“It was hard but it was worth it; just to see her again.”

Spike nodded.

They had already had the discussion about Joyce. There was no way they could save her. Even if they told her about the future there was no guarantee that it would save her anyway. Her death had not been supernatural after all. But there was no sense in worrying her when they didn’t have to. It would be better to let her continue living her life.

“We’re doing the right thing, by not telling her.”

“I know,” Buffy said. “But it doesn’t make it any easier.”

Spike resisted the urge to put his arms around her shoulders. She had let him comfort her in her yard, but they were close to the Magic Box now.

“I wonder if other me found out anything,” she said, trying to change the subject.

“Doubt it. Captain Cardboard probably couldn’t keep up.”

Buffy rolled her eyes. She should have known that Spike would never get over his beef with Riley.

“I just hope they did better than us.”

Out of all the places they’d visited, no one seemed to know anything about an Evolon being in town. And at the time, Buffy had not been in the mood to beat heads. The pair approached the outside of the Magic Box and Buffy suddenly came to a stop.

“Do you think this thing, whatever it is, is really what did this?”

“I think it’s possible.”

“But it’s also possible that it’s the First.”

Spike nodded.

“We should wait, though, to mention it.”

He agreed. It would make for too long and too stressful a conversation. They entered the shop to find everyone sitting at the table munching on some food.

“I don’t think we should involve anyone else,” Giles was saying.

“If we’re gonna beat this thing we need all the help we can get,” Buffy replied.

“But…do we have to get his help? Isn’t one Spike enough?” Xander asked.

“Hey,” Spike called from the door.

Everyone ignored him except future Buffy who cast a look in his direction and smiled.

“Usually I would agree with that,” Riley said, “But I’ve seen the size of that thing and I think we could use him.”

“I don’t like this anymore than you do,” Buffy told Xander, “But Riley’s right. We may need him. These things are unpredictable and very strong.”

“So we’re sure it’s this Evolon thing then?” future Buffy asked.

The group turned their heads to look at her.

“Yeah,” past Buffy told her. “We had a run-in. And let me just say…it is much uglier in person.”

Future Buffy walked over to the table and looked at the open book laying there. It was large and had dangly parts. She’d seen scarier looking demons but looks could be deceiving. And past her had just said something about a run-in.

“And I didn’t even injure the thing. It took off after throwing me about thirty feet across the cemetery,” past Buffy continued. “Luckily, a tombstone broke my fall.”

“Did you guys find any more information about it?” future Buffy asked absently, still looking at the photo.

“Yes. But not much. They like to stay where it’s hot.”

“Where better than the hellmouth?” Spike said.

Willow nodded. “So we were thinking that we may be able to find it near there. It may be a stretch to think the mouth of hell is actually hot to demons but…”

“It is.”

Everyone looked at Spike.

“What? You didn’t know that?” He shook his head. “Call yourselves scoobys. That’s why some demons are drawn to it. Sure, we can feel some of the “power” it gives off, but we can also literally feel the heat.”

“Interesting,” Giles said. “That would help explain why even mediocre demons find their way here.”

“Okay,” future Buffy said, “We know where it might go. How do we kill it?”

“Any way you can. Decapitation is known to be effective,” Anya said.

“The problem is getting close enough to the damn thing,” past Buffy said. “Which is why we need backup,” she directed the last bit at Xander.

“What about the amulet? What did you find out about it?” Spike asked.

He had felt uncomfortable giving Red the amulet in the first place. Now he needed to know if anything useful had been discovered.

“It has some major power in it, but no trace of a genie demon,” Willow said.

“What does that mean?” future Buffy asked her.

“It means that if the demon was trapped in something, it wasn’t this.”

“There goes that theory.”

“Where did you say you got this?” Willow asked.

“Angel,” Buffy replied.

“And he didn’t say what it was for? Other than saving the world I mean? No specifics?”

“I think he said something about cleansing.”

Willow nodded and seemed intrigued by this answer. She looked like she wanted to find out more about it, but nonetheless handed the trinket to Spike, who put it in his pocket for safe keeping.

“What do we do now?” Spike asked.

“We patrol until we find this thing,” past Buffy said.

The back door to the shop opened and Tara came walking in. Future Buffy looked at the girl. She hadn’t really had much time to think about her. Tara had definitely been a good friend to her in the last year of her life. She looked so shy in this time and it made Buffy’s heart ache to think about Willow and the pain they would all inevitably go through. But, like her mother, they could not warn her.

“Did you get it?” Willow asked approaching her.

“Yeah.” She handed Willow a book and a small bag. “S..sorry it t…took so long. It was buried in the b…back of my closet.”

“It’s okay,” Willow said, kissing her on the cheek.

Tara blushed slightly and sat down beside Willow at the table.

“What’s this?” past Buffy wondered.

“Tara had this old spell book that her mother gave her when she was younger,” she said holding the book up. “We think there may be a spell to help us send these two back to the future.”

“Really?” future Buffy wondered.

