have been killed on Judgment Day."

Fred had her calculating face on. "From Buffy's vision it uses metal skeletons to do it's dirty work. What kind of demon uses metal skeletons and Hydrogen bombs?"

Whistler shook his head sadly. "Skynet isn't a Demon it's an Artificial Intelligence."

Willow perked up. "A computer? I can deal with that."

Whistler sighed. "No you can't Red. Any attack on Skynet from any source will cause it to awaken early. And that will doom John Conner. And by extension the rest of us all. The powers took their (metaphorical) eye's off Conner after he and his mother supposedly destroyed Skynet years ago. He's no longer positioned to survive Judgment Day. Let alone save what's left of humanity."

"Why didn't the powers stop this before now.!" Willow was incensed.

"If they could have they would have and you lot would have never known about it. But Skynet is born inevitably. The powers have their limits and when they knew Skynet was destroyed they turned to other equally dire concerns. Now it's to late. Judgment Day can't be stopped. It will happen. But the longer it gets put off the more people will survive."

Codelia was in tears. "Why warn us. Were just going to die. Why not let us go on in peace. Not knowing what's going to happen and be helpless to prevent it."

"Ignorance is truly bliss in this case." Giles looked as white as a sheet. He couldn't imagine the enormity of the dark days of the future lying ahead of him.

Buffy was whimpering from the onslaught of the horrifying vision that she'd been fighting off for hours. She had held on by her fingernails. Even beyond normal endurance of the Slayer. It was only her determination that allowed her to stay aware of events that transpired around her, and not to fall into the horror of what she'd seen.

Whistler had moved close to Buffy and crouched down next to her and looked up at those surrounding him. "Why you've been warned is so that you can save John Conner. And help him save what will be left of humanity."" we hope he muttered under his breath. "Destiny is a tricky thing, and he may no longer be destined to save the world from Skynet. Let me see her I can help"

Joyce nearly lunged at him to rip his face off.. "Haven't you done enough! She held on with all she had. Now she's going out of her mind with grief from the vision you and those bastards gave her."

"It wasn't me. I didn't do it. All I am is a messenger an interpreter if you will. Please let me see her. I can help." He said under his breath. "I hope."

Whistler laid one hand on Buffy's forehead and took her petite hands in his other. "The powers did this to make her stronger. So she would know what's to come. I can help her cope with it by letting only the immediate future impinge upon her mind, so she will not have to face the full force of the vision." Buffy you've lost yourself in the dark future. Come back to your family and friends. They all need you. Your mother is holding you tight. She needs her little girl.."

"Buffy you're my little angel come back to me I need you. Dawn needs you." As Joyce spoke a wave of healing energy passed from Whistlers hands and through Buffy's body.

"Not Little." Buffy said as she quieted before she went into a deep sleep.

"This will reduce your grief. I can't remove it all. If I did you'd no longer be human, everyone needs to grieve. What the powers did to you was cruel but necessary. You'll gain the knowledge and the strength to fight what's coming. She'll wake up late tomorrow famished after a good sleep. I've helped her all I could. Humph even more than I should. But she's worth what will happen to me. I truly wish I could do more." Whistler said as he gently passed Buffy over to her mother.

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