<>This is an AU where Grian didn't destroy the time machine<>

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" asked Iskall, the question directed at Doc.

"Yeah! The hippies came back just fine after they used it, so why shouldn't we?" grinned Doc, opening the time machines door to let everyone in, somehow making everyone fit.

Now you may ask: what is going on? Well you see the Hermits all got curious about the hippies little time travel adventure, so they wanted to go. But Grian had banned them from doing so, much to everyone's disappointment. But Doc had gotten the idea of sneaking into the hippie camp and using it without the three knowing, and he had asked everyone else if they wished to accompany him, and they all wanted to.

So that's why they were all here, sneaking into the hippie camp in the dead of night all under invisibility potions. Everyone crammed themselves inside the small pod, people either knocking against each other or the walls. The door closed behind Doc and everyone stood in awkward silence for a few minutes until Mumbo broke it, "So what now? How do we activate this thing?"

"I, I don't know," said Doc with uncertainty, "But Grian made this, so It can't be that complicated!"

"But what if it is complicated?" asked Tango, "This has nothing to do with redstone, so this could be the most complicated machine in this entire server for all we know!"

"Tango, it's a quartz box!" said Zedaph with an eye roll, "How complicated could it be? Now Doc, try pressing all the buttons, that feels like a Grian thing"

"Good idea Zed!" said Doc as he started pressing the buttons, but I'd didn't seem to be working, "To bad it didn't work though"

"Awww, I was really hoping that would work," pouted the blond.

As everyone was brainstorming on what to do Scar looked at compass that was in an item frame near him, he experimentally moved it. And to his, and everyone else's, surprise the machine started shaking. The Hermits would have been thrown around if it wasn't so cramped, but being pushed against each other wasn't pleasant either. Especially since some people, Doc, didn't know how to put away their tridents! I mean, Jesus Christ Doc , how hard can it be to move the damn thing to your inventory instead of having it on you at all times?! But minor trident stabbing aside, no one got hurt, much to everyone's relief.

As soon as the shaking stopped Doc broke the door down, completely disregarding the button. After he left the rest of the Hermits all came streaming out, some even kissing the ground in relief. Everyone just spent a few minutes recovering, but after that they all properly looked around. They were in a custom built, at least it looked custom built judging by all the mixed stones in the roof, cavern in an equally custom mountain. At least it looked custom in Scar's professional opinion.

The group slowly explored everything, awed at the beautiful craftsmanship this must have taken years to perfect. Their little exploration tour was cut short however when they heard laughter echo around the stone walls. They all quickly rushed to hide, if you can call bushing against the less lit parts of the walls hiding. Everyone held their breaths as the voices got closer, and their eyes widened as they saw the origin of the sound.

Along the path, that the Hermits had previously been following, came three children running from a guy with brown hair. They didn't recognize the children, but the guy they did recognize. It was Impulse, older for sure, but it was still the owner of iTrade they love and know. But why did he look older? And why was he running after three children?

Instead of stepping out of the shadows and confronting Impulse, they stayed hidden and watched.

"Get back here you little devils! It's almost dark and I promised to have you all in bed before your dads get back!" said Impulse, failing to grab at the kid nearest to him.

"Sorry Uncle Impulse! But you can't control us!" grinned the kid that looked to be the middle oldest, his blue eyes glinting with mischief.

"Yeah!" added the youngest, dirty blond tail swishing happily from side to side, "We have listened to you for the last time! We will make our own bedtimes! And no phantom or Uncle Imp's will stop us!"

"Connor! Cedric! You have to listen to me!" cried the brunette, almost falling on his face when he tripped on a pebble as he chased them around the center of the cavern, "Your parents will shred me if they find out you didn't go to bed on time! Roxanne, please help me here"

The girl, and the oldest, wolf hybrid just smiled back at the brunette, "Sorry Uncle, but I keep hearing the wonders of enjoying the moon atop this very mountain from Pops, and I really want to experience it for myself! So you'll have to look elsewhere for help I'm afraid!"

