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Time after Time by BuffyMeetsSpike
 
Masters of Time
 
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Disclaimer: Not my characters, just borrowing them. Thanks for the quickest turnaround in history, Ms. SanityFair!
 
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Chapter 19 – Masters of Time
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Riley was asleep when Buffy got back to the hotel room. She got dressed and crept into bed without waking him, grateful that she wouldn’t have to deal with the awkwardness of getting ready for bed under the eyes of someone who considered himself her spouse. She lay there for a while too excited to sleep, wondering what these Oracles could be like and whether they could help her. After a long period of tossing and turning she finally fell asleep, only to be wakened four hours later by the alarm clock.
 
“Argh. Turn that off!” she muttered with irritation.
 
“Sorry,” Riley said, sounding slightly bleary. He hit the alarm clock, which read seven a.m. and sat up, swinging his legs over the side and rubbing his face. “When did you get in last night?”
 
“Late,” Buffy mumbled, pulling the blankets over her head.
 
“Where were you? I was concerned.”
 
Buffy sighed, realizing her sleep was going to continue to be disturbed until Riley got his answers. “I was patrolling. I couldn’t find Wesley, and I was pissed, so I worked it out on the local vampire population, all right?”
 
“Oh,” Riley said. “So no advice from the rogue demon hunter?”
 
“Not yet. I’ll go hunt him down some more tonight. But I need some more sleep first.” She hoped and prayed that he would get the hint.
 
“Well, I have to get dressed. The retreat starts at eight with breakfast. Do you want me to bring you something?”
 
“I’m good but thanks,” she said. Riley looked at her for another moment then shook his head and shuffled off to the bathroom. The sound of the running water lulled Buffy back to sleep, and she was completely out again when Riley left.
 
She slept on until nearly three o’clock, lost in dreams. Since Jenny’s spell her dreams of Spike had been more vivid, much more like concrete conversations with the man she loved than disjointed scenes.
 
How are things for you, love?
 
About the same. Met your friend Lorne today though. I think he might be able to help.
 
A chuckle echoed through her sleeping mind. Guy gives new meaning to the word flamboyant, but yeah, he’s got some useful talents.
 
He had me sing for him. I’m supposed to go see the Oracles.
 
That might help. I avoided the singing bit while I knew him.
 
Why? You’ve got a nice voice.
 
Yeah, but I’d had it up to here with prophesies and mystical shit. Didn’t want to know my fate so much. Just wanted to spin it out for myself for a change.
 
How are you doing? What’s up in England?
 
Well, it’s all either happened or still happening, depending on when you’re talking about. Time’s funny.
 
So what happened today in say, 1879?
 
Let’s see… It was a Sunday, so long dull church service, followed by tea with Mother at the Underwood’s. A chance for William to study Miss Cecily in close quarters. Looking for something to match the woman of his dreams, but he’ll find out that Cecily’s just a cold hearted bitch soon enough.
 
Poor you. Wish I could be there.
 
You will. I can feel it.
 
A clatter from the hallway woke her. A knock on the door followed. “Housekeeping!”
 
“Can you come back in ten minutes?” Buffy called.
 
“Fine.” Buffy could detect a bit of irritation in the voice, which was understandable, it being mid-afternoon. With a deep regret at having lost her dream she got up, took a fast five minute shower, dressed, and was out the door. The maid was on her way back toward the room, and Buffy muttered an apology as she passed her and headed for the elevator. After a meal in the café she headed out into the L.A. sun. She wandered through a few shops aimlessly, browsing without any particular aim. As she strolled she saw a costume shop and wandered in cautiously – she well remembered the Sunnydale Halloween incident. The proprietor was a friendly artistic sort, rather than a creep like Ethan Rayne, and clearly catered to the local theater crowd.
 
“Is there anything in particular you’re looking for?” The woman looked to be in her late thirties, with spikey hair and a large number of earrings.
 
“I’m just browsing thanks,” Buffy said. Then as she started looking around a thought occurred to her. “Actually, do you have anything that looks Victorian? Like 1800’s British?”
 
“We do in fact,” the proprietor said. She led Buffy through the racks to a section that had both men’s and women’s period clothing. “We have pretty reasonable rental rates if you need stuff for a play.”
 
Buffy tried to imagine Spike in one of the black suits with the odd collars, but it was hard picturing him in anything other than black leather. She looked through the dresses, which seemed incredibly complicated. “I think I’d need an instruction manual just to figure out how these work,” she laughed.
 
