TITLE: A Future of the Past

AUTHOR: Erin Giles

RATING: PG-13

PAIRING: all the usual beginning of season five ones

SPOLIER WARNING: Depends how you look at some of the news that's brought from others (It'll make sense to you when you read it)

DISCLAIMER: It's not mine and it's not fair! It belongs to God (aka Joss)

DISTRIBUTION: Please don't take it without asking! It isn't yours ok!

SUMMARY: Portals are appearing everywhere, there's a gross population of Vampires and Demons and to top it all off one of Buffy's friend's is ill and she has to baby-sit her sister while her mom's out of town. Just a typical week for Buffy Summers then! That is until someone human comes through one of the portals and then things start to get really weird!

NOTES: Riley's not mentioned in the story at all so lets just all assume that he's already gone (sorry guys but I don't like the man!)

FEEDBACK: Yes please. flames are allowed as long as they're constructive ones!

Dedicated to Lorna - You're my Buffy!

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Chapter 1 ~ Film Buff?

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Rupert Giles undid the top button of his shirt pulling his tie from round his neck as he sat staring at the kettle in the Magic Box, willing it to boil. He sunk down onto the bench opposite the small table where the kettle was sitting and rubbed at his clammy face. He hadn't been feeling well when he got up that morning and he wasn't feeling any better now.

'Still,' he thought, 'that was maybe due to the fact I didn't get to bed until three this morning due to Buffy's discovery of a new demon while she had been out patrolling.'

He was getting too old for staying up till the small hours of the morning and he knew it. The chances of him getting an early bed tonight were doubtful as well, and he doubted the supernatural forces would take a break just because he needed to go on sick leave for a couple of days. A cup of tea and everything would be right as rain. He very much doubted that though.

He heard the bell above the door announce the presence of someone entering the shop as the kettle boiled simultaneously. He picked it up and poured himself a cup,

"Hi Giles."

"Dawn." He said rather gruffly, turning to smile at her as warmly as he could, clearing his throat before he continued,

"Good day at school?" he asked placing the kettle back in its holder and leaving the teabag to stew in the cup for a moment,

"Oh-my-god yes!" she said placing her bag on the table and pulling up a seat,

"Scott Burns asked me to the dance on Friday and I wasn't sure at first and so I said maybe and I'd let him know and then I caught him asking Emily at lunch break. And I was so hurt - not that I liked him anyway, but yah know the fact that he asked her anyway 'cause she's a total slut." She made a face as Giles stirred his tea, raising his eyebrows at her. She didn't notice though,

"Anyway I marched right up to him and told him how much of a loser he was in front of the whole basketball team and how he was taking ballet and he was a total laughing stock. This one is gonna last so long and it was just so funny. And oh! The icing on the cake was when I slapped him and told him to go with his slut. It was just - wow! You should have been there." She said staring at Giles, who was sipping at his tea by now, letting the whole story just wash right over him,

"Yes, I'll make sure I book front row seats next time." He said sarcastically before glancing down at the book he had been reading a minute ago. She made a face at him,

"The others not here yet?" she asked looking about hopefully. Giles shook his head as Anya thanked a customer for purchasing their supply of frog's eggs at the Magic box and to please come again,

"Yes where are they? Xander should be here now watching me count the money getting him all hot and bothered so that -"

"Buffy!" Dawn exclaimed a little too loudly as she entered the shop with Willow and Tara in tow, giggling and talking in hushed whispers. She jumped up from her seat,

"Were we talking about me?" she asked coming down the steps and looking at Giles, who was still sipping at his tea,

"No, Anya was just talking about her and Xander and how -"

"Yes thank you Dawn." Giles said looking up at her over his glasses. He sighed setting the cup down on the table and removed his glasses, rubbing at his temples. He felt a headache coming on,

"So what are we doing tonight? Movie-thon?" Dawn asked watching her sister hopefully,

"'Cause Mom's left a bunch of food, including non-healthy food like ice- cream and cookie dough."

"Yes," Buffy said nodding emphatically,

"And you guys are all invited too. Big film and food fest." She yawned sitting down at the table opposite Giles,

"Pre-patrol though." She added looking at her Watcher. He didn't seem to notice though. He looked preoccupied with his books, Buffy thought. Even if his eyes were closed,

"So Giles find out who's butt I kicked into a bloody pulp last night and if I have to do anymore bloody pulp beating?" she asked casting a glance over the books on the table as Willow and Tara snuggled up beside each other on the other bench,

"Giles?"

"Hmmm?" he raised his head, opening his eyes as he searched for the voice that had said his name, replacing his glasses,

"Demon, you know - dead demon? Should I worry or break out the bubbly?"

"Yes well, I spent quite a number of hours researching your demon and it seems that it's extinct."

"Well it is now." Buffy quipped,

"No Buffy, before that." He ran his finger down the page in front of him flipping back a page,

"Here." He said passing the book over to her and picking up the cup to drink,

"Giles. Latin. Lack of knowledge in that language." She said looking up at him helplessly,

"Yes, sorry. Well it says that the last clan of Kulich demons was destroyed a couple of centuries ago by a slayer called - Mariana, if I'm not mistaken - so technically there shouldn't be any left." Giles took another drink of the tea, his throat feeling like sandpaper as he drank it,

"I've checked and double checked for some sort of explanation but - well I can't seem to find one." He said taking the book back from Buffy and closing it,

"So should I worry about more popping up? Or the one I already slayed coming back from the dead? Or getting demon traits or anything?" she asked looking at him warily,

"No. No I shouldn't think so."

"But didn't you say they have clan thingies or something." Dawn pointed out. Giles looked up at her, confused for a moment,

"Yes well, they're supposed to be extinct so I shouldn't think you'd have - uh - have anymore trouble." He rubbed at the back of his neck as Anya went to put the closed sign on the door,

"Good. So quick patrol and then we'll meet at my place at eight." She said standing up and taking her bag,

"Giles you'll come right?"

"What? Oh - I don't think so Buffy. Thank you for the offer all the same." He said politely, starting to put the books away,

"If you're sure," she said downhearted for a moment,

"Will? You and Tara will take Dawn to the video store right?"

"Sure." Willow said standing up with Tara, their hands still intertwined, as they followed Buffy to the door,

"Giles? You're not coming?" Dawn said hanging back at the table, looking at him hopeful. He turned away from the bookshelf to meet the hurt expression on Dawn's face. He moved towards her,

"I'm sorry Dawn but I need to sort out the books for the shop." He watched her for a moment before placing a hand on her shoulder,

"I promise you if I get done early I'll come over." A smile broke out on the teenage girl's face,

"Deal?" she said looking at him sternly,

"Deal." She smiled again and turned to leave the store,

"Whoa there cowgirl." Xander said banging into Dawn,

"Sorry Xand I'll see you later. We're off for videos." She said dashing out the shop,

"Apocalypse now!" he called after her, closing the door and moving towards Anya, enfolding her in his arms before kissing her passionately.

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Giles coughed as he pulled his jacket on around him. He glanced at his watch as he picked up the books. It was only quarter to seven,

"Anya will you lock up?" he said taking his car keys out his pocket,

"I thought you told Dawn that you were doing the books."

"I am." He said impatiently,

"I'm going to take them home and do them though. I'll see you in the morning." He said tiredly, moving towards the stairs,

"You're not coming tonight G-man?" Giles rolled his eyes, too tired to comment on Xander's name for him,

"Sorry to disappoint you but no. I'll see both of you in the morning."

"Bye Giles." They said in unison as he left the shop.

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"Ten evil vampires standing in a row, ten evil vampires standing in a row and if one evil vampire is dusted by me. They'll be nine evil vampires standing in a row." Buffy scrunched up her face as she continued on through the graveyard deciding that it didn't quite rhyme and also was definitely not true. She yawned loudly as she walked round a tomb with the name Alpert above it, now one of the more familiar ones in Restfield cemetery.

'Wonder what films Dawn's picking out? Hope Xander's not in on the choosing of films. It'll be all army this and army that.' She thought as she continued to walk, her head up in the clouds and not focused of the small pinprick of light that was appearing before her,

'Is there two of four packs of popcorn in the cupboard? Maybe I should stop off at the store and get some on the way back. Xander and Dawn will eat a packet each. Giles isn't coming though. He didn't look too good. Maybe -' Her thoughts evaded her as her eyes widened at the shimmering hue of purple in front of her. Her feet took a couple of steps back as she watched it grow larger and larger,

'Oh uh.' She thought, as something seemed to shimmer in the middle of it before taking form and bowling itself through the light and landing at her feet. It was another one of those demons that she had slain last night,

"No more of you Giles said!" as she looked down at it for a moment, but the portal caught her attention again as it started to shine brightly, blinding her for a moment before it disappeared into nothing,

"What the -?" she was cut off as the demon suddenly found its feet, swiping Buffy's from beneath her. She crumpled to the ground, righting herself quickly, the large glowy thing forgotten at the moment as she went into slayer mode.

A roundhouse kick to the head. A punch to the abdomen. It retaliated with a blow to her head, sending her sprawling. She ducked another blow as she righted herself continuing to make easy work of the demon. After fighting one the previous night she could anticipate its every move.

Buffy made a quick sharp movement which made a sickening, crunching sound and the demon dropped to the floor, its neck broken. She stared at it for a couple of minutes before frowning,

"Can't you guys go poof?" she asked the dead body before she suddenly remembered where it had come from. She turned to stare at the space where the demon had appeared from, but there was no sign that there had been a large glowing door that spat out demons anymore. She sighed,

"Now I know how Mulder and Scully feel when their evidence disappears on them." She muttered to herself before picking up the body of the demon and dragging it to the nearest tomb before stopping a horrifying thought crossing her mind,

'Please say they've not rented films with demon's and vampires.' She hoped silently.

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Giles collapsed on the sofa in an undignified heap. He pulled his shoes off without even attempting to undo the laces and left them lying on the floor. He would tidy them away tomorrow, he thought as he yawned loudly. He pulled his jacket from his back and threw it on the table, the tie following moments later. He watched the jacket slipping on the polished surface, but made no gesture to catch it as if fell to the floor.

He rubbed at his eyes as he got up off the sofa and went into the kitchen to put the kettle on. He stopped as his hand rested on the kettle though. He didn't really want anything but his bed at the moment.

The books would wait. They would have to. Anya would be annoyed, but at the moment Giles didn't really care.

He moved out of the kitchen and padded up the stairs to his bedroom. He threw his shirt and trousers over the nearest chair and pulled a t-shirt over his head. He tugged at the covers to pull them away from the mattress, his strength failing him as he did so. He felt so frustrated, but eventually they came loose, allowing him the comfort of his own bed.

He shivered as he lay between the sheets. They were so cold. Even though his head was roasting he felt as if he would freeze to death. He blinked a couple of times and realised he still had his glasses on. He removed them, placing them beside the bed before curling up into himself again as he listened to his heart throbbing loudly in his head. He swallowed painfully as he pulled the covers closer. His eyes closed again, the light from down below illuminating his face. He couldn't be bothered going downstairs to switch the lights off though; they would stay on until tomorrow.

Waste of energy he thought, but his own energy was more important at the moment. He wondered how Buffy had gone on patrolling, his last thought before he drifted off to sleep.

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"We've got chocolate, vanilla, chocolate and vanilla - um -"

"Wait, wait. Back up here! You're saying you can get two different kinds of ice cream in the one ice-cream?"

"Uh huh -" Dawn said pulling all three tubes out of the freezer and handing them to Xander who stared at them dumbfounded,

"And how have I not made this discovery before?" he asked placing them down on the work surface,

"'Cause you've yet to get a mom who doesn't order Chinese every night of the week." Dawn commented, pulling a couple of bowls from the cupboard as the microwave starting beeping,

"Will, you're corn has popped all it can." Xander called still staring at the chocolate and vanilla ice cream,

"So why did you buy separate vanilla and chocolate if you can get them both together?" he asked as Dawn started to scoop it into a bowl,

"'Cause sometimes Buffy gets annoyed when there's not just chocolate on it's own. She gets moody about that." She said licking her fingers and handing the scoop to Xander as the front door opened,

"I'm home." Buffy called from the hall before moving into the living room where Tara and Anya were already seated next to each other on the couch, thumb wrestling,

"Party start without me?" she inquired, pulling her jacket off,

"Gathering of the food." Tara said gesturing in the direction of the kitchen as Dawn appeared out of the door,

"Hmmm Muffy." She said, a mouth full of ice cream. Buffy smiled at her little sister as she sat on the floor and crossed her legs with her bowl of ice cream,

"Hey Buff, anything abnormally normal on your walkabout?" Xander asked appearing with two bowls of ice cream, one of which he handed to Anya,

"Yeah actually." She said perching on the arm of the sofa,

"I met another one of those Kul-something-or-other demons that Giles said I wouldn't see again. But the weird thing was -"

"Giles was wrong?" Anya asked looking at her curiously,

"No. Ok - well that's weird in itself - but no." she shook her head, getting back on track,

"What was weird was where it came from. There was like this shimmery golden purple thing that was actually really pretty, and then it just appeared from it, like someone had thrown it or something. Nothing followed it though and then before I could blink it just disappeared into nothing. I stayed there a while after but it didn't reappear or anything." She said, her brow crumpled in confusion looking round at her friends, trying to search for an explanation that no one had,

"We can tell Giles if he turns up."

"He didn't call to say if he'd make it or not." Willow shook her head before sitting down next to Tara with her bowl of popcorn,

"He might be here by the second film." Dawn said hopeful as Xander put the first film in the video player. Buffy settled herself in a chair, pulling her shoes off her tired feet,

"Okay guys please tell me that there's no vampires or demons in this film. And also Xander didn't get a say in it?"

"I had no say and no one would get Apocalypse Now for me. And when you say demons - do aliens count?"