As soon as light hit the front door, Spike was awake. The first thing he noticed was the slayer lying half on top of him with her head buried in the crook of his neck. She was snoring lightly and he felt bad for what he was about to do.

“Buffy, luv, wake up.” He tried to shake her, but she simply groaned and snuggled farther into him.

“Buffy, you need to get up. It’s morning.”

“Just five more minutes.”

He would have given in if not for the sound of feet moving upstairs.

“Sorry luv,” he said, pushing her off of him.

She made sounds of protest as he rose to his feet. It wouldn’t do for Giles to find them lying on the couch together. That would be too much they would have to explain. Buffy rolled over and opened her eyes.

“Spike?” she asked groggily.

“Yeah?”

“What time is it?”

“Almost seven,” he told her, looking at the clock on the wall.

“In the morning? Why are we up? There’s no school.”

“Giles,” he reminded her.

The name seemed to register something in her brain and she sat up quickly, remembering where they were.

“Where is he?”

“Upstairs. I can hear him moving around.”

She nodded, glad he hadn’t seen them. Not that she was embarrassed to be with Spike, but that was around her Giles, future Giles. This man would be more than a little shocked and there was this whole thing about not changing the future.

She rubbed her eyes and rose to her feet.

“Let’s make coffee,” she said. “Like the good little houseguests we are.”

He chuckled and followed her into the kitchen. She rummaged through the cabinets while Spike filled the coffee maker with water. Once the coffee was on, Buffy pulled some cereal out of the cabinets.

“I'm sure he would want us to have some,” she said when he raised his eyebrows at her.

“Uhuh.”

After making themselves some breakfast they resumed their places on the couch. Spike flipped on the television.

“Oh, I love this show,” Buffy told him.

“Lizzie McGuire?”

“Yeah. Dawn made me see the movie with her, but it was cute. We are so watching this.”

Spike rolled his eyes, but put the remote back on the table.

About 20 minutes later, the table had acquired two empty bowls, two coffee mugs, and two sets of feet.

“I don’t get it.”

“What’s not to get? They were making a music video.”

“With only two people in it? That’s lame.”

“You’re lame.”

“Good comeback, Slayer.”

“Bite me.”

“Is that an invitation?” he asked with a devious gleam in his eye.

“What do you think?” she asked with an equally intense stare.

Their gazes stayed locked for a moment before a voice broke through the moment.

“What are you two doing?”

“Watching the telly,” Spike said as casually as he could. “Hope you don’t mind, but the slayer and I helped ourselves to your cereal.” He smiled at the older man, who narrowed his eyes in return.

This Spike seemed a bit different then the one he knew and loathed, but there were still similarities; like the eating his food thing.

“We should get to the shop. The others are waiting on us.”
--------------------------

“So, tell me again why you drug us all out of bed this early on a Saturday,” Xander asked, his head on the round table in the Magic Box.

“Important research,” Buffy told him.

She still hadn’t told the gang about their visitors, but they would find out soon enough. Giles had called and said they were on the way.

“He’s just tired,” Anya said. “I kept him up all night.”

“An,” Xander said.

“I didn’t tell them we were having sex.”

Xander shook his head.

“Thanks for that,” Buffy said.

Willow took a seat beside Tara. “This must be really big if Buffy wants to do research.”

Tara nodded.

“Is s-something wrong?” she asked.

“We’re not sure yet. I…”

Buffy was cut off by the sound of the bell at the front door. The first thing the gang saw was a smoking blanket. The figure ran in and dropped the blanket on the floor stomping out the flames. He ran a hand through his hair and turned towards the door to look at Giles, who had just walked in.

“Are you trying to bloody kill me? I told you I could take the sewers.”

Giles rolled his eyes. “It would have taken too much time.”

Spike glared at him but didn’t say anything else.

“Spike? We got up early for Spike?” Xander asked, clearly not happy about the situation.

“Not just Spike,” Giles told him.

At that moment another figure walked through the door. A series of gasps sounded from around the room when they saw her face.

“Buffy?” Willow asked, never taking her eyes off of the girl at the door. “Is that you?”