The shop lady laughed as well. “You’re not kidding. I admire those women for being able to function in all those layers and corsets and stuff. But it’s actually not that hard once you figure out the system. Would you like to try one on?”
 
“Why not?” She chose a pale yellow gown and followed the woman into the dressing room. The woman patiently explained how everything worked, and with a little assistance Buffy managed to get herself into the gown.
 
“This actually looks really good on you. Hey, wait just one second. Don’t move.” The woman ran out and came back with an old-fashioned looking hair comb. She deftly pinned up Buffy’s long hair then stood back to admire her handiwork. “Take a look now.”
 
Buffy turned around and gasped a little. She looked like she had stepped out of one of those history books. The bodice had a scooped neck, and white ruffles trailed down to the waist. The bustle on the back had cascades of cloth flowing behind it in a pale shade of lemon yellow. “Wow. That’s really amazing.”
 
“You’d fit right in,” the shop woman agreed.
 
“How much does it cost to rent this?” Buffy asked suddenly.
 
“It’s $150 per week.”
 
“Can I think about it and get back to you in a day or two?” Buffy said impulsively. It occurred to her that if this time travel thing worked out she might need some camouflage this time.
 
“Sure! Not a ton of demand for this right now. Is it for a play?”
 
“More of for a costume party. But I’ll have to see if this will fit with my date’s costume ideas.” Buffy realized she was becoming an accomplished and compulsive liar through all this, but there didn’t seem to be a lot of alternatives.
 
“Well, come back any time. I think this dress would be a hit on you. You wear it well.”
 
“Thanks for all your help.” Buffy left and continued her browsing, killing time until it was nearly six o’clock. At the appointed time she walked through the door of Caritas, a little nervous but determined to get some answers. The crowd was much lighter at this hour although again her entrance was greeted by nervous hostility. She walked up to the bar and said, “Is Lorne around? He told me to come see him.”
 
Ramone the bartender was drying some glassware but jerked his head toward a door to the side of the bar. “He’s in his office. He’s expecting you.”
 
Buffy knocked on the door and opened it when she heard Lorne’s cheery, “Come in!” She entered to find Lorne, in a red blazer this time, talking on the phone. He motioned her to sit down while he finished up his discussion. “Look, just make sure that this time your private party doesn’t involve five thousand dollars in new furniture, okay? Thanks.” He hung up and shook his head. “Glorbek demons. Harmless to humans but rough on the chairs when they’ve had a few. Anyhow, are you ready to meet the Oracles?”
 
“Ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.” Buffy’s nerves were all singing with anticipation. What would they say? Could they help? What form would their help take? There were so many questions bubbling through her mind that she had to make a conscious effort to focus on what Lorne was saying.
 
“All right, sugarplum, here’s how it works.” He pulled a small satin bag out of a drawer in his desk. “This is sacred dust. Took me all day to hunt it down, so for the love of God don’t spill it. You need to go to the main post office…”
 
“The post office?” Buffy asked incredulously. “The Oracles to the Powers that Be are at the post office?”
 
“Under it actually. They live in another dimension. The gateway happens to be under the post office. Maybe someone’s idea of a cosmic joke. Anyhow, you go through the gateway and you, being a warrior on the side of good, will see a small pyre burning. Throw some of this sacred dust on it and say, ‘I come before the Oracles for guidance and direction. I beseech access to the knowing ones.’”
 
“And then what?” Buffy wondered.
 
Lorne shrugged. “Then they either grant you an audience, or they don’t. They’re cryptic little buggers sometimes, but their purpose is to nudge things toward the side of good. But if you tell them what you want, they’ll grant it if it suits their purpose.”
 
Buffy mulled this over. “Anything else I should know about them?”
 
“Not too much more I can tell you. They’re said to be arrogant, but who knows? I only know so much about them through an ex-watcher who used to come in here.”
 
Buffy’s ears pricked up. “Wesley Wyndham-Price?”
 
“You know him?” Lorne said wonderingly.
 
“Well, I knew him before. I actually came here looking for him.”
 
“Well, he went to the Oracles for advice. He was in here talking to me and a bunch of other folks trying to find them. Don’t know what they told him, but he took off for parts unknown soon afterward. Said he had a mission to perform – someone to rescue in another dimension. He wouldn’t get more specific than that.”
 
“I guess that’s why I couldn’t find him.” Buffy reached out and picked up the satin bag. “I don’t know how to thank you for this.”
 
Lorne smiled, his white teeth gleaming against his emerald skin. “You just go find a happier song to sing, you hear me? And if you need any more help, just ask. Don’t know why, but I feel like I need to help you. Call it fate or whatever you like.” He stood up and walked with Buffy to the door, explaining where the entrance was, and reminding her of the required words. She repeated them flawlessly then impulsively gave him a hug before heading out.
 
