Once again, the group found themselves in an alley, Xander and Arturo coming through the vortex last on the big air mattress.
"Roll!" yelled Quinn, and the other Sliders managed to avoid being landed on by the two brainiacs. Remy grabbed his air mattress, now a standard item, and tossed it over the three slayerettes as added protection from a flying Arturo.
The beach they landed on was a familiar one to the Sunnydale crowd, the sun just starting to set over the ocean. Xander turned to the Sliders and told them they seemed to be in familiar ground.
"Looks like we're in a world with a Hell Mouth, so everybody be ready?" the young man with older eyes commented.
"How can you tell for certain, Alexander?" Arturo asked, "Is it from the difference in coastline? It does seem slightly different to the Northwest…"
"Yeah, I'm guessing that the bulging peninsula that Sunnydale sits on is a terrane adhering to the others comprising the Pacific Coast, and that the energy has acted almost volcanically to create the land," Xander Harris replied, drawing on his large collection of memories, "So without a Hell Mouth, much of Sunnydale, if not all of it, would be under the ocean."
"Well, that means at the very least we must be on our guard against those vampire fellows you've been dealing with, and to see if this is indeed your own world."
"Yeah, I guess the easiest thing to do would be for us to try our cell phones and call a couple cabs," Rembrandt contributed, "See if the local Slay-Team can put us up if it's not."
Forty minutes later, the ten were dropped off in front of Sunnydale High School near the library, no sign of Halloween insanity or activity. They'd stopped to find a newspaper, and found out the date in this world was August 28, 1998, whereas they'd just left November 18th, 1997. They asked the drivers to wait ten minutes before leaving, while noting that the lights in the structure were on, in case they needed to relocate to a hotel.
Xander and Doyle led the others, Rembrandt and Quinn covering the rear, as their recent standard method of approach. Reaching the door, Xander walked into the library.
Xander, Willow and Oz were quietly preparing for an early patrol of the cemeteries, Giles talking on his office telephone, as they all heard the doors open. The three teens turning in case it was a threat, they were shocked to see the mega-Xander (hereafter Alexander) and another guy enter the room, some familiar faces entering the library behind them.
"Good Lord!" Giles exclaimed as he came out of his office, bringing a smile to Alexander's face and chuckles from the others.
"I've been called worse, G-Man," Alexander teased, receiving a 'Don't call me that' in response, "We're from another dimension, working our way home, and thought we'd drop by to swap stories and maybe bum lodgings off you." Xander walked up to Alexander, awed about his other self.
"How'd you become the Xandernator?" the young teen asked, "Not that I'm complaining about the look mind you."
"I dressed as Phil the Weatherman for Halloween, and looped for quite a while, changing costumes and becoming what I am today, finally escaping by becoming Quinn Mallory, sliding out of the loop, bumped into the real deals," he gestured at his friends, made introductions, then continued, "And are now sliding our way home."
"Wow," Xander replied, "I just dressed as a soldier and thought I did okay…"
"Heh, Private Harris?" Alexander responded, receiving a nod, "Tell ya what, before I slide, if you want I'll recall and merge the possessions into you?"
"Cool," Xander replied, "And yes."
"I-I don't think that's wise…" Giles began, receiving dual glares from the two Alternates.
"I did it to myself, Ripper," Alexander interrupted, "Using one of your old spells from back in the day…"
"That's nice and all," Joyce interjected, "But I'd like to see to a hotel or something first as we have a day until our next slide."
"My parents are out of town," the local Willow offered, receiving a sympathetic smile from sliding-Willow, "So not counting floors, that's six people."
"I-I suppose two could squeeze into my place," Giles offered uncertainly.
"How 'bout Doyle and I stay with Rupert," Alexander suggested, "And everyone else do their best at the Rosenberg residence, taking the cot from the weapon's cage. And Other-Me can stay at Giles also and we can talk."
"Alright, now that that's taken care of, how about we exchange information," Professor Arturo suggested, "Getting the business out of the way before the pleasure, as it were."
An hour later, much of the group had broken off to pick up dinner on the way to their lodgings, the Xanders taking the long way through the cemeteries for a quick patrol, dusting a single vampire with little effort. They talked about Angel, Angelus, relationships, the lack of a Dawn in this universe, Buffy's flight, and other things in ways only they could relate.
"So what do you think of me and Cordy?" Xander asked.
"Well, I think you might want to just let her know how you feel, let her know all of your feelings and worries, then ask her to let you down easily if she decides not to commit to you in public."
"But…"
"I know…but what if you do screw up? Hey, this way you both know going in…"
"I don't know that she'll take an ultimatum very well."
"It's not an ultimatum, Xander, you're just putting it all out there, and she'll decide what she wants to do."
"And if she decides to break up, then what? I think I care for her."
"Of course you care for her, but is she willing to look four years into the future and see the two of you together, maybe even married?"
"Hmmm, that's still kinda young…"
"But you know what I mean…"
"Yeah, but what if she decides to break it off?"
"Well, you concentrate on your fighting skills and getting straight A grades this year, study for your SATs and go to college."
"You're kidding about the school right…"
"How do you expect to stay with the rest of the gang if you're not in college, you've seen how the college kids act toward the locals sometimes…and besides, you'll use the soldier-guy memories as your own, and he got an 1120 combined but decided to go into the service so he could pay for college, and he'd taken a bunch of AP courses his senior year. Besides, even sleeping through the classes, you still end up in the same classes as Willow, right?" Dawning realization entered Xander's eyes as he contemplated Alexander's words…he was in the same classes as Willow!
"How do I convince the school to let me take those courses? And how will I pay for college anyway?"
"Take your GED exams, and ask for testing to see if they'll let you in…as for the money, here."
"What's this?"
"About ten grand in fifties, I've been letting my fingers freely roam, so don't worry about it. Also, I'm going to talk to Rupert about you moving in with him, there's no way either of us will ever again put up with the crap our dear parents give us."
"Live with G-Man! That'd be almost as bad as living with Dead Boy…"
"You'd rather live in an abandoned mansion?"
"Well…hmm…"
"Did Angel actually own it, or just move in?"
"You know? I never asked, but I think the crazy vamp might have just moved in."
"So no one's been around to reclaim it?"
"What are we thinking here, me?"
"Tax repossession, me, maybe you and Rupert could buy the back taxes and take it over for yourselves? Nice investment for both of you, and more secure for the books and weapons than the public library at the school."
"Cool."
The spell was performed that night, and the rest of the visit went well, the two groups socializing and exchanging views on different matters, the big surprise being the suddenly deepened friendship between Oz and Xander as after a brief circling and face-off, Xander was quietly acknowledged as 'Alpha' but Oz as Willow's mate, and the soldier accepting Giles as an experienced older officer, psychologically speaking. The sliders and slayerettes downloaded useful news and other information for their returns home.
The two Willows smiled and chatted, smiling at their men-folk and causing Alexander and Oz to relocate elsewhere until the group made its way out to the beach again in a pair of old and barely-running pick up trucks they'd procured from a wrecking yard at the last minute. Maybe they'd work, and maybe not, but if it saved worrying about cab fare, it'd be worth it.