Future Buffy took a look around the room. Everyone was staring at her. She knew it would be weird to see her friends from the past, but hadn’t counted on how strange it would be for them.

“Hello.”

“What’s going on?”

“It seems that we have a bit of a problem,” Giles told the group.

Their eyes came to focus on the blonde pair standing before them. Past Buffy began her explanation of everything they knew. She told the group about running into Buffy and Spike in the cemetery. Riley spoke up about the possible witch scenario. It was obvious that Willow and Tara were none to fond of that theory.

“You’re from the future?” Willow asked suddenly. “I didn’t know time travel was really possible.”

“It takes a lot of power,” Giles said. “But it is possible.”

“So, what do we do?” Xander asked.

“We research. See if we can find this demon or whatever. Maybe then we can figure of what’s really happening here.”

“I hope so,” future Buffy said.
------------------------

“Aha!”

“What is it?”

“We think we found the demon.”

Everyone looked at Xander and Anya, all hoping they had indeed found it. They had been researching for most of the day, and both Buffys were sure they would go insane if they had to sit still for much longer. The only break they’d had was when the pizzas they had ordered for lunch had came around two. Dawn had also stopped by after school, but past Buffy had taken her home. She hadn’t wanted her mixed up in everything that was going on. The teenager had talked to future Buffy for a few minutes before taking off though.

“So, you’re really from the future? That’s crazy.”

“Yeah, it’s weird for me too.”

“What about me? Am I there?”

“Yeah.”

“What do I look like?”

“You look like you…only taller.”

“Sweet.” She seemed excited by this prospect. “Do I wear heels?”

“Everyday.”

Her smile widened and she did a little jump. “I guess mom finally realized I am old enough to wear them.”

Buffy attempted a smile, but the feeling behind it was sadness.

“I guess she did.”

“Dawn, come on and stop bothering me,” past Buffy yelled from the door. “Mom’s waiting on you.”

“I'm coming, sheesh.” She looked back at future Buffy. “Got to go; I really hope you’re not this bossy in the future.”

It had been strange to see her sister at fourteen again. She was still a bit on the immature side. Though, she had yet to experience half the things her sixteen year-old self had.

“The one you were describing, the Swinboc, we found a demon that may just be powerful enough to control one,” Anya told them.

“Well, what is it?” Spike asked.

“An Evolon.”

“Never heard of it,” past Buffy said.

“Not surprising. They generally keep a low profile, and most of the time they don’t bother humans.”

“Then why do we think it’s this thing?” future Buffy asked.

“Because,” Anya told them, “they enjoy warm environments. And I know I'm not the only one who’s noticed it’s gotten hotter around here since yesterday.”

And she was right. It had been exceptionally warm since the arrival of the vampire and slayer. The weather channel said it was just a heat wave, but in Sunnydale, anything was possible.

“So, you’re saying there’s a new demon in town?” past Buffy asked.

“It seems so,” Giles said. As much as he hated to admit the ex-vengeance demon was right, it was the best and most likely idea they had come up with.

“But if they don’t normally hurt humans then why would they suddenly start now?” Willow asked.

“They’re very sensitive and complex creatures. The last one I knew, his name was Greg, he went on a rampage one time after a woman broke his porcelain cat.”

“Greg? That’s an odd name for a demon,” Xander pointed out. “I mean Balthazar…I get that…but Greg?”

“Just because they’re demons doesn’t mean they can’t have human names. Some human names are satisfactory.”

“Satisfactory?” past Buffy asked.

Anya ignored her and continued. “I'm not positive an Evolon is behind this, but at least it’s one theory.”

“She has a good point. It wouldn’t hurt to check it out. Besides, if I don’t kill something soon, I might have to settle for Spike,” she said.

Spike sent a glare in her direction, but she ignored him.

“How do we act?” Xander asked.

“We find the bugger and we kill it,” Spike said. As much fun as trips to the past were, he was ready to get back to the present.

“And what? Talk to it? I get the feeling it’s not gonna be really chatty,” past Buffy said.

“What do you propose we do then, Slayer?”

Spike had forgotten how annoying she could be. For the past year, they hadn’t fought or argued with each other. In a way he had missed it, but in another, it frustrated him to no end.

“We come up with a plan.”

