Xander opened his eye and saw an empty spot on the bed next to him. How did she? Xander shakes his head she's slippery at least he's not his underwear outside the door. He gathered his clothes and looked around. He might have made a mistake.

Willow's eyes glazed over and open as she woke up. She looked over and saw Buffy asleep in the infirmary. Right she fell asleep here. She rubs her eyes and the door opens as Jayne comes in with two glasses filled and a bottle.

Willow looked at him in a smile. "So what's the occasion?"

Jayne looked at her. "Figured you could use a drink is all."

Willow nodded. "I'm not good with coffee."

Jayne looked at the cup. "I don't think this can be defined as coffee."

"Any caffeine?" Willow asked.

Jayne shook his head. "No, it will keep you up though."

Willow took a drink and swallowed deep to avoid a spit take. "Whoa, yeah that will keep you up." She might not be eating breakfast tomorrow as she finishes the first cup.

Jayne smiled. "Yeah, might give you some hair in weird places but no caffeine."

Willow nodded trying to get her mouth to work again. "As surprised as I am to see that we have something in common what do you have against caffeine?"

"Makes your trigger finger twitchy."

Willow rolled her eyes. "Should have known."

Jayne looked at her. "So how did you do all that the weird little white eyes, disappearing in a fireball?"

Willow smiled at him. "It's a very dangerous, experimental form of teleporting." She looked at Jayne and saw the confusion. "Traveling to planets without a ship I tried it once with Xander to cheer him up and blew it completely."

Jayne looked at her. "What happened that Mr. River needed cheering up?"

Willow frowned. "Xander, he fell in love with a coworker Renee but they never told each other, and our work well… it was just as if not more dangerous then yours. Buffy had inadvertently led a group into an ambush. Renee was the first one down because a cowardly piece of go' se stabbed her through the back. Xander tried to get to her to just say goodbye but he couldn't. Vlad, Buffy, everyone just went into a murderous frenzy after that."

Jayne just curdled up a fist. He knew these people were fighters but then there's hearing it. "Ya get the Bundun that did it?"

Willow nodded. "Murder frenzy, Vlad cut the bastards arms and legs off and gave Xander his sword to cut his head off. Xander got the man who actually did it but the one who orchestrated it got away."

"Who was that?" Jayne asked.

"Twilight" Willow answered.

Jayne nodded. "So that's why he was after you settle the score. At least the bastard's dead now."

Willow nodded in agreement. Xander said this Twilight was different. It ended up being Spike. And since Buffy is here she's guessing the original is dead too. "Yeah but it didn't change what happened. After Renee died Xander was pretty much an empty shell. Anya was the biggest one but with the exception of a girl called Faith every woman he's… well you know… they were all dead he declared himself a lightning rod for pain and didn't open up to anyone. Vlad, Buffy, me, not even Dawn I used that trick to teleport him away from the fight just to get him to be in the wor.. universe again. But I overestimated the supplies and we woke up far far away on the moon of Wacana. We spent nine months hopping moons and enjoying everything there was and little by little Xander started to smile more. But nothing could have prepared us for landing on Triumph. I wish I could say I hated those nine months away but I can't because I got my best friend back and tonight I got my other best friend back. So please don't tell the captain about that teleporting trick I don't want to risk screwing that up again."

Jayne shook his head after finding out about Mr and Mrs. Harris today. "No wonder Harris and the little Wupo get along. Both have been through hell. How about you any tales like that about you?"

Willow nodded. "Our first act upon people that hurt us is to reign down upon them vengeance and furious anger. There wasn't much to say about the last girlfriend other then she was a bitch and Xander is not allowed to remind me of her. But the one before that… with all do respect to your performance I like to think I'd be married to her by now but…"

"Dangerous lives" Jayne filled in Willow only nodded.

"She got shot. I'm a different kind of medic but everything happened so fast she just fell and I picked her up and she was gone just like that." Willow stated thinking back on that miserable day. "Remember how I told you neither of us deserved statues?"

Jayne nodded.

Willow frowned wanting this out there. Guess that thing about unloading on a stranger is true. "I hunted down the guy who did it. Tied him down like an animal and tortured him to death."

Jayne finished his cup and refilled his and Willow's now on their fifth. "It was Tara right?"

"Huh?" Willow asked.