She forced herself not to sprint for the post office but walked so fast that people turned their heads in her wake. Her mind raced through what she was going to say, but everything sounded stupid to her. Finally, she decided that she needed to relax, and whatever came out of her mouth would have to be good enough.
 
In an alley next to the post office she encountered a small door marked ‘Authorized Personnel Only’ where Lorne had said it would be. She checked for any witnesses before turning the knob and slipping through. A dark staircase lit only by a single dim bulb stretched down in front of her. At the bottom there was a short corridor ending in a massive stone doorway. She walked through into a round stone chamber in the middle of which was a small fire burning in a metal bowl on a curiously wrought stand. With shaking fingers she brought out a small pinch of the precious dust and sprinkled it on the flames. “I come before the Oracles for guidance and direction. I beseech access to the knowing ones.” She put the bag of dust back in her pocket and waited.
 
One of the walls seemed to shimmer and disappear, opening onto what looked like the courtyard of a Greek temple. Two figures approached, one male and one female. Their skin was patterned with blue and gold markings, and their eyes were piercing and stern. “Come before us, lower being. What have you brought us?”
 
“Brought you?” Buffy wondered what they wanted.
 
“We demand a tribute,” said the male Oracle, looking at her as if she were an insect.
 
“We will take that ring you wear,” the female put in.
 
“Ring? Oh, yeah.” Buffy was still wearing the wedding ring. She had barely noticed it during this whole thing. Knowing that she was going to have some explaining to do later, she pulled it off without hesitation and handed it over to the woman.
 
The Oracles examined the ring for a moment. “We are satisfied. What do you ask of us, Chosen One?”
 
Buffy took a deep breath. “I wish to be sent back in time to be with the man I love.” It sounded like such a simple request, when put that way.
 
The female oracle cocked her head curiously at Buffy. “You were sent through time to prevent the man Liam from becoming the vampire Angel. We are aware of the pain this would cause you. Hence you were rewarded.” The woman’s tone seemed to indicate that she saw Buffy’s request as a sign of sheer ingratitude.
 
Treading carefully, Buffy replied, “I truly am grateful that my friends are alive and well. And if I didn’t remember what had come before, I would have nothing to complain about. But Spike and I claimed each other, and I can’t forget him.”
 
“You, the Chosen One, chose to bind yourself forever to a vampire?” The male oracle’s voice was a mixture of incredulous and angry. “Did you not think of the consequences of that act?”
 
Buffy found herself getting irritated at his tone. “He saved the world. He saved me, and brought me out of the darkest times of my life. He loved me when I was a total bitch to him. He went out and fought to regain his soul for me. What more could I ask for in a mate?”
 
The oracles looked at each other, communicating somehow. “Look at me,” demanded the woman. Buffy shivered a bit as the oracle’s eyes bore into hers, and her mind prickled, as if someone was rifling through it but she stood her ground and stared back. “The love you feel for him is deep.”
 
“Yes,” Buffy replied simply.
 
“We cannot undo what we have done,” the male said. “To bring back the vampire Angel would be to destroy ourselves and your world.”
 
“I don’t want to go back to the old timeline,” Buffy pleaded. “I just want to go to where he is. I want to go to England, in the 1800’s, and try to find him.”
 
“There will be no guarantee that you will find him, or that he will accept you or be the person you remember. He may reject you due to the circumstances of his time. You could end up alone and lost, in a time that is not your own,” warned the man, a frown crossing his golden face.
 
“I would take that risk,” Buffy declared. “I don’t want to hurt anyone. I’m just asking for a chance, that’s all.”
 
“You would turn your back on your friends and all you know for William the Bloody?”
 
“Yes.”
 
A period of silence followed, with the Oracles once more communicating telepathically. Buffy shifted nervously, wrapping her arms around herself. Please. Oh God, please get me out of this life. Please.
 
The two figures looked up as if they had heard her thoughts. “We sense your unhappiness. It was not our intention to cause you further pain after all you have suffered on our behalf. However, what you ask is a delicate and difficult thing, involving the tangling of many threads of fate. Return to us in a week of your time, and we will give you our judgment then.” The oracles turned as one and departed, the wall shimmering once more before becoming solid stone again.
 
“Wait! What are you…?” But even as she called out Buffy realized there was no more she could do tonight. She turned to go, hope and fear fighting for first place in her heart.
 
TBC
 
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