“And waste more time?” What was it with the slayer and her plans? Could she never just wing it?

“It would be better than going in blind and getting ourselves killed.”

“So, we sit here while you come up with some ingenious plan and then follow you? Cause those always turn out so well.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. Future Spike or not, she still had the urge to punch that smirk off his face. He also received a punch in the arm from his time traveling companion.

“You may be from the future, but that’s not gonna stop me from kicking your ass.”

“Let’s see you try.”

She moved towards him, but before either of them could do anything else future Buffy pulled him aside. She made sure to grip his arm with more force than necessary.

“Ow, bloody hell, what?”

“Stop arguing with me.”

“You started it.”

“It doesn’t matter who started it. Fighting is not going to get us home any faster, remember? I know I'm a bitch, but both of us need to get over it. We have to get back. In case…” she broke off and looked away. She didn’t want to think about the possibility of what could be happening to everyone while they were gone.

“We’re gonna get back. And everything and everyone is gonna be fine.”

She nodded and tried her best to believe him. He had a way about him that made anything he said convincing. That had gotten her into some sticky…umm not so good…situations in the past.

“And my plans don’t always end badly.”

He smiled slightly and followed her back to the group.

“So, are we planning or are we not?” Xander asked.

He looked over at future Buffy. He had spent most of the “research time” watching her. She looked like his friend, only older and with different hair. But that fact that she was civil with Spike concerned him a bit. There was something different about future Spike; he just couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

“I have an idea,” Willow said. “Why don’t we split up? I can work on that amulet spell for you guys, and Buffy…s…can patrol or whatever. Even I'm tired of sitting here. And I'm hungry. We should get some dinner.”

“I second that,” Xander said. “Anya and I will pick up some Chinese while you guys do your thing.”

“What about the rest of us?” Riley asked.

“Spike and I will check out some of the demon bars, see if anyone knows anything,” future Buffy said.

Past Buffy nodded. “That’s probably a good idea. Riley and I will check the cemeteries. We can meet back here in an hour or so. Hopefully one of us will get lucky.”
----------------------------------

“Are you sure about this?” Spike asked.

She nodded.

They were standing on the porch of her home. After visiting all the demon hangouts in town, Buffy decided she really wanted to see her mom. She knew it would be hard, but it was something that she felt she really needed to do. But now she was beginning to regret it. She was almost shaking and Spike was trying his best to calm her down.

“You don’t have to do this right now. We could wait.”

“No, I have to see her.”

Buffy looked at the door. She hadn’t been this afraid in a long time. Just the thought of seeing her mom again brought tears to her eyes. She only hoped that she would be able to keep them in long enough to talk to her.

“Alright, I’ll wait out here,” he said.

A part of her really wanted him to come with her, but she knew that this was something that she needed to do alone. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door. A few moments later, it opened to reveal the older woman. Buffy could feel her heart pounding in her chest.

Joyce looked a bit shocked at first, and then a small smile appeared on her face.

“Hello.”

“Hey,” Buffy managed.

“You must be future Buffy,” she said, and Buffy nodded. “You…other you…told me about her run in with her future self.”

“Yeah.”

Buffy didn’t know what to say. She had gone over this conversation a million times in her head, but for some reason, she couldn’t remember any of it now.

“Come in.” She motioned the girl inside and shut the door. “Would you like something to drink?”

“No, thank you.”

They entered the living room and both sat on the couch.

“So, what can I do for you, Buffy? They didn’t say you’d be stopping by.”

“They don’t really know.”

“They don’t?”

“Well…Giles wanted me to avoid the most people as possible. Apparently it could bring about the end of the world. But…I just wanted to see how you were doing. I know that now’s a hard time for you.” It was hard to get the words out without crying, but Buffy knew she had to be strong.

“I'm doing alright.”

“Good…I'm glad.” She could hear her voice faltering.

“Buffy, are you alright?”

“Fine,” she said a little too quickly.

Joyce studied the girl. She did not believe her, but decided not to press the matter. Instead she decided to change the subject.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t like something to drink?”

“No, really I'm good.”

Joyce studied her. “Listen, I know my daughter. And even if she is from the future I can tell when she’s lying to me. Come to the kitchen and I’ll get you something.”