Jayne looked at her. No judgements there he would have skinned the fed alive if Kaylee had died but he's curious. "The girl you tortured that guy for. That was that Tara you swore to ta keep Buffy from killing the Captain."

Willow nodded. "Yeah…and" She looked at her cup. "What's in this stuff? What's in it?"

"My own blend, cream, vodka, whiskey, other drinks the taste wakes you up every time." Jayne answered.

Willow glared at him as she caught on. She's been boozing it up no wonder why she's telling things so easily. Not to mention figuring out Tara. "You know you're smarter then you look but I swear to god if you got me drunk to get back in my pants."

Jayne put his hand up. "Easy red, I just thought after the stressful night you had you could use a drink. And some company until the little blond girl wakes up or your friends come back."

Willow gently took his hand. "Thank you"

Spike walked the hall of Serenity protein brick in hand. If the families knew half of what went into these bricks no one would ever eat them. Lucky him animal blood is just as active in it as ever. He opened the shuttle door and took a seat his eyes widened seeing Inara's bare back. "Bugger wrong shuttle"

Inara quickly grabbed a blanket. "So it's not just Xander who walks in uninvited to places. That's good to know."

Spike looked at her. "Survival instinct where we're from it's better to just come in. And I'm sorry for barging in to your room pet. Thought this was the other shuttle."

Inara quickly pulled her top back up, straightened out her clothes and turned off her codex. "Well now you know."

Spike looked at her. "Did I just cost you a client?"

"No, I was just cancelling some appointments and checking in.." Inara assured him. "Wanted to get caught up on everything since there's a strong chance we might not be near the central planets anytime soon."

"And you're too good for people from the rim planets?" Spike asked with a bit more hostility then he aimed for.

Inara glared at the vampire not ready for a verbal round having already bantered with Mal about this today. "A companion chooses her clients."

"And I don't take that kind of service from a dying woman." Spike replied before going into a smile. "So everyone wins pet."

Inara looked at him panicked as her heart beat picked up. "I don't know what you're talking about?"

Spike shook his head most cases very true you usually can't even see bruises caused from it until there's a month or two to go, but vampire senses. He can smell it on her. "It's the Stigma right? Terra sickness? Terra forming gone wrong on the moon grandma or grandpa came from? How long? Three years… more… less… help a fella out?"

Inara frowned. "Two years" Twenty six months according to her physical. Inara looked at him interested. "How did you know?"

Spike looked to the black. "Only logical reason a companion like you would be on a firefly. Even for a companion you're a hell of a woman. I'm guessing you're seeing as much of the verse as you can before the clock hits zero."

Inara's face returned to a blank trained expression. "Yeah, I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell the crew."

"Secrets safe with me pet. Honestly I'm still reeling from the fact that Red and Droopy boy are still alive honestly." Spike answered.

Xander walked down and to his surprise he sees River walking around with the blanket from his bunk. Xander's eyes could only widen as she walked past Mal and the captain followed. Oh this isn't going to be good.

Xander watched as River put the blanket in a box and quickly hit a button.

Mal quickly ran up and tried to turn it off but no avail. He opened the door and saw nothing but ash of what was once a blanket. "OK, little one, you want to explain why you felt Mr. Blanket had to die?"

"It was stuck it was invaded and not a blanket anymore. It was stuck it couldn't be unstuck again…" River replied before finishing. "I got blood on it."

Mal looked at her. "OK, do you want to explain how you got blood on it?" River leaned into Mal and whispered as all the color drained off the Captain's face as Mal shouted in fury and panic. "Wuh de ma! I can't know that! I'm counting that as one of your funny moments… Christ!" Mal promptly fled for his bunk.

Xander looked at his wife. "Should I be concerned about the captain shooting me?"

River shook her head. "I'm just having fun."

Xander nodded now he knows what she told Mal now. He'd be running too. "Yeah well thank you for that." Xander looked at her concerned. "So, are you OK?"

River looked at him for a moment studying his face as her joyful mood was quickly replaced with anger that she let out on her husband's shin as he groaned out in pain and hopped.

Xander was quickly on one leg leaning against the wall holding his damaged shin. "Ahh, what is it with you and the shins?"

"I am not that jien huo Faith!" River said in a low dangerous voice as she walked in the other direction up the steps.

Xander walked up the steps after following where the young genius went. "I never said you were."