It was good news to hear. She had almost been afraid that they would be stuck in the past indefinitely. There was, after all, no guarantee that after they killed the demon that they would automatically be sent back home.

“Yeah, I’ll need to read all of the fine print though. Wouldn’t want to send you to the ice age or something.”

“Right.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll get you back home.”

Future Buffy nodded and looked over at Spike. He tried to look reassuring. He had faith that Red could get them back, and just hoped that was enough.
-------------------------

After they ate, the Buffy’s, Spike, and Riley headed for the cemetery. They needed to have a chat with Sunnydale’s favorite vampire.

“I still don’t see why we need him.”

“Because we need his help…your help,” Buffy reminded him.

“But isn’t one me enough?”

Ever since Spike found out they were really planning on calling on past him for help, he had been trying to talk them out of it. Sure it may seem like a cool idea to see your “younger” self, but at the same time he didn’t want to face himself. He didn’t want to see how truly pathetic he had been back then. Judging by the way everyone was acting, he had not told the slayer that he was in love with her yet, but he was almost sure that by now his past self had realized that he was.

“…need help,” he heard Buffy say.

“Didn’t catch that, luv.”

“I said we’re going to need help. And since I had to deal with my past self it’s only fair that you have to deal with yours.”

“Right…”

He could already imagine himself ogling the slayer and if that happened, he was going to personally punch himself in the nose.

“It won’t be that bad. Besides, I wouldn’t mind having two Spikes around.”

There was a suggestive tone in her voice that did not go unnoticed by him. He raised an eyebrow at her.

“Is that so?”

She smiled innocently. “Uhuh.”

Ahead of them Riley and past Buffy had reached the door to the crypt. Instead of knocking, Buffy simply kicked the door in. Future Buffy glanced at Spike when she heard him scoff and mumble something about breaking and entering.

“Spike,” past Buffy called into the crypt.

“What do you want, slayer?” he asked, emerging from the manhole. He came to stand in front of her. He wondered what she was doing here. Not that he minded, but she was making it difficult not to think about that dream he’d had.

“I need your help,” she said.

“My help? What could I possibly do for you?”

“Well…”

She was cut off as future Spike and Buffy walked into the crypt. Past Spike narrowed his eyes.

“What the bloody hell is this?”

Future Spike looked at himself. He knew it would be strange and had prepared himself for that. What he didn’t expect was for it to be this strange. Past Spike was having similar feelings, only had no clue what was happening.

“This is sort of why we need your help,” past Buffy said.

“What did you do?” he asked, still cautiously eyeing the other vampire and slayer.

“She didn’t do anything,” future Buffy told him.

Past Spike studied this woman. She sounded like his slayer, smelled like his slayer, and had that annoying shampoo commercial hair like his slayer, but could it be her? She did look slightly older, like she’d been through a lot more than the Buffy standing beside him.

“There was a demon. It somehow managed to send us on a time traveling adventure,” future Buffy continued.

“Future? You’re telling me that you’re from the future?”

She nodded. “Afraid so.”

“And we’re trying to send them back,” past Buffy added. “Giles is working on that. But in the meantime, we have a new demon in town that we need to take care of. That’s where you come in.”

“And I'm supposed to help you out of the kindness of my heart?”

“Yes you are,” Riley said.

“What are you doing here anyway?”

Riley crossed his arms, but didn’t say anything.

“Wait, let me guess. You’re here to protect and serve. That’s what you do, right? Prance around in your little soldier outfit, threatening vampires that can’t hurt you? I guess you are a real boy,” he said sarcastically.

Riley glared at him. Future Spike chuckled lightly and future Buffy smacked him.

“What? It was funny.”

She and her past self both gave him a look. Past Spike saw this and looked at himself. He took a step closer and gave him a good once over.

“So you’re me, huh, mate?”

Future Spike nodded.

“I know I'm devilishly good looking, but there’s only room for one Spike in this world,” past Spike said.

“I feel the same way,” past Buffy said.

He looked back at her. “Think I'm hot do you?”

Future Spike rolled his eyes.

“So not what I meant.” She really despised the way he twisted her words like that.

Past Spike just smirked before turning his attention back to his other self. He looked the same more or less. But there was something…he just couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

“Will you help us?”

“What’s in it for me?”

Future Spike internally growled. He’d never realized just how irritating he was. It was only fun when he was annoying other people.

“The satisfaction of knowing you helped those in need,” past Buffy said.

Past Spike scoffed and past Buffy rolled her eyes. She should have known he would be like this.

“Please,” future Buffy said.

Past Spike gave her a strange look. It wasn’t like the slayer to ask nicely. Maybe, just maybe, this older Buffy didn’t completely hate him.

“What exactly do you want me to do?” he asked.

“What you do best,” she replied.

“Be a pain in my ass?” past Buffy asked.

Past Spike did his best to glare at her, though he suspected his other self knew of his secret feelings, and there was a chance this other Buffy did, too. And he couldn’t help but wonder if things were different between them in the future. Maybe she’d realized she had feelings for him, too, and maybe…Spike shook his head in an attempt to will those kinds of thoughts away. There was no way the slayer would ever have those kinds of feelings for him.

