5

Sunnydale , CA The Hellmouth

Spock was working on releasing their bindings as quietly as possible. He had to stop frequently as their guards were making frequent checks on them. La'an had started counting seconds to work out a pattern. Suddenly there was a loud clang as the bolt securing Spock's hands to the walk broke free. This got the attention of their guards who started shouting and running at them. "Go!" La'an shouted, "Get help."

Spock didn't need to be told twice, "I will return for you," He said as he picked himself up. La'an stuck out a leg and tripped a vampire as Spock ran towards the entrance of the cave. Before long he wound up in what appeared to be a bombed out school. "Fascinating." He said to himself as he made his way to what looked like an old entrance. As he came down the started he saw a group of people walking towards him. In the group was Captain Pike and Nurse Chapel, "Captain," he said as he stood up straight.

Pike looked at his dirty science officer and felt some of the tension leave his body, "Spock, you're alright. Where's La'an?"

Spock looked his captain in the eye, "They still have her. I wasn't able to translate everything, but it appears that we were being held for a ritual of some kind."

Buffy did not like what she was hearing and decided to take charge, "Lieutenant, I am Fleet Captain Buffy Summers." Spock nodded at the diminutive blonde, "Yes captain, I do recall our encounter with you and the sacrifice of your ship to save us."

Buffy nodded, "Good, now it's vitally important you tell me everything you heard, but first we can't have an extra-terrestrial walking around twenty-first century Sunnydale all willy nilly.

Spock pulled the insignia badge off of his shirt and tucked it into his pocket. "Now the ears," Buffy said. Spock lifted up his blue tunic and tor a strip from the bottom. He then proceeded to wrap the strip of black cloth around his head covering the tips of his ears.

Buffy inspected him, "It's not stylish, but it'll work." She said with a shrug, "Now what do you know?"

Spock regarded the small blonde, "Not much. They took our communicators and tricorders. I was only able to get bits and pieces. It's some kind of ritual. They needed a potential slayer, a non-demon non-human, and a hellmouth. That's all I was able to understand."

Buffy took out her communicator and flipped it open, "Summers to Serenity How's it going up there?"

A moment later static came through before Buffy heard her first officer, "Slow and steady captain. We have a cargo transporter operation. It's not rated for bio use, but we could send some equipment."

"And the library database?" Buffy asked.

"Offline captain, we've been focusing on engines and transporters."

"Understood. Send a medkit, six phasers, and tricorders to our location."

"Understood."

Buffy closed her communicator as a small and discrete crate materialized in front of her. She picked up the crate and turned to Pike, "We need to know what ritual they are trying to complete before interrupting it. We have one of their ingredients," she said motioning to Spock, "and they won't harm Lieutenant Noonien-Singh until they are ready so we have some time."

Dawn looked up at her sister with a nervous expression, "If the database on the ship is down we need the analog equivalent. You know what that means?"

"It means we need Giles," Buffy said half afraid and half wistful.

"Or at least his library," Dawn added, "And judging by the sky; The Magic Box should be closing soon."

It was just after sundown when the group arrived at Gile's shop. Happy to find the lights off Buffy made her way to the back door. "I wish I'd kept my key," she muttered as with a sharp twist she broke the lock and entered the store followed by the others. "Why would you have a key to a shop from the past?" Spock asked. Buffy remembered that he had not been there for the explanation, "It's kind of a long story, but me telling you that Commander Pelia is my grandmother should answer some of that."

Spock considered that piece of information for a moment, "So, you are a Lanthanite?"

"Half," Buffy and Dawn said together, "Our father was human," Buffy finished. She made her way to the table near the front and set the crate down. She opened it and started passing out phasers and tricorders, "Stun only," she said, "We can't go killing anything that might be important to future events, even the monsters." Once the gear was passed around Spike checked the inside of his coat, "Any chance Brit included a power cell? I'm almost out of sunscreen." Buffy checked again and flicked a small flat looking blue chip to Spike. "That's the only one so be careful."

Spike caught the cell and slid it into the empty slot next to a similar chip in the lining of the coat. "Thanks love."

"OK," Buffy said as she turned to a wall of books, "I'll start with slayer lore, Dawn take Chapel and start going over dark rituals. Pike and Spike, start with the Hellmouth sections. I would like to be done and out of here before anyone can ask 'What's going on'."