River kept walking. "You didn't have to. Just because I left." She stopped and turned picking up his thoughts. "You think what we did was a mistake?"

Xander thought on it for a moment and shook his head. "No, do you?"

River looked at him before she smiled realizing he was just freaked out at the possibility of what her leaving meant as she let out a crooked smile. "You didn't mess anything up. I enjoyed it. I'd still be there just… I'm not ready to handle Simon yet. So keep it secret?"

Xander smiled. "Of course I can keep a secret."

River smiled and kissed him for a bit and just kept walking Xander right behind her as they walked by the shuttles. "Good night" Without warning River pushed Xander into the shuttle door in retaliation.

Xander looked behind to see his wife ran off already. He looked inside to see its Inara's shuttle. He also saw Spike and Inara looking at him both with matching grins.

Xander folded his arms at his chest looking at them before letting out a defeated sigh. "OK I know how he knows. But how do you know?"

Inara smiled looking at him not giving an inch. Spike was the one who answered. "Droopy that's a companion she probably knew when you two would get together long before the two of you probably did."

Xander turned to the companion. "No way, unless companions are psychic?"

Inara looked at him. "Xander what do you think the difference is between a companion and a whore?"

Xander thought before shrugging and admitting though he hates saying it nut she did ask. "I don't know I get a whore and Bill Gates get a companion."

Inara rolled her eyes. "And that's why you don't know. And since you just answered like the captain I say goodnight to both of you."

Spike dope slapped him. "Let's go droopy you got us in trouble."

Xander walked out him. "Hey I had a better shot with her then you did she knows about the sex bot."

Spike growled. "Why would you tell her that!?"

"Figured you were dead didn't see the harm in it."

Buffy opened her eyes, outside of getting shot that was a beautiful dream. Xander and Willow with her again. She opened her eyes and saw three people in the hospital room she's in Xander, Willow and Spike. Buffy let out a little cry seeing them. They're real.

Willow opened her eyes drowsy Jayne makes a good drink. She smiled seeing Buffy awake and alert as the blond jumped her in a hug. "Hey!" She turned to Xander and Spike. "Awaken!"

Xander immediately opened his eyes. "Will, I was having this nice, oh Buffy!"

Xander ran up and joined the hug. "Not that I'm not happy you're back but how did you end up an icy pop."

Buffy looked at him and punched him in the shoulder. "Nice to know after three years it only took me getting kidnapped to find you guys."

Xander and Willow looked at each other uneasy. Not sure how to describe when exactly they are.

Buffy looked at them. "Guys, what's wrong, what aren't you telling me?"

Willow took her by the hand. "Buffy. It's been nine months since I saw you and three years for you ... since we've... been here. I'm still not sure how to explain it. There;'s explanations and theories and..."

Buffy shook her head and stopped the incoming babble. "Will calm down, you've been gone for three years OK. What's going on… where are we?"

Xander looked out the window. Buffy followed his line of sight and saw. "OK its night time."

Spike shook his head. "Come on, you'll never believe us if we tell you."

Buffy got out of bed and walked with Spike and Xander, She walked to the window and saw the black but she also sees the bit of metal they're flying in. "No, no way."

Xander frowned knowing it's the truth. Willow wasn't handling it much better. "Buffy we got stuck here. This is home."

Buffy shook her head and turned to Willow. "You gotta be able to send us back."

Willow shook her head. "I can only go forward in time other wards it gets ugly."

"How long did Blue Sun keep me locked up?" Buffy asked.

Spike shook his head. "Buffy."

"How long!"

Spike looked at the ground. "500 years."

Buffy let out an empty laugh. "So I've been asleep for five centuries? Dawn?"

Spike looked at her. "She's still out there somewhere…likely."

Xander and Willow's eyes widened at that revelation. Xander looked at the vampire. "When the hell were you going to tell us that?"

Willow glared at him. "How is she still alive?"

Spike looked at the two. He didn't want to bring it up because he didn't know where the niblet was and he was thankful for that. "The Key is as old as Glory. Dawn is a nice fleshy wrapper but the key was always going to live far longer then a human."

Buffy looked the vampire dead in the eyes. "Is she still alive?"

"It's hard to say" Spike answered. "They sent me out to try to kill her in 2287 but… Angel blindsided me and they got away."

