6

U.S.S. Serenity NCC-1687

Pelia groaned as she forces a new socket into the transporter system console. She had to replace numerous components just to get the system to power on let alone function, and was just now wiring the system up to run a diagnostic. As the lights on the unit blinked back into existence and got up and began her diagnostic, "There's no world where I leave my grandchildren stranded," she muttered as green checks lit up across the board. She flipped open her communicator, "Pelia to bridge, we have transporters."

Sunnydale, CA. The Magic Box

Buffy groaned as she flipped through her fourth book. Books may be the way of Giles, but she had grown accustomed to a quick search in the database for her answers. "I miss the database," She commented to the room, "Just a few keywords and boom there's you answer."

Dawn chuckled from the stack that she and Chapel were working through, "I dunno Buff, There's something to be said for the old ways. Besides, when is the last time you held a real book?"

"Is now really the time for banter?" Spock asked from his own pile, "We do not know how much time we really have."

If Buffy didn't know better she would swear she heard irritation from the Vulcan. He was right of course, but she also knew that without some banter they would start snapping at each other under the stress of their situation. Within moments she felt the slayer senses tingle and the hair on her arm stood straight up as she felt a familiar tingle of magic enter the room. "Shit," she muttered as she turn and saw Willow standing in the shop.

"Hey Buff," she said, "What's going on here?"

"So much for keeping the admiral out of it," Dawn whispered to Chapel, "There's no way she won't know what happened when we get back."

Chapel's eyes widened in surprise, "That's Admiral Rosenberg? No way, that would mean she's as old as you and your sister." Dawn nodded and prepared another dose of sedative underneath the table.

Willow scanned the shop and took in the unfamiliar people with Buffy and Spike. After a moment she spotted Dawn in the corner with another platinum haired woman, but something wasn't right. She looked about ten years too old. She then noticed Dawn's hands moving under the table and some device being manipulated. With a wave of her hand Dawn was knocked back and the device clattered to the floor.

"Willow!" Buffy shouted out, "That's not necessary."

Willow turned to Buffy and began pulling power to her. "Who are you and why are you here?"

U.S.S. Serenity NCC-1687

Lieutenant Oliver sat at the navigation station when a sensor light began to flash red, "Commander, we had a strong magic reading building up near the captain. Brit stood from the center seat. She didn't know if it was friendly or not and wasn't about to take and chances. Now that the transporter was operational she decided to follow procedure, "Lock on transporter, wide beam. Beam the signature to dampening chamber three."

"Aye sir," Ellen Oliver said quickly as she tied the readings into the transporter. Transport in progress.

Willow looked around absolutely stunned; she was no longer in the store and appeared to be in an octagonal shaped room with the Buffy impersonator. She also felt the power that she had gathered was just gone like she was no longer connected to her magic. "Willow," the Buffy impersonator said with a placating gesture. She seemed to recognize where she was and wasn't thrown at all, "Calm down. Nobody here will hurt you."

With panic rising she looked around until she saw what looked like a way out. She bolted for it. Just as she thought she might be home free she slammed into an invisible wall. A moment later the fake Buffy was at her side looking her over with caring eyes that couldn't be faked. Willow realized that she was really looking at Buffy.

"What's happening?" she asked her friend, "I don't understand."

Buffy helped her off the deck and double checked to make sure she was ok. "You're in a magic dampening chamber. If you promise to stay calm and not use your powers I'll let us out and explain, but I need your word Willow."

Not seeing any other options Willow nodded dumbly. Buffy looked at the ensign standing guard and nodded. Without hesitation he lowered the force field and Buffy led her friend out. "Thank you ensign," she said to the young man as she led the redhead out into the corridor.

Willow was awestruck as they walked down the corridor. There were people in different color uniforms walking around and some working on radically advanced looking panels. Buffy led her to a door that opened with a swoosh sound. Beyond that was an elevator, "Bridge," Buffy barked out and Willow felt the lift begin moving, "Ok," Buffy started, "Quick and dirty, I'm from the future, you're on a spaceship, and we're trying to stop a group of demons from royally screwing up the timeline." Willow's jaw dropped. It was a ridiculous notion. Time travel wasn't possible.

