Chapter 7: Surprises

"Hey," Buffy looked up from the heavy text in front of her, surprised.

"Greetings," said Andie, sitting down at the table with the Scoobies.

"Sup," April grunted.

"Sleep well?" Willow asked sarcastically. It was almost one o'clock and this was the first they'd seen of their other-reality friends since they'd gone to bed.

"Hey, give us a break. We're still running on Canadian time," April objected.

"I wasn't really expecting you guys to turn up here," Buffy admitted.

"Why not? It's only fair that we lend a helping hand with the glorious researchy fun," Andie observed, propping her feet on the table.

"Well, I just. . .you know. . .didn't expect you to know your way around town. But I realize now what a foolish assumption that was."

"No problem. What do we have so far?"

"Well, based on what you told us--" Willow started.

"Hey, do you guys have hockey in this dimension?" Andie interrupted. Buffy frowned.

"What?"

"Hockey? Ice. Sticks. Little black circles. Ringin' any bells?"

"Of course, we have hockey. We're not complete freaks."

"Just wondering. I don't think I've ever seen an episode with hockey in it." She waved a hand, motioning Willow to begin again. "Please continue."

"Well, you said that you guys were just packing up your DVDs when you get sucked through the TV, right?" Andie and April nodded. "The only thing I've found so far that even remotely resembles this situation was back in the 1950s. Something about the alignment of the planets. Apparently, when the planets are in a certain position, a dimensional portal opens for around two minutes."

"So you think maybe we got sucked through this portal?"

"I guess, it's possible."

"And we don't know if this is ever going to happen again?" Dawn frowned. "They could be stuck here forever."

"Hmm. Maybe that wouldn't be so bad." Andrea looked vaguely intrigued.

"What about Cody?" April whined. Andie rolled her eyes. Xander smiled.

"Who's Cody?" he teased in a sing-song voice.

"Is he good in bed?" Anya asked, finally joining the conversation.

"I don't know," April answered calmly.

"Yet," Andie mumbled. April smacked her in the arm. "So there's no other record of this ever happening?" she turned back to Willow.

"Not so far. . .Oh, wait a gosh-darn minute. Here, it says back in 1902, that a group of people disappeared from a party. They were listening to a record player at the time."

"They got sucked into a record player?" April giggled. "Bet they got dizzy after a while."

"So this happens, like, every fifty years?" Andie asked. Willow nodded. "We have to stay here until I'm sixty-eight. Possibilities. . ."

"Oh, my God!" April jumped up. "Andie, we'd have to be on the TV show!"

"Wow, you're right. That is so very cool." She paused. "But then, wouldn't all the episodes change? Because there's two new characters?" April's smile melted away.

"Oh, oh, wait!" Willow said suddenly. "The book documents that planets being in a position that opens a portal about a week after. I'd have to do some calculations to be sure, but. . ."

"We can leave in a week?" Andie asked.

"I think so. We'd have to figure out exactly where you'd have to be at the exact time, but that's probably where you landed in the first place."

"Awesome. So we have a week to hang around Sunnydale doing stuff we never thought we'd be able to do! This is great." Andie gave April a high-five, totally psyched by the endless possibilities. "You know what this calls for, right?"

"Oh, totally." Andie jumped up and ran into the middle of the room, then, realizing she had no clue where anything was, looked at Anya.

"Do you have a CD player in here?" she squeaked.

"Over by the cash register," Anya supplied, looking slightly confused. Andie ran over to the counter and whipped her backpack off her shoulders. She dug around inside it for a second and then pulled out a CD. She opened it and placed it inside the player. Selecting the song, she glanced up at Buffy.

"Tell me you don't melt at this guys voice," she challenged. The song began to play and a gorgeous male voice filled the room.

*She comes home to me after a hard night's work Falls in my arms and sleeps like a bird Startled, wakes up like she don't know me Cocks back her fist like she's goin' to slug me Like who are you anyway and what are you doing to me?*

"Wow, what a pretty song," Dawn cooed. Buffy's brow wrinkled.

"It's called Angel," Andie said.

"Who is that guy? He sounds familiar." Andie and April grinned conspiratorially.

"The band is called Ghost of the Robot, but the lead singer is named James Martsers."

James Marsters. She knew that name. She'd heard, or read, it somewhere. Wait a second. . .

"Oh, my God. That's SPIKE?" Buffy shrieked. Andie nodded enthusiastically. "No way. I don't believe you. I - " Her denial was cut off by Xander's sharp burst of laughter.

"What's so bleeding funny, Whelp?" Spike asked, tossing a smoking blanket to the ground.

A/N: Sorry about the taking-a-while-to-update thing, but you know how it is with the five stories at a time thing. Kinda difficult. Oh, well. I'll try a little harder, I promise. And by the way, I appreciate all the reviews I'm getting. I hope I don't disappoint you with how this all works out.