Buffy frowned hearing that but at least she has hope.

Xander looked at the vampire ready to grab a bone saw and swing away. "Do vampires still exist here?"

"Yeah, but they're fewer and farther between." Spike answered. "You won't find them here. 500 years of people forgetting and they tend to stay close to M… moons far out of Alliance reach. If they get carried away they just torch the town and the authorities just say its Reavers."

Xander grimaces a bit as he sat down. "So not stories told by River to freak me out. Why does the Alliance want her anyway?"

Spike shook his head. "I don't know I just got orders to bring her in which means it's high level and classified."

Buffy looked at Spike confused he was the one she attacked to save Xander. "When did they get you?"

"Chicago, two weeks after they got you." Spike replied with a frown. "Should have listened to Angel but I was pig headed. Got a mask placed on my face with that mind control drug."

Xander looked at Spike gripping the bone saw. "And one treatment brainwashed you for five hundred years. You dumb ass."

Buffy shook her head. "The poison they use to control you poisons you. It will kill you in a day or two. Spike already being dead they could keep just keep refilling. And use their hemo sucking hit man whenever they need him

Spike looked at Xander. The one scooby not allowed to call him a dumb ass. "You do remember I kicked your ass six ways to Sunday on Canton right?"

Xander nodded. Seeing Spike in clothes and seeing him save Buffy convinced him enough they were on the same side now. "Yeah, how did you kick my ass at 10:30 in the morning anyway?"

Spike shook his head. "The terra formed planets aren't quite right. Something about distance and number of suns. Point is sunlight only hurt on earth that was."

Buffy looked at Spike. "What happened to the rest of the slayers?"

Spike shook his head. "They died."

Xander glared at him. "You killed them!"

"Not all of them. Most died of old age." Spike replied.

Buffy looked at the vampire confused. "So, the next slayer gets called. Big deal."

Spike shook his head looking at the slayer. "Buffy Red's big spell on the hellmouth changed everything about slayers. They were all called at once but it was linked to the spell that caused their activation."

Willow looked at him trying to figure things out but being the genius that she is she quickly caught on. "Oh god no!"

Xander looked at her. "What?"

Buffy saw Willow's look to her and frowned. "Oh, god. You mean that's why they did this?"

Spike nodded. "Sorry love, Blue Sun wanted peace couldn't have that with demons, witches, and slayers afoot. They pulled me out of retirement to track down Willow just because she's a witch."

Xander looked around. "For the layman, what am I missing?"

Spike growled almost breaking into a game face. "Buffy's spell activated all the potentials that were alive. The next generation wouldn't have been activated until Buffy had died. And she's been locked in a freezer for over 500 years."

Xander's eyes widened. "You're telling they've been going five centuries without a slayer. No wonder the world ended."

Spike nodded though he's pretty sure Earth was natural causes. "Blue Sun was the exact opposite of Wolfram and Hart. Problem is they're just as extreme. As long as the central planets stay calm they don't give a piss what happens somewhere else. Rumor is they even experiment on newly terra formed boarder moons to make better worlds. Welcome to the new world."

Willow turned to Spike. "What about Giles and Faith?"

Xander and Willow were so focused on Spike they missed Buffy's short breath.

Spike looked at them. "Faith smoked 2 packs a day dealing with slayer stress so I'll let that speak for itself. She supposedly died in her son Liam's arms. Giles, Droopy Giles died before either of us was even frozen."

Xander shook his head. "No, he died of old age like Faith."

Buffy looked at them. "I was fighting Twilight. I was losing. Giles did what he had to do and Twilight killed him for it."

Xander looked at her. "Is the original Twilight gone?"

Buffy nodded.

"Good." Xander turned to Spike. "Your predecessor was a real jackass."

"Preaching to the choir"

Buffy looked out to the black. "So, what do we do now? Just try to ignore how far along we are?"

Xander shook his head. "No, we live in the universe and take it one day at a time. Try to find Dawn in the meantime."

Spike looked out the window. "And for once Harris says something that's not completely stupid. Best we can do for now."

The remnants of the Scooby gang look out the window ready for tomorrow, the first day of the rest of their lives.

Author Notes

Thanks for the reviews

Up Next: Cannon continues to get put aside for a while.

Chinese

Wuh de ma- mother of god

Jien huo- cheap floozy