"I personally think that to be a rather prudent question, don't you?" asked a shockingly familiar British voice from behind the group causing Buffy's spine to straighten."

"Giles," Buffy said as she turned around with more than a little panic in her voice, "What are you doing here at this hour?"

Rupert Giles smirked just a bit, "I could ask you the same thing. Imagine my surprise when I am on my way home before joining you for patrol and my wards went off. Then I get here and find the lock on the back door broken."

"I'm sorry," Buffy said with as much of a pout as she could remember to do, "I need to research a ritual."

"Don't do that," Giles said, "Now you're clearly not the real Buffy and who are these people, and why is Spike here?"

"I'm just following orders mate," Spike said with a smile, "And getting some book learning in too."

"Shut it Spike, That's an order," Buffy said sternly, "Everyone keep working. Giles, we need to have a chat."

She led her former mentor into the training room and closed the door behind them, "Look Giles, I am the real Buffy. I can't tell you much of what's going on, but I need you to trust me."

Giles looked skeptical, "Exactly why can't you tell me? Buffy doesn't keep much from me."

Buffy sighed. Willow was going to be furious if she found out about this, "The Temporal Prime Directive."

"You're from the future?" Giles asked, "How far?"

Buffy let her shoulders slump. She loved this man like a father, and she couldn't bring herself to lie to him, "Roughly two hundred-sixty years," she answered, "Me just telling you that breaks about four different laws, so please don't repeat it."

Giles stood there quietly for a few minutes and Buffy wasn't sure if he believed her or was going to call the Calvary, "Well, that explains why you look so old," he said causing Buffy to scoff, "I look pretty much the same," she said.

"Not in the eyes," Giles retorted, "You have eyes that have probably seen more than I can ever imagine. I never imagined I would see you barking orders like a general." Buffy snorted, "It'll happen a lot in the future." She pulled a small metal pin out of her pocket and tossed it to the man.

He caught the pin and looked at it. It was a black filled gold circle with the shape of an arrowhead with a star etched into it and what looked like two leafs at the bottom. Upon turning it over he read, "SUMMERS, BUFFY FLT CPT S/N SC0018593IWC"

"What's this?" he asked with a hint of curiosity.

"My badge," she answered, "Fleet Captain Buffy Summers. Captain of the Federation Starship Serenity, and second in command of the Interstellar Watcher's Council."

"I'm sorry," Giles stammered out, "Starship?"

"Yeah, Buffy said with a giggle, "Big tin can. Flies through space." Giles went to hand Buffy her badge back, "I would very much like to see it."

Buffy accepted the badge and shook her head, "I can't do that. Look, we have laws for time travel and just telling you what I have is risky. One small change and poof no more future."

"How can I help?" Giles asked.

Buffy circled around a bit until Giles' back was to the slowly opening door, "Forget everything you've seen tonight. That's the best way to help." Giles shook his head, "I can't do that Buffy. I care about you too much. I want to help." Buffy smiled sadly at the man and wrapped him in a hug, "I knew you would say that." She released him and Dawn spoke up from behind him, "I'm sorry Giles."

Giles spun and looked at Dawn straight in the eye. Before he could mutter anything she pressed a device to his neck and pushed a button. Instantly the world began to swim around him and he fell limply into Buffy's waiting arms. "He won't remember anything?" Buffy asked.

Dawn shrugged, "It's not as good as a memory spell, but it should make the last hour or so feel like a dream."

Buffy gently laid him on the stack of mats that he would sometimes use for a nap, "Right," she said, "Let's get to work."

Downtown Sunnydale

Joyce walked out of the restaurant with her date when they heard a girl call for help. Brian jerked his head to the direction of the sound, "I think someone's in trouble." Joyce looked around nervously as her date began walking towards the alley, "Brian, I don't think this is a good idea."

He turned to her if someone's in trouble we can't just ignore them." Joyce sighed as she followed. As dangerous as she knew this town could be; he had a point. The pair walked into the alley by the theatre and Joyce gasped as a blue woman with antennae jumped out and grabbed her. "We have the non-human. Kill the spare," she barked at a green man with fangs who immediately bit down on Brian's neck. She felt a sharp blow to the back of her head and groaned as consciousness left her.