The chasing continued until when they came back around a second time, then everything went wrong.

Connor, who they guessed was the middle kid, ran a bit too close to the edge of the still unfinished part of the cave. A part of the cave that still had a hole that lead down to a deep ravine, and he tumbled right off the edge with a terrified scream.

"CONNOR!" cried Impulse, running up to the ravine edge ready to jump after the young wolf.

But just as the brunette was about to jump into the ravine a red blur jumped down right in front of him, and soon the sound of rockets being fired echoed. A few seconds passed before Tango flew out of the hole with Connor clutched tightly in his arms. He then safely landed on the ground and sat the still terrified child down, Roxanne and Cedric both running up to their brother to comfort him. Impulse did the same, but after he saw that the wolf was fine he stood back up to look at Tango, "Tango? How are you here?"

"It's a long story," said Tango, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Who cares!" cried Impulse with a happy smile on his face, "Your back! Are the others here too?"

Instead of answering the other Tango motioned for the rest of the Hermits to step out of the shadows, and he swore he saw tears leave the brunettes eyes as saw everyone.

"Your all here," whispered Impulse, "Your all actually here"

"Uncle?" asked Cedric, the small wolf coming to stand behind his uncle, "Who are these people?"

"My friends," said Impulse, putting a comforting on the young wolves shoulder, "The Hermits"

Roxanne looked up from her younger brother at this and frowned, "The Hermits? I thought they disappeared over twenty years ago?"

The Hermits reeled at this, twenty years? What the hell had happened in this world?

"They did," said Impulse, "Which reminds me, how are you all here?"

"We, may or may not have taken Grian's time machine," mumbled Tango, looking at the ground and tapping the tips of his fingers together.

Impulse very visibly froze up, he grabbed the demons shoulders and made the blond look him in the eyes, "Is the time machine still here?"

"It is," answered the blond hesitantly, confused as to why Impulse was acting like this.

"And how long have you been here?"

"Uhh," Tango looked up at the other Hermits for help here, because he had no clue how long they'd been here.

"A little under an hour," supplied Xisuma helpfully.

"Then you have to go back to it immediately," said Impulse, "It stops working after a little over an hour after you arrive with it, so you have to go before it self destructs"

The Hermits left for the time machine, Impulse telling the children to wait here for him, traveling in silence. Impulse jogged up to the machine, putting the door back before entering it, "Well, you don't seem to have broken anything, so you should be good to go back home"

"How do we do that exactly?" asked Tango.

"Well you press (insert button pressing and item twisting from when the hippies did it) and then you should be good to go!"

Everyone crammed themselves in the machine again, this time a bit more orderly then the first time. Tango lingered a bit, he still had something he wanted to do. Quickly thinking about it he made a decision, and he turned around and gave Impulse a tight hug. The brunette was a bit shocked at this, but he quickly melted into the hug. It lasted for a minute before ending it.

"Good luck," whispered Impulse, ushering the demon towards the time machine, "Stay safe"

And so they where off, all ready to return home.

Almost as soon as they landed Grian marched up to them, berating them on using it. But Tango didn't pay him any mind, and instead walked up to Impulse and wrapped him in a big hug, much to the others confusion, "You ok there Tango?"

"I promise I won't leave you" said Tango, clutching the brunette closer, "I promise"

Impulse shook his head fondly, but still confused, "I know you won't, so don't even worry about it"

There little heartfelt moment was interrupted by Stress' loud squealing. They were a few feet away, but they did catch the word engaged being thrown around a lot.

Tango smiled as he watched his friends celebrate with one another, he knew that the place they visited was their future. But instead of only Impulse, Grian and Ren being there, he'd make sure they were all there. Their family after all, and family sticks together.

<>This ended up way more fluff then I first imagined it to be, but hey, I'm not complaining! Now I need to go to bed, but have a wonderful time everyone!<>