Disclaimer: I own nothing except my special, shiny nickel. Also, the idea for the ‘get out of jail free card’ is a stolen concept from a lost Buffy episode in which Joss would have called Tara back, but Amber Benson was busy :(

Lil’ Note: Some of this may be wrong, for example Cordy or the Oracles so I’ve decided this is slight AU to account what I want. My Cordy talks like a Season 3 of Buffy Cordy and the oracles are still live and kicking.

Author’s Note: Okay, give this fic the benefit of the doubt. It’s quite a sad fic, and it’s meant to be Angsty so bare with it, and it may take a while for the story to take place. Story rated for issues later on.

Just before ‘Showtime’

She paced back and forth through the Summer’s corridor, as she had been doing the past 20 minutes. They’d all been through so much what with Xander and Anya’s wedding screw-up, Tara’s death, Willow’s world suicide, Spike’s soul, the First harassing them and now all the potentials. She was resorting to the last method. One more moment of hesitation, and Buffy rushed forward to pick up the phone. She pressed Speed Dial 1, which was Angel’s number. He always had been speed dial 1, the first most important person in her life.

“Angel Investigations, we help the hopeless,” came an all too familiar female voice. “Angel is out on a case, but our staff members will be happy to help.”

“Wow,” Buffy laughed. “That sounded kinda weird.”

“I’m always ready to try out new techniques,” Cordelia smirked. “It was nice to chat though Buffy, I’ll get Angel for you.”

“I thought you said he was on a case?” Buffy quizzed.

“Duh, it’s daytime,” Cordelia told her. “He’s asleep, but if I tell him it’s you, he’ll be down quicker than...you can fall in love with another vamp.”

Cordy left the phone and Buffy sighed, if only she knew. But Buffy couldn’t love Spike, not after what he’d done to her. God, so many things in the past year have gone wrong. The world would be a better place if she could sort this out. And what are friend for? She had died twice and was still on her feet, thanks to Xander and Willow. She knew that Willow would do the same for her, heck; Willow had done the same for her. Getting help powerful enough to bring Tara back would be hard, but think of everything else she could do. Unnecessary deaths she could stop, save everyone. All she needed to do was to persuade Angel that it was the right thing.

“Buffy?” asked a voice.

Buffy had completely forgot she was on the phone, and nearly dropped it at the sound of his voice. She had better pluck up or she may turn into a babbling idiot.

“Angel, hi,” she managed to say.

“What’s up?”

“Nothing really.”

“So...why are you called,” Angel asked her.

“Oh, I really wanted your help on something,” Buffy said nervously. “All the times I’ve been in need of friendship or help, Willow’s guided me through, and now I want to do something in return. I wanted to know if there was a way I could bring Tara back.”

There was a moments silence as Angel was clearly contemplating what Buffy had just said.

“The urn of Osiris?” Angel suggested.

“No,” Buffy said sadly. “That only works on supernatural deaths, and Willow and the gang used it to bring me back. During the ritual, it got smashed anyway.”

“Oh.”

Again a short silence. Buffy could tell Angel thought this was a bad idea, but he didn’t say so. He loved her too much, and she was the same with him.

“How about the Oracles?” Angel suggested thoughtfully.

“What are the oracles?” Buffy asked.

Angel was on the verge of reminding her about their day together, but realised that Buffy didn’t remember.

“In serious situations, the oracles will turn back time so that something can be changed to make things better,” Angel explained.

“Well, I could stop Willow trying to destroy the world, and I could fight the Turok-han better and I could even help save the potentials,” Buffy said. “Thanks Angel.”

“Your welcome.”

“Ok.”

“Great.”

“So.”

“Yeah.”

“Bye.”

Buffy hung up the phone and sighed again, talking to Angel always made her act funny, which is why they had to stay apart. After all, one really god conversation between them could make him soulless.

Buffy then wondered how she was going to contact the oracles as they lived in LA. Maybe there was some way of contacting them in Sunnydale. She quickly picked up the phone again and put in speed dial 8. When she heard a noise, Buffy turned around and saw Dawn walking past.

“What’re you doing?” she asked quickly.

“Nothing.”

“Oh, sure,” Dawn frowned. “That just means your doing something you don’t want me to know about.”

Buffy shushed Dawn as the dialling tone stopped and Dawn walked off in a huff.

“Sorry, can’t talk, busy,” Anya called down the phone.

“Anya, it’s mean,” Buffy said pointedly.

“Oh right, you,” Anya frowned. “What do you want?”

“I need to find out how to contact the Oracles,” Buffy told her. “What do you know?”

“It doesn’t matter where you go, as long as it’s underground,” Anya explained. “Your basement should do. And you only need a few basic ingredients. Oh, take a gift, they like gifts.”

Anya then explained what Buffy needed to do, before hanging up quickly. Buffy stared at the phone then put it down, her phone bill was going to pile up quick. Buffy walked into the living room and ignored the bunch of potentials staring at a cartoon, possibly the Simpsons. She went into the cabinet drawers and pulled out some bottles. Willow had labelled them, so it didn’t take her long.

She ran down to the basement, where she was confronted by Spike.

“Slayer,” he greeted her.

“Spike,” she replied. “You need to get out, I’m busy.”

Spike scoffed and indicated to his chains.