Buffy smiled slightly and followed her.

“Do you still like lemonade?”

“Of course.”

“At least some things never change.”

She poured two glasses of lemonade and sat beside Buffy at the bar.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what’s it like in the future? Are there flying cars or robots?”

Buffy laughed. “It’s only two years, mom.”

“Oh right,” she joined in on the laughter.

It felt nice to talk and laugh, but at the same time it would only make it harder to leave.

“So, tell me about yourself. Are you working anywhere?”

“I was. Due to recent circumstances no one in Sunnydale is employed.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s a long story, but I'm completely on top of it.”

Joyce smiled at her daughter. She had turned out to be a beautiful woman and she was sure that no matter the situation, she could handle it.

“Well, I can’t say that I mind not working. I love the gallery, but it does keep me busy.”

Buffy found it hard to respond. She looked down at her hands.

“I can’t imagine what I'm doing with all of my free time. Maybe I will finally get the chance to read all of those romance novels I have packed away.”

She looked at Buffy to find her head down.

“Buffy…I know that things are probably different in the future, but I'm sure of one thing. You and your sister are the most important things to me. No matter what happens, that is never gonna change.”

The slayer looked at her mom and nodded. The urge to cry returned and she figured she’d better get out before the waterworks started.

“I should get going. Giles is probably waiting for me. We still have a lot to figure out.”

“Alright, well, it was nice to see you.”

“You too.” She stood up and started to walk away. “And mom…I love you.”

“I love you too, sweetheart.”

Buffy smiled, happy to hear those words from her mother again.

Joyce watched as her daughter headed for the door. There was something else going on, and she really needed to figure out what it was.

The door closed behind Buffy and she felt tears forming in her eyes once again. She sat down on the back steps and put her head in her hands. Seeing her mom had been harder than she thought it would be. She felt his presence beside her.

“Are you alright, luv?” He took his seat beside her.

She looked at him. “I’ll be fine. I just…it’s so hard seeing her again.”

“I know.”

She offered him a small smile.

“What is it about us and these steps? And why am I always the miserable one?”

He smiled slightly. “Got me, pet; seems a bit unjust to me.”

“I don’t know. It’s not like I haven’t done some bad things in my life.”

“That doesn’t mean you deserve any of this.”

“And neither does she.”

Buffy stood up from where she was sitting on the steps and walked out into the back yard.

“Now that I’m here, where I could change things, I can’t help but think about warning her or something.”

“But you can’t.”

“Why not?”

“We talked about this. We can’t change the past, no matter how much we may want to.” He stood up and came to stand beside her.

“I know, I just…I miss her so much.”

Spike lifted his hand to her arm, and she turned to face him.

“How can I let her die again?”

He didn’t know what to say to her, so he just took a step closer and put his arms around her. She wrapped her arms around his midsection and let her head fall on his chest. The tears that had been threatening to spill over finally did, and she let them. People always said it was better to let it out than keep it in. Not to mention she had herself an exceptionally good looking vampire to help dry her tears. That thought almost made her laugh. She had become dependent on a vampire to make her feel better…again. She had a feeling there never had been and never would be another slayer quite like her.

“It’ll be alright, luv,” he said suddenly, placing a kiss on top of her head.

“I hope you’re right.”
----------------------

From inside the house, Joyce watched her daughter and Spike embracing. The way he was holding her was almost…loving. And the way she was holding him back. She noticed him place a kiss on Buffy’s head, and how she didn’t pull away or protest at all. She wondered what that was about. As far as she knew, her Buffy wouldn’t touch Spike with a ten foot pole, much less hug him and let him kiss her. Joyce knew the vampire had some good in him, but she still wasn’t sure she was comfortable with this. The last relationship her daughter had had with a vampire had ended very badly and she didn’t want that to happen to her again.

As they pulled apart, she noticed him wipe the tears from her face. She gave him a small smile before letting him drape an arm over her shoulder as they left the yard.

She would need to speak with future Spike about this. If he was going to be with her daughter, Joyce was going to make damn sure that he wasn’t going to hurt her. Though, in the back of her mind, she already knew he wouldn’t.