“Hello…earth to Spike.”

Past Spike noticed the hand in front of his face. It was Buffy. His Buffy.

“What?”

“Space much?”

He ignored the comment. “What’s the plan then?”

“So you’ll help? With no compensation?” Riley asked skeptically. In truth he was really hoping the vampire would say no. They did need help, but one Spike was more than enough for him to deal with. And if the vampire refused then he was still on Buffy’s good side, pretending he was backing her on the whole Spike helping thing.

“Yeah,” he replied. His reason was just that. His. And he didn’t have to share it with Captain Cardboard. Not only would this allow him to spend more time around Buffy, but he would also get to spend time around this new, older Buffy. Not to mention there was still something about this Spike from the future that he needed to figure out.

“Alright then. First we do more research and…”

“I don’t do research,” past Spike said.

“Fine, we’ll do research and then we’ll call you,” future Buffy said, earning her a look from her past self.

“Well, you let me know when you’re ready to fight.”
---------------------

Buffy stared at the older version of herself. She and her Spike…umm…future Spike, were sitting nearby talking. Their friendliness towards each other had not gone unnoticed by her. It was a little unnerving. Why her future self was so chummy with Spike was a question that burned on her tongue. She really wanted to call herself out on it. There was something suspicious about the situation. It almost seemed like they were…dare she even think it…together. But that was impossible. She would never date a vampire…again. Right?

And what was up with her letting her time Spike off the research hook like that? Not to mention the fact that she had actually asked him politely if he would help. That was so unlike her.

When she saw him stand up and head into the back, she decided now would be as good a time as any to question her about the vibes she was picking up on. Hopefully, future her would be able to shed some light on the situation and put her fears to rest. She walked over and sat down at the table.

“Hey,” future Buffy said. “Find anything useful?”

“Not yet.”

“Us neither. And I can’t stress just how much I hate research. That’s one thing that has not changed.”

Past Buffy nodded. “Good to know I’d still rather beat up demons than learn about them.”

They shared a laugh.

“I think Spike is right. Maybe we should just go into the school and see if we can find anything. We have backup now.”

“Maybe, but I don’t know if I quite trust Spike’s judgment.”

“And why’s that?”

“He acts before he thinks. I mean, correct me if I'm wrong.”

“You’re not. He does still do that sometimes, but I do think he’s right about this.”

‘Sure you do,’ past Buffy thought. ‘But why is that? What is going on with the two of you?’

“Can I ask you a question?” past Buffy said.

“Sure.”

“What is your deal with Spike?”

Future Buffy didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t expected that particular question and it made her wonder if she and Spike had been too obvious about what was going on between them. They had agreed not to tell anyone for the sake of argument, but it seemed things had not gone as planned.

“What do you mean?” she asked, trying to play dumb.

“You two seem a lot more chummy than Spike and I are,” she said.

“Oh.”

Of course they were more “chummy”. They were friends now…maybe even more than that. But she couldn’t tell herself this bit of information. She wouldn’t take it well at all, and Buffy was sure of that.

“I trust him,” she replied. It sounded good but not too good. Not enough to make someone think one was involved with said person in question.

“Why? He’s a killer.”

Buffy had never realized before just how lame that sounded; almost as lame as ‘he’s an evil soulless thing.’

“Not anymore. He’s…different now.” And he was. So much had changed about him in so little time.

“Different how?”

How was she supposed to answer that? It was an impossible question and past Buffy knew it. She knew herself and knew she would never tell her anything without persuasion, and even then it would be difficult. But it never hurt to ask.

“I…I can’t really tell you; wouldn’t want to change the future or anything.”

“I think it’s a bit late for that.”

Future Buffy sighed. She knew that telling her past self about Spike’s soul would make a difference in the past, and possibly make the future a better one for the two of them. But despite all of this, there was still something stopping her. Probably the same thing that had stopped her from telling her mother and Tara they weren’t around in the future. It seemed wrong somehow.

“I’m sorry, but I think it would be better if I didn’t tell you anything else about the future. I do want to have a future to go back to.”

Past Buffy crossed her arms. She had a point. Not that it made this any less annoying. So Spike was different, but what did that mean? He didn’t kill people? He didn’t do that now, but only because he couldn’t. Without that chip in his head he would be feasting on half of Sunnydale, and of that she was sure. At least she wanted to be sure. She looked up as the man...demon…in question returned to the table. He looked the same, sounded the same, and annoyed her the same, but there was something about the way he carried himself that was different. It was almost like he was more careful than before. There was also a look in his eyes that she’d never seen. And the way he was looking at her future self right now…it looked almost like…love.

Her eyes widened as a similar look was given back to him. ‘Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God…’ It wasn’t the same as her look for Angel. It wasn’t even the same as her look for Riley. But it was a look that meant something. A look that meant she was falling in love with him.