The doors opened and the pair stepped out into a command center like Willow had never seen. She also noticed several demons walking and working all in the same uniform. That's when she saw it. A large window sat in the front of the space and the earth was visible in it. "It's… It's… It's true." A tall woman stood from the chair in the middle of the room and announced, "Captain on the bridge." Everyone stood at attention and Willow saw Buffy turn slightly red, "As you were," she said and without missing a beat everyone went right back to work."

"Report," Buffy barked as she led Willow onto the bridge and took the center seat. The brunette officer stood on the other side of the chair and said with an official tone in her voice, "Power levels are stable at eighty-three percent, transporters are operational, Pelia is still working on warp drive. At present we are limited to impulse speeds."

Buffy nodded and handed another device to the woman, "I want the watchers to analyze the information stored on this. We need to find out what this ritual is before they can enact it. I'm going back down to the surface to assist and return my friend here. The brunette woman looked closer at the redhead and gasped, "Admiral?"

"Commander Evans!" Buffy barked, "Temporal Prime Directive."

Willow noticed the brunette look sheepish as she mumbled out, "My apologies Captain."

Buffy rolled her eyes, "Anyways, We're going back. Lieutenant Watson, please accompany us to the transporter."

Willow tried to take everything in. She couldn't believe where she was. Judging from what she saw Buffy being from the future didn't mean next week, but many years. At least it was good to know they would survive what she knew was coming.

A small woman with light brown hair and ridges on her forehead wearing a red dress got up from one of the stations and walked over to her and Buffy. She smiled at Willow but willow was a bit freaked out. The smile was way too wide to be normal. "Hi," she said in a friendly and chipper voice, "I'm Anari."

Noticing the redhead looking uncomfortable Buffy spoke up, "Lieutenant Watson is half human and half Denobulan." Anari nodded, "My father was human. My mother thought it would be fun to take a human as her third husband."

Willow felt a bit confused as she said that, "What happened to one and two?"

"They're with their other wives. We're all getting together soon for a family picnic."

Buffy saw Willows head begin to spin, "Denobulans have interesting mating rights. Three wives for each husband, and three husbands for each wife."

"That sounds complicated," Willow said.

Anari got a dreamy look in her eye, "It is very much so. I'll be marrying my second husband soon."

"Anyway ladies," Buffy interrupted, "back to the transporter."

It was another quick ride in the elevator and another corridor and Willow was brought into a room with a large platform and a control panel. "This is a matter transporter," Buffy said, "Just get on the pas while I set our destination."

Willow did as instructed and a moment later Buffy came to stand beside her. "Beam us down Anari," Buffy said. Anari raised her hand like she was going to salute but blew some sort of dust at Willow and mumbled, "Forget."

Willow stood frozen on the pad and Buffy sighed. "I programmed the coordinates for her home in. Send her there and we'll pray the memory charm takes. I don't want to have to explain this when we get back."

"Yes Captain," Anari said as she manned the console and energized the beam.

Sunnydale, CA. The Magic Box

Buffy materialized back in the Magic Box where everyone else was still working. Dawn rushed over to her sister, but Buffy held out a hand. "It's taken care of," Buffy said. "Anari got her with a memory spell."

"Well Bully for you," Spike piped in, "And while you were playing with the itty bitty baby red we found something."

He Handed Buffy a old watcher's journal which she began reading. "Sacrificing a non-human non-demon at the Hellmouth will create the energies to create a slayer."

Dawn gasped, "That want to turn La'an into a slayer."

Buffy nodded, "The first slayer was almost animalistic. If that happens to her and demons are the one to create it, we'll have a true dark slayer. They'll use her to change the past and wipe out the future."

Pike thought about the reasoning, "I assume they want an extraterrestrial. Without spock they don't have that, and I doubt they have easy access to a replacement."

Buffy gasped. There was one they could use and that would seriously mess up time, "Mom."

A/N: sorry about the break. trouble with employment, and then I severely injured my hand. It has taken two weeks just to be able to type again.