“My bad,” Buffy laughed. “You’ll have to sit there then.”

Buffy got a bowl and poured the mixture in the way Anya told her, then made a semi-circle against an empty wall so that the portal could open. She looked around the room and picked up a porcelain plate off the cabinet, and stood in the circle.

“If I may ask slayer,” Spike said with a false courtesy. “What are you doing?”

“None of your business,” Buffy muttered.

She then recited the spell in Latin and stepped into the big, blue vortex. She arrived quickly into a round room and 2...oracles she guessed, came forward and spoke.

“A gift for us?” the female asked.

She then snatched the plate.

“Porcelain,” she commented. “I do love it so.”

“What have you come for Slayer?” the male asked rudely.

“No need to be snappy,” Buffy told him. “I need help.”

“So does everyone who comes here,” the female told her. “We help those with good causes. Selfless causes, saving causes.”

Buffy explained to the Oracles about how she wanted to go back in time, not only to save Tara but to change everything for the better. She explained about all the lives she could save, but they both had grim expressions.

“No,” the male said. “Absolutly not.”

“It’s a selfless cause,” the female argued.

“True,” he stated. “But you shouldn’t change something to make your own life better.”

“If you won’t help her, I shall,” the female turned around snobbily. “Buffy Summers, current slayer. I shall turn back the time to 1 minute before the incident you want to change. Everybody else will remember nothing, except us 3. You cannot tell this to anyone, or everything will undo. Are you still willing to do this?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Buffy muttered.

With a large gesture of her hands, that reminded Buffy vaguely of Halfrek, the female clapped her hands. There was a loud noise like gusty wind and a blue flash.

Buffy found herself in the Summer’s garden, poking the grass with a stick. She remembered what happened next, so for the moment, she kept at it. She self consciously felt Xander walk towards her.

“Time for the Spring poking already?” he joked solemnly.

Buffy turned around and said, “Just making sure there are no more evil-trio cameras.” She paused. “Or, evil uno.”

“The sinister yet addictive card game?” Xander asked.

“Warren.” Buffy frowned. “Jonathan and Andrew get clinked, but... Warren pulled a rocket man.”

“You’ll find him,” Xander assured. “He won’t be much good without his friends.”

God, Buffy remembered this as if it were yesterday, but it felt so...real. But now it was real, and this was her 2nd chance. To not screw it up, to make everything better.

“Like me,” Buffy smiled weakly.

She felt like she was changing the script, doing something wrong. She then left Xander for a second and moved across the garden, over near the rear entrance, Warren would be here soon.

Xander followed. “Buffy...” he started, before yelling, “It’s Warren.”

Before Warren could do anything, Buffy ran towards him and kicked him down to the ground. While falling, 2 stray bullets came out from his gun. Buffy pushed him down further and took the gun off him. She then picked him up and threw him against the fence.

“I guess it’s safe to say Warren won’t be getting up soon,” Buffy laughed, at the lameness of her own joke.

She took the gun and pulled it open, removing the remaining bullets. She turned around, looking for Xander to congratulate her, and inside, saw him in his yellow shirt, on the floor.

“Xander!” she yelled, running over to him.

Xander had red blood oozing through his light grey trousers. Buffy ran over, this was all her fault. God, if she hadn’t made that stupid wish. But his eyes opened, and he tried to talk but was obviously in immense pain.

“Buffy,” he muttered. “You, and Wills, you’re my best friends.”

He closed his eyes and Buffy lay down and cried on his leg. Willow and Tara ran out through the doors. Willow started crying straight away and Tara looked shocked.

“I’ll, p-phone the ambulance,” she told Willow, running back inside.

Willow ran up to Buffy and grabbed Xander’s hand. She was relieved when she found his pulse.

“Oh god,” she muttered. “Who did this?”

Buffy hesitated, this could put her back on the same track she went on before, but she didn’t expect Xander to die, he had 2 leg wounds but she was sure he would be okay.

“It...it was Warren,” she mumbled. “But he’s unconscious at the moment.”

Willow stood up, her eyes flaring and her roots darkening.

“Willow, stop!” Buffy yelled. “Xander needs you.”

Willow considered this, before changing back and coming back down to his side.

“What can I do to help?” she asked hopelessly.

Buffy was applying pressure to the wound, but she let Willow take over. Tara ran outside and made a beeline for Willow. Clutching her tight, tears ran down both their eyes. Buffy caught Tara’s eye and got a kind of psychic message, the ambulance was on its way. Buffy nodded and ran inside, there was someone else needed calling, the police.

The Oracles Chamber

“Oh deary me,” the male oracle harshly laughed. “She’s screwed up again.”

“Give her time,” the female snapped.

“But can’t you feel it?” he asked her. “What she’s done is going to ruin everything; it’s going to be worse than before and only she can know what’s happened.”

“Maybe it will be different this time,” the female sighed. “Maybe...”

“Maybe nothing,” the male argued. “You know we can’t change this. For her change, a large sacrifice must be made.”

“But her friend shall live,” the female insisted.

“That’s not it,” the male told her. “Her whole life shall change viciously and only she shall know. She will be responsible for everything that happens.”

“Oh lord,” the female muttered. “I see it. I see what’s going to happen, and I don’t like it.”

